Fracture Lines

Alessia's POV“Take her to the second villa.”Dante's voice sounded so loud it shook the walls surrounding us. I just looked at him without saying anything. “What?”I couldn't believe he just said that.Before we could fully process what was really going on, we heard the sound of another explosion somewhere beneath us, and the staircase shook from the impact. Dust fell from the ceiling in soft gray clouds.“Luca,” Dante snapped, he was not looking away from me. “Now.”“No,” I said immediately. “I’m not going anywhere without you.”He tightened his jaw. He didn't seem angry but I could sense urgency in his tone.“You are,” he said. “You’re getting out.”“You said they wanted me alive,” I shot back. “So why are you acting like I’m fragile?”A gunshot cracked somewhere below.“We can't tell what they're thinking,” he replied sharply.Luca appeared at the top of the stairs, he was breathing really hard. “They’re retreating toward the east perimeter.”Dante nodded once.“Good. Then we pus

Last Updated : 2026-02-21

Fault Lines Beneath Us

Dante's POV“She thinks I’m lying.”I dragged slowly on my cigar, the ember was flaring bright in the darkness as Luca’s voice crackled through the phone.“You are lying,” Luca replied bluntly. “Just not about what she thinks.”Smoke filled my lungs, it was heavy and bitter. I let it sit there a second before exhaling into the cold air of the balcony. The sea stretched black and endless beyond the stone walls of the villa, I could feel the wind slicing through my shirt sleeves.Inside, Alessia was asleep.Or at least she had been, before I left.“She doesn’t need to know everything,” I said.“She’s not a child.”“I know that.”“Then stop treating her like one.”My jaw tightened. I took another drag, slower this time. Luca has always been blunt, he was never scared to say what he thinks.“You think I don’t know that?” I muttered.Luca didn’t respond immediately. He knew me well enough to recognize the edge in my voice. I was getting pissed at him for not understanding my side of the st

Last Updated : 2026-02-24

The Enemy Within

Dante's POV “From inside the house?” She didn't really speak loudly but her words carried more weight than a scream. I didn’t look away. “Yes.” That single word sounded like a loaded weapon, it built more tension between us. Alessia slowly pushed the sheets away and stood up, I could only imagine how her feet were feeling against the cold marble floor. She didn't rush, she just took her time without panic. That alone made me uncomfortable because I was expecting her to freak out or give a different reaction. “Explain,” she said slowly. Her tone wasn’t emotional now. It was steady. Controlled. I walked toward the dresser and picked up my watch, fastening it around my wrist before answering her. “Someone pulled up data at 4:12 a.m. from the Milan house server. It contained restricted archives.” “Restricted how?” “A bunch of private surveillance logs. Internal security layouts and movement schedules.” Her eyes sharpened. “Mine?” I hesitated. “Yes.” She kept quiet, the

Last Updated : 2026-02-26

The Glitch in the Silence

Alessia’s POVThe door swung open.I didn’t think about anything—I just reacted.My hand flew to Dante’s arm as Luca reached for his weapon. I could barely breathe as I waited for the next horror to step through that doorway.But it wasn’t an intruder.It was one of the guards.Matteo.He stopped dead the moment he walked in, his eyes going wide as he saw the tight silence, the low lighting, and every guy standing tense and ready to jump—especially Luca, who looked like he was ready to shoot at any second.“Sir—” His voice wavered before he cleared it. “Apologies. I was instructed to deliver this directly to Luca.”Silence pressed against my ears.Luca didn’t lower his weapon immediately. “By who?”“The control room,” Matteo answered quickly. “The system has been stabilized. They have also completed a physical sweep of the west wing.”My heart thudded painfully.“And?” Dante’s voice was calm. Too calm.“It’s empty.”Empty?The word landed wrong. I knew something was wrong.“That’s not

Last Updated : 2026-03-03

The Life I Left Behind

Alessia’s POV The sound of tires screeching from the other side of the phone made me sit up so fast the sheets twisted around my legs. “Sophia?” My voice came out sharp, I was already afraid. “I’m fine,” she said quickly, breathless. “I’m fine. Don’t panic.” That was exactly what someone says when you should panic. I had tried to call her earlier when I got my phone from Dante, but he finally gave it to me after a lengthy argument about protecting me. Dante woke up instantly beside me, he didn't speak but I felt his body was tense and alert I checked the clock on the bedside stand, it was 2:38 a.m. Sophia never called this late, although we hadn't spoken in ages. “I just needed to hear your voice,” she said more quietly. “Are you okay?” The question unsettled me. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?” There was a pause on the line, and I could hear faint traffic in the background. Sophia had always been a night crawler but not this late. “I had a weird feeling,” she admitted. “I we

Last Updated : 2026-03-04

Between Laughter and Secrets

Alessia’s POV “Are you always this suspicious of a simple lunch invitation?” I looked up from the menu only to find Dante watching me with a faint amusement in his eyes. “I’m not suspicious,” I said lightly. “I’m assessing.” He leaned back in his chair. “Assessing what?” “The motive behind all these.” I gestured to the table. He let out a quiet laugh. “Maybe I just wanted to take you out.” The words felt so foreign to me. We sat on the terrace of a small restaurant overlooking the sea, it was a little bit far from the estate but Dante made sure it was close enough to satisfy his security concerns. The ocean stretched endlessly beyond us, and the reflection of the sun made it look like scattered diamonds. It was beautiful. And it looked normal. No guards were hovering around, no tense whispers in the hallways and there were no locked doors. We were just having lunch. Dante reached across the table and stole an olive from my plate. “You’re staring again,” he said. “At w

Last Updated : 2026-03-05