> Rosana sat on the cold floor, barely able to move. She felt numb and her limbs were heavy. When the cold air hit her lungs, it felt like she was breathing in knives. A sense of dread and hopelessness filled her. She was never going to survive this, she was going to die. Her fingers and toes were the first to become frozen. She couldn't tell how long she had been stuck in there but she knew it was a very long time. Long enough for her heartbeat to slow down. There were three other people in the room but two had been frozen to death. She knew this because they weren't trembling and didn't move either. They just remained on the floor, curled up like a fetus. Over the past four hours, Rosana had gone from crying and shivering to her skin becoming very cold. It began to burn, and slowly she could feel her blood starting to freeze. Her lips turned blue and her whole face felt like they poured lava over it, and then stabbed it with a thousand knives. "Goodness!"
"Remember, he likes it hot," Munika reminded as they walked through the hallway together. "And do not forget to add all the powder too" "But... Why do I have to add all of it? It will be too much for him" Munika chuckled lightly. "Nothing can be too much for Sergio. But it will be enough to blow him out" Rosana nodded and turned the corner, heading towards the kitchen. She was holding the small wrap in her hand, trembling. What if everything goes wrong? What will happen to her? What will Sergio's reactions be? Nothing good, she concluded. After Munika left her room the previous night, she had laid back, thinking everything through. If the plan worked, she'd be free. But if it didn't... She'll be so doomed. He would kill her this time without any mercy or second thoughts. But she could still back away now it wasn't too late. She could turn around, go back to Munika and return whatever she had given to her. Then she'd go back to her room and stay indoors like she always has since sh
"Water... Water...!" Rosana cried and tried to raise her body from the floor. She was in a room covered in white. The walls, floor, and ceiling, as well as her clothes. She was deprived of all colors. For Three days, she was imprisoned without food and water. The only thing she could remember was being caught by Sergio's men. She had screamed, cried, and fought hard but that didn't stop them from dragging her back here. She was thrown into the white room. A cell that was soundproofed, and void of any sound, voices, or social interaction. She could not hear anything but herself. "Somebody... Help... Please..." "Sergio... Please..." "Please... Get me out of here!" She had not seen the outside world for three days. No one came to visit her, including Sergio or Munika. Well, what did she expect after adding an unknown powder to his coffee? What did she expect after trying to escape his claws? That was the greatest mistake she had made. One she regretted over the past three days. She
"You should get rid of her sooner, you cannot trust her. With what she did, she is capable of doing anything. Lei può distruggerti!" [She can destroy you!]Sergio turned around to face her. His right hand held a glass of gin, while his left was behind his back. He took a sip from the glass, his metallic eyes pinned on her. He didn't utter a word but she already felt goosebumps across her skin.Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, wondering why he was staring at her that way. Did Rosana tell him the truth? She wondered. Or did he find out that she was the one behind everything?The thought of that made her tremble but she managed to keep a calm facade. She had to act strong and be ready to deny whatever he was going to throw her way. Besides, she wasn't the one that added sedatives to his coffee and tried to escape. Sergio stared intently at her, his gaze sharpening. It was the same way he looked at powerful men and caused them to tremble at his feet without words. He didn'
•••Next Morning••• Very early in the morning, the maids rushed in and prepared a warm bath for Rosana. Carmencita had instructed them to take care of her because she was still sick and couldn't take care of herself. "Your bath is ready, My Lady!" One of the maids announced and she sat up on the bed, rubbing her eyes. She couldn't sleep the whole night because she kept having nightmares. She only pretended to sleep so that Carmencita would go and have some rest too. No matter how much assurance she gave to her, she wouldn't go away. The older woman had been determined to stay with her until she fell asleep. Rosana got down from the bed and slowly walked into the bathroom to meet Viola waiting for her. Everything had been prepared for her bath. She just had to strip and Viola would wash her hair and body. "You do not have to..." "You are still weak, My Lady. Please, let me take care of you" She sighed and gently took off her nightgown. Then she got into the bathtub and sat as Viola
Rosana couldn't eat any longer. Rather, she kept sipping wine and glaring at Sergio. What does he think he is? She wondered. And why does he affect her so much even after everything he had done to her? Deep down, she had so much revulsion for him but there was a little part that flushed whenever he was around her. And the worst part was that she couldn't control it no matter how hard she tried to. But why should it be that way? She wondered. This man was ruthless and didn't care about anyone, no matter how big or small the person was. If he could lock her in the freezing room for hours and also lock her in a white cell where she almost lost her sanity, then he was worse than the devil. And instead of loathing him so much for everything he had done to her, she was... Getting turned on by just hearing his deep voice and being close to him. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn't acknowledge when he stood up and started walking away until he paused in front of Munika who was sti
"Here, we have all the books you need," Carmencita informed as they stepped into the library. It was filled with books of all kinds. "All you have to do is search closely" "Wow, this is... This is surprising. It is bigger than I thought" "Yes. The Don loves it down here. He loves books and reads a lot too" Rosana was shocked and speechless. How was it possible that a man like Sergio loved to read books? She wondered. It sounded so absurd. He was a ruthless man who did nothing but kill and inflict pain on poor people. What business did he have to do with books? "I am sorry but I do not believe you" She walked off and started checking the books, shelf by shelf. "I understand but it is the truth, my dear. Sergio, your husband is a very intelligent man" "Of course, I know that. He is very intelligent in hurting and killing people. And oh... Little children too" Rosana picked a book from one of the shelves and stood to look at it. She wasn't really a book fan but she loved to read a
Carmencita had been right. She didn't know anything about her husband despite being married to him for three months. But how could she? They didn't even share the same bed and he was mostly away. Not that she cared about that. Sometimes she also wished he never returned.She only knew a few things about him and his family. He had a mother who didn't trust her and wanted her to leave at all costs and a Mistress whom she never met. Sergio was a ruthless Mafia Lord who was feared by everyone, including her. But what she still couldn't figure out was why he married her. He had never tried to lay with her and carry out the marital rites which was mostly done on the wedding night. Not that she wanted any of such. She was even grateful he never for once tried to have intercourse with her. But what was the main purpose of the marriage? Did he marry her just to keep her in the room, far away from the outside world?Men in the Mafia only got married because they wanted to acquire something. Ei
Enzo's mind reeled, struggling to process the revelation. The past and present collided, threatening to upend everything—the secrets she'd kept, the lies she'd told, and the truths she'd hidden, partially exposed. What more could she have hidden from him?Rio, oblivious to the turmoil raging within Enzo, happily jumped up from his seat. "Catch me if you can!" Then, he ran off.Enzo, familiar with the game, stood up and ran after him, trying to catch him. The sun-drenched playground echoed with Rio's laughter as they chased after each other. Suddenly, Rio's eyes sparkled with excitement, and he waved enthusiastically."Mammà! My Mammà is here!" As Enzo's gaze followed him, his blood ran cold. Frozen in place, he watched as Lucretia walked towards the playground, her strides elegant, as always. She scanned the playground and once she found Rio, she smiled softly. "There you are!" The boy sprinted toward her with a ball in hand. "Mammà, come see! I made a new friend, he saved me from
Rio stepped out of the room, his small frame trembling. He had watched the scene unfold through the window and though he hadn't seen everything, he knew the unknown man had saved him. He had defeated the bad man who now lay motionless on the ground.Enzo, sensing his presence, shifted his gaze from the lifeless man. His eyes locked on Rio and for a moment, he froze. Those eyes... They were identical to Lucretia's, deep green.His expression faltered as a flicker of emotion crossed his face. The resemblance was uncanny—the same deep green that had haunted him for months. Memories came flooding back, but he locked them away and hardened his expression."Are you okay?" He asked and Rio nodded, taking small steps forward. "You should not be out here""Yes. Nana Silvana said to stay inside, but then, the bad man came." Nana Silvana? Enzo had thought the woman was the boy's mother. "You are safe now.""And the... And the bad man?"Enzo's expression softened. "He will never harm you again,
"Once I'm gone, lock the door from the inside," Silvana instructed Rio, her expression serious. "Do not go outside. Do you understand?""Yes, Nana." He nodded solemnly."Remember, do not open the door for anyone except your Mammà or me." "Yes, Nana," Rio replied, his brows furrowed with concern. "Is Mammà alright? I saw bruises on her face this morning"Silvana's face softened. Despite Lucretia's attempt to hide from the boy, he had noticed the bruises anyway. "She is... alright, dear, you do not have to worry about her. That is why you must stay safe inside and keep the door locked. I will be back in no time"With a reassuring smile, Silvana departed and Rio obediently did as instructed, his mind filled with worry. His mother's changed behavior troubled him and the fact that she wasn't herself anymore. The past few months had been filled with hushed conversations between Aunt Silvana and his mother who often whispered of "Paying the price" and that "He's coming for her." Rio could
NEXT MORNING~Lucretia stood at her kitchen sink, bracing herself against the cool countertop. The trembling of her hands subsided slowly as she gripped the edge of the sink, her head bowed in exhaustion. She couldn't sleep the whole night as the image of the men who had attacked her kept flashing in her mind, including the mysterious man who had saved her. Her thoughts swirled, reliving the terror of the alley. Each memory triggered a fresh wave of fear that made her stomach churn. She retched, but nothing came up. Her fingers instinctively went to the tender skin of her neck where Domingo had gripped her and she winced at the haunting memories it brought back.Enzo should've killed her at once, instead of letting her live. She had felt the life draining out of her when he encircled his fingers on her throat, but then his hands had fallen limp as he slipped away.Attempting to calm her racing heart, she forced herself to breathe deeply. If not for the mysterious stranger, she'd be g
"No, it isn't!" Lucretia gritted and darted towards the narrow gap between two dumpsters. Before she could make it through, she was grasped by the hair and tossed harshly to the ground."Always thinking you're fucking smart" Domingo laughed and walked over to where she was now struggling to raise herself from the ground. He crouched in front of her and grasped her hair, pulling her head backward so she was now looking into his face."But you're not!" He added and landed a hard slap on her face that sent her back to the ground."What the fuck do you want from me?!?""From you? Oh, everything!" He replied languidly and grasped hair one more time."Why? I did as you fucking asked!""That's what I thought. Until I found out the mission was unsuccessful, you fucking failed" He responded and smacked her on the cheek once more. "And he is alive!"Lucretia spat our blood as she struggled to get up from the ground. "He's fucking dead, I saw it, you saw it. Unless you were fucking blind"Domin
The leather strap cracked against Alberto's back, the sound echoing through the room. His cries were all that was heard, his pleas for mercy drowned out by the relentless cracking of the belt. "You should have taken the throne," Sergio repeated, each word punctuated by another strike. His expression remained impassive, his eyes glinting with cold intensity.In rapt silence, the men who had been ordered out of the meeting room and the soldiers watched, witnessing Alberto's public downfall. They all knew Sergio was merely toying with him. An actual fight would've ended in minutes, with Alberto broken and covered in bruises. But instead of using his fists, the Don had chosen to wield his belt as a tool of discipline.The measured strikes, the steady pace, and Sergio's unruffled demeanor served as a potent reminder of his unshakable power and authority. This wasn't about vengeance, neither was it a punishment. It was a deliberate showcase of his supremacy."Please... forgive me! I am you
•••TWO WEEKS LATER••• ☠️🏴☠️THE CAPITAL🏴☠️☠️The door to the meeting room swung open, and Sergio walked in, his presence grasping attention. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his shirt crisp and white, his tie knotted to perfection. But it wasn't his impeccable attire that drew the eye. It was the cold aura that swirled around him like a dark cloud.As he entered, the room seemed to grow colder, the air thickening with an almost discernable sense of fear. The mafia members, dressed in tailored suits, felt a shiver run down their spines as their hearts raced in unison.Hastily, they scrambled to their feet with their heads bowed in terror and their eyes fixed on the floor. Not a sound was made and not a muscle twitched, as they froze in place. Sergio's gaze swept the room, his eyes lingering on each member. His face remained calm, but his eyes burned with an icy intensity that seemed to pierce the very souls of those before him.With deliberate slowness, he made
"It's a miracle!" The Doctor exclaimed, snapping him out of his thoughts. "The Don is awake, and we owe it to these two little champions"A sudden shiver ran down his spine, as though a cold breeze had swept through the room. But it wasn't the temperature that caused the shiver—it was the unmistakable sensation of being watched.He could feel a pair of eyes digging into his back, boring into his skin. The sensation was familiar, yet it sent a trail of shivers down his spine. Without turning around, Sergio listened to the Doctor who continued talking. As Sergio finally turned to face the room, his breath hitched in his throat. His eyes locked onto Rosana's, and time seemed to stand still. She was standing just a few feet away, her teary blue eyes fixed on him with an intensity that made his heart skip a beat. The children were with her, but his gaze was drawn only to Rosana—his Bambolina.In that moment, nothing else mattered. Not the questions, not the doubts, not the fears. All that
In the depths of Sergio's subconscious, he had heard a faint whisper that echoed through the darkness. It was a soft, insistent voice, a gentle tug on the seams of his mind."Papà!""Daddy, wake up!" "We want you to eat lunch with us!"The voice was like a ray of sunlight, piercing the fog that shrouded his awareness. His subconscious stirred, ever so slightly, as the twins' words resonated deep within him. The voice grew louder, urgent, and more like a chorus."Please, Daddy, wake up! We miss you! We miss sharing your favorite sandwich with you!"Sergio's subconscious began to stir, like a sleeping giant awakening from a deep slumber. Memories of laughter, sunny days, and family meals together began to surface, tantalizingly out of reach.The twins' voices grew more insistent, piercing the veil of his unconsciousness. "Daddy, we love you! Come back to us!"At that moment, something shifted deep within his mind. A spark of recognition. As he slowly emerged from the darkness, it felt