Antonio's last words still echoed in Isabella's ears, even after he pulled her close, kissed her deeply, spanked her on the ass and left without another word. The way he said it had been so casual, like he didn't care. -It's what I used to kill my father-It made her realize that she really knew nothing about him. Who his parents were, how he became a powerful mafia king, if he even had siblings. He had evaded her questions when she asked him about it, but now she really wanted to know. A part of her knew he wasn't really going for a business meeting. She was sure he was going after whoever was responsible for the accident on the bridge. Yet she couldn't stop thinking about what he said. She still remembered the dream she had about her parent's death. It had been Antonio's face, and she had deduced that it was a trick of her mind. Now she wasn't so sure. The door opened suddenly and two nurses stepped into the room."Hello, signòra. How are you feeling?" The head nurse, Carla, ask
Isabella finally changed her mind about hanging out with Veronica.Veronica was kind and sweet, but there was just something off about her. She decided to stay home and wait for Antonio to return. She needed all the rest she could get. Her examination was in a week and she needed to be prepared. Her phone rang out of the blue. It was an unknown number and she frowned before answering. "Hello?""Why didn't you reply my text?" Antonio's deep voice floated from the other end. He sounded annoyed. "I was going to." She replied. "What? Are you upset?"He was silent for a moment and she heard a rustle from the other end. Then he spoke again. "Of course I'm upset. I kept waiting for your response." He grumbled. "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't know something as trivial as ignoring your text would make you upset." She said, laughing softly. "You sound like a little boy.""I'll make you pay for that." He growled, and she felt a rush of excitement go through her. "What are you doing? Have you eaten?
"MARIO!" Isabella screamed, jumping away quickly. She tried to hold him back but her hand slipped off his elbow. Leonard staggered back slightly, a thick trail of blood running down his nose. Isabella expected him to fold and run away like others normally did, but that didn't happen. To her utter shock, she watched Leonard draw back his fist and punch Mario in the face. She let out another scream, and it finally alerted the security guards around the mall. Mario's head snapped backwards, but his feet remained planted on the floor. His face twisted in fury and he spat out the blood in his mouth. "I'll make you regret that, kid." He muttered. Just as he closed in on Leonard, Isabella threw herself between the both of them. "That's enough! Please!!" She yelled, her hands pressed against his chest. Mario paused, the anger in his eyes dissipating as he gazed down at Isabella. Fortunately, the security guards arrived and quickly disrupted the fight. The manager of the mall, a short,
Isabella jumped to her feet and backed away from him. "What kind of person are you?" She whispered. "What... how do you sleep each night knowing you have a dead body in here?"Antonio stepped into the room and shut the door. As he moved towards her, she backed away, holding a hand out. "Isabella...""Stay back." She yelled. Her back hit the wall and she flattened against it. "Don't come closer. I tried. I tried to get used to the kind of person you are, the kind of work you do, but this..." She pointed at the box. "This is too much for me to handle.""If you would just listen...""What is there to listen?" She cut him short again, her voice unsteady. "Whatever happened, it isn't enough reason to kill someone and keep their body in here. Oh God, I can't believe I've been sleeping in the same house with a dead woman."Antonio sighed in annoyance. He walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Let me go." She slapped at his hands, trying to free herself. "Isabella, stop this." He sn
Antonio stood still as her arms wrapped around his neck. He didn't pull her close, even when she pressed her body against his. He felt the pressure of her lips, yet he didn't yield. His mood was ruined, his emotions bare. He had opened up a part of his heart, one that had been locked for years. He never talked about his mother. It was a sore topic, a painful memory, one he kept hidden. But she made him open up, and all the emotions he buried deep had awakened. He didn't want to feel that heavy weight he always felt whenever he thought about his mother. He didn't want to feel. Isabella noticed his stiffness and she made a soft sound of protest. She pulled back slightly and stared at him. Stormy grey eyes gazed back at her, filled with icy coldness. "Kiss me back, Antonio." She whispered, her breath fanning his face. Still he made no move to hold her and bring her close.She rose on her toes, her fingers tangling in his hair. "Please, Antonio." She whispered. "Kiss me."The cold loo
"Where are we going to, aunt Sophia?" Isabella asked as her aunty ushered her out of the apartment and into a waiting car. "We have to meet with one of your uncles." The elderly woman replied. "He has promised to give us some money for your upkeep.""Oh. Maybe I can finally go to college." Isabella said hopefully, but Sophia ignored her. They got into the car and the driver sped off. Soon the dusty roads of the countryhome where they lived gave way to the bustling express of Las Vegas. Isabella was just twenty two, young and totally dependent on her aunty, Sophia. Her parents had been murdered when she was just an infant, so the only family she relied on were her relatives. According to Sophia, she had her mother's physical beauty, but her father's rebellious streak. Isabella had midnight dark hair, a shade which was unlike any other. Her eyes were the darkest obsidian, sharp and filled with a million questions, with skin as pale as milk. Growing up, she had been curious about e
The glare of the hot sun roused Isabella the next morning. She opened her eyes and winced due to the sudden brightness. It took a while for her to adjust to the light, and when she opened her eyes again, she was shocked at the scene before her. She was in a metal cage, and there were other young girls around her. She sat up quickly, wondering how she got there. She was still in the dress she had on the previous night, damp from the rain. She was chained, just like the other girls. There were several other cages holding other girls, and the cages were chained to metal poles in a large open backyard. Frowning in confusion, Isabella leaned towards the girl beside her and whispered. "Hey. Do you know what's going on?"The girl stared at her blankly before answering. "What does it look like? We're going to be sold.""Sold?""To the highest bidder." The girl nodded. "A lot of us were lured here, while others were sold to dealers, who would resell us for pure gold."Isabella found it d
He was no ordinary stranger. He was the king of the mafia world. The immortal boss, as everyone called him. Don Antonio de Marino, the notorious El Capo and ruler of La Vendetta Oscura, the largest and most powerful mafia organization in Las Vegas. The mention of his name brought men to their knees and seized them with terror. He was ruthless, merciless, a menace, and even the police steered clear of him. His world revolved around three things: wealth, power and revenge. He changed women more than he changed outfits, and women always crowded around him, wanting a taste of the forbidden. To say he was good looking was an understatement. He seemed to have been carved from gold, crafted by the expert hands of gods. He had a deathly aura, and even the strongest of men trembled at his presence. That morning, he woke up troubled. And it was a rare thing for him to be troubled. He found it difficult to forget the girl he saw the previous night. Thinking about her now, the scene repla
Antonio stood still as her arms wrapped around his neck. He didn't pull her close, even when she pressed her body against his. He felt the pressure of her lips, yet he didn't yield. His mood was ruined, his emotions bare. He had opened up a part of his heart, one that had been locked for years. He never talked about his mother. It was a sore topic, a painful memory, one he kept hidden. But she made him open up, and all the emotions he buried deep had awakened. He didn't want to feel that heavy weight he always felt whenever he thought about his mother. He didn't want to feel. Isabella noticed his stiffness and she made a soft sound of protest. She pulled back slightly and stared at him. Stormy grey eyes gazed back at her, filled with icy coldness. "Kiss me back, Antonio." She whispered, her breath fanning his face. Still he made no move to hold her and bring her close.She rose on her toes, her fingers tangling in his hair. "Please, Antonio." She whispered. "Kiss me."The cold loo
Isabella jumped to her feet and backed away from him. "What kind of person are you?" She whispered. "What... how do you sleep each night knowing you have a dead body in here?"Antonio stepped into the room and shut the door. As he moved towards her, she backed away, holding a hand out. "Isabella...""Stay back." She yelled. Her back hit the wall and she flattened against it. "Don't come closer. I tried. I tried to get used to the kind of person you are, the kind of work you do, but this..." She pointed at the box. "This is too much for me to handle.""If you would just listen...""What is there to listen?" She cut him short again, her voice unsteady. "Whatever happened, it isn't enough reason to kill someone and keep their body in here. Oh God, I can't believe I've been sleeping in the same house with a dead woman."Antonio sighed in annoyance. He walked up to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Let me go." She slapped at his hands, trying to free herself. "Isabella, stop this." He sn
"MARIO!" Isabella screamed, jumping away quickly. She tried to hold him back but her hand slipped off his elbow. Leonard staggered back slightly, a thick trail of blood running down his nose. Isabella expected him to fold and run away like others normally did, but that didn't happen. To her utter shock, she watched Leonard draw back his fist and punch Mario in the face. She let out another scream, and it finally alerted the security guards around the mall. Mario's head snapped backwards, but his feet remained planted on the floor. His face twisted in fury and he spat out the blood in his mouth. "I'll make you regret that, kid." He muttered. Just as he closed in on Leonard, Isabella threw herself between the both of them. "That's enough! Please!!" She yelled, her hands pressed against his chest. Mario paused, the anger in his eyes dissipating as he gazed down at Isabella. Fortunately, the security guards arrived and quickly disrupted the fight. The manager of the mall, a short,
Isabella finally changed her mind about hanging out with Veronica.Veronica was kind and sweet, but there was just something off about her. She decided to stay home and wait for Antonio to return. She needed all the rest she could get. Her examination was in a week and she needed to be prepared. Her phone rang out of the blue. It was an unknown number and she frowned before answering. "Hello?""Why didn't you reply my text?" Antonio's deep voice floated from the other end. He sounded annoyed. "I was going to." She replied. "What? Are you upset?"He was silent for a moment and she heard a rustle from the other end. Then he spoke again. "Of course I'm upset. I kept waiting for your response." He grumbled. "Oh I'm sorry. I didn't know something as trivial as ignoring your text would make you upset." She said, laughing softly. "You sound like a little boy.""I'll make you pay for that." He growled, and she felt a rush of excitement go through her. "What are you doing? Have you eaten?
Antonio's last words still echoed in Isabella's ears, even after he pulled her close, kissed her deeply, spanked her on the ass and left without another word. The way he said it had been so casual, like he didn't care. -It's what I used to kill my father-It made her realize that she really knew nothing about him. Who his parents were, how he became a powerful mafia king, if he even had siblings. He had evaded her questions when she asked him about it, but now she really wanted to know. A part of her knew he wasn't really going for a business meeting. She was sure he was going after whoever was responsible for the accident on the bridge. Yet she couldn't stop thinking about what he said. She still remembered the dream she had about her parent's death. It had been Antonio's face, and she had deduced that it was a trick of her mind. Now she wasn't so sure. The door opened suddenly and two nurses stepped into the room."Hello, signòra. How are you feeling?" The head nurse, Carla, ask
The next morning, Isabella woke up to see Antonio standing beside her. She looked around in surprise, wondering how she appeared in the bedroom. She sat up, her entire side feeling stiff and sore. She was still in her nightie. "Good morning." She murmured, rubbing her eyes. "Good morning, amore." Antonio smiled. He leaned down and his lips found hers in a hot, smouldering kiss. When he pulled back, she clamped her hand over her mouth and drew back. "What's wrong?" He asked, amused. "I haven't washed my mouth." Her voice came out muffled behind her hand. Antonio chuckled and moved away from the bed. His hair lay in damp waves from his recent shower, and he had changed into dark slacks and a grey t-shirt. "You don't have morning breath." He said over his shoulder as he walked towards the bar in the corner of the room.Isabella lowered her hand. She breathed on her palm and sniffed it, her nose wrinkling in distaste. She looked up at Antonio who looked so irresistible in casual cl
Isabella was sitting up on the bed when Antonio returned. The nurses had given her one of her nighties to change into. She looked pale and her entire waist was wrapped with thick bandages. She looked up when Antonio stepped into the room. She noticed how tired he looked, even though his eyes were full of concern for her. Her gaze lowered and she stared at the bandage around his waist. "You're hurt too." She murmured. "I'll live." Antonio answered. He walked towards the side of the bed, quietly scrutinizing her. "How are you feeling?""You mean other than the fact that I almost died because of you?" She asked. He paused, surprised at her words. But he noticed she was teasing and his lips lifted in a small smile. "Yes. Other than that." He said. "I'm in pain." She answered, wincing as she positioned herself against the pillows. "But I'm fine. The nurses gave me some pain reliever."Antonio didn't reply immediately. He took her hand in his, his fingers gently grazing over hers. Th
Antonio was deathly silent as he pressed down on the gas pedal, speeding through the highway. His grip on the wheel was so tight that his knuckles turned white. He changed lanes so fast that the tires screeched on the wet asphalt as the SUV swerved. He couldn't stop thinking about the phone call. Whoever it was, they made the mistake of angering him and threatening Isabella. He would get to the bottom of it, and unleash the rage within him. As for the accident that occurred, three suspects came to his mind. One was Pedro while the others were Sebastian and Bruno, the blonde bastard who tried to touch Isabella at the stripper's club. He ruled out Bruno because the latter wasn't important enough. Bruno wouldn't even dare to cross him. That left Pedro and Sebastian. Sebastian had been his main rival since he became the strongest mafia king. The bastard was always looking for a way to wage an attack on him. And as for Pedro, he didn't trust him again since that incident where he chopp
Antonio stared at the jagged piece of glass stuck in his waist, his face expressionless. He must have gotten stabbed when the sedan tumbled over the bridge. But because he was more concerned with Isabella, he didn't feel the pain. Now that his attention had been drawn to it, he winced. "Signòre the nurses need to treat that wound." Mario said urgently. "I'm fine." Antonio muttered. He turned to the nurses who were staring at him, frozen. His brows drew together in a deep frown. "What the fuck are you staring at? Attend to Isabella!"He turned away again and grasped the edge of the glass shard. Gritting his teeth tightly, with excruciating slowness, he pulled it out. Blood spilled out immediately, soaking his trousers. He ripped off his drenched shirt and pressed it on the wound. "Signòre please, your wounds needs to be treated properly." Mario protested, but got ignored a second time. Antonio stared at the wound, then at Isabella. He didn't want to leave her side, but if he coll