James looked concerned and full of empathy. "Please explain more, I'm getting confused," he said in the most soft and encouraging way possible. "I'm here to listen to you, Marco."Taking a deep breath, Marco was choking on emotional words as he began, "I come from a middle-class family," he said in very measured and slow tones. "Because we could afford basic life needs, but luxury wasn't for us."James nodded as Marco continued to speak. "I lost my mom while she was giving birth," he said in a voice cracking with emotion. "And exactly a year later, I landed in England to pursue my final education."Marco had said that, and James could feel the pain and also vulnerability on his face. "I met a girl on Twitter," he added, with a small smile on his lips. "And eventually, we fell in love. She was so nice.”James's gaze was fixed upon Marco, his eyes glued to the latter's face as he awaited the continuation. "She was my first love," Marco reminisced. "I thought she was the one."Marco took
The banging and clattering broke through the thin walls like thunder, jarring Sera from her sleep. She blinked at the ceiling, disoriented, before realizing that the noise wasn't stopping. Cursing and the sound of cupboards slamming shut cut through the quiet. She rolled over and glanced at the small clock on her nightstand, squinting at the blurry red numbers—2:04 a.m.With a heavy sigh, she rubbed her eyes, pushed herself out of bed, and tiptoed toward the kitchen. She knew this routine all too well, but tonight felt worse somehow, maybe because of how exhausted she was, maybe because she'd actually dared to hope things might improve after the recent scare with the mafia. But as she drew closer to the kitchen, her stomach knotted. He was there, opening and slamming cupboard doors, a whiskey bottle clutched loosely in one hand. She could see his glassy, unfocused eyes even from across the room.“Dad?” she called softly, but he didn’t look up, his muttering only getting louder as he f
Sera stepped up to the counter and set down the few items she’d managed to pick out with her meager budget—a half-loaf of bread, a can of soup, a small carton of milk. She avoided eye contact as the cashier slid the items over the scanner with a blank expression, barely glancing her way. The total flashed up on the register, and she handed over her card, silently praying it would go through.The cashier swiped it once, then paused as the machine beeped loudly, drawing the attention of a few customers in line behind her. Sera's stomach sank as the cashier turned the screen to show the words she dreaded: Insufficient Funds."Could you try it again, please?" Sera asked, keeping her voice low, as if speaking softly could somehow make the outcome different. She felt the beginnings of sweat prickle at her temples as the cashier, now visibly annoyed, swiped the card again.Beep.Insufficient Funds.Someone behind her let out an exaggerated sigh, and then she heard it: the irritated grumbles
Sera tried to take a step back, feeling the walls closing in as the enormity of the situation sank into her bones. But the man by the door moved quickly, a wall of muscle and menace, blocking her path with a smirk that was as cold as the concrete outside. She felt trapped, the exit just out of reach, and a surge of fear bubbled up, turning her legs to jelly.The dark-haired man near the window straightened, drawing her attention as he moved closer. He was tall, his presence dominating the cramped room, and his gaze fixed on her with an intensity that made her shiver. His voice, smooth and deep, slipped into the air like a knife. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, amusement flickering in his eyes as though this was all just a game to him. “Your father has a debt to settle. A debt he can’t pay.” His lips curved into a chilling smile. “And I can’t have people who don’t pay their dues.” He paused, the silence thickening, and his voice dropped to a lethal whisper. “People like th
The dark pre-dawn sky loomed over the city as Sera slipped quietly out of her apartment. The air was crisp and biting, but she barely felt it. All she could think about was the cold, calculated promise of the dark man who had appeared in their home a week ago. His words had cut through her like a blade, a warning that didn’t fade with time but instead seemed to grow sharper, more urgent. I’ll be back to collect, and you’d better be ready to pay.The weight of his threat pressed on her chest like a boulder as she hurried down the cracked sidewalk, her footsteps echoing softly in the stillness. She knew, deep down, that she’d never be able to gather $200,000 in a week, but the only thing she could do was try. Try, and keep trying until the last possible moment.The next seven days became a blur of work, each morning bleeding into the next as she pushed herself to exhaustion. She managed to find extra shifts at the local diner, where she poured coffee, scrubbed tables, and listened to th
Sera was in the middle of preparing a modest dinner, two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, when the front door suddenly burst open with a loud crash. She jumped, her hands fumbling with the knife, and turned toward the door to see three familiar men filling the entryway like a storm. The leader who had haunted her dreams the past two weeks, stepped in first, exudeing an aura so powerful, so menacing, it seemed to cast a shadow over the entire room. His dark eyes scanned the room with a calculated coolness, and she could see the outline of muscles under his tailored black suit.Her father, half-dazed and slouched on the couch, turned and froze. But then he seemed to recognize the man in front of him, his mouth twisting with barely concealed hatred. Stumbling to his feet, he spat the name, “Enzo,” like it was a curse.Sera’s heart skipped a beat. She’d heard that name in passing, spoken in hushed tones among those who dared to even mention it. “Lorenzo De Luca?” she whispered, her voi
Sera thought about all that had happened while sitting in the rich car, distraught and hopeless. The plush leather seat seemed to blend into her frame, while the low purr of the car disappeared into a hum, forgotten. The world belonged only to her thoughts. The view outside was going somewhere-places and people; one passing blur.Enzo did not seem to be in the least bothered with Sera's distress. He was a man who believed in punctuality and efficiency above everything else, and his stern demeanor allowed no nonsense. He got out of the car, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at Sera, his face masked with annoyance and disdain."I believe you haven't been in this kind of luxury car, that's why you are still here," said Enzo with a raised nose, as he stood outside the car, looking right at Sera.The words brought Sera from her reverie to the rude shock of reality. She looked around her, and then, with a bewildered note in her voice, she turned to the driver. "Have we reach
Sera's eyes rounded in surprise, her face afire with indignation."No, Enzo , you can't do that," she shot back, anger raising her voice. "I don't accept this. I just came back, and you want to have sex with me? Really?" She asked, words tripping out in a rush of indignation.The black color fell on Enzo 's face, his eyes flashing with anger. "You do not have the right to say anything," returning and yelling off the walls. "You are my pet, and the sooner this is retained in your mind, the better for you. Okay?" He asked tentatively, keeping the lead under the sound of his voice.The air was thick with tension, heavy with words that should have been spoken long before today. Her heart went on a wild rush, her head spun, as Enzo 's words struck home.She knew she had to tread really cautiously to get out of the dangerous waters of Enzo 's desires and expectations. Yet, she knew she just couldn't give in; she could not surrender without some kind of fight. But to what end was thi
James looked concerned and full of empathy. "Please explain more, I'm getting confused," he said in the most soft and encouraging way possible. "I'm here to listen to you, Marco."Taking a deep breath, Marco was choking on emotional words as he began, "I come from a middle-class family," he said in very measured and slow tones. "Because we could afford basic life needs, but luxury wasn't for us."James nodded as Marco continued to speak. "I lost my mom while she was giving birth," he said in a voice cracking with emotion. "And exactly a year later, I landed in England to pursue my final education."Marco had said that, and James could feel the pain and also vulnerability on his face. "I met a girl on Twitter," he added, with a small smile on his lips. "And eventually, we fell in love. She was so nice.”James's gaze was fixed upon Marco, his eyes glued to the latter's face as he awaited the continuation. "She was my first love," Marco reminisced. "I thought she was the one."Marco took
Marco trudged toward his office, with heavy feet burdened by emotionally heavy thoughts, he thought with great sadness about why such a streak of bad luck in relationships should always be his lot. The mind picking question echoed like a haunting refrain, clashing against Marco's spirit. Not this time with Sera; it was surely supposed to be different. But now, standing here at the door to his office, with his hand hesitating on the handle, he felt once more with terrible force the stab of betrayal. Marco locked the door behind him. The sound of the mechanism clicking into place felt like a disavowal that marked off his reality of isolation. His eyes filled with the familiar contours of his office, yet his consciousness was fixed far away. He was shackled in a raging sea of thoughts concerning the meaning of what he had just seen.A knock on the door, Kpom kpom; silence broke, but Marco did not heed it, He was too initiated in his own fantasies. He walked from one end of the room t
Enzo and Sera were naked, Enzo fucking her so hard it looked as if their bodies were twisted into one. Sera was being penetrated by Enzo while he slaps her ass with his hands gripping her hips. Marco stood there, completely bewildered, almost unable to process the view before him. His jaw dropped , his eyes popping out in shock.Marco stood there with a crimson face, great rage in his eyes and his fist tightly clenched, as if all anguish in the world was wringing them out of his soul. He could’nt take it any longer. The drama before his eyes paralyzed him. He resolutely closed the door behind him, the soft click reverberating in the stifled silence, then turned and walked away with heart-laden steps.Mrs. Isolde's voice picked up where silence left off. "Have you seen him?" she asked with concern. "What was wrong...?" The question trails off as she realizes the silence; there is no reply. Marco seemed too immersed in his turbulence to even hear it.In place of Marco's response came
It was like honey, sweet and soothing, when Sera said, "I don't want to eat." Enzo's hand still gripped the spoon and hovered before his mouth, eyes still tracing hers, raking over her lovely features in search of some hint.Enzo's mind wandered, whispering under the breath that her behavior showed a greater need within her growing desire. And so, tension was in the air. In a low husky voice, he asked, "What do you want to eat?" His voice was only a distraction; it was mostly a distraction for the question that burned within him.Sera's gaze floated downwards, searching for the hidden answers to Enzo's questions upon the surface of the tiled floor.Mischief danced in Sera's eyes as she slowly turned toward Enzo, an innocent smile plastered on her face, causing his heart to race with anticipation as he leaned in closer. In a sultry voice, Enzo whispered, "What about now? I take you into the bedroom, hold your waist in my hands, slide your panties off, and fuck you so hard until all yo
Enzo's walk into the backyard took a long time in coming, for now, his feet were running down to a place where nothing would ever be the same. As he turned the corner, Enzo's sight landed on Sera, tied to a tree, her delicate body tortured with ropes; a near-mocking semblance of a killer beast. His heart stopped, every breath in his throat, his eyes glutted with the view. "No, this cannot be happening to my baby," he whispered to himself, the breath of his words just, and with that he ran toward Sera, his legs moving as fast as they could.Enzo thought that time was crawling as he trotted toward Sera; his eyes remained glued to the girl in her fragile form, worrying him sick. He could easily perceive the fear within her eyes, tears drenched down her cheeks, even the way she bucked with all her strength in a desperate attempt to free herself from the bonds that held her.The fingers of Enzo shook with both fury and apprehension viewing him as he moved to untie Sera, so gentle and pain
"Sera …." Marco shouted, his voice sprawling in that desolate space, but before it would spread further, Mr Tony sprang into action, covering Williams' mouth with his hand, right in the fraction of a second, as if expecting this danger that might be hiding behind every shadow."Do you know her?" Jessica asked in a weak voice with a very minute pitch, as if her experiences had drained her of all energies.Enzo's eyes softened, his lips curling into a soft smile, the seams of his features glowing bright with expression, as in low and measured tones, he replied, "Yes, I do know her; she is my girlfriend," the words tumbling into view amidst a mixture of affection and longing.His words were colored with pride and underlined just how deep the feeling was, but immediately was Mr Tony's rejoinder, his tone laced with skepticism: "I have never heard Sera say you guys are in a relationship," he said, his words hanging in the air, a challenge.Enzo's smile flickered for a moment; the defens
"I just heard the cry of someone," Jude whispered in a low, urgent voice to Enzo and Williams; wide-eyed and full of concern, as the faint sound seemed to reverberate deep within his chest."Let's trace the cry," Marco suggested, his voice barely above a whisper. His words hung in the air like a fragile thread as the trio nodded as one, their hearts pounding in anticipation.They moved with sluggish deliberateness, their tracing of the faint sound through the deserted warehouse; their footsteps echoed off the walls-the only sound that broke the oppressive silence.The cry grew louder, more desperate, leading them upstairs to the uncompleted second story-a labyrinth of exposed beams and dusty concrete that seemed to stretch on forever.They ascended to the top, just about bouncily, soft-hopping to avoid making much noise, their senses at height when they reached the top, where the outline of something shrouded in a black cloth met their gaze."What's this?" asked Tony, his finger point
He immediately sent one of his men, Timothy, to get the GPS from the office. His tone was high and commanding, showing how critical the situation was and how little time they had to act."Timothy, hurry up," said Marshall, looking right into his eyes to drive the point home of how serious the matter before them was and how little time there was to act."A'right, sir," Timothy said, firm and sure, without a quiver, as he immediately snatched up his keys and raced out the door to accomplish what he had to do in the most timely manner possible.Williams, Enzo, Tony, and Marshall were then left sitting anxiously waiting for the return of Timothy while consumed by thoughts of Sera and the search-each person lost in his own thoughts and fears about the outcome of such.Every passing minute felt like an eternity, each being taken further into a different endless void of uncertainty, unanswered questions, and anxiety that deepened the cut.The strong silence was filled with anticipation and
"Good morning," said Marshall and the rest, all smiles, their faces beaming with optimism and reassurance-a look that was quite soothing to Enzo's frayed nerves."Good morning," returned Enzowith appreciation in his tone as he welcomed the team into the house, hoping their skills finally gave him the answers he had so longed for over the disappearance of Sera ."It appears you have just woken up," interpreted Williams, brow furrowed with concern, eyes doing a scrutiny of Enzo's worn countenance."Yeah, your call woke me up," Enzo said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, still trying to shake off the remnants of a restless night."Ah, so sorry, sir," Marco apologized, looking contrite, his voice full of empathy.Enzo waved his hand in a dismissive manner, a gesture indicating appreciation for Williams' concern."No need to apologize, Marco," Enzosaid."We need to get started, and I'm glad you're here to help us find Sera ."Enzo's eyes did a sweep of the room, locking eyes with Marsha