Sinner's Paradise|| 18+

New game

              Luciano's POV: 

I woke up with the weight of Liliana's boldness from last night still lingering in my mind. It gnawed at me—how in the span of mere hours she went from despising me to kissing me, seductively, like nothing had ever stood between us. I'm not complaining, though. She's a beautiful woman, undeniably, but given the circumstances our families have entangled us in, there's no future there. Not that I even believe in love. That romantic nonsense isn't for me. But still, what game is she playing? Whatever it is, it broke the monotony of the constant family drama, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued. Hell, it was about time.

Dragging myself out of bed, I made my way to the shower. As the warm water washed over me, thoughts of Liliana's lips took over. The way she looked at me—so innocent, yet completely intentional—sent a wave of heat coursing through me. I could feel myself reacting, and the warmth of the shower wasn't helping. I turned the dial, letting the cold water blast against my skin, snapping me out of it.

Stepping out, I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my waist, droplets of water still clinging to my skin. I caught my reflection in the mirror, brushing my teeth absentmindedly, still lost in the hazy memories of last night. The shrill sound of the alarm snapped me out of my reverie. Since I'd already woken up before it, I silenced it with a quick tap, then started getting dressed. After what felt like half an hour, I was almost ready, the only thing missing being my blazer.

I slid the suit jacket on, the smooth fabric settling over my shoulders. My Rolex glinted from the table stand, catching the morning light, so I grabbed it along with my phone and made my way out of the room. I walked down the hall and into the kitchen, where Celia was nursing a small cup of black coffee. She shot up as soon as she sensed me, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips.

"Jefe, I'm sorry," she started, her voice soft, almost apologetic. "I had too much to drink last night."

I walked over to her, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat. "It's fine," I said. "You celebrated, just like everyone else."

Her eyes flickered with relief as I continued, "Go get Mrs. Santos ready. We'll be flying out in about an hour."

She nodded quickly and hurried out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with my thoughts. I sat down, pulling my phone out of my pocket, and the number of missed calls made me groan inwardly. People congratulating me, I'm sure. It's flattering, but honestly, a waste of my time.

*****************************************************************************************POV change// from Luciano to Liliana,,......

      Liliana's POV: 

The sleepless night had taken its toll, and the pounding headache made it impossible to think straight. My body felt heavy, sick, like every movement required double the effort. A hangover this bad wasn't for the weak, and right now, I felt like I might pass out at any second. I couldn't even remember how much I drank last night, only the bitter taste still clinging to my mouth and the vague memory of too many toasts, too many glasses.

I stumbled out of the bathroom, one hand clutching my stomach as nausea threatened to knock me over. My legs felt shaky, and all I wanted was to collapse back into bed, to drown out the light and the sound of my own thoughts. But even sitting down didn't help much—the room still felt like it was spinning.

A sharp knock on the door startled me out of my fog. "Good morning," I mumbled, my voice raspy, though I barely had the energy to say the words. The door creaked open, and Celia entered, a small cup in her hand. Her usual glare was more of a sly grin today, as if she knew exactly what I was going through. "Good morning, Mrs. Santos," she greeted me, her voice bright, too bright for how I was feeling.

She handed me the cup, and as the bitter aroma of coffee wafted up, my stomach twisted in disgust. I must've grimaced, because Celia raised an eyebrow and chuckled lightly. "It'll help with the hangover," she said, her tone teasing but not unkind.

I forced a weak smile, lifted the cup slightly in a gesture of "cheers," and downed the coffee in one go. The taste was harsh, but I swallowed it, hoping it would work some kind of magic on my spinning head.

Setting the empty cup down, I took a deep breath and forced myself to my feet. "I'll be ready in 20 minutes," I told her, trying to sound more together than I felt. Celia nodded, her smirk never fading as she left the room, leaving me to pull myself together—despite the sickness swirling in my gut, the headache throbbing behind my eyes, and the exhaustion that clung to me like a weight.

After a hot shower, I put on a comfortable Louis Vuitton tracksuit and paired it with some brown Crocs that I had taken with me into the bathroom. Stepping out, I noticed that Celia had already packed all of the clothes from the closet for me. Everything was neatly taken care of, as usual.

I sat down at the vanity and applied a clean, simple makeup look. My skin looked fresh, and I tied my hair up into a cute bun, feeling more put together. Celia then handed me a brown handbag from the new Hermes collection. I've always been used to expensive things, but accepting this gift was part of the plan. If I continued playing obedient, he would pay for everything he'd done to me. I'd make sure of it.

Curious, I looked inside the bag. There was a pair of sunglasses, lip gloss, hand cream, and a bunch of other small items I didn't really care about. Celia's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Are you ready, Miss Liliana?" she asked politely.

I nodded and followed her out. As we stepped into the hallway, Celia added, "You'll be riding with Mr. Santos. I'll be with Jean-Paul."

"Okay," I replied calmly, even though the idea of riding with him unsettled me. I made my way to the waiting limo outside, and as soon as I approached, the driver quickly got out and opened the door for me.

Ps: this chapter felt boring to me i promise i will write a better one next time.