chapter four

Lucia 

I sat in the Russo's family office, my eyes fixed on Dominic's tortured expression. His words hung in the air like a challenge, a gauntlet thrown down. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Dominic, the man I had come to trust, the man I had grown to admire, was a murderer.

My mind raced with questions. How could he have done such a thing? What drove him to commit such a heinous crime? Was the lady worth the death? was he an obsessed creature? And why was he telling me this ?

Dominic's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze piercing through the silence. "I didn't mean to hurt anyone," he said, his voice laced with regret. "I just wanted to protect myself, my family's name..."

I shook my head, trying to process the information. I couldn't believe that the man I had been working for , the man I had come to trust, was capable of such a thing. But as I looked into his eyes, I saw something there that gave me pause. I saw a glimmer of pain, of regret. And I knew that there was more to the story than what he was telling me.

"What happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Dominic sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "I came home, found her in bed with another man," he said, his voice laced with pain. "I lost control, Lucia. I didn't mean to hurt anyone, but I couldn't stop myself."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I listened to the same  words again . I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but a part of me knew that it was true. I had seen the way he looked at me, the way he seemed to see right through me. I knew that he was capable of great passion, great love. And great anger.

"But why?" I asked, my voice firm. "Why did you kill him?"

Dominic's eyes dropped, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I was angry," he said, his voice barely audible. "I was hurt. I felt betrayed."

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications. I knew that Dominic was a complex man, a man with many layers when I first  met him at the casino. But I had never suspected that he was capable of such violence. He has a cheerful innocent face. 

"And your brothers?" I asked, my voice firm. "What role did they play in all of this?"

Dominic's eyes flashed, his gaze locking onto mine. "They had nothing to do with it," he said, his voice firm. "They didn't know anything about it until after the fact."

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications. I knew that Dominic's brothers were involved in the family business, but I had never suspected that they were involved in anything illegal.

"But why are you telling me this ?" I asked, my voice firm. "Why are you confessing to me?"

Dominic's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze piercing through the silence. "I don't know, I want to earn someone's trust, anyone ," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Because I need your help."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I listened to his words. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but a part of me knew that it was true. I had seen the way Dominic looked at me, the way he seemed to see right through me. 

"What do you need my help with?" I asked, my voice firm.

Dominic's eyes dropped, his gaze fixed on the floor. "I need your help to uncover the truth to my brothers ," he said, his voice barely audible. "I need your help to clear my name to my brothers,they hate me because I betrayed them, I left them for a lady who never loved me and they hated me for it  ."

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications. I had never suspected that he would need my help to clear his name.

"I'll think about it  ," I said, my voice firm. "This was never the plan of telling each other about ourselves"

Dominic's eyes flashed, his gaze locking onto mine. "Thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Thank you, Lucia."

I nodded, my mind racing with the implications. I knew that I had involved myself in one of the undertakers dirty secrets  .I am not going to help Dominic. Never. 

I took a deep breath, my mind racing with the implications. I had just listened  to a murderer secret , and I wasn't sure if I was ready for what lay ahead.

"Where do we start?" I asked, my voice firm.

Dominic's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze piercing through the silence. "We start with the truth," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "We start by telling them with what really happened between I and my fiancee ."

I nodded, my mind racing with the possibilities. I knew that Dominic was hiding something, something big. How was I involve in this? a total stranger trying to convince the Russo's family about their own blood brother sins and to make them trust him. How is that my business? I had to pretend I care. Dominic was obviously cunny to get me involve in a chit chat with him. 

"Tell me everything," I said, my voice firm. "Tell me what really happened."

Dominic's eyes dropped, his gaze fixed on the floor. "It was a long time ago," he said, his voice barely audible. "I was young, stupid. I didn't know what I was doing."

I leaned forward, my heart racing with anticipation. "What did you do?" I asked, my voice firm.

Dominic's eyes flashed, his gaze locking onto mine. "I killed him," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I killed the man who was sleeping with my fiancée."

Damn! Same words, that's bullshit. It's that his script? I have heard same words three times. 

"But that's not all, is it?" I asked. "There's more to the story, isn't there?"

Dominic's eyes dropped, his gaze fixed on the floor. "Yes," he said, his voice barely audible. "There's more."

I leaned forward, my heart racing with anticipation. "What is it?" I asked, my voice firm. "What are you hiding?"

Dominic's eyes flashed, his gaze locking onto mine. "I'm hiding the truth," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm hiding the truth about what really happened that night."

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I listened to his words. I knew that Dominic was hiding something, something big. And I was not ready to listen to it.

"You can go," I said, . " I need to get back to work ." my body was trembling with fear. 

Dominic's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze was fierced with anguish, danger. He stood up, walked towards me, rested his hands on my shoulder and whisper into my ears. "I am watching,heart broken Lucia "

I swallowed my saliva so hard down my throat. 

"Where you thinking of getting away with my family secrets and not tasting an oath? "

"An oath? " I stared at his smilng innocent face .

Lucia 

My eyes fluttered open, groggily taking in the surroundings I found myself,all I can remember was that _ . 

I can't remember anything. 

I was lying on a cold, hard floor, my head throbbing with pain. I  struggled to sit up, but I realized that I  was in a small, dimly lit room with red walls. Panic set in as  I scrambled to my  feet, my mind racing with questions.

 How did I get here? What did Dominic do to me? And why was I  in this eerie red room? 

I Suddenly heard footsteps outside the door, heavy and deliberate. 

My heart raced as the door creaked open, revealing a towering figure. 

Dominic! 

His eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity, his smile sinister. "Welcome, Lucia," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "You're going to be here for a while." I let out a scream that was muffled by the sound of the door slamming shut behind him, plunging me into darkness.

There was only one old lantern that was the source of light to the red room .

I launched myself at Dominic, determined to escape or fight to the death. But as we struggled, the lantern crashed to the floor, plunging the room into darkness once more. I felt myself being dragged deeper into the depths of the red room, further into the clutches of Dominic's twisted game. My heart raced and my mind screamed as I tried to break free, but his grip was too strong. I was trapped, at the mercy of a madman. And then, everything went black.

When I came to, I was tied to a chair, my wrists and ankles bound by cold metal cuffs. Dominic loomed over me, his eyes gleaming with a sinister intensity. "You shouldn't have tried to come work for the undertakers, Lucia," he hissed, his voice dripping with malice. "Now you'll have to face the consequences." I struggled against the cuffs, but they were too tight.

 I was trapped, with no escape from the horrors that awaited me.

Dominic's eyes seemed to bore into my soul, his gaze piercing and unrelenting. "You see, Lucia, I've been waiting for someone like you. Someone who can understand me, who can see the truth behind the lies." His voice was low and hypnotic, drawing me in despite my fear. "And now that you're here, I'll never let you go." I struggled against the cuffs again, but they only seemed to tighten. Panic set in as I realized the true extent of my predicament. I was trapped, at the mercy of a madman with a twisted vision. And then, Dominic's eyes seemed to gleam with an eerie light. "Let the game begin," he whispered, his voice dripping with malice.

Dominic eyes bore me into fear that I find myself slowly confiding  in my lost soul I once lost to love . Dominic angrily approached me "I won't hurt you, I want to spank your ass so rough. I want to make you mine before my brothers would play the games "

My tongue seize from defending myself, I stare at him, confused. 

He pulled me from the chair. 

His hands slowly caressed my red gown, I was listening to his breath ,ready to accept his hungry touch. He pulled me closer to him from behind, his palms grabbed my butt so rough that he was not ready to let go. 

His face touching mine. 

I want this. His touch and hunger was different, so, intense that I want him to have all of me. 

He whispers "Be my mistress, I want to own you to myself "