Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅With that, he took out his blade—the sharpest one with the Capone emblem engraved on the metal. I instinctively took a step back, but he gripped my arm, holding me in place. I met his gaze, searching for any hint of the warmth that used to be there."What are you doing?" I questioned, my voice trembling.I was scared... I don't get scared easily, but right now, in this moment, fear has a grip on me like never before.The kind of fear that shuts me down, the kind of fear that takes me to another place... "I paid for this fucking dress, so I get to do whatever the fuck I want with it," his eyes gleamed with a sinister darkness. "I get to cut it, rip it to pieces, and even burn it. As for the woman wearing it, well, she too came at a considerable cost, just unwrapping what my millions purchased."He brandished the blade, a malevolent glint in his eyes as he placed the tip against my collarbone."Consider it my way of taking back what's rightfully mine," he said befor

Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅I watched her through the mirror as she combed her hair. Her eyes stared mindlessly in the distance and her hands methodically worked over the same strand of hair as if she wasn't even in the room. Georgina, my secretary, had gotten a jumpsuit for her, something warm and modest that covered her entire body. It was pink, she knew it was my favorite color for Claire when she shopped for her earlier. "They are calling you out for breakfast..." I voiced and that startled her, she immediately looked down at her lap taking deep breaths in, and then out. "I'm not hungry..." her voice came out flat. I slid my hands into my pockets, and the urge to knock some sense into her was overwhelming, "Everyone insisted on your presence." Her eyes met mine through the mirror and they narrowed, there was a big bruise on her cheek and her cheekbone was swollen, that's how hard she had hit her face on the bed. But all that was nothing compared to the vacant look in her eyes. Taki

Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅"Like a sheep walking into the lion's den..." he remarked, his tone dripping with amusement.I frantically looked behind him to see if Tony was there but he answered that question for me before I could say a word. "Tony isn't here. I wouldn't have a piece of shit like him wandering around the house at night. I care about my sister," he assured, but then added with a sinister twist, "But you know who else isn't at home right now? Vincenzo..." The mention of Vincenzo's absence sent a chill down my spine, and Salvatore's grin widened."What do you want?" I asked, keeping my face apathetic. His face contorted with disgust and hatred, "No matter what I do, you're like a persistent mosquito I can't swat away. All that work into getting you out of his life yet here you stand in my home, married to my son," he sneered, "Now thanks to you, the ties between the Cosa Nostra and the Outfit are stronger than ever." I glared at him, shaking my head, "You're not going to get y

Vincenzo⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅I watched silently as Dad presided over the table, raging at how our capos were content with the truce. Adriano shifted his gaze to me every two seconds as if silently asking me to make sure Dad didn't completely lose it in front of everyone. He had been warning me about Dad's erratic behaviour but I didn't listen. Joey, as a Caporegime of the Outfit, has inherited his family's longstanding authority over the city of Rockford. They've been overseeing operations for years, faithfully serving the Outfit's interests. Dad trusted his word the most but right now I could see that he was pissing him off. "Capo, this truce has been golden for business. Our shipments are smooth as silk, and the heat's off our backs. It's like we got a free pass through their turf. We're printing money. Our guys and their guys, we're all counting the green. No unnecessary bloodshed, just business booming," he said with a content grin, "Less murders means less cops breathing down our neck

Claire⋅•⋅⊰∙∘∘∙⊱⋅•⋅We were escorted directly to the hospital where Allegra and Scott were. Stepping into the hallway, relief, and excitement flooded me as I saw Alessandro there. He likely accompanied Capo, but the timing couldn't have been more perfect.Approaching him, our eyes locked, and I couldn't restrain my eagerness. I swiftly moved past everyone and wrapped my arms around Alessandro, hugging him like he was the one I missed the most. I smiled, burying my face in his neck as a guise to discreetly whisper in his ear, "I need to talk to you urgently. Meet me in the ladies' room in an hour—I'll explain everything." Alessandro, though momentarily surprised, nodded gradually in acknowledgment. I pulled back with a wide smile, and Alessandro, still seemingly stunned, responded with a smile of his own. "I missed you too, Cindy," he finally said. Someone cleared their throat from behind me, and I instinctively knew who it was. Turning, I saw Luca shooting daggers at Alessandro, t