Holden Sterling: The Sterling Brothers Billionaire Saga BWWM Book 1

Episode 79: Holden (Salvador's true intentions)

Alexander barged into my office, his eyes wild with urgency. He sat down on the plush leather couch, and Eriola and I squeezed in on the other end. "What's going on?" I leaned back, trying to remain composed as my girlfriend held onto my arm tightly.

Alexander's face was etched with concern as he delivered the news we had been waiting for. "I did a full background check on Salvador, just like we discussed," he started hesitantly. "And I found some interesting things about him." My patience was wearing thin and I barked at Alexander to get to the point. His slow storytelling always irritated me.

Taking a deep breath, Alexander continued, "Well, first of all, it turns out that Jonathan's claim of Salvador murdering his brother was true. It was a brutal war between the Italian and Russian mafia, sparked by a deal gone wrong in Italy. Jonathan and Salvador were supposed to be partners, but when Salvador's brother tried to cheat Jonathan, all hell broke loose. And in the midst of the chaos, Jonathan and his men ended up killing Luca Moretti, Salvador's youngest brother."

The realization hit me like a punch in the gut. No wonder Salvador was seeking revenge- in the Mafia world, blood is thicker than anything else. But still, two wrongs don't make a right. It sickened me to think that this was all just business for these men- betrayals, dirty deals, and ultimately death.

"And now that Jonathan is dead," Alexander continued with a note of disgust in his voice, "Salvador wants a piece of his wealth as well. The audacity of this man." I growled in agreement. This was not justice or honor- it was greed and vengeance ruling over everything else.

A low chuckle rumbles in my chest at her pathetic attempt to mask her fear. I reach out and pull her closer, feeling the warmth of her body seeping into mine through our clothes. I trace a firm finger down her arm, watching as goosebumps rise in its wake. All I want is to sink into her softness and let the world burn. Ignoring Alexander's frantic ramblings, I turn my attention back to Eriola. Her eyes meet mine and I can see a hint of defiance flicker within them.

A jolt of unexpected excitement surges through my body at the sight of her. She may be trembling and afraid, but she is far from shattered - a broken doll put back together with sheer determination. "Look at me," I demand in a hushed tone, the words reverberating in the sudden stillness as Alex falls silent. My grip on Eriola's chin tightens, forcing her gaze up to meet mine. The scent of fear mingled with unwavering resolve drifts off of her, intoxicating me even further.

"My dear, now more than ever, you, Miriam, and Anya are welcome in our home. I must protect my family, especially now that you are pregnant." I say, gazing into those mesmerizing purple eyes.

"Pregnant?" Alexander interjects. "Well, hot damn! I'm going to be an uncle. But yes, we must do everything in our power to protect them. Salvador is out for blood now. But he did seem quite taken with you, Eriola. What did he want?"

Eriola takes a deep breath before responding. "He proposed a business deal between us using the land that Jonathan had planned to build the hotel on. But I haven't told anyone yet...I was considering building luxury office space there instead. I refuse to work with Salvador after what he did to my husband without reason." Her voice trembles with emotion as she speaks her last words.

I place a reassuring hand on her stomach, feeling the gentle rise and fall as she takes deep breaths to calm herself. "We'll figure this out, Eriola," I say softly. "We will not let him take what's rightfully yours." The weight of our uncertain future hangs heavy in the air, but I am determined to be her rock.

"We will be starting the reconstruction of our hotel," I continue, my voice steady and resolute. "Now that we have this beautiful office down town, I think we should keep it like this for now on." My eyes sweep over the sleek, modern design of the office space before us, a stark contrast to the traditional charm of our hotel.