Masuk~ELENA~
I sit up slowly, my legs still trembling, my breath shallow, and my body a hazy mess of tingling sensation and exhaustion.
What just happened??
My skin is still flushed, and my cheeks are burning–not from shame, but from the memory of how that stranger thoroughly wrecked me.
I glance around the room, half expecting him to walk back in and say something…anything. But he doesn't. He's really gone.
He didn't ask for my name or digits before leaving.
I don't even know his name too.
I exhale deeply and finally peel myself off the bed, walking…no, wobbling…towards my dress on the floor.
My red panties are still around my knees. I pull them up first and wince as the fabric brushes my over sensitive skin. Then I slip into the red dress and smooth it down, adjusting it over my curves.
My hair is a mess and my lipstick is all but gone, and my lips are a little swollen. I look like I have just been ravished.
Because I have!
I stand in front of the mirror for a second, tilting my head. A small smile forms on my lips.
Damn, Elena!
I reapply some lipgloss I have in my clutch, do my best to finger comb my hair into something that doesn't scream, just got fingered by a sex doll, and walk out of the room like I have just conquered the world.
The pulsing bass of the club returns as I step back into the hallway. I follow the lights, descending the stairs until I find my girls in our VIP section.
Valentina sees me first and her eyes widen.
“Look who's finally decided to graze us with her presence” she teases.
Gianna gasps, mouth open in mock horror.
“Oh my God, you actually went through it??” She asks.
“I cannot believe it!” Valentina squeals, slapping my arm as I sit besides her. “You made out with a stranger! Actually, scratch that, it might be more than made out. You disappeared for like…. almost an hour!”
Gianna fans herself. “Elena, girl….did he least say his name? Or are we calling him Mr. Kisser from now on?”
I laugh, reaching out for my cocktail and taking a slow, cooling sip.
“You two dared me” I say, cocking a brow at them. “Don't act shocked. You literally said I should kiss that stranger or I am doing the laundry for a month. So I kissed him. The rest…just sort of happened.”
Valentina leans in, eyes wide with curiosity.
“What do you mean the rest just happened??”
Gianna scots closer, grabbing my arm.
“Don't you dare go quiet on us now. Spill! Did you…do it?? Like it-it??”
I smirk and shake my head. “Nosy much?”
Gianna gasps dramatically. “You did! Oh my God, you totally…!”
I hold up a finger.
“I'm not confirming or denying anything” I tell them.
Valentina groans. “Oh come on, don't leave us hanging like this.”
“I can,” I say sweetly, taking another sip of my drink. “And I will.”
“Did he at least kiss good?” Gianna pouts.
My lips curl into a slow smile as I glance at them.
“You could say that.”
“You're evil. Give us details, now!” Valentina lets out a frustrated squeal.
But I stand up, picking up my clutch.
“Nope, it's late. And I, for one, am exhausted” I say.
“From what, exactly??” Gianna teases.
“Ask your imagination” I throw her a wink.
They both groan in protest as I start making my way out of the VIP lounge.
“Elena, don't you dare walk away from us with that smug grin on your face!”
“I'm walking, Val,” I call over my shoulder. “But just so you know…that dare? Best dare ever.”
They burst into laughter, grabbing their purses and hurrying after me.
We step out into the cool night air, heels clicking against the pavement, still buzzing from the music, the drinks, and now….my little adventure.
And as we head towards the waiting cab, Valentina throws an arm over my shoulder.
“I swear,” she says. “If this turns into a romcom and you end up falling for the hot stranger, I want maid of honor rights.”
I just laugh and shake my head.
If only she knew….I have no idea who he is.
But somehow, I have a feeling this isn't the last time I'll see him.
And God help me, I hope I do.
***
We are back home and I am about to go to bed with Valentina and Gianna when my phone beeps.
I check my phone and see it is a message from mom. I open it and read it.
“Elena darling. Don't forget you're moving in to your new house tomorrow. Enough staying at Valentina and Gianna's place.”
I roll my eyes.
I don't want to move into any house and have been delaying by staying with Valentina and Gianna at their house.
But I can't keep postponing it anymore. So I'll finally move in tomorrow.
I sigh deeply. Tomorrow is going to be a long day.
****
The next morning, my mom sends a car to come pick me up at Gianna's and Valentina's place.
She says her new husband is a billionaire.
She doesn't say he's a Mafia.
She definitely doesn't say he has three sons.
And she really doesn't say they're triplets.
After hugging Valentina and Gianna bye and promising to always visit them, I enter the car.
I have just two suitcases.
The black car drives off, and almost an hour later slows in front of a mansion that looks more like a fortress—wrought iron gates, stone pillars, cameras that blink red as we approach.
I hug my cardigan tighter around me and press my face to the glass.
It's beautiful….but in a cold, haunted kind of way.
The driver opens the door without a word.
“Miss Elena. The family is waiting inside” he announces to me.
The family.
I step out and stare at the estate that now apparently belongs to me too.
Before I can even reach for my suitcase, the front door opens.
And they step out.
Three of them. Tall. Broad shouldered. Inhumanly attractive.
And identical.
Triplets.
My breath catches.
My eyes dart to the one on the left, then the one in the middle.
But it's the one on the right who tilts his head…. just slightly.
That face. That smirk.
The world tilts.
Oh my God!
This face! It's the same face at the club.
It's him.
The stranger I had kissed.
The one who wrecked me without telling me his name.
But wait…
The middle one just raised an eyebrow at me…exactly the way he did when I said,“Don't stop, please.”
My stomach flips.
No.
Was it him??
I glance at the one on the left…he's expressionless, unreadable, arms folded, but his eyes…God, his eyes burn into me like he knows.
Holy hell!
Which of them did I make out at the club with??
~LUCAS~I shouldn’t be here at the club. But heartbreak made me come here.The incidents that happened earlier replays in my head.I had just finished my shift at the coffee shop, my work apron folded under my arm, the smell of coffee still clinging to my clothes.I was tired, broke, and already planning how to stretch the little money in my pocket till next week.I started heading home and was about to turn the corner when I saw her.My girlfriend.Laughing.Her head tilted back the way it only did when she was really happy. Her hand resting on a man’s chest like it belonged there.My chest tightened and my steps slowed.Then he leaned in.And she let him.The kiss didn’t look accidental. It wasn’t brief. It was hungry. Intentional. Familiar.Something cracked inside my chest.I crossed the road without even feeling my legs move. My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it.“Stella, what the hell is this?” I demanded, my voice shaking. She
~MARCELLA~The footsteps stop behind me.Too close.I don’t turn immediately. I know that trick. I let men announce themselves, let them fill the silence with ego before I decide what they’re worth.But this silence feels… wrong.“Hey,” the second guy says, voice low, familiar. Too familiar. “You just walked off.”I exhale slowly. “I said I needed air.”He laughs, stepping closer. I feel the heat of him now, smell sweat and liquor. “Yeah. I figured you’d come back in a minute. You didn’t seem done.”I turn then, leaning my shoulder back against the wall, arms folded loosely. Calm. Measured.“I’m done,” I say. “Go enjoy the club.”He doesn’t move.Instead, his hand comes out, resting against the wall beside my head, blocking me in. Casual. Like he’s done this before.“Relax,” he says. “You were all over me in there.”My pulse shifts. Not fear. Not yet. Awareness.“That was dancing,” I reply coolly. “This is you standing too close.”His smile tightens. “Don’t act
~MARCELLA~I take one slow step closer to him, letting the bass roll through my body.I stop just close enough for him to smell my perfume—warm, sweet, dangerous.Up close, he’s even better. Sharp jaw. Long lashes. Lips that look like they’ve never learned how to beg. Calm eyes that don’t rush me, don’t undress me openly like the others.That alone makes me want to ruin him.I trace a finger lightly along the edge of his drink, then tap the glass.“You look like someone who doesn’t belong here,” I say, voice smooth, curious. “Too calm. Too… put together.”His gaze drops briefly to my finger, then lifts back to my eyes.“And what about you?” he asks.I smile slowly. “Oh, I belong everywhere.”I slide closer, my thigh brushing his, deliberately unhurried. I lean in like I’m about to share a secret.“You know,” I murmur, “most men would’ve already asked my name by now.”“And you’d tell them?” he asks.I laugh softly. “No. But I’d like the effort.”His lips twitch. Almost.“I’m not most me
~TWENTY TWO YEARS LATER~ ~MARCELLA~I weave my way onto the dance floor with Stephanie, my best friend, finding the beat as I sway my hips and lose myself in the groove, erupting loud cheering noises from the hungry crowd whose hungry eyes are ravaging all over my body.I'm putting on a very short wine dress that exposes all my cleavages and legs.I dance, I jump, I spin, I rock my best friend, I shake my ass and make seductive moves. I love the heat of the eyes on me as I am twerking my bouncy butt. I have been frequenting the club almost every day that I send the right signals as I dance and soon, grooving men get closer and start spraying some cash on me.“Marcella,” my best friend shouts over the music, grabbing my wrist to stop me from spinning into another group of dancers. “Why do you have so much energy? Did you drink something or smoke before coming out?”I grin at her, breathless. “I spent most of my childhood being locked up. Now, I'm finally free. S
~ELENA~“Help!” I cry out in tears. “Somebody please help!”The sound of my own voice echoes back to me, useless.A man slams the door shut. The engine roars.And just like that, they’re gone.Two of my daughters.Gone.I crawl after them, knees scraping against metal and shattered glass, my hands reaching for nothing but smoke and heat. The baby in my arms is screaming….high, broken, terrified, and I clutch her tighter, rocking even as my mind fractures.“No… no… no…” I sob, my chest burning. “Please… please…”Valentina is on the ground, bleeding from her forehead. Gianna is screaming, trying to run after the speeding vehicle before a guard tackles her back.Everything feels unreal. Like I’ve slipped out of my body and left something hollow behind.I can’t breathe. I can’t think.I can’t feel anything except the unbearable, soul-ripping truth….They took my babies.I press my face into the tiny blanket against my chest, shaking violently. “I’m sorry,” I whis
~ELENA~“Get the babies now!”Something in my tone snaps them into motion. Valentina reaches for one baby. Gianna scoops up another. I clutch the third to my chest, heart racing.Vincenzo appears instantly. “What is it?”“I don’t know,” I whisper. “But something’s wrong.”He studies my face for a long moment, then nods sharply.“Lockdown,” he orders into his phone.The house seals quietly—no alarms, no chaos. Just subtle shifts. Doors lock. Guards reposition.Five minutes later, a voice crackles over comms.“Movement detected near the west perimeter. Long-range surveillance.”I sag slightly, my instincts screaming I knew it.They weren’t inside.They were watching.Testing. Waiting.That night, I sit in the nursery long after everyone else sleeps, rocking my daughters one by one. The moonlight paints silver lines across the walls.I press my lips to a tiny forehead and whisper the truth I can no longer deny.“They’re coming.”*****The attack doesn’t come loudly.I







