BELLAI know I’ve said this a million times already, but I’m so over this.Tired of being locked up. Tired of staring at the same four walls like some caged animal. Tired of not feeling the sun on my skin, not meeting people who could hold a decent conversation.And, God help me, I was tired of wearing the same damn clothes every single day.Vincent dared to snatch me from my life, but he couldn’t even let me have a decent wardrobe. All I had were the pajamas he “graciously” took from his maids and the gown I was wearing the day he kidnapped me. It was insulting. A girl needs options! If I was going to be held hostage, I should at least get to look good while suffering.I flopped onto my bed with a dramatic sigh. “I’m a lady, for goodness’ sake! How am I supposed to survive without my necessities?”If Vincent was going to keep me here indefinitely, he could at least have the decency to take me back to my house so I could grab my things. My shirt and pants, my dresses, hell, even my pa
BELLAA gasp escaped my slightly parted lips as his hands glided over my back, the warmth of his touch sending a shiver down my spine.It was electric, almost magical the way his fingers brushed my skin before carefully pulling up the zipper of my gown. Our eyes remained locked in the mirror and suddenly, the air between us felt charged, humming with untamed energy.“Beautiful,” Vincent murmured, his deep, husky voice rolling over me like a velvet caress.I couldn’t disagree. The gown hugged my body in all the right places, making me feel like someone entirely new, someone powerful, elegant, and untouchable. Yet, standing this close to him, I felt anything but untouchable.Then, he stepped closer, pressing his body against mine.My breath hitched, my pulse hammering wildly in my chest as our eyes held each other in a heated exchange. His gaze darkened, his pupils dilating as something unspoken flickered across his face, something raw, something dangerous.I barely had time to react be
VINCENT“I asked a fucking question. What the hell happened here?” My voice was like ice, slicing through the thick tension that hung in the air.The gathered guards visibly flinched, their shoulders stiff, their faces pale with barely concealed fear. They looked like frightened prey, their eyes darting between each other in silent panic, none of them daring to step forward.My glare hardened. The longer they stayed quiet, the more my patience thinned.“Will you speak,” I hissed through gritted teeth, “or do I have to make you bleed it out?”The threat lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating.Before anyone could answer, the front doors swung open and Bianchi stepped out, his presence thick with danger.The guards quietly stepped out of the way as he walked as he walked toward me. His aura was dark and heavy with an unspoken lethal promise, yet his expression remained eerily calm. Too calm.“What is this?” My voice was low, laced with a cold fury that sent another visible shudder th
BELLAWhat did he think I was? A fucking hand trophy? A pretty little ornament to dangle on his arm while he paraded around, soaking up attention?Then why the hell bring me to a party if I wasn’t even allowed to enjoy it? To laugh, to drink, to actually exist?Vincent had been dragging me around all night, dictating every move like I was some wind-up doll designed to nod, smile, and obey. And the worst part? I was still smiling, that sweet, practiced expression stretched across my face like a mask, hiding the irritation clawing at my insides.Why was I even humoring him? The bastard had made it clear. Be polite. Stay close. Like I was a damn child who needed supervision.My fingers itched to peel away from his grip, to vanish into the crowd and remind him that I wasn’t something to be kept.He was talking to a man about something related to a contract and I groaned at the back of my mind as I listened to the same boring business talk over and over again.Why can’t they talk about som
BELLA The fear rolled off him in waves. He yanked his hand from mine, making a desperate run for it. But he never stood a chance, Vincent was on him in an instant. The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the space, followed by a grunt of pain. Before he could recover, Vincent’s fist connected with the same cheek, harder this time. A sickening crunch followed. Raymond stumbled from the impact, his face contorted in agony, but the coward in him saw an opening and he bolted. Too bad for him, Vincent was faster. I took off after them, my pulse racing as we all burst into the gala hall. The moment we crossed the threshold, Vincent snatched him by the collar and yanked him backward with so much force that he hit the floor with a brutal thud. Gasps rippled through the elegantly dressed crowd, but nobody moved to stop what was unfolding before them. Vincent didn’t hesitate. He straddled Raymond, his fist crashing down, again and again, each blow fueled by righteous fury. Blood splatte
THIRD POV The door flew open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang, and Bella yanked at the chain binding her wrists. The cold metal bit into her already raw skin, but she didn’t care. “You asshole! Get me out of this shit!” she snarled, her voice dripping with rage. A maid stepped into the room, unaffected by Bella’s fury. She barely reacted, only blinking before setting a tray down at the foot of the bed. Then, without a word, she approached Bella. Bella’s face burned with embarrassment. As if it wasn’t enough that Vincent had left her looking like she’d just been fucked, now he dared to send a maid to witness her naked and chained like some helpless prisoner? Her anger surged. “What are you doing here? Why did that bastard send you?” she growled, tugging violently against the restraints. The maid remained calm, pulling a small key from her pocket. “Please stop struggling, ma’am, or you’ll hurt yourself. I’m here to free you.” Bella stilled, breathing heavily, wat
THIRD POV“Don, keep your eyes open. Don’t fucking close them!” Bianchi’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp with desperation as he slammed his foot on the gas. The tires screeched against the pavement, the city lights blurring into streaks of neon as they tore through the streets. He had been in situations like this before, but this was different.Vincent was shot. Vincent.The man Bianchi thought was untouchable, unstoppable, invincible.His hands clenched the steering wheel so tightly. He risked another glance at Vincent, but the sight nearly sent his stomach plummeting. Blood seeped through his jacket, spreading and soaking the fabric until it clung to his body like a second skin. His normally sharp, defiant eyes were half-lidded, his head tilted slightly, as if sleep was winning the battle he barely seemed to fight.“Vincent, keep your goddamn eyes open!” Bianchi barked again, his voice cracking with urgency. But Vincent didn’t react.Didn’t even flinch.His breathing was shallow
VINCENT POVI let out a low chuckle, wincing slightly as the movement pulled at my freshly stitched wound. “So you do care, after all,” I teased, my voice laced with amusement.Bianchi scoffed. “Care? Please. I’m just looking out for myself. If you kick the bucket, guess who has to clean up the mess? Spoiler alert, it’s me, and I’m not interested.”I smirked as I tilted my head slightly. “You sure? You’d make a decent boss, Bianchi.”“Absolutely not,” Bianchi deadpanned. “I enjoy my life. I like my tailored suits without bullet holes. I like sleeping without one eye open. And most importantly, I like drinking my whiskey without wondering if it’s been poisoned.”I chuckled again, shaking my head. This argument with Bianchi never gets old.“Do I need to remind you that you are my second in command and you are already in danger?.”“Yeah, yeah.” He said dismissively.Bianchi leaned forward, his tone shifting to something more serious. “But in all honesty, we can’t let something like last
BELLAI freeze, completely stunned. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.Vincent, he’s here, in this house. After I’ve been waiting for hours, pacing and hoping. It feels like I’m looking at him for the first time in years, not just a week.I try to speak, but nothing comes out. My lips part, but the words, where are they? How do you speak to someone who once knew your heart and now looks like a stranger?He’s staring at me too, eyes wide, caught off guard. But just as quickly, his expression hardens. The softness vanishes, replaced by something cold. Distant.“What are you doing here? Who told you to come in?” His voice was sharp and void of any emotion as he stared at me.That voice.“I just… I wanted to see you. I need to talk to you,” I say, my voice small, and aching.“I have nothing to say to you. You should leave.” His words hit like stones. Hard. Unmoved.Still, I don’t back down. “I’m not going anywhere until we talk.”He lets out a bitter snort like I’m some pathetic joke. “I to
BELLA“I’m tired,” I whispered, stretching out on the couch, my arms falling limply to my sides as my gaze drifted to the ceiling.For the past week, I have been a prisoner in this house. An abandoned criminal who didn’t even manage to catch a glimpse of her captor.I hadn’t seen Vincent once, not a glimpse. He’d been avoiding me like I carried some infectious disease, and the sting of that rejection cut deeper than I wanted to admit. I wasn’t just lonely, I was hurting.Each day blurred into the next. I slept. I ate. I went on a slow morning run around the estate with Amira, who tried to lift my spirits with gentle talks and pregnancy lessons. She meant well, and I appreciated her kindness, but it wasn’t enough.She talked about body changes, mood swings, nutrition, prenatal exercises, things that made it feel all too real, while the father of my child acted like I didn’t exist.No school. No fresh air beyond the garden. No freedom.I was bored. There is basically nothing going on in
BELLABianchi led me to the mansion, and the moment I stepped inside, a tight knot twisted in my chest. My eyes instinctively searched the living room, half-expecting to see Vincent lounging on the couch, flipping through documents with that quiet focus he always wore. But he wasn’t there. The room was still.Bianchi came to a halt, turning just slightly as if he were making sure I followed. I wanted so badly to ask him where Vincent was, to break the heavy silence between us, but I couldn’t. He’d already warned me. He’d made it painfully clear that he couldn’t stand the sight of me.And honestly, I couldn’t blame him. His hatred was earned. I destroyed the one person who meant the world to both of us. I broke Vincent. I broke us.Even now, knowing I deserved every bit of Bianchi’s loathing, it still burned. It burned that I couldn’t say I’m sorry. That I couldn’t explain or try to make it right. I’d shattered Vincent’s trust and wounded him in the most unforgivable way. And what did
VINCENT“You can’t seriously be considering this, right?” Bianchi’s voice cut through the silence like a blade, his eyes locked on mine with a mixture of disbelief and fury.I let out a long, weary sigh, dragging a hand down my face. I was tired, tired of thinking, tired of feeling, tired of the war inside my head.“You have got to be kidding me,” he snapped, stepping closer. “After everything that’s happened, after what she did, you really believe that child is yours? She’s been working with Santiago. Santiago!” he exclaimed.“How the hell can you be sure they haven’t been screwing behind your back the entire time?”His words were sharp, like shards of glass, cutting through my thoughts with brutal precision.“She’s a liar,” he continued, voice rising with frustration. “You know that. Even if she is pregnant, that doesn’t make it your problem. Just because you slept with her doesn’t make you the damn father.”I stared at the floor, jaw clenched. Every word he said echoed the fears I
BELLAA searing cold shock slammed into my chest and I gasped, the scream catching in my throat as the freezing water drenched me in an instant. My body jerked forward, but the ropes bit deeper into my wrists and ankles, holding me firm against the wooden chair. My heart was beating rapidly, my breath coming in sharp pants, teeth chattering before I could even open my eyes.“What the hell!” I rasped, voice hoarse and shaking. Water clung to my lashes, and when I blinked it away, Santiago stood there calmly staring at me, like he hadn’t just dumped a bucket of ice water on me like I was some prisoner of war.His dark eyes flicked over me, with annoyance in them. “Time to wake up, Bella.”I glared at him, hatred burning in every part of my body. “You could’ve just said my name.”He crouched in front of me, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You don’t get comfort anymore. You lost that privilege the second you allowed Vincent to find out our plan. You failed and now you will spend the r
VINCENT“You cannot be fucking serious,” Bianchi growled, pacing furiously across my office.“This is madness! And I swear to God, I won’t let you take one goddamn step out of this house, over my dead body!” he ranted, voice sharp and wild. “I’m not about to stand here and watch you throw your life away for some pathetic betrayer.”I sat back, silently watching him storm across the room, my fingers pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. His yelling unnerved me but I let him speak. I always had. Bianchi had earned the right to say whatever the hell he wanted, even if every word right now felt like a knife.He turned back to me, eyes blazing. “Do you even realize what would’ve happened if we hadn’t caught onto her little scheme? She would’ve handed you over to Santiago like a lamb to slaughter! She would’ve let you die, and not lost a single fucking tear over it.”His voice cracked slightly, thick with rage and something else, something that almost sounded like fear.“She doesn’
BELLAI opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the thick, suffocating darkness. Pain shot through my skull like a bolt of lightning and I gasped, my whole head throbbing as if it were on fire.A broken whimper escaped me as I tried to lift my hand to touch it but nothing happened.I yanked harder and that was when I realized that I was bound.Panic bloomed, fast and wild, as my heart slammed against my chest. I twisted, feeling the ropes digging into my wrists and ankles. My feet were trapped too, and when I tried to scream, it came out in a pathetic, muffled sound.Something rough and tight gagged my mouth, sealing any cry for help in my throat.I was completely trapped.My breaths came out ragged and shallow, as the reality of my situation sank in. That bastard Santiago had tied me down like an animal.The air around me was foul. The stench clawed at my nose, the disgusting smell of rot and something metallic. It made my stomach twist violently, and I had to choke back the urge to
BELLAI gasped as the men’s bodies hit the ground.Blood pooled beneath them, thick and dark, and my stomach twisted violently. I tore my gaze away, but the image had already burned itself into my mind.When I turned, it felt like the earth itself tilted beneath me.Vincent stood there, eyes blazing with such fury it was as if he could kill me with a look alone.He did this.He killed them.My blood ran cold. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.Why was he here?Had he found out? Had my secret finally been exposed?His entire body screamed bloody murder. There was no mercy written on his face, only a terrifying promise that he wouldn’t spare me.But how? How did he know?Did he follow me?Why today, of all days?Vincent hadn’t kept tabs on me for a long time. He had let me go so why did he follow me today of all days?The closer he came, the closer death seemed to creep up behind me.Santiago wasn’t faring any better. Even though he masked it well, I could feel the crackling tension, the
VINCENTMy eyes were glued to her every movement and every smile. I watched from the confines of my car window like I was on the outside of a world I used to belong to. My fists curled tight in my lap, nails digging into my palms as I watched her laugh like nothing ever happened. Like she didn’t leave a storm behind.There she was, chatting away in the cafeteria, carefree and unbothered, while I sat there drowning in anger and betrayal. I wanted to march in there and shake the truth out of her. To make her see the mess she created.Why?Was I not enough?Was my kindness not enough?Did I commit a crime by helping her?What did I do to deserve this betrayal?How do you look someone in the eye and feed them lies with the same lips that once said thank you?What stung the most wasn’t just the betrayal, it was the performance. The way she played me like I was just some pawn in a game she was playing with Santiago. And worst of all? I let her.“Don.”Bianchi’s voice pulled me from the spir