Login to MoboReader
icon 0
icon TOP UP
rightIcon
icon Reading History
rightIcon
icon Log out
rightIcon
icon Get the APP
rightIcon
STOLEN HEARTS: FALLING FOR THE ENEMY

STOLEN HEARTS: FALLING FOR THE ENEMY

Lovie b writes

5.0
Comment(s)
40
View
6
Chapters

"I don't care how you do it, Alessia," Dante's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "You have two days to find five million dollars. If you fail, your brother won't be the only one paying the price." Life was never fair. It didn't care if you worked until your bones ached or if you were barely scraping by just to survive. Life doesn't wait for the weak. It crushes them until there's nothing left but the debt they can never repay. Alessia Russo knew that better than anyone. But when her brother steals from the Crimson Empire, she's forced to confront a brutal reality-survival now means dealing with the cold and merciless Dante Russo. Desperate to save her family, Alessia faces impossible choices. But as she's dragged deeper into Dante's deadly world, an unexpected feeling starts to bloom-an attraction to the very man who holds her fate in his hands. He's her enemy, her captor, and the one person who can destroy her life completely. Falling for the enemy was never part of the plan. But sometimes, fate is cruel. How can she protect her heart from the one man who could destroy everything she was? Still, in Crimson Empire, debts aren't just paid in money-they're paid in blood.

Chapter 1 Shadows of Valencia

*THE CRIMSON LOUNGE*

"Alessia! If you wipe that counter any slower, we'll be out of business by morning!"

Tony barked from the kitchen door, his heavy voice cutting through the low chatter in the bar. He stomped out, his greasy apron tied too tight around his bulging stomach. "Get your head out of the clouds and bring those drinks to table six!"

Alessia flinched, her hands gripping the edge of the bar. She was used to Tony's yelling, but after a long day, it still made her stomach churn. She grabbed the tray of drinks, balancing it carefully as she moved through the tables.

"Sorry, Tony, I'm on it," she mumbled under her breath.

"You better be," Tony snapped. "I do not pay you to stand around like some princess."

Alessia swallowed back her frustration. Pay? If she could call the miserable paycheck he gave her 'pay,' she might have laughed. But tonight, there was no energy for sarcasm. She couldn't afford to lose this job. Not with her mom back at home, barely able to afford the medicine to keep her alive.

Approaching table six, she plastered on the fake smile she had perfected over the years. The men seated there barely looked up. They were dressed too well for a bar like this, their suits crisp and expensive, making the smoke-stained walls around them seem even more dingy by comparison. They muttered to each other, speaking in low voices that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Here's your drinks, gentlemen," Alessia said, setting the glasses down carefully.

One of the men glanced up, his eyes sharp and assessing. He didn't say thank you-none of them ever did. He gave her a dismissive nod before returning to the conversation, as if she were invisible.

She quickly retreated back to the bar, her heart still racing from Tony's earlier outburst. She could feel his eyes on her from across the room, watching, waiting for another reason to snap and threaten her about firing her.

"Alessia, stop dragging your feet!" Tony barked again. He slammed a stack of dirty dishes onto the counter in front of her. "We've got more customers coming in, and you're moving like a damn snail. You think I pay you to stroll around like this is a vacation?"

"I'm working as fast as I can," she muttered, avoiding his eyes. Why can't he hire more workers if he had this much costumers.

"Well, it's not fast enough!" Tony snarled, his face turning red. "I've got half of my mind set to toss you out on the street if you don't speed up."

Alessia clenched her jaw, holding back the retort that burned on her tongue. She couldn't afford to lose this job. Not now. Not with Leo still missing, and her mother's medical bills piling up. So she nodded, biting back her words.

"Yes, Tony."

Tony snorted, clearly unsatisfied but too lazy to push further. He wiped his greasy hands on his apron and headed back toward the kitchen, mumbling under his breath.

As soon as he was gone, Alessia exhaled, allowing herself a brief moment of peace. She leaned against the counter, closing her eyes. This job was suffocating her, but what choice did she have? Velancia was a city ruled by power, money, and fear. And she had none of those.

"Another night in hell," she whispered to herself.

"Alessia," a deep voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

Her eyes snapped open as she looked up. Standing on the other side of the bar was Tommaso, one of Tony's regulars. He was a low-level thug in the Crimson Empire, always here with a smirk and an attitude. Alessia forced a polite smile, though she hated every second of dealing with him.

"Tommaso," she greeted stiffly, reaching for an empty glass. "What can I get you?"

"You can get me a smile that isn't so damn fake," he said with a grin, leaning across the bar. "Come on, Alessia. You're too pretty to be frowning all the time."

She bit the inside of her cheek. "What'll you have?"

He chuckled, clearly enjoying her discomfort. "Whiskey. Neat."

She quickly poured the drink, sliding it across the counter without meeting his gaze. Tommaso always lingered longer than necessary, making her skin crawl with the way he looked at her. Tonight was no different.

"How's your brother, Leo, doing?" Tommaso asked casually.

Her fingers tightened around the glass she was wiping. "I don't know," she said carefully. "He's been... away for a while."

Tommaso's eyes sparked with something she couldn't place. "That so? You should keep an eye on him, Alessia. Leo's been getting into some deep shit lately."

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Tommaso shrugged, taking a slow sip of his whiskey. "Just saying, I've heard things. Things that might be bad for your family. Velancia is not a forgiving place, you know? Especially not for people who mess with the wrong crowd."

Alessia's stomach twisted in knots as her intestines battled inside her. She didn't need Tommaso's warnings to know Leo was in trouble. She had felt it for weeks. But hearing it out loud made it real. Too real.

"Thanks for the advice," she muttered, turning away to hide the panic rising in her chest.

Tommaso chuckled again, setting his empty glass on the counter with a soft clink. "Anytime, sweetheart."

As soon as he was gone, Alessia sagged against the bar, her hands trembling.

'What had Leo done?' She had a terrible feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't something they could easily escape from.

Just as she placed the empty tray on the counter, the doors to the lounge swung open. A wave of silence spread through the room. Alessia didn't need to look up to know who had just walked in.

Dante Russo.

The underboss of the Crimson Empire.

His presence was like a dark cloud settling over the room. People moved out of his way as he strode in, flanked by two bodyguards.

Dante's dark eyes scanned the room, assessing every corner as he walked into a private room with his usual air of quiet authority.

Alessia quickly turned away, praying he wouldn't notice her. She had heard the stories-everyone in Velancia had. Dante Russo was ruthless, a man who would crush anyone who crossed him without hesitation.

"Alessia," Tony hissed from behind her, making her jump. "Don't just stand there like an idiot. Get to work!"

She grabbed a tray, her mind racing. If Dante Russo was here, it could only mean one thing: something big was about to happen.

And she was terrified that her brother might be the reason behind it.

Continue Reading

Other books by Lovie b writes

More
Don't Ghost Me

Don't Ghost Me

Short stories

5.0

The hallway was quiet until the echoes of running footsteps were heard. A girl could be seen running down the hallway with no one chasing her. She kept on running till she got to a particular door. She opened it only to be met with murderous glares from the people inside. Soon the glare turned into Laughter. "Quiet everyone" Mr. Jones who happened to be the music lecturer said. "I'm so sorry I'm Late sir" Jewel Rise said immediately Mr. Jones faced her. "You're Late again. Do you have to be always late?" He said as Jewel fidgeted where she was standing. She prayed silently for him not to send her out of the hall as she was close to repeating that year if she failed her exams again. "And what is this you are wearing?" Mr. Jones asked. Again every one burst into laughter as Jewel checked herself. She Looked exactly like a clown. Her shirt was worn wrongly due to haste, she wore two different shoes entirely and one of the leg of the faded jean pants she was wearing was folded. The only thing she wore correctly was the yellow cap on her head she gulped nothing as she turned around heading towards her seat. "And where do you think you are going to looking like that" Mr. Jones said "My seat" Jewel said "OUTTTTTTTTTTTT" Mr Jones shouted ******* Meet Jewel Rise. A twenty year old girl attending POTTERS COLLEGE. Don't ask why her name is Jewel and surname, RISE because it's still a mystery to her. Back in highschool no one really dared mess with Jewel. She had everything one could ever want. Brilliance, wealth, fame (although only among her high school friends and her parent's business partners), Loving parents, she was blessed with it all. But then everything changed when she lost her father. It all felt like a dream until depression made her understand it was all a reality. You might think she lost her dad but she lost both parents as her mother became a work alcoholic. Jewel out out depression, anxiety and stress became a shadow of herself. The once popular, bright, beautiful young girl grew up to be a dull, gloomy, sad lady who no one wants to be with except her best friend Dina. Dina tried helping Jewel from her depression but it was an impossible task and now they are attending the same college. Their college "POTTERS COLLEGE is no nonsense school. Failure was not accepted as well as bullying. But one girl, Natasha, was exempted because her father was the second main sole investor in the college. Losing both parents was difficult but now Jewel has to deal with Natasha who makes her visits hell every single day of college. What happens when Jewel starts acting weirder than weird? Will she ever come back to her true self? What happens when despite her problems, Jewel gets complicated in a bigger one? Will she ever survive it? Would she ever regain the family she once lost? What happens when Jewel meets a HIM? A HIM that wasn't supposed to exist, a HIM that would either be the turn around of her story or the downfall of her life? A HIM that doesn't remember his past, A HIM with no body, A HIM. He is none other than the dead, missing, no kidnapped, well no one knows what really happened to him, if he is alive or dead. He is none other the the famous model and singer Luke Anderson. Luke happened to be a ghost whom Jewel said didn't cross over and so looms around this world. What happens when luke realises the need Jewels help to cross over? Would he ever finish his unfinished business? What happens when Jewel starts having feelings that wasn't supposed to happen? Can Jewel ever overcome the stigma of being called crazy because she only can see this ghost??

You'll also like

He Only Married Me To Show Her That He Already Moved On

He Only Married Me To Show Her That He Already Moved On

Short stories

4.8

He has all the traits that you wished for your dream man to have. Power, money, perfection, handsomeness and a body like a Greek God. But he's inlove. He's inlove with her. For him, she was the completion of his dream, a perfect wife and a mother to be with his children. He would give her everything including his own life. He would sacrifice his world for her. But she left him. She betrayed him. She broke his heart into pieces. And he turned into a cold, heartless, rude and an arrogant billionaire, who would do everything to show her that she's no longer important into his life. Even though the truth is the opposite of what he is doing. His heart still aching for her. And that's when he met me. I applied as his Personal Assistant to fulfill my bucket list of dreams. To explore my life and experience everything. He offered me a deal. He asked me to marry him just to show his ex that he already moved on. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "She's pregnant." He blurted out and i almost stumbled on where i am standing. I just gripped the backrest of the couch to support my weight. The pain creeping in my heart is unbearable but i managed to stay calm. "Wow! Congratulations!" I said faking my excitement as i remembered him saying... -cheating would not be the reason to break our marriage- of course i couldn't accuse him of this as 'cheating' because she was the real reason why we are pretending as a couple. He still love her. He's still inlove with her. And that's when i made the biggest decision in my life. Taking all my strength and a piece of my heart that still hanging on a thin rope... I left him. Taking also my biggest secret in me... that i've already fallen inlove with him. And somehow i learned a lesson; 'Loving someone who doesn't love you back isn't as hard as loving someone who still inlove with his ex and who only uses you to get her back again into his life..'

Chapters
Read Now
Download Book