Her mind went wild just staring at the figures. Olivia took in deep breaths, running into the small closet beside the bed and picking out her winter coat. Draping it over herself, she picked the keys to the small black rusty van parked on the lawn and called.
“Aunty Clara, how near are you to the Residential Lobby? I have something to do, can you help me babysit Sofia? I will be back I promise.”
__________
Ding!
[A Sum of Five Million Dollars have been debited from your account]
Vincenzo’s lips curled into a slow, sinister grin. His sharp gaze stayed fixed on the notification, the cold glow of his phone illuminating the darkened room. He leaned back in his leather chair, the dim light of the room casting shadows over his chiseled features. “Five million… interesting,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper as he swirled the whiskey in his glass.
"She finally made her move," he muttered to himself, the grin not quite reaching his eyes. His long fingers tapped the armrest of his chair rhythmically. He looked very much amused why Olivia would need such an amount of money just a day of returning back.
Was she planning on buying her freedom back?
"Interesting," Vincenzo murmured, his voice laced with surprise and coldened chuckle. The room was silent except for the faint ticking of an ornate clock mounted on the wall. His men stood at a respectful distance, waiting for instructions, their heads bowed slightly in deference.
Lifting his glass of whiskey, Vincenzo swirled the amber liquid thoughtfully. "Find out what she needs that money for." he ordered coldly, his piercing gaze shifting to his right-hand man, Enzo. "Freeze every account of hers. I want eyes on her, Enzo. Track her every move. Every step. Make sure she knows that she can’t run anymore. Not from me."
Enzo nodded, leaving the inner room. Vincenzo let out a dark, humorless laughter, his hands brushing over his chest that still had the deep blade scar from five years ago.
How dare she?
She thinks killing me means ending her eternity contract. Impossible, as long as my roots are not cut I, Vincenzo Moretti can never be destroyed.
He stood abruptly from his chair, the leather creaking under his weight. The sound of it filled the silence before he made his way to the grand window of his penthouse.
The room was bathed in sunlight, the warm rays pushing through the glass, but Vincenzo didn’t care for the brightness—it was the contrast he reveled in, the way it illuminated the darkness inside him. The chaos he thrived on.
He stood standing, not moving an inch from the window side. He could already tell who was behind the creaking opening noise of the door behind him. "Who did you say owed us five million dollars in debt?"
He dropped off the whiskey glass at the edge of the tiles of the window and swiftly turned around to meet the man in black, going by the name Sergio.
“Clara Winston Diere, boss. She’s the third aunt of Olivia Derie.”
Vincenzo's grin stretched out with malice hearing that name again—OLIVIA DERIE. His gaze swept across the room, tiredly he slumped onto the couch graciously, his legs raised high above the other until they were crossed majestically on each other.
“Lovely? Every second I have reasons to shoot Olivia dead.” He chuckled as the words were bitter in his mouth. Women were never to be trusted. As frail and fragile Olivia looked, she hurt him more than anybody would and why?
He let his guards down. He allowed himself to be loved and fall in love for once. But what did he get? A dagger to his right artery and left in the living room to bleed out to death!
Not anymore…
Olivia was his last straw of a woman he would ever give such a chance to.
"Looks like we’ll be paying Clara Winston Diere a visit, won’t we? Even better, I heard she was getting married to an old friend of mine. One is a gold digger after a widower’s wife's fortune and the other is a murderer. What a perfect combination of an Aunt and Daughter.”
It was humorless, just like the other part of him was. Peter Bianchi was his late sister's husband. Wouldn't it be a coincidence to drop by at her wedding and ruin it?
He chuckled coldly, inhaling harshly.
“I guess I have to remind Olivia that no one escapes the Moretti family. Not even her precious aunt." Vincenzo's voice had a predatory edge now, his grin widening as he turned back toward the window, eyes gleaming with contempt.
“Understood Sir.”
____________
“Did they hurt you? Oh my, your face.” Olivia ran to Nate tied up in a chair in the basement of a foreign abandoned nursing home in the middle of nowhere. She squatted to his level, untying the ropes that held his legs together to the chair.
On the last untie, she was dragged harshly from the ground, a hand tightened around her neck. She gasped for air, heaving profusely as the gripping only worsened.
“Let go of my sister. Let go of her. She can't breathe.” Nathaniel was the one to chip in, his mouth stuffed with a black clothing and wrapped around his neck. Every second he watched Olivia struggle for breath.
The grip around Olivia’s neck only tightened, her vision blurring as she clawed at the hand choking her. She kicked her legs desperately, her body screaming for air. Her gaze flickered to Nate, who was loosened up from the chair and dragged into an inner chamber.
And just then, he let her go. Olivia fell on the ground, her skin pale white. Her fingers went to her neck, struggling for air. She curled herself up as he moved closer, squatting down to her. “You are very beautiful. You know what, why don't you keep your five million and sleep with me? I can give you benefits.”
His chubby, fat palms reached for Olivia's face, caressing her jaws downwards till it got to her chest. She shook her head, nervously, pushing him away. “Take your money and let my brother be!” Olivia shoved the stacks of cash in hundred of thousands bundles at the old fogey in black.
His laughter resurfaced, deeper and cold like he had no life in him. It echoed through the dimly lit basement as Olivia’s trembling hands pushed the money toward him. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, her lungs struggling to reclaim the air she had lost moments ago.
“Take the money and let my brother go!”Olivia demanded again.
The man, a wiry, unkempt figure with a jagged scar running across his jaw, crouched to her level. He picked up one of the stacks of cash, his yellowed teeth showing as he smirked. “This amount isn't even worth the troubles your scummy brother has put me with the big boss.”
“Then I will talk to the big boss.”
“You?” He laughed out loud, clutching to his stomach hysterically. Olivia flinched as he reached for her face again, but this time, he grabbed her chin firmly, forcing her to look into his cold, calculating eyes. “No one goes to the big boss and comes out alive. I am saving you the trouble.”
He tilted his head, studying her as if she were some rare artifact. “But, since you’re so eager to pay, let’s make this interesting. Quadruple the money, and I’ll think about letting your brother go unharmed. Otherwise…” He trailed off, gesturing vaguely toward the door where Nate had been dragged.
“I can pay quadruple,” She clasped her palms together with a pleading look and took out her phone. She swiped over to the account and found nothing. Her entire forty five hundred million was gone.
It was gone.
“What is taking time Young Miss?” He snarled at her slow pace, gazing at his watch impatiently. Olivia gulped in, her face turning white as did her knuckles too.
Her account was completely frozen!
Olivia’s heart sank in her stomach as the realization set in—her account was frozen, and she had no way of accessing her funds. She stared blankly at her phone, her vision blurring with panic.How was that possible? She used it just an hour ago. “Is there a problem, young miss?” His gravelly voice cut through the suffocating silence. He tapped his gold-ringed fingers on the edge of a rusted table, his impatience growing.“I… I just need a little more time,” Olivia stammered, lowering the phone with trembling hands. “Please, just give me a little more time.”The man’s face twisted into a sneer as he rose from his chair, towering over her. “Time?” he spat. “Do you think this is a charity? You have two days. That’s all you get. Two days to bring me the money.”Olivia’s knees buckled, and she instinctively backed away, clutching her phone like a lifeline. “Two days?” she whispered, her face coldened.“If you fail,” the man continued, his tone dripping with menace, “your brother will stil
“Catch her, don't let that traitor escape! Bring her to me dead or alive!” The darkness enveloped her as she sprinted through the rain-slick streets, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. Every step she took felt like a race against death, her lungs burning. She couldn't turn back, she dared not to stop.He was still very much near! She could smell his brutal scent. His last words still ringing in her head, with his blood dripping from her palms. “Run, kitten, run. If I catch you, it’s game over for you and your family.”She didn’t dare look back. She could hear him, his footsteps echoing off the alley walls. His pace must have slowed down but she knew better than to stop when he was after her life. Vincenzo Moretti didn’t need to run. He was a predator, and she had become his prey.The rain poured heavier, drenching her and Olivia was barely clothed—only in a thin, silk robe clinging to her trembling body. Her legs arched, her thighs throbbing painfully, and her hair stuck to th
The cold air outside the airport but on Olivia's skin as she stepped out of the airport. She shivered, slightly sniffing in and squatting to the level of Sofia. “Baby girl, it is cold. Wear your coat well.”Sofia nodded her head obediently, draping the furry brown winter coat over her head. She smiled, and tugged at Olivia's loose straps of her coat. “Let Sofia help you with it.”Olivia chuckled at Sofia's naive manner of speaking in third person. It was surprisingly odd, unique and cute. She ruffled Sofia's hair and strapped herself from the cold. She glanced at the row of cabs lined up across the street and buckled up.It was worth a try to see if Vincenzo didn't have her blacklisted in Paris. With Sofia in her palms, she crossed the road over to the other side, pulling the cab door open, she leaned over. “House 28 in the residential lobby.”“That will be fifty dollars. You can load up with your luggage.” Olivia helped Sofia into the backseat of the cab before sliding in herself. S
Olivia loosened her bra, tossing into the bed and falling tiredly on the bed. She groaned, holding herself together. Two and a half hours invested in getting Sofia comfortable with the new home setting. Olivia let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples as the exhaustion from the day washed over her. Sofia had finally settled in, her soft breaths drifting from the makeshift bed they’d set up in the living room. Olivia glanced over at her daughter, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched her sleep peacefully, oblivious to the storm that had been raging in their lives.She kicked off her shoes, feeling the cool fabric of the sheets against her skin as she lay back on the bed, her phone vibrated on the nightstand, pulling her up from her drowsy state. Olivia groaned, wondering who it could be at this hour. The screen lit up with her brother’s name—Nathaniel.“What is it now?” She muttered under her breath as she answered the call. He was infamous for always calling to ask for mone
Olivia’s heart sank in her stomach as the realization set in—her account was frozen, and she had no way of accessing her funds. She stared blankly at her phone, her vision blurring with panic.How was that possible? She used it just an hour ago. “Is there a problem, young miss?” His gravelly voice cut through the suffocating silence. He tapped his gold-ringed fingers on the edge of a rusted table, his impatience growing.“I… I just need a little more time,” Olivia stammered, lowering the phone with trembling hands. “Please, just give me a little more time.”The man’s face twisted into a sneer as he rose from his chair, towering over her. “Time?” he spat. “Do you think this is a charity? You have two days. That’s all you get. Two days to bring me the money.”Olivia’s knees buckled, and she instinctively backed away, clutching her phone like a lifeline. “Two days?” she whispered, her face coldened.“If you fail,” the man continued, his tone dripping with menace, “your brother will stil
Her mind went wild just staring at the figures. Olivia took in deep breaths, running into the small closet beside the bed and picking out her winter coat. Draping it over herself, she picked the keys to the small black rusty van parked on the lawn and called.“Aunty Clara, how near are you to the Residential Lobby? I have something to do, can you help me babysit Sofia? I will be back I promise.”__________Ding![A Sum of Five Million Dollars have been debited from your account]Vincenzo’s lips curled into a slow, sinister grin. His sharp gaze stayed fixed on the notification, the cold glow of his phone illuminating the darkened room. He leaned back in his leather chair, the dim light of the room casting shadows over his chiseled features. “Five million… interesting,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper as he swirled the whiskey in his glass."She finally made her move," he muttered to himself, the grin not quite reaching his eyes. His long fingers tapped the armrest of his chair
Olivia loosened her bra, tossing into the bed and falling tiredly on the bed. She groaned, holding herself together. Two and a half hours invested in getting Sofia comfortable with the new home setting. Olivia let out a deep sigh, rubbing her temples as the exhaustion from the day washed over her. Sofia had finally settled in, her soft breaths drifting from the makeshift bed they’d set up in the living room. Olivia glanced over at her daughter, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched her sleep peacefully, oblivious to the storm that had been raging in their lives.She kicked off her shoes, feeling the cool fabric of the sheets against her skin as she lay back on the bed, her phone vibrated on the nightstand, pulling her up from her drowsy state. Olivia groaned, wondering who it could be at this hour. The screen lit up with her brother’s name—Nathaniel.“What is it now?” She muttered under her breath as she answered the call. He was infamous for always calling to ask for mone
The cold air outside the airport but on Olivia's skin as she stepped out of the airport. She shivered, slightly sniffing in and squatting to the level of Sofia. “Baby girl, it is cold. Wear your coat well.”Sofia nodded her head obediently, draping the furry brown winter coat over her head. She smiled, and tugged at Olivia's loose straps of her coat. “Let Sofia help you with it.”Olivia chuckled at Sofia's naive manner of speaking in third person. It was surprisingly odd, unique and cute. She ruffled Sofia's hair and strapped herself from the cold. She glanced at the row of cabs lined up across the street and buckled up.It was worth a try to see if Vincenzo didn't have her blacklisted in Paris. With Sofia in her palms, she crossed the road over to the other side, pulling the cab door open, she leaned over. “House 28 in the residential lobby.”“That will be fifty dollars. You can load up with your luggage.” Olivia helped Sofia into the backseat of the cab before sliding in herself. S
“Catch her, don't let that traitor escape! Bring her to me dead or alive!” The darkness enveloped her as she sprinted through the rain-slick streets, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. Every step she took felt like a race against death, her lungs burning. She couldn't turn back, she dared not to stop.He was still very much near! She could smell his brutal scent. His last words still ringing in her head, with his blood dripping from her palms. “Run, kitten, run. If I catch you, it’s game over for you and your family.”She didn’t dare look back. She could hear him, his footsteps echoing off the alley walls. His pace must have slowed down but she knew better than to stop when he was after her life. Vincenzo Moretti didn’t need to run. He was a predator, and she had become his prey.The rain poured heavier, drenching her and Olivia was barely clothed—only in a thin, silk robe clinging to her trembling body. Her legs arched, her thighs throbbing painfully, and her hair stuck to th