"What do you think about this place?" Xavier said right after they walked into The Lincoln Center Italian Dining. "This is my first time in an intercontinental restaurant, Xavier," Serafina said right after she walked into the restaurant. "The air was serene, coated with the crispy smell of tortilla bread and cheese infused pastas. She closed her eyes as the scent of hot sauce wafted into her nose. She was definitely going to love this place. "But I love it already." "Yeah, I knew you would the moment you walked right in," He chuckled behind her and led her to one of the tables, his hand resting on the small of her lower back. She slid right before he did the same and drew close to her. She could feel the heat of his clean breath against her cheek. He was definitely coming onto her harder than ever. She wanted this too so she slipped her hand onto his thigh. "Now, why are you drawing this close to me?" "I don't think we need to voice out our answers, do we? Our a
"I'll see you tomorrow night?" Xavier asked as he slipped into his draws. Serafina lay on the bed, half of the sheets thrown over her body as she watched him with careless abandon. He was one fine specimen. Sex with him had been great. It would have even been better if Giovanni wasn't all that filled her mind. And she didn't really like how hard he was coming onto her. She felt like she was being love bombed and this was her first time of experiencing it. It creeped the hell out of her. "Why don't we give each other some space?" She asked as she sat up in her bed and pushed herself against the headboard. "I need some alone time after my near death experience last night." He sighed. "You still don't like me, do you? Or didn't you enjoy the sex?" Sighing, she threw back her covers and slipped out of the bed, walking over to him before cupping his face in her hand. "I enjoyed having sex with you, Xavier. And I see myself doing it a few more times in the future but this is
Giovanni's trip to Italy was brief. He had gone to visit his grandfather, Calogero Mancini. He was a household name in Italy, owning almost every establishment around the country. Apparently, he had a lot going on and had fallen sick from working so much. So he had called on his grandson to help him finish off a few things. A few things that had involved him slitting the throat of the Ravenclaw Mafia boss. That was Giovanni asking for a war but he was the least concerned as he knew Calogero, his grandfather was going to take care of it. He wasn't the only one fighting for justice. His son had died a gruesome death and even in his sickness and bad health, he had promised to fight to his last to make sure he brought down everyone who had a hand in taking his son's life. Nothing else had mattered in that moment until he slit his throat and watched him spasm until he took his last breath. This was just the beginning. They had gotten a lead at least. One of the men w
"I have always hated espresso. I believe Italians enjoy it only because they want to have a taste of bitterness. I mean, why would you want to drink black coffee with no creamer or sugar?" Serafina shrugged and lifted the cup coffee to her lips, blowing air into the cup and watching as steam danced into the air and dissipated into the atmosphere. "In our genetic baggage lies a gene that influences the daily need for caffeine, Sigrid. It's just something that comes naturally to us." "And if it doesn't taste awful?" She contorted her face like she had just thrown a ball of sour candy into her mouth. "It does taste awful but like I said, it is in our genetic make-up to always crave for it." After taking a sip from her cup, she raised the cup to Sigrid. "Un caffè." Her ears perked at the sound of a car honking in front of the house. Sigrid went over to the window overlooking the front of the house and her eyes widened slightly before she turned to look at her. "Mr
Over three weeks had passed since Serafina had last seen Giovanni. It had bothered her greatly but there was nothing she could do about it so she delved into work, deciding that she was going to use the rest of her six months here, working for just one purpose. A work permit. Today, she had nothing to do. Working with RYSWELL Organizations had given her four free days in a week to live like a normal human while the remaining three were used for working. After her encounter with the minister, she'd been given minor jobs of just seducing and stealing, one of the easiest jobs she'd ever taken and she was more than thankful for it all. Xavier had stopped picking her calls and she wondered why. Well, she'd only called him twice and it had gone straight to voicemail. Geraldo was the only person in RYSWELL she spoke with on a daily basis. Well, maybe Sigrid. But she did not really count as a worker since she had no idea what was really going on in the company.
Flashback… "I don't think I can help you, Mr Hudson." "What? Why?" Giovanni asked, his voice coated with fear. "Why can't you help me? You were there when it happened. You saw it all happen. Why can't you help me?" George stood from his seat and stalked towards Giovanni who sat before him, pensive. He stopped and took a seat at the edge of the desk. "Because there are powers that be. If I try to plunge myself into that fucking rollercoaster, I would not come out of it. It's what your father did. He thought he could bring justice and throw them all into prison. But see where it landed him. Into his fucking grave." Giovanni's fingers sank into his thighs. He tried not to look how he felt on his insides. "But we can make things right. He made a mistake. A terrible mistake that could have been avoided. We can do better. If we don't make a move, they would do worse. They would kill innocent people and they would cover it up with money and fucking influence!" "Do not raise your voice a
"You shouldn't be here. You do not belong with us and I am sure as hell that you know that, don't you?" Daneesha snarled at Serafina who had just walked into the club. Geraldo had invited her for a get together with the others. It was a monthly gathering for those who were interested and a way to make them mingle and make friends but Serafina was definitely not welcomed here. The room was mostly filled with ladies and a few other guys she'd never really talked to. And Daneesha didn't seem welcoming, so did her friends. She regretted ever deciding to come here but what option did she have? Boredom was fucking debilitating and she didn't want to spend her day doing nothing but scrolling through her phone and staring at the ceiling and filling her head space with terrible thoughts. Being in solitude could be detrimental for her and also relaxing but she wasn't ready to bet on what it was going to be because drowning in her thoughts gave her the shivers, gave her anxiety attacks. Th
Blood. Rain. Water. Her feet slid against the marble floors and she fell face flat, her hands and feet planting into the pool of blood that spread across the hallway. She pushed herself off the floor, her sobs echoing around the monstrous building as thunder rumbles and bright flashes of lightning ravaged the rooms. "Mama?!" She cried out, walking in the dark and searching for any sign of her. "Where are you, mama?" No replies came. The blood. She had no idea who had it or where it came from. The gunshots that had her paralyzed and catatonic in her room must have killed or severely injured someone. Just as she made to move, her fit hit a soft body and she looked down, squinting in the dark to see who it was but her vision wasn't so sharp. A bright flash of lightning came and for a fleeting moment, she caught sight of her mother's body, her dark hair pouring out behind her, her eyes wide but dead. "Noo!" Serafina screamed and crumpled on the floor beside her. "Mama! Mama