Lily's POV"My father broke all his bones and died," Ricardo continued. "Heidi went on to marry Nathan, the love of her life. But due to that nasty hit on his head, Nathan was never the same mentally."A pause lingered before Ricardo continued. "As at this time, I was already a little child of three years. See, my mother was already betrothed to my father, and somehow he had gotten her pregnant as well. Sad to say my mother was quite.....devastated by the news that the love of her life was dead. She killed herself not long after."A horrified gasp slipped from my mouth. In shock, I didn't know what to feel. I was seeing sides of this repelling man that I never thought would be there.Ricardo glanced up at me, smiled, and took another long drag from the cigarette. "Oh, don't be sad for me. Trust me, I am not sad for myself." He murmured. "Even at three years old, I never liked my mother much. I would have killed her myself if she'd waited for me to grow older."Immediately, all the sym

Lily's POVI had no idea how long I was in that warehouse after Ricardo left. All I knew was that I wouldn't last any longer.Dizziness clouded my senses in that wretched warehouse. Exhaustion clung to my bones, even worse than the dark and stifling feeling that pressed against my face. I couldn't remember the last time I had water; my throat constricted and parched."Please, I need water," I croaked, my voice barely audible in the oppressive silence. The ropes bit into my hands, leaving angry marks as a painful reminder of my captivity. Panic set in as I struggled against the restraints. What would they do to me? Had they left me here to rot and die in silence?The air was thick with the stench of despair, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. My surroundings offered nothing but pitch blackness; the windows were shut tight, depriving me of any sense of day or night. The uncertainty was maddening."Is anyone there? Please, let me go," I pleaded, desperation lacing every word that

Lily's POV"Hello, there!" He called out. Leaning against the doorframe, he folded his arms and let his eyes wander over my naked body."What are you doing!" I screamed. "I'm supposed to be dressing.""It seems you have forgotten that this is my bathroom. I can decide to waltz in at any time I like." He smiled, the gesture eerie rather than calming.I stumbled backward, covering my bare breasts with my arms, not that it covered much, I thought. I wasn't wearing a bra, and I was pretty sure I was a decent-sized cup.Ricardo could see everything.My lips trembled as I tried to speak again. "Go away, please. I want to dress."He raised an eyebrow, smirking at my embarrassment. His eyes wandered down to my collarbone and my arms, and his eyebrows shot up even higher. "You're bruised." He noted."Yes, where your men manhandled me!" I growled."I can fix that," Ricardo murmured. Taking my wrists, he held them against the wall. My heart thudded heavily as he leaned forward, ever closer to m

Lily's POVThe thought of Aiden being hurt or dead haunted me even hours later. Now, I paced the living room agitatedly. The space felt confining, each tick of the clock echoing my anxiety. I glanced up at the clock, and my heart jumped as I looked at the time.Forty-seven minutes past eleven. Almost four hours since I'd come back from the Gambino Suite."Oh, God. Please...." I whispered under my breath. I'd shed all the tears in my eyes and prayed all the prayers my head could think of. All I could do now was pace the room and hope against hope that the man I loved was safe and well.Joe and the other injured men were being treated by the nurses who arrived about an hour ago. I had refused for them to treat me, insisting that I was fine, even though my joints ached from being tied up in that warehouse. There were bruises on my wrists and ankles from the ropes biting into my skin as well.I couldn't shake the worry etched on my face. I wanted to believe in Aiden's strength, wanted to

Aiden's POVLily sighed heavily. "Okay. Where do you need me to start from?""Tell me everything, Lily. What happened after they took you? Did they hurt you?"Lily's gaze met mine, her eyes reflecting the haunting memories of that night. "Aiden," she began, her voice barely above a whisper, "it was terrifying. They broke the window, dragged me out of the car, and threw a bag over my head. I couldn't see anything, and I couldn't breathe properly. I was terrified they would kill me right then and there."She chuckled, then continued. "I even grabbed a gun from your dashboard, but I couldn't fire it for the life of me!"I listened intently, my heart clenching at the thought of her enduring such horror. "Go on," I urged gently, my hand reaching out to grasp hers for reassurance.Lily turned to face the window beside us, the slanting sunlight turning her green eyes slightly copper. Her voice trembled as she continued. "I blacked out for a while, and they took me to this abandoned warehouse