Chapter 11

“Love is so short, forgetting is so long.”— Pablo Neruda**Alessia**There should be laws against men like Leonardo. Unfortunately, nobody had bothered writing them.I spent the entire day trying not to think about him.It was going terribly.Every time I managed to focus on something else, my mind dragged me right back to the gas station. Back to his hand beneath my chin. Back to the way he had looked at me like I was personally responsible for ruining his evening. Back to his stupid warning.Be more careful.As though I spent my free time collecting dangerous situations.By the time the front door closed behind me, I went straight to the kitchen to calm down the burning sensation in my throat with cold water. Nonna was already preparing dinner. Without even greeting her, I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator and emptied half of it in one go.“Good evening to you too,” Nonna said, looking at me with her usual I already know what happened expression.I sighed. “Good eveni

Chapter 12

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.” — Rumi**Alessia**I hated parties.Not because they were loud. Not because they were crowded. I hated them because they required smiling, because I had to pretend, and pretending was exhausting. Especially when the reason for the celebration was already related to me.The house had been in complete chaos since morning. Flowers appeared from nowhere. Caterers occupied half the kitchen. Relatives I hadn’t seen in months suddenly remembered we shared DNA.By noon, I had been asked to help with decorations, carry boxes, arrange tables, and entertain guests. I had declined every single request. Unfortunately, nobody respected my decision.Passing Sophia’s room, I slowed. The door was partially open.The moment I stepped inside, I stopped.The room looked like a hurricane had passed through it.Paint brushes littered the floor.Half-finished sketches covered every available surface.Clothes were scattere

Chapter 13

“I found myself within a forest dark, for the straightforward pathway had been lost.” — Dante, Inferno**Leonardo**Fucking hell.The last temptation I needed tonight had a name.Alessia Romano. Of course.I lit another cigar. It burned slowly between my fingers. Inside the house, someone laughed loud enough to be heard through the walls.I stayed where I was.The quiet garden did nothing to quench the raging fire burning in my fucking mind. Because even though Alessia had left a few minutes ago, my eyes kept finding the same door over and over again.I took another drag. The smoke settled in my lungs. It didn’t help. Nothing had helped all evening. Not the whiskey. Not the cigar. And definitely not the distance.I looked down at the cigar. A faint smear of lipstick stained the edge. Fucking red.The image of Alessia coughing after stealing it from my hand. That stubborn look she wore right before doing something she absolutely shouldn’t. Then the sound of her arguing. The sound of he

Chapter 14

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”— William Faulkner**Alessia**The moment I stepped into the party, I immediately wanted to go back. Back to the garden. Back to the dangerous little thrill I felt standing beside a certain Don. It was still preferable to the smiles I was being forced to wear here.The second Dominic let go of my arm, I should have walked away. Instead, I stayed. Because Dominic Valenti was the kind of man who interpreted basic politeness as encouragement.The party continued around us. Laughter. Music. The clinking of glasses. Not a single person noticed how badly I wanted to escape. Or maybe they did and simply didn’t care.But somehow I knew he did, because of the way he pulled me out earlier, only to tell me to leave after—like he was angry at someone. My gaze found him naturally. As if he knew I was staring, he looked at me, and for a moment, I felt a little flutter of safety.What? Safety? From Leonardo? No. Definitely not.I turned my eyes away from

All Chapters of Ruthless Empire: Bound To The Mafia Don: Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14