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éperdument amoureux (m.) madly in love

EMILIANO

My whole body was screaming in pain from the punishment I inflicted on it. Blood flooded through my flesh, my head spun, and my entire body yearned to give in, to collapse onto the cold ground.

I threw another punch at the boxing bag, grimacing at the painful sensation in my knuckles.

It had been seven hours.

Seven hours since I discovered that Rosabelle de Luca was gone. She had left Russia on her father's private jet. She had left me.

The moment I found out about it, I hurled my phone across the room, shattering it into pieces. I shot my men in the limbs in anger, unfairly blaming them, and I smashed mirrors all over my house, destroying my possessions.

It didn't take me long to turn my place into a hellhole.

Damn Rosabelle.

How could she leave me?

How could she abandon me like that?

How could she depart right after I revealed my true self to her?

Was I that repulsive?

Was I that vile?

Was I that untrustworthy?

Damn Rosabelle.

How could she leave me?

I threw another punch at the boxing bag, and another, and another, have been doing that for five agonizing hours.

Without her, I could barely see anything. That woman had suddenly come into my life and become my everything.

She unleashed me like no one else had. And then she tamed me like no one else could.

For years, after my parents' death, I had spent my time chasing after women, sex, vengeance, and bloodshed.

Then Rosabelle gave me a purpose in life.

It was her.

She brought light into my life.

It was her.

She ignited me on fire, and then she pacified me. She plundered me, and then she provided me salvation.

So, I could never comprehend how she could leave me after all we had been through. Betrayal usually fueled my desire for revenge, but her betrayal hurt me. It fucking tore me apart.

Yet again, my pretty girl thought I would leave her alone because of this. She thought I would forget her existence and carry on. She was mistaken.

As long as the blood that flows in my veins doesn't dry up, I will keep fighting to get her back. I will kill for her just as readily as I will kill to have her.

There is no other option for me.

And I was leaving tomorrow. But before that, I needed to do something.

✈︎

My sister-in-law's angry shout helped calm Aleksandr down a bit.

I looked her way with an annoyed frown, and the male before me gazed at her while trying to soothe his daughter who sobbed softly due to our brotherly quarrel.

I had just confided in him about what was happening in my life, from Rosabelle de Luca to her background. I knew he would be angry, so angry that he might try to attack me in front of his young daughter.

I made a mental note to buy Inessa some chocolates later. If that girl hadn't cried at the right time, I would have surely faced my brother's wrath.

"What happened?" She asked in disbelief, shifting her gaze from Inessa to me and her husband.

"Nothing happened. Your husband just scared the child by trying to beat me up," I grumbled, looking away, my annoyance growing.

"Papa," Inessa's soft voice caught my attention. She extended her arms, wanting her father to pick her up. Aleksandr immediately obliged, holding the girl, whose emerald green eyes still glistened with unshed tears, close to his chest.

Then he glanced at Genevieve, his brows furrowed in frustration, and said, "Take care of him," before walking away with his daughter, never bothering to look back at me.

By 'him,' he probably meant me.

Tsk.

"Chto ne tak s vami dvumya?" Genevieve asked, irritation in her voice as she seemed clearly fed up with my and my brother's antics.

Well, we were infuriating after all. I'm thankful she puts up with us.

I simply shrugged before plopping down on the couch, trying to appear nonchalant about her inquiry. "Leave it be."

"I can't leave it be when my daughter was literally crying," she snapped again and moved forward to take a seat across from me. "What are you hiding?" She asked, clearly bothered by my behavior.

I knew that both she and Aleksandr had a sense that something was going on in my life. I had let them live with it until I decided to tell them everything, only for Aleksandr to try to beat me up.

Honestly, I would have done the same to myself if I had been in a position to think clearly.

The Outfit had been our enemy for as long as I could remember. It couldn't be resolved simply through a marriage between two families.

Unless it could. If you tried hard enough.

Bringing Rosabelle back by myself wouldn't be difficult, but it would strain my relationship with my brother. And I didn't want that.

But that didn't mean I wouldn't bring Rosabelle back. She was mine from the moment she set foot on Moscow soil.

And I would bring her back to her home.

With my brother by my side.

No matter what it takes.

I stared at Genevieve in silence, lost in thought until an idea popped into my mind.

Why hadn't I thought of that before?

"Will you provide me with some help?" I made myself comfortable on the couch, looking at my sister-in-law with a devilish grin.

"I've been doing it paid-free for years," Genevieve's response was blunt, unamused by my expression. But I gave her a sheepish grin in return, knowing she was absolutely right.

My sister-in-law was like my knight in shining armor.

Then I began to explain, "So..."

✈︎

"You're using my wife for your advantage now?" Aleksandr asked with irritation in his tone. I paid no attention to his words as I played with my little niece, her infectious laughter following my every move.

"Thank God you've noticed after two years," I responded, and Inessa laughed as I tickled her. "Dyadya, dyadya!" She kept laughing as I made funny faces.

Despite my internal turmoil, my anticipation that gripped my guts like vile, the mere presence of my family helped ease me a little. I hoped that my pretty muse would become a part of this family as well.

I want her to.

"Cause trouble like this again, and it won't take me long to bury you six feet under the ground," Aleksandr threatened, though it was surely an empty threat, making me only laugh in response.

Then I turned to Genevieve and winked at her. Truly was to say, I was grateful for her help.

She only rolled her eyes before taking Inessa from my grasp. The girl was already tired from my playful gestures.

"Spokoynoy nochi, moy malyshka," I smiled warmly and waved at her. She yawned before waving back, and my heart swelled at the sight.

I could have a daughter like her someday.

Rosabelle could be the mother of my children.

Aleksandr stood up and placed a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead, smiling at both of the girls with admiration in his eyes. His love was gentle for them, delicate but never weak. Never weak.

My love for Rosabelle was fierce. It gave me strength.

Yes, I loved Rosabelle.

But my love went beyond romantic attraction. It was a dangerous temptation that had etched itself into my heart forever.

A dangerous temptation I had embraced with every fiber of my being.

I would go to the ends of the earth for Rosabelle.

And she would see it starting tomorrow.

We were going into a war.

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