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Standing my ground,  I asked bewildered.  “What?”

The gorgeous Italian smirked. “Wrong answer.”

I yelped when he ripped my black dress off. The last defense of my skin on these cold walls and floor was ripped in two. He threw the shred unceremoniously on the floor.

The crease in his forehead was clear, his cold gaze raked my half-naked state. I don't have the best body because I can't buy a proper meal on my salary at the coffee shop. For the last five years, I would line up with homeless people in the feeding programs as I move from city to city.

Food is not my basic need. When you're on the run from people like this man in front of me, money for unexpected escape is the primary need.

“You had your tattoos removed.” Gorgeous Italian murmured mostly to himself. He growled like a pained beast having an inner battle before looking straight into my eyes. “Remove your contacts.”

“I don't wear any,” I replied, hoping this man would stop accusing me for five fucking seconds.

He once again took away the distance between us, his hand gripping my neck, my head slammed on the wall, while his free hand was holding the blade aimed at my eyes. “Stop playing games, Alexa.”

“Por favor, Señor…” I pleaded, his hold on my neck loosening a bit. “My name is Lianna Beatrice Black. I'm not Alexa.”

The gorgeous Italian groaned, his fist colliding with the wall, missing my face by an inch. Harrowed scowl manifested itself in his beautiful face, he punched the wall close to my face again and again. I couldn’t look away nor move because his grip on my neck would tighten with each assault he makes. Letting out a string of curses in Italian, he let go of my neck, pushed my body on the wall, turned his back on me, leaving the cell without another glance at me.

I breathed freely when I heard the lock outside the cell clunk.

Who's Alexa?

That was the question swirling in my head as I sat on the cold floor, my forehead resting on my knees that’s bent close to my chest. My hands were resting on the floor, I can’t even give myself a gentle rub to ease away the loneliness and fear that’s enveloping my body. The frigid life I live sipping on my broken soul. Breaking me all over again.

Why me? What have I done to deserve everyone’s anger? I silently hoped that I would find the answer when I closed my eyes.

Oblivion was kind, it swallowed me whole, taking me to a safe place called a dreamless sleep. Where no one would be able to hurt me.

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~Ace Romano~

This is not possible. I had Luka, my second in command, investigated this Lianna Black Alexa was speaking off.

She looks just like her except for their eyes. Alexa has a pair of cobalt orbs while this woman in my basement has golden chocolate irises.

The moment I tore her clothes off, questions arose in my mind. Alexa has a phoenix ink in her chest to her waist while this girl has clean creamy skin except for the bullet scar right above her heart.

Their hair was different but I knew Alexa loved to change her hair, it didn't bother me that she has gray hair at the club. Although she danced and moved differently I just thought that she was deluding because that’s what Alexa was good at. She's a cunning bitch.

The moment she didn't kill my men in that alley, I thought she just wanted me to play Tom while chasing her as Jerry. When her bike stumbled and she started to run with sprained ankles, I knew something was off.

Running was not Alexa's forte. She’d rather have my men approach her, wait for them to attack her, and get into a hand to hand combat than to flee.

“There’s more,” Luka said, handing me another file but it was about Dante Ariston. My brows raised and my best friend explained further. “Dante owns that girl. She moved to New York two months ago after Dante’s men found her in Portland.”

“Who is this Dante” I remember the girl begging for that man earlier.

“He supplies girls for the Mexican Mafia.” My Italian friend leaned back on his seat and crossed his arm over his chest. “Lianna isn't one of his whores though.”

I gulped down my whiskey. “What is she then?”

“My informant’s lips are sealed on that matter. I offered him a decent amount of money but he still claims he doesn’t know why that girl is important to Dante.’’ Luka looked thoughtful for a while. ‘’Why don't we ask her?” he offered.

Since Alexa killed my father, I took over as Don but I didn't like the idea of hurting women. There were members against my decision in closing the human trafficking part of the business but I gave them two choices. Either they follow me or die. Since then I started cleaning other crime family’s sources of human trafficked girls. Killing their suppliers one by one.

Agreeing with my friend, Luka, and I went to the basement where Alexa's mirror image was being held. We found her sleeping on the floor with her hands on either side of her, her head resting on her knees.

My heart aches at the sight of this girl, she suffered in my hands because she looks exactly the same as the girl I hated all my life.

The loud bang of the door startled her. Her brown orbs passed glances to me and Luka while we stood in front of her.

“Lianna” Luka spoke softly. “What’s your connection to Dante Ariston?”

She stiffened at the mere mention of his name, her eyes showing genuine fear. She stayed seated on the floor trying to cover her half-naked body with her knees. “Just kill me please.” her voice shaking in fear. “I can't go back to him… please, just kill me.”

Luka strode towards her and unclasped the shackles restraining her hands. He removed his jacket and draped it over her body, scooping the girl in his arms. He sat her gently on the metal chair in the middle of the room.

When it came to being a gentleman, leave it to my best friend. Luka always had a soft side for helpless damsels. This girl is not helpless in my opinion. She handled herself very well against my men and she made us sweat in catching her.

The girl's gray hair was a mess, her body was covered with dried blood and she was still shaking in fear when Luka handed her a bottle of water. She coughed when the cold liquid hit her throat.

I leaned on the wall of the cell, watching Luka calm the scared little girl, lighting up another stick of my Treasurer.

“Lian” she spoke after finishing the water bottle's content.

“Is that your nickname?” I mentally rolled my eyes at my best friend's friendly tone.

“Y-yes” she whispered.

Luka nods. “Back to my question earlier, Lian. Who is Dante?”

Her pinkish lips were shivering, pulling the placket of Luka's leather jacket closer to her body. Fresh bruises adorn her small hands. “Are you working for him?”

I snort a huff at her pathetic question. Luka gave me a questioning look while my gaze was locked on her golden chocolate orbs. Such a pretty face for a slut. What a waste. She won’t leave this place alive.

She gulped down as she leered back at me. I was lost in her pool of golden chocolate hues, I would lie if I say I’m not affected by her presence. Whether it’s the fact that she looks like Alexa or the fact that she’s such a pretty little minx, I would never show her compassion though. Her luscious looking lips parted a little as I took the cigarette stick from my mouth and blew out the smoke in front of me, not caring if I’m polluting the air she was breathing in. She pulled her full lower lip between her teeth, my hold on the cigarette stick tightened at her action.

Shamelessly, I eye-fucked her without remorse. DD boobs, her nipples hardening under her white lacy bra. Perfectly tanned skin, her toned legs clamped together as she continued to bite her lip. I smirk, knowing well what’s going on in that thin lacy panties of hers.

She’s too skinny for my taste but I wonder how tight she is. How her moans would sound while she’s withering under me. I’d love to see her fully naked in my bed, waiting for me to give her the best sex she would ever dream of having, waiting for me to allow her release as she screams my name while she clenches me tightly.

Fuck this. Why am I fantasizing about this slut?

“No” my best friend answered. She broke her gaze from me and stared back at Luka. she offered him a shy smile, annoying the shit out of me, he kneeled to level his face on hers. “You can trust us, Lian. Why are you running away from him?”

She rolled her eyes and my hands were itching to slap her behind with that attitude of hers. Teach her not to defy me.

“He sold me to wed Alekovich Orlov.”

The cigarette stick snapped from my fingers.

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