The next morning, Siena woke up early and found herself in the kitchen, trying to make breakfast. The house help worked alongside her, guiding her through the process—after all, she had never cooked a meal for anyone in her life.She was carefully transferring a dish from the pan into a serving bowl when a sharp voice startled her. The sudden shock made the spoon slip from her hand, scattering food across the counter.“What the hell is going on here?”Siena looked up to see Soraya standing in the doorway and her eyes sweeping over the cluttered kitchen. It was clear she wasn’t pleased to find her daughter-in-law making such a mess so early in the morning.“Mom, you told me to get up early and cook breakfast for my husband,” Siena replied softly. “So I thought I’d make breakfast for everyone.”Though Siena often appeared rebellious on the outside, her heart was gentle. She had always been eager to please those she considered family. Growing up, she had cherished her own family deeply,
Cristiano stormed into the office, and the moment his footsteps echoed across the marble floor, the entire atmosphere shifted. The cold, lethal aura that always clung to him like a second skin sucked the life out of the once-vibrant space. Conversations died mid-sentence, laughter faded, and a suffocating silence fell. Everyone buried their heads in work, too afraid to even breathe too loudly.“Where is my father?” he barked, his voice sharp and commanding like a whip crack.The secretary, who had been trailing behind him in a hurry, flinched. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the folder to her chest.“He… he’s in his chamber, boss,” she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.Cristiano didn’t spare her a glance. Without breaking stride, he walked straight to his father’s office and shoved the door open without knocking.Inside, Vittorio was mid-discussion with a few senior staff members, giving precise instructions. He fell silent the moment Cristiano entered, his scowl dark
“Why can’t I leave the mansion?” Siena snapped.“We have orders,” the guard replied curtly.“You can’t stop me,” she said sharply, trying to push past him—but the guard stepped in front of her, blocking the exit.“Please, ma’am,” the head guard said, his tone strained but still respectful, “don’t make us get rough. If the senior Vitelli boss gives permission, then you can leave.”After all, she was now married to Cristiano Vitelli—the new head of the Vitelli family—and no one wanted to risk disrespecting her.“Why is that rule only for me? Why can Elena go to college, but I can’t even step outside?” she demanded.Silence.The guards stood stiffly, eyes averted, refusing to answer.“Tell me!” she yelled, her voice rising in fury.Elena quickly stepped forward, her face drawn with concern, gently touching Siena’s arm in an attempt to calm her down.“We’re just following orders, ma’am,” one of the guards muttered in a flat, indifferent tone.“Siena, let’s go inside,” Elena urged softly,
“Umm, she’s a model,” Elena replied, eyes avoiding Siena’s as she pretended to focus on her breakfast.“A model?” Siena repeated, unconvinced. “Then why did your brother leave with her?”“She works for Cris’s company too. Maybe they had some business to discuss,” Elena shrugged, her voice cool, too casual. Siena gave a slow nod.Suddenly, a sharp shriek cut through the air, startling her.“Don’t you dare ruin your brother’s wife, turning her into someone like you, you useless brat!”It was Soraya — looming above them from the upper floor, her sharp eyes blazing as she clutched the ornate banister, glaring down like a queen passing judgment. Siena instinctively glanced up, but Elena’s hand gripped her thigh under the table. A subtle shake of her head told Siena not to look.After huffing, Soraya went back to her room. Siena turned to Elena and asked, “Why is your mother so bitter?”“It’s our family tragedy,” Elena sighed. Growing up in a family that looked perfect from the outside but
Cristiano descended the stairs and came face to face with an all-too-familiar scene—one that had become a regular part of his mornings in this mansion. His mother stood there in a designer nightgown, her hair loose, dark circles under her eyes, and bitterness dripping from her mouth as she hurled curses at her daughter for the simple crime of being born. Elena stood silently with her head lowered, trying to swallow both her pride and her breakfast down her throat.Liliana had two sons, while she had only one, and sometimes Soraya believed that was why Vittorio loved Liliana more and spent more time with her.Cristiano remained indifferent to the chaos unfolding before him, walking past them without a glance—until his mother grabbed his arm, stopping him.“Cris,” she said in a desperate voice, “your father didn’t return home last night, even though it was his turn to stay at our mansion.”“I’ll talk to him,” he replied impassively, not even sparing her a glance.“No, you have to make h
The cold metal against her warm skin made her scream, her eyes squeezing shut in horror.She felt his breath—hot and heavy—fanning her face, and the unmistakable weight of his body pressing down on her.Slowly, she dared to peek through her lashes… and froze.She was lying beneath him—her husband—his solid, muscular body pressed against hers. Every inch of him hard, heavy, and far too close.“Fuck, you would’ve get killed yourself,” he muttered, his voice hoarse and thick with sleep, that deep, raspy accent somehow making it sound even sexier.God. Now she understood what people meant when they said danger was seductive.She was under threat, a gun still near her head… and yet, here she was, noticing how ridiculously hot he looked?Great.Just great. Now it was official—her brain was broken.“Don’t ever try that again, okay?” he rasped, and Siena’s eyes were drawn to the movement of his full, pink lips.Her own parted instinctively—and the next moment, she felt the cold touch of the g