CHAPTER 51Third Person POV[A few hours before the event] Alessandro paced the length of his office, his jaw tightening with each passing second. The rage simmering beneath his skin had grown unbearable these days. Days had passed, and there was still no sign of Amelia. Every avenue explored, every lead followed, had resulted in a dead end. He wanted to be patient, as he had been for a while,, to receive a call from Zac,h, but there was nothing. If he didn't act fast, the psycho could do something outrageous. He couldn’t sit idly anymore. His fingers drummed against his desk as an idea began to form in his mind. "Mike," Alessandro barked. Mike appeared instantly, standing at attention, ready for his orders. "Accept the invitation for the event. I want to see him. Tonight.”Mike hesitated. “You’re sure about that? He’s not the type to make things easy.” "Neither am I. Knowing how foolish he is, he is likely to want to mock me for what has happened. That way — we can eas
CHAPTER 52 “Well, well, what do we have here?”Her blood ran cold. Zach.Amelia’s head snapped around, and her heart sank at the sight of him standing in the doorway, his arms crossed and a cruel smirk on his face. He held a tray of food in one hand, the other casually resting on the doorframe as if he had all the time in the world. "Going somewhere, Amelia?”She didn’t respond, panic surging through her veins. Desperately, she tried to push herself the rest of the way out, her movements frantic now. "Ah, ah, ah,” Zach said, setting the tray down and striding toward her. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”Before she could make it through, he grabbed her ankle, yanking her back into the room. Amelia let out a cry, her fingernails clawing at the windowsill as she tried to hold on, but his grip was too strong. She landed hard on the floor, her breath knocked out of her. "Did you really think you could get away?” Zach loomed over her, his expression dark and unreadab
CHAPTER 53Third Person’s POVThe night was oppressive, shrouded in stillness that mirrored Alessandro’s turmoil. He paced back and forth in the room, his fists clenching and unclenching as he replayed every detail they had uncovered so far. The pieces fit together too perfectly. Mike entered quietly, holding a tablet displaying a map of Zach’s property. “We’ve confirmed increased activity around his house. Guards moving in shifts, additional surveillance. If she’s anywhere, it’s there.”Alessandro stopped pacing, his sharp gaze locking on the screen. “Then we’re done waiting.” "Are you sure about this, Boss?” Mike hesitated. “Zach’s not an idiot. He’ll be prepared.” "If you ever ask that question again until we are done with this, Mike, you'll regret it." He threatened Mike and pushed him out of his way. Alessandro’s jaw tightened, "We move tonight.".....On the other side of the city, Amelia sat in her new prison—a small, sparsely furnished room with a single barred w
CHAPTER 54The fire roared like an unrelenting beast, consuming the building in its entirety. Thick smoke billowed into the night sky, and the acrid smell of burning wood and chemicals stung Alessandro’s nose. He stood outside the blazing structure, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His heart hammered in his chest, screaming at him to go inside, even as Mike’s strong grip on his shoulder held him back. "Don’t do it, Mr Alessandro,” Mike said firmly, his voice barely audible over the roaring flames. “You’ll die if you go in there!” "She’s in there, Mike!” Alessandro snapped, shrugging off his grip. “I can’t leave her!” "You don’t know that for sure!” Mike countered, his eyes wide with desperation. "The fire is wild, sir. If you go inside, you will die!"The fire was blazing furiously — if Amelia was indeed inside the room, there was no way that she was still going to be alive. She would have been burnt down already. Also, if they didn't leave im
CHAPTER 55The car screeched to a halt in front of the emergency ward. Luca jumped out, carrying Amelia’s unconscious and bloodied body in his arms. His shirt was soaked with her blood, and his breathing was uneven, panic etched on his face. "Help! She’s losing too much blood!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the silent night. Two nurses and a doctor rushed out with a stretcher, immediately taking Amelia from him. "What's her condition?" one of the nurses asked as they hurriedly wheeled her inside. "She was in an accident — a fire accident," Luca said, trying to keep his voice steady. "She got hit on her head, and she’s been unconscious since then."The doctor nodded and gestured for Luca to follow. They moved swiftly, disappearing into the surgery wing. Luca tried to keep up but was stopped by another nurse at the door. "You’ll have to wait here, sir. We’ll update you as soon as we can," she said, her voice firm but kind.Luca sank into a nearby chair, running
CHAPTER 56Amelia’s consciousness stirred, her eyelids felt impossibly heavy for her to move, her body weak and sore as though she had been dragged through hell itself. Darkness blurred the edges of her memory, but sooner than she expected, fragments of the cruelty she had gone through in the hands of Zach started to resurface. She winced, her throat dry and raw, and as her senses slowly returned, she realized she wasn’t alone.The sound of deep, uneven breathing filled the room. She turned her head, her movements sluggish, and saw Alessandro sitting in a chair by the bed. His elbows rested on his knees, his head bowed, and his hands clasped tightly together. His face, etched with exhaustion, was unshaven, and the dark circles beneath his eyes spoke of sleepless nights.Amelia wasn't able to figure out things fully yet. "Where…” Amelia’s voice cracked, barely audible. She cleared her throat and tried again. “Where am I?”Alessandro’s head snapped up, his piercing eyes locking on
CHAPTER 57AMELIA'S POVI existed in silence.Days had passed, or maybe weeks—I couldn’t tell anymore. Time had lost meaning inside this gilded prison Alessandro called his mansion. The only certainty I had was the unbearable weight in my chest, the dull ache of hopelessness pressing against my ribs. I barely spoke. I barely moved.I was alive, but I wasn’t living. That was my situation actually. The first time I woke up in this place, I stared at the high, unfamiliar ceiling for hours, feeling a numbness settle deep within me. I remembered his words; he said he cared about me. I wasn't that sure if he understood what that meant because if he did, I wouldn't still be here. What mattered was that I wasn’t free.The first thing I did the day after was ask for my phone. No one answered me.The second thing I did was ask to leave. That request was denied.I had walked to the door in a daze, the world tilting slightly under my feet, but before I could even grasp the handle, Alessandro’s
CHAPTER 58.AMELIA'S POVThe sound of the piano playing softly from downstairs echoed through the quiet house. It was Alessandro’s idea to bring it into the room, even though I had refused to touch it for the past few days. Somehow, he figured out that I liked playing piano. It'd been a while since I played one and because I didn't personally have one, I neglected playing. He had arranged it carefully and placed it next to the large window in my bedroom, where the sunlight would filter in during the day.Yeah, I had my very own bedroom now, but it didn't feel private enough because I still had him intruding on my space. I could feel his presence even when he wasn’t in the room with me, his care almost suffocating me, making me more confused about my life. I was still trying to adjust. Adjust to the fact that I was trapped in his world. Trapped in his house and, perhaps more terrifyingly, in his life,e, I was going nowhere anytime soon. I didn’t want to acknowledge how much I noti
CHAPTER 90 Luca’s gentle insistence had caught Amelia off guard that morning. As they sat in the quiet corner of his sitting room, he leaned forward, earnest eyes fixed on her. “Amelia,” he said softly, “I think you should come to work for me at my company. At least for a while. I can promise you more stability and a place where you’re truly safe.”Amelia looked at him, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. “I—I appreciate that Luca,” she stammered, “but… isn’t it too soon to make such a change?”Luca’s expression softened as he reached out and took her hand in his. “I’m not asking you to abandon everything, Amelia. I just want you to have an option—a safe place where you can breathe. I know what Alessandro has done to you… and I can’t stand the thought of you hurting anymore. This will also be a way for you to get your mind off him and be independent." Before she could respond further, the conversation was abruptly interrupted by the sound of heavy knocks on the d
CHAPTER 89Amelia was just beginning to settle into the quiet tension of Luca's house when the doorbell rang unexpectedly. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she hesitated for a brief moment before making her way to the door. Every nerve in her body was on edge—this wasn't part of the plan.When she opened the door, the last person she expected to see stood there with a bright, worried smile plastered across her face."Mia?" Amelia breathed, her voice barely above a whisper."Surprise!" Mia’s voice was cheerful, but her eyes quickly darkened with concern as she took in Amelia’s dishevelled appearance. Without waiting for an invitation, Mia stepped inside and enveloped Amelia in a tight hug. "I heard what happened. I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing."Amelia stiffened in her friend's arms, forcing herself to keep up the charade. "You didn’t have to come all the way here," she said with a shaky laugh. "I’m... managing."Mia pulled back just enough to search Amelia’s face, her
CHAPTER 88Amelia’s heart was still racing from the scene she had just witnessed. The stranger’s sudden visit had clearly rattled Luca, and no amount of his casual charm could hide the tension in his eyes. As he returned from the doorstep, shutting the door a little too quickly, Amelia decided to press gently. "Luca?" Her voice was soft, concerned, almost hesitant.He looked up, wearing that easy smile she had seen so many times before. "Yeah?"She took a careful step closer. "Is everything okay? You look tensed. Who was that person?"His jaw tightened, just for a second, but it was enough for her to notice. "Just some business. Nothing for you to worry about."The way he dismissed her question so casually made her stomach twist. "Business? At this hour? That's strange. Are you sure you're alright, Luca? One thing you can never do is to perfectly hide from me. You seemed… tense." She repeated. Luca chuckled, brushing past her like the conversation didn’t matter. "I am alright. T
CHAPTER 87Amelia's heart slammed against her ribs. No… not already.She froze mid-step, the weight of the accusation dragging her breath short. This couldn’t be happening. Not yet. She hadn’t even made it through a full day with Luca. Had she found her out?Her palms grew slick with sweat, and her eyes darted around for any way to spin this, any lie that could salvage the situation.But then… silence.Her eyes cautiously shifted toward the source of the voice, her pulse thudding against her throat. But lucky her!Luca wasn’t even looking at her. His back was turned, phone pressed against his ear. He was talking to someone else.The breath she didn’t realize she was holding slipped out in a quiet exhale. God, get a grip, Amelia.Her overactive imagination was going to ruin her before the mission even began.Swallowing the lump in her throat, she composed herself and crossed the room, careful not to draw attention to her sudden relief. Luca ended the call and turned to face her with a
CHAPTER 86THIRD PERSON'S POV Amelia stood outside Luca’s penthouse, her suitcase resting heavily beside her. Her shoulders slumped under the weight of exhaustion—physical, emotional, and psychological. The plan was set in motion, but it didn’t make the act of deceiving Luca any easier. "God help me." She muttered and wiped at her cheeks, smudging tears that weren’t entirely fake and took a deep breath before ringing the doorbell.Luca opened the door within seconds, his sharp features softening at the sight of her. His brows furrowed as his gaze scanned her messy hair, the dark circles beneath her eyes, and her trembling lips. "Amelia?” His voice was low, almost disbelieving. “What are you doing here? What happened? Why are you like this?" Without giving him the chance to hesitate, she threw herself into his arms. Her body shook with carefully crafted sobs. “You were right, Luca,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Everything you said about Alessandro… it’s true.”Luca’s
CHAPTER 85.AMELIA'S POV “No.” I shook my head, my voice firm. “Absolutely not.” “Amelia—” “Are you insane?” I cut him off, standing up. “You want me to go back to him? Are you even listening to yourself right now, Alessandro? You could have just said that you wanted to get engaged to Isabelle instead of telling me to do such a thing.” "Amelia..." He tried to hold my hand but I decided to step back as I continued my words of anger towards him. "What do you even mean by I have to go back to Luca? As what? I wasn't even dating him, so in which manner am I going back to him? Make it make sense! We are nothing but friends, which I have managed to keep that way, so what the hell are you even saying?" "Amelia!" He half yelled and my eyes widened. But then his voice turned soft afterward, "Can you please listen to me without jumping to conclusions? You could have just easily asked me why I said that instead of responding this way."Okay, he was right about that. I clear
CHAPTER 84AMELIA'S POVI smiled as I watched my sister on the screen, her voice filling my quiet room with an energy I had missed. “…and then, Amelia, you won’t believe it! My professor actually said my paper was the best in class. Can you imagine? Me? The best in class?!”I chuckled, shaking my head. “Of course, I can imagine it. You’ve always been smart, Val.”She beamed. “Come on, don't call me that. It makes me feel shy."I shook my head, enjoying the teasing. "I can call you by any name that I want, darling. Momma gave you that name in her journal." "Blessed be the day you came across the name. I even thought you'd forgotten about it." "I have the sharpest memories, darling." "Of course." She rolled her eyes sarcastically while I sighed. "Anyway, it feels so good to hear it from someone else. I worked my ass off for that paper.” She let out a sigh and leaned back on her bed. The background of her dorm room looked slightly messy, with clothes tossed on t
CHAPTER 83Isabelle’s heels clicked against the polished marble floors of her family’s grand estate as she walked in, her fury barely contained. She had stormed out of the restaurant, furious at Alessandro for daring to think he could dictate the terms of their engagement.Although she had expected that he would play this kind of game with her considering the research she had done regarding who this Amelia girl was. However, hearing it from him today only infuriated her the more. She wasn't in love with Alessandro before. When he had come to her father's place to seek help years ago, she had only seen him as a young boy who wouldn't last long in this field. But then, all of a sudden, her father made a condition that he was going to marry her after getting engaged. Isabelle, thinking it was all a joke that wouldn't even come to pass, assured Alessandro that she was going to cut off the engagement later as her father wouldn't be able to go ahead and do anything else to her if she was
CHAPTER 82. Alessandro sat at the reserved table in an exclusive, dimly lit restaurant, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the polished wood. The weight of the situation pressed down on him, but he had already made up his mind. This had to end. Isabelle had to let him go. He would be careful with his words, but he wouldn’t back down.When the restaurant door swung open, Alessandro immediately recognized Isabelle’s presence before even seeing her. She had an aura of control, of dominance. She walked in like she owned the place, her designer heels clicking sharply against the floor. Dressed in a fitted red dress that hugged her body in all the right places, she smirked as she spotted him. “Alessandro,” she greeted, her voice dripping with fake sweetness as she took a seat across from him. “I was almost worried you wouldn’t show.”Alessandro didn’t respond to the teasing in her tone. Instead, he cut straight to the point. “We need to end this engagement, Isabelle.”Her smirk fa