All Chapters of The Don's Property: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

NERO POV“This is an escape from that. So, no.”She hums, placing her hands on her waist. “I guess even the mafia don needs a semblance of peace once in a while.”I say, voice dropping. “And you ruined it for me.”The words hang heavy in the sudden silence. Elara just stares at me, her hands falling to her sides as her brows furrow. “How did I ruin painting for you?”Because I can't paint anything but you. Ever since I brought you here, you’ve infested every corner of my life.“You are ruining it now,” I snap.Hurt flashes in her eyes. “Fine. I’ll leave you to your painting.”I watch her turn and walk to the door before my voice comes. “Stay.”With her hand on the door handle, her head tilts back, her hair swaying around her.“Seriously Nero, you need to make up your mind.”Ignoring her, I rip the current canvas from the easel and pull out a new one, mounting it.“Do you want me to stay or leave?” she presses.Stay.“You’re curious about what I paint.” I pick up a brush and start movi

ELARA POVThe sun is a heavy, welcome weight on my back, soaking through my Dolce & Gabbana Rose-Print Silk dress.Sweat trickles down my temples and traces a path between my shoulder blades, my breath coming in short, heavy gasps, but I don't care.I feel fucking fly.Mateo and I have been kneeling in the dirt for what must be three hours, but it feels like thirty minutes. The air smells like upturned earth, rosemary, and the faint, sweet scent of the roses climbing the wall.This morning, I was sure he was the one who’d called me a slur the other day. But he’d gone pale when I accused him, explaining in a rush that it was his identical twin, Elio, who he also apologized for.And he’s been nothing but respectful ever since. He’s shyly proud of this garden, showing me the edibles Velina uses and the rows of herbs he planted himself. He’s even studying for his MCATs, hoping to get into medical school.Mateo is, officially, the only one of Nero's men who isn't a total asshole—well minus

NERO POV"Please."The moment it left her lips, I knew I was defeated. I’d give her the damn bird. I’d probably give her the world. I would give her anything as long as she so mentioned it. And that is my fear.We have been ignoring each other since then. I don’t order Diana to fetch her for our joint dinner and breakfast and she doesn’t come.She doesn’t even leave her room because I haven’t caught a glimpse of her long midnight hair in my peripheral nor is her jasmine and coconut scent permeating the air around me like it usually does.I refuse to be the one to raise the white flag so I let her be. But now, after seventy-two hours, and I step into the dining room to find it again empty, I know I lost and she won again.“Go get her for me Diana,” I instruct and she bows her head before exiting the room.When Diana walks back in, the look on her face already tells me the answer Elara gave her.“She said she will like to please be alone.” Diana stops at the edge of the table, a few dis

NERO POVGianna and I talk a bit about some shit that has to do with legality and media. She has her nose wrinkled up the whole time, but I couldn’t bring myself to care to act like I’m remorseful about what I just did. If she doesn’t enjoy it, she shouldn’t have watched it.After then, Luca and I head back home. The drive is short, and less tense, unlike when we were making our way here.Someone is definitely trying to mess with me. Two incidents can’t be a coincidence.“Any news on Elara’s father?” I ask.“No, Don.”“What the fuck are the hacker doing?”“They tracked him to Ibiza, but haven’t been able to get a hold of him ever since,” Luca says.“Send our men to Ibiza. I need him to be caught.”“Okay, sir.”On getting home, I head straight to the library, needing some smoke. This always happens to me. After a torture, the craving only gets worse and it makes me want to do it over and over again. But I can, so I just settle for the next best thing which is smokeOr her. A certain 5’

ELARA POVGiven how Nero sternly said no, you’d think he’d want nothing to do with this.Wrong.Guess who’s wearing a scowl on his exceptionally perfect face with shovel in hand, and digging uselessly into the ground.Yes, you guessed right.Nero Moretti.Honestly, I never expected him to grudgingly agree to help. Even when he helped me earlier, I didn’t expect he would. There are a lot of things I don’t expect from Nero Moretti, and that has me in a state of confusion. I can’t seem to reconcile ruthless Nero to whoever this is.I wish he stayed like a monolith evil entity that I could fully hate. But when he does things like this, I can’t help but see him like a complex human that he is, and I swear a part of me wants to give him grace, understand him, even get to know how he became who he is.Which is idiotic because he fucking kidnapped me. That’s enough reason to hold unto the hate in my chest.He’s in one of his expensive suits, with polished shoes and wristwatch that catches the