{EDMONDO'S POV}**I slam the door behind me as I walk into my study. I feel the tension in my body, the way the air seems thick with the pressure that has been building up in my skull for hours. My head is pounding like a motherfucker. It's a constant, mind-numbing rhythm that doesn’t stop. It’s like there’s a hammer inside, banging away, relentless and unforgiving.“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I curse to myself, my voice low and ragged. My eyes burn, sore and raw from whatever the hell is happening to me. I feel like I’m losing my grip on everything… everything.I drop into the chair behind my desk, burying my face in my hands. I'm trying to steady my breathing. But it’s no use. The dizziness, the blur of faces; it’s getting worse.The men who followed me in those two SUVs; those faces, their fucking faces... they’re gone. No, not gone. Blank. Like someone erased them from existence.
{CARA'S POV}**What the hell just happened?I had just been with Edmondo not even close to two hours ago, and things were, well, they were fine. He was sweet, affectionate, the way he always was when he wanted to be. I was on cloud nine, feeling the warmth of his attention, his smile. But now? Now he’s back to being this fucking… cold prick.I stand there, staring at him with a sinking heart. One minute, he’s the charming, sexy man I can’t get enough of. And the next, he’s this cold, grumpy asshole. I don’t get it. And I hate not getting it.His face is hard, his eyes unfocused like he’s staring through me, and his voice? It’s sharp, cutting into me like a blade. “Who the fuck are you?”I blink, not even sure if he’s looking at me properly. His expression is all fucked up, and there’s a blankness to it. I feel my stomach twist. What the hell is wrong with him? I wanted
{CARA'S POV}**I blink in confusion. The Blue Room? I stare at the fair lady, trying to piece this all together. I’ve never heard of it. What kind of place is that? Must be a room in this estate. “I wasn't going there. Where's that? Where's the blue room?”She looks like I just said something stupid. Her eyes widen. “Oh, you're not going to the Blue Room?” She whispers, her voice lowering to almost a gasp. “Sorry, you didn’t hear anything about the blue room from me today.”My brows furrow as I try to make sense of her reaction. “No problem... but, um... where can I find Edmondo's mother?" I lean in, lowering my voice just enough to avoid making a scene.The moment I say Edmondo's mother, her eyes widen even more, and she stumbles back. “DIO MIO!” She sounds genuinely horrified. “You… you.”Me what? I nod, trying to make her go on with her words. Though her reaction is starting to make me uneasy.
{EDMONDO'S POV}**I pace the fucking room, my mind a tangled mess. It's been minutes, yet feels like hours, no.. days, goddamn it. Where the hell is Cara? I seethe. The silence of the room is pressing in like a vice. My fingers curl into fists, but there's no one here to fight.I stop, my breath coming sharp. Where's Cara?“Where the fuck is Cara?” I bark, my voice echoing in the dead silence. I don't care if anyone hears me. I rip open the door and storm out into the hallway, practically snarling with rage. My boots slap against the floor like they might be the only thing keeping me grounded.And then there’s a face.It's a goddamn blur at first. A round, unrecognizable blob of a face. But the clothes.. those fucking clothes I know them. I know this shit. This was Donatello, my consigliere. I could smell the bastard’s cologne from a mile away.“Donnie,” I grow
{EDMONDO'S POV}**No. Not in my abode. Not under my roof. And certainly not under my rule.This betrayal, this filth… it burns through me like molten lead. Luigi. My loyal dog. My hitman. My shadow. And now, the man who dared to disgrace me.I storm down the corridor, each step deliberate and each breath heavier than the last. My father’s words echo like a ghost in my mind: “The moment you let your guard down, Edmondo, your own men would be the reason for your downfall as a ruler.” But I never thought the shitty, filth of a dagger would come from Luigi.The blue room door looms ahead, and I shove it open with enough force to make the hinges groan.Inside, the air reeks of sweat, blood, and shame.There are two men and I don't see their faces. But I can tell the difference because one is my captive and my prisoner; Massimo.Massimo is chained, his wrists raw and his face swollen. His shi
{INGRID'S POV}**I can't stop. My anger surges like a storm. Words crash out of me faster than I can think. “You're a monster!” I scream, jerking at the binds cutting into my wrists. “You're the kind of sick, twisted bastard who kidnaps girls! You took my sister, didn't you? You did something to her! Where is she?”He doesn't even blink. Didn't even say a word to me.“Do you even have a soul?” I demand, my voice raw. I'm shaking with fury. “Do you even care about what you've done? If you hurt her… if you touched her; I swear, I'll kill you!”Nothing.The old fool says nothing.He leans against the wall like he owns it, crossing his arms. Maybe he did own the walls, that's if this hellhole is his. His glowing mink brown eyes locked on me with maddening calm. That cold, indifferent stare cuts deeper than any word could. No remorse, no guilt… just nothing.“You think you can get away with this?” I press, my voice rising. I am desperate to make him crack and that's my target. “You t
{GIOVANNI'S POV}**She’s magnificent.Angry. Spitting fire. Thrashing against her binds like a wild animal caught in a trap. Every word out of her mouth is a curse, every movement defiant. It’s… intoxicating.Her fury doesn’t scare me. On the contrary, it excites me. It’s been a long time since anyone has dared to speak to me like that; much less a girl tied to a chair, with no power, no control. And yet, she doesn’t stop.Her defiance is almost admirable. Almost.I lean against the wall, arms crossed, watching her unravel. She’s throwing everything she has at me: words, threats, accusations. Pathetic how none of it lands. Instead, they bounce off me like raindrops. Insignificant raindrops.And then it happens.The moment her anger stumbles, her words falter.I see it; the instant she notices. Her dress which is supposed to cling to her skin…. it's slipping lower. Her body freezes and a delightful blush creeps up her neck. And suddenly, the girl who was all fire and rage is now
{INGRID’S POV}**My throat is dry.The kind of dry that makes swallowing painful. But I can’t let this old man see my weakness. I need to stay sharp. Keep thinking. Every second he stays in this room, watching me, smirking at me, feels like a lifetime.I hate him.I hate his smugness. The way he leans casually against the wall, acting like he owns me. The way his brown eyes track my every movement, making me feel exposed and vulnerable.But I’m not weak. I’ve survived worse.Have I?I shift slightly, testing the binds around my wrists again. They’re tight. But not impossible. If I can distract him, just for a second, maybe I can figure out a way to free myself.A plan starts to form in my mind. It’s ridiculous. It's too desperate.But it’s all I’ve got.“I’m thirsty,” I say, my voice hoarse but steady.He doesn’t react at first. His gaze remains fixed on me and unreadable.“Water,” I add, sharper this time. “You know, the liquid thing people need to survive?”He chuckles. In a
{GIOVANNI'S POV}**She’s an interesting girl, I’ll admit that much. A La Rosa by blood. But nothing about her attitude and behaviour screams it. La Rosa.The name carries weight, even if it’s been dulled over the years. They were once powerful, feared. In Southern Italy. But now? They’re a family clinging to the remnants of a reputation that’s slipping through their fingers. They're collapsing both as a family and in the underworld.And this girl? This girl is a product of that collapse. She reflects downfall.She talks too much, for one. A proper La Rosa would’ve known how to balance words with silence. How to use both as weapons. But not her. She’s loud, impulsive, brash. A stray cat, scratching at anything that corners her.Yet, she’s not entirely stupid. Her mouth moves, tainting the air we share.. with half-baked defiance. But her eyes betray her.Those eyes keep drifting. Not to me. Not to the situation we’re in. But to the bag near my feet. Specifically, to the knife
{INGRID'S POV}**I’m scared. I’m so terrified. My heart is hammering so loudly in my chest and it feels like it’s going to break free. My hands tremble as I try to steady myself. But every part of me shakes. My legs feel like jelly, it's barely able to hold me up. I want to scream, to fight back. But I can’t even find my voice. I can barely breathe with the suffocating weight of the fear hanging in the air I breath.I didn’t expect it to come to this. I thought maybe he was just a man talking. Just words. But when he told me to take my dress off, it hit me. The truth. He’s not just playing around. He’s not just talking. He means it. He wants me, and I’m nothing but a thing for him to use.What else could it be? He wouldn’t ask me to take my dress off unless he was going to take it further. Rape me till he's content. What other reason could there be? The thought claws at me. It scrapes at the edges of my mind like the claws of a kitty cat. I’m too young. I can’t be this. A
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