Things We Don T Talk About

Two years ago, I was the Donna of the Costa family. When I was on my way to attend the family meeting, I was killed by my husband's childhood sweetheart, Isabella Rossi. She shattered my limbs and smashed my belly before throwing me into an abandoned mine pit. It was such a shame that I was pregnant with the heir Matteo Costa had been waiting for the past five years when I died. Not only did Isabella frame me for working with the enemy forces, but she also broke her own legs and claimed that she got hurt from stopping me. Matteo publicly announced that he decided to sever all ties with me. He also placed a bounty on my head. Just like that, I fell from my position as the Costa family's Donna to a traitor who was wanted by all. Two years later, the mine pit collapsed on itself. That was when the workers dug out my rotten corpse.

Iris Rossi, a 23-year-old sharp young attorney, has been building a reputation for dismantling the criminal networks of New York’s elite. She sees the Moretti family as her ultimate takedown. Dante Moretti, newly in charge of his late father’s empire, needs to appear legitimate, to secure his position against rivals and federal investigators. After a major courtroom win against one of Dante’s shell companies, Iris is confronted by Dante himself. Instead of threatening her life, he offers her a deal: marry him for one year and secure his public image, or watch her family’s hidden crimes surface, destroying her career and reputation. She discovers evidence that her late father laundered money for the Mafia, and Dante is holding it over her.

At the celebration where Lorenzo Alvarez is crowned the new mafia boss, his men arrange a few performances. A dancer in a backless top and short skirt twists around the pole under the lights. "Don't look," he murmurs, covering my eyes with his hand. "This kind of cheap entertainment isn't worthy of you." His men jump in immediately. "Lorenzo still spoils Ms. Valenti after all these years. That kind of devotion is rare. We're so jealous." "A man as loyal and single-minded as Lorenzo is hard to find." I rest a hand on my belly, planning to tell him tonight that I am pregnant. But when I return from the restroom, I see the same man who had just held me in his arms leaning back in his chair while the dancer straddles his lap. Lorenzo slips his business card and a thick fold of cash into the waistband of her skirt. He laughs, relaxed and unbothered. "Isabella is wonderful, sure, but life needs a little passion. This ragazza is just something new. A bit of fun. "Keep your mouths shut. Don't go running to Isabella and upset her. Otherwise, you'll have a problem." Cold rushes through me. I do not approach or confront Lorenzo. I simply take out my phone and answer the email I have been avoiding for days. "I agree to participate in the confidential experiment."

"I am your master, I own you. Until your father is able to pay me what he owes, you are just a body for me to fuck and dispose of as soon as you give me an heir" His grip on my chin grew more hurtful as he said those words to me. His menacing scowl made him look like he would want want nothing more than to kill me on the spot. "I am going to pay you back, Tell me how much he owes you right now and I'm going to pay everything back, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" I scream as hard as I can into his face. My hand balling into a fist. His head snapped back as he erupted into a wicked laughter, you think you can pay me what your father owes me?" He released my chin then moved to steps backward. His voice dropped to a whisper, vibrating with restrained anger as he continue to speak, "I dare you to try. Your father owes me half a million dollars, but since you have decided to take on this debt, I give you a month." Rue; Freedom was everything I have ever yearned for, a time when I can finally breathe a breath of relief, a time when I can finally be relieved of the burden of my alcoholic, selfish and gambling addicted father. Until my father sold me to the ruthless mafia Don, Alessandro Vanillin as a payment of five hundred thousand dollars. It was stupid of me to think I was better away from my father.

I spent five years helping my boyfriend Marco rise to the position of Don. I nearly died countless times, but I didn't care; I loved him. He used to look at me tenderly and promised to propose to me publicly at his Don succession ceremony. But on that very day, he held the hand of another Mafia Principessa Sophia Romano and announced their engagement. To completely get rid of me, Sophia pulled a stack of photos from her bag and slammed them into my face. "See for yourself! She's been sleeping around to get intel!" In the picture, I was leaning into a man's arms. I tried to explain, but Marco interrupted me. "I always knew you were lowborn, but I didn't realize you were this cheap." "Get out!" Marco pointed at the door. "Elena, you are exiled from the family. Never let me see you again." I finally saw this man for who he truly was. He was completely subservient to me when he needed my help to seize territory, but after becoming the Godfather, he needed a more distinguished Donna, and therefore no longer needed me. I sneered; they had no idea that the man in the picture was my brother, the Don of the most powerful Corleone family. Sophia’s family was nothing compared to the Corleone family. I stopped arguing and simply turned and left. But when my true identity was finally exposed, he crawled back to me, weeping and begging for my forgiveness.

As my due date approaches, my husband's precious mistress falls into the water at a banquet. After being rescued, she immediately accuses me of pushing her. To "avenge" her, he throws me into a modified stainless steel water tank. I beg him, pleading for the sake of our unborn children. But he only sneers. "Don't try to use the babies to guilt me! You've still got a week before you're due. I know exactly how vicious you are—any child of yours would be just as rotten. Stay in there and reflect on your behavior. I'll let you out when you finally admit you're wrong!" Five days later, my husband returns home from a night out with his mistress, calling for me to come downstairs and serve them, as always. He doesn't know that my babies and I have already rotted beyond recognition.

Sienna had only her mother to rely on when growing up. Life was not easy but it was nice. A nice job, a loving mother and some real friends. But with the death of her mother, the hospital bills pilling up, suddently she can’t afford rent anymore. Her friend suggests a fake marriage with a hockey player that needs a greencard. It was supposed to be an easy task but little by little the grumpy hockey player manages to carv himself inside her heart. And she will have to protect herself for the heartbreak when after the end of the hockey season they get a divorce.

My name is Isabella Wright. In my fifth year of marriage to the Don of a powerful mafia family, I find out that the protection charm he gave me causes me headaches whenever I bring it with me. I take out the sachet I find in the charm and bring it to Cursley Hospital. The doctor inspects the sachet and tells me that it contains a type of slow-acting poison that doesn't just cause harm to the victim's body but also renders them infertile after a while. I cry and exclaim, "But that's impossible! My husband gave this to me! His name is Vincenzo Cursley. He's also the person who owns this hospital!" The doctor looks at me in confusion. "Miss, I think you need to visit the psychiatrist. I know Mr. Cursley and his wife. They're very close and intimate with each other. Also, Mrs. Cursley just gave birth to a baby boy not too long ago. They're both now in the VIP ward, looking at their baby." Then, the doctor shows me a photo on his phone. Vincenzo was wearing his usual black suit with the Cursley family emblem embroidered on it. He was holding a baby in his arms, and as for the woman standing next to him… I know her. Her name is Claudia Henderson. And Vincenzo has always referred to her as his adoptive sister.

The day before yesterday, my best friend invited me to a date at a bar. I later end up sleeping with a younger man. I never would've expected him to be my son's classmate, though…

The stranger moved closer, closing the space between him and Anna. His hand came up, gripping her jaw and tilting her face so she had no choice but to meet his gaze. “Are you sure about this?” he asked. Anna swallowed hard, her pulse racing. “Yes,” she breathed. “I want you to fuck me so hard I forget about my dickhead of a fiancé.” **************** Anna Hawkins was never supposed to fall into the arms of a stranger. But after walking in on her fiancé having sex with her best friend, pain drove her into the dark corners of a nightclub and straight into the arms of a man with cold eyes, inked skin, and a body that could ruin her. Their night was supposed to mean nothing. But unforeseen circumstances throw Anna into a brutal world of betrayal, power, crime, and possession. She wasn’t just heartbroken anymore. She was owned. And the most dangerous part? She didn’t know how to escape from her cruel fate.