Chapter 002

I jerked awake as ice-cold water slammed into me, breathing heavily like a fish out of water. I coughed and spluttered as the freezing sensation ran through me like electric shock. My clothes clung to me, and the coldness of the water seeped into my skin, weakening me.

I tried to lift my hands, but it did not budge. Panic coursed through me as I tried to move, but I couldn't. The chair beneath me creaked as I squirmed.

I couldn't see anything either, as a thick blindfold covered my eyes.

Slowly, the memories of the past events came back to me. The mission. The target. The murder scene.

I had to get out of here. I had a hunch that the people who had captured me had something to do with the murder I had witnessed.

Tears burned the back of my eyes. I had to get out of this hell. I had a mission to accomplish. My mother's life was on the line.

"Hello!" I screamed more out of uncertainty rather than fear. I had long silenced my fear since I chose this mission.

"Good. You're awake," a deep, smooth voice with a thick Spanish accent cut through my thoughts. I froze.

My heart raced with the approaching footsteps.

I hated not knowing what was going on. I felt helpless and weak.

The footsteps soon stopped close to me, and I felt a brash palm grab my neck tightly enough to almost choke me.

"Now, I'm not going to ask you twice. Who sent you?"

My brain stopped at that moment as I saw my life flash before my eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I whispered, my voice shaky.

The chuckle from the voice behind me left me uncertain.

Where was I? Who were they?

"Listen here señorita. You're really pretty, you know. It will be a shame for you to lose your life trying to cover up people who I will still hunt down and kill. Now, answer me!"

The fears I thought I had buried resurfaced. This man was obviously not bluffing. The hand on my throat kept closing in more and more, making it hard for me to breathe.

"I-I'm not lying," I choked out, my eyes watering.

Suddenly, I felt the hand on my neck ease off. The sound of another person walking in my direction made me tremble. An expensive cologne hit my nostrils as he stopped before me.

I heard a snap of fingers, and in a split second, the blindfold of my eyes was taken away. I squinted before my gaze finally settled on the person before me.

A loud gasp escaped my lips once I realised who it was.

Standing in front of me, in his six-foot-five glory and clothed in the same white shirt I had seen him in earlier, was my target, Luca Castillo, staring down at me with a cold, steely gaze.

"You recognise me," he stated, more than asked, folding his arms across his chest. "Who are you?"

I swallowed hard. His presence was suffocating, and his eyes seemed to see through me completely. I was not going to let down my guard, however.

"I don't know who you are!" I exclaimed, forcing my voice to sound steadier than I actually felt.

His lips curved upwards in a smirk. "Is that so?" His voice had an edge to it. He signalled the men who were with him, moving away from me.

A shriek escaped my lips as another bucket ice-cold water was dumped on me again. I trembled visibly, goosebumps appearing on my skin.

"If you make me repeat myself again, the next thing that'll happen will make you wish you were never born," he stated, his smirk growing darker.

I felt tears pricked the corner of my eyes. I had finally entered into the den of the devil. I'd be lucky to make it out alive.

If I was going to die, though, I wasn't going to die cowardly.

"I already wish I wasn't born!" I mumbled, irritating him further.

He stared at me for a long moment before smirking. He turned to his men, and another bowl of ice-cold water was dumped on me. At this point, I knew I'd probably get down with a cold.

"Are you willing to talk, or should we skip to the good part?" His gaze drifted to a set of dreadful looking equipment in a corner. My heart leapt to my throat.

Cold and broken, I shook my head, sobbing. "Let me go, please. I've done nothing wrong. My name is Martha. I was looking for my online fiancé when I saw you. I thought you were him. I was looking for him outside, trying to find him when I saw the unfortunate incident. I'm innocent," I cried out, trying to gain his pity if he even had a heart. "Please!"

He stared down at me, his figure looming and frightening. "Do you know what happens to liars in my world?" He questioned, leaning closer to me. My breath hitched in my throat.

His gaze flickered to one of his men who had his hand on a switch.

He turned it on for a split second, and I almost felt my spirit leave my body as the chair on which I was seated sent a sharp wave of electricity through my wet body and a loud scream escaped my lips.

"I call them rata(rats)," Luca wore a sadistic smirk on his face as he spoke. "Rats leave trails, and I don't like trails. I never let a rat escape. I make them beg for death, whether they are the senior council member or a mole in my mafia."

I weakly stared at him, my face wet with my own tears. Was he confessing his crimes?

His words sent more jolts through me, but I held his gaze. I was determined to appear innocent while taking mental notes that I planned to review if I ever survive this.

Our stare off was suddenly interrupted. "Hemos completado nuestra búsqueda sobre ella, Don," a man who just walked in stated, handing him a document.

My heart pounded against my ribcage. I was not Spanish, but when I was informed about the mission, I spent the next three days learning all the Spanish I could. I could tell that that document had to do with information about me.

I was glad that I had taken out the earpiece and that my clutchpurse was nowhere close to me.

I watched as Luca's dark eyes skimmed through it intensely, my heart hanging in my throat. He hummed, closing the document and handing them back to the man before walking toward me.

He remained silent, staring into my eyes with such intensity that almost made me pee on myself. My heart pounded in my ears as I waited for him to speak.

What would my fate be?

“Martha,” he finally spoke, tucking his hands into his pocket, his voice calm yet chilling. “If that is your real name.”

My breath caught in my throat.

He moved closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over me. “I guess you really were just unfortunate to witness my business. You have no connections, no ties, no loyalty to anyone here.”

I nodded frantically, swallowing my panic and grabbing my chance. “Y-yes. I swear, that’s all I am.”

His lips twisted into a sinister smirk, his dark eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t place. “Good,” he said simply, stepping back.

A flicker of hope stirred in my chest, but his next words crushed it entirely.

“Then you’ll have no problem proving your innocence, mi querida,” he continued, his tone dripping with mockery. “If you truly want to survive, there’s only one way.”

I blinked at him, confusion written evidently on my face. “What do you mean?”

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that felt louder than a scream.

"You're bound to me by what you saw. Hence, you have only one option apart from death. I never leave witnesses."

My heart raced as I waited impatiently for him to get to the point.

"The greatest form of loyalty is when we become one. So, you, mi señorita, will swear your loyalty to me by being my bride.”

My heart stopped.

What?