HAZEL’S POV: Finally! Marius and I can spend time together again. Mei Zhou can’t do anything against us now. And I hope she’s the last who will ever dare try to ruin us. Time flies by so quickly that I barely notice that Sammy is already speaking a few words with clarity, while Archie can now crawl and sit on his own. Our enemies took away our time as parents to them, that we miss these little things. But I promise to do my best to make it up to them. Our night is filled with laughter as we play, and as we watch cartoons together. It’s a little late when Sammy and Archie have fallen asleep, but I don’t mind. Next, Marius and I have a little chat with papa, thanking him for everything he has done for us. “Anything to make you and my grandchildren happy,” papa says, before giving us a big hug. Afterwards, Marius and I head to our bedroom. Marius pulls me into his arms, and I dangle my arms over his neck. Then, our lips lock in a passionate kiss. Gradually, we undress each ot
As I slowly regain my consciousness, I realize that I’m blindfolded, gagged, and tied up. I’m also on something soft and quite shaky - a car? No, cars’ seats don’t feel like this. So, where am I? My desperation to find Marius, and make sure he’s safe gives me strength to move. I roll, then thud! I hiss in pain when I hit something akin to a carpeted floor. Then I jerk in fear when a pair of hands touch me, while an unfamiliar voice of a woman echoing, “Are you, okay? You shouldn’t move too much. We’ll land at our destination soon.” Land?! We’re in a plane?! I wiggle as aggressively as I can, but the metals on my wrists and ankles are not loosening and only biting my skin. I scream. Though it’s muffled, whoever is with me pulls down the gag from my mouth. “Who are you? Where are you bringing me?” I ask. “I’m just a flight attendant hired by someone I don’t know. And we’re gonna land in Sicily, Italy soon,” the voice says. Confusion continues to engulf me. “But why?!” The wo
I’m being bathed by women in uniforms. Aside from their young looks, they’re all pretty. Intrigued, I ask, “Are you Adriano’s… uhm… slaves?” They glance at each other, then their shoulders slump in sadness, which makes me feel guilty for asking. “We are, but we’re all once his woman,” one of them says. “If you don’t satisfy him tonight, you’ll become one of us too. He won’t let you go out of his estate. And if you attempt to escape, you’ll be killed just like the others.” Fear grips my chest. I’ve escaped Carter, the mental institution and even my mental distress. But this one will probably give me the most difficult chance of reclaiming my freedom. There are an estimated three hundred bodyguards roaming around the front yard and the entire mansion. Way more than what the wealthiest I’ve ever known have in their own estate. Adriano is a mafia boss, so I expect that he’s also far more dangerous than either Carter or Pierce. I ask again, “Do you know anyone named Marius Thron
Francesca was the younger sister of Adriano who was killed by the Russian authorities during their gnag’s illegal drug operation in Russia five years ago - that’s according to the women in uniforms. They also show me her photo, but she doesn’t look anything like me. I pity Giulia, Adriano’s mother, for desperately insisting that I am Francesca. When Adriano enters my designated bedroom, the women in uniforms quickly jog out of the room. I wanna beg them to stay, afraid that Adriano may try to r.ape me again. But, I also fear that he may punish them because of me. I sink my shaking self onto the headboard again. “Don’t be scared,” he says. “I’m only here to talk.” The genuineness and the softness of his expression sends a wave of relief through me. “Mom starts eating properly again, and also stops crying and going berserk again,” he continues. “Name your price. Pretend as Francesca until she regains her sanity.” At first, I find his request ridiculous. But then I realize, I
MARIUS’ POV: Urg! An excruciating pain explodes through my ribs as one of the armed men’s foot strikes it mercilessly. “Stop being an a.ss here! You’re not a big boss anymore, but just a slave!” the armed man says. I hiss as I force myself to pick up the spade and dig the mud for diamonds again. My exhausted and dirty body keeps on moving, but my head is elsewhere - Hazel. Over the last few days since I’m sent to this illegal mining site, I’ve tried my best to find her. But it seems that she’s not brought here with me. Though I’m worried that I don’t know where she is, I’m also relieved that she’s not here. Hazel won’t survive this harsh condition; working under the sun all day, digging and swimming through muds without proper equipment for a diamond that barely exists. I overhear from the other miners that this illegal mining site is being operated by a mafia gang from Italy. But why, among so many others, are we chosen to be k.idnapped by this mafia gang? It can’t be j
“I’ll give you the best, unlimited s.ex of your life, if you can help me get out of this place.” The lie comes out of me so naturally.. Francesca chuckles. “You think I’m that desperate? S.ex isn’t the only thing that makes my world go ‘round.” “Sure,” I say, leaning onto the chair. “I heard that you can’t step foot in Europe, and that you have to fake your death too to save your gang’s a.ss.” Francesca’s face contorts in anger, but she has no words to deny what I’ve said. So I continue, “If you team up with me, I can use my influence and my father’s wealth to change your identity. I did that to my wife before and it worked incredibly for her.” Interest piques behind her eyes. “Now that I have to take a risk, s.ex is off the table. I want to be your equal instead,” I add. She laughs again. “Equal? Hell, no!” “Fine,” I say, standing up. “Then let your brother treat you as his own slave indefinitely.” Francesca flinches, but says no more. I walk out of her tent without looki
Bang! The bullet barely licks my cheek and makes it bleed, before whooshing past me. “That’s a warning! I’ll kill you the next time you run away!” Francesca hisses as she hands the rifle to one of her men. I’ve escaped death several times before, so I’m not feeling even the slightest shiver of fear with her warning. Still, I must be more careful next time. Her men drag me inside her tent, and I’m too beaten up to fight back anymore. They then toss me on a bunk bed, making me moan in pain.Francesca crouches down beside me, and wipes my wounded cheek with a soaked towel. Once her men step out, she whispers menacingly into my ears, “I’ll give you your freedom, if you help me overthrow my brother and become the Boss of my gang.” “I’m so tired of living behind his shadows, always following his commands but never getting the credits I deserve.” Good! This is my perfect chance to take her brother’s role; controlling her! “First, I need to regain my connections from the powerful in
Italy, at last! I have a strong inkling that this is where the Le Distruzioni has brought Hazel, and that we’ll finally meet again. Francesca and I book separate hotel rooms the moment we arrive. I thought it’s just to spend the night and rest, but it turns out that this is where she’ll keep me while doing things on her own. I’m not sure if Francesca is s.tupid or just careless for always leaving me behind. To avoid suspicion from the Italian authorities, she didn’t bring or contact any of his gang soldiers to guard me, which means I can just escape her anytime and tell the authorities about her. I head into her room where she’s already preparing to leave again. “I thought we're in this together?” I ask sharply. “Do you think I trust that you really wanna help me overthrow my brother? Of course not,” she answers with a hint of mockery in her tone. “You only wanna find out where your wife is. That’s why you wanna stick with me.” Anger flares through me. I clutch Francesca’s jaw