Labyrinth of Desire

7 - Undeniably beautiful

Angelina's POV

When I step into the mansion, I am met with the most gorgeous castle-like interior I have ever laid my eyes on. The entrance hall is a symphony of luxury, with porcelain floors that whisper beneath my heels.

There is a crystal chandelier that hangs like a dazzling stalactite from the high ceiling, casting prisms of light across the polished surfaces.

The air carries a faint aroma of polished wood and wealth, and as I look around, my eyes are drawn to the intricate paintings that adorn the walls, adding to the gold, black, and white aesthetic.

The touch of old money is evident in the Renaissance-themed art that is hung on the walls. A double sweeping staircase adorned with a rich, black, and gold feel to it.

This mansion speaks a language of refined elegance.

It's like a dream castle for any little girl.

My admiring is put to a halt when I notice everyone go their own way. Alessio stays right beside me. A moment later, his hand is on my back, leading me to another part of the building.

"This place is like nothing I've ever seen before, and I thought the Russians had a big house," I say to my brother as he assists me while walking down the hallway.

I don't miss the way his shoulders tense as he listens to the second part of my statement.

"This is all Leo's; our house is back in Calabria. We alternate every few months. We got here about a week ago, but I guess when you're all healed, we will have to tell Papa that you're well, alive," he tells me.

"I-," I'm about to speak when I feel a sharp sting in my arm. I clutch it tightly and shut my eyes in pain.

"Shit," Alessio curses. I look behind me to see droplets of blood on the tiles. "Your arm is bleeding again," Alessio tells me.

"No shit, Captain Obvi-," I stop in my tracks and grab Alessio's bicep, abruptly stopping him too. He looks at me with alarm in his eyes.

"Oh, my fuck," Alessio says when I suddenly lose consciousness and fall to the ground with a loud thump from my head, colliding with the floor.

Leonardo's POV

My clubs are one of my largest sources of income. The Eclipse Lounge is one of the clubs I have that isn't used for entertainment and pleasure.

I have an upper-class club based in Sicily for business meetings with people I don't want to welcome into my house.

When I saw Sorona today, with a girl half his age on his lap, I lost it. She didn't look comfortable at all and gave off the impression that she wanted to stab him in the dick with a fork.

But the main reason for my outburst was that he has avoided all my calls and emails and is months behind on payments for the drugs I am importing and exporting throughout Europe for him.

The girl in the tight, black mini-dress took me by surprise when she elbowed him in the face and managed to pull his gun out of his grip, but the little slut being there wasn't going to stop me from ending his life.

Just before she could shoot him, I did, and then when she dropped the gun, he picked it up and shot her twice.

Alessio pushed past me and rushed to the girl's aid, making me wonder who the fuck she was to him because we men do not care for any woman like that.

While all the attention was on her, I took it to my advantage and shot the distracted man two times, in his chest and right between his eyes.

I heard Alessio and the girl exchange a few words before she passed out. All I heard was Alessio say, "Oh my God, it is you," which only took a few seconds to process, but then it clicked.