By the time the car pulls up to the house, Ophelia's bag is empty and my stomach is full of all the unhealthy shit Federico force-fed me. If we were alone I would have stabbed him with the knife in my hands. Only a fool would sleep without a weapon. He entered my room after I'd just woken up and was contemplating whether to come with him or not. So I grabbed the knife under my pillow on instinct but I didn't expect him to carry me out. He's a savage dressed in a three-piece suit. "Where are we?" "Somewhere nice" he replies as the door on his side is opened. His driver peeks inside. "Uhh, do I want to know?" Manno asks his eyes shifting between us. "Know what?" "Got it. Ma'am, you look like you had fun" I think he's talking to me and a reply is on the tip of my tongue but he closes the door and rounds the car to open Ophelia's door "Did you at least leave some snacks for me?" "Yes" To my surprise, Ophelia's hand disappears into her bag and she pulls out a
I've spent the last twenty minutes trying to understand what is happening and what it is I truly want but I don't have a clear answer. Does Federico want me? I think so. Do I want him or do I just like knowing he wants me? I've only ever been in a relationship with one man. Growing up, any boy who approached me either wanted to make connections for their fathers or were just out to conquer the great Regina Vincelli. Bets were placed to see who would win and some went as far as hiring people I'd to seduce me. It was the reason I fell in love with Christian. He did everything he could to push me away so I knew that if I managed to change his mind, his feelings for me would be true. After him, I wasn't interested in anyone else. I couldn't stomach the thought of another man touching me. Despite living with Federico for two years, not once was I attracted to him. He became someone I could rely on and trust but nothing more. After all these years, why now? He's had several lovers, some of
Summer 2006 Thirteen-year-old Regina was rushing to the kitchen because Isabella, her nanny, had promised she could eat ice cream once she was done with her homework. She'd done it in record time and wanted her reward. Isa never lied and if she wanted anything, she could have it but there was a kind of excitement she always felt whenever she earned her rewards. A sort of fulfillment a thirteen-year-old didn't have words to describe. Since she was in a hurry, she wasn't careful with her steps and missed the last two stairs. With a scream, she went flying, prepared to land on her face and break her nose. Instead, strong arms wrapped around her and she fell on top of something hard. Her forehead colliding with something harder. "Oomph" She lifted her head, ready to offer an apology, and looked into the most beautiful green eyes she'd ever seen. The word sorry died in her throat. "Wow," she breathed in innocent wonder. How come she'd never s
"What can I get you, ma'am?" "Daiquiri. Thank you" I say leaning on the bar suggestively, my dress moving up an inch. The bartender moves to my left to make the drink but he keeps flicking his eyes back to me every few seconds. If I was in his position, I would also misunderstand. Judging by the way my breasts are almost spilling out of the dress I wore tonight, he probably thinks I'm into him or something. A black little number that hugs my curves and has a plunging neckline. The hem is dancing dangerously close to my bare ass and even though my back is to him, I know his eyes are glued on the material. Probably wishing for it to ride a little higher so he can confirm whether I'm wearing panties or not. I'm not. Tonight, I brought all the guns out and then some. Not real guns though. Just a few things that are supposed to make Christian change his mind. My birthday was two months ago and it was the best birthday in my life. I turned eighteen, lost my virgin
"Where are we on the shipment?" "We're making progress, ma'am" I throw him a dirty glare over my shoulder "Try again" "It will be done by the end of the end day, ma'am" "I don't need to tell you what will happen if this isn't sorted today" it's simple. Heads will roll. I am not in the mood to play games with those bastards at the port. If that shipment is a day late, I will handle it the way I normally do. By shooting first and asking questions later. I'm tired of men thinking they can get away with defying me just because I'm a woman. Dino nods. I expect him to leave but he continues to stand where he is "Anything else?" "Mr. Gambone is waiting for you in your office" "When did he arrive?" "A few minutes ago, ma'am""You can leave" I bite out through gritted teeth. Keeping up my calm and unbothered facade when all I what I want to do is run in there and punch him for invading my privacy. He shouldn't be here, much less in my office. Who knows what he's
"Federico!" He pauses in front of the door his driver, Manno is holding open "What the fuck is your problem?" "What are you talking about?" "Are you following me? How did you know I was meeting Rizzo here? And even if it's a coincidence, why the hell would you threaten him?" "He was slandering me. I can't allow that" "Bullshit! Do you think I can't handle him? Is that the reason you keep interfering with my business?" "Is that anger I detect in your voice, Regina?" I grind my teeth so hard I'm surprised they haven't turned to dust already. For years, I've maintained a certain image in front of people. Cool, calm, unbothered. Talk, yell, strip, die in front of me and I won't bat an eyelash. I've killed ruthlessly then gone back to having my dinner as if nothing happened. Only one person can evoke some semblance of emotions from me. But of late, Federico is getting under my skin and I hate it. Old me would never have followed him out of the restaurant. Instead, I would have t
I take one last look in the mirror and then make my way to the office downstairs. It's past ten and aside from the men patrolling outside, everyone has retired to their rooms. Lifting a book off the shelves, I press a button that opens a secret door then push it open and press the lift button. It opens immediately because no one uses it. Once I step inside, things go back to how they were, the door closing and the shelves returning to their normal position. I lived in this house my whole life but I never knew about the secret rooms until I defied papa. Then he turned into someone else. Someone I couldn't recognize. It's been that way for years now. Except, now I'm the one he can't recognize. It makes me wonder if he's ever regretted his decision. Would things have been different if he'd stopped when I begged him to? The elevator stops and the doors slide open. As I walk into the room, my heels announce my arrival. There are days like today when I expect him to turn his head and look a
The look on her face is priceless and I'm the lucky bastard who gets to capture it on camera. I've been taking videos of Ophelia since the day she was born, recording every milestone in case Regina misses something important. She's so busy running an empire that she barely gets to see her daughter. As the good samaritan that I am, I sometimes take advantage of that. But only because the woman is stubborn. She's blind to anything that doesn't involve Vincelli organization. So far, I've wrangled two dinners and three drink dates from her in exchange for the videos. The footage I took today will earn me a drink or a dinner date depending on her mood. She's apathetic that seeing any expression on her face is a record-worthy event. Even if it's anger. She stops at the foot of the stairs with a gun in each hand. Her eyes scanning the room cautiously. I rake my gaze over her outfit. A silk nightgown with a V-neck that molds perfectly to the swell of her breasts and a floor-length, matching