All Chapters of Marked By Him: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

143 Chapters

Gio’s Plan

GIOVANNI’S POVI surveyed the Grand Palazzo Hotel with a critical eye. The morning sun casted golden light across the building, and even from below I could see the meticulous preparations taking place on the rooftop.Luigi appeared at my elbow almost instantly, slightly out of breath."Mr. De Santis, welcome! Please, come with me.” He grinned. “I want to show you everything we've prepared."We took the private elevator to the reception hall, and when the doors opened, I had to admit that I was impressed.The space had white roses decorating everywhere and crystal chandeliers hung suspended from the ceiling. The chairs were draped in ivory silk, and a white runner stretched down the aisle."I saw the bride earlier," Luigi said. "She's absolutely stunning, Mr. De Santis. Truly breathtaking."A smirk curved my lips. "Thank you, Luigi. You've done exceptional work.""It's my pleasure. Anything for-“"Giovanni!"I turned to see Alessio Delgado striding toward me, flanked by his personal gu

Say I Do

I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back.The cloud-like wedding dress fit me perfectly, I looked like a fairy tale princess.An unconventional choice, Mario had said but it was stunning.I didn’t actually think Giovanni would allow me wear the dress after the fitting. But somehow, standing here now, fully dressed and moments away from walking down the aisle, it felt different. My fingers found the bird necklace at my throat. I rubbed my thumb against the small metal."Are you really keeping that necklace?" Claire asked softly from behind me.My grip tightened on it. "Yes."I thought about Christabel's laugh, my mother's worried face and Marco's promise that everything would be okay.I felt like crying. But what would that change? I was getting married already."It's time!" Mario announced, sweeping into the room with the other designers trailing behind him. His eyes were bright with excitement that made me want to scream.Claire

Behind Closed Doors

I walked back into the reception venue with Jasmine at my side, feeling more composed than when I’d fled to the bathroom. My eyes immediately scanned the room, searching for Giovanni's imposing figure among the scattered guests.He wasn't there, neither was Enzo."Looking for your husband?" Jasmine asked, her tone was teasing."Just... trying to orient myself," I lied. But the truth was, Giovanni's absence made me nervous. When I could see him, I could anticipate his moves but when he disappeared, anything could happen."They're probably talking business," Jasmine said, as if reading my mind. "The men always slip away during events like this. It drives me crazy, honestly. Enzo promised he'd stay close today."I forced a smile. "I'm sure they'll be back soon.""We'll be right over there if you need us," Jasmine said, gesturing toward a small seating area where a few other guests had gathered. "Don't hesitate to come find me if things get overwhelming again.""Thank you," I said genui

Hope

I stood in the private dressing room, staring at myself in the mirror with mounting frustration.The cloud-like wedding dress was gone, replaced by a comfortable cream-colored cashmere sweater and dark jeans that fit me perfectly. Even my makeup had been touched up, the mascara smudges carefully removed.Mario had orchestrated the entire transformation, chattering about travel comfort and appropriate attire while expertly changing her outfit.Which meant Giovanni had planned this beforehand."Sly bastard," I muttered under my breath, tugging at the sweater's hem.I didn't even know where we were going. Just that it was "another country" according to the vague information I’d managed to extract from Claire.When I emerged from the dressing room, I found Giovanni standing near the hotel's private exit, deep in conversation with several of his men. I stood there, watching him, and feeling utterly powerless.He had removed his jacket but still wore his dress shirt and pants from the wed

Wet Dreams

His hands were everywhere, sliding over my skin with a confidence that made me gasp. Giovanni's mouth was hot against my neck, his teeth grazing the sensitive spot below my ear and I arched into him."Arya," he groaned, his voice thick with desire. "You feel so-"His body pressed against mine, all hard muscle and heat. Sweat glistened on his chest, and I couldn't stop myself from running my hands over the defined planes of his abdomen, feeling them flex under my touch."Giovanni," I moaned, her head falling back as his lips traveled lower…"Arya."The voice was insistent now, cutting through the haze of the dream."Arya, wake up. We’ve landed!”I jerked awake violently, my eyes flying open to find Giovanni standing beside my seat, looking down at me with an expression I couldn't quite read. Heat flooded my face immediately. Oh God. Had I been making sounds? Had I said his name out loud?"I…" I stammered, unable to meet his eyes. "I was just-I need-“I unbuckled myself with fumbling f

His Mission

GIOVANNI’S POVI climbed into the back of the black Mercedes, my jaw tight with barely contained fury. I pressed the button on my phone without looking, the line connecting immediately."We've arrived," I said curtly."Good flight?" Enzo's voice came through clear despite the distance. "How's our blushing bride handling Italy?""She's fine," I replied, my tone clipped. I didn't want to talk about Arya right now. It would only lead me to want to think about the way her face had lit up when she realized where we were, or how she'd looked sleeping on the plane before I’d woken her.There was a pause on the other end of the line. When Enzo spoke again, his voice had lost its teasing edge."Boss, I need you to be careful over there. This situation… it’s volatile. You're walking into a hornet's nest.""I'm aware," I said, watching the Italian countryside blur past my window. The familiar landscape should have been comforting, but all I felt was cold rage."I mean it, Gio," Enzo pressed, us

Cooking and Kisses

ARYA’S POVI stared at the disaster zone that had once been a pristine Italian kitchen and groaned in frustration.Chocolate was everywhere. Somehow, and I honestly wasn't sure how, I’d managed to get it on the countertops, the stovetop, the cabinet doors, and even a few spots on the ceiling. The marshmallows I’d been attempting to make had turned into a gooey mess that refused to cooperate, clinging to the spoon like cement."This is ridiculous," I muttered, digging through drawers in search of something that might help salvage my midnight snack attempt. "How hard can it be to make chocolate marshmallows? People do this all the time. Children do this."I’d woken up hungry an hour ago, my stomach growling loud enough to echo through the quiet villa. After exploring the kitchen and finding it stocked with enough ingredients to feed an army, I’d decided to try making something comforting. The marshmallows were supposed to be easy. But the internet had lied.I was elbow-deep in a drawe

The Almost Kiss

ARYA’S POVI stood frozen in the kitchen, my hand pressed against my burning cheek where his thumb had just been moments ago. My heart was thudding so violently I could feel it in my throat and my fingertips. I'd almost kissed Giovanni De Santis.No… worse than that. I'd wanted to kiss him. "It's the pasta," I muttered to myself, pacing in small circles around the kitchen island. "You're just hungry. Low blood sugar makes people do stupid irrational things."But even as I said it, I knew it was a lie. The pasta had nothing to do with the way my stomach had flipped when he'd touched my face or the heat that had pooled low in my belly when his eyes had darkened while looking at my mouth.I pressed my palms against my cheeks, willing the flush to fade before he came back. I needed to get myself together and why I was here in the first place.He was the enemy and a monster. The one person I was not supposed to feel anything for. So why couldn't I stop thinking about his lips?I heard

Close Calls

ARYA’S POVI stood on the back terrace the next morning, my hands gripping the railing as I watched the sun. For just a moment, I allowed myself to forget where I was and why."What are you doing?"I spun around so fast that my foot slipped on the smooth terrace stone. My hands flew out, grasping at air as gravity pulled me backward toward the edge, toward the rocky drop below.Strong hands caught me around the waist, yanking me forward with enough force that I crashed against a solid chest.My legs wrapped around his waist instinctively, clinging to him in alarm, and suddenly I was pressed against Giovanni in a way that made every nerve ending in my body light up.His arms were around me, holding me secure and I could feel his heart beating against mine… or was that my heart? "I've got you," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear.This honeymoon thing was a terrible idea. Being this close to him, and feeling his body against mine, it was making me forget why I was supposed to

The Devil’s Bargain

MARCO’S POVI stared at the whiskey in front of me, watching the amber liquid catch the dim bar light. My fingers twitched toward the glass, but I kept them flat on the table. I couldn't afford to let alcohol dull my senses when dealing with someone like Alessio Delgado.The bar was quiet for a Thursday afternoon with soft Italian music playing from speakers I couldn't see. I'd chosen a booth in the back, away from windows, and with a clear view of both entrances. Twenty minutes past our scheduled meeting time, when Alessio finally appeared. He walked in like he owned the place flanked by two guards. "Marco!" he called out, sliding into the booth across from me like we were old friends. "Sorry I'm late. Traffic was murder.""Must be a Delgado family trait," I said, unable to keep the edge from my voice. "Being fashionably late to business meetings."Alessio laughed. "I like you already. Most people are too scared to give me shit." He snapped his fingers at one of his guards, who w

1 2 3 4 5 6

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP