Enzo stirred as he woke up from his six-hour slumber with a boner hard enough to pound a nail, after feeling Lily's soft body pressed to his chest. Lily's delicious scent of vanilla and roses greeted him first thing in the morning. He hadn't realized when she had rolled over to his side or whether it was a conscious move. When she was close enough, he pulled her to his side, and she nuzzled into him, seeking comfort. He couldn't tell what Lily really felt about him. She liked him enough to let him kiss her but didn't trust him enough to entrust her body to him. Her mind wanders whenever she looked at him. As if she was making a comparison of him with someone else. Lily didn't love him. She loved Ethan Vitiello. Her good-as-dead lover. The thought of Lily loving some other man left a trail of bitter aftertaste inside him. He had never loved a woman before. Apart from his Mama and Nonna. They were family, and he was bound to love them. But getting romantically involved with someone w
Lily got up from the bed and looked around the artless room. She hadn't gotten the chance to explore the mansion last night since she was too exhausted and all she wanted was to get some sleep.She went to the bathroom to wash off the grogginess from her face and brushed her teeth. After she was done freshening, she went downstairs to look for her husband.The mansion was what she would describe as picturesque. Those curious brown doe-eyes of hers explored the place like she was looking around an art museum.She took cautious steps down the black-and-white checkered floor, tracing her fingers against the smooth, pale blue walls that had intricate golden designs on them while peering up at the wide-arched white ceiling. The Salvadori mansion was enormous, and she felt like a Lilliputian in this vast palace-like structure.It felt strange to be here. In a stranger's house. She would not be treated like a stranger in this place, but deep down Lily began feeling homesick.As she strolled
Enzo's promise kept ringing in her ears as they sat down for breakfast. She didn't notice Sasha coming to their table with their breakfast and beverages until Sasha tapped her shoulder and nodded toward her.Lily smiled and gave her head a curt shake and looked over at her husband, who sat next to her at the table. He had gotten ready for the day in his fitted, custom-made black suit that didn't have a single crease of imperfection. He always looked sharp, and the attire served his mature, calm-headed persona.How would a monster make love?Was he planning to force himself on her when his patience ran out?No, Enzo was a man who took a great deal of time in whatever he did.He was a silent, sinister serpent waiting in the grass, and striking at the first opportunity that opened up.She fantasized he was as slow and determined in the bedroom too. Attentive. He must take sex seriously as he took his promises.Enzo wasn't mad at her for refusing him on their first night. If it was any ot
[TRIGGER WARNING: The following chapter contains gore, explicit language, and violence.] *** "A hundred thousand dollars?! That's so generous of you, Lily." Claire, her friend, said on the phone. Claire worked as a nurse at an NGO that provided for disabled children. Lily smiled. "You told me you were running out of donations, so I had to help." Lily pressed her back against the chair while staring at the spreadsheet on the screen of her MacBook. She spent nearly an hour calculating all the money they received at the wedding and her neck hurt from craning over to the screen so much. Meanwhile, Sasha was in the living room watching the rerun of an Italian dubbed soap opera. Angry Italian dialogues of a crying woman drifted by as she talked on the phone. "But you got that money for your wedding. Is your husband okay with it?" Claire asked tentatively. "He is fine with it," Lily confirmed and sensed Claire calm down on the other side of the phone. "Again, you've been a great help
"I feel a burden lift off from my chest," Matteo sucked in a sharp drag of smoke from his pipe.Enzo tilted his head down to look at the old man standing beside him with a noticeable smile. It was raining outside, and the cars were lined up waiting for them."You could have made millions off of those drugs," Enzo said, holding a black umbrella over their heads as he escorted Matteo towards the parked Bently."Drugs never gave me any peace. I lost three of my siblings because of it," Matteo said, his husky voice tipping down somberly."Overdose?" Enzo asked.Matteo shook his head, tightening his chin. His fading gray eyes were vulnerable. "My father killed them before they could become informants and put our whole family in danger." Enzo opened the car's passenger seat for Matteo to climb in.Matteo poked his head out of the window, not giving a damn about the rainwater splattering on his face. "You're nothing like your father, Enzo."Enzo gave an amused smile. "I will take that as a c
The lights in the living room were still on and so were the sounds from the TV. Sasha must be watching those ridiculous Italian-dubbed daily soaps again. He had told her to have dinner prepared by eight. Now it was eight-fifteen. He stepped into the living room and to his surprise, it wasn't Sasha sitting on the couch watching TV, it was Lily. Her big brown eyes were glued to the 4k TV, crouching forward with her chin in her palm. The dialogues spoken by the actors floated through the room. The TV screen unfolded the scene where a man and a woman embraced each other in the rain with some extra dramatic background music. Actress: Oh Emilio, I've always loved you! I lied about having a baby with your father.Ridiculous. Actor: Why would you lie to me, Carla?Actress: My mother-in-law threatened to kill me if I didn't leave this family. I know you would never let me go! So I lied...Actor(Hugging the actress tightly): I'm so sorry, darling. I should have protected you from that horri
Heavy rain streaked the high french windows, blurring the outside view. The cold wind breezed through the gap and swept against the room. Lily flinched when a rumble of thunder struck so abruptly without a warning and lighting flashed, briefly lighting up their dim bedroom. Even with the duvets, the cold was still obvious against her sensitive skin. Another lightning struck from the sky and she shivered as if she had gotten frostbite. Slowly, Enzo inched closer to her, his heat instantly melting off the cold on her back. His large hand made its way to her belly, pressing her against the expanse of his broad chest. She didn't move away, instead, she relaxed in his embrace, and a small sigh left her lips. She felt protected. "Scared?" He whispered, his hot breath fanning against her ear. "I'm scared of thunder and lightning." She whispered back. "It's... too loud." "It's like a barking dog that doesn't bite, Lily. You have nothing to be afraid of." He reassured. "Mm." She nuzzl
[TRIGGER WARNING: The following chapter contains violence against women, murder, and mention of self-harm.] Heavy, drunk, and menacing footsteps closed inside the dimly lit bedroom. Mia Armando's head whipped to the door, where her brother stood at a distance. A bottle of half-full vodka in his hand, the rim of his dark eyes were red, and white powder peppered around his slightly hooked nose. "Antonio? Why are you here?" Mia's voice was meek, like a scared mouse stuck in a den of vipers.She was sitting beside their paralyzed father, holding him protectively. She was the one who took care of their father after he was shot. Little bitch. The doctor had informed him that there was a chance that their father might fully recover again. Antonio couldn't afford that to happen. If he did, then his father will surely hand over his birthright to his stupid brother Andrae. Andrae was a soft-hearted idiot, he would ruin this empire with his gullibility. He approached the bed taking slow and