All Chapters of The Ruthless Don and his Assassin Princess : Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

CHAPTER ONECALISTAThe scent of garlic, rosemary, and rich tomato sauce drifted through the kitchen of the Donati estate. To anyone else, it was the smell of a welcoming feast. But to me, it was merely a distraction from the tight knot twisting in my stomach.“Calista, stop staring out the window and hand me the olive oil,” my mother, Calia, ordered, her voice laced with annoyance. She adjusted her collar for the hundredth time, constantly glancing at the antique clock on the wall. Ever since she got married into the Donati family, every breath she took was dedicated to proving she belonged in this world of blood, gold, Guns, and war.“Here, Mother,” I said softly, passing her the glass bottle. My voice was steady, even if my heart was beating so against my ribs, so much that I could hear it. I leaned back against the marble counter, letting my eyes drift out toward the courtyard.I was excited. Beyond excited, if you'll ask me, but I was hiding it under a cool layer of calm, the

CHAPTER THREECALISTADarkness was the first thing that greeted me.Then it was darkness, and the stench of damp concrete, and stale tobacco.My head throbbed violently, a sharp spike of pain shooting behind my eyes every time my heart beat. The flashback had left a ringing in my ears that was only now beginning to fade into the background noise of heavy footfalls echoing off concrete walls.I blinked, trying to focus my vision through the haze.I was tied to a cold metal chair in what looked like an abandoned warehouse. My arms were pulled behind my back, bound tight at the wrists with thick rope that bit into my skin every time I tried to move."Look at that," a raspy voice echoed from the shadows. "The princess is awake."Two men stepped into the light.They were large, unkempt, and reeked of cheap booze and sweat. Their vests were slung over their shirts, and heavy pistols hung at their hips. The one on the left had a jagged scar cutting across his jaw, while the other carried

CHAPTER FIVECALISTATHREE YEARS AFTER Three long, agonizing years of watching the world move behind my room.I stood by my bedroom window, resting my palm against the cool pane, staring out at the expansive Donati estate. Three years ago, when Rheyes turned the key in my door, I thought I would suffocate in this room. In those early months, he had been distant, rarely speaking to me and keeping me locked under strict twenty-four-hour surveillance, treating me less like a person and more like a fragile artifact he was obsessed with keeping safe.I had read the books in my room a hundred times over, as I had nothing else to do. The guards never spoke to me, because they were working on Rheye's orders. A sudden movement near the marble fountain drew my attention down to the garden.My chest tightened, a familiar ache piercing straight through my ribs.Rheyes was walking down the stone pathway, and walking beside him, with her delicate hand resting lightly on his forearm, was Lui Lan