The first time Cassius was on Giancarlo Costa's estate, he did not have the chance to roam around and explore the vast property as he was not there as a guest, unlike now that the mafia boss has even given him a room and let him call his wife, who was worried about his safety.
Now that it has come to that point, Cassius doesn't exactly know what to do next. Going back to the precinct isn't an option, especially after Miller Jones set up a trap for him.
Anyone in his workplace couldn't be trusted.
"How are you feeling?" Cassius looked back and saw Yuri, who was still sweating from her afternoon run. He hasn't seen her all day after eating breakfast last morning with Giancarlo.
"I guess I am still processing the fact that this is already my second life," he tried to sound like he was just joking, but there was a hint of seriousness in his voice.
Yuri managed a small laugh and shook her head as she wiped her face with a towel. He wanted to tell her to slow down, considering that the wound where the tracker was removed from her is still fresh, but knowing how she tends to push herself, he decided to keep his concern to himself.
"I never knew that you could fight like that. You really surprised me back there. It's like a whole new side of you," he started, remembering how Yuri effortlessly took down those men last night without breaking a sweat. It was as if she had tapped into a hidden reserve of strength and skill.
No wonder Giancarlo was allured by her.
"When dad died, it was hard for me and mom. Everyone in town knows what happened and how his death was connected to the mafia, so no one would accept my job application. I couldn't go anywhere else, so I became a mercenary. It was good money."
For a fleeting moment, Cassius almost said that she could've turned to him, but he remembered that he also left her. He couldn't blame her for finding a way to survive in a world that had turned its back on her.
"Is that the job that allowed you to meet the mafia boss?" he asked in keen interest.
Yuri shrugged her shoulders. "Yes and no, I guess. Meeting Giancarlo was purely coincidental, although I have always planned on killing him. But then he told me that he had nothing to do with dad, so I thought it would be better to have him help me out."
Cassius let out a heavy sigh upon hearing that. Yuri had changed a lot through the years, but there is one thing that has remained indifferent about her: she's always been a woman of determination, ready to risk her own life for the sake of her loved ones. Something that he could never measure up to.
"I hope that after all this is over, you will live in peace and find someone who will love and appreciate you for the strong and selfless person you are. It might be stupid hearing it from an ex-lover, but I genuinely mean it. You deserve happiness and a future filled with love and support."
Yuri just laughed at that. "I have no such plans for finding love or settling down. After this, I might agree to what mom said before that we'll go back to Manila and start a new life. I don't think I could stay here in this place filled with memories and heartache."
He was about to answer when the door opened, and Favio walked in with a grim look on his face.
"You have to see the news."
Yuri and Cassius exchanged looks of concern before following Favio to Giancarlo's office. The mafia boss isn't around, but some of his men and Valentin are inside, and their eyes are glued to the television screen.
Cassius was about to ask what was happening when he saw his picture flash across the screen, accompanied by a breaking news headline. His heart sank as he realized that he had become a wanted fugitive. The news anchor's voice described him as a police officer who is associated with a notorious criminal organization and has killed innocent people.
Panic and disbelief washed over him as he struggled to comprehend how the situation had taken such a drastic turn in an instant.
Yuri punched the table with her fist. "They are doing again what they have done to my father," she said, her voice trembling with anger and frustration, but Cassius could only think about his wife.
"I have to go to my wife. For sure, she is the first person they will interrogate about my whereabouts," he imagined the danger his wife could be facing at that very moment. He knew he had to act quickly to ensure her safety.
"Our men could guarantee that she will be safe. It would be safer if you're going to stay here," Favio suggested, although it sounded more like a command than a suggestion.
He hesitated, torn between wanting to protect his wife and trusting in Favio's assurance. He knew that leaving could potentially put her in even more danger, but he also couldn't bear the thought of her being interrogated or harmed because of him.
But then he made up his mind and said firmly, "No, I can't risk it. I need to be with her, no matter what," with determination in his eyes, he turned on his back and was about to leave the room when the door opened, revealing his wife with Giancarlo by her side.
"Hana!" he exclaimed, relief flooding through him. He rushed towards her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.
"I'm so glad you're safe," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion.
Hana looked up at him, tears streaming down her face. "I was really scared, and if it wasn't for Mr. Costa's men, we could've died already. What's happening, Cassius?" she said softly, and fear was still evident in her voice.
Cassius felt a mix of gratitude and concern as he glanced at Giancarlo. "Thank you for keeping her safe," he said sincerely, his gaze meeting Giancarlo's. "I don't know what I would've done if anything had happened to her."
Giancarlo nodded, his expression serious, but he did not say anything about that.
While everyone was busy watching the reunion of the couple, Yuri silently slipped away from the group and made her way towards the door and left. She thought that no one saw her, but Giancarlo caught her by the arm and gently pulled her back.
"Was it too much that I brought Hana Sullivan here?" he asked worriedly.
She shook her head at that. "I believe that it was the perfect plan. I just didn't expect to see her here."
Giancarlo pulled her in for a hug, kissing her on the forehead and then down to her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and then he lifted her off the ground, walking towards his bedroom.
She was solely focused on their interlocked lips when she felt Giancarlo lay her down gently on the bed without breaking their kiss. When he started to unbutton his shirt, she helped him by running her hands along his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her fingertips.
Giancarlo then parted from her and stared down at her with a mixture of admiration and desire on his face, as if he were memorizing every detail of her in that moment.
"Sei la donna più bella che abbia mai incontrato, Yuriko Rivera," (You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met, Yuriko Rivera) he whispered huskily as he resumed kissing her. This time, his hands had started to explore the curves of her body, unzipping her dress with a slow, deliberate motion until a pool of black silk gathered around her waist.
When Giancarlo grabbed one of her breasts and took it to his mouth, she arched her body as his tongue flicked on her nipple repeatedly, sending electric shocks from the tips of her hair down to her toes.
When she let out a moan, Giancarlo smiled against her skin, and this time he pinned her on the bed to steady her as he kicked his pants and underwear off him. She used that as an opportunity to remove the dress that was pooling around her waist, leaving her with nothing but her laced underwear.
Giancarlo smirked as he lowered his head, planting kisses on her stomach down to the apex of her thighs. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her closer to him as he explored every inch of her with his tongue, leaving her center untouched.
She knew what he was trying to do. He was intentionally teasing her, preparing her for an intense pleasure that was about to come. She used to hate it whenever he did that, but right now, the thought that her panties are slowly soaking has heightened her excitement.
When Giancarlo slipped his hands on the waistband of her panties, she instinctively lifted her hips, allowing him to slide them off with ease. She thought that he was going to throw them aside, but instead, he brought them up to his face and inhaled deeply, savoring her scent.
Heat rose to her cheeks as she watched him, a mix of embarrassment and arousal washing over her. He then brought his panties down to his throbbing member and began stroking himself, running the fabric along the length of his shaft.
"Like the show I am putting on for you, Signorina?" he asked, licking his lips suggestively.
She blushed even further when Giancarlo inched closer to her, his shaft just an inch away from her face. It reeks of his arousal, and she could also smell hers on it.
When the hunger within her was getting difficult to ignore, she gave in to her desire, taking him into her mouth and tasting the combined essence of their arousal.
"Fuck!" Giancarlo groaned as he clutched the back of her head, urging her to take him deeper, his crown hitting the back of her throat.
"No, I do not want to come inside your mouth, Signorina."
Before she could respond to that, Giancarlo had already pulled her up and brought her in front of his full-length mirror. She was staring at their reflection as he pulled her hair back, steadying her face.
"Do you understand now what I meant when I said that you look so beautiful when you are aroused? Look at yourself, Yuri. Face flushed, lips quivering, and eyes filled with desire for my cock."
She wanted to look away in shame, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the mirror, especially now that Giancarlo's other hand was now between her legs, flicking the sensitive bud of flesh.
The good thing was that his grip on her hair was still tight, so even though her legs had turned into jelly, she still managed to stay on her feet as he continued fucking her with his finger.
"Want me to add another one?" he whispered huskily, and when she fervently nodded, he inserted a second finger, stretching her further and intensifying the pleasure coursing through her body.
Yuri's moan grew louder, and at this rate, it wouldn't be surprising anymore if anyone outside could hear her. She grinded her hips on his hand, desperate for more friction and pleasure.
She yelled as he curled his fingers inside her, and when she was already close to the edge, he withdrew his fingers and entered her with his extremely hardened member instead.
The sudden shift from his fingers to his member took Yuri by surprise, causing her to gasp, and before she could stop herself, she was already gushing uncontrollably.
"Holy fuck, did you just squirt all over me?"
Giancarlo pulled her back onto the bed again as he grinned mischievously as if he were proud of himself.
"Looks like I hit all the right spots, Signorina," he said as he opened her legs wider, losing himself inside her like a starved man finding a feast.
Yuri's eyes rolled at the back of her head as stars exploded behind her closed eyelids. When she felt him getting close to his release, she wrapped her legs around his waist and dug her nails into his back.
"Do not pull out," she whimpered, almost pleading.
"Are you sure about that?"
Instead of responding in words, she clenched around his hardness tighter until she felt the hot liquid fill her, bringing them both to a shuddering climax.