Under the gaze of a fallen mafia, Elvie, a young woman with a troubled past and victim of a brutal ex, seeks to rebuild her life. Working as an assistant in the villa of the Corleone, an influential crime family, she tries to avoid conflict with the three Corleone brothers, all as dangerous as each other. But everything changes when Adriano, the eldest brother and heir, breaks his arranged engagement to embrace the war between enemy families and must quickly remarry. Cold and calculating, he sees Elvie as a simple piece in his game. For her, he is just another nightmare to flee. But as they interact, appearances crumble and unexpected bonds are forged. As her ex resurfaces, Elvie will have to choose between her new life, her secrets and the growing violence that threatens everything she has rebuilt.
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
The massive doors of the Corleone villa slammed shut behind Elvie, as if the world outside had suddenly become distant, impermeable, and only the sinister whispers of the estate remained within. She stood in the foyer, a large room decorated in a way that seemed both sumptuous and cold, dominated by marble columns and dark furniture. The air was thick, charged with a heavy energy, and yet it seemed frozen, suspended in infinite expectation.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm that was boiling inside her. It wasn't the first time she'd been in such a luxurious, intimidating place, but this villa, this family, everything about her felt strangely oppressive. She was from another world, a world where the dim lights of the noisy streets and the familiar sounds of the seedy neighborhoods acted as a guide. Here, everything seemed too perfect, too smooth, and every corner of the house seemed a promise of invisible danger.
Her gaze fell on the Corleone family gathered in the great hall, all eyes fixed on Adriano, the Corleone heir, who stood in the center of the room. His posture was imposing, his features perfectly cut, but what struck her most was the aura of absolute control he gave off. He didn't need to speak for his presence to take over. The Corleones always listened to him as if he were king, but today, something different hung in the air. Elvie's instinct told her that this meeting would not be like the others.
She clenched her fists discreetly, trying to dispel the tension that was tightening her stomach. She was only an assistant in this house, a piece of the Corleone puzzle, a fragile, almost invisible position. She knew her role was only temporary, that she was here for a reason, but that reason remained unclear. She was an outsider, a tool in the hands of the powerful men who ruled here. And yet, there was one thing she knew deep down: this life, this world, was not for her. She had to get out of it, she had to slip between the lines and disappear before it was too late.
Adriano's voice broke the heavy quiet of the room like a clap of thunder.
"I break off my engagement," he announced, his voice implacable, his gaze swept by a determined glint. "This marriage no longer makes sense. We will crush our enemies in a more decisive, more... personal way."
An icy silence followed his words, as if the entire room had held its breath. Elvie felt a shiver run down her spine. The Corleones never broke their commitments, especially not an arranged marriage that had been carefully planned to strengthen the alliance with another crime family. There was something more to Adriano's decision, something that was unspoken, but felt in the air, in the palpable tension that followed his declaration.
The murmurs began to rise, quiet at first, then louder and louder. Family members, allies, underlings, all seemed shocked by Adriano's decision, but each understood instinctively that this was not a simple sentimental decision. This was a coup in the shadows, a new era in the making. There were calculations, maneuvers, secret alliances. Everything was changing.
Elvie suddenly felt left out, a spectator in a world she didn't quite understand. The Corleone family wasn't just a clan. It was an empire, a well-oiled machine, and she was just one small part of that machinery. The furtive glances that brushed her reminded her that she was just a pawn, someone to rely on and then discard when she was no longer needed.
A sudden noise caught her attention. Something that seemed far more personal than anything she had heard so far.
His heart clenched in his chest.
Elvie's ex had just reappeared. After months of silence, he was there, in the shadows of this cold and merciless villa, with his possessive and violent gaze. He couldn't be here. Not here. Not now.
She turned her head quickly, hoping that he hadn't seen her, that he had made a mistake in trajectory. But Maxime's gaze met hers, and an icy shiver invaded her veins. His face was harder, more marked than in her memories. He still wore that menacing expression that he had when he felt in control, but today, it was not the same thing. He was no longer the naive young man that she had thought she knew. He had become a more dangerous, more deranged man. She could feel the hold he had on her, this invisible hold that kept her in her past.
He moved slowly, like a predator stalking its prey, and every movement of his body spoke of a violence she couldn't ignore. He was here for a reason, and Elvie knew he wouldn't leave until he got what he wanted.
She swallowed hard, her thoughts blurring. She had to leave, get out of this room, slip into the shadows before he reached her. But the atmosphere, the tension around her, the icy beauty of the Corleones, everything seemed to keep her from moving. Like an invisible trap had closed around her. She wasn't ready for this confrontation, not here, not now.
"You're not alone here, you know," Adriano's voice suddenly rang through the room, his tone dry and uncompromising. "If you want to get out of this, you'd better not linger in the dark corners of this house."
She turned abruptly, her eyes meeting Adriano's. That look, sharp, calculating, knowing everything and leaving no room for error. He judged her, he knew what she felt, he saw her fear. But he didn't say a word about it. No pity, no indulgence.
Maxime's voice then rose, piercing the silence like a dagger.
"Do you really think you can escape that easily, Elvie?"
The room seemed to go dark around her, the world shrinking to this single moment, to this single confrontation. The Corleone family members continued their whispers, but to Elvie, everything had become blurred, distant, like background noise in a movie scene. She couldn't hear anything anymore. She could only see one thing: Maxime. Her hand shook as she slowly moved closer to the corner of the room, opposite him.
He took a step forward, and everything inside him seemed to exude suppressed anger. His gaze widened, madder than ever.
"You thought you could escape, but the truth is, you never left me."
Elvie felt a gap in her consciousness. She froze in place, panicking. This confrontation was inevitable. He had found her. He wouldn't let her go. Not until he had his revenge.
Her eyes fell on Adriano again, but there was no support or pity in his gaze. It wasn't his job to save her. Not this time. She had only her own courage to get through this.
Maxime stepped closer, his silhouette growing in her field of vision. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her racing heart. She had to find a way out. She had to escape. But the villa was a trap. And the war, the real war, had just begun.
Chapter 1 Chapitre 1
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Chapter 2 Chapitre 2
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Chapter 3 Chapitre 3
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Chapter 4 Chapitre 4
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Chapter 5 Chapitre 5
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Chapter 6 Chapitre 6
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Chapter 7 Chapitre 7
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Chapter 8 Chapitre 8
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Chapter 9 Chapitre 9
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Chapter 10 Chapitre 10
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Chapter 11 Chapitre 11
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Chapter 12 Chapitre 12
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Chapter 13 Chapitre 13
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Chapter 14 Chapitre 14
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Chapter 15 Chapitre 15
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Chapter 16 Chapitre 16
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Chapter 17 Chapitre 17
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Chapter 18 Chapitre 18
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Chapter 19 Chapitre 19
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Chapter 20 Chapitre 20
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Chapter 21 Chapitre 21
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Chapter 22 Chapitre 22
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Chapter 23 Chapitre 23
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Chapter 24 Chapitre 24
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Chapter 25 Chapitre 25
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Chapter 26 Chapitre 26
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Chapter 27 Chapitre 27
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Chapter 28 Chapitre 28
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Chapter 29 Chapitre 29
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Chapter 30 Chapitre 30
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Chapter 31 Chapitre 31
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Chapter 32 Chapitre 32
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Chapter 33 Chapitre 33
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Chapter 34 Chapitre 34
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Chapter 35 Chapitre 35
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Chapter 36 Chapitre 36
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Chapter 37 Chapitre 37
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Chapter 38 Chapitre 38
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Chapter 39 Chapitre 39
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Chapter 40 Chapitre 40
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