āđāļāđāļēāļŠāļđāđāļĢāļ°āļāļGiuliaâs POV Having lunch in a luxurious French restaurant with my parents had always been one of my dreams, and now that it was finally happening, I intended to enjoy every second of it. Halfway through the meal, my phone buzzed with a message. Instinctively, I reached for it, already certain it had to be from Matteo, but my mother stopped me, placing her hand over mine. I looked up at her, confused. âWhat if itâs Matteo responding to the pregnancy?â I asked. âHe can wait,â my father said calmly, not even sparing my phone a glance. âRight now, there is no difference between him and us.â I paused, then slowly slipped my phone back into my purse, a small smile forming on my lips. He was right. We had the upper hand now. By the time we finished lunch and returned to the Conti mansion, the air around us felt victorious. I felt powerful. Untouchable. But the moment we stepped out of the car, that illusion shattered. Matteo was standing there, waiting. Beside him were Federico
Matteoâs POV A surge of anger tore through me as I watched the video again. Seeing my children in that condition, hearing Tizianaâs weak voice instead of the bright, cheerful tone I knew so well, something inside me snapped. I swore silently that Giulia and her father would pay for every second of pain they had caused my children. I held Alessia close until her sobs gradually softened. Her body trembled in my arms, exhaustion weighing heavily on her. The past few days had drained her completely. âItâs going to be okay,â I murmured, gently stroking her hair. âWeâre going to find them.â She nodded weakly against my chest, clinging to me like I was the only thing keeping her grounded. âI donât know what Iâd do without you,â she whispered. âYouâll never have to find out,â I promised, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. âIâm here, and Iâm not going anywhere.â When she seemed a little calmer, I guided her to sit down carefully. âI need to take another look at the video,â I
Alessiaâs POV I woke up to another day of emptiness. The weight of the past weeks had drained everything out of me, leaving me hollow, fragile, and barely holding on. My children were still missing, and every second without them stretched into something unbearable. I lay there staring at the ceiling, wondering how much longer I could survive this kind of pain without breaking completely. Eventually, I forced myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. The shower did nothing to wash away the heaviness clinging to my chest. After getting dressed, I stepped out, only to find that Arianna had prepared breakfast for me. The sight of food made my stomach twist. I had no appetite. Still, I picked a few berries and forced them into my mouth before walking into the living room. I turned on the television, desperate for a distraction, anything to take my mind away from the nightmare swallowing my life. But the moment the news came on, I froze. âConti Family Business Hits Jackpot: Stocks
Giuliaâs POV I did not know exactly how to feel about the pregnancy yet, but one thing was certain. It had served its purpose, and for that single reason, I felt a strange sense of excitement settling deep within me. I wasted no time returning to the Conti family mansion. The moment I arrived, my father, Raimondo Conti, was already waiting in his study with a proud, satisfied smile stretched across his face. âWe need to send a message to Matteo,â I said immediately, not bothering with greetings. âHe needs to know about the pregnancy, and we should inform him about the press release we are planning.â My father nodded slowly, his expression sharpening with calculation. âWe must handle this carefully. Matteo needs to understand that this child changes everything.â Together, we crafted the message, choosing every word with precision. We made sure it carried just enough weight to shake him, just enough pressure to pull him exactly where we wanted him. This child was our strongest wea
Giuliaâs POV As my father and I made our way out of the secret bunker beneath the Conti estate, a sense of satisfaction settled deep within me. The children were responding well to treatment, and that alone made everything feel worth it. Still, I would have preferred them awake, crying, begging. That kind of desperation would have pushed Alessia exactly where we wanted her. Pain was always the fastest way to force a decision. I replayed the video on my phone, my lips curling slightly as I remembered the fear in the little girlâs eyes. Tizianaâs pale face, her weak voice trembling as she asked for her mother, echoed in my head. âWhere is my mummy?â she had whispered, barely conscious. The doctor had soothed her with lies and medication, sending her back into silence. âLetâs send this to Alessia,â I said, handing the phone to my father, Raimondo Conti. He watched it once, then smiled with approval. âPerfect. With this, she will break. She would trade anything for them.â Anything,
Matteo Rinaldiâs POV Quietly, I scanned my surroundings, searching for anything that could serve as a weapon. The maintenance area was filled with car repair equipment, scattered tools, and heavy metal parts. Not ideal, but it would have to do. My eyes settled on an iron rod lying near a workbench. I picked it up, testing its weight in my hand. It was not much compared to the guns those men were carrying, but it was better than nothing. From what I had overheard earlier, there were about a dozen of them. And they had surrounded the place. They had guns. I had an iron rod. Not exactly fair odds. Moving carefully, I tiptoed toward the door and listened. Footsteps echoed faintly across the parking level. My heart was pounding, but my mind remained focused. I needed to move fast before they closed in completely. I opened the door slightly and slipped out, keeping low. One of the men had his back turned. Perfect. I moved quickly and silently, striking him hard before
Matteo Rinaldiâs POV As I stepped into my office, my mind was still consumed with thoughts of Alessia. Why the hell couldnât she understand my intentions? I sank into the leather-bound swivel chair that was meant to bring comfort, yet I felt none. Comfort was a luxury only a few thingsâfew peo
Giuliaâs POV As I walked into the grand foyer of our family estate, I made no effort to hide the frustration and anger weighing heavily on my heart. The space stretched before meâpolished marble floors gleaming beneath towering columns that rose toward a magnificent crystal chandelier. âWhy are
Giuliaâs POV Finally! Something hopeful to start the day. The housekeeper at Matteo Rinaldiâs house, Marta (or whatever her name was), sent me a text in the wee hours of the morning saying she found something valuable to give me. She claimed it belonged to the sneaky woman she saw at Matteoâs pl
Matteo Rinaldiâs POV I arrived at my parentsâ home as soon as I received my motherâs message. I paused for a moment outside, staring at the familiar structure, letting memories wash over me before finally stepping inside. The Rinaldi estate carried the quiet dignity of old Italian wealth. Every







