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Sixteen-year-old Genevieve knelt in the center of a lavish, princess-like room draped in soft pinks and delicate silks, her trembling hands clutching the satin hem of her dress. Tears blurred her vision as she stared at her mother's almost lifeless body sprawled across the polished marble floor, a crimson pool spreading beneath her like a dark, wilting rose. ‘’Go, Eve! Your aunt will be waiting for you at the back entrance. Leave now... before it's too late." Genevieve shook her head vehemently. ‘’No, Mum," she refused. "You are hurt. You have been shot. I can't leave you alone here until the doctor arrives.'’ ‘’No…’’ A splutter of coughs rented the air, followed by the racking sound of Genevieve's sobs, which seemed to be increasing as the seconds passed. ‘’Don’t say anything, Mummy. It's only making matters worse…’’ The sound of multiple gunshots rented the air, and the words died on Genevieve’s lips. Still numb with shock, she was pushed into the nearest open door, and could only watch the door close as the life slowly seeped out of her mother’s eyes, the older woman's head hitting the floor. "Mummyyyyy!" a numbing scream tore from Genevieve's lips. ☆☆☆ ‘’Mistress? Mistress, wake up! Mistress!" Genevieve’s eyes flew open to an unfamiliar environment, her brows knitting in confusion as she scanned the room. White ceilings loomed overhead, cream-colored walls surrounded her, and sunlight filtered through half-drawn, billowy curtains. Her breath caught as her gaze landed on a stranger’s face hovering just above hers. The face was owned by a middle-aged woman who looked like she had been getting ready to stab Genevieve in the face, if the latter hadn’t woken up from her sleep when she did. ‘’Hello...? Who are you? And where am I? Where’s Aunt Anna?’’ ‘’Good morning, Mistress. I am Penelope, the head maid in this mansion, and from today on, I will also be the one in charge of serving you,’’ the woman replied, purposefully ignoring Genevieve’s questions. ‘’Head maid? How did I…’’ Genevieve started to fire off another round of questions, but trailed off as memories of the previous day rushed into her mind. From the moment in the hot afternoon when she was sold from the orphanage to the bald auctioneer, to the auction hall, to the moment when she met the very handsome… no, he had a name, Adrian. From meeting Adrian, the drama surrounding their meeting, to meeting his father—her new husband—and… what happened after that? She shook her head, unable to remember anything after that, and concluded that they must have brought her here to their home. ‘Husband and stepson,’ the words resounded in her mind. Who got married without a wedding anyways? Well, it seemed anything was possible in the underworld. Her scared eyes lowered to her body, and noticing that she was still wearing the skimpy red dress from last, she could mot help but release a relieved sigh. Thank goodness her new ‘husband’ had not taken the liberty of helping her change or take advantage of her while she was unconscious. Sure, him taking advantage of her was something she wouldn’t be able to avoid as days and weeks passed by, but she still hoped she could delay it as much as possible. ‘’Are you ignoring me right now, Young lady?’’ Genevieve snapped out of her thoughts to see that the head maid, Penelope, was now glaring at her with a full blown angered expression. She hurriedly apologised, ‘’Oh, I’m so sorry. I was just lost in thought for a moment there.’’ It didn’t occur to her for the slightest second that the way Penelope just addressed her was a little odd for a maid, considering her position as her boss’s wife… or woman. ‘’Well, that must not happen again," Penelope warned, tilting her chin up haughtily. "I am here this morning under the Don’s order to help you get ready for breakfast. After breakfast, I am to take you on a tour around the house to help you know the places you can visit at liberty, and the places you must not be found in. No matter what reason you may have.’’ She added the last few words as an afterthought. Before the maid was done talking, Genevieve was already getting out of bed and slipping her feet into the bedside slippers. ‘’What do I have to do first?’’ she asked seriously. ‘’Maybe getting your ass into the bathroom for a good scrub would be an okay start,’’ Penelope replied, eyeing her up and down without bothering to hide the disgust in her tone. Genevieve froze, her brows furrowing in displeasure.Genevieve froze, her brows furrowing in displeasure at the blatant disrespect, but when she reminded herself of the unfamiliar territory she was in and how she had no idea how things worked here, she decided to relax and simply follow instructions, even if it came from someone who seemed to hate her for no reason.She rose to her feet and looked at the two doors that were positioned side by side in one part of the room, far from the one that looked like it led out of the room.‘’Which of them is the bath—’’ she started to ask, but was cut off almost immediately. ‘’The one on the right,’’ Penelope stated. She pointed at a pile of clothes on one corner of the queen sized bed and said, ‘’Wear that when you are done in the bathroom. I will be waiting here for you.’’Half an hour later, Genevieve stood in front of the mirror, her head tilted sligtly as she studied herself in the mirror. Pale skin from incessant scrubbing for the past half hour, messy red hair pulled into a ponytail, blue
Few Minutes earlier, Adrian stepped into the dining area, pretending to be oblivious to the furtive glances from the maids and butlers setting the breakfast table, as they scurried away from him. His uninterested gaze made a quick sweep around the area and when he didn’t catch sight of a particular ginger haired troublemaker that he came here for, he turned to the man already seated at the head of the table, eyes glued to a stack of papers. His father. ‘’Where is Annika?’’ ‘’Unusually late to breakfast, as you can see. Good morning to you too by the way.’’ Roberto replied without sparing his son a glance. Ignoring the sarcasm in the older man's words, Adrian turned to one of the maids lingering near the door and instructed, ‘’Get my sister.’’ ‘’Yes—’ the maid had just started replying when two young women sauntered into the room, heading straight for their designated chairs on either sides of Roberto, totally oblivious to Adrian's presence. However, three seconds had bar
‘’From what, Roberto?’’ a voice came from the foot of the stairs, as a noble looking woman stepped into the dining area. Her dark hair and similar colored eyes mirrored Roberto’s own, and anyone who saw both of them together at first sight would be able to tell that these two were siblings. Draped in an expensive silk fabric and adorned with gold jewellery, she waded across the room like the majestic being her physical outlook presented her to be. Easing herself into the chair Annika vacated several seconds earlier, she continued, "Remember the promise you made the day the tradition of eating breakfast together in this family started? This area is supposed to be a free space where there’s no authority or orders.’’Roberto glared at his sister, but the woman seemed completely unfazed as she continued to maintain eye contact with him. ‘’So…’’ she continued, ‘’I don’t want to know what Adrian or anyone on this table did, forget it here and now. At least, until we are done with breakfas
Back To Present...Genevieve stopped dead in her tracks at the heavy anger she sensed in the tone the person who asked the question, even though she was yet to see who owned the feminine voice.She looked down at her body, and back up at the faces of the people in the dining area with her. At least, the faces of those seated at the table right now and were staring back at her. All five pairs of eyes.She recognized Roberto from the previous night, sitting at the head of the table. Her new husband, staring at her like he wasn’t seeing her but someone else.To his left sat an identical looking woman, eyes widened in a mixture of shock and horror, and on his right sat a brunette whom Genevieve had an inkling would either be her age or just older by a few years. This one also looked shocked, but there also seemed to be a hint of fear in her emerald eyes.As if he could not bear her ignoring him any longer, Adrian cleared his throat and Genevieve felt her gaze pulled to the other side of t
‘’Genevieve?’’For the umpteenth time that morning, Genevieve felt her heart leap into her throat at the sound of her name from Roberto's lips. The man had been engaging her in a one-sided conversation ever since she took the seat beside him a few minutes ago. He had asked the brunette, whom he had introduced to her as his niece Aurora, to vacate her seat for ‘his wife’, and proceeded to tell Genevieve that it would be her seating position during breakfast from that day on.Genevieve had agreed immediately. Not only did she know she had no choice in the matter, but she had also been too distracted at the time to refuse. Distracted by Adrian who had held her gaze and refused to let it go. His artic eyes had reeled her in, making her unable to pay attention to what the others in the room were saying or doing.He probably would have held her attention for the rest of breakfast if he hadn’t received a call and left when she had barely taken a spoonful of food. He also hadn’t bothered to
The next half hour passed with Genevieve sorting through clothes in Aurora's closet, as the latter was the one closest in size to her. Under the scrutinizing gazes of the two girls who stood in one corner of the large room, she was quick to pick out a floral print t-shirt, blue denim shorts, and a pair of white sneakers.Once she had made her choice, they left her alone to get dressed, telling her they'd be waiting for her in the car.Minutes later, Genevieve stepped out of the mansion, her breath hitching as her eyes widened in shock at the sight before her. The sprawling estate was surrounded by towering walls, their imposing height a stark reminder of her captivity. She had been unconscious the night before when she was brought here, and now, for the first time, she could take in the exterior of the place she would call home from now on.Inside was already intimidating even though she was yet to have a proper tour, and now outside? Well, what else was one to expect from people like
And there and then, Genevieve settled on the decision to tell them the truth—even though it was only half. What if opening up meant giving she would be giving them leverage over her? If things went well, the opposite could happen and she wouldn’t just gain two friends—she’d have allies who could make her life in this dangerous world more bearable. And maybe, just maybe, when the time came to reveal the true reason behind her actions or she ever found the courage to trust them fully, they might even choose to help her.She took a deep breath, steadying herself before offering a small smile. "You're right. I didn't come here, or marry your father, by choice." That much was true. While she had expected to be bought by someone, she never could have imagined ending up in the hands of a man like Roberto Visconti."I was auctioned off to him last night," she admitted, her voice quieter now. "I... I'm sorry, but I can't share much about my life before that or how I ended up at the auction—"
‘’No, we haven't. However…’’ Annika trailed off as the door was opened from the outside by a guard. She continued, her lips curling into a mischievous smile. ‘’You need to get out now, Eve.’’‘’Wh—What are you doing?’’ Genevieve stammered, her eyes widening in fear.‘’Helping you. It's what we wish others would do to us if we ever find ourselves in the same position as you are now. Go now, Eve.’’ Annika was the one who replied, the smile on her face widening.Genevieve could not help the splutter of disbelief that escaped her lips, ‘’What do you mean? You can’t possibly be—’‘’Well, we are. And we don’t have time for emotional sentiments,’’ Aurora cut her off. She turned to the guard still standing at the door and ordered, ‘’Help her out.’’Bowing slighly, the guard obeyed the command, maintaining a firm but gentle grip on Genevieve’s arm as he pulled her out of the car.‘’What?!’’ she protested, ‘’You two can't possibly leave me here. Your fa—I mean, Roberto might punish you—’’‘’We
The neon-lit banner loomed over Genevieve, casting a provocative glow against the evening. A large V and A were emblazoned at its base, while the overhead lights illuminated a striking image of an intertwined man and woman, masked but otherwise not wearing anything, leaving no secrecy about the nature of the establishment. The six-story building stood like a bold declaration of indulgence and secrecy. "So, Missus," Alejandro’s voice carried a teasing edge as he stepped beside her. "What do you think of our sex club?" Genevieve’s head snapped toward him, her eyes narrowing into a glare. She knew she was to blame for not making sure of where they were bringing her to, but still... "You didn’t tell me it was this kind of place. This is even worse than The Vault." "Better than The Vault, you mean?" Adrian's smooth, familiar voice came from her other side, as he walked over to stand beside her. At the sight of his bandaged arm suspended by his side, her annoyance wavered, replac
‘’We can’t," Adrian replied almost immediately. Genevieve’s face fell.‘’What do you mean we can’t? I wan’t to go there, and you are obligated to—’’"To take you wherever you want, yes," he replied. "But The Vault is on the outskirts of town. Tell me what exactly you want to see there that we can’t find anywhere else in the city, and I’ll believe the hour and a half journey is worth it."Genevieve harrumphed. Did he have to be such a killjoy? If only she could just drop this whole plan, let Adrian be, and not feel guilty about him needing rest…But she did feel guilty. And it would only increase if she let it go.So she sighed, quickly racking her brain for a believable excuse. The real reason she chose The Vault was simple; if they went there, she could get him to stay in his office with her, making sure he rested in a familiar space. But there was no way she could tell him that. He’d never agree.So she went with the next most plausible reason. One that, unfortunately, sent heat ru
"So these men were all eliminated, and the restaurant management didn’t send reinforcements the entire time?"Genevieve lifted her gaze from the book resting in her lap, turning to Alejandro who had asked the question. He was staring into the rearview mirror, watching Adrian and the doctor who had arrived with him—both seated in the back. Unlike earlier, when she had been completely absorbed in her book, she now found it impossible to immerse herself in the fictional world.The worry pressing against her chest was too heavy for an erotica novel to distract her. Not that she had managed to read beyond three lines since they got into the car.Back in the alley, Adrian had ordered Alejandro to get her a spare T-shirt, refusing to let either of them near him until she had changed. Only after she had done so did he allow the doctor to approach and help.Once inside the car, she had taken the front passenger seat while Alejandro slid behind the wheel. Adrian and the doctor had settled in th
The smile dropped from Adrian’s face, his expression suddenly turning serious."Exactly, Principessa. The keyword is 'some.' There are honest officials out there, just as there are dishonest ones. Would you want us to risk spending years in prison when we could just wait here for my men to arrive?"Genevieve’s face fell. Of course, he was right. He was smarter than she was and had been in this life much much longer than she was, so he knew what he should and should not do in situations like this.If it was really safe to go to the hospital, he wouldn't be here, leaning against this dirty wall and risking death by excessive blood loss... right?"So... what do you say?"She looked up, frowning at the smug expression that had taken over Adrian’s face. But as her eyes caught sight of the blood still seeping from his arm, a wave of unease washed over her again.She couldn’t just stand there and watch him bleed without doing something about it. Acting on instinct, her hands dropped to the h
Jaws clenched against the pain, Adrian watched through blurry vision as Genevieve rushed toward him. She caught hold of his injured hand, lifting it gently, likely to examine the wound. Under normal circumstances, he would have welcomed her touch—her initiative to reach out to him—but the sharp, searing pain that shot through his arm at the movement nearly made him grit his teeth harder."Did I offend you?" he asked, his voice strained but laced with a hint of dry humor, trying to mask the agony her action had caused.Genevieve kept her eyes fixed on his injured arm, her worry evident as she replied, "No, why would I be offended?" She couldn't stop tears from welling up in her eyes as she noticed the blood soaking through the sleeve of his t-shirt, the fabric beginning to cling to his skin. "Oh my God, we need to get you to the hospital. Now.""One," Adrian began, his voice calm but firm, "If I didn’t offend you, then let go of my hand before I pass out from what you’re doing." He pa
Genevieve sat huddled inside the cabinet, her legs pulled tightly to her chest, and her arms wrapped around herself in a desperate attempt to hold herself together. "I killed them... I killed them... I did... I—I killed them," she whispered in a low, trembling chant, her voice barely audible over the chaos outside. "I’ll be killed too. It—it’s my f—fault though. I deserve it."Though the air outside was rented with the sound of gunfire and angry shouts in Italian, to her, it all faded into a distant hum. All she could hear was the sound of her own shaky voice, and all she could see, even in the darkness of the cabinet, was the inside of her closet back in her parents’ mansion.The memory was vivid: the luxurious dresses, shoes, watches, jewelry, bags, and costumes that had surrounded her as she waited for her aunt in that dark room.The scene replayed in her mind like a nightmare; her father collapsing, his final words urging her to take care of her mother. Her mother, despite being
Fuck! He’d been shot.It wasn’t that Adrian hadn’t expected it. In fact, just like everything else in his life, except for Genevieve and anything that had to do with her, he had anticipated.But that didn’t make what just happened any less infuriating.Gritting his teeth, Adrian forced himself to dull the excruciating pain in his arm, reducing it to nothing more than a sting. It took only a few seconds—a few seconds in which he didn’t stop shooting.Several of the men were already down, and the hostages they had intended to use as shields were now screaming, crawling across the floor, and ducking beneath tables and chairs. With the entrance still blocked by the intruders, it made sense why they hadn’t tried escaping through the door.So he continued firing, his movements precise, his mind calculating every step the attackers took.Meanwhile, behind him, Genevieve stood frozen, her wide eyes locked onto the blood streaming from his right arm. Her breath had caught in her throat and her
Adrian tilted his head slightly, his mind racing. If his reasoning was correct, it explained why the backup that was supposed to have arrived hadn’t shown up yet. It meant they knew—or at least believed, considering the three dead bodies now sprawled on the floor—that no one would be harmed here tonight.That also suggested whoever had sent these inexperienced, bumbling mercenaries had contacted the restaurant in advance. And the only person capable of giving orders to the restaurant’s management would have to be someone from his own family.A smirk tugged at his lips, as he murmured beneath his breath, "I’ll have fun figuring out which idiot thought this was a good idea later."For now, he sighed, realizing he’d been overthinking things today. Normally, he’d act on instinct, confident that whatever consequences arose would be within his control—even if he took the wrong step. Not that that happened often.But today was different. Today, he had someone with him; Genevieve. Her presenc
The intruders exchanged quick glances, their eyes silently communicating a message that each of them—and Adrian, judging by the expression on his face—seemed to grasp."Did you hear that?" whispered the man with a scar beneath his eye, his voice low but still loud enough for Adrian to hear.Their leader shook his head, a nervous laugh escaping him. "Impossible," he muttered, though his tone betrayed his unease."You think so?" Adrian spoke up, his eyes gleaming with amusement as he noted the mix of fear and confusion flickering across their faces. He tilted his head slightly, his voice steady but laced with mockery. "You’ve been standing here for minutes now, doing nothing but tossing around empty threats and waving those guns like toys. Not a single shot fired. So, let me ask again... what are you really here for?""Shut your mouth if you know what’s good for you!" the scarred man snapped, though the tremor in his voice betrayed his fear. His gaze darted away from Adrian’s, landing