The Machiavellian Prince

The Machiavellian Prince A Royal Criminal Romance The Next Generation Book One Bella Di Corte Copyright © 2023 by Bella Di Corte All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This book is a work of fiction. Names of characters, places, and events are the construction of the author, except those locations that are well-known and of general knowledge, and all are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is coincidental, and great care was taken to design places, locations, or businesses that fit into the regional landscape without actual identification; as such, resemblance to actual places, locations, or businesses is coincidental. Any mention of a branded item, artistic work, or well-known business establishment, is used for authenticity in the work of fiction and was chosen by the author because of personal preference, its high quality, or the authenticity it lends to the work of fiction; the author has received no remuneration, either monetary or in-kind, for use of said product names, artistic work, or business establishments, and mention is not intended as advertising, nor does it constitute an endorsement. The author is solely responsible for content. Disclaimer: Material in this work of fiction is of graphic sexual and violent natures and is not intended for audiences under 18 years of age. Copyright © 2023 by Bella Di Corte Editing by: Alisa Carter Cover Designed by: Najla Qamber Designs “If I were dead and buried And I heard your voice, Beneath the sod My heart of dust Would still rejoice.” Roman Holiday “The course of true love never did run smooth.” William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream Contents Foreword 1. Saverio 2. Saverio 3. Mia 4. Mia 5. Mia 6. Saverio 7. Saverio 8. Mia 9. Saverio 10. Mia 11. Mia 12. Mia 13. Mia 14. Saverio 15. Mia 16. Saverio 17. Saverio 18. Saverio 19. Mia 20. Mia 21. Saverio 22. Mia 23. Saverio 24. Saverio 25. Saverio 26. Mia 27. Mia 28. Saverio 29. Saverio 30. Saverio 31. Mia 32. Mia 33. Saverio 34. Mia 35. Mia 36. Saverio Epilogue Bonus Novella About the Author Also by Bella Di Corte Free Short Stories & More The Rose Room Foreword Dear Reader, I can’t believe we’re here, at The Next Generation. Then again, just as life moves at a frantic pace, apparently so does the book side of things. Which fits right into one of the themes of the Fausti Family: time. How precious it is, and how we should always take advantage of it. If you’re new to me and my worlds, just know that this book is a marriage of two of my families. The Fausti Family, of course, and the Macchiavellos, from Machiavellian. If you’re a seasoned reader, then you know exactly who these two are and, maybe more importantly, who they belong to. I knew from the moment Machiavellian ended (and so did many of my readers) that this book and day would come. The day when The Next Generation would emerge from the shadows of their families and find their own paths. Mia and Saverio are up first, and I hope you love their story as much as I loved writing it, because it carries on the question, if you knew love could kill you, would you still fall? And Saverio is no doubt his father’s son. Hopefully all the hidden gems between the pages—rubies from the Fausti Family and sapphires from Machiavellian—will shine bright for you and lead to you to the tanzanite heart of this story: Mia and Saverio’s love. What a wonderful world to be entering. Much love, Bella Chapter 1 Saverio We were the rulers of the world. Side by side, my father and I reigned over the kingdoms we called our lives. To become the man—the king of wolves—that he raised me to be, my actions had to speak louder than words. He taught me that a strong ruler understands that words are worthless unless a man stands behind them, and that, even though life isn’t a game, it still has to be won. Or more precisely, a heart has to be won. For a heart to surrender, a man has to speak a secret language, and the name of that language is love, followed by action. I spoke the language fluently, but the ballerina who hid her heart behind frilly fabric constantly pretended that she had no idea what I was saying to her. Had been saying to her. Since we were kids. She was like one of those people who sat in a room full of other people who spoke a language they thought she didn’t understand—until she opened her mouth and joined the conversation. If she thought she was fooling me, she was fucking wrong. She should have known better. She was the one who had taught me how to speak the language and win her heart. And if there was one thing she guarded ferociously, it was that thing beating in her chest. She. Mia Bellarosa Fausti. Yeah, her father couldn’t have given her a more perfect name. Mia. It meant mine in Italian. And that’s exactly what she was. She belonged to me. Always had. Always will. My heart beat faster as I counted down the seconds in my head… 5 4 3 2 1 The lights faded, the audience silenced, the curtain went up, and the music started to drift from the orchestra close to the stage. It was soft. A caress that lingered on the skin and made goosebumps rise on my arms. More than the tone of the music, it was the anticipation of her that made me feel flighty and rooted at the same time. The woman who the world of dance called “The dancing Ghost,” because she was as ethereal as