In the heart of a modern city, two rival families hold the power. Valentina, a fiercely loyal daughter, and Matteo, a cunning and determined son, find themselves on opposite sides of a dangerous feud. But when their paths unexpectedly intertwine, th...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I leave Matteo in bed and head to the bathroom, trying to shake off the remnants of yesterday's terror.
I fix my hair and change into grey sweats and a hoodie. When I emerge, Matteo is already out of bed.
He heads to the bathroom to get ready himself, and I can hear the shower running.
I sit at the kitchen counter, lost in thought, when Matteo comes out of the bathroom looking sharp. He looks at me with a faint smile, but his eyes are still filled with concern.
He heads to the kitchen, where he starts preparing breakfast. The smell is comforting, but I have no appetite.
"Valentina, you need to eat," Matteo says, placing a plate in front of me.
I push the plate away. "I'm not hungry."
Matteo looks like he wants to argue but doesn't press the issue. Instead, he grabs his phone and starts making calls.
His voice is steady, but the conversation is in Italian, so I can't understand what he's saying. It's clear he's dealing with something important.
After hanging up, Matteo turns to me with a serious expression. "I've got something to take care of, but I'm going to get Julian to stay with you until I'm back."
I try to protest, but before I can say anything, my phone buzzes. I check it to see a message from Ale. He's asking if he can come over.
Given that Ale is close to Sabrina and involved in the mafia, I assume Sabrina must have told him what happened. I text back that he can come.
Matteo sees my response and his face hardens. "Alejandro? I'm not sure if that's a good idea."
"He's a close friend," I say firmly. "He won't hurt me. I'll be fine."
Matteo's concern doesn't ease. "Maybe I should stay. I'm not comfortable with him being here."
I shake my head. "No, Ale will be fine. I appreciate your concern, but I need some space. I'll be okay."
Matteo looks torn but eventually nods. "Alright. Just text me if you need anything."
He heads out to handle his business, and I'm left waiting for Ale's arrival. Despite my reluctance to eat, I find some comfort in knowing that someone I trust will be here soon.
When Ale arrives, he has a worried look on his face. He sets a small bag on the floor and glances at me, his eyes filled with concern.
"Hey, Val. Sabrina told me you had a rough night. What happened?" he asks softly.
I take a deep breath, trying to push away the lingering fear from last night. "They were really aggressive. It was... bad."
Ale's frown deepens. "I've done business with Lorenzo and Marco before. I know how they can be. Sab didn't give me many details, just that you were in a tough spot."
