2.

Alessia

"How... how do you know me?" I managed to whisper, my voice trembling, the question hanging in the air like an unspoken promise. There was something inexplicable in the way our gazes had locked, as though an invisible thread connected us, binding me to this enigmatic man who now held my destiny in his hands.

But he didn't answer. Instead, he turned his attention back to his phone and began speaking in rapid Italian, words that slipped through my grasp like elusive whispers. My heart quickened when I heard him mention something about bringing women. I clenched the hem of my dress, my fingers trembling. Perhaps he assumed I couldn't understand Italian. This could be my chance, my only chance.

As the journey stretched on, every minute felt like an eternity. Panic coiled within me as the car continued to speed through unfamiliar territory. We had been driving for more than an hour, and my heart raced with uncertainty.

Suddenly, breaking through the tense silence, the man turned to me and asked a question that sent shivers down my spine. "What is your name?" His voice was calm, but I could sense an underlying intensity, a quiet threat that made me hesitate before responding.

"Alessia," I answered, my voice trembling as I met his intense gaze. He stared at me for a moment that felt like an eternity, and the weight of his scrutiny sent shivers down my spine. This man was far from ordinary, and the tension in the air was palpable.

As the car finally came to a halt, I saw my chance and wasted no time. Without thinking, I jolted for the door and stepped out, driven by the desperation to escape this terrifying situation. But my attempt to flee backfired when I was hauled back by two strong men, their grip strong. I began to wriggle in their hold, my panic mounting as I pleaded with them to release me.

"You've got the wrong person! I don't know who you're looking for, but it's not me!" I pleaded, struggling against the firm grip of the men who held me.

Angelo stepped out of the car approached me with deliberate slowness, his movements sharp and calculated. The slap that followed was swift and sharp, catching me off guard. I gasped at the stinging pain, my cheek throbbing, and tears welled in my eyes.

"Take her inside." He said dangerously.

I kicked my feet and shouted at the top of my lungs, my voice a desperate plea as I continued to struggle against the firm grip of the men who had dragged me inside. "Let me go! I'm here for a paid trip! I can't waste this opportunity!" I pleaded, my words echoing in the dimly lit hallway, but there was no reaction from the man who seemed to hold all the power.

He pushed me toward a room, and before I could react, the heavy door was slammed shut and locked from the outside. I was trapped, alone in this unfamiliar place, with no one to hear my frantic cries.

I refused to give up. I banged my fists against the door, my voice still carrying my protests. "You've got the wrong person! I have no connection to any mafia! Let me out!"

But my words fell on deaf ears. There was no response, no sign that anyone was listening. It was as if I had been swallowed by a void, left to grapple with the terrifying reality of my situation.

I kicked the door in frustration and turned away, pacing back and forth in the dimly lit room. I ran my trembling hand through my hair, trying to make sense of the chaos that had become my life. What was happening? How had I gone from the safety of my hotel room to this unfamiliar house that seemed to belong to a man I couldn't understand?

Deep down, I clung to the hope that he wasn't really a mafia boss, that if I could just explain the situation, he would realize they had made a grave mistake and set me free. But as the minutes ticked by in agonizing silence, my positiveness weakened, replaced by a growing fear of the unknown.

**

I had lost all sense of time in quite room, my thoughts twisting into a terrifying fear. The silence was thick, and the fear that Angelo was simply biding his time, waiting for the right moment to end my life, consumed me.

Then, the jingling of keys shattered the silence, and the door was pushed open. My heart raced as Angelo stepped into the room, a commanding presence that sent my heart into a turmoil. Fear surged, and I rushed to explain myself. "You've got it all wrong. I know nothing about the Mafia," I stammered, my voice trembling.

He approached me, his tall frame casting a shadow that seemed to swallow me whole. I continued, my words tumbling out in a frantic attempt to make him understand. "I came here for a paid trip, just to enjoy myself. Please, let me go."

But before I could finish my plea, his hand struck my cheek with a force that sent me reeling backward, collapsing onto the bed. The sting on my face burned, and I gasped, disbelief and terror washing over me.

Angelo advanced, his eyes flashing with an intensity that made my heart race even faster. "Shut your filthy mouth," he hissed, his voice cold and cutting. "Did you think I'd spend my fortune on a whore like you for nothing?"

I shook my head, unable to comprehend the nightmare unfolding before me. I opened my mouth to speak, to plead, but his fingers gripped my cheeks forcefully, his nails digging into my skin. I trembled with fear as he stared into my eyes, his words dripping with malice.

"You're here because I brought you here. I can see through women like you, hiding behind a fake face. You're here to satisfy me, and that's what you'll do."

Tears welled up in my eyes, my voice shaking as I begged him to let me go. "I promised to keep silent, to forget everything I had seen." I pleaded But Angelo only laughed, his grip tightening on my arm.

"You're already sold to me," he sneered, his words sealing my fate. There was no escape. I was trapped in a nightmare from which there seemed to be no way out.

Angelo's words cut through the air like a blade, chilling me to the bone. "You're going to be my little whore," he sneered, and a surge of anger coursed through me. "I'm not a whore!" I shot back, my voice laced with strongness.

But my little strength was met with brutal force. A searing slap landed on my cheek, the pain radiating through my face like a wildfire. I gasped in shock as Angelo's fingers dug into my skin, and his eyes bore into mine. He silenced me with his words, telling me that in his world, "Nobody speaks unless he allowed it."

"Women are meant to be controlled by me and you would follow my rules."

I couldn't back down, not now. I had to stand up for myself. "You have no right to control me," I insisted, my voice trembling.

"I don't even know you. I came to Italy for an entirely different purpose. You need to let me go," I pleaded, desperation tinged in my words.

I even threatened to report him to the police. "I will report to the police."

But Angelo's response was a sinister laugh, void of any compassion. In an instant, he pulled out a gun and aimed it directly at me. My body froze, and my heart pounded in my chest. Now, there was no doubt left in my mind. He was undoubtedly a member of the Mafia, and my life had taken a nightmarish, irreversible turn.

He spoke with an eerie calmness, "The police can't help you," he taunted, his voice dripping with venom.

"By the time you leave this house, you'll be six feet under." The threat hung in the air like a dark cloud, and I realized with a sinking feeling that I was truly trapped in this harrowing ordeal.

My entire body quivered as I watched Angelo's finger hover near the trigger of the gun. Time seemed to stand still, and I was trapped in a cage with no way out. But then, in a surprising turn of events, he didn't pull the trigger. Instead, he calmly instructed me to get some rest and then left the room, locking the door behind him.

I exhaled a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, tears blurring my vision as I cried out, "Mom, Dad, I'm in trouble," even though I knew they couldn't hear me. My phone was back at the hotel, leaving me isolated and vulnerable.

I lost track of time in that dark and oppressive room, but it must have been well past midnight when I heard the familiar jingle of keys and the creak of the door. My body tensed, bracing for another confrontation with Angelo. However, to my surprise, it was an unfamiliar woman who stood before me.

She delivered a chilling message, "Master Angelo requires your presence in his room." Panic clawed at my chest. Why did he want me in his room? Did he intend to follow through on his threats and end my life? Or was I merely a pawn in some sadistic game?

I opened my mouth to speak, but the young woman cut me off. "You shouldn't even try to defy Master Angelo because he will end her life completely "

Fear coursed through my veins, but I mustered the last shreds of my strength and followed her out of the room, filled with dread about what awaited me in Angelo's room.

The young woman halted in front of a door and gestured for me to enter. I hesitated, my body trembling with fear. But her warning echoed in my mind, and I knew I couldn't defy Angelo. It might truly be the end of me.

With a shiver running down my spine, I grasped the doorknob and pushed the door open. A gasp escaped my lips when I saw Angelo lying naked in bed, his lower half exposed. Dread clawed at me as he ordered. "Strip down."

Despite the thunderous pounding of my heart, I couldn't bring myself to move. Panic welled up within me. Suddenly, Angelo pulled out a gun and fired it into the air. The sound of gunshot sent me stumbling back, and I fell to the floor in sheer terror.

"Strip now!" he barked, his voice filled with menace. I had no choice but to comply, my hands trembling as I began to remove my clothes. Questions swirled in my mind, and I couldn't escape the horrifying realization that I might have been sold as a sex toy, a pawn in Angelo's sinister game.