Lena crouched besides the bed and blinked back her tears; she had no idea why she was crying, but it hurt.“So stupid,” she cursed herself and cleaned her tears, but they kept rolling down her cheeks. “You are crazy, Lena,” she thought angrily. How could she be crying because he was at the club with some sluts?The door pushed open, and Nero stood there, his brows furrowed when he noticed her crying. She stood up and sniffed back her tears before turning to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.“Why were you at the bar?” Nero questioned, and Lena rolled her eyes.“Did I ruin your fun?” She snorted and pulled her hand away from him, about to leave, but he closed the door and turned to her.“You don’t walk out on me.” He had a threatening gaze, one that would have worked on the old Lena, but now she knew he would never hurt her, so she had no fear of him.“I am sorry, Pope,” she had a mocking tone, and Nero couldn’t understand why she was angry and giving him an a
Seconds felt like hours as Lena stared at her phone, her fingers drumming on the counter. She was waiting—no, hoping—for her sister Linda to call back, but the screen remained stubbornly silent. Her frustration simmered, a fiery urge to smash something boiling beneath her calm exterior.“Lena!” snapped Lorie, the restaurant manager, jolting her back to reality. “Table three. They’re waiting.”“Right, sorry.” Lena grabbed her notepad and pen, hurrying toward the table.Lena paused when she noticed the guests on table number 3. It was occupied by a man and a lady, and they were both in their late twenties. A frown formed on her face. “Linda’s friends,” Lena thought; this was the company her sister joined before she became all rebellious, and it’s been a month she hasn't seen her sister, so she could only ask them. “Where is Linda?” Lena asked at once; she didn't think that these people needed politeness as they lacked one themselves. They both stared at her and snorted; of course th
Lena tried to hurry to her parents but was held by a man; he grabbed her hair and pulled her closer to him. “It’s Linda,” he blurted, and the man who stood by the side dressed in a gray suit approached them and took a proper look at Lena. “Why do you have my parents tied up?” Lena asked angrily when the man showed a coin to Lena. “The boss already spun the coin; I am sure you know what it means,” the man chuckled. He was the Italian Mafia’s spin man, Dante, and since the boss couldn't come all the way to America, he was placed in charge of finding Linda and wiping off her family. “What are you talking about?” Lena asked, What coin, and who was the boss?Dante crouched to Lena’s level and gripped her cheeks tightly. “We trusted you, but you chose to betray us?” he asked, and Lena shook her head in denial as tears rolled down her cheeks. “You must be mistaken; I am not Linda, and please don't hurt my parents,” she burst out in tears, and Dante chuckled. Of course he expected such a
Lena grabbed the sheets tightly as she kept reminiscing of her parents being pushed off the balcony, "Mommy.” She kept crying when her eyes slowly opened; it flickered and tried to balance with the light.Lena scanned her surroundings and noticed she was in a bedroom with white and yellow curtains and was on the queen-size bed. She hurried down the bed and stood by the window and noticed the building was high."Papa,” she extended her hand to try and catch her dad falling off the balcony, but it was just in her thought; her dad was already gone. “Papa!!!” Lena screamed out when the door pushed open and a maid walked in carrying a tray of food and placed it on the bedside table. “Your dinner,” the maid said, as Lena has been asleep since she arrived this morning, so the maid knew she must be so hungry right now.“Who are you?” Lena asked, the maid who smiled at her and walked out of the bedroom. Lena lounged to follow her but stopped on her track when Dante walked in.Fear was visibl
Lena sat on the bed while in deep thought, trying to plot her escape, but Dante had closed the door on his way out, and the building was so high that she couldn't jump from the window.So all she could do was cry and reminisce about her parents deaths, which was caused by Nero. “So heartless,” she clenched her fist, still in deep thought, when the door pushed open and two maids walked in. "Hello, miss,” the first maid greeted, but Lena just glared at them; she hated being here and also hated anyone associated with this house or Nero. “You need to freshen up and get ready; the Pope (Nero) is waiting for you,” she explained, and a tear rolled down Lena’s cheeks. The thought that her parents were no longer alive shattered her, and to think the man who caused this was walking freely. “Maybe I could file a case against him,” Lena thought; all she needed was to get out of this building and hurry to the nearest police station.With this new plan in mind, Lena stood up and walked to the
Lena rolled on the bed and clutched her stomach tightly. It’s been two days and she has been stuck in this bedroom with no food or water; she had to drink water from the toilet and stare out of the window the entire time.“He is a monster.” She couldn't believe he did this to her just because she refused to go out with him, to her surprise or rather excitement. She could hear the sound of keys clicking at the door before it was pushed open.“You have five minutes,” a guard said, and Lena’s gaze moved to the door. She was shocked to find her sister Linda."Linda,” Lena called, her voice just above a whisper.Linda placed the tray of food she was carrying on the bedside table before she sat next to Lena, who quickly hugged her tightly.“How are you doing, sis?” Linda asked, and Lena shook her head as tears rolled down her cheeks.“Did you return his suitcase?” Lena asked at once; all she wanted was to get out of here.“They will kill me, Lena,” Linda muttered as tears rolled down her ch
It’s been more than five minutes since he gave her the order, and she just stood there like a statue. He massaged his forehead and only took his gaze off her when his phone rang.Nero connected the call, and it was one of his men. “Hmm, I am coming,” he answered and stood up, approached Lena, and stood before her.He placed his finger on her chin and traced it down to her chest; Lena’s grip on her dress tightened, and she closed her eyes tightly. She knew there was nothing she could do against him but let him do whatever he wished.“I will be back.” Nero muttered before he walked past her, and she sighed heavily.After he left, Lena took this as an opportunity and quickly dressed up. “Such a monster,” she snorted and scanned the bedroom, wondering how she could escape from him.“I won’t let him lock me up and try to own me,” Lena promised herself before the door pushed open and Nero walked in; seeing her already dressed made him chuckle.“Come on, baby, let’s go,” he stated and signal
“Go after her.” Dante scolded, but they didn't move; their job was to protect the pope and always follow him. Going after the lady will mean leaving the pope without protection.“Get going,” Dante roared at them before they quickly got in and drove after the car, which was already out of sight.Lena drove at full speed; she couldn’t afford to be caught.“I will go to the police; that’s the safest place,” Lena muttered with trembling lips. She kept driving while scanning around the place, trying to locate the police station.“Where the fuck is it?”She kept navigating the car map and finally spotted a police station.Lena parked the car in front of the station and ran in when some policemen held her “Hey.” “Help me, help me, please. I am in danger.” Lena pleaded, and some policemen hurried out to check out the place.“What happened, miss?” the head of the police, Otto, asked. Otto was the head of the police in charge of the fourth local; he asked one of the officers to get her a cup of
Lena crouched besides the bed and blinked back her tears; she had no idea why she was crying, but it hurt.“So stupid,” she cursed herself and cleaned her tears, but they kept rolling down her cheeks. “You are crazy, Lena,” she thought angrily. How could she be crying because he was at the club with some sluts?The door pushed open, and Nero stood there, his brows furrowed when he noticed her crying. She stood up and sniffed back her tears before turning to walk past him, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.“Why were you at the bar?” Nero questioned, and Lena rolled her eyes.“Did I ruin your fun?” She snorted and pulled her hand away from him, about to leave, but he closed the door and turned to her.“You don’t walk out on me.” He had a threatening gaze, one that would have worked on the old Lena, but now she knew he would never hurt her, so she had no fear of him.“I am sorry, Pope,” she had a mocking tone, and Nero couldn’t understand why she was angry and giving him an a
Linda had walked around the building with a curious look, she found the guards surrounding one of the buildings at the far end and her curiousity grew.So she approached the building and was approached by a guard “Do you need something?” he asked and Linda shook her head.“The pope said I could tour around the place if I want, so I just wanted to check this building out as well” she explained and the guard chuckled before he took out his gun and pointed at her.“He also told us not to hesitate to kill you if you ever approach this building” he threatened and Linda stared at him in disbelief, did Nero really give such orders?“Calm down…i am leaving” she turned on her heels and walked back to the mansion and sighed heavily before her gaze moved to Lena who sat on the couch.“Why are you just sitting here all pretty? Is your life so perfect?” Linda scolded and Lena stared at her confused, what did she mean?“Nero killed our parents, and he has you entrapped in this mansion; shouldn’t we
Nero pulled the chair and sat down before he filled a glass with wine and had a sip. Then he realised a lot of gazes were on him, he sighed, “Why the tension? Just eat.”They all nodded and started eating just because they were asked to eat and not because they had an appetite. Lena kept exchanging gazes with Linda, who urged her to talk to Nero.“So…uhm, are you heading out today?” Lena asked, trying to break the silence, and Nero leant back in his seat.“Hmmm, do you wish to come along?” He asked, and she shook her head in denial. The last time she went out with him, she almost lost her life.“Is it okay if I go out with Linda?” Lena questioned, and his gaze shifted to Linda, and he pointed at Otto.“Hmm, he will be your driver.”“Me?” Otto questioned in disbelief; he was an officer and had a job and also crimes to solve; he didn’t take orders from Nero.“Do you have a problem with that?” Nero asked, and Otto clenched his fist before he stared at Lena.“We…we won’t need a car,” Lena
Lena felt weird; she quickly opened her eyes and found Nero next to her on the bed with his gaze focused on her. She jolted up and scanned the bedroom and bed.“Good morning,” he greeted, and she sighed heavily; she totally forgot that she now shared a bedroom with him and even a bed.“I don’t mean to be rude, but it’s very weird when you stare that much,” she said with a frown, and Nero chuckled before he trailed his hand down her cheek.“I liked it more when you were asleep,” he commented and bit his lower lip.“Kiss me,” he ordered, and she clenched her fist. She hated when he ordered her around, and even if he asked nicely with a money bouquet, she still would never kiss him.She walked down the bed and hurried to the bathroom, completely ignoring Nero, who sighed heavily.His phone rang, and he retracted the phone to check the caller. It was Dante. “I am listening.”“We found something interesting about the Morgans. I sent you an email, and you can check it out,” Dante explained,
Nero ignored Lena as she kept swaying her hips by the closet in the pretence of finding a dress. He clenched his fist and stood up before he approached her.“What are you doing?” He questioned, and she stared at him with a confused look.“What?” Lena asked with a tone filled with innocence, and Nero wrapped his hand around her waist, and her body flinched.“Since when did you become a vixen?” He never imagined her doing this intentionally, and Lena shrugged her shoulder.“I think after I missed a bullet today, then I got more courageous to do things,” she replied, and Nero raised a brow. When did she miss a bullet? The bullet was never going to hit her as long as he was the one behind the gun.“Like meet up with the officer?” He questioned, and her eyes widened in shock. Did he know about her conversation with Otto today?“We made a deal, baby. Do you wish to break it?” he added, and Lena shook her head in denial. She never planned to accept Otto’s deal, and Otto also meant no harm wh
Sweat trickled down Lena’s forehead as she clenched her sweaty palms tightly, bracing herself for the pain of wherever she was be shot."That’s cheating!" Quero exclaimed angrily, snapping her out of her thoughts. Lena finally opened her eyes and scanned her body. Nothing. She wasn’t hurt. Then she noticed a few strands of hair on her shoulder and picked them up."He cut my hair," she muttered, frowning before glaring at Nero, who hurried toward her and grabbed her hand."Let’s leave," Nero said, pulling her with him and walking past Quero, who kept ranting about how Nero had cheated. But Nero paid him no attention."Bastard!" Quero spat, his voice laced with venom.Nero sighed, halting in his tracks. Slowly, he turned to face Quero, who stood there with clenched fists, clearly furious that his plan had failed."Right leg," Nero said coldly, and a loud gunshot rang out as the bullet hit Quero squarely in the leg."Ahh!" Quero winced and fell to the ground, clutching his leg in pain."
Lena sipped from her glass of wine, feeling she needed it now more than ever, but Nero’s piercing gaze remained fixed on her."I can’t share a bed with you," she said firmly, and he nodded as though he had expected her response."If you refuse to share a bedroom with me, how about we add another month?" Nero questioned, his tone cold and calculating. Lena pouted. Another month? That was a lot. She wanted to be out of his sight so desperately."You’re trying to make me soften up to you, yet you keep threatening me," Lena admitted, her frustration clear. Nero leaned forward, his intense eyes locking onto hers."Then teach me how to be the man you want," he blurted out, and Lena froze, shocked by his words. They penetrated her ears and heart with surprising ease."Nero..." she began, but before she could say more, a voice interrupted her."Nero!" A man called out as he approached them. Lena frowned when she recognized him. It was Quero. His expression shifted from surprise to amusement a
Lena followed Nero, and they arrived at a stable; there was a horse inside. He was Black and looked dangerous, so Lena had to take a step backwards.Nero pulled the door open and stood closer to the horse. “How have you been?” he asked, and the horse moved its gaze to Lena, who took another step backwards.“Don’t bother about her; she is scared,” Nero said, trying to tease Lena.“She judges a lot and must have judged you as well. Maybe she thinks you are dangerous because of how strict you look,” Nero added, and Lena shook her head in denial.“No, I didn’t judge him…or her.” Lena chimed in, gathered her courage, and took a step forward.“It’s just…just that I have never been this close to a horse or any other animal,” Lena explained, and Nero extended his hand towards her; she stared at it for a while before accepting it and walked closer.He wrapped his hand around her waist, and she flinched a little; she was both scared and nervous.“This is my horse, Nil,” Nero introduced, and Len
Dante took the old woman back to the mansion so she could be taken care of by the health personnel.And Nero had been sitting on the bench next to the pool just watching the water; he was in deep thought before Lena walked to the pool.She held a first aid kit, which she had gone through a lot of effort before she found one. “Uhm…” Lena pointed at Nero’s hand.The blood had stuck to his hand, and his injury was left open; it’s as if he didn’t feel any pain and even forgot he was injured.Nero didn’t reply; his gaze was stuck on Lena’s face… Unlike his mother, he couldn’t see Lena as Linda; he felt they looked very different even in looks.Lena was real; she was love, but Linda was the monster who had ruined his mother.Ignoring his silence and danger, Lena approached Nero and crouched before holding his hand, but he still didn’t flinch.She began cleaning the injury while shivering because she couldn’t imagine such an injury on her, but to her surprise…Nero didn't even flinch for once