Alle Kapitel von His Arranged Protection: Kapitel 11 – Kapitel 20

~~LENA~~ I couldn’t breathe properly. The moment we stepped inside the mansion fully, I tried to walk faster and way ahead of him, my heels clicked angrily against the marble floor as I headed straight for the stairs. I needed distance. I needed to get away from him before I said or did something stupid… again. But I didn’t even make it five steps upwards. Niccolò’s hand shot out and caught my wrist. His grip was firm, not painful, but impossible to ignore. “Lena.” I yanked my arm, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he pulled me back toward him until I was forced to turn around. “Let me go,” I snapped. He didn’t. He stepped closer, backing me up until my spine hit the cold wall behind me. The hall light casted dark shadows across his face, making him look even more dangerous than usual. And my heart immediately started playing drums against my ribs. “Are you trying to run away from me, Lena?,” he said in a low voice. His eyes searched mine like he was reading every thoug

~~NICCOLÒ~~Matteo was already in my office when I walked in, standing by the window with his hands clasped behind his back. He turned as soon as the door closed, like he’d been waiting for the sound.I closed the door and moved behind my desk. “What is it this time? Shipment issues? External threats? Or something else I'm being dragged away for?"Matteo didn’t hesitate. “Someone took a shot at your father last night. It happened in a public place… there were three witnesses. He’s alive, but it was close.”I leaned back in my chair. “Who?”“We don’t have a name yet,” Matteo said. “But it wasn’t random. Whoever did it knew his schedule, his route and even the location. It was planned.”Matteo paused, watching me carefully before adding, “He’s asking for you. He won’t speak to anyone else.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose and closed my eyes for a second. The weight hit hard. Just another problem waiting for him to deal with. “Get the car.”***The safehouse smelled like old wood and ci

~~LENA~~"I'm cooking today!"The kitchen went dead silent.Three maids froze mid-task. One with a dish halfway to the shelf, another gripping a dishcloth in her hands, and the third just standing there with her mouth slightly open. They exchanged quick glances that had nothing to do with cooking and everything to do with the man whose name no one dared say out loud.I almost felt guilty AlmostOne of them stepped forward cautiously, like I was something unpredictable they didn’t want to trigger. “Ma’am… Mr. Santoro prefers that we handle all the meals.”I blinked at her, then glanced at the others, who had suddenly become very interested in the floor tiles.A slow smile spread across my face.Mr. Santoro prefers.I turned the words over in my head. What was he going to do — punish his own wife for stepping into the kitchen? The man had forced his name on me. Whatever power he thought came with that, it went both ways whether he'd thought that part through or not.“That’s very thoug

~~NICCOLÒ~~I walked down the corridor of the east wing, shoulders tight from another long meeting downstairs. My mind was still stuck on the latest report on my father’s shooter, the kind of problem that followed you from room to room whether you wanted it to or not.One of my guards approached me from the opposite direction.“Boss,” he said quietly, keeping his voice low, “we found another witness from the shooting, he confirmed it was planned, they knew the exact route, and we’re bringing him in for questioning tonight.”I nodded once. “Handle it. I want answers by morning, no excuses.”“Yes, Boss.”I dismissed him with a sharp tilt of my head and he turned immediately, disappearing down the corridor without another word.The house stayed quiet until I reached my door and found it slightly open, warm light spilling into the dim hallway.I slowed, my hand brushing the side of my jacket on instinct before I caught myself. Then I pushed the door open and stepped inside.Alessia was st

~~NICCOLÒ~~ The sound of the slap still echoed in the room even after Lena stormed out and slammed the door behind her. A sudden high-pitched ringing ripped through my left ear. I went completely still, my fingers twitching at my side as I fought the urge to press my hand against it. The world tilted slightly. I swallowed hard and breathed through my nose waiting... until the worst of it began to fade back into the dull background noise. It was getting worse. I could feel it. And what the hell was I supposed to do about that? Sit in some sterile office while someone told me what I already knew? There was no fixing this. There was only managing it until managing it stopped working too. I stood there without moving. My cheek burned a little, but it was nothing. I had taken worse hits in my life. The real damage wasn't from her hand. It was from the look on her face — the mixture of betrayal, disgust, and pain in her eyes as she stared at me like I was a stranger. Like I was the mo