As the second tick by, Mr. Rossi stared at him in stony silence, the air between them growing thick and suffocating. The old man’s jaw worked, grinding slowly back and forth as he weighed the consequences laid so brazenly at his feet.Finally, he tilted his head ever so slightly, an almost imperceptible nod... like a viper sizing up its prey before striking."You overestimate your importance," Mr. Rossi said, his voice so calm it was almost a whisper. "Men like you are always so sure that the world will fall without them." He paused, then leaned in, close enough that Leonardo could smell the faint bite of expensive tobacco clinging to his breath. "It doesn’t."Leonardo’s expression didn’t flinch, but his hands curled into fists so tight that his knuckles blanched white."You’ve been useful, Mr. Varga," Mr. Rossi continued. "Valuable. I won’t deny that. But you're mistaking usefulness for irreplaceability." His lips twitched into a razor-thin smile. "And no man is irreplaceable."Leona
"Rumble!!!""Boom!!""Crash!!"Picking up his pace, Rene Ford ran, clutching the bouquet in his grip and the jewelry box in the other, while the rain pounded around him like a waterfall. The streets of the campus were deserted and he was the only one on the patch of dark road, the sound of thunder reverberating through the air and lightning crackling above him. He ran with all his might, ignoring the flower petals that scattered onto the sidewalk, and kept going as fast as he could. His lungs burned as his heart pumped blood into his veins at a fast rate but his legs didn't even quiver. "This is bad!! This is bad!!" He kept repeating under his breath, the words turning into a mantra. He wasn't sure if it helped to calm himself or not. But he had no time for hesitation now. Tonight was the night he planned to risk it all and nothing was going to stop him.Finally, he busted threw the double doors leading inside, slamming them shut behind him and taking out a deep breath that he h
For some reason, his thoughts turned to that day in October, when he had met Layla for the first time the day their professor paired them as project partners. He remembered after they got an A plus on the project, she jumped into his arms and he lifted her and swung her around with joy, both of them laughing so hard the whole class was stunned and staring.Since that day, she has been glue to him and they have been inseparable. He took every class she took, during his best so she wouldn't fall behind and graduate along with him. This coming Saturday, they were graduating, and he had fulfilled his promise to her that make sure she did, so her family could see her worthy to be their heiress and take over the family business. And now, she was about to finally get the life she wanted."Layla?" Rene finally found his voice again and she snapped her head towards him, a dangerous glint in her hazel eyes and her mouth set firmly in a thin line. "It's you, right?"A scoff escaped Layla's lip
A bitter laugh left Rene's lips as he held his tears behind his lids, fighting his urge to unleash his pent-up fury. "Yeah, a nobody. I'll remember that." "What does that suppose to mean? Are you threatening my girl?" Jason asked with a protective look in his eye.Ignoring him, Rene walked up to Layla, took her hand, and put the jewelry box in her palm, closing her fingers around it, "Goodbye, Layla."Just then, Jason grabbed his arm and yanked him away from her, but Rene's fist collided with his jaw so hard it sent him flying backward.When he recovered, his eyes filled with pure rage, and he charged at Rene once again, sending a hard punch straight to his cheek, but Rene caught his fist midair, twisting it slightly.He threw another blow, but Rene caught his arm and slammed him to the floor, landing another punch to his stomach, which was met with a loud groan, before landing one in his nose. Blood gushed down Jason's face, staining it crimson. "Get off him, you asshole!" Layla
Taking the soak coat off his body, Rene tossed it on his bed and collapsed onto the mattress, burying his head in his hands, and sighed deeply."This is all your faulty Rome." He murmured to himself, clenching his fists.Just then, his ringtone began to go off, and he fished for his phone from in his pocket, staring at the caller ID "Mom."For a moment he hesitated, and then he pressed to accept, bringing the phone to his ear. He heard nothing for a minute, and then his mother's sweet voice flooded his ears."Son, are you there?" Catherine asked, sounding anxious."Mmh," Rene replied, running a tired hand over his face and sighing heavily, "Yeah.. Why are you calling?"Silent for another few moments, Catherine let out a shuddery breath. "I don't know why I called. It's silly really... I'm sorry. I know how important this is to you, and that's not fair to you. You must be exhausted, I just wanted to check in on you and make sure you were okay.""I..." Rene tried, but he didn't know wha
Standing from the floor, Rene swallowed back his fear and gazed over at the dead man on his couch before facing Logan, "Father, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?"A look of fear settled in Logan's eyes, knowing that even though he was in charge of protecting, raising, and training Rene, this was the first time he had called him father while Rome was on the other side of the call."Your dad wants to speak with you," Logan said, withdrawing the phone and showing it to Rene.But he refused to accept it, rage filling his eyes as he stared angrily at the device. Yet, Logan took steps towards him, grabbed his wrist, and put the phone in his hand, commanding, "Master Rome wants to speak with you."Frowning, Rene took the phone and drew it to his ear, hesitating only slightly before saying, "Yes?"After some silent hesitation, the deep baritone voice of Rome spoke up. "Are you alright? Are you safe?""Yeh," Rene said, turning to look down at the dead man."Logan said they were after y
One month later.The living room of the safe house kept feeling like it was closing in around him as Rene paced back and front, unable to sit down. There was so much pent-up frustration that was building inside of him."Young master," Adina's voice sounded behind him, and he spun around in shock to see her standing there. Her hands were clasped tightly together in worry, concern written across her features. "Breakfast is ready. You should eat something."Burying his face into his palms, Rene sighed, letting out another deep breath, knowing that there was little point in resisting. Pushing off the wall, he followed after her, and she led the way into the dining area, where food had already been set out on the table. Taking a seat, he picked up his fork and stared at the food, but he wasn't hungry, instead feeling sick to his stomach.Looking up, his eyes caught sight of Adina standing beside the window, her arms crossed as she regarded him solemnly. "Can I join you?" A voice came f
The tension in the room grew as Rene glared at his father sitting at the table, barely touching their food. The silence was finally broken by Rome, who took a deep breath and looked directly at his son."Your mother has been grieving, Rene," Rome began, his voice steady but tinged with sadness. "Seeing you locked away in this safe house, isolated from the world, has been tearing her apart. I made a promise to her that I would let you have a life in the real world."When Rene furrowed his brow with that stubborn look in his eyes, Rome's expression hardened slightly. "I've arranged for you to marry the youngest granddaughter of the Rossi family. It's a contract marriage, but it will give you the opportunity to live outside this safe house, to have a semblance of a normal life. You will be marrying her in replace of Kia Flores', a servant from the mansion, son."Rene's fork clattered onto his plate as he stood up abruptly, his face flushed with anger. "This isn't what I wanted!" he shout
As the second tick by, Mr. Rossi stared at him in stony silence, the air between them growing thick and suffocating. The old man’s jaw worked, grinding slowly back and forth as he weighed the consequences laid so brazenly at his feet.Finally, he tilted his head ever so slightly, an almost imperceptible nod... like a viper sizing up its prey before striking."You overestimate your importance," Mr. Rossi said, his voice so calm it was almost a whisper. "Men like you are always so sure that the world will fall without them." He paused, then leaned in, close enough that Leonardo could smell the faint bite of expensive tobacco clinging to his breath. "It doesn’t."Leonardo’s expression didn’t flinch, but his hands curled into fists so tight that his knuckles blanched white."You’ve been useful, Mr. Varga," Mr. Rossi continued. "Valuable. I won’t deny that. But you're mistaking usefulness for irreplaceability." His lips twitched into a razor-thin smile. "And no man is irreplaceable."Leona
With the speed of 60mph, Leonardo’s car screeched into the underground lot of the Rossi Enterprise tower, the tires shrieking against the concrete. He barely threw it into park before he slammed the door and stormed across the lot, his boots pounding like war drums. His vision tunneled. His fists ached to hit something... someone.Moments later, Leonardo burst through the revolving doors of the Rossi Enterprise building like a storm tearing through glass. The receptionist at the front desk barely managed to look up before he blew past her, a blur of black leather and fury.“Sir! Sir, you need to-!” she called after him, but Leonardo didn’t even glance back.An unlucky employee, arms full of files, crossed his path just as he reached the elevators. Leonardo shoved her aside with a brutal swipe of his arm. She cried out, the papers flying from her hands as she stumbled to the floor. He didn’t stop. Didn’t apologize. His boots thundered against the marble floors as he stabbed the elevato
The bar was dimly lit, smoke curling lazily toward the cracked ceiling fans, and the low murmur of conversations filled the air like static. Leonardo pushed the door open with a grunt, the heavy wood creaking in protest. He paused for a beat, letting his eyes adjust. It smelled like old whiskey and regret... fitting, really.He hated places like this. Hated the desperation that clung to the customer like a second skin.He scanned the room once, twice, his patience already running thin. Then he spotted a familiar, irritatingly eager wave from a booth tucked near the back.Benjamin. Grinning like a rat who just found a hole in the pantry, waving him in.Leonardo sighed hard through his nose, squared his shoulders, and stalked toward him, his boots thudding against the sticky floor. His leather jacket creaked when he slid into the booth opposite Benjamin.“Why did you call me to this shit hole? What do you want?” Leonardo demanded, voice low, sharp.Already drunk, Benjamin didn’t flinch.
The morning sunlight spilled across the marble floor, golden and warm but not quite enough to soften the tension thickening inside the Rossi estate. Even though it has been two weeks, the walls in the mansion still whisper about the day Jason was slapped and every soul knew about it now.Madam Rossi stood in the hallway, quiet and still, her silk robe brushing softly against her ankles as she listened to the muffled voice of her husband behind the half-open door to his study.He had been up since before dawn, pacing, commanding, orchestrating this celebration as if the fate of the family hung on the thread of imported seafood and ambient lighting.She took a sip of her coffee. Bitter. She didn’t flinch.Inside the study, Mr. Rossi was in full control mode.“I don’t care how rare they are, Alberto,” he snapped into the phone. “You find the scallops. Pay triple if you must. I won’t serve frozen shrimp like some sad cruise buffet.”A pause, then he waved his hand as if dismissing a perso
As his gaze darted across the room, Rene kept the phone pressed tightly to his ear, Gunnar's voice echoing again on the other end."Hello, boss."The words rang in Rene's ear, but he stood motionless, letting the sound linger for a moment longer than necessary. He could feel the stares digging into his skin, hot and prickling, as if the entire room was holding its breath... waiting.After another moment of silent, Jason's frustration burst first."We can’t hear a damn thing from over there!" he snapped. "Put it on speaker, Kia. Now. Let us hear it ring so we can know when he answer.""Yeah, come on," Juan added, arms crossed, leaning forward. "Let’s all hear what he has to say.""If it’s the truth," Luis said, with a crooked smile, "you shouldn’t mind sharing it.""He’s right," Bianca chimed in, her voice cool. "Let Mr. Gunnar confirm that you weren’t with Layla. Or should we be calling her instead?"Even Vittoria, usually more reserved, nodded. "If you want to proof your inocence, It
The silence stretched, taut and expectant. The question lingered in the air like smoke... where was he this morning?Rene’s gaze swept the room, pausing momentarily on each face. They were waiting. Wanting. Ready to pounce.He could feel Maria beside him, her stillness louder than any words she could speak. And that silence... her silence, was what cut the deepest.He inhaled slowly, deliberately. “I wasn’t with Layla.”“Then who?” Madam Rossi’s voice cracked through the air like a whip.Staring at the stone-cold faces in the room, Rene hesitated, knowing full well the weight of the name he was about to speak. “Mr. Gunnar.”The room went still. Like a spell had been cast. Even the distant ticking of the grandfather clock seemed to pause.Mr. Rossi’s expression barely shifted, but Rene saw it. A flicker. Not a surprise. Not suspicion. Fear.It was enough.Rene locked eyes with the family patriarch and took a step forward, voice steady. “Yes. I was with Mr. Gunnar this morning. He reque
The sun dipped low over the horizon as Rene guided the car along the winding road back to the Rossi estate. Shadows stretched long across the dashboard, golden light dancing on Maria’s face. She hadn’t said much since they left the restaurant.Instead, she kept her gaze fixed on her phone, screen dimmed but not turned off. Her thumb hovered near the edge, as if deciding whether to press the number or not.Rene glanced at her, his fingers lightly drumming on the steering wheel. "You’ve been quiet."Maria didn’t look up."Everything okay?" he asked."Mmm.""That the same 'mmm' you give when you’re lying to me or the one when you’re annoyed at me?"She finally looked at him, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. "Neither. Just thinking."Rene tilted his head, eyebrows raised. "About?"Maria took one last look at the number glowing faintly on her screen. Then slowly, deliberately, she pressed the side button. The screen went black."Nothing," she said.Rene didn’t believe her. He didn’t pu
The elevator doors slid shut, sealing Jason inside with his grandmother. The silence settled thick between them, unforgiving, heavy, like a noose tightening with each breath.Madam Rossi turned slowly, her gaze fixed on him with the cold weight of generations behind it."You should be ashamed," she said, her brows snapping together. "You stand there, hands in your pockets, watching your fiancée crumble under scrutiny... and you say nothing? You let her lie to you-to us. Do you think silence makes you honorable?"Jason’s jaw clenched, but he said nothing.Madam Rossi’s lips curled into a scowl. "You are a Rossi. You were raised better than this. If Layla is slipping, you are the one who should rein her in. It is your responsibility to keep your woman in check."His nostrils flared. “And what about Maria?” he snapped.Looking away from him for a second, Madam Rossi’s eyes narrowed.“She’s married, isn’t she?” Jason pressed. “To a man who doesn't even act as a Rossi should. But do I see
The sharp slam of Juan’s voice still echoed in Madam Rossi’s ears as she sat motionless behind her desk.Her nails tapped against the armrest... an erratic, frustrated rhythm. For a moment, she thought about pouring herself a drink, something dark and bitter to match the aftertaste of that conversation. But even that felt too indulgent.Instead, with a sharp breath, she stood.The air in her office was thick... thicker than it had any right to be. She needed out.Throwing on her tailored black overcoat, she moved to the door, pushing it open with more force than necessary. Her assistant, a young woman named Eloise, perked up from her desk outside, immediately rising.“Ma’am-”“I’m going for a walk,” Madam Rossi snapped without breaking stride.“Should I call for the car? Or-”“No.” The word came like a tense command. “Do not follow me.”Eloise froze, halfway to grabbing her clipboard. “Of course, ma’am,” she said softly, bowing her head.Madam Rossi didn’t bother to respond. She march