Chapter 1

Lucia tried calling her sister's number for the third time in a row but the answering machine told her the same thing. Her phone was simply unreachable. It's been almost six months since Liliana left and it's been over a year since she was abusing drugs. Lucia thought her sister would keep her word and quit but it was very easy for her to fall back into that deep dark pit all over again. There was never even a full day of sobriety.

This time she was in a phone booth and had hoped her sister would answer the call knowing it wasn't her number but it never came. Lucia grew more worried each day without hearing anything from Liliana. Lucia always recalled her last argument with Liliana and how that led to Liliana choosing to live her own life on her own terms.

Lucia wanted to try one of her sister's friends now when she heard her name being cried out from across the road outside the booth. It was her friend Elena who was also her dance partner. “Lucia! Do you want to get into trouble again?” Elena called out for her as she rushed out of the little dance studio.

Lucia let out a deep breath and dropped the telephone back in it's place. She didn't want to upset her Madame especially when this job of hers was paying her everyday bills. She couldn't help the tears that came out of her eyes. She wonders when she will stop thinking about Liliana. But she had made a promise to their dying father.

“Lucy!” Elena cried out again and Lucia nodded wiping her tears.

She stepped out of the phone booth and crossed the road to meet Elena. They both were dancers at a famous strip club in their neighborhood somewhere in Russia. Becoming a dancer at a nightclub wasn't something Lucia thought she would ever do. But after running away with her sister and settling in another city she knew she couldn't choose her job. She had to accept whatever was thrown at her. She was no longer the princess of a wealthy family over ten years ago.

The clock was striking 5 in the evening leaving only an hour left before the dance studio closes for the day. Both Lucia and Elena headed back into the small room of the dance studio to meet their instructor Madame Roccio who was wearing a hard frown as usual.

This time Roccio didn't say a word and instead Lucia and Elena began to dance as the warm glow sent from the setting sun bestows on them from the opened glass windows. Lucia was everything of a woman. Beautiful, Dreamy, ethereal and pleasingly alluring. Her entire aura had a different glow and her dance reflected just that.

Lucia was now prepping backstage along with Elena and the other backup dancers. The nightclub was crowded and packed as usual just to come watch Lucia dance. Her ocean blue eyes were a pair of magnets drawing in the customers along with her long brown loose curls. Even her petite body was to perfection.

It was just about the time for them to walk unto the stage and dance with one of the managers Mr Frank already wearing a smirk and thinking about tonight's sales when he looked to his left which was the entrance of the club. His facial expression immediately became troubled as four black Mercedes cars came to park right in front of the club outside. A tall bulky man holding a rifle came to open the door of one of the cars and a tall man stepped out.

It was very strange for a man like Sylvester King to make an appearance to this part of the city which was only known for having a bad reputation. But at the same time he was the owner of the club and could come anytime he pleased. Standing at an impressive height of 6’6 with spartan shoulders and a muscular body frame.

Adorned in a dark blue crisp suit spoke everything in volumes about him. Dark and Lethal. Tall, dark and very handsome with black inky hair. A boyish look but a deep scar that crossed and shaved his right eyebrows making him to look more intimidating and dominating. A chiseled jaw and a pointed aristocratic nose added to his striking features. He looked like a man who ruled the world and the reality was no different.

Everyone at the club became still as the doorman with his whole body trembling and hoping Sylvester doesn't even look his way went ahead to hold the door for the mafia King. The music was turned off instantly and silence reigned to the point that Sylvester could hear the sound of his shoes along with his goons.

Lucia also remained still in her place. She also knew who Sylvester King was. Apart from just owning the club she was working in, she knew that Sylvester and his family practically owned the entire city. Even the mayor of their city was a King and he was Sylvester's uncle. The Kings practically ruled the entire city and had the residents in their claws.

Sylvester walked into the club and everyone immediately had their heads bowed. It was a code of respect for him. But more than that the people at the club wanted to know the reason as to why the kingpin himself had to come all the way to this part of the city. Though everyone were scared to bits but the sheer curiosity was much greater.

One of Sylvester's goons gestured for Frank to come and Sylvester asked him. “Where is John?” His deep velvety voice was just as dangerous as his entire presence all together.

“He is in the office, sir.” Frank quickly responded with his face staring down at his floor. Everyone could pick the fear in his voice. This was the second time Lucia was seeing Sylvester. He hadn't come to the club in over four months.

Sylvester only walked up the stairs and got into the office and everybody heard something like a glass breaking and followed by John's loud voice screaming for help. The club was almost emptied by now after hearing John's horrifying screams.

Lucia shivered not even wanting to imagine what was happening to Mr John in the office upstairs. Though John was a terrible and a stingy employer but still, it was very dreading to imagine him right now. Mr King was the death angel himself and had heard lots of stories about his killing sprees if matters weren't done to his orders and likings.

“Ah! Aaaaa! Please spare me don! Aaaaa!” There was this constant harsh sound of something hitting the table. Lucia's whole body was trembling like a leaf while the few people still present at the bar owning to their curiosities had their whole faces going pale.

Lucia wonders what John had done to have made Sylvester personally come down here. She knew it must be something important and that John had messed up big time. It would be a miracle if John was left alive after Sylvester was done with him tonight. They all heard a wiping shattering scream before it all fell into dead silence.

The sound of shoes touching the stairs were heard and soon Sylvester came down and Lucia could now look at him more closely. His eyes were a shiny shade of silver grey and his skin hadn't looked so fine and spotless but then her feet grew cold after spotting blots of blood on his fine dark blue suit. Both his sleeves were rolled up to his forearms showcasing his many tattoos all over his bloody arms.

Sylvester didn't have any expression on his face and simply walked past her without a glance with three of his men trailing right behind him. It was one of his goons that informed Frank to take John to the hospital.

Everyone soon saw some guys taking out an unconscious John down the stairs. His head was bloody and had been bashed with something hard. His limbs were broken and his face was smashed from multiple punches. He almost seemed like a dead corpse and Lucia could only blame John for bringing this unto himself.

It was no doubt that Sylvester's presence tonight was bad for the business and had ruined the vibe and atmosphere of the club. News had spread out. Everyone had chosen to leave the club and even Lucia and her dancers had to call it a night. It sucked because the staffs weren't paid their wages for tonight.

Lucia couldn't shake off the scene she had witnessed earlier. She got into the phone booth again and dialed for Liliana's number again. Heaving out a defeated sigh Lucia now chose to head back home to her measely tiny one room apartment. She stopped in front of a hotdog stall on her way home and bought herself two hot dogs as her dinner.

Sometimes Lucia reminisced the old days when she had the choice of choosing her meals and what she wanted and craved for at that precise moment. To think she once had it all only for it to completely shatter in one night. Lucia could still recall how hard it was for her and her sister to enter into this city all alone ten years ago.

Lucia reached her apartment building which was a couple blocks away from the club. She greeted the security who did look scared for some reason but Lucia didn't pay any attention and headed into the building. She pressed the elevator and walked in. She walked out on her floor and saw some of the neighbors outside their flats. All of them staring only at her.

Lucia didn't know why all eyes were on her right now. Somewhere inside her she could feel something was wrong. She didn't ask anything and only proceeded to walking to her apartment when she halted a few feet away from her door. She saw the lock on her door was broken and her door was opened a little. Someone had broken into her apartment.

The first thing that had crossed her mind was that one of her father's enemies had found her but then with shaky legs she held the door knob and pushed the door more only to be harshly pulled inside her apartment and in the next split second she was already on the floor.