Category: Marked By The Mafia

                        ✧༺✰༻✧

                        ✧༺✰༻✧

           ✮{…DIFFERENT SITUATION…}✮

Enzo’s voice came closer, soothing yet impossibly near. “Relax, Aurora. It’s alright. Just breathe…”

Panic surged through her chest, but her body refused to respond. She could only watch, helpless, as he leaned in, pressing his lips to the sensitive skin of her neck. The heat of his mouth sent a shiver racing down her spine, and a flash of panic and confusion consumed her.

Then he began undressing her… his hands moving with a possessive slowness that made her heart hammer against her ribs.

He pulled the sleek silver gown from her shoulders, the fabric whispering as it slid down her paralyzed arms and pooled at her waist, leaving her bra and her extreme vulnerability exposed to his gaze. She was utterly helpless and unable to pull the gown back up.

His eyes, usually filled with that familiar warm amusement, were now dark with a chilling devotion. He ran the back of his hand slowly down the curve of her jaw, moving a loose strand of hair from her face.

“Aurora, you can’t tell me you don’t know about my likeness for you” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. 

“I have for a very long time, since the first time I saw you. I hated the day you told me you had a crush on Matteo. I hated it”

His fingers tightened slightly on her arm. “I hate the fact that you’re even married to him! You’re mine, Feather”

He leaned closer.

“My love for you increased the day you came crying in the underground gym because your father compared you to Valentina and called you weak and useless”

That word ‘weak’ snapped something in Aurora’s mind, pulling her back to that day.

FLASHBACK*

The rough, cold stones of the underground gym felt impossibly far away. Thirteen-year-old Aurora stumbled in, the remnants of her father’s cruel words echoing in the silence.

He had just finished comparing her to her older sister, Valentina, calling Aurora “weak” and “useless” a fragile thing not fit for the Bellanti name.

She sank on the worn leather bench, burying her face in her hands, the sobs escaping her small body in shuddering waves.

Enzo, then fourteen and already her personal driver, was silently practicing blade forms in the corner. He stopped instantly when he heard her cry. He’d been working for the family since he was just a boy, but he had never seen the Boss’s daughter cry like this.

He cautiously approached her, his own movements quiet.

“Hey, Rory,” he whispered, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He gently touched her shoulder. “What did they say?”

Aurora lifted her tear-streaked face. “He said I’m weak. That I’m not strong like Valentina. I’ll never be useful”

Enzo looked at her, his dark eyes filling with a fierce protectiveness that transcended his servant status. 

He knelt down to meet her gaze. “You’re not weak, Rory,” he said, taking a small, almost weightless feather that had dropped from a training dummy’s stuffing and placing it in her hand. “You’re just not hard yet”

He curled her small fingers around the feather. “Do you know what a feather is? It’s light. It bends. But it can float above everything, and it can move faster than anyone expects. You’re my little feather”

“And I promise you this, Feather, I will teach you every single thing I know. I will make you so sharp, so fast, that your father will never, ever be able to call you weak again”

From that day forward, when she was thirteen and they began their secret training, he called her Feather.

END OF FLASHBACK*

The memory shattered like glass, pulling Aurora violently back to the present. 

The metallic scent of blood seemed to fill the air, though none had been shed, only the bloody scent of betrayal.

Enzo was no longer the boy who had promised to protect her from weakness. He was the one inflicting it.

He smiled down at her, the triumphant smile of a victor claiming his prize.

“See, Feather? I never forgot that promise. And now… I can finally keep you safe. Safe with me” Enzo finished.

Aurora remained locked in her paralyzed prison, her eyes the only part of her that still obeyed burned with a silent, ferocious hatred. The man before her was not the Enzo she knew. 

The realization was a fresh, sharp stab of agony. 

Enzo stood, his expression satisfied. He pulled a heavy silk sash from the bedside table and began to bind her wrists to the back of the chair.

“Don’t worry,” he murmured, adjusting the knot. “The drug will wear off in a few hours. You’ll be comfortable, and we’ll have a long, long time to talk”

He paused, glancing at his watch. “But first, I need to make sure Matteo gets the message”

He picked up her clutch from the floor, pulled out her phone, and held it up to her face. With chilling calmness, he positioned the camera to read her immobilized features. The screen flashed green, granting him access. He had her phone.

Moving quickly, he opened the messaging app and drafted a brief text to Matteo.

*Don’t bother finding me. I just want to be alone.

He pressed send, waited half a second for the confirmation, and then, before Aurora could even register the full weight of the deception, he powered the phone off.

Enzo pocketed the useless device. 

“There,” he said, smiling down at her. “That should buy us a few hours before the monster realizes his little wife didn’t actually run away”

He then turned back to Aurora, his eyes roaming over her exposed shoulders and the fabric of her bra. His smile grew cold and predatory. He knelt, his fingers reaching for the clasp.

“Now, where were we, Feather?” he whispered.

Just as his fingertips brushed the fabric strap—

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

The sudden, loud rap on the heavy wooden door startled him.

Enzo froze, his eyes snapping to the door. 

“Merda!” He cursed softly, a low Italian epithet. He’d forgotten that he ordered a late snack and a bottle of high-end scotch right before Aurora arrived.

He glanced at Aurora, who was still tied and exposed. Quick decision-making kicked in. He couldn’t risk the room service attendant seeing her in that state.

“Stay put” he commanded, though the order was laughably redundant.

He grabbed the heavy duvet from the bed, tossing it over Aurora with a speed that belied his earlier slow movements, completely covering her and the chair.

He then smoothed his shirt, checked the door’s peephole, and unlocked the deadbolt.

Enzo opened the door just wide enough to block the attendant’s view of the room. A uniformed man stood there, holding a silver tray covered by a pristine cloth.

“Room service for 807, sir. Your late-night delivery”

“Perfect timing” Enzo said, forcing a casual tone. He quickly took the tray, handing over a generous tip without making eye contact.

“Enjoy your evening, sir”

“I plan to” Enzo replied, a dark smirk playing on his lips as the door was locked and bolted once more.

He leaned against the heavy wood for a moment, listening until the attendant’s footsteps faded. He had barely wasted thirty seconds, but the momentum of his violation had been broken.

Enzo walked back to the center of the room, pulling the duvet off Aurora. Her eyes, still filled with rage, met his.

“Just a minor delay, Feather,” he said, picking up the scotch from the tray. He poured a drink, his hand steady. “Now, where were we?”

He raised the glass to her, his smile chillingly triumphant.

The ringtone shattered the charged silence. Enzo’s brows knit in irritation as he fished his phone from his pocket.

“Yes?” he muttered, answering.

A clipped voice spoke on the other end. “Sir, your express delivery from yesterday has just arrived. You requested to receive it personally at the lobby”

Enzo exhaled sharply, jaw clenching. “Now? It couldn’t wait five minutes?”

“I’m afraid it’s perishable content, sir. The courier insists”

He ended the call with a terse curse under his breath. For a long moment, he stood still, his knuckles whitening around the glass of scotch. Then he turned back to Aurora.

Her eyes followed him, silent and burning fury.

“Will be right back, Feather,” he said at last, forcing a calmness he didn’t feel. “Seems the universe enjoys interrupting me tonight”

He set the glass down on the bedside table and walked to her, crouching so his eyes were level with hers. His hand hovered near her cheek but didn’t touch. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll be right back” he murmured.

“Don’t go anywhere, you can’t anyway”

He rose, straightened his jacket, and headed for the door. With one last glance at her bound form, he locked it from the outside.

The echo of his footsteps faded down the hall, leaving Aurora in suffocating silence. 

Down in the lavish, marble-floored lobby of Le Monarch Hotel, Enzo accepted his large, customized luggage from the courier. He signed quickly, his eyes darting toward the elevators. The brief trip had already cut into his precious time with Aurora. 

He turned toward the elevator bank, and he pressed the button for the eighth floor and waited, tapping his foot impatiently. The elevator doors slid open, and he stepped inside, his dark thoughts already returning to the suite.

When he reached Room 807, he inserted his keycard, expecting the tell-tale double click of the main lock and the heavy thud of the deadbolt.

But there was only a single, quiet click.

Enzo froze, his heart slamming against his ribs. The deadbolt was unlocked.

He pulled his key out, his hand shaking. Had he forgotten? He distinctly remembered sliding the heavy bolt.

He pulled his pistol from the waistband beneath his jacket. He kicked the door inward.

The room was silent.

The silk sash lay cut and discarded on the floor by the chair. The heavy,wooden chair stood empty, pushed slightly off-center.

“Aurora!” Enzo roared, his voice cracking with disbelief and rising panic. He swept the room, checking the bathroom, the closet, and the balcony.

Gone.

He spun back to the center of the room. Her clutch lay on the counter and his glass of scotch sat untouched.

Nothing was missing except her.

Enzo stared at the empty chair, the silent witness to his catastrophic failure. He had built her cage, promised to keep her safe, and in less than five minutes, she had flown away.

He knew then that she hadn’t escaped the paralysis on her own. Someone else had been here.

Matteo!?

•••

BACK AT THE GALA*

The soft jazz played on, oblivious to the simmering tension. It had been over an hour since Aurora had left the corner table for the restroom, and now, Matteo, was also conspicuously absent.

Maya was slumped slightly in her chair, working hard on her fourth glass of ruby-red wine. The alcohol hadn’t dulled the sting of Ace’s earlier rejection, but it had made her reckless. 

Scarlett and Rosa sat nearby, watching the flow of guests while keeping a casual eye on her.

Blade swaggered over to the table, followed closely by Storm and Axe. 

“Have any of you seen the Boss?” Axe asked before Blade could.

Scarlett shrugged, her gaze fixed on the crowd near the champagne tower. 

“We haven’t seen him”

“His phone went to voicemail” Storm added, checking his own device. 

Just then, Ace appeared, striding quickly toward the table, his chest rising and falling heavily as though he’d sprinted up several flights of stairs. His normally cold, controlled demeanor was replaced by visible alarm.

“We can’t find Boss’s wife too” Ace stated, his voice clipped and strained. He looked directly at Maya. “You were the last one with her”

The mention of Aurora’s disappearance was a bucket of ice water. Maya instantly sobered. She pushed her chair back, the wine-fueled haze vanishing in a rush of dread.

“What do you mean, ‘can’t find her’? She told me she was visiting the restroom. She said she’d be right back”

“She left the building,” Ace ground out, running a hand over his tired eyes. “The staff saw a woman matching her description leave through a service exit one hour and some minutes ago. No one saw who picked her up”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Rosa interjected, looking from Ace to Maya. “Not without telling someone or boss”

Before the team could descend into a full-blown panic, Ace’s phone buzzed with an urgent text message. He snatched it up, reading the screen as the others clustered in anticipation.

Ace looked up, his face a mask of conflict and confusion. He read the message aloud, his voice flat with disbelief.

“Everyone should go home. I have it handled myself”

The text was from Matteo.

A stunned silence fell over the small group. 

“Handled what?” Blade finally broke the silence, his jaw dropping. “His wife goes missing, and we’re supposed to go home?”

“It’s his number,” Ace confirmed, staring at the message as if the phone would spontaneously combust. “But it doesn’t make any damn sense”

Viper sashayed over, having overheard the last sentence. 

“When has the Boss ever made sense when his little lamb is involved?” she drawled, though her eyes were serious. 

“If he says go home, he means he’s gone nuclear, and he wants no witnesses”

The team exchanged grim, knowing looks. 

“I knew this was going to happen” Bianca scoffed, throwing her hands up in exasperation as she joined them.

“We came here on a mission, and now his stupid wife decides to be the star, making everyone focus on her, and we forgot what we came to do”

Her gaze swept over the worried faces, landing dismissively on the empty table where Aurora had sat.

“Why is she suddenly going missing? She just wants attention on her, and now Boss has gone for her,” Bianca spat, her voice dripping with venomous jealousy. “She has no respect for the Family, no respect for the operation!”

Maya, still sobered and terrified, finally snapped. Her own tumultuous relationship with Ace and her fear for her brother’s wife boiled over.

“Shut up, Bianca,” Maya hissed, pushing forward. “You’re just mad because you’re useless on a mission, you couldn’t even make Nicholas fall for you, and Matteo left the building without giving you a second glance!”

Bianca’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “At least I know my place, Maya. Unlike the little tramp who has to screw a guy just to feel important, then cries when he calls her a mistake”

Before the verbal sparring could turn physical, Ace stepped between them, his hand gripping Maya’s arm hard enough to stop her lunge.

“Enough!” Ace roared, his voice low and carrying the absolute authority. “This isn’t a damn parlor game. The Boss gave an order. We follow 

He looked at the others.

“We leave this gala now” Ace commanded.

Blade shook his head, his usual grin completely gone. “And what if he needs backup, Ace? We’re just going to sit there?”

Ace’s jaw was tight. “If he needs us, he knows how to call us. Until then, we trust the Boss knows what he’s doing and besides he can handle whatever it is on his own!”

He looked once more at the exit, his conflicted emotions clear. 

Vixen was watching them from afar, his eyes solely on Ace.

•••

The first sensation Aurora registered was the impossible softness beneath her back. The paralysis was gone, replaced by a dull, throbbing ache and the overwhelming sensation of sluggishness.

She blinked her eyes open, struggling to focus on the unfamiliar, opulent surroundings. 

She wasn’t in Le Monarch Hotel. She was in a room draped in velvet and silk, illuminated by soft, expensive lighting. She lay on a large bed, covered by a rich silk duvet.

Her body felt heavy, but she could move. She cautiously flexed her fingers, then her toes. The drug had worn off entirely. She was free of the chemical vise, but she was definitely not free.

A deep wave of disorientation hit her. She sat up, clutching the duvet to her chest, her mind racing to piece together the events: Enzo, the betrayal, the paralysis… and then nothing.

The door to the room clicked open, and a man walked in.

He was tall, with light, penetrating eyes and a confident, easy demeanor. He held a silver tray with a glass of water. 

Aurora felt a strange jolt of familiarity. She was sure she’d seen him before, perhaps recently, but her memory was still clouded.

He smiled. “Good, you’re awake. You needed the rest after all that”

Aurora instinctively pulled the duvet tighter. She tried to speak, but her throat felt raw and unused. Her hands searched the bedside table for something, anything, to write with. She found a pen and a small notepad.

She scrawled two words and held the pad out to him.

“WHO ARE YOU?”

He walked to the bedside, set the tray down, and picked up the notepad, reading her question.

“My name is Nicholas,” he replied. 

He leaned closer, his light eyes fixed on hers. “And we will be getting married soon”

Aurora’s eyes widened instantly in shock, and then a fierce frown creased her brow. She frantically snatched the notepad and pen, scribbling three furious words this time.

“DELUCA? NICHOLAS DELUCA?”

Before Nicholas could confirm her sinking realization, the door opened again. A man stepped into the room, a figure of cold, imposing authority. Antonio DeLuca.

Antonio surveyed Aurora with a calculating look.

“Is that her, Nicholas? The lady you want to marry?” Antonio asked, his voice a low rumble.

“Yes, Father” Nicholas confirmed, stepping slightly aside.

Antonio walked to the foot of the bed, his presence suffocating. “Welcome home, my beautiful daughter-in-law” He paused, a terrifying sense of finality in his words. 

“The wedding will be scheduled next week on Saturday”

Aurora stared at the two men, utterly speechless. 

It keeps getting worse.

•

•

TBC😈

 Next Episode 

                        ✧༺✰༻✧

              ✮{…THE QUESTION…}✮

Matteo stepped into his office, Ace trailing just behind him. The heavy door thudded shut, muffling the chaos of the empire outside.

“Rocco didn’t make it far, he’s dead and we disposed the body already” Ace reported.

Matteo didn’t flinch. His eyes scanned the office before settling on Ace. “I always knew he was a snitch. Served him right”

Ace hesitated, then added, “Maya was here last night, boss”

Matteo’s eyebrow rose in surprise. He hadn’t seen her in years.

Before he could ask more, the office door burst open.

“Brother! Missed me?”

Maya stood in the doorway,eyes glinting.

“Not a bit” Matteo replied, rolling his eyes.

“We both know that’s a lie,” she shot back, her grin widening. In one fluid motion, she produced a gun from somewhere behind her and aimed it at Ace playfully.

“Your money or your life” she teased.

Ace chuckled, unfazed, and Maya’s grin turned wicked. She dropped the gun with a soft clatter.

“Leave” Matteo commanded.

Ace gave a mock salute to her and slipped out, smirking as the door closed behind him.

“You still haven’t changed” Matteo said, his eyes narrowing.

“Old habits never dies” Maya replied, leaning casually against the desk.

“I heard Father is dead. That’s the best good news I’ve ever heard” Maya said, stepping closer. She went to hug him.

Matteo remained stiff, his body unyielding.

“I missed you so much” she whispered, pressing against him.

“Maya… that’s enough” he warned. 

“Drop that façade and hug me back!” she demanded, her grin softening into something almost vulnerable.

For a brief moment, Matteo’s walls cracked. He hugged her back, firm but fleeting.

“Will you let me breathe now?” he muttered, pulling away slightly.

“You won’t… not when I’m back here” she said with a mischievous smile, moving away toward the window, her silhouette framed by the city lights outside.

She rested her hand on the glass, eyes tracing the empire sprawling beneath them.

Matteo’s gaze lingered on Maya as she leaned against the window, her presence filling the office like she’d never left. 

He remembered the triplets of the Moretti family which consists of him, Maya, and Axel running through the estate’s sprawling gardens, laughing, daring each other to climb higher, jump farther, fight harder.

He remembered the day their father had taken Axel and Maya away. They were only ten. Axel and Maya were whisked off somewhere to train under his father’s strict gaze, while Matteo stayed behind, forced to endure training from his father in ways he could never escape.

Maya… it had been seven years since he had last seen her, because he still saw her when he was 19.

And now, here she was, back in his office, unannounced, unapologetic, and reminding him of everything he had buried behind his walls of stone and blood.

FLASHBACK, 16 YEARS AGO*

Matteo, just ten years old, clung to Maya and Axel, his small hands trembling as their father, Don Salvatore, paced with cold determination.

“Salvatore… please” thier mother begged, her voice cracking, arms reaching desperately for her children. “Don’t take them. Not today. Not my babies”

But Don Salvatore’s gaze was iron, unmoved by her pleading. “It is time. You know my decision is final” 

Maya’s tears streamed freely, tiny shoulders shaking as she buried her face into Axel’s chest. Axel’s eyes were wide with sadness, lips pressed tight in a futile attempt to hold back his own sorrow.

“Don’t… don’t take them!” Matteo screamed, clinging to both of them, refusing to let go. “Father please, don’t!”

The moment Matteo’s father saw him, fury twisted his expression. He raised a heavy iron rod and swung it on him. Matteo cried out as the pain ripped through his small body, his grip loosening from his siblings.

Darkness swallowed him whole.

When he awoke, they were gone. His mother beside him, sobbing silently. 

END OF FLASHBACK*

Matteo’s fingers curled into fists at his sides at the memory. 

“I miss Mother” Maya whispered, moving away from the window. Her voice trembled, eyes glistening with unshed tears, betraying the tough façade she always wore.

Matteo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t answer immediately. The old ache in his chest throbbed stronger than ever.

“You shouldn’t have to say it. We all do… but saying it doesn’t bring her back” He muttered. 

“I know but that won’t stop me from missing her. I heard about your upcoming mission in Paris. I’m coming with you,  i want to see the bastard who killed my mother”

“Hmm” Matteo said thoughtfully. 

“You can’t say no to that, she’s my mother too”

“Then get ready” He smirked.

Maya’s grin widened like a blade. “Now let’s discuss something else. I heard you’re married so I looked her up. Aurora Bellanti. Daughter of Vincenzo Bellanti. How cute”

“That’s neither your business nor your joke” he said.

Maya laughed, a short, sharp sound. “Of course it is. She’s my brother’s wife. I get a front‑row seat to the circus” She stepped to the desk and plucked a stray pen, rolling it between her fingers.

“So? Do you like her?”

Matteo’s jaw tightened, the muscle ticking as he met her gaze. “Enough” he ordered.

“Get out of my office”

Maya laughed softly, shaking her head. “Still in denial, I see…” she murmured, her grin fading into something unreadable before she turned on her heel and strode to the door.

Out in the hallway, Ace had just stepped aside to let her pass. She stopped in front of him, eyes dancing.

“Hey, handsome” she said sweetly. “I like you. Don’t tell anyone”

Before he could react, she leaned in, pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, and winked before walking away, her heels clicking down the corridor.

Ace froze, blinking. His fingers rose almost unconsciously to touch the spot she’d kissed, still warm from the brush of her lips.

From the far end of the hall, Vixen leaned against the wall, watching everything in silence, her expression unreadable.

Ace finally noticed her and stiffened. “Vixen wait, I can explain—”

“You don’t owe me any explanation,”she cut him off. “It’s not like I like you or something”

Her words stung more than he expected, and Ace’s hand dropped from his cheek as he watched her turn away.

Vixen walked away, trying to shake off the strange ache that knotted her chest. 

Why did that even bother me? she thought, frowning. 

She had said it herself that she didn’t like him. So why did seeing Maya teasing Ace, kissing him like that, sting more than she expected?

Shaking her head, she turned a corner, only to catch a low conversation from the shadows.

“Valentina… trust me, I will get it to work perfectly” a deep, hushed voice murmured. A voice that belonged to Viper.

Vixen’s brow furrowed. She paused mid-step, peering toward the corner where the voices came from. 

What are they talking about? she wondered, curiosity flickering, but nothing else.

With a shrug, she walked on.

•••

MATTEO MANSION*

Maya strode in, heels clicking softly against the  floors. 

Suddenly, a sharp pressure pressed against her throat, a knife gleaming dangerously close. Maya froze, instinctively holding her hands up.

“Who are you?” Aurora demanded.

Maya smirked, tilting her head. “Matteo’s… baby mama” 

Aurora blinked, caught off guard, her focus faltering. Maya seized the moment, stepping back calmly, her grin widening.

“You’re… pretty,” Maya said, her eyes scanning Aurora appraisingly. “And I must say, I’m impressed”

Aurora’s grip on the knife loosened slightly, confusion flickering across her face. 

Maya finally tilted her head, letting a soft laugh escape.

“Relax,” she said, stepping back fully, letting Aurora lower the knife. “I was just joking. You should see your face… priceless”

Aurora’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Joking?” 

Maya shrugged, her grin mischievous. “A little dramatic flair never hurts, right? But really… I’m not here to hurt you”

Aurora studied her carefully, trying to read her intentions.

“I’m Matteo’s twin sister,” Maya said finally, her tone more serious now. “Yes… the one you’ve probably never met”

Aurora took the picture Maya gave her, her eyes scanning the image. There they were, three small children, tangled together in laughter. Matteo, Axel, and Maya, all bright-eyed and innocent, with the unmistakable spark of mischief in their expressions.

Aurora blinked, stunned. “He… he didn’t tell me he had a brother or a sister? He never mentioned Axel or you”

Maya’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile. “Yeah… he can be secretive. Matteo’s always been like that. Keeps things close to his chest”

Aurora studied the picture again, her mind racing. “Triplets…? I had no idea. He barely tells me anything”

Aurora’s brows furrowed, a mixture of frustration and sadness on her face. 

“He’s too cold to me. He behaves like he doesn’t care… in fact, he doesn’t. I’m pregnant right now, and he told me to abort it. I… I hate him”

Maya’s eyes widened, and then a wicked grin tugged at her lips. 

“Yikes! Abort my unborn niece or nephew? Don’t dare! He’s a joker” she said, and Aurora couldn’t help but laugh despite the heaviness of her words.

Maya’s smile softened slightly as she shook her head. 

“He was trained by our father, don’t blame him. Axel and I were trained differently, under someone else. Matteo… he was a happy kid once, with a soft heart. But what I’m seeing now? This… cold, harsh man… it’s what happens under our father’s training. Showing care or love? Forbidden. It’s a weakness”

Aurora’s hand instinctively rested on her stomach, her voice small. “So… that’s why he said what he said?”

Maya nodded slowly. “Yes. Matteo’s words are blunt. He won’t explain further, at least not now. But I know him. The Matteo i knew as a child, the one who would’ve rushed to hug me immediately he sees me is still there, buried under years of pain and duty. He has his reasons… even if they don’t make sense to you yet”

Aurora swallowed hard. “I… I just want him to care”

Maya placed a hand on her shoulder, firm yet gentle. “Give him time. And don’t you dare think about that abortion. He may be cold, but this child… this is family. And family, Aurora… is never left behind”

Aurora stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Maya.

“Thank you”

Maya’s lips curved into a soft smile as she returned the hug.

“I so much love hugs” Maya said warmly. “Thanks for that. Remember… I’m with you always”

Aurora pulled back slightly, feeling comforted and reassured.

•••

TWO DAYS LATER, PARIS*

The convoy of black cars glided through the streets of Paris.

In the first car was Matteo and Ace.

In the second car was Maya and Aurora while the  third car carried the rest of the clan, including Bianca, who had been trying to get closer to Maya ever since the airport. 

Finally, the convoy stopped outside a modern penthouse Matteo had purchased a few days ago, a glass building standing proudly in the Paris skyline.

Matteo was the first to step out, his tailored coat brushing against his thighs. He barely glanced at the others as he entered the building.

The other cars opened their doors, and the remaining occupants stepped on the terrace, breathing in the crisp Parisian air.

Bianca immediately moved toward Maya.

“Let’s share a room together” she offered.

Maya folded her arms, smirking. “I don’t think so. I already have Vixen as my roommate”

Bianca’s smile didn’t falter, but her eyes darkened for a fraction of a second as she rolled them inwardly. She quickly turned to Aurora, her voice sugar-coated.

“Then… let’s be roommates”

“I’m staying with MY HUSBAND” she said pointedly before striding into the penthouse without another glance.

Bianca’s jaw tightened, her fake cheer cracking for a split second. Maya, still standing nearby, caught the shift in her expression and smirked knowingly. She already understood what Bianca was up to.

“I can see through that façade, stop it” Maya said. 

Bianca blinked rapidly, her face settling into feigned confusion.

“I don’t understand what you mean…” she said lightly, her voice airy, though the stiffness in her smile betrayed her.

Maya didn’t bother replying. She simply smirked, brushing past her like she wasn’t worth the energy.

Her steps carried her straight to Ace, who was leaning casually against one of the black cars, scrolling through his phone.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite Matteo’s boy” Maya teased, her voice lilting with playful mockery.

Ace glanced up, grinning. “What do you want this time?”

Maya grinned, leaning in just enough to invade his space. “Relax, handsome. Not everything I do involves guns or games…”She flicked his shoulder with a wicked grin. “Sometimes I just like your company. We meet tonight by the poolside”

Ace hesitated for a split second, then gave a small nod.

“Good boy” she winked before strutting off.

Vixen appeared beside him, arms folded across her chest.

“Seems she’s into you” she said flatly, her tone laced with something Ace couldn’t quite place.

Inside the penthouse, everyone began to disperse into their assigned rooms.

Aurora moved in with Matteo.

Maya paired with Vixen.

Bianca ended up with Viper.

Ace shared with Blade.

Storm took a room with Axe.

Sylvia, Scarlett, and Rosa grouped together in one suite.

Bianca stood in the hallway, staring at the door that had just shut between her and Maya. Her nails dug into her palm, fury bubbling beneath the surface.

She whispered under her breath, a smile tugging at her lips.

“You’ll like me soon, Maya. Whether you want to or not”

Bianca returned to the room, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. Viper was standing by the wardrobe, sifting through a row of outfits before pulling out a fitted leather top. She glanced at Bianca through the mirror, her smirk cutting sharp.

“Seen you trying to make Maya like you so bad” Viper drawled, tossing the outfit on the bed. “Baby girl, don’t force it. Come here, let me give you tips”

Bianca arched a brow, clearly caught but refusing to show weakness. She stepped closer with a sly little smile tugging at her lips.

“Tell me more, seems we think alike”

Viper’s grin widened.

•••

The penthouse suite was quiet except for the low hum of the television. Aurora sat cross-legged on the massive bed, a bag of chips balanced beside her as she absent-mindedly popped one into her mouth. ” you are reading from www.mhiztaemy.com.ng” The oversized screen across the room lit up with colors, throwing a soft glow over her relaxed figure.

From the bathroom came the faint rush of water, Matteo’s shadow occasionally moving past the fogged glass of the shower. The scent of his expensive cologne, mixed with steam, lingered in the air.

Aurora leaned back against the pillows, crunching loudly as she laughed at a scene on the screen. “You’d think he’d learn by now” she muttered to herself between bites, wiping her fingers on a napkin.

The bathroom door opened with a soft click, steam curling out into the cool suite. Matteo stepped out, droplets of water gliding down the hard ridges of his chest, a towel slung low around his waist. His damp hair clung slightly to his forehead, framing his sharp features as he ran a hand through it lazily.

He stopped mid-step, his gaze locking on Aurora. She was sprawled comfortably across the bed, still munching snacks, her eyes glued to the massive screen. She didn’t notice him at first, too immersed in the flashing images before her.

Finally, Aurora felt it. That heavy gaze. Her head turned, and the moment her eyes landed on him, she froze. Her gaze traveled from his dripping hair down to his sculpted torso, then lower to where the towel hung precariously at his waist.

Caught in the act, she blinked, her throat suddenly dry.

“The towel’s the only thing in your way… want me to fix that?”

Her breath hitched, snack forgotten in her hand.

Matteo’s smirk deepened as he closed the distance between them. Aurora’s heartbeat stuttered when he stopped right in front of her.

Without breaking eye contact, he tugged the towel loose and let it drop, the fabric pooling silently at his feet.

Aurora’s throat went dry. The movie on the TV faded into nothing but background noise as her gaze trailed down, then flicked back up to meet his.

He leaned down, close enough for his breath to tickle her ear.

“Satisfied with the view, or should I get even closer?”

The sharp chime of the doorbell echoed faintly through the suite, cutting through the heavy silence. Matteo’s hand reached for his phone on the nightstand. A new message blinked on the screen.

BIANCA: Please come, it’s very important. Concerning the mission.

His brows creased as he read it, his jaw tightening. Aurora noticed, her chest tightening.

Before he could speak, she stepped closer, her lips curving into a smirk that masked the storm brewing inside her.

“I’m not satisfied with the view…” she whispered, eyes dragging over him slowly. “I want more of it”

She grabbed his face and kissed him, hard, stealing his breath before he could retreat into himself. He didn’t hesitate as he kissed her back, just as fierce, pulling her into his chest like he couldn’t let go.

When they broke apart, foreheads nearly touching, Aurora’s voice came out low and sharp.

“Are you going to meet her… or are you staying here with me?”

•

•

•

TBC😈

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