MasukSiena stopped abruptly and turned back to him.The words hit harder than she expected. After everything—after so many heartbreaks, the wounds she had stitched together alone—some foolish part of her still couldn't accept him being so cruel to her. Hearing it spoken aloud crushed that last illusion.Before she could respond, the sound of engines cut through the air.More cars.Cristiano’s jaw tightened. He glanced over his shoulder, calculating the distance, the speed—how little time they had left. His hand curled into a fist as he turned back to her.“No,” he barked. “You don’t get to run.”Siena stiffened.“There’s one minute left,” he continued sharply. “One minute before you’re caught in my trap again—or you board that helicopter.”Her breath caught. Anger flared, hot and sharp.Why was he even here? Hadn’t he chosen another woman? Wasn’t he supposed to be getting married—building a life that didn’t include her?The roar of the approaching cars grew louder.Cristiano took a step cl
“Listen, I have a plan,” Elena said.Siena looked at her, curiosity flickering in her eyes.“Hear me out first,” Elena added calmly. “Then you can decide whether you want to go along with it… or we will figure out something else.”She explained everything—step by step—while Siena listened in silence, absorbing every word.“So,” Elena asked at the end, watching her carefully, “what do you think?”“Okay,” Siena replied simply.Elena smiled. “By the way, Mom isn’t going to Cristiano’s wedding,” she said quietly, dropping the revelation like a shock to Siena.“Really?” Siena froze, genuinely taken aback.Elena nodded. “She’s already stopped speaking to Cris. She argued with him, tried to make him call it off—but when no one listened, she refused to be a part of it. I think… she loves you more.”Something broke and healed inside Siena at the same time. Her heart ached—but there was a fragile flicker of hope too. At least someone had truly stood up for her.Of all people, she had never imag
Siena descended the stairs, her heart still aching with a dull, relentless pain. She kept telling herself this had to be the last time he broke her heart. It had to be—because she was going to disappear.But how?Fabio had told her he would be waiting. Still, escaping under so many watchful eyes wouldn’t be easy. Lino had offered his help too, but it would put his life at risk—and she had seen with her own eyes how Cristiano took lives without hesitation, without remorse.Lost in these thoughts, she barely noticed Elena step in front of her and take her hand.Siena looked up, anger flashing in her eyes. Yes, she was angry—angry at all of them.She had trusted Soraya and Elena. Believed they would stand by her, defend her against the cruelty of her own husband—against him marrying another woman while she was still his wife.But here they were.Going along with everything.Elena stood before her, dressed beautifully, ready to attend her brother’s second wedding as if nothing was wrong.
After a while, Cristiano slumped over her, breathing hard, his weight pressing her into the sheets. Siena opened her eyes to find him staring at her like she was the only thing keeping him alive.He didn’t give her time to pull away. His mouth crashed into hers again—hungry, claiming, desperate.Her chest flooded with emotions she didn’t want. Didn’t allow herself to feel anymore. And yet, she couldn’t stop them. She should have felt repulsed by his touch. She should have hated the way he held her, as she belonged to him.But he kissed her as if his world was ending. As if letting go would destroy him.This wasn’t the cruelty she had read about. This wasn’t the torture whispered about in dark corners, the kind men associated with a mafia don. There was no deliberate pain, no cold punishment stretched over hours.Then why?Why did his actions betray his words so completely?“If you hate me so much,” she asked hoarsely when he finally broke the kiss, “then why do I feel only love when y
Siena steadied her breath, forcing her anxiety down. She gathered what little strength she had left and looked straight into his eyes. “Why do you care?” she asked, her voice shaking but defiant. “You said you don’t love me… you don’t, right?”Cristiano smirked, his eyes narrowing.She really was his match.In the beginning, she had barely been able to stand in his presence—nervous, guarded, never breathing freely. Now she challenged him. Fought him. Met his gaze without fear.The Italian don felt a dangerous swell of pride.If anyone could rule his empire beside him, it would be her.If only things were different. If only blood and hatred hadn’t torn their families apart for generations.Then maybe—just maybe—they could have belonged to each other forever.“Baby doll, listen to me—and listen carefully. You can never escape me,” he said, his voice low, carrying a warning. “Don’t even think about it. Not in your dreams. The consequences would be more than you could bear.”She lifted
Cristiano didn’t answer. He just stood there, watching her—his gaze dark, steady, almost tender in a way that unsettled her more than cruelty ever could.Siena’s control finally broke.Tears spilled as something hot and unbearable rose inside her, stripping away the last of her patience. She grabbed his collar, her fingers trembling, trying to shake him, to force something—anything—from him.“You… you said you would never leave me!” she yelled, desperation tearing through her voice. “Then why did you do this, Cris? How could you?”Her fists struck his chest in blind anger, not to hurt him—but because the pain inside her had nowhere else to go.Once, she hadn’t known who her husband truly was. Now she did. The Italian Don. A man the world feared. And still—she stood in front of him, unafraid.The corner of Cristiano’s mouth curved into a slow, dangerous smirk.Not mocking. Proud.That smirk shattered something inside her.“So this is it?” she whispered bitterly, lips trembling. “Yo







