Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lennox

I snapped back to reality when I realized how long I’d been staring at the unconscious Sabiana.

It’s been so many years, yet I still carry the pain of losing her mother. My wealth never brought me happiness. In my world, everything is filthy. I live in hell—that’s the truth. I never wanted this woman back in my life, yet here she is. How did she end up in my place? Her foolish father sold her. That thought made my jaw clench. Sabiana is mine now. Federico will never take her away from me again. I have better plans for her, and I no longer need to think twice about it.

“Bring her to the grand room,” I ordered.

The men immediately moved to carry Sabiana upstairs. I turned back to the window, inhaling deeply.

“Young master,” Helen called me, and I glanced at her briefly. “Do you have any orders for the girl?”

I shook my head. “No. Wait until she wakes up. Just prepare the clothes she’ll need.”

“They’re ready, young master. All the clothes you purchased have been washed and pressed.”

“Good. Just wait for my orders later.” That’s all I said before turning my attention back to the window.

I picked up my phone and searched for Rebecca’s number. The woman answered as soon as I called.

“B-Boss...”

“Sabiana has a bruise,” I said coldly.

“B-B-Boss, we didn’t do that! You know we follow your rules—no one harms women here. S-She arrived with that bruise already. Please believe me. You can check the footage if you want proof.”

Even over the phone, I could feel her fear. She knows my rules in all my businesses.

“Are you saying her father hurt her?”

“M-Maybe, boss, or maybe someone else. I didn’t ask anymore.”

I didn’t respond. I ended the call, set down my wine glass, and received a message from my father. He needed me immediately.

Without hesitation, I turned and left. When I reached the ground floor, I immediately looked for the housekeeper.

“Helen,” I called, and she quickly turned around. “Take care of Sabiana.”

She bowed. “Yes, young master.”

That’s what everyone here calls me, though my men refer to me as “boss.” My father is the Don. If you’re wondering about my world, what is it really? This is the Mafia world. Everything under my control is illegal. I live on the dark side of life. I sacrificed for my brother. Since I don’t have a family of my own, I’ve accepted that I’ll grow old alone. Phoenix, my brother, has his own family now, happily and peacefully married to Paige.

On the surface, you wouldn’t think this is my world. The towering building I own in Makati projects a clean image. That’s the facade of my hidden businesses.

In my office, there's a hidden room located behind a thick wall. It’s covered with mirrored glass, but the moment I place my palm on the sensor, it parts like a curtain, revealing a door secured with a code.

This was my office as the Mafia heir. Beneath this house lies a secret meeting place. The ground opens up to reveal it. It’s like a bunker but far more sophisticated. When it comes to wealth, I am incredibly rich—so much money I can’t even count it. But I am a very lonely man. I feel like I’m destined to die alone.

I FOUND Dad in his home office, holding his favorite goblet. He immediately grinned.

"Come and join me," he invited.

I approached but shook my head. "I just finished, Dad. What's the matter?"

I stayed standing, hands in my pockets. He’s already retired from our organization. I’ve taken over, but the respect everyone has for him remains untouchable. He still attends some meetings and listens, but that’s about it. Now, I handle the entire organization. I run it, and I make all the decisions.

And it’s hard.

I know I don’t have even a sliver of a right to enter heaven when I die. When I see a woman being auctioned and I take a liking to her, I’m the first to buy. After I’m done, others can have their turn. Once they’re finished, the women are free to live wherever they want. But I’ve heard they often return to that line of work, maybe because it pays well, or perhaps they’ve just gotten used to it.

"I heard you bought a woman," Dad said, making me look up. "For fifteen million. Since that business started, you’ve never bought anyone before. You’re never short of women—sometimes you even have two at once. Why did you buy this one?"

I lowered my head slightly, scratching my brow. "Well, she’s not like them. This one’s a bit special, Dad."

"Exactly my point. Why? Do you know her?"

"She’s Henrieta’s daughter," I answered, causing Dad to choke. He immediately set down his goblet.

His goblet, larger than a priest’s chalice and lined with gold, was something he cherished. I have a similar one, as does Phoenix, but we don’t use ours.

"You’ve got to be kidding me, Lennox. Didn’t we think that girl was dead?"

"I thought so too, Dad, but apparently, I was wrong. I just couldn’t find her."

"If that’s true, then her father really wanted to keep her away from you. How did she end up in the auction? Was she kidnapped?"

Unfortunately, I shook my head, and fury instantly burned inside me as I recalled Federico. That bastard sold his own daughter for money. Jesus. If Sabiana hadn’t been lucky, some Arab or Indian might have bought her. That explains why I felt like I was being dragged to check out the auction.

But was she really lucky? When I saw her inside that glass stage, I knew my masculinity had awakened. I never felt this way with her mother, not even when I saw Henrieta almost naked in the maid’s quarters.

"I think her father brought her there."

Dad didn't answer. He kept staring at me as if his mind was like a vehicle on wheels, running in a completely different direction.

"What about her mother, Lennox? Henrieta's death was a sensitive matter, and until now, nobody knows the truth except the two of us."

"I don't want to think about that for now, Dad. What matters to me is that she's back."

"Let me remind you, son, that the woman you dream of being with should be someone who can accept your world. Because if she ever wants to escape, one of our own might end up killing her," Dad told me. My jaw clenched in response.

"She won't find out about our world, so when she finally leaves, her life will still be normal."

Dad nodded. "I hope so."

"Is this the only reason you called me here, Dad?"

"No," he said, standing up.

He set down his goblet, adjusted his trousers, and said, "We're heading to Phoenix's place. Paige called and prepared a late dinner for us. We'll take my limousine. Leave your car here."

I hesitated to join him, glancing at my watch. Sabiana might wake up at any moment, and I wanted to be there when she did.

"Oh, come on," Dad said with a grin. "Your little girl will still be there when you get back," he said as if reading my mind.

"I won't stay long, Dad. I'll leave shortly."

He put an arm around my shoulder, urging me to leave with him.

"It's fine, as long as you show your face to your brother and sister-in-law. Besides, you know your nephew adores you."

I smiled, remembering Phoenix's son. That boy was something I could never have, so I poured all my love into him instead.

Inside the limousine, Dad and I chatted about topics outside the world I belonged to. That was always our way. He avoided asking about our illegal activities. Around him, talking far from our league, I felt like a decent person, forgetting that I was a leader of a filthy organization. When we were together, we deliberately avoided discussing our dark lives.

After dinner, I stayed for only about an hour and left. I hadn't received any messages from my men. I wondered if Sabiana was still asleep after two hours. That seemed impossible. The thought of her unconscious for so long suddenly worried me. What if she was sick or worse? nobody remains unconscious for two hours.

I sped home as fast as I could. Driving straight into the garage, I noticed my staff shaking their heads, struggling to keep up with the speed of my arrival. They were several minutes late.

Getting out of the car, I immediately spotted Dessa, my flustered housemaid. She was darting around, looking anxious, as if trying to find something, until she finally noticed me.

she hurriedly ran to me.

"Master, thank goodness you're here. T-The girl is missing," Dessa stammered, nearly twisting her fingers in fear.

"Missing?" I asked casually. "Did you check the CCTV?"

"Yes, sir. We saw her sneaking out, but when we checked the annex, she wasn’t there. With how big this house is, we don’t know where to find her anymore."

I paused. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something—a silhouette. I didn’t move, but I nodded at Dessa.

"Just keep searching. She can't get past the gate. She's still within the premises, either in the yard or inside the house," I reassured Dessa who was so nervous.

My gate was digitalized. It couldn’t be opened just like that.

"Is there a problem, boss?" Cezar asked me.

"She’s awake, but I think she’s planning to escape."

"Shall we look for her, boss?" he suggested.

"Just stay here. I'll find her," I said, confident that the shadow I saw earlier was hers. She was no longer inside the house but outside.

I walked toward where I thought I saw her. What made Sabiana think she could escape? She must know the security here wasn’t something ordinary. But perhaps that’s just how bold women are—willing to try anything, even flying without wings.

Searching in this house was no easy task, that's why I can't blame my housemaids. The mansion was 7,000 square feet, 10,000, including the private airport, garage, and other areas like gold course and many more. I kept only a handful of housekeepers—five who were staying in and others who came as scheduled. My ten bodyguards occupied a part of the right wing.

I stopped by the wall when I thought I heard hurried footsteps. Light but quick. I sensed her passing by the window, so I went to the other side.

Entering a secret door, I emerged on the other side of the wall. There she was. She turned quickly after peeking around the corner, only to crash into me.

"Ayy!" she screeched, looking up at me.

I crossed my arms over my chest after wiping my palm over a light sensor. The overhead bulbs illuminated our spot.

She blinked, staring up at me, while I simply gazed back at her beautiful face.