Guys I'm posting early so I don't forget again 🥲  Thank you for all your kind comments about my surgery! It's tomorrow 🫠

Enjoy the chapter 🩷

1 month.

Somehow, it took a single month for the penthouse to be completed - or, mostly complete. There were still plenty of rooms that needed finishing, but the open plan area, kitchen, main bathrooms and bedrooms were all ready.

We could finally move in while the extra guest rooms and other rooms like the cinema and gym were being finished.

I left work early as soon as I got the call that the penthouse was ready. I also harassed Costa with back to back calls until he finally agreed to meet me here so we could see it together for the first time.

The first time I called he just told me he was busy and he'd make time later. Then, I called him again straight after he hung up which definitely annoyed him, and he said no again. Then the third call he ignored. The fourth call he finally said yes.

"Are you excited?" I grinned up at my husband who stood next to me in the elevator, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

"I think you have enough excitement for the both of us, principessa."

I didn't even care he was making fun of me because as soon as the elevator doors opened, I was in heaven.

It was my first time seeing it all completely finished. Sure, I'd picked out everything, but I never got to see it put together.

That was one of my husband's rules. I only got to come up a couple of times to check on it but otherwise I had to trust the interior designer he specifically flew out from Milan.

As we stepped into the penthouse, the first thing that struck me was the flood of natural light streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The decor was a harmonious blend of neutrals and whites, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere.

The light decor contrasted so much with the dark grey - almost black - colour scheme Costa had before.

It was no longer a bachelor pad - but a home. Our home.

The living room featured my pristine white couch that I had custom made. I think I finally reached peak adulthood when my couch became my most prized posession. It looked both stylish and inviting, surrounded by wooden surfaces to keep the warm tones.

The room was balanced with small pops of color from strategically placed plants, fresh flowers, and a few tasteful ornaments. A beautiful modern chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow that complemented the bright natural light.

But my favourite part about the open plan area was the large, black and white photo of Costa and I at our wedding.

Since Costa didn't have any personal decor before, one thing I was certain about was adding our personal touch.

Throughout the penthouse, we had photos of us and some of him and his family. He even let me have one of my family, but only after I harassed him with phone calls, texts and emails while he was away in Sicily.

He really hates that. It's something I've learned and definitely use to my advantage.

"I love it." I smiled at the photo of Damian, Julius and I at my wedding. It was in the upstairs hallway.

"Sì, it's great." He muttered behind me. "I've always wanted a photo of those two fuckers in my home."

"Our home." I corrected, turning to look at him. "I let you put a photo of Rocco up so you have to allow this one."

"You didn't let me do anything. I didn't want any photos." He'd been clear about that all the way through the process. He didn't care for photos, at all.

"Whatever. You have Rocco on the wall so my brother and my cousin are staying."

"You can take that fucking photo down. I never even wanted it." He complained, following me into one of the bedrooms - one his family uses when they came over.

"No. It was a gift from me to you." I turned to grin at him, knowing this conversation was irritating him deep in his black soul.

"If you're in the gift giving mood-" He murmured, suddenly pulling my body against his in the middle of the guest room. "-why don't you take some other pictures. Ones I actually want to look at."

"Other pictures?" I frowned as he slid his hands down my waist to my ass. "Wait, do you mean like-"

"Naked." He smirked, now placing soft kisses along my jaw. "For our bedroom, of course. That way I can look at what's mine, every single day."

"Costa." I placed my hand on his firm chest, pushing him back so he'd stop kissing my skin. "Only when the world freezes over will I ever take a nude photo."

"Not even for me?" He teased, leaning down to peck my lips.

"Especially not for you." I snapped, earning a throaty chuckle from my husband.

"I don't know, baby." His thick Italian accent is drool worthy. "Once upon a time you were adamant I'd never see you in lingerie, which wasn't true. Then, you were adamant I'd never fuck you, which also happened - and still happens, very frequently."

He was just listing all the things I was shamefully wrong about. "Perhaps one day you'll do this for me too."

"I might have given in to the rest, but I'm not changing my mind about this." I shook my head, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. "Now stop distracting me."

We continued looking through the guest rooms before we finally made it to our master bedroom.

Our bedroom was a sanctuary with neutral tones and lots of natural light. The large windows allowed the sunlight to bathe the room in a gentle glow, and a few well-placed plants and flowers added a touch of life and color.

Lula even had her own beautiful corner for when she moved here.

Costa watched me with a soft smile as I came out of the luxurious bathroom that felt like I just walked into a spa.

"They did a good job, didn't they?" He commented, his eyes following my every move.

"They did." I nodded, running my fingers along the thick satin duvet on our bed. "I love it."

We checked out our closet and then the balcony which didn't really change much apart from some of the furniture.

After that we headed back down to the open plan area so I could analyse my new kitchen.

The kitchen was a picture of modern elegance, with stone and wooden accents. The cement-style countertops were smooth and cool to the touch, and the state-of-the-art appliances gleamed under the soft lighting.

"I'm definitely going to cook more in here now." Excitement filled me when I saw all the matching kitchen tools and utensils in the cupboards.

I had everything I could possibly need, but it was all organised and stored away to keep the kitchen looking fresh and clean.

"Can you make that Greek thing again?" He murmured, looking through the perfectly organised fridge.

"What? Moussaka?" I smiled, thinking back to the day I cooked Greek food for us in Sicily.

"Sì. It was good." I think he was down playing it. It would have taken a lot for him to put his pride aside and ask me to cook him something Greek.

He's never made it a secret how anything Greek just annoys him. He even hates it when I speak Greek - especially if I'm on the phone with Damian or Julius.

"I didn't know you were such a fan of Greek food." I teased, looking around at the beautiful open plan area which I could see perfectly from the kitchen island.

"I'm not. I just liked that one dish."

"So you didn't like anything else?" I knew for a fact he was lying. He finished everything on his plate and went into for seconds - maybe even thirds.

"No."

"Well, moussaka isn't my favourite so I think I'll make something else."
I shrugged, trying to stifle my laughter when he turned to glare at me. I watched him from the corner of my eye while I busied myself admiring my new kitchen sink.

"I asked you to make that." He's so fucking demanding.

"So?" I turned to face him, now leaning against the kitchen counter. "You're not the boss of me."

"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow, slowly approaching me where I stood.

It was like a predator approaching its prey. Slow and calculated, every step with purpose.

"So..." He finally stopped in front of me, towering over me even in my heels. "If I bent you over the kitchen table over there, you wouldn't submit to me?"

"No." Yes.

"Not even if I spanked that perfect ass of yours red and raw?" He spoke so slowly and softly - his tone completely contrasting with his threatening words.

"No." Yes.

"What if I held you down..." He leaned in, whispering in my ear. "...and fucked you until you couldn't walk?"

My breath caught in my throat as he traced his lips over my jaw barely touching my skin, coming to a stop by my ear.

"You wouldn't submit to me then?"

"Well...only if you asked nicely." My voice wobbled, barely coming out above a whisper when I replied.

"Nicely?" I could hear the amusement in his voice although I didn't dare meet his eyes. "Didn't I already ask you nicely to make that stupid Greek thing? How much nicer do you want me to be?"

"Fine. I'll make it." I breathed, aching for him to do something more than just tease me with his words.

Before I could process what happened, he suddenly lifted me up into his arms. The shock caused me to gasp, my legs wrapping around his waist as he sat me down on the counter.

I finally met his eyes, only to see them twinkling with amusement and mischief.

"That wasn't very hard, Millie. I didn't even have to touch you and you gave in." He teased, shaking his head with a 'tsk' sound. "And I thought you were stronger than that."

"I am strong, you little bi-" Before I could finish my insult, he crashed his lips to mine. He released a velvet chuckle, pulling my body in closer to his.

His hands gripped my ass we kissed and he gave it a firm squeeze.

"I can't wait to take you in every single room in this penthouse." He groaned against my lips when I tugged on his hair. "And I'll remind you who's your fucking boss, every single day."

That sounds so good. But I couldn't help but tease him, just a little.

"Well, you're going to have to wait until all the rest of the rooms are finished." I smirked, loving the way he narrowed his eyes like I was challenging him.

"I could take you right here, you know? Right now."

"You won't." I laughed, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Anyone could walk in."

"I don't care." He shook his head, although the hot sexual tension was definitely beginning to simmer down between us. "You're mine."

"I know. I am." I smiled, pecking his lips again. "Thank you for this, Costa. I love it so much."

I gestured to the newly designed penthouse we were currently sitting in.

"You know why it got done so quickly?" He murmured against my lips, his hands still firmly holding my ass.

"Why?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I may have...encouraged the designers and builders to work a bit faster." He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I pulled back slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Encouraged?"

He chuckled. "I might have threatened them. Just a little."

"Why? So you didn't have to be in that apartment any longer?" The apartment wasn't small, but it wasn't anywhere near as big as the penthouse. I could tell Costa, and also Rocco, wasn't coping well living there with the twins.

They almost burned the building down with their tempers for those few days Bianca came to stay.

"Well, it was partly that. But I also wanted you to focus on enjoying the design process without any stress. So, I took the stress element out of it."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Only you, Costa. Only you."

He grinned, pressing another kiss to my lips. "Anything for you, principessa. I wanted this place to be perfect for you."

"It is." I said, my heart swelling with love for him. "It's absolutely perfect. Thank you, baby."

As we kissed again, I felt a sense of contentment wash over me. Our new home was everything I had dreamed of and more - a sanctuary where we could start building our life together.

"Please." That irritating voice suddenly broke out us out of our perfect moment. "Not on the kitchen counter."

Like I said, anyone can just walk in.

I pulled away from Costa's lips, turning around to see Rocco and the twins coming in from the elevator. I didn't move my arms from Costa's shoulders and he made no effort to let go of my ass.

"You know this is mine now, right? I can kick you out." I narrowed my eyes at Rocco who sauntered in like he owned the place.

"Try it, cagna." (Bitch)

"Hey." Costa warned, still holding me. "Watch your mouth."

"Pussy." Rocco scoffed, coming over to where we were mid-make out in the kitchen. Meanwhile, the twins went off to explore the newly decorated penthouse.

It was only then that Costa finally released his hold on me. He stepped away although I chose to remain seated on the counter top.

"Why are you here?" Costa sighed, his irritation clearly beginning to rise. After our track record, we both have a sore spot for being interrupted.

"We have a problem." Rocco's four word statement changed the entire vibe between the three of us.

"What is it?" Costa frowned.

Rocco looked between Costa and I, almost like he didn't want to tell me what was going on. He hesitated, but one look from Costa had him speaking.

"Our intel suggests the Serbs are attacking the Greek Mafia tonight. They found some-"

"They're going after my family?" I cut Rocco off, jumping down off the counter as panic filled me. "Do they know? Did you tell them?"

"Shut up and let me finish." Rocco glared at me, his aggressive mafioso side taking over. "They decrypted some coded messages. We've let Julius know so he should be able to cover all their bases. Apparently, Aco's aim is to weaken the Greeks enough that they can't support us. He thinks by taking them out first,-"

"He'll weaken us." Costa finished for him, his brows furrowed.

"And the alliance." Rocco added, now looking between Costa and I.

"He's trying to cause a problem between us?" I frowned. Costa and I were strong right now - especially after that fight we had a month ago.

It was one of our worst, but weirdly we came out stronger afterwards.

But that doesn't necessarily mean outside influence wouldn't be able to tear us apart. Our relationship hasn't exactly been tested like that. This war was going to be tough for us, I already knew that.

On one side of the war was the Serbs and the Russians. Historically, they didn't get along. But they put their differences aside for this war.

And historically, the Greeks and Sicilians did get along. That was until Costa screwed with our alliance to the Russians. It also didn't help that Damian and Julius were so protective of me.

Now our families are allied together yet, it really didn't feel like it.

"Maybe not you and Costa specifically." Aidan joined the conversation, approaching with Gio in tow. "But they definitely want to come between the Accardi family and the Darmos family."

"Shit, that shouldn't be too hard. Your family are-..." Giovanni's sentence trailed off when he was met with two glares - one from me and one from Costa. "-...really nice people?"

I shook my head at him, conveying every ounce of annoyance in my glare.

"Okay. So, what do we do?" Aidan asked the question, looking to Costa for the answer. But I was the one to speak first.

"You need to learn to get on. Forget your father and mine for a moment." Our fathers were the most problematic in this whole situation. "You guys are the future of the Sicilian Mafia and Julius and Damian are the future of the Greek Mafia. You need to build some sort of unity."

"Unity?" Rocco scoffed, anger lighting up in his green eyes. "You don't know what you're talking about, Millie. Just stay out of it."

"I'm not staying out of it. It's my family you're saying are going to be attacked tonight." I glared at him, my own fury rising.

"And it's your fucking fault my family are even involved in this war. Before you went after Kozlov for marriage, we were fine with the Serbs and the Greeks. We even had control over the situation with Kozlov. Then you screwed it all up."

"I didn't screw anything up. You were the ones who tried to ruin that alliance, remember? The gifts, the fake wife, the champagne?"

"I didn't do anything. That was the-"

"It was me." Costa interrupted, lightly shoving Rocco away from me. He gave Rocco a warning glare, probably for the way he spoke to me. "It was my fault. But that's not the problem anymore and Millie didn't cause this."

"She caused a lot of it." Rocco spoke through gritted teeth, his fiery gaze locked on mine.

"Enough." Costa snapped at him then turning his attention to me. "You know we don't get on with your family anymore, Millie. Trying to build a relationship now is going to be hard."

"I know, but you need to try." I softened my voice when I spoke to Costa, although I could still feel Rocco's glare on me. "At least talk to them. Try to broach the subject with them."

"Fuck no." My brother in-law snapped. "It's not happening."

"Then you'll be the reason the alliance falls apart." My eyes went cold again when I shifted my glare towards Rocco.

"That's enough." Costa stepped between us, speaking with a firm tone. "I don't like the idea either, Millie."

"See. Even Costa-"
"But, you-"

"I haven't finished. Shut up." He cut both Rocco and I off, his own annoyance clearly coming through. "But, if you can convince those idiots to meet with us then we'll go."

And that's how I found myself on the phone to Damian a few minutes later. First I made sure things were okay with him and my family, which he assured me they were.

He said Rocco warned Julius with enough time for them to prepare.

So then I decided it was the best time to try and convince him to agree to the meeting. It wasn't as easy as I'd hoped.

"Damian, please."

"No. You know it's not going to happen - Julius would never agree either. Those Sicilians won't set foot on our territory, and we're not going on theirs. It's too risky."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Look, I get it. But this isn't about territory. This is about preventing a war that could destroy both our families. Neutral ground. We meet somewhere neutral."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, the tension palpable even through the phone. I could almost hear Damian weighing the options, balancing the risks against the necessity.

"Neutral ground?" he finally said, his voice skeptical. "Like where? A park? A cafe? We're not exactly discussing the weather here, Mildred."

I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding. "We'll find a place. Somewhere in neutral territory - somewhere nobody claims."

Damian was silent for a moment. "Alright, but if anything goes wrong, I'm holding you personally responsible, Maleficent."

"Deal." I said quickly, relief flooding through me. "Thank you, Damian."

"Don't thank me yet. Just make sure this doesn't turn into a bloodbath. Now I have to go and convince your stupid brother to agree too."

As I hung up, I felt a heavy weight lift off my shoulders, only to be replaced by the dread of the upcoming meeting. I turned to Costa, who had been watching me intently the whole time.

"He agreed." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But it has to be on neutral territory."

Costa nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Okay. Now we just have to find a place."

Rocco, who had been lurking in the background, finally spoke up. "I know a place. A restaurant downtown. They have a private room at the back where we can talk without being disturbed. Neutral enough for everyone."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "A restaurant? Really?"

Rocco shrugged. "What? Even mafioso need to eat. Plus, the food is amazing. Might as well have a good meal while we're at it."

Costa rolled his eyes but didn't argue. "Fine. The restaurant it is. But we go in prepared. No surprises."

Rocco smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "You know I live for surprises."

"Don't pull anything stupid, Rocco. I'm warning you." He didn't take kindly to my threat, but Costa quickly pulled me away before another argument could start.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>> <<<<<<<

The next evening, Costa, Rocco and I arrived at the restaurant. It was an upscale place with white tablecloths, soft lighting, and a hushed atmosphere that promised discretion. A waitress greeted us with a polite nod and led us to the private room in the back.

While Rocco serveyed the room and organised the security around the restaurant, I pulled Costa to the side.

"Julius doesn't know about us." I whispered, trying to keep this conversation between us so Rocco didn't hear. "I don't want him to find out yet, Costa."

My brother hated Costa and I'm sure Costa felt the same. The last thing I needed tonight was Julius finding out Costa and I were...together.

It was a conversation we needed to have alone and in private.

"Just for tonight can we pretend that-"

"If you're going to ask me to pretend like I hate you, I won't. I can't do that." He shook his head, keeping his voice low. "But I won't kiss you or anything. I'll make sure he doesn't find out."

"Thank you." I smiled, pecking his lips. "I love you."

He didn't get the chance to reply when Rocco called us over to the room. As we settled in, Costa took a deep breath. "Everyone knows the plan?"

Rocco nodded. "Sì. Be polite, don't shoot anyone, don't cause any unnecessary fights and try the lobster. It's to die for."

He was patronising me. I could just sense it in the way his eyes landed on me.

I shot him a look. "This is serious, Rocco. We're trying to prevent a war."

"A war that starts and ends with you, Millie. You're the reason my family is even involved in this. Don't forget that."

I don't think he'll ever not hate me - or not blame me.

Just then, the door opened, and Julius and Damian walked in, flanked by two of their men. Julius gave the room a quick once-over, his eyes narrowing slightly when they landed on Costa, but he didn't say anything.

I rose from my chair, heading over to the two of them by the door. Since Julius seemed more tense, I gave Damian a hug first.

"Hey." I smiled, wrapping my arms around him in a short hug.

"Mildred." He nodded, trying to keep up his cold facade in front of Rocco and Costa.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I turned to Julius who still looked pissed. Thankfully, he didn't make it any more awkward than it was and let me give him a quick hug.

"Thank you for coming. Sit down." I gestured to the two chairs across from Costa and Rocco at the circular table. I was sat between Costa and Damian - thankfully.

"Let's get this over with." Julius muttered as I took my seat again.

The waiter brought in menus, but nobody seemed interested. We ordered whatever seemed good, ordering the waiter to bring it out as quickly as possible. It was Julius who added that.

After a moment of awkward silence once the waiter left, Costa leaned forward. "Look, we all know why we're here. Aco Petrovic is trying to pit us against each other. We need to find a way to work together, or we're both going to lose."

"I agree." Julius nodded, his expression grim. "But trust is in short supply these days. You haven't got the best track record, Accardi. How do we know you're not setting us up?"

Costa sighed at the absurdity of Julius's question. There's no way Costa would betray the alliance - he can't do that when he's signed a contract.

"Because if we wanted you dead, we wouldn't be sitting here talking. Plus, we have the contract binding us together. This isn't about old grudges. It's about survival."

There was a tense silence as Julius considered this. He glanced over at Damian and then at me. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. We'll try it your way. But one wrong move, and it's over."

Rocco couldn't resist a smirk and it wasn't exactly a friendly one. "Don't worry, Julius. We'll play nice. And seriously, try the lobster. You won't regret it."

I'm going to murder that smug bitch tonight. Then I'll gauge his eyes out with a stupid lobster claw.

"Watch it. We're not here alone, Rocco." Damian narrowed his eyes at Rocco who relaxed back in his chair in the face of my cousin's threat.

"Do your worst, Darmos." Rocco smirked, his eyes challenging.

Before Damian could react, I put my hand on his arm to stop him. "Please. For a couple of hours just put your differences aside."

"If he says something stupid, I can't be held responsible, Millie." Damian's tone softened when he spoke to me, but the fact he called me Millie and not Maleficent or Mildred showed he wasn't happy.

"You have my word, he won't provoke you." Costa narrowed his eyes Rocco who smirked back in response. "Now let's figure out how to keep our families alive."

There was a short pause for the delivery of our drinks and then Julius leaned forward, his demeanor still cautious.

"We need to establish some ground rules. If we're going to do this properly, there will be no weapons at any of these meetings between our families. We come with a small number of men, and they stay outside. Neutral ground always."

Costa nodded in agreement. "Fair enough. And we need to establish a line of communication. Direct, no middlemen. We can't afford misunderstandings."

Progress? Even though they were talking as if they were really going to give the alliance a try, I didn't get my hopes up.

Damian glanced at Julius, then nodded. "Agreed. We'll set up a secure channel. Only the five of us will have access - including Tristano."

"Erm, excuse me. I think you mean the six of us." I narrowed my eyes at my cousin who chuckled, nodding his head. "Fine, Mildred. The six of us."

I leaned in, adding my own piece to the ground rules. "And let's make sure we're on the same page about Aco. If we're going to take him down, we need to coordinate our efforts. Then, we focus on Kozlov."

"You're right, Millie." Julius nodded, appearing less tense as the seconds ticked by. "We need to hit him hard and fast. No room for error."

"Good." Costa said, a determined look on his face. "Then let's eat and get to work. We've got a lot to discuss."

As the waiter began to serve the food, the tension in the room eased a bit more. The conversation turned to logistics, strategies, and plans.

"So you think he's going to try and cause rifts between us?" Damian asked, looking to Costa for an answer.

"Sì. It's a good tactic. If he gets us arguing about business or personal shit, we'll be distracted." While Costa spoke, he kept his eyes trained on his food, never once looking at me.

We'd actually done well all evening to avoid speaking to each other too much. I couldn't risk all of this blowing up is Julius found out, so this was the only way.

"He could try to sabotage things - maybe he'll frame the other to get us distrusting each other." I offered a scenario which had the four of them looking at each other, having some kind of silent conversation.

I'm guessing they still didn't trust each other.

"Or he'll screw with your marriage." Julius muttered, looking between Costa and I. "You're the reason this alliance is even happening. He could try to take it out at the roots."

I glanced over at Costa, well aware all the attention was now on our relationship. Damian didn't say anything about it, but I could feel Rocco's eyes flitting between the two of us.

"You guys are good though. That shouldn't be a problem." Rocco spoke slowly, almost like he was trying to study us.

Meanwhile, I just shrugged, taking a bite of my food. "I guess. I don't know what he could do to ruin our relationship."

"Whatever he tries, we'll be ready. That's why we need to be communicating at all times." Costa easily shifted the attention away from us. "If you think anything is suspicious, tell us straight away. The same goes for us."

"Aco is a sick bastard. We can't take any risks."

"Wait, I've been meaning to ask you." Rocco took a sip of his drink, turning to look at my cousin. "Did he really kill his aunt for fucking the butler?"

Both Julius and Costa chuckled at the question while Damian nodded, a grin playing on his lips.

My cousin loved to gossip.

"Yep. He found her in her room with the butler so he killed them both in a fit of rage."

"He hates women." Julius added, shaking his head. "When we first declared war on them, we were worried for the safety of the women in our family. He's known to use them as collateral damage against his enemies."

"He traffics women. Or he just keeps them for his own sick games." Damian spat.

"It's a good thing Mille kept her mouth shut at the poker game then, isn't?" Rocco sneered at me because apparently the be polite rule didn't apply to me.

"I didn't do anything wrong." I immediately defended my actions, even if I did piss Aco off that night. "He was talking about assaulting me in front of everyone."

"So you threatened to kill the man with the biggest prostitution ring in Europe and the guy your family is at war with? Good idea." Rocco drawled, shaking his head.

"What do you mean he was talking about assaulting you?" Julius jumped in, his brown eyes narrowed at me.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat, knowing I wouldn't be able to get away with not telling him.

"He was pissed Costa brought me with him to the poker game, so first he threatened to rip me apart as a message to dad. Then later, he wanted Costa to bet me. At some point I rolled my eyes so he started going on about Costa not disciplining me and he offered to do it." I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, keeping my eyes down on my plate the entire time.

"And you let that happen?" Julius shifted his glare towards my husband now. "I knew you took her to the game, but I didn't know any of that."

"I handled it." Costa replied. "I lost a lot that night to protect your sister."

'A lot' was putting it mildly. He lost hundreds of millions of dollars, three clubs and the casino contracts he was after from Aco.

"You can't keep this shit from us." Damian snapped, surprisingly at me instead of Costa. "If someone says something like that to you, then you need to tell us. This alliance can only work if you're honest."

His words had me glancing over at Costa who eventually gave me a subtle nod, encouraging me to fill them in on the rest.

"A couple of months after we got married, Kozlov cornered me at an event." I muttered, already anticipating the shit storm coming my way.

"He cornered you? What the fuck does that mean?" Julius leaned forward, his temper quickly rising.

"Costa was busy and I was waiting for him at the bar. Then he came up behind me and held a knife to my stomach. He threatened to bring down both our families - killing you both and Costa."

"You already told us this." Damian frowned, thinking back to the day. "You said he threatened our families but you never said anything about a knife."

"That's not the worst part." I sighed, reluctantly filling them in on the one thing only Costa knew. "He said he was going to punish me for ending our potential marriage alliance. He promised to take me as a prisoner and...force me to keep having his kids."

The room fell deadly silent when I finished. The only one who wasn't shocked was Costa, only because he found all of this out when I broke down crying after my nightmare.

Even Rocco didn't know - which surprised me since Costa tells his brothers everything.

"He's a dead man." Damian tossed his fork down, leaning back in his seat. "Fuck Aco, we're taking Kozlov down first."

"That can't happen." Costa sighed. "We need to stick to the plan. We help Aco's cousins kill him in Serbia to eliminate him as a threat all together. Then, we go after Kozlov."

"He's right." Julius spoke through gritted teeth, his jaw clenched. "If we make a fuss about this to Kozlov, he'll continue to use Millie as a pawn. It's not really about her - he wants more power and territory from the Sicilians. But he'll use her to get what he wants."

"So we just ignore it?" Damian snapped, then he turned to Costa. "Like you did?"

"I didn't ignore it. Trust me, I know about his threats and what he's capable of." Kozlov's family killed Costa's mother and his uncle. Of course they knew he was capable of it. "She's safe, isn't she? Nothing will happen to her under my watch."

"Don't let him get you paranoid. He made that threat months ago and I've been fine. Just focus on our plan. Use Aco's cousins to get rid of him and then form an alliance with the Serbian Mafia. Then we turn our attention to Kozlov."

The four of them mulled over my words before agreeing - apart from Rocco. He was still glaring at me since he believed I was the reason for all of this.

The tension eased up as we continued to eat and then ordered some drinks afterwards.

Once we got over the obvious tensions, it was clear to see that these four idiots actually did get on in the past.

Back when I first spoke to Damian about potential marriage candidates, he told me Costa and his brothers were alright once you got to know them. Now I could see the remnants of their past relationship as they joked about some of their common enemies.

"You slept with Miguel Diaz?" Rocco laughed. "He's the psycho who organises secret sex parties."

"It was good." Damian grinned, sipping on his whiskey. "Then I slept with his sister."

"And his mother." I added, glaring at my cousin when Julius and Costa burst out laughing.

"Damn. You're good, man." Rocco gave him a nod of respect which had me shaking my head in disgust.

"Of course you would support this kind of behaviour." I sneered at Rocco but he chose to ignore my very valid remark.

"But then he found out. After Miguel tried to kill me, he said we can't fuck anymore." Damian pouted like the psycho he is.

"I thought you screwed him last month? You left with him at that party?" Julius frowned.

"No, he tricked me. He was just trying to kill me again." Damian shook his head dejectedly. "That was some good dick."

"Okay, that's enough. I don't need to hear this anymore." I grimaced, sipping on my martini. "You're the reason I can't look Antonio in the eye anymore."

Antonio was Miguel's older brother and the future heir to a major Spanish Cartel. He was on my marriage list until I found out Damian was almost part of their family.

"He's the fucker who hugged you, right?" Costa glared at me, downing his whiskey before grabbing another off the tray.

We met Antonio that same night I was threatened by Kozlov. Costa got mad I let Antonio touch me, not that it was any of his business back then.

"Yes, a long time ago. He's my friend." I corrected him, ignoring the way he clenched his jaw.

"Rilassati, fratello." (Relax, brother) Rocco laughed. "No need to be jealous. She's still in love with you."

As soon as Rocco dropped that one bomb, the room plunged into a deadly silence.

I'm going to kill that stupid, arrogant, obnoxious, little-

"In love?" Julius frowned, slowly putting the pieces together.

Rocco feigned complete confusion, although he was absolutely smart enough to know what he just did.

Costa was glaring intensely at his brother and Damian was looking at his glass like it was the most interesting thing he's ever seen.

Julius's expression darkened, his eyes lighting up with fury.

"Julius-"

"You're in love with this bastard?" He growled, pointing towards my husband.

"I-...I didn't want you to find out like this." I spoke softly, swallowing nervously under his intense glare.

"He treated you like shit. Do you remember that, Millie? The games he played with you to stop you marrying Kozlov? The threats to your life? The way he left you at the fucking altar at your wedding in front of our entire family? Or how he kept you away from us for three fucking months? Now all of a sudden you're in love?"

"Don't speak to her like that." Costa spoke coolly, clearly trying to keep his own temper in check.

"You threatened to kill my little sister more than once, Costa. Now you've manipulated her into your fucking bed."

"That's not what happened. He didn't manipulate me." I tried to defend myself but it didn't really have much of an impact.

Let's not forget, Julius is just as dominant, cold and ruthless as Costa. He's in line to becoming the next leader of the Greek Mafia. He's scary when he wants to be and he wanted to be at that moment.

"We're married, Julius. Isn't it a good thing that I'm happy with him?"

"So what about when you have to choose? Between us and your husband?" Julius's tone dripped with venom.

"Choose?" I frowned.

"Yeah. Say this alliance doesn't go the way you're clearly hoping. Are you going to tell your husband our secrets?"

"I would never-"

"Not even if he asks you nicely?" He mocked, his anger biting into his voice. "Or maybe you might tell us his secrets? Hm?"

"You're already doing Aco's work for him." I spat, hating the way he was suggesting I couldn't be trusted. "I would never betray Costa or you. You're my family but I love him too."

"You're so fucking naive." He laughed sardonically. "You think he loves you? Really?"

"Julius. That's enough. You don't know how I feel about her, it's not your place to comment." Costa warned him, but he completely ignored it.

"He's going to replace you again, and again, and again. Because he can. Because he's that fucking powerful." I felt tears well up in my eyes when he stood to his feet, releasing a sardonic laugh. "But you still gave it up to him like the fucking whore you are."

The word hung in the air, and I felt a stab of pain and humiliation. Costa shot to his feet sending his chair clattering to the floor. "Watch your fucking mouth, Julius."

Julius squared up to him from across the table, his fists clenched. "Or what? What are you going to do, Costa?"

Tensions almost hit a boiling point when Damian tried to intervene. "Julius, calm down. This isn't helping."

And that was when Julius figured out the rest of it. "You knew?"

I buried my face in my hands when Damian stumbled for a moment, struggling to find the right words.

"I figured it out but-"

"But you kept it from me?" My brother scoffed. "She's a fucking traitor."

"No, she isn't. Don't be ridiculous. She's happy. Just let her be happy - she deserves it." Damian tried to defend me, placing a comforting hand on my back.

The silence had me lifting my head, only to come face to face with my brother's famous glare - the one he saves for his most formidable enemies.

"You're dead to me, Millie. Dead." With that, he stormed out of the room, Damian following quickly behind him - probably to calm him down.

The door slammed shut, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.

Oh dear 🥺 What did you think of this chapter?

Also, guys I'm so tired and burned out and stressed I can't find the energy to finish the last chapter and epilogue. But otherwise it's all done. I'm going to try and keep posting, but I don't know what to do about the last chapter 🤣