Emilia finds herself entwined in a web of conflicting emotions. Pregnant with Andrei Tulvan’s child, she harbors resentment towards Kaius, Andrei’s mysterious older brother. Unaware of the mix-up, Emilia believes Kaius is just as heartless as Andrei, and she builds a wall of resentment toward him.
Kaius, burdened by his family’s dark past and the sins placed on him, longs to protect Emilia from the shadows that haunt them both. The secret he carries fuels his desire to win her trust, but Emilia remains skeptical, unable to see past her misconceptions.
As circumstances force them to spend more time together, Emilia begins to glimpse the kind-hearted man hiding beneath Kaius's tough exterior. The lines between animosity and attraction blur, igniting a spark that neither of them can ignore. Emotions run high as they navigate the complexities of their shared past.
With each revelation, Emilia realizes that her heart may have been confusing Andrei for Kaius all this time. Is this what Kaius means when he says she needs to remember? Could this be why his touch feels so…familiar?
As the truth unravels, she must confront her feelings and decide if she can open herself up to love once again. Can Kaius prove that he is not his brother and that he will cherish and protect her and their unborn child?
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Dear Reader,
Thank you for reading Giovanni's story and staying with me, even when my updates were sporadic at best. We've reached the end of Giovanni and Lucia's tale, one I hope you enjoyed. As I have mentioned on my socials, I will be taking a brief hiatus starting May 30th and I will be back in July to upload Emilia and Kaius' story.
After two years of non-stop writing, I think a month's rest will do me good. Thank you for trusting me and thank you for reading. Emilia's book will be uploaded in this one.
I hope to see you in July :)
PS. Since this is an author's note, it won't be using any of your coins, don't worry!
—Kaius - 33 / Emilia - 29— Emilia I watch as Gio’s car pulls away and that little girl in me screams out for her big brother to come back. I fall to my knees, calling out his name, hoping he’d forget this bullshit and tell me it’s all a lie. That he’s not giving me to this asshole… but it never comes. And now I’m stuck with the man who raped and killed his brother’s fiancee. “No one’s coming for you, fetiţă mică; might as well get up,” his voice comes as a grating noise—like nails on a chalkboard even if his accent is sexy as hell. I grit my teeth and sniff before getting to my feet and turning around to glare at him. “Don’t fucking tell me what to do, asshole,” I say, while trying to appear intimidating, but I can already see the amusement playing in his eyes. He crosses his arms and I try not to stare at those massive things bulging. “Are you done with your tantrum yet? I have places to be and you’re cutting into my schedule.” “Excuse me, I didn’t realize my kidnapping was th
Kaius has been ignoring me since we touched down in Romania. We’re driving to God knows where with the two of us in the backseat while he’s on his phone talking in Romanian. I suppose I should be thankful for him ignoring me since I don’t have to deal with him, but I feel like I’m slowly losing my mind. A painful twinge pulls at my stomach, and I bite my lip to contain a gasp. I’m not used to silence in any form; I grew up in a rowdy Italian household where there was always something going on. So this right here…it makes me feel anxious as fuck and sick to my stomach. Not only that, but Kaius’ words from earlier are playing on repeat in my mind: “Unlike my brother, I don’t enjoy playing with his used toys?” What does that even mean? And why does he call me Angel so casually, as if he knows me? A shiver runs up my spine and goosebumps pucker all over my skin for some reason. I’m so damn on edge and I do not know if it’s because I’m in unknown territory or if it’s a pregnancy sympt
I look at the severed head in the box in front of me and fury burns hot in my chest. It’s one of my runners who went missing two days ago, and the cut-out marking on his cheek tells me this is a fucking message.No one is happy about Andrei’s death; well, those who were relying on that fucked up drug aren’t happy. The rest of the syndicate heads were glad he’s gone because that drug would have put a major dent in their work and they wanted nothing to do with it.I hear a loud bang reverberate through the walls and grit my teeth.Well, this is a total fuck up if I’ve ever seen one. Emilia has been nothing but a pain in my fucking ass since I brought her back here, but what did I expect? The subservient little girl she was with Andrei was the drugged-up version of herself.This fucking hellcat is the real Emilia, only this Emilia is currently suffering from withdrawal. She’s pregnant so I want to risk giving her narcotic withdrawal medication, so it’s her going cold turkey.It’s been ne
I open my eyes and immediately sit up, but a dull pain blooms on the side of my head. My hand goes to my throbbing head and I groan as white spots dance in my eyes. But even as I’m feeling this pain in my head, something feels…off.In other words, I feel great; rested.“What the hell?” I murmur, my eyes finally adjusting to the room. I’m under the covers dressed in a fresh set of silk pajamas and I feel clean. Did someone…bathe me?Shaking my head, I get up from the bed and my eyes fall on a metal IV stand next to the nightstand. Then I lift up my left hand and see the band-aid, confusing me even more. What the heck is going on here? How long have I been asleep for?I vow to find Kaius and ask him about what happened, but first I need the toilet. Why can’t I remember anything, though? Surely I couldn’t have been out for longer than a few hours. But why can’t I remember anything?After I’ve done my business, I wash my hands and walk outside my bedroom. As usual, there are two muscle he
The dinner party at the Prime Minister's place goes off without a hitch and we signed our plans in blood. Her son was killed by terrorists and knew the judicial system would let her down, so she came to me. She wanted bloody revenge, and I promised to bring it to her.For a price, of course.By the time I get back home, I am annoyed as fuck because Bianca kept wanting to come back here with me. Any other time that would have been fine with me since she’s a regular fuck for me, but not tonight.I don’t know why I’m so pissed off right now. All I want to do is get into a shower to wash all that fucked up privilege scent away. God, I hate rich people—especially politicians. Walking through the penthouse with the intention of heading right to bed, a sound in the living room gets my attention and I bristle. I slip the Beretta from my holster and hold it in front of me as I inch toward where the sound came from.I expected it to be an assailant; what I didn’t expect to see was Emilia on th
I haven’t seen Kaius for about three weeks since we last fought, and during this time I’ve been watching the guards as they come and go. I wonder if Kaius told them I used to be an enforcer for the Italian mafia because they’re not acting like I could escape at any moment.And that’s a definite win for me.From what I’ve picked up, they change the penthouse elevator codes four times a week, and rotate the same six guards three times a day, oh those codes they use? They’re the exact same ones for the different guards every time they get changed.Either he didn’t tell them about me, or he did, and they’ve concluded that I’m not a threat. The Brigăzi are dumb fucks, it seems.I’m sitting in my bedroom, contemplating where I would go once I eventually escape. In the closet, there are a few expensive watches and from what I can see, a necklace with a real diamond pendant. Those could sell for a few thousand, but where would I pawn them? I don’t know Bucharest well enough to know where the
Throughout the week there were people in and out of the penthouse and Kaius ordered me not to leave my bedroom. I wasn’t going to argue with him because he looked serious when he said this, not cocky as he usually does.It left me wondering what the hell is going on outside there; there’s no way he’ll up and leave for a safer spot just because of me. It also left me questioning what the actual fuck Andrei did when those people see me as collateral damage.I’m sitting on my bed the night before we’re supposed to leave and thinking about my years with Andrei. We were the same age when he came to St Leonard's after my stint in the hospital, and we became closer. He knew I didn’t want to marry for convenience and respected that.After Gio made me his enforcer, he was so proud of me too. We were in a secret relationship for years, even after we found out what his father did to my cousin. He was adamant Gio would forgive me and we’d unite our families if I fell pregnant and became his wife.
The cabin comes into view, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. The hours driving were nerve-wracking to say the least, not knowing if we’ll be ambushed or not. But I have concluded that the people after me aren’t just the ones my brother owed. There’s something else going on and it’s pissing me off not knowing what it is.After my men report the boundaries are clear, I turn to Emilia and remove her blindfold. She squints into the afternoon sun, blinks a few times, and then turns to face me. “We’re here?”“We are,” I say as I open my side of the door and walk over to her side. She looks surprised when I open her side and hold out my hand for her. “Any day now, Angel.”“Ugh,” she says and rolls her eyes at me, but she still takes my hand, anyway. Stepping away from the car, she takes a look around and her eyes widen. “Wow, there’s nothing for miles,” she says and I nod.“Hiding in plain sight, and since there aren’t even trees, snipers can’t hide anywhere,” I say, thinking back to the