Yakuza Lover, Vol. 4

Austin Park had been living together with his mother for as long as he could remember. His father? He had never seen him or even met him. He only knew his name and by mentioning it, her mother's face changed drastically, one that carved pain and longing. He had never asked since then. As time grew by, her mother had fallen ill. He took care of her and had completely forgotten about anything related to his father. Until he met a mysterious man who called himself, Daiki Kazuno. Austin had no idea that the appearance of this stranger would bring him to the truth, the misery, the betrayal, the love, and her. The Yakuza Princess, Hara Kazuno who hated him with every atom she was. His life and his heart had tangled together with a woman who wanted to kill him whenever she had the chance while he was forced to become her guardian. In his journey for revenge, he wondered if there was a way for him to untie the knots without burning them.

I'm married to Don Antonio Gallo for ten years. My hands, which are originally meant to play the piano, have learned to assemble guns and take apart bombs for him. I was there with Antonio when he was just a lowly criminal, and I witnessed his entire journey to the summit, where he claimed the throne as the king of the underground casino. But right after Antonio becomes successful in life, he gets infatuated with a pure and innocent maiden from the slums. That maiden is Silvia Bianchi. She was delivered to Antonio's bed like cargo. A maiden like her is as pure as an angel, yet so delicate like porcelain. For the first time ever, Antonio, who's already used to bloodshed and violence, gets a taste of addiction. He's really good at hiding her presence. I only find out about it when I accidentally come across him and Silvia attending a prenatal checkup together. When I break down and demand an explanation from Antonio, he just hands over a divorce agreement nonchalantly. "Silvia doesn't have anyone to rely on, nor does she have a home to go back to. Once she has a proper title, she and her baby won't get bullied anymore. "If you sign this document, I'll give you 20% of my shares. Once Silvia gives birth to her baby, I'll make sure that the baby acknowledges you as their mother as well. Consider this my compensation to you." Of course, I can't accept it at all. I end up slapping Silvia on the face during her baby's first party. That night, my younger brother, Paolo Romano, gets crippled and strapped to the front of an armored truck. "This is the lesson you shall learn for hurting Silvia, Valentina!" I kneel on the ground and beg Antonio to stop. But the moment the engine starts, I feel Paolo's blood being sprayed all over my face. Sharp pain flares from my abdomen immediately. I can only clutch it while screaming hysterically before passing out. When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day Antonio and Silvia are attending a prenatal checkup together. This time, I no longer ask Antonio any questions. Instead, I secretly sell all of the jewelry I've secretly kept and buy myself two plane tickets. Now, I just want to escape from Antonio with Paolo by my side.

Everyone has a dark past that you can never run from it. Theresa Young goes by the name of Terry may have left her dark past, but it still haunts her. Pretending to be a man, Terry became Odin King's hitman to gain unlimited resources to find a person. She killed countless people and stained her hands with blood Terry will do anything to find the woman who had ruined her. Her mind is filled with revenge and hatred for that woman she had to leave the people she cared about. When Terry was informed about the woman's whereabouts, she packed up and left California to go on a cruise ship. Disguise as a tourist and spot the person connected to her target, she was then bumped into someone she didn't unexpectedly make her heart race the moment her eyes met his ocean blue ones. Seth Wolfe, the second eldest among the Wolfe brothers and the playboy of the family, decided to follow Terry. He left without saying goodbye to his family and friends to follow the man he cared about. Seth was angry and upset that his best friend left him without saying anything and wanted an explanation. He followed Terry on a cruise ship, and he searched for him. Little did he know his eagerness ignored the people on the boat and accidentally bumped into a woman with the same pretty boy face as his best friend. One look at this woman made his heart race, and the thing between his legs jerked. That is until he realized this woman was his best friend in woman's clothing. Although Terry is a male, seeing him in a woman's dress made Seth feel something he had never expected towards a male or confused about his sexuality.

At 4:00 a.m., my husband, Rocco, gently shook me awake. His voice was a low murmur, . "Alessia, my love, could you do something for me?" But his next words shattered the illusion. "Scarlett is hungry. Go make her some seafood soup." Scarlett was our maid, and she was also Rocco's pregnant goomar. "I just had fresh seafood delivered. Get to the kitchen and make her a bowl of soup. Just for Falcone's heir." I refused, my voice cold. His anger flared in an instant. "Don't be so unreasonable, Alessia." "Is it really so hard for you to make some soup?" I shook my head, silent. He stroked my cheek, a patronizing smile playing on his lips. "Fine, Alessia. So you've learned to defy me now." "Think carefully, Alessia. Do you really want to keep your place as a Falcone?" "And your position as the family's lawyer? Think about whether you still want these… then give me your answer." Seeing the arrogance in Rocco's eyes, the last ember of love I had for this man died. I took out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in a long time. "I want out of the Falcone family."

Sometimes we are just in love with the thought of falling in love. But how true is it that the best love stories happen to those who patiently wait? Allessandra Taylor believes that Chadrick Williams is her knight since age 6. But what will happen if that Knight is the cause of all her pain? Will she endure or let go? Her world crumbled. She was crushed into pieces. Does it mean she’s not good enough? He broke her heart and only he can mend it. How would she get over someone she thought was “the one”? And how will she move on if her Knight became another woman's Lover?

Why we all want to FALL IN LOVE? They say because that experience makes us completely alive. When you’re in love with someone, it inspires you and gives you hope. But it’s not the case for all - falling in love can be a BLISSFUL experience for many but a PAINFUL memory to some. Faith Anderson and Marco Matthews are happy and very much in love with each other. She doesn’t have an idea that he’s the heir to Matthews Group, one of the most successful companies in New York. But when she met his extended family and friends, it's clear that they are from incredibly different backgrounds. Destiny isn’t always good, it becomes playful sometimes and the influence of money is probably as old as time. The constant disapproval and pressure left her with no other choice but to let go. It was the hardest thing for her to do, not because she wants to but because she has to.  It hurts her even more - to hurt him who doesn’t deserve to be hurt.  But what’s really more important? - To be HAPPY or to be RICH? She can’t guarantee to help him in his success. She’s aware of how low her worth is. She knows that there are things in life that she can’t forever have, no matter how much she fights for them. Forcing herself to fit into someone’s world isn’t her thing. She won’t go low just to please other people who she knows that whatever she does - will never be proud of. But did she do the right thing to let go because she was hurting or she was doomed for not staying and trusting him? And here we realize that to LOVE is really to SACRIFICE.