CHAPTER ONE

GRACE

My wrists are burning. My ankles hurt. The cold
embraces me and makes my body shake.

A black blindfold
smothers my vision, plunging me into absolute darkness. I can’t scream, can’t
call for help, can’t even beg for my life—the filthy rag stuffed in my mouth
sees to that. But even if it weren’t there, I doubt I’d have the strength to
utter a single word.

How did I end up like
this?

How did I become a
prisoner in this cold, filthy place?

Who is behind this?

And, more importantly...
why am I here?

The wooden door groans
open with a long, dreadful creak, a sound that sends shivers through me. I
freeze, listening, but nothing follows—only the sound of slow, steady
breathing. Someone is here.

I don’t move. I wait.
Their footsteps approach, deliberate and heavy, until they stop right in front
of me.

“It’s time,” one of them
says.

“At last,” the other
responds before yanking me to my feet.

I don’t struggle. I
don’t fight. There’s no point. These men are monsters—towering, brutal figures
who could break me with a flick of their wrists. I know I have no chance of
escaping them.

The ropes around my
wrists loosen, then the ones around my legs. I don’t deny it—I’m terrified.
What do they mean by "It’s time"?

Finally, they untie the
blindfold. I open my eyes slowly. The room is dim, but I can still make out the
details. My gaze sweeps over the crumbling walls—once red, now fading, black
creeping over half the room like rot. Cracks split the surface. This place will
collapse sooner or later.

Then I see him. The man
in front of me. He’s wearing a suit, but this time, his face is visible. Scars
carve jagged lines across his skin, making him even more terrifying.

“If you scream or try to
run,” he warns, his voice like gravel, “you won’t make it out of here alive. So
do your part, unless you want us to do it the hard way.”

I say nothing. Even with
the rag removed from my mouth, I keep silent.

The other man grips my
neck, forcing me to focus. My body is weak from being tied up for so long, but
I force myself to move, to walk, even though every step is a struggle. My legs
threaten to buckle beneath me.

We leave the room, and
that’s when true fear sinks in. Questions flood my mind.

Is this the end?

Are they going to kill
me?

One thought cuts through
the terror—Kate. My little sister. Sixteen years old, probably waiting for me,
terrified and alone. My parents… they must be searching for me, turning over
every inch of land, sea, and sky.

I miss them.

I miss them so much.

But I can’t cry. I won’t
let them see my weakness. If I break now, I’ll never forgive myself. I take a
deep, ragged breath, forcing the tears back.

The corridor stretches
before us, long and narrow, its deep red walls polished and elegant. Doors line
both sides—room after room, endless. We keep walking until they stop me in
front of one.

“Take her inside and
keep her still,” the scarred man orders. “I’ll go get Candy.”

The other man nods
before shoving me into the room.

The door slams shut
behind us, trapping me inside with him. I stand frozen, my eyes scanning the
space.

Shock washes over me.
The room is filled with women’s clothing—dresses, heels, makeup scattered
everywhere. But what unsettles me most are the mask and handcuffs resting on
the vanity table. My gaze flicks to the opposite wall, where another door
stands closed. A bathroom, maybe.

Before I can process
anything further, a hand snakes around my waist, yanking me back.

A strangled gasp escapes
me, but his large, rough palm clamps over my mouth.

“Shut up,” he hisses.
“If you scream, I swear I’ll kill you myself. Nothing you say will help you. We
don’t like women talking in here...”

I thrash, but it’s
useless. He’s taller, stronger—his grip is iron.

Panic rises as his
breath tickles my neck, his nose pressing into my hair. The sickening sound of
him inhaling deeply sends a shudder through me. His hands start to roam,
fingers creeping up my thighs.

I squeeze my eyes shut,
bracing for what comes next.

Then, suddenly—

The door bursts open.

The man with the scars
stands in the doorway, rage contorting his face. Behind him, a woman stands—her
hair a striking shade of red, velvet-like in the dim light. She looks older
than me, but not by much.

Before I can react,
Scarred Man yanks me away from my attacker with a force that nearly knocks me
off my feet.

Relief floods me, but I
barely have time to catch my breath before the red-haired woman storms forward.
She grabs my assailant by the collar, jerking him close as she spits words at
him in furious, sharp syllables.

“Was zum Teufel machst
du da?!”

(What the fuck do you
think you’re doing?!)

I curse silently,
frustrated that I can’t understand the language they’re speaking.

“Nichts.”

(Nothing.)

Her grip tightens. “Sie
wissen, wie viel Ihr Leben uns kostet?”

(Do you know how much
her life will cost us?)

The man swallows hard.
“Nicht...”

(No...)

“Lass mich nicht in
deinen Arsch treten. Verschwinde jetzt von hier.”

(Don’t make me kick your
ass. Now get out of here.)

With a sharp shove, she
sends him stumbling toward the door. He barely catches himself on a chair
before bolting out of the room.

Scarred Man exhales
sharply, then turns his gaze to the red-haired woman.

“Candy.”

“Yes, sir,” she responds
without hesitation.

“I’m entrusting her to
you. You know what to do.”

“Yes, my lord.”

He storms out, still
seething. The moment the door closes, Candy turns her full attention to me. Her
eyes roam over me, scrutinizing every inch, before she steps closer.

“You’re very pretty,”
she murmurs.

I swallow hard. “What am
I doing here?”

She doesn’t answer.
Instead, she takes my wrist and leads me toward the closed door. My stomach
knots.

“Go inside and shower.
Make sure you clean yourself thoroughly. Understood? Get as clean and
presentable as possible.”

I hesitate. “Why am I
here?” I try again, my voice laced with desperation.

Still, no answer. And I
get it. If I were in her position, I wouldn’t risk my life for a stranger
either.

Resigned, I step inside.
Before I can react, the door clicks shut behind me.

I whirl around,
searching for any possible escape. A window, a vent—anything. But the room is
sealed, its stark white walls and tiled floor giving it the eerie feel of a
surreal prison.

My body folds to the
ground, head resting on my knees as silent tears slip down my face.

A sudden, urgent knock
makes me jump.

“Get out. Now,” Candy’s
voice commands.

I force my legs to move,
peeling off my filthy clothes. The warm water soothes my skin, washing away
grime—but not fear.

Another knock, harder
this time.

“You need to come with
me. Now.”

I don’t answer. Instead,
I grab a towel, wrap it around my body, and step out.

Candy stands waiting,
arms crossed. Her expression is unreadable, but she doesn’t look angry.

For some reason, that’s
the only thing keeping me from completely breaking apart.

Candy moves swiftly,
taking a towel and running it over my hair, my arms, and my legs, ensuring I am
completely dry.

She hands me a bra and
panties, her expression unreadable. I say nothing, numbly obeying as I slip
them on.

Then she extends a red
dress toward me.

Confusion flickers
through me as I take in the design. It’s beautiful, expensive-looking—but far
too short. Wearing it would expose more of me than I’m comfortable with.

“Put it on. That’s an
order.”

My hands tremble
slightly as I take the dress. Slowly, I slip it over my body.

When I’m ready, Candy
moves behind me, tightening the corset to cinch my waist, her hands adjusting
the fabric to accentuate my chest. A sick feeling rises in my stomach.

What is this?

Why am I here?

Next, she presents a
pair of matching red heels. They’re stunning—tall, sleek—but so high I doubt
I’ll be able to walk in them.

“Put them on,” she
repeats.

I comply without
protest, sliding my feet into them.

She takes my arm and
guides me to the vanity. Seated on a small bench, I watch as she moves behind
me again, working on my hair, creating waves that cascade over my shoulders.
The scent of perfume surrounds me as she spritzes it over my skin.

Then she moves in front
of me, pulling out makeup.

Her hands are careful,
precise as she applies it, layering color onto my face. When she reaches my
eyes, blending dark shadows onto my lids, she hums softly. The eerie melody
sends a fresh wave of nerves through me.

Then, she speaks.

“Listen carefully.” Her
voice is firm, carrying an energy that demands attention. “In a few minutes,
you’ll walk out there in front of several men. From there, you’ll see what
happens next. But when you’re on that platform, you must follow three fundamental
rules. If you break any of them, consider yourself dead by the end of the
night.”

Dead?

My breath catches. My
sense of time is already gone—has it really become night already?

I can only sit there,
listen, and obey. I have no choice.

“The first rule—do not
speak. Keep your mouth shut at all times. The second rule—once you have an
owner, you must never reveal anything about your past. No names. No family. No
home. Nothing.” She pauses, her eyes locking onto mine. “And lastly—and listen
well—do not try to run. If you do, they will put a bullet between your
eyebrows.”

A violent tremor runs
through my body.

Did she just say—?

“O-owner…?” I stammer,
disbelief making my voice shake.

Candy opens her mouth,
as if searching for a way to respond, but before she can, the door swings open.

“Is she ready?” Scarred
Man steps inside, his sharp eyes scrutinizing me.

Candy lifts her chin
proudly. “Perfectly ready.”

He strides over,
gripping my chin in one rough hand. His fingers dig into my skin as he tilts my
face, studying me with cold precision. Then, a slow smirk spreads across his
lips.

“Perfect,” he murmurs.
“You’re beautiful. No doubt you’ll make us good money tonight.”

A low, pleased chuckle
escapes him before he turns to Candy.

“Candy.”

“Yes, my lord?” she
replies without hesitation.

“Put the mask and cuffs
on her.”

My eyes widen.

Candy doesn’t hesitate.
“Of course, my lord.”

She retrieves the
handcuffs, holding them out toward me. I don’t resist—it would be useless. My
wrists are bound, the metal tight and unforgiving.

Scarred Man steps in,
ensuring the cuffs are secure before nodding in approval.

Candy moves behind me
again, placing the mask over my face. The world around me darkens, my vision
reduced to near nothing.

“Ready,” she announces.

“Perfect,” he echoes.

Then, he gestures toward
the door.

“Walk.”

I obey.

The door swings open,
and the moment I step outside, the sounds hit me like a tidal wave.

Screams.

Desperate, terrified
screams.

Cries of anger and
anguish.

I suck in a sharp
breath, my stomach twisting as I take in the scene before me.

A narrow corridor
stretches ahead, lined with other girls—girls just like me. Masks. Handcuffs.
Dresses meant to flaunt rather than cover.

But unlike me, many of
them fight.

They thrash, wailing in
protest, their resistance met with brute force.

Some are dragged along,
their bodies limp as they sob hysterically. Others are hoisted onto men’s
shoulders like sacks of grain, their screams muffled by the chaos around us.

This isn’t real.

This can’t be real.

And yet—

I’m here.

The room feels
suffocating, heavy with the weight of sobs, whispers, and the occasional
outburst of raw desperation.

Blondes, redheads,
brunettes—every hair color, every skin tone. Green, blue, brown, hazel eyes
filled with fear. Some girls are tall, others short, some curvy, some thin.

It doesn’t matter. None
of it matters. We are all here for the same reason.

My God, what is this?

A tall man passes by,
carrying a struggling brunette over his shoulder. She thrashes, kicking and
hitting him with every ounce of strength she has left.

Scarred Man laughs.

“What’s going on? Better
control that stubborn mule before I do.”

A chorus of cruel
laughter erupts.

“I’m trying!” the man
carrying the girl snaps. “She won’t stop moving!”

“Don’t even think about
hitting her,” Scarred Man warns. “You know what happens if they see them with
bruises.”

The man sighs in
frustration before dropping the girl onto the hard floor. She lands with a
painful thud, gasping. He grabs her roughly, yanking her up and forcing her to
walk despite the pain written all over her face.

I feel sick.

“Luckily, you didn’t
need to end up like that,” the man escorting me mutters.

I stop in my tracks and
glare at him before quickly lowering my head in fear.

“Keep walking,” he
orders.

I obey, my pace
quickening despite the unbearable ache in my feet from the heels.

The room I enter is
massive. Girls are everywhere—some sobbing uncontrollably, others furiously
trying to escape, their efforts useless. Some are too exhausted, too broken to
do anything but stare blankly ahead.

“Sit there.”

I let my body collapse
onto one of the cold chairs, scanning my surroundings. The room is dim, lit
only by sparkling lights that seem too beautiful for a place like this.

Through the sea of
weeping, I notice one girl—one girl who doesn’t cry.

The brunette who fought
back.

I swallow hard,
gathering my courage.

“Hey…”

She looks at me,
confused. For a second, I think she’ll ignore me—but then, to my surprise, she
smiles. A warm, genuine smile.

“Hello.”

I exhale.

“I’m Grace, but everyone
calls me Gracie.”

Her smile softens. “Nice
to meet you, Gracie. I’m Sasha.”

Before I can respond, an
older man walks past us. His hair is white-gray, his tuxedo expensive,
pristine. He looks exhausted, yet he grips a small microphone with purpose.

Men surround him,
handing him papers, whispering in his ear. He nods as he scans the sheets, his
gaze flickering toward us.

Then, one of the men
murmurs something to him.

It’s time.

Sasha’s hand grips mine
tightly.

“What is this, Gracie?”
she whispers, voice trembling.

I squeeze her hand
gently, trying to steady her.

“Don’t cry,” I tell her
softly. “Don’t show them weakness. I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t know
why we’re here. But whatever you do, when they take you away—don’t scream,
don’t resist. They will hurt you if you do. And whatever happens… do not run.
If you try, they will kill you.”

“They’ll kill us all
anyway!”

The voice comes from the
redhead beside us.

I turn to her, startled.

Sasha leans closer,
whispering, “She’s in shock. She’s from a small farm—this must be even more
terrifying for her.”

The redhead suddenly
bolts upright, her eyes wild.

“You’ll see! I’ll
escape!” she cries. “God, please have mercy on me! Mom! Dad! I have to get out
of here! Please! I have to escape!”

Sasha’s grip tightens
around my fingers.

“Stop being so
loud—they’re going to shoot you!”

“Hey.”

The voice is sharp,
filled with venom.

“Shut up, you stupid
bitch!”

One of the guards steps
forward, gun drawn.

The entire room erupts
into louder sobs.

Sasha looks at me, her
fear mirroring my own. Without thinking, I take her hand again and give her a
small, reassuring smile.

I don’t know why I do
it. Maybe I just need to believe, for even a second, that there’s still
kindness in the world.

Then, we wait.

Several provocatively
dressed women emerge, trays in hand, carrying glasses filled with alcohol. They
disappear behind a massive curtain.

That means—

My stomach drops.

We are behind a stage.

The room falls into a
tense silence, broken only by the heavy footsteps echoing across the platform.

A voice, smooth and
rehearsed, fills the space.

“Good evening,
gentlemen. Tonight, we present to you a rare collection—beauties from every
corner of the world, each more exquisite than the last. A selection to satisfy
all tastes. Delicate. Fiery. Untouched. Every woman you see before you is a
masterpiece.”

I hear soft cries around
me, barely stifled before they’re silenced by the presence of armed guards.

“As always, transactions
are to be made in cash before departure. Enjoy your evening, and let the
auction begin.”

The first girl is
dragged onto the stage. Then another. And another. Each one put on display,
sold to the highest bidder, and taken away by their new owner.

One by one, they
disappear.

Fewer and fewer remain.
Only Sasha, a redhead who won’t stop praying, and me.

The redhead trembles
violently, her whispered pleas turning into frantic cries. She refuses to
believe this is real. She can’t. I feel sick just watching her.

Then, it’s her turn.

She screams, thrashes,
claws at the men dragging her forward.

“French, nineteen,
ginger, tall, slender… a virgin.”

The bidding starts, but
she doesn’t stop fighting.

Then, chaos.

A shout. A struggle. A
gunshot.

The room falls into a
stunned silence.

Seconds later, they drag
her lifeless body back onto the stage. Blood stains her delicate dress.

Screams erupt around me.
I feel my breath hitch, my pulse hammering in my ears.

Then, suddenly, a hand
clamps onto Sasha’s arm.

“No! Gracie! Gracie,
please!” she cries, her voice shaking with terror.

I grab her hand,
gripping it tightly. “Sasha, don’t resist. Don’t run. Please.”

The guard rips her away
from me, shoving me back into my seat.

“Russian, twenty years
old, brown hair, emerald eyes, tall, slender… and a virgin.”

The bidding is
instant—fast, aggressive. Within moments, she is sold.

The man who won her
steps forward—a tall, imposing figure in a crisp black suit. His expression is
unreadable, hidden behind a mask. Without hesitation, he removes his jacket and
drapes it over her trembling body.

Sasha turns her head,
finding my gaze one last time. She smiles, just barely.

I swallow hard, praying
she’ll be okay.

Then, it continues.

Girl after girl. Sale
after sale.

Until finally…

“Get up.”

The man with the scars
unlocks my handcuffs and nudges me toward the steps.

I obey, moving slowly,
my legs numb beneath me.

At the top, the
announcer extends his hand. I take it. Let him guide me to the center of the
stage.

Blinding light crashes
down on me.

I can’t see past the
glare, but I know they’re there. Watching. Waiting.

Men in tailored suits.
Their faces hidden behind masks. Their glasses filled with expensive liquor.
Their pockets heavy with cash.

The announcer grips my
chin and tilts my face toward the crowd.

“Italian. Twenty-two
years old. Brown hair. Medium height. Thin. Blue eyes. Certified purity.”

He pauses for dramatic
effect, then grins.

“The finest for last.
Let the bidding begin.”

A single tear slips down
my cheek.

For a moment, nothing.

Then—

“One million!” a voice
shouts.

"Three
million!" a voice shouts.

"Five
million!" another counters immediately.

"Six million!"
echoes from a darkened corner of the room.

They throw out these
massive numbers like it's pocket change. My stomach turns.

Then—

"Ten million."

The voice is deep,
smooth, and confident. It comes from the back of the room, younger than the
others.

Silence crashes over the
crowd.

Shit. What is this?!

The auctioneer’s voice
rings out, electrified with excitement.

"A bold move
indeed! Ten million dollars. Do we have any challengers? Going once... going
twice..."

The room holds its
collective breath. The tension is suffocating.

Then—

The gavel slams down.

"Sold! For ten
million dollars!"

Applause erupts, mingled
with murmured curses of disappointment from the losing bidders.

I force myself to stay
composed, swallowing back the lump in my throat. I don’t want to cry. Not in
front of them.

"The new owner may
now claim his purchase!"

I wait.

And then he steps
forward.

Tall. Broad shoulders.
The navy-blue suit fits him perfectly, tailored to his powerful frame. A mask
obscures his face, but I can see his eyes—striking, icy blue. If this were any
other situation, I might even think he was handsome.

He extends his hand.

I hesitate for a second
before taking it. His grip is firm, steady, guiding me carefully down the
stairs. In his other hand, he holds a sleek black briefcase.

Without a word, he leads
me through corridors unlike the ones in the back. These are refined,
elegant—designed for men who conduct their business with luxury and power.

At the entrance, a man
in glasses greets us with a knowing smile, his arms outstretched as if
welcoming an old friend.

My buyer shifts the
briefcase in his grip, and with an almost imperceptible nod, the exchange is
made.

That’s it. The deal is
done.

We step outside. Armed
guards are stationed everywhere, ensuring no one leaves without paying their
price.

My buyer opens the car
door, gesturing for me to get in.

I don’t resist. What
choice do I have?

I slide into the seat,
the interior just as expensive as the man who now owns me.

The door clicks shut
behind me, and moments later, he joins me on the driver's side.

The car purrs to life,
and as we drive away, I finally exhale.

I hadn’t realized I was
crying until I feel the wetness on my cheeks.

I lift a trembling hand,
wiping at the silent tears.

Then, movement catches
my eye.

He removes his mask.

I turn to face him—and
my breath catches.

Dark hair, slicked back.
A strong, defined jawline, dusted with just enough facial hair to add to his
mysterious aura.

And those eyes—those
piercing blue eyes—meet mine.

He smirks, just
slightly.

I feel my chest tighten
with fear as the words slip from my lips before I can stop them.

"Do you own me
now?"

I brace myself for his
answer.

His voice is calm.
Steady.

"No."

I blink, caught off
guard.

Confused, I stare at
him, waiting for an explanation.

He glances at me again,
amusement flickering in his gaze before he adds—

"Your owner is
Frank."

PROLOGUE.

DANTE.

The sterile white walls of the hospital room seemed to close in on me, suffocating
the air with their clinical scent. I lay there, a damaged body confined to the
cold metal corners of the bed, my senses a battleground between the pain and
the drugs that dulled it. They said I was lucky to be alive, but luck had never
been on my side. My body was a testament to the countless battles fought, the
scars etched deep, each telling a different story,  of violence and survival.

I
couldn’t stop staring at the wreckage that was once my body. It was a reminder
of the battles I’d fought, the demons that had left their marks on me along the
way. My fingers traced the scars, each one a memory of the chaos I’d embraced.
I used to live for the thrill, the danger—it was who I was. But lying here now,
I couldn’t help but wonder if it was all worth it.

Then
I looked at her.

I woke up to the soft sound of her breathing, her body close enough for me to
feel her warmth against the cold hospital sheets. She was asleep next to me,
her delicate features softened by the dim light. But it wasn't just her looks
that caught my attention. It was the calm in her, the way she was so damn
steady, even in a place like this.

She’d
been here for days, I knew that. Every time I opened my eyes, there she was,
not leaving my side. I could’ve sworn she wasn’t even tired, like she’d been
born for this—looking out for me when I couldn’t do shit for myself.

As
much as I wanted to crack a joke, to lighten the mood as I usually did, the
weight of it all hit me hard. I wasn’t sure what had kept her here, what had
made her put up with my mess of a life, but there she was. And in that moment,
I couldn’t think of a single thing I wanted more than to make sure she knew she
wasn’t just another face. She mattered.

As
I watched her, something inside me shifted—like a flicker of light breaking
through the heavy fog. She was more than just a presence beside me; she was my
reason to fight. My reason to come back from the edge I’d teetered on for too
long. All the reckless decisions, the nights spent chasing danger, they hadn’t
been worth it. The cost? Too high to ignore.

Memories
crashed into me like waves—sharp, unforgiving.

A
relentless tide of all I had lost, the trail of bloodshed, and the shattered
remnants of my former existence. My past, so dark and haunting, seemed to
linger in the very air around me, whispering reminding me of the life I had
left behind. The life I lost.

My
past would always be a part of me. But I was determined to rewrite my story. I
had danced on the edge of destruction for far too long.

For
her, I'd willingly walk-through fire again. I'd face my demons head-on;
whatever it took to prove I was worth her time. I came back to Spain to reclaim
what I lost all those years ago—the life, the power, the respect. But now? Now
I have a bigger reason to fight, to succeed.

The
darkness that had once consumed me wouldn’t win this time. I’d come out of it
stronger, better, and ready to show her the side of me that had been buried for
so long.

I
reached out, my hand hovering just above her skin before brushing it softly.
She stirred, her delicate lashes fluttering, a soft sigh escaping her lips. I
couldn’t help but smile as I watched her, her peaceful expression was a stark
contrast to the chaos I felt inside of me.

This
time, I wasn’t just chasing another high or running from my past. This time, I
was chasing redemption.

And
as I looked at her, that familiar tug of a smile pulled at my lips, knowing
with certainty that for her, I would do anything.

This
time, it will be different.

CHAPTER ONE

ELIZABETH

It
felt like my father had turned our house into a damn animal shelter—or at
least, that’s what I thought when he mentioned Marco Ferrati’s son would be
staying with us for a while to “sort out some issues.”

I
didn’t need details. I already knew the type. If he was anything like his
father, he’d be just another thug.

I
just came to Spain a couple weeks ago; my mother wanted it that way. I had an
amazing life in Los Angeles, but being all by myself became risky after a rival
gang took over our territory. If they found out who I was, things could've gone
south quickly.

Being
here isn't bad at all, and honestly, I have missed this place a lot. There is
just one thing though.

I
hate always being surrounded by the same kind of men, thugs that think they own
the world just because the hold a gun and are used to bossing everyone around. Seems
like all they can think of is new ways of flexing with their weapons and
pretending to be the king of the hill. Most of them end up buried after a
couple months.

My
father usually has a lot of his friends around. No matter how powerful or rich
they are, I am so over their constant bullshit… always trying to impress each
other with stuff that to me is just dumb, and frankly super boring.

It's
so exhausting dealing with their macho attitudes, the same old act, what do I
have to do to get a break from this basic script? I'm need something different.

There
has to be more to life than this…

I
walked over to the hacienda's pool, and was pleasantly surprised. Wow... The
view was just…stunning. The Spanish landscape spread out in front of me –
rolling hills, lush greenery, and all those warm colors that made me forget
about the rant in my head.

The
sky was like a never-ending sea of blue. The sun was doing its thing, casting a
beautiful golden glow all over the place.

The
pool, sitting pretty in this picture-perfect setting, looked like an open
invitation. It was high noon, and it seemed like the ultimate escape.

I
barged into my room, eyeing that bomb swimsuit I snagged back in LA. It was
this deep blue thing that made me feel all kinds of fierce.

Slipping
into it, I couldn't help but appreciate how it flattered my curves – a little
piece of perfection. I stood in front of the mirror, taking in the blonde waves
in my hair and the swimsuit that screamed confidence.

Green
eyes stared back at me in the mirror, still getting used to this whole Spain
deal. I missed my life in LA a lot, but today, I was determined to enjoy the
here and now.

The
oversized sunglasses I picked up for a pretty penny completed the look,
shielding my eyes from the relentless Spanish sun. I felt like I could take on
the world.

With
a nod of self-encouragement, I headed to the pool, ready to soak up the sun.

The
sunlight danced on the pool's surface as I stood in front of it, fully ready to
embrace a bit of poolside tranquility. Just when I thought everything was set
for my peaceful escape, Dad barged in, shattering my illusion of a peaceful day.

-
Well, well, looks like someone's ready for a pool day.

-
Dad, what do you want?

-
Well, guess I’d check if you got your usual charm turned up. Marco Ferrati’s
son is arriving soon. Thought you might want to make a good impression.

-
Your friend’s son or not, I'm not interested. I just want a quiet day.

He
raises an eyebrow.

-
He's a nice guy. Just be kind. And behave.

-
I plan to, by not even looking in his direction.

-
You're impossible. Just try not to scare him away, okay?

The
moment Dad mentioned the impending visit from the gangster’s son, my
tranquility evaporated like water on hot pavement.

Seriously?
Can't I just relax without some random guy barging into my house? Like, what's
with the universe conspiring against my quest for a normal day? Or a normal
life…

I
rolled my eyes, staring at the water like it held all the solutions to my
problems, which it clearly didn't.

Why
does everyone think they get a free pass to my life?

I
sighed.

Funny.
Here I am, desperately seeking some simplicity, a normal life, while in a
front-row seat in the heart of the mafia world. As if that weren't enough, now
I have to deal with a stranger who might as well embody the meaning of a gangster.

Could
life get any more ridiculous?

I
sit down by the pool, lost in my thoughts for a while.

 And then, I saw him arrive…

Ugh.
I rolled my eyes immediately.

He
was wearing typical gangster clothes. A navy-blue suit that fitted his body
perfectly, an expensive looking watch, and a white shirt with rolled up
sleeves, a tattoo seemed to be on his arm, meh.

- Dante, you came early you
little bastard!

-
Dad ...

I
roll my eyes.

-
Just a second sweetheart. Get over here, you little devil. You've grown quite a
bit.

-
Godfather…

They
hug like two strong machos, alpha males, I roll my eyes once again.

- Come here Elizabeth, meet
Dante.

I raise my glasses, and look
at him for a few seconds. And then speak dryly. With no interest.

-
Nice to meet you... nice name.

-
My pleasure, Elizabeth.

He
replies with courtesy, even though he seems surprised with my way of answering.

-
Come inside boy, you must be hungry.

-
Well I can’t deny it Godfather, I’m starving as hell.

He
says with a smile on his face.

-
I love that Italian style you got, even though you are Irish aren’t you.

-
Not really godfather, my mother was Irish, and well, my dad was Italian, but I
was born here, in Spain.

-
Right, but he looks like an elegant Italian, doesn’t he?

He
stares at me.

I
stay silent. The guy smiles.

-
What's the matter? Don't the men in your town measure up to this?

He
says unexpectedly.

-
You mean the flashy gangster look?

I
reply.

-
Ahhh… Spanish accent, Godfather! - he raises his voice – I love it.  I think you told me she was born in a small
town near here, am I right?

-
Yes son.

-
Nice, I could tell. – He grins.

-
What the fuck does that mean?

-
And you curse with such flair too...

-
Oh, were you expecting me to talk like a humble peasant girl and cover my face
when you look at me?  Fuck off.

-Damn
… I guess hospitality is off the table, huh?

-
Oh god. I owe you nothing. Don’t talk to me like that, we're not the same,
we're not on the same level.

-
Well, I'm not the one who's wearing that tacky pair of Gucci sunglasses, am I?

He
smiles mockingly.

already
want to put a bullet in him. I lock eyes with him—annoyingly pretty eyes—but
any charm they might have is wasted on his rotten personality.

My
gaze sweeps over him from head to toe, taking in every detail. The perfectly
styled hair, the crisp suit, the polished shoes… and that infuriating smirk
tugging at his lips.

"Oh,
bravo!" I sneer, slow-clapping for effect. "Your taste in accessories
is truly unmatched. I must say, your arrogance shines almost as bright as that
ridiculously overpriced watch of yours."

He
laughs and looks at me with a mischievous grin.

-  Stubborn as a mule, as they say.

-
Is this your subtle way of admitting you've run out of insults?

He
strides closer, emanating an undeniable aura of confidence. His voice lowers to
a husky whisper as he leans in, the fragrance of his cologne is hard to ignore.

-
Funny, you two might actually have something in common. Under the right hands,
both can be thoroughly enjoyed.

That
was it. I immediately grab my dad’s gun and point it at him. He raises his
hands, a smug smile playing on his lips.

-
Easy Elizabeth, I’m just testing your character.

He
winks.

-
How about you test a bullet in your balls?

-
Oh, come on. How about we keep it friendly? I've got a soft spot for my friend
down there.

He
smirks.

-
Elizabeth! get a hold of yourself.

-
But dad…did you hear him?

-
I greeted her nicely godfather, and then she snapped.

-
Elizabeth! The gun. Now.

-
Ugh. Fine!

I
lower the gun, grab my towel, and storm into the house, with both of them
trailing right behind me.

-Sorry,
Dante. She’s very impulsive, as you can see—just like her mother.

-
Don’t worry godfather, it's not the first time they draw a gun when they meet
me.

-
I bet. – He laughs - Now come on, let's go eat already, you must be starving. Rosalie,
tell the boys to bring Dante's things.

-
Mr. Ferratti. So nice to see you again.

-
Rosalie.

They
hug.  Now it turns out that the jerk
knows my cook.

"Well,
well... look at how much the boss has grown."

"And
you haven't changed a bit, Rosalie."

"Dinner’s
ready, spicy just the way you like it."

"You
know it, Rosalie." Dante chuckles. "Godfather, should we eat
already?"

They
head to the dining room while I make a beeline for the stairs, eager to get to
my room as fast as possible. Amazing. Now I have to wait until that hideous
stranger finishes his meal before I can go down.

-
Elizabeth, you've got five minutes to join us for dinner.

Fuck.

-
Yes Dad.

s
I linger upstairs, a sudden commotion breaks out downstairs. Curiosity piques,
and I peek out to see Pablo and Harry enthusiastically wrapping their arms
around the stranger.

"Dante,
my dude! How have you been?!"

"Hey,
guys. Nice to see you... still kicking. What’s up?"

"We’re
good, man! Super pumped to have you back!"

"What
brings you all the way here?"

"Heard
you were coming back to town today from a good source. Couldn’t believe it, but
had to drop by. Still rocking those horse-riding skills? Saw your pics in
Ireland with that sick racing bike."

"Come
on, guys! Once you get the hang of it, you never forget, right?"

"Good.
In that case, there's a beautiful horse waiting for you. My uncle Rick said
he’s got one specially reserved, just in case you’re interested. You’ll love
it."

"Nice.
That would actually be awesome. We can check it out later. Hold on, don’t you
guys ride motorcycles too?"

"Yeah,
from time to time. But for most things, a good horse will do. And with the town
festival coming up, you can’t go without one. You gotta come with us!"

"Right.
Sounds good to me. So, what have you guys been up to?"

"Uhm,
well... college."

"No
way... Godfather signed me up for some courses too. Said it would be good to
learn how to manage my finances better while I’m here. Plus, I can finish my
studies. Couldn't say no to that."

"How
cool, man. So we’ll be together. With all of us there, no one will mess with
us."

"Just
like the old times..."

"...So,
how are the girls around here?"

"Not
bad at all. Come on, I’ll tell you on the way."

They
leave the Hacienda, and I feel frustrated, I run to my room and call Andrea and
Isabella, they are so good to me, they have become my best friends since we met
years ago when I was little, and now I'm stuck living here forever, they're
practically my partners in crime.

What's
wrong, Elizabeth?"

"I
don’t even know where to start. It turns out my dad’s given asylum to one of
those Ferratis."

"What?
Is any of them still alive? I heard something terrible happened to their
family..."

"Well,
at least one is, the aforementioned Dante."

"My
God, Elizabeth, Dante is here in Toledo? Are you sure?"

"Yes,
I'm sure, and I fucking hate him. He went out with the guys a few minutes
ago."

"Oh
my god. We haven’t seen him for a long time, many years ago we used to hang out
all the time, but since his parents, you know, passed away, we’ve hardly heard
from him again."

"I
can’t believe it. My little friend Dante is back!"

Isabella
shouts excitedly, and I roll my eyes.

Ugh.
Now you're going to steal my friends from me too?

"Do
you know where they were going?"

"To
the old town, I think. They mentioned something about riding their horses and
doing typical guy stuff... Oh, that's right. They said they’d go check out a
horse that Mr. Rick has saved for him."

"We
have to go too! They’ll surely head to the plaza first. We gotta hurry, we
can’t lose them. Put on something nice, Elizabeth."

"I
don’t want to go chase that jerk."

"Oh,
come on. It’s not for you, not even for me… it’s for Andrea. You know she has a
massive crush on Harry. Now come on, I’ll be there in 5 minutes. Meet you there
too, Andrea."

"Ugh.
Okay."

I
roll my eyes and hang up. I think there are things about Pablo, Harry,
Isabella, and Andrea that I still don’t know. I guess the only way to figure
out what's really going on is to go to the plaza with them.

I
put on a black skirt, some thigh-high black boots, and a white blouse.

I
grab the gun I took from my father earlier and hide it under the elastic of my
skirt, just in case.

Then,
I head downstairs to wait for my friends. I guess we’ll walk since it’s not far
from here.

"Be
right back, Dad. I’m going out with the girls."

"Be
very careful, sweetie."

"Dad,
you know no one knows how to take care of herself in this town better than I
do."

"Don’t
underestimate people, Elizabeth."

"You
know it's true, Dad. I learned from the best."

"Well,
I can’t argue against that. Go ahead, sweetie, just be careful."

"Yes,
Dad. See you later."

I
leave the Hacienda and spot Andrea and Isabella in the distance.

"Ready?!"

"Not
that I want to deal with that idiot again—having him at home is already torture
enough—but fine, just for you guys. Plus, I wouldn’t miss watching Andrea fawn
over Harry for the world. Let’s go have some fun."

I
press my hand against the gun tucked beneath my skirt, then stride over to
their side.

PROLOGUE

Vicenzo

Before her everything was alright. I had everything I wanted, my life was fine.

Everyone adored me, and I liked all the attention I got.

All the men wanted to be me, all the women wanted to fuck me. I had a good company and I was rich, what could I want more?

But I didn't know I was craving something all that time. Or rather someone. I didn't know that until the day I met her.

I'll always remember the day when I met Daisy Sinclair.

How her long legs disappeared under that black dress and how that cute dress hugged her tiny waist. I instantly imaged those legs resting on my shoulders, on every dirty way possible.

She was so pure and kind, not knowing what effect she had on me. She had her beautiful brown hair up in a bun on her head, exposing her delicate neck I wanted to suck on so badly. When her innocent green eyes stared up to mine all I could do was drown in them. She had me captured, wrapped around her little slender fingers without even realizing it.

I couldn't wait to explore that perfectly tanned skin of hers, I wanted to discover every inch of her, take a taste of her. That's when I knew she was what I needed. She was that something that I craved. And I would do everything to get it. She became my addiction, my drug. I couldn't get enough of her. I never will.

Daisy Sinclair is mine, and mine only.

And I will raise hell if anyone dares to touch what's mine.

CHAPTER 1

Daisy

The hot liquid burns my tongue as I take a sip of my tea, reminding me once again that I should always wait before taking a sip and blow on the steaming cup.

The rays of sun hug me, its warmth comforting and relaxing my skin as I lean back.

I've always liked this: peace. Just me and the nature. A place where no one can bother me. In school, you can always find me in the library, hiding in some corner with my nose in the books. My best friend is always complaining about how I should make more friends, instead of closing myself off and 'hide my beauty' as she likes to say it.

But I never listen to her. I'm not changing myself to please her. I like the way I am. Even if I'm hiding that so called pretty body behind books and comfortable clothes, then so be it. I don't like showing off my body, because then I feel like I'm being judged by everyone who looks to me or who even glances my way.

But she loves me either way, even though she doesn't show it very much. And Liam never complained about how I dress or look. I was walking in school when I crashed into him and that he helped me with my books. Slowly we became friends and then he asked me out. He never said anything that I should dress up more or that I should put on some make-up. Because he knows that that's not me. And I don't know why, but I never saw myself as pretty. I always received compliments from everyone but never believed them.

I've always been so insecure and I don't understand why Liam wants me to be his girlfriend but he keeps telling me that I'm beautiful in his eyes.

But I'm still hesitant around him, wondering if his love is real. He can have as many girls he wants that can give him what he actually wants.

Sex.

I'm not ready for it, and he knows that and respects it. And even though he doesn't admit it, I know that he wants a release. But I just feel like it's not the right time to give myself away.

Three soft knocks sound on my door interrupt my thoughts, and when I look up I see my mom entering my room, a big smile on her face.

"Honey, your father and I just received some news," she says and takes a seat next to me. "What is it?" I ask her.

"Well, your father received a message from an old friend of his. He's back in town and asked us out for dinner. Do you still remember a Vincenzo Fossati?" mom asks.

Vincenzo.

I frown, trying to get memories from someone named like that. "No, mom. I don't recall someone named Vincenzo," I say. She nods.

"I'm not surprised. You were still a little child when they were friends. Your father and him were for a long-time business partners, but Vincenzo moved back to Italy to start his own company there," mom exclaims happily. Why is she so happy about this?

"And now he's back in town for some business and he invited us to come over for dinner. Maybe he can offer your dad a deal for work or something," mom says hopefully. Is she happy for this because we're in financial trouble? I'm not supposed to know that but I overheard a conversation between mom and dad. We're not doing that well and they won't allow me to get a job.

"That's great!" I smile. "Yes, indeed it is. So, Vincenzo invited us for dinner tomorrow evening, is that alright?" she asks.

"Of course, mom, why wouldn't it be?" I ask her. She shakes her head.

"Just making sure," she winks and gets up.

"I'll tell your dad that it's okay," she says and closes the door behind her. Closing my book, I take my cup of tea and take a seat by the window and look outside. My hand goes automatically up to my necklace and fiddles with it.

It's silver colored and has a heart-shaped pendant. I got it from my boyfriend for our two months anniversary. That was one month ago. I smile at the memory. He started fumbling with the black box and it fell out of his hands. He was so embarrassed and grabbed it from the ground. His messy blonde hair fell over his eyes when he bent over to grab it.

Since that day I'm always wearing it.

Smiling, I grab the book and open it on the page where I stopped reading. Letting my eyes fall over the words I slowly become absorbed in the story, and the world around me fades away.

Sleepily I open my eyes, annoyed at the one who woke me up. "What?" I snarl.

"Don't use that tone with your mother, Daisy!"

A blush of embarrassment creeps up my neck. "Sorry mom," I mutter and open my eyes scanning around me where I am because I don't remember falling asleep. But it's when I sit upright, I notice the ache in my back. I fell asleep against the window, my books still laying on my lap.

"You fell asleep and I wanted to wake you up to put some night clothing on and go to sleep," mom tells me and starts to walk away. "What time is it?" I ask hoarsely and yawn, stretching my limbs.

"Too late for you to be still up, you're lucky I decided to check up on you before I went to sleep," she mutters and throws me a kiss, before closing the door behind her. Tired I get up and strip out of my clothes, not bothering to put on any pajamas and fall asleep immediately.

I wake up with the smell of pancakes.

Thank God for summer vacation.

Smiling I get up from the bed and see the state I'm in. My naked body greets me in the mirror when I pass it on the way to my closet and my big birthmark on the right side of my belly catches my eyes.

It's not that obvious because it isn't that dark but when you pay close attention you can see it. It's right under my breast, which annoys me. I think it's very unattractive, because who knows, maybe Liam is not going to like it by the time I'm ready to give my virginity to him and he'll cheat on me for a woman who hasn't got a birthmark under her breast and who isn't struggling with her stupid insecurities and...

You're overreacting.

Taking a deep breath, I continue my way to my closet and pull on some sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Not caring to do my hair – which is looking like an incredible mess on my head – I walk downstairs and greet my parents by giving them both a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey honey, slept well?" mom asks me as she lays another pancake on a plate. "Yeah, did you?" I ask her and rub my eyes.

"Yes, I did after I found you lying against the window with your mouth ajar," she chuckles. "Mom," I groan and take a seat at the table. "She's right, you sleep with your mouth open and you drool," dad says from behind his paper.

"Did anyone ask for your opinion?" I ask playfully and turn his direction. "You know better than to go against your mother, Daisy. I just don't want to get on her bad side," he says and shoots me a wink before he looks back down at his paper.

"Hey! I heard that!" mom yells and slaps him on the back of his head with her spatula. I laugh at the sight and wait patiently for my breakfast.

It's not that we live in a big house. We have a tiny, cozy house. We never needed more space than this and we're happy with it.

But lately my parents are careful with the money, not spending it on things that aren't really necessary. I want to help them so badly but they won't allow me to get a job. So, I'm really glad to hear that an old friend of dad is willing to offer us a deal, which means that this is a chance that can help us out of the problems.

A plate being placed in front of my face is what gets me out of my thoughts. "It looks delicious mom," I smile at her. "When does it not look delicious?" she grins and takes a seat next to me.

"So, what time did we agree to meet up with Vincenzo?" mom asks and takes a bite from her pancake. Dad puts his paper next to his plate and also starts eating. I reach up for the whipped cream and blue-berries, and spray some of the whipped cream on my pancakes, while I let some blue-berries fall next to it.

Savoring the sweet taste of pancakes, I continue to eat it till my plate is empty.

"We're supposed to go to his house at seven o'clock in the evening," dad says and takes a gulp of his coffee. "Alright, how is he, by the way?" mom asks.

Dad shrugs. "Good, I think. I only received an email with the question if it's good to have dinner at his place so we can discuss some business," dad answers.

"Is it good if I call Sienna?" I ask them. Two heads turn in my direction. "I mean, I need her help to pick something out to wear tonight," I add quickly. "Of course, honey! You know you never have to ask if she can come over," mom smiles. I nod and put my plate in the sink. "Alright, I'm going to call her then," I say and go upstairs.

After I brushed my teeth, I fish out some clothes out of my closet, not bothering to look what I'm exactly wearing and call my best friend.

"Look who we have here," I hear her voice say as soon as she picks up. I roll my eyes. "Hello to you too, Sienna," I smile and take a seat on my bed. "Why are you bothering me, right now?" she asks. The annoying sound of her chewing gum rings in my ears.

"Uh... well I was wondering if you could come over?" I ask hopefully. "Yeah, sure. I'll be there in twenty minutes, alright?" she asks.

"Yeah, sure."

And after that we say our goodbyes and hang up. I don't know how we got to be friends exactly.

She was new on the primary school I was in and we shared the same class, we were in second grade and we never really talked to each other, but one day when I accidently bumped into her she got her chocolate milk all over her and she gave me the blame.

I started apologizing to her but then she pushed me back and we got into a 'huge' fight. One of the teachers got to us pretty quick and she took us to a classroom, asking us what happened.

And from that day on we started to hate each other, but that changed till one day when she saw me getting bullied by a mean girl because she was making fun of my dress. Sienna stood up for me, her eight-year-old self decided that it wasn't fair that some got bullied and she took matters in her own hands.

That's when we started to hang out together and that's the story of how we became friends.

She's always there for me when I need her and vice versa. With every break-up she goes through, I support her with her so called heartbreak. I mean, I love her to death, I really do, but she gets easily distracted by boys. Too easily.

She always claims that she's 'in love' but she isn't.

How can you love someone that you've only known for a week? I think it's shallow but it's her decision. I got nothing to say.

The doorbell brings me out of my thoughts, and I rush downstairs to open the door for her. "Hi!" I exclaim and throw my arms around her.

"Hi, Daisy," she laughs and hugs me back. I let her in my house and wait for her to put her jacket away. After quickly greeting my parents we go upstairs and she jumps on my bed. "So, why did you call me? Because I know you won't call me if you don't need anything," she says and stares up at the ceiling.

"Well, an old friend of my dad invited us to eat dinner with him and I wondered if you could help me out to pick some clothes?" I ask with a sweet smile. She looks up to me and raises an eyebrow. "Of course! My little girl needs some help?" she grins and stands up. Making her way to my closet I follow her and watch how she opens the door and inspects my clothes.

"Well, you're definitely are going to wear a dress, but the problem is; which one?"

And so, we are searching through my closet for the perfect dress, pulling out different kind of dresses and trying them out. When I come out of the bathroom with a strapless, red dress that reaches till my knees she runs her eyes up and down my body before she shakes her head.

"Nope! Not good, enough. Try another one!" she orders and I go back into the bathroom, changing for what felt like the hundredth time. When I come back with only my bathrobe on I see literally all my clothes scattered around my room while she digs for a dress. Suddenly I hear a loud gasp.

"What? What is it?" I ask worriedly and hurry over to her, looking over her shoulder to see what she has found.

"This is perfect!"

Sighing I look at myself in the mirror. I fumble with my hands in front of myself, criticizing my body. Personally, I think it's too short, but Sienna insisted that I should wear it.

Around my neck I'm wearing the necklace Liam gave me.

My eyes travel to my legs, and I frown. Aren't my legs looking too thick in this dress?

Oh God! Did I gain weight? Am I too fat?

"Don't stare at yourself with that face. The only one who needs to appreciate how beautiful you are is yourself," my mom says from behind me. I turn around and spot her leaning against the doorway with a pair of black heels in her hand.

She looks at me with raised eyebrows. "It's almost time for dinner," she says and walks in my room. I nod. "Thanks mom," I say as I take the heels from her.

"Anytime honey," she winks. I notice the red dress she's wearing, her long black hair cascades down her body and her lips are colored in a bold red. I don't know how she manages to look so young at this age. She turns around and walks away.

"We're leaving in a few," she says before she closes the door behind her. I walk to my mirror and check my face. I apply some lip balm to my lips and put my hair in a loose bun, a few strands of chocolate brown hair escaping and hanging next to my face. I put on the black heels and check my body a one last time.

Could be better, but for tonight it's good.

I see my parents standing in the hallway, waiting for me. Dad has his lightly grey hair combed back and he's wearing a grey suit. "I'm ready," I smile.

They turn to me. Dad smiles and wraps an arm around my shoulder.

"You look beautiful tonight, darling," he smiles and presses a kiss on my forehead. "Yes, you indeed do look wonderful," mom adds. "Thank you," I smile. "Shall we?" dad asks. Together we walk out of our house and step into the car.

When we're all settled we drive away and while mom and dad have a conversation in the front of the car, I hear my phone vibrate and I check to see who it is.

Sienna; Tell me if he's hot ;)

Rolling my eyes, I reply.

Daisy; I will certainly not inform you on his looks. I'm not gonna introduce you to him. I don't want him to have a trauma for the rest of his life

Sienna; Ouch! That was harsh!

I check my other messages and see that I received one from Liam.

Liam; Hey beautiful. What are you doing tonight?

Daisy; I'm going to meet an old friend of my dad with my parents

Liam; Great, I think? If you're bored you can always text me ;)

When I look up from my phone I see we're arriving at a mansion. "Is this...?' I ask but can't even finish my sentence from amazement. "Yes, it is. It's big, isn't it?" my mom asks and turns around in her seat. With open mouth, I nod and look back down to my phone.

Daisy; I know. But we have arrived. I'll text you soon. Love you!

Stepping out of the car the three of us head for the big doors. My heels are clicking against the ground and I'm struggling not to fall.

This is why I hate heels so much.

"I didn't remember he was this wealthy," dad mutters and looks around.

"You better make a deal with him then," mom says and looks up to the mansion. It's too big to live in it alone. "Is he married?" I ask my dad.

He shakes his head. "I don't know but I think he's not."

I nod. It must be really boring to live here by yourself, with no one you can share it with. We walk up to the front door, and dad rings the bell. Patiently we wait for him to walk to the door and open it.

I quickly check my body, to see if there aren't any flaws. I sigh relieved when I see that everything's just in place.

When I look back up it's when someone opens the door.

And when I see who's standing behind it, I have to swallow back a gasp.

A guy is standing behind the door. Wait no, a man is standing behind the door.

And he's the most gorgeous man I've ever seen. My eyes travel up and down his attire. He has a strong, chiseled jaw with a light stubble on it and he has plump lips. His cheekbones are high and sharp and his dark brown hair is combed back with gel. Thick eyebrows are placed above his eyes, and he's tall. Very tall. I think six feet, maybe even taller. He's wearing a suit that shows his muscular body and that sits perfectly around his broad shoulders.

"Vincenzo," my dad greets him. His eyes land on my dad with an amused look.

"Long time no see, good friend," he says and gives my dad a hug.

Oh God, his voice. His voice is deep and velvety, like liquid gold. He has an Italian accent that I want to listen forever to. My dad says something to him and he laughs, it sounds so husky and... xy.

I don't know why but I have the urge to clench my thighs together. My mom steps up and presses a kiss against his cheek. "It's good to see you again, Vincenzo," she smiles.

Vincenzo.

Now that I got a look of him, I realize that that name suits him. It's dark and xy.

"Lilian! It's good to see you too," he says and looks down to her. My mom says something else to him before I realize I also have to introduce myself.

Clearing my throat, I take a step forward. He turns to me, and my breath hitches in my throat.

His dark brown eyes pierce right into mine, and I feel something spark in the pit of my stomach. His eyes are surrounded by thick eyelashes that are running up and down my body. "Daisy?" he questions and looks back into my eyes.

The way my name rolls of his tongue is causing that I almost faint.

"Yes?" I ask, hating how hesitating my voice sounds. I don't want him to think that I'm some shy girl. I want to appear confident in front of him.

"You've grown," he says and stretches his hand. His hand is big and rough. He has long and slender fingers and those knuckles.

I wonder how those fingers would feel when they... Daisy!

Shaking my head to get rid of my thoughts, I wrap my hand around his. When my skin touches him, I feel a tingling sensation go through my spine.

I smell a hint of musky cologne, and when I look up to him I see a hint of a smirk dancing around his lips, but it goes away as soon as it came. I see his eyes scan my body again before he clears his throat and let's go of my hand. I can't help but feel cold as his skin leaves mine.

"Come in! It's good to see you guys again," Mr. Fossati says and motions to his house. We all come in and with my jaw on the floor I look around. In the middle of the hall there's a big staircase that leads upstairs.

It's in the middle of everything and at the bottom of the staircase are two doors. My dad and Mr. Fossati start talking about stuff, but I don't know what they're talking about because I'm hypnotized about his voice. It's so smooth and rich. And that accent... it makes me want to listen to his voice forever. Mr. Fossati leads us to a big dining room with a large table in it. Everything is placed on the table, plates, glasses napkins, etc.

"Take a seat, the food is going to be served real soon," Mr. Fossati says and gestures to the table. Not wanting to ruin anything, I pull out the chair carefully and take a seat. My mom takes a seat next to me, my dad sits in front of her and Mr. Fossati sits in front of me.

"I hope you guys don't mind pasta," he says with a charming smile. I melt right away, in front of him while my mom laughs it off, saying that every kind of food is fine. An old lady comes into the room, with a bottle of wine and water in both of her hands.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I'll be the one serving for you tonight," she smiles politely.

Does he have waitresses? How rich is he?

"What do you prefer? Water or wine?" the lady kindly asks. Everyone asks for a glass of wine, and when the lady approaches me, I kindly refuse it and ask for water.

"Are you sure, my dear?" she asks. "Yes, ma'am. I'm sure," I smile reassuringly. She nods and pours water in my glass. Thanking her, I take a sip of my water and listen to the conversation.

"So, Vincenzo, how are you doing? It's been a long time since we saw each other," my dad says as he puts down his glass.

"I'm doing fine. My company in Italy is going well, and some companies here in America are interested, that's why I came here, actually. It's handy that I have this house here in the U.S," Vincenzo responds smoothly. Dad nods.

"That's great! I'm happy your company is doing well," my dad says genuinely. "Yeah, how are you doing?" Mr. Fossati asks. Dad's face falls, but he covers it up.

"Could've been better. I'm still working hard and trying to make money," dad says and takes a sip of his wine. "I'd like to come back later to that, in my study," Mr. Fossati says and smiles at dad. My eyes stay glued on his mouth and his pearly whites.

Is it legal to be this handsome?

Dad turns to me. "I don't know if you remember Daisy?" dad asks him.

Mr. Fossati's piercing eyes turn to me, and I'm trying to catch my breath because his gaze only takes my breath away.

"Yeah, I do. The last time I was here she was a little child," he says and licks his lips. I smile with my mouth closed and take a sip of my water.

"Yes, she was. But now she's almost a grown-up woman. I'm sad to say that my little girl isn't little anymore," mom smiles and presses a kiss to my cheek. I smile at her. "What are your plans after high-school?" Mr. Fossati asks me.

I blush and swallow, trying to find my voice. Why am I so nervous around him?

"I uh... I'm planning to study English Literature in the university and when I'm done with college I want to work at a publisher," I say shyly, hating how quiet my voice sounds. "Interesting, I'm owner of a publishing office," he says. My eyes widen.

"Really?" I ask amazed. He nods with a tiny smile. "You can always visit my office here in America if you ever want to see what it looks like and if you want to know what's going on there," he offers and raises an eyebrow. I nod excited. "I'm considering it," I smile politely.

He nods and takes another sip of his wine. He returns back to a conversation with my parents, and I start to doze off. Thinking about unimportant things.

I wonder what Sienna is doing at the moment. Probably flirting with some guy she met at a bar. She somehow managed to get a fake ID to get into bars, and I told her it wasn't a good idea, she wouldn't listen. I don't know why we're friends. We're so different, in everything, but we managed to be best friends.

I can already imagine her clothes she's wearing right now at the bar. Probably some strapless, white dress that ends mid-thigh with some high heels. Her lips are probably a bright red and her blonde hair is down. She's beautiful, no wonder that every guy is smitten by her.

I feel a light nudge in my side and I look up, to find everyone at the table staring at me. "What?" I ask confused. Dad chuckles. "I asked; how is Liam?"

Liam!

Instantly my hand goes up to touch the necklace hanging around my neck. Mr. Fossati follows my movement with his eyes. "He's fine," I say and start playing with the heart pendant. "Mind telling me who this Liam is?" Mr. Fossati chuckles amused. I blush. "He's my boyfriend," I say, and I feel somewhat disappointed to say that.

What the heck are you doing, Daisy? He's your boyfriend. You shouldn't stare at this older man!

He nods, and right at that moment the food arrives. The tasty smell of pasta fills my nose, and I realize how hungry I am. "Enjoy your meal," the server smiles before she walks away. I look up into Mr. Fossati's eyes, and he winks.

My breath hitches in my throat, an unknown feeling washing over me. I suddenly feel hot, and I feel like I'm going to faint. With red cheeks, I look down at my food and start digging in.

After our dinner, we moved to the living room, which is very spacious. It has a fireplace and a couple of comfortable looking couches. In the middle between the couches there's a coffee-table. As soon as my eyes land on the wall covered in books I'm sold. I love it.

We're sitting on the couch, talking a little bit, until funnily enough both my mom and dad say that they have to pee.

We laugh and Mr. Fossati tells them instructions to get to the bathroom.

Both my parents stand up and walk away, in search for the bathroom which leaves me and Mr. Fossati alone in the room. I keep glancing at the bookshelves on the other side of the room. "You can take a look, if you want," he chuckles. I look up with red cheeks, embarrassed that he caught me staring.

"Can I?" I ask careful. He nods and stands up, offering me a hand. Hesitatingly I take it, ignoring the electricity that shoots through my body. I get up, and much to my dismay he lets go of me. Together we walk to those big shelves and I look up to them.

"When I'm going to live on my own, I have to have this in my house," I say determined. He chuckles and walks next to me while I explore the books. I see so many names that are so famous and that I love.

"I don't doubt that," he says, and puts a hand between my shoulder blades as he leads us in the room. I try not to let this affect me, but fail miserably. I notice that I want his touch on my body, everywhere.

But you can't. Boyfriend, remember?

I let my fingertips glide over the covers of the books, and enjoy the feeling of it.

"You can always come and visit me if you want some time alone to read," he says next to me, and I feel his hand slide down to my lower back. I turn around with a smile on my face. "Really?" I ask him. He chuckles, and nods.

"Of course, mia cara," he whispers, his accent thick and velvety. I swallow back the lump in my throat and nod. "I'll keep that in mind," I whisper back. His hand leaves my hip and he moves away.

Together, we continue to walk in silence, until we hear my parents coming back. When they enter the room we're already seated on the couch, waiting for them. "I just showed Daisy the books," Mr. Fossati says with a polite smile. "Oh, yeah she loves books. It's incredible how many books that girl can read," mom chuckles.

Blushing, I look down to the ground. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about, little girl. You should be proud that you read so much. Kids this time don't even glance at books," dad says.

Little girl.

I don't know why, but I grow irritated when he calls me that. I never cared that he called me that, but now, in front of Mr. Fossati, I hate the word. I don't want him to think of me as a little girl. He must know that I'm very mature and grown up.

Why, exactly? You got nothing to do with him. And for your information; he's older!

He's indeed older. I guess he's in his thirties, I think of him in a sinful way. He's just an old friend of dad. Nothing more, nothing less.

That's right. Forget about him. Act formal around him.

So when we say our goodbyes, I keep my distance and wave at him, not saying anything else to him. He nods back and watches how we drive away.

When I lay in bed that night I fall asleep with the thought that I should forget about him, that he's just a man that my dad used to know.

CHAPTER 6

Daisy

The sunlight shines through the window and sleepily, I open my eyes and blink a couple of times. A little yawn leaves my mouth, and it's when I want to get up I notice the strong arms wrapped around my waist. Shocked, I turn around, and meet the dark brown eyes of Vincenzo.

"Good morning, tesoro," he whispers. I ignore his deep and husky morning voice.

My eyes widen, and all the events from last night come back rushing into my mind.

"Last night really happened?" I ask him, afraid for the answer. He smirks.

"Yes, bella, it really happened," he says, and places a gentle kiss on my neck.

I push him away, and try to pry his hands off of me. "It can't happen again," I say and look into his eyes. He frowns, and then pouts.

He's so cute.

"Why can't it happen again?" he asks, and his grip becomes stronger on my waist so that I can't take his arms off.

"Because it's so wrong and bad. We aren't supposed to be in this situation," I say and wriggle around. He chuckles and puts his head in my neck.

"Last night you weren't complaining, though," he whispers, and gives me a long lick in my neck. My eyes close, and for a second I let myself enjoy it.

Liam never did this with me.

Liam!

"No, Vincenzo this is either way wrong. You're way too old for me and I have a boyfriend! Oh God, I cheated on him! I cheated on him!" I whisper, and guilt takes over me.

I cheated on my boyfriend. I cheated on the one that I love so much.

He's the perfect boyfriend, and he did never anything wrong. God, I don't deserve him.

"Forget about him, Daisy. He can't give you this," Vincenzo says and his hands slide down, gripping my x.

"He can," I protest. He chuckles and squeezes my x-cheeks.

Just ignore the feeling.

"Maybe he can do the same things as I'm doing, but it won't feel the same," he whispers and slides down, so that his face is on the same length as my chest.

"You want to be effed by a man, not by a stupid boy who knows nothing between the sheets. You want it rough, and I can give you that," he says, and kisses one of my breasts. I gasp and push his head away.

"You're dating Gabriella, you're also cheating," I whisper and look him in the eyes while he stares up at me through those dark lashes. He smirks.

"Gabriella doesn't mean anything to me. We went out one night, that's it," he whispers. I blush. "Doing this isn't smart, Vincenzo."

"Admit it, you want this," he says, and his hands leave my x, only to go up and grope my breasts.

I moan, and he leans down, sucking on my x through the material. A louder moan leaves me, and grip his head, pushing him down on my chest.

"Vincenzo," I bring out and gasp as he slightly bites down on my x.

He lays me down on my back, and climbs on top of me. His mouth leaves my breast, and as soon as the cold air hits my x it feels like I can cut diamonds with it.

"What are you doing?" I ask and look up to him. He smirks down at me, and wets his lips. My eyes follow the movement.

"I'm going to kiss you," he says with a raspy voice, and leans down.

I part my lips, ready to welcome his warm lips. But instead of those plump lips, I feel a wet, slick tongue slide over my lips, and I moan. His tongue parts my lips more, and enters. Vincenzo's lips find mine, and he starts kissing me slowly, while his tongue swirls around mine.

Hesitatingly, I kiss him back, and carefully I let my tongue move against his. He withdraws, and thrusts his tongue back again in my mouth. Our mouths move in sync with each other, and the sound of our lips colliding is so hot. It sends an amazing feeling to the pit of my stomach.

He grabs my thighs and wraps them around his waist.

He groans against my mouth, and my hands bury themselves in his silky hair.

"You got me so hard," he groans. He rolls his hips against mine, and I feel something hard collide with my heat. A strange sound leaves my mouth, and I feel him sink against me again.

My hips meet his, and he grinds into me again. I moan at the feeling.

But the moment is ended by my ringtone. I jump up, and push him off of me and scramble to my phone lying on the nightstand.

It's dad.

"Hello?" I say as soon as I pick up.

"Daisy! How are you?" dad asks from the other side of the phone.

"I'm fine," I answer and rub my eyes. "Good, I'm glad the storm didn't blow you off the road," he says. "Yeah, are the roads still closed?" I ask him, and look outside the window, to see the sky still being clouded.

"I don't know, but I think they are. When are you coming home?"

I look over my shoulder to Vincenzo, and see him looking at me through those thick lashes. The sheets are lying around his waist, showing his V-line and his six-pack. I try not to stare at his happy trail, that leads under the covers to his...

"I don't know," I honestly say with a dry throat. Vincenzo smirks, knowing that I'm drooling over him, and scoots closer to me.

He wraps his arm around my waist, right under my breasts, and presses a kiss on the back of my neck.

"I'd like you to be home before noon, is that alright?" dad asks me.

"Yes, that's good, see you then," I tell him. "Love you."

"Love you too," I say with a smile, and hang up.

"Who was that?" Vincenzo asks against my skin, and continues to press kisses against it. "Dad," I answer and turn around, meeting his eyes that are staring up at me.

"What did he say?"

"That I should be back home before noon," I say breathlessly.

He kisses my neck, my collarbone and then he hooks a finger around the V-neck of the shirt, and pushes it down, so he can kiss the valley between my breasts.

Riiiiiip.

I gasp, and look up to Vincenzo who is responsible for ruining his shirt.

Vincenzo ripped the shirt open, so now he has a clear view over my breasts. My cheeks are red as a tomato, and I cover them, but Vincenzo catches them and holds them next to my head while his hungry eyes stay glued to my breasts.

"Beautiful," he whispers to himself, and leans down. He kisses again the valley between my breasts, then moves to the curve of my breasts and kisses that.

All the while breathy moans are escaping my lips, and I close them, letting myself enjoy the feeling.

I feel a hot breath fanning my x, and he kisses it.

Moaning, I arch my back, pushing my chest up for him.

"Eager, aren't we?" he whispers and kisses my other x.

"Vincenzo," I groan, and push myself up on my elbows.

His hot, wet mouth wraps around my x, and he starts sucking.

I throw my head back, and let the pleasure consume me as he slightly bites down on my x, while he lets his hands roam over my body. His hands slide up my thigh, to my x and he squeezes. "Hmm, Vincenzo," I moan.

He hums against my skin and starts licking my other x, sometimes biting down on it, making me jerk up and let out an embarrassing sound.

"You like this, tesoro?" he whispers huskily against my skin. I moan and nod, closing my eyes in pleasure as he starts sucking hard on my x.

"Words, baby," he says and nibbles on my skin.

"I-I like this," I say breathlessly. And then we get disturbed again by my phone.

"Merda," Vincenzo curses and pushes himself up, both his hands on each side of my head while he looks down at me. I bite my lip and scramble from underneath him, to my phone.

Unlocking my phone, I go to my messages and see Liam has send me a message.

Liam; Hey baby, you wanna hang out today?

I swallow, and look over my shoulder to see Vincenzo raising his eyebrows at me.

"Who is it?" he asks. I hesitate a little before I tell him.

"Liam," I answer honestly. He scoffs before he crawls over to where I am and looks at my phone over my shoulder.

"Tell that figlio di puttana that you're busy," he says and wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me against his chest.

"But then I would be lying to him," I say and frown. "That's the point, bella," Vincenzo smirks, and pecks my lips. I shouldn't lie to Liam.

You shouldn't be doing this at all.

Vincenzo grasps the phone from my hands and starts typing away.

"Hey! What are you doing?" I ask him and look on the screen while his fingers are working fast on the keyboard.

Daisy; Sorry, can't today. I'm busy, maybe another time

I frown, not liking the message. "That sounds rude," I say and take the phone from him.

He shrugs. "I don't care," Vincenzo says, and brushes my hair off my face.

"I think I'm going to take a shower," I mutter and get off the bed. I wrap the shirt tightly around my body so that he hasn't got a view of my chest.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Vincenzo asks with a naughty smirk. "I actually do," I fire back, and turn around walking to the bathroom.

I'm in a lot of trouble.

CHAPTER 1

Loud roaring sounds of the clouds echoing throughout the busy town. Everybody was rushing to their destinations before the heavy rainfall. I was looking at the busy street and enjoying the mind blowing gift of nature, standing on my small balcony which was containing many flower plants. A few minutes later it started raining cats and dogs.

Cold breezes, the sounds of raining, and the wet smell of nature during rain is really amazing especially in the evening. It blows my mind, relaxes my body and nerves.

When soothing smells of roses and lilies hit my nostrils, I closed my eyes and took a deep inhale. Darkness was surrounding me but the only lights I could see were coming from the street and the lightning.

"Talia!" My mother's voice came from downstairs.

"Coming, mom!" I got up and walked downstairs.

I have such a typical strict, hot tempered and at the same time a very loving, caring mother. I got the exact same feature from my mother. Long dark hair that falls on the x, dark eyes and flawless fair skin. Everybody says that I'm the younger version of my mother.

"Your granny finally agreed to visit the doctor. She is coming tomorrow morning and told me to book an appointment." Mom sighed.

"That's impressive, mom." I laughed.

"And I don't wanna hear any complaints from her about you. Be careful when she's here." Mom smiled tightly.

Well, my granny, my mother's mother never agreed to visit the doctor so we have to manipulate her in many ways. She thinks that she can heal without medicines and the doctors are useless. They just prescribed a bunch of medicines and that's why she became more weak.

She has even problems with everything we modern people do.

I had to wear a scarf when I went outside and had to wake up at 6 am in the morning, whenever she came to our house. Even mom and dad fear her grumpy mood. This old lady even hates my two best friends because she thinks they're impolite, irritating and foul.

But she loves us unconditionally. And actually I enjoy her grumpy mood.

"I don't do anything stupid. She always finds a problem in everything."

"Don't talk about her like this. She's your grandma. She does that because she is a cultural and pious woman and she's not used to living in the modern decade. Don't disrespect her. You know she loves us more than anything in the world."

"Yeah, I know. I'll be careful. I won't upset her anymore." I nodded.

"Good."

"You know you're more lazy than Nova's cat, Natalia." Theo scoffed.

Theo, six years old baby brother of mine who has a big smart mouth and a tiny figure. He has some weird habits like throwing things here and there when he gets angry, bringing things from neighbors house without telling them though they know it's his habit, wailing and screaming 'mom' for simple reasons.

"I'm not." I slightly pinched his cheeks.

"Don't touch me with your hands."

"Do you want me to touch you with my legs?"

"What! Mom!"

"Natalia!" Mom warned not to make him mad.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" I grinned.

"I told dad to bring chocolate ice cream and chocolate muffins only for me." He smirked.

"Then I'm gonna steal all of them from you." I grimaced.

"Mom!" He started wailing.

My father is a big grocery store owner. He's a very charming and handsome man. Theo got my dad's hazel eyes and brown hair.

Many women who come to dad's store regularly have a huge crush on him and one day mom saw a young woman trying to flirt with dad so she grabbed her hair right then and threw her outside of the store.

Dad and I were laughing at that funny scene but mom was so angry that she shattered a vase right there and made us hide behind the shelves.

"If you steal my muffins again, I'll tell everyone that you're a thief who steals muffins and ice creams. And then I'll ask uncle Jacob if he can arrest you and throw you into the jail." Theo smiled widely at his own idea.

"No way." I surrendered as I held my hands up and laughed.

Aunt Hannah Hernandez is our neighbor who lives next to our house. She's a kind and generous woman. Her husband, uncle Jacob Hernandez is a police officer. She has a ten year old daughter named Nova. She's quite adorable and brilliant.

I made my way to the kitchen with mom and helped her to serve the dinner. A few minutes later, dad arrived at home with Theo's favorite ice cream and chocolate muffins.

"Thank you dad!" I heard Theo yelling and dad was chuckling.

"Here's my princess. How was your day, my little girl?" Dad smiled as I went to the living room.

"It was good. How about yours?"

"Busy as always. I've heard that your granny is coming."

"Yes. She finally agreed to visit the doctor." I hummed.

"That's good. But if she keeps hiding her sickness like this, it'll be worse later." He sighed.

"Yeah. But she doesn't want to understand that." Mom sighed too.

After dinner I headed upstairs and entered my bedroom.

I'm in high school and the next year I want to admit myself into a good college in the city so I was trying hard.

It was already 11:40 pm when I finished my xignments. After a few moments of scrolling through social media, I shut my laptop and walked into the bathroom. Finishing my daily night routine, I turned the lights off and got into the bed.

Our town is blessed with natural beauty, surrounded by a big forest from the southeast part and the ocean. The ocean has passed by the west side to another city flowing behind the deep forest. To the north side, there is the main road and railway station by which people communicate with cities.

Though this town is almost inside of a forest and at the edge of the country, it's quite developed. Many travelers come here every year to visit the beautiful, enchanting beach. This town is a hidden little paradise inside the globe without a doubt.

The sky was clear, stars were twinkling and the moon was shining brightly as the rain stopped pouring. Moonlight was showering my room through the open windows. The sweet smell of roses was coming from the balcony, the thin curtains of my room were dancing with the wave of cold breezes.

I smiled widely and sat on my bed and looked outside through my bedside window. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply as a cold breeze mixed with the smell of roses and lilies hit my nostrils and filled my lungs.

It felt like I was in heaven.

I wanted to walk on the moonlight showered street during the midnight, I wanted to shiver when cold breezes would hit my skin, I wanted to stand beneath a street light which would illuminate me, I wanted to watch those twinkling stars in the dark sky everyday.

I wanted to enjoy many many moonlight nights alone when the whole world would remain sunken in deep sleep.

I laid down and smiled as the moonlight was showering me. A few minutes later my eyes felt heavy as I fell into a deep sleep.

"What if our parents find out that we're in the night club?" I leaned against the wall in the corner of the hallway and looked at my best friend Acacia McCarthy.

"They won't find out. We'll tell them that we three are going to a restaurant for dinner." She smirked mischievously.

"Wow, we're going to a club and our parents will know that we're going to a restaurant. This idea is insane, we're insane." Zoe Morales, my other best friend laughed loudly.

"Shhh.. someone will hear us." I whispered.

"What about our dresses?" I frowned.

"Leave it on me baby." Acacia winked.

Acacia, Zoe and I have been attached to our hips since we're kids as our parents are pretty close friends. Acacia is a chilling and charming girl with brown hair and hazel eyes. Zoe is talkative and has a big mouth with short zed black hair and black eyes.

We were planning to go to a night club for the first time in our life and of course without our parents permission. Actually Acacia had gone to a club twice with her cousins before so it was mine and Zoe's first time.

As we belong to typical strict families of Greece, our parents would never allow us to go to a bar or night clubs. If we go back home drunk then they will kick our asses and throw us out of the house. Night clubs, bars and alcohol are totally banned for us.

"I heard that some students of our school also go there everyday night. What if they catch us and tell our parents?" Zoe whispered.

"I think they won't leak because they wouldn't want to be exposed." I mumbled.

"Yeah you're right. Be ready at 7 tomorrow evening. I'll pick you two." Acacia muttered.

"Well, well, well.. What are we missing?"

We paused when we saw the familiar caked faces with bitchy clothes, Delilah Lawrence walking towards us with Amrin Knowles and Sima Vanderwood behind.

"And why do you care, granny?" I snorted.

"You should restrain your ducking mouth bitch or you won't like the consequences." Delilah looked at me like she was gonna bite me.

"Oh yeah, granny has a rattan stick." Acacia laughed.

"You three stay away from my boyfriend, especially Natalia. If I see you're looking at him anymore, I'll pluck your eyes out of their socket and then I'll shallow them with some tasting salt." Delilah pressed a finger on my forehead and tilted her head.

"I don't look at your ball less boyfriend. We're not pathetic like you." I slapped her hand and removed it from my head.

"You won't learn how to talk until I break your jaw." She hissed.

"Why don't you go to your boyfriend and suck his three inches x instead of teaching us how to talk to someone like you?" Zoe inputted.

Acacia and I laughed out loudly. Zoe knew how to defeat Delilah.

"You bitch!"

Delilah rushed toward Zoe and was about to slap her but Acacia grabbed her hand and shoved her back. She was almost falling on the floor but Amrin and Sima grabbed her.

"You three will regret it later!" Sima gritted her teeth.

"And look who is threatening us. A tiny maid." I chuckled.

"Ouch! We're scared!" Zoe fake-widened her eyes and laughed.

"We'll see you later." Amrin pointed at us as they stormed down the hallway.

Delilah's father is the mayor of our town. She's quite infamous in our school for her rich lifestyle and itchy bitchy behavior. There are rumors that she slept with many rich men and takes drugs and alcohol. She always walks with two chickens named Amrin and Sima. Their fathers are also renowned businessmen in the town. They walk with some power like they can behave whatever they want.

Delilah has a boyfriend named Fardinn Matthews. He is the popular boy in our school with a huge attitude. His father is the commissioner of the town. He's also the captain of the school football team.

We had been good friends for a few months. I helped him with some study materials and then became friends. But Delilah ruined it by telling the whole school that Fardinn took drugs and bad things but blamed me for the rumor. After that Fardinn stopped talking to me though I tried to explain, he neither talked to me nor listened to me.

School went well but we were afraid thinking about Dalilah would do anything stupid. But surprisingly she didn't do anything, except throwing us ghosty glares. It was quite funny because she looked like a circus joker with a ghosty look on her caked face.

Returning home, I took a quick shower and moved downstairs to help my mother with making dinner. When dad returned, we had dinner together.

I came to the living room and turned on the TV as I sat down on the couch.

"A few fishermen discovered a dead body on the seashore behind the mangrove forest of Monpura town this afternoon. Monpura police arrived there immediately and sent the dead body to the forensic department." A news anchor read the news.

"Talia, give me the tv remote! I wanna watch Oggy!"

"Shut up, Ell ! Let me hear the news!"

"MOM!" Theo started wailing.

"What happened again!" Mom shouted and came to the living room.

"Mom, just hear the news. Please." Mom looked at the TV while dad came to the living room and sat on the couch.

"According to the senior officer Jacob Hernandez's speech, the killer cut the victim's hands and tainted his face badly.

"The dead body is almost unrecognizable. But monpura police are trying their best to find his identity. We haven't gotten any information from the forensic department yet."

I gulped the lump in my throat. I had watched many Korean psycho thriller movies where psycho killers kill people horribly. But I never imagined something like that would happen one day in my town. That was horrendous.

"This is so horrible, God. Now nobody's safe in this safest town. I never thought this would ever happen." Dad sighed and shook his head.

"Please stay cautious when you're outside." Mom looked at dad, worries clearly visible in their eyes.

"Yeah, we all have to be cautious. Natalia, don't go outside unless it is necessary. Okay?"

"Okay, dad."

CHAPTER 2

".... Talia! Get up! "

"Mom said you're late!"

"Natalia! You little xroach! Get up!"

Why was I hearing a kid screaming by my name? Maybe some neighbor's kid appeared in my dream I thought.

"What the- oh my God!" I jumped off of my bed with a pillow as my x met the cold floor with a loud thud.

Someone splashed a blatant amount of water on me. I was totally ducked up.

I rubbed the water off my face with my palms and tried to open my eyes. But they were burning like hell. A few moments later of rubbing and blinking, I finally managed to open my eyes and looked ahead. Theo was standing in front of me with a small bucket while laughing his hearts out.

"What was that?" I asked blankly.

"A full bucket of water." He giggled.

Amazing! God this kid's gonna give me a heart attack one day!

I rubbed my eyes again to see clearly, it was a sunny day though the sky wasn't so clear.

"You know what, I know some xroaches. They love to snatch toys from naughty kids like you. I'll tell them about your remote controlled car." I snorted.

"What! NO! MOOOOM!" He stormed out of my room in one blink.

Why does he always overreact?

I shrugged and walked into the bathroom. I looked at the sink mirror but God I looked more pathetic than a beggar who sleeps on the street. My silky long hair looked like a bird's nest. I always braided my hair before sleep but the previous night I was so scared to do anything after hearing that news.

I brushed my teeth and washed my face quickly because it was already 8:30 am and my class was at 9. I made a ponytail bun of my naturally wavey long hair. I changed my nightgown and slipped into a white loose shirt and grey jeans. I quickly grabbed my backpack which I luckily packed last night and ran downstairs.

"Good morning everyone!"

"Good morning, my little princess." Dad smiled.

"Mom, tell her something! She wants to give my favorite remote controlled car to that awful xroaches!" Theo looked at mom with puppy eyes.

"Stop your crocodile tears, little bro. You splashed a bucket of water on me! And you ruined my mattress!" I complained.

"Don't act like a child Talia. You're already late." Mom shook her head.

"Oh yeah." I shoved an egg in my mouth.

Mom glared at me.

"Dad let's go. We're late!" I mumbled while struggling with the egg in my mouth.

I grabbed an apple and ran behind dad as he walked outside. We got into the car and dad started the engine.

"You have to wake up a bit early, princess."

"Yeah. Oh no, it's already 8:45! Dad, drive quickly!" I widened my eyes as I looked at my wrist watch.

"Don't worry, we'll reach in time." Dad chuckled at my reaction.

Ten minutes later we had finally reached in front of my school so I quickly got out of the car.

"Bye, dad."

"Bye, princess. Take care."

I ran towards my classroom and luckily my teacher hadn't arrived yet. I sighed in relief and walked into the classroom.

"You're late today." Zoe uttered.

"Yeah. Ell splashed a bucket of water on me in the morning."

I huffed and sat down beside my friends who were sitting on the last bench of the left row.

"What?!" They laughed out loud.

Before I could say anything Mrs. Gomez, our Mathematics teacher entered the classroom. This lady is nice but boring.

"She looks cool today." Zoe whispered.

"Didn't have a fight with the husband today I guess." I giggled but it was a bit louder.

"Ms. Rauf are you here to offer us your giggling sound instead of learning some mathematical formulas?" Mrs. Gomez threw daggers over her ugly glasses.

"Sorry, Mrs. Gomez. Actually I was listening to you attentively. But suddenly I felt a lump in my throat so I coughed."

"Then can you please enlighten us by explaining the difference between integration and differentiation?"

"Ah.. I- I just you know. Ijustnevereverheardthosewordsinmyentirelife." I blinked and smiled awkwardly.

Her jaw dropped on the floor as everyone started laughing.

"I don't want to waste my precious time on you Ms Rauf. You may sit down."

"Thank you, Mrs Gomez."

After that she went back to her boring and footless lecture again.

In mathematics class, my eyes stay on the blackboard but my mind goes somewhere else and my brain sleeps peacefully. This same thing happens in my chemistry and physics classes.

In contrast my brain, my mind and my eyes work incredibly well in other classes especially in biology classes. That's why I had low grades in math, physics and chemistry.

Classes passed one by one and now it was already the lunch break. We headed to the cafeteria for lunch. I took a sandwich. Zoe and Acacia took burgers. We sat on a corner side table and started eating. Our eyes went to Delilah and Fardinn, giggling and laughing.

"We're tired of this scenario." Zoe growled and took a bite from her burger.

"Don't give a shut." Acacia rolled her eyes.

"You heard the news about yesterday? Someone killed a man horribly and threw the dead body on the seashore behind the forest." I whispered.

"Oh yes I was about to say that. I almost had a heart attack." Zoe uttered.

"Yeah. I think it's a perfectly planned murder." Acacia whispered.

"I think it's some psycho killer and we should postpone our plan." I huffed.

"Of course not!" Acacia frowned and scoffed.

"Oh girls! I forgot to tell you something. Granny is coming today! I think she's already arrived at my home."

There was a dead silence for a few moments between my two best friends.

"What?! Are you kidding me?!" Zoe opened and closed her mouth.

"No, I'm serious." I bit my bottom lip.

"God. Why is this happening to us?! At first a murder occurred yesterday and now this old lady is already in your house." Zoe rubbed her face with her palm and sighed.

"Don't worry. We're going to the club tonight and your granny won't be able to stop us." Acacia smirked.

Zoe and I looked at each other and then looked at Acacia.

After school, I headed back home and met uncle Jacob on my way. We had a small conversation about the murder. He told me to stay cautious as everything was messed up in the town because the victim was a journalist.

The police were thinking that the murder was connected to some organized crime. Perhaps that journalist found out some important evidence about some big criminal organization so they killed him. It was not a psycho killer's case. But apparently the guy who had killed him was a psycho.

In the evening, I got ready as we planned. I slipped into a big loose white shirt, a pair of black jeans and white sneakers.

I straightened my long hair, made some curls on the top with a curler and let them hang on my x. I put a scarf on my head.

Then I applied some light makeup, mascara and cherry lipgloss to complete the look.

A few minutes later I heard Zoe and Acacia's voice downstairs. I quickly moved downstairs and met two nun-looking Acacia and Zoe sitting on the couch with granny and Theo.

And of course there was a reason for this baggy clothes and scarves.

"You look beautiful." Zoe said sarcastically.

"Thank you. And you two look stunning." I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you admiring each other's look? Are you going to see a patient or a wedding ceremony? Are you girls hiding something from me?" Granny raised an eyebrow and looked at us up and down.

"No, granny. Is there anything ever exists which we could hide from you?" Acacia laughed awkwardly.

"Whatever. Natalia, your mom was telling me that she didn't know about your friend's car accident." Granny looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"Which friend?" I was confused.

I looked at Acacia and Zoe. They were blinking and moving their hands and mouth. They were gesturing something.

"Oh yeah, that friend. Actually that accident occurred this afternoon and mom was busy so I forgot to tell her and you. But she's in a very critical condition." I lied neatly.

"But your friends were saying that the accident occurred in the previous evening." Granny crossed her arms on her chest.

"Yes, exactly. But I got that news in this afternoon." I smiled awkwardly.

God I was lying smartly but she was about to catch me.

"Yes, granny. We also got the news this afternoon and informed her." Zoe grinned, showing her teeth.

"Oh whatever. I see you three got some savvy and became polite. I appreciate it. You can go now. But don't be late. Got it?" She gave us a tight smile.

"Of course, granny." We said in unison.

"Don't forget to bring those muffins which you stole last time." Theo muttered.

"Okay, cupcake." I giggled.

We got into Acacia's car and five minutes later Acacia parked the car behind an abandoned building.

"Take all your stuff and change quickly before anyone comes here." Acacia turned off the lights of the car.

Yeah, we were not going to a club dressing like this.

"We're really insane!" I laughed.

"Hell, it was so easy to fool your granny!" Zoe laughed.

"Stop talking and change quickly!" Acacia whispered-shouted.

I slipped into a black spaghetti straps short top, its sweetheart neckline made my xs more prominent and revealed half of my stomach and belly button; a black skirt which just reached my mid thigh and black net stockings.

I applied mascara, winged black eyeliner and matt brick colored lipstick. I completed my outfit with black stilettos and black leather jacket and let my half curled hair fall on my x.

Zoe put on a long sleeved, v-necked white glittery short party dress with brown stilettos, applied black eyeliner and red matt lipstick. Her short hair was shoved back through some black clips.

Acacia threw herself into a long sleeved, square-necked golden fringe dress that reached her mid thigh with matching heels. She made smokey eyes, applied maroon matt lipstick and let her straighten hair fall on her back.

Zoe applied some glitter on our cheeks, eyes and necks.

"Why's glitter?"

"We'll shine like the brightest stars." Zoe giggled.

"That's more fun!"

"If granny catches us like this... " Acacia smirked.

"I'm sure she would have a heart attack immediately." I laugh as well as Zoe and Acacia join.

Ten minutes later a club came into view. It was a big black coloured building that was almost invisible, only on the top of the building had written Cimitero with big giant words that were illuminating with red lights. The 'O' was a flaming skull which made the whole building look more scary.

"What does that even mean?"

"That means the cemetery in English. People say that the owner is from Italy." Acacia explained.

The whole area was dark and calm, very few lights were on. It was more like a graveyard than a night club.

"What a freaking weird name! Is it a club or graveyard?" I laughed awkwardly.

"It looks like some horror film's shooting set!" Zoe chuckled.

"Yeah. I was about to say that!"

"God! Will you two stop?!" Acacia boomed.

"I don't wanna go inside!" I threw my hands up.

"Come on, Natalia! I've come here twice and there're a lots of people dancing, drinking and ducking inside! You're judging a club by its cover?" Acacia laughed .

"It's judging a book by its cover bitch." Zoe rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, same things." Acacia shrugged.

Two intimidating looking bulky men around 6'5 with black suits were standing in front of the large black wooden door. I was damn sure they were not Bengali. They checked our ID and let us get inside.

Inside the club everything was black due to neon lights. Smells of alcohol and weeds hit my nostril and made my stomach knot immediately.

People were dancing on the dance floor, laughing, drinking and flirting. Bartenders were serving drinks continuously without any break. There was a staircase on the left corner of the room that led to the VIP section upstairs. On top of the stairs, there were two guards standing all in black.

"We can't get into the VIP section. I've heard that there are many stripers and many private rooms for intimacy." Acacia spoke a bit loud through the blasting music.

"Girls let's go to the bar and try something." Acacia clapped her hand together.

"Yeah! Let's go! " Zoe cheered.

"What if mom and granny smell alcohol on me?" I shook my head.

"I brought three toothbrushes and toothpaste with me." Acacia gave us a mischief smile.

"God! Acacia, you're really something!" Zoe chuckled.

"But what if we're drunk."

"We're not going to drink our hearts out, anyways alcohol tastes awful.

"I'm not drinking anything. I can't betray my parents further though I did enough to make them upset." I shook my head.

"Come on, Natalia! Just one peck?"

"Okay, just one peck."

I walked towards the bar with them. There were now few people because everyone was busy dancing on the dance floor. A handsome looking bartender with brown hair and grey eyes came toward us.

"Hey sexy ladies! What can I get for you?" He asked with a mischief smile.

"Three shots for us." Acacia ordered with a shy smile.

"Is it also awful? " I asked Acacia stupidly.

"Looks like it's your first time in a bar." The bartender smirked.

"Yeah, you can say that." I gave him a tight smile.

"That makes sense." He chuckled. "Wait a minute, I'm giving you something so hot and sexy."

"I'm Anwar. And you girls?" The bartender took three glasses and started pouring a bottle of whiskey then passed them to us with a charming smile.

"Thank you! I'm Acacia, this is Zoe and this is Natalia." Acacia pointed at us as we nodded with a smile.

"Pretty names for pretty ladies." Anwar winked at us.

"You're from where, Anwar?" I asked.

"I'm Afghani." Anwar replied with a smile.

"Why did you leave your country?" Zoe took her glass from the counter.

"Well, I came here four years ago to meet my auntie and I kinda fell in love with the nature of this town. And right then I got this job offer. So here I am."

"Interesting." Acacia chuckled.

"Hell! It burned my tongue."

I threw my tongue out and pinched my eyes shut, the same reaction from Zoe. Anwar and Acacia laughed at us.

If alcohol tastes this awful then how people become alcoholic?

So confusing.

"I'm not drinking anymore!" My throat and lungs were burning like hell.

"Me too!" Zoe cursed as her eyes still pinched shut.

We had a great conversation with Anwar. He was quite friendly and charming. He told us about his county, culture, family and traditions. His mother was Bengali and his father was Afghani. So he often used to come here before he settled down here.

"I don't wanna dance, there are so many people." I pouted at Acacia.

"Come on, Natalia. No one is gonna look at you. Everyone is busy with their own business. Just chill, girl." Acacia rolled her eyes while moving her hips with the rhythm of the music.

"Come on, girl." Zoe encouraged.

I was standing confused in the middle of the dance floor with my two crazy friends. I looked around, everyone was busy with their own businesses. As the music changed into Safari by Serena, I started moving my hips.

"You make the time flow slow, sloooow hoo.... just like slow rivers flow....sloooow hoo...." Zoe started singing loudly with the song.

"C'mon boy move that body,

cause tonight I'm naughty naughty....."

I swayed my hip and shook my whole body with the rhythm of the music. I was feeling like I was in another universe. Zoe and Acacia start screaming when I roll my x.

Perhaps the whiskey started working. I was moving my body like a shameless horny high school girl. I was so confused about myself but at the same time I was enjoying that moment and I wanted to enjoy every moment right then.

Then the music changed into the Shape of you by Ed Sheeran. Everyone was screaming loudly when the song started playing. My movements became more euphoric, more sexy.

"I'm in love with the shape of you..." We started singing loudly.

"Last night you're in my room.... now my bedsheet smells like you... "

An euphoric shiver ran down my spine. It felt like I was floating on the cloud.

"Talia has a sexy hidden talent inside of her." Acacia giggled.

"Such a hot, sexy dancer and we didn't even know until today." Zoe laughed.

I started giggling at their comments.

But suddenly I felt like I was being watched.

I looked around but everybody was busy dancing and drinking, who would look at me. I mentally laughed and tried to brush it off.

But anxiety was swallowing me.

A cold shiver ran down my spine and my heartbeat stopped when I looked over Zoe's shoulder.

Someone was actually watching me.

He was standing on the balcony of the VIP section with a glazing glass of alcohol one hand, other in his black jeans pocket and watching me with those mesmerizing ocean blue eyes.

His black t-shirt tightly hugged his body, enabling his muscles and arms to contrast and bulge. He was watching me without blinking nor shifting his eyes elsewhere, not even drinking from the glass. He was still like a statue, plump pink lips slightly parted and sharp jaws clenched. His dark hair was messy like he ran his big tattooed hand over it many times.

I stopped dancing while the song ended. I was feeling as if everything stopped beside me and my heart was hammering inside my ribcage.

"Natalia!"

I was so engrossed by the man that I hadn't heard what my friends were talking about.

"Yeah."

"We have to go now! Delilah is here with Amrin and Sima. Fardinn and his friends are also here!" Acacia spoke urgently.

"What?! Did they find out we're here?!" My mouth was hung open.

"We're not sure. But we have to leave now." Zoe uttered.

"Yeah, let's go!"

I looked at him from the corner of my eyes while talking to them, still in the same position, no blink, no movement, not a hair out of place, even holding the glass like before. He was very tall and huge. For some reason he looked very dangerous and scary. The more I kept gazing into those ocean blue eyes, the more he seemed to enjoy it.

We were almost close to the exit when I felt like looking there one last time. I snapped my head to the VIP section's balcony and widened my eyes to see him in that same place, same position like he was a living statue. His mesmerizing eyes were still on me. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder and I gasped loudly.

"Woah, it's me Natalia!" Zoe chuckled.

I quickly turned to him but my heartbeat stopped again because for the first time I was seeing a movement. A small sinister smirk lifted up the side of his mouth while his cold blue eyes were telling me something.

And it was a commitment.

CHAPTER 3

Tendency on forbidden stuff is a natural habit of human beings especially teenagers. We try to avoid them but sometimes curiosity grows inside us. Our mind tells us why don't you just try it for once? But our brain says it's forbidden. Don't think about it. And at the end of the day we choose our mind, our impetuosity. Most of the time we make huge mistakes by listening to our minds and we regret it later.

I was one of those kinds of eighteen year old curious teenagers. It's not like I had a huge propensity on forbidden stuff, I just wanted to have fun with my friends and I wanted to be free for a while. But right now I was feeling like I had made a mistake to go to that club.

It felt like his dangerous ocean blue eyes were still on me and watching me from everywhere. I couldn't help but think about him all the time.

I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It was 7:30 in the morning. Last night I arrived home at 9 pm after a quick dinner in a restaurant.

My parents and granny didn't suspect me because Zoe's toothpaste and toothbrush worked. I barely could sleep at night because whenever I closed my eyes I only saw him, his hypnotizing blue eyes and his dangerous smirk.

I got up lazily and headed to the bathroom. After freshening up, I threw myself into a loose navy blue shirt and black jeans. I brushed my long hair, braided it and put some lip gloss on my pink lips. I went downstairs and saw mom was making breakfast, dad was reading the newspaper, Mehmet and granny nowhere to be seen.

"You're awake so early today." Dad fake-widened his eyes.

"Yeah. Early rising is a good habit." I smiled tightly.

"Oh really? At least, give some credit to your granny." Mom chuckled.

"Mom.. " I groaned.

I ate my breakfast silently and then dad drove me school. My mood was kinda off today because of last night. I tried to shake off all the thoughts from my head but for some reason I couldn't.

"God, I hate physics. Was it very important to invent this subject?" Zoe huffed.

"Yeah, of course it was important. Otherwise the modern world was impossible." I rolled my eyes.

"Ms Morales and Ms Rauf, you two are irritating the whole class. If you can't concentrate then you can get out of my class." Our physics teacher Mr. Kibria threw daggers on us.

"We're sorry. It won't happen again." We said together.

"I hope so. If it happens again then I'll complain to the principal and your parents. Understand?" We quickly nodded.

Delilah, Amrin and Sima looked at us and gave us a sly smile. I knew those bitches told him that we're whispering.

I swear I could grab their hair and slap continuously across those caked faces!

"Bitches!" Zoe hissed under breath.

After the horrible physics class we came to the cafeteria as it was our launch break. We took the same bench from yesterday and started eating burgers.

"Why are all the problems chasing after us nowadays?" Zoe sighed.

"Don't know. We couldn't have fun for those bitches." Acacia said angrily.

"I told you many students of our school goes there. But you didn't listen to me. Now look we're ducked up." Zoe crossed her arms.

Here we go again. Their argument started so I laid my head on the table and closed me eyes.

"What?! You're blaming me now?! You're the one who wanted to go first! And we're not sure that they saw us!" Acacia fired back.

"Shut up. You told us how much fun in a club so I just wanted to explore."

"So it was all my fault now, huh?! Ridiculous!"

"Yes it's your ducking fault. And that's why I wanna kill you right now."

"Natalia! Say something! She's blaming me!"

"What will she say? She's on my side."

"Of course not. Natalia! Are you sleeping?"

"I'll dip you in a pond and I know you don't know how to dive." Zoe grinned.

"You ducking bitch. I'll tell your mom that you stole a hairband from a store last month."

"What?! No! I didn't! You did!"

"Will you two stop?" I raised my head and scoffed.

"Talia, what happened to you? You're acting weird today." Acacia knitted her eyebrows.

"What? No, I'm fine. I was enjoying your awesome debating skills. Right now I'm feeling like I'm in a debating club. Why don't you two join the debating club?" I laughed.

I didn't want to tell my best friends about last night. I thought it was normal, he just looked at me but didn't touch me or didn't throw any vulgar comments. Though it was quite weird and scary, I just wanted to forget about it.

"You bitch I'll tell your granny that you stole five bucks from her bag which was under the mattress." Acacia started.

"Yes. And I'll tell Mehmet that you were the one who shattered his favorite toy last month." Zoe uttered.

"Whoa! That's not what it seems like! You won't tell anything to them. You promised me!" My mouth was hung open.

"Natalia." A voice interrupted us.

We looked at the direction and our mouths almost fell to the floor. Fardinn was standing there. His hands were in his black jeans pocket, plain white shirt and brown hair was messy.

"Umm.., were you calling me?" I asked awkwardly.

"Well, I don't think there's another Natalia in this whole school." He shrugged.

"What's the matter?" I frowned.

"I've something to tell you. Meet me in the backyard after school. And of course you are alone. Acacia and Zoe are not invited." With that he turned around and started walking.

"What the he―"

He walked away out of the cafeteria before Zoe could finish. We were just blankly watching him vanish outside.

"What was that?" Zoe scoffed.

"I have no idea." I shrugged.

"Girls what if he saw us last night!" Acacia gasped.

"No way! Then he's gonna take revenge on us." I gasped too.

"What are we going to do now? Will you meet him after school?" Zoe asked also as afraid as us.

"I don't want to."

"But you should listen to him."

"If he really saw us last night in the club, then we're really ducked up." I rubbed my face with my palms and sighed.

"Just meet him after school and listen to him. Then we'll definitely find a way." Acacia said.

After lunch, we came back to our class. But I couldn't concentrate on anything. Now another tension was roaming in my head.

Three hours passed like a year. I was really exhausted. When the bell rang, everybody rushed out of the classrooms.

"I don't wanna go."

"It's not a big deal, Natalia." Acacia patted my back.

"Yeah, he's not gonna swallow you. Just go and listen to him." Acacia inputted.

"Yeah, I'm going then. See ya." I rolled my eyes and walked down the hallway.

"Don't forget to message us! Bye!" They shouted and waved at me.

I walked on the path beside the football field. A few boys were loitering beside the field. I turned to my left and walked to the backyard. Nobody was there and for some reason I was feeling scared. I looked forward to the dense trees but Fardinn was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly a hand landed on my shoulder. I jumped forward and let out a loud gasp. I quickly turned around and saw Fardinn chuckling and shaking his head. I huffed as a relief washed over me.

"I knew you would come." He laughed softly.

"Was it very important to scare me, huh?" I raised an eyebrow while trying to decrease my heart beat.

"I didn't plan to scare you. It just happened." He grinned.

"Come to the point. What do you wanna talk about?"

He reached his back pocket and pulled out his iPhone and started taping something. He turned the screen to me. I looked at the screen and saw it was the pictures of Acacia, Meryam and mine. My eyes popped out of their socket as I realize it had taken when we were in the club.

"What the hell?!" I widened my eyes.

"Relax, I won't tell anyone." He laughed.

"Oh yeah, I get it. You're going to take revenge, huh?" I crossed my arms on my chest and scoffed.

"What? Of course not." He knitted his eyebrows and chuckled.

"Then why are you showing this to me? Why did you even capture these photos? Are you here to blackmail me?" I raised an eyebrow as my blut boiled in rage.

"Relax, Natalia. I'm here to ask you why you went to that club last night. That's it."

"And why should I answer you?" I frowned and laughed sarcastically.

"Natalia, Natalia, you're very innocent! You shouldn't have gone there! That place was full of bad people!" He said in a serious tone.

"Well, it's none of your business. Did I ask for your opinion?" I fired back.

"I know you're mad at me, Talia. I know it's ridiculous to you. But I always cared about you and still care about you." He spilled out.

"Then why didn't you listen to me and let me explain what happened last time? And now here you are suddenly so concerned about me." I shouted. "You know what, go to hell with your beloved girlfriend."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for what I did to you. Delilah ruined our friendship and I've heard everything from Ryan. I really wanted to talk to you about that but I was nervous. I knew actually I ruined our friendship and I hurt you. I'm really sorry for everything. It's all my fault. But I care about you. Please give me another chance." He looked at me, guiltiness was visible in his hazel eyes.

"I don't know, Fardinn. I'm really confused. Why are you apologizing now? I'm really confused at your sudden behavior."

It was really weird and confusing. He was standing in front of me, showing me some photos of mine and my friends dancing in a club and then apologizing for some shuts that had happened a few months ago. It was confusing but at the same time it was quite ridiculous.

"I understand what I did. I was the real bastard with full of shuts in my little brain. I'm so sorry for everything. Just give me a chance. We'll be good friends again." He looked into my eyes like he was searching for something.

"Okay, I forgive you. But I need some time to think if we can be friends again or not. And I hope you won't leak these photos." I gave him a small smile and started walking in the direction where I came from.

"I won't. Don't worry, you can trust me on this. But Natalia, don't go to that club anymore. It's not a good place for an innocent girl like you." He said in a cold suspicious tone.

I didn't say anything, I just gave him a small nod and walked away. I knew he was full of shitty attitudes and an egoistic person from the beginning, maybe that's why he couldn't open up and apologize to me. I let out a deep breath and hoped he wouldn't leak those pictures.

I reached my home at 4:30 pm. After freshening up, I went downstairs. Mom was making dinner in the kitchen and Theo was watching 'Doraemon' on TV.

"Mom, let me help you."

"No, honey. I'll do it." Mom mumbled while chopping vegetables.

"Let her help you, Arina. She's going to a useless woman if she keeps tapping on her phone." Granny mocked while knitting the wool.

What?!

"Yes. You're right, granny." Theo inputted.

This kid!!

I glared at Theo and grabbed a knife then started chopping an onion but God, it was a bad decision. My eyes started burning like hell.

Dad came home at 8 pm and then we had dinner together. Mom and I made pasta, fried fish and vegetable salad. Granny was blabbering the entire time when we were cooking.

I went upstairs and entered my sky blue colored cute bedroom. I took my laptop and sat on my bed. I scrolled through the social media but horrible murdered news was floating everywhere. People were sharing and posting the news.

I messaged Zoe and Acacia through the online group which we had made a few years ago only for three of us. I told them everything about Fardinn and they were also as confused as me.

After half an hour of scrolling and messaging through the internet, I shut my laptop and went to the bathroom. I was brushing my teeth sitting on the counter and thinking about the horrible murder.

All of a sudden, a loud shattering sound came from my room. I jumped off of the counter and stood on the floor. My heart started pounding in my chest. I slowly opened the bathroom door and peeped my head out.

Heavy breezes were blowing outside. It looked like a storm was coming. I slowly walked out of the bathroom, toward my balcony and found out one of my terracotta flower pots was shattered on the floor.

A white naughty cat was standing there. When it saw me coming, it jumped off from my balcony and landed on the big mango tree beside our house. Its huge branches reached my bedside window and balcony. So sometimes naughty cats entered my room through the windows and balcony.

"You little cat! How dare you! I'll twist your neck if I see you anymore beside my babies!" I yelled.

"Oh my little baby plant! Don't worry I'll fix you tomorrow morning, I promise."

I kneeled down and took the rose plant, leaning forward I kissed its leaf and placed it beside another plant.

I went back to the bathroom and washed my hands and my mouth. I came back to my room and turned off the lights except my bedside lamps. I grabbed my silk nightgown from my wardrobe.

I started undressing, I unbuttoned my blouse, then tossed it on the chair and unclasped my black lacy bra. As soon as the bra fell on the floor, the cold breezes hit my half naked body and made my nipples harden.

I smiled shyly as my cheeks became warm. Then I unbuttoned my jeans and threw them on the same chair. Now I was standing only with my black panties on.

I slipped into the nightgown and stood in front of the mirror to brush my long hair and braid it. I closed all the windows and doors of my room because of the stormy weather.

I laid down and took a deep breath. A few moments later my eyes felt heavy and I fell asleep quickly.

A big warm hand cupped my cheek as caressing it with a big thumb. Slowly that hand trailed down on my neck, neck to my left boob and squeezed it harshly. A different kind of pleasure rushed in my veins, making me gasp. I felt warm breathing falling on my neck like someone was lying beside me. It felt so fucking good and warm. That warm hand slowly trailed down on my exposed stomach and then slowly went down and down until it touched my―

I jumped up and sat down on the bed. I was sweating badly and my breath was heavy. My heart was hammering inside my ribcage. A few moments later I realized my bedside window was open.

But I was damn sure I closed it before I slept.

A sudden fear hit inside my soul. My heartbeat increased as adrenaline rushing through my veins. I looked at the clock and it was 3:15 am in the morning. I sighed and got up from my bed. I took a water bottle from the table and drank some water. Then I laid down again but I couldn't close my eyes.

Was it a dream? Or was someone really lying beside me?

“I know you warned me about him-” Ashley interrupted me, her voice filled with a mix of exasperation and concern. “Natalia… are you crazy? How did you let Leonardo back into your life? Every fiber of your being should be screaming ‘stay away!’”I exhaled slowly, my gaze fixed on the swirling patterns in my untouched cup of coffee. “I didn’t choose to let him in,” I murmured. “Every time I feel trapped by the endless rules and suffocating expectations of my dad, his presence— that mix of danger and recklessness, well... it feels like the only way out.”I kept recalling that night—the wild rush of riding under the moonlight, feeling like I could finally breathe, like I was free for the first time. The wind felt like it was carrying me away, whispering promises I wanted to believe. And then there was Leonardo. His eyes locked onto mine, intense and unreadable. But instead of kissing me goodnight, he just… teased me... patted my head. Like he was claiming me or something. It was the weirdest mix of unsettling and weirdly exciting, and I hated how much it stuck with me.Ashley leaned in, her voice softer now. “You know what this means, Natalia. His world isn’t just passion and late-night escapes—it’s messy. Dangerous. Full of people who don’t forgive and don’t forget. The longer you stay, the harder it’ll be to get out.”A shiver ran down my spine. I could still feel the heat of his hands on me, the way his touch burned and thrilled all at once. “I don’t care,” I murmured. “Last night, I wasn’t just the mafia princess doing what she was told—I was free. Just for a little while, I was mine.”I exhaled, gripping the edge of the table. “You don’t get it, Ash.”“Then make me get it,” she shot back, leaning forward.I hesitated, words catching in my throat. How could I explain what I barely understood myself? It wasn’t just Leonardo. It wasn’t just his world. I was discovering parts of me I never knew existed—parts that were more powerful than I could have imagined...I stared past Ashley, past the fogged-up window, my mind slipping back to last night. I've never felt like that before. The wind in my hair. The roar of the bike beneath me. The feeling of being untouchable, unbreakable. I wasn’t Natalia Moretti, the mafia princess bound by duty and expectation. I was just me—reckless, untamed, and entirely free.“I felt alive, Ashley,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “For one night, at least.”Ashley let out a slow breath, shaking her head. “I honestly don’t know how the hell you’re keeping this from your dad and your brother. But it’s not gonna last, Natalia. Sooner or later, they’re gonna find out.”Ashley let out a long breath, shaking her head. “I get it, Nat. You need more freedom. Your dad’s always been on top of you, but it’s because he cares, you know? He’s scared of losing you, just like I am.” She looked at me seriously. “I don’t wanna lose my friend, Nat. I mean it.”I bit my lip, feeling the weight of her words. “I know. But it’s just— I can’t go back, Ash. I’ve seen what it’s like not to be tied down. I don’t think I can live in this cage anymore.”Ashley raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. “There’s no way I can convince you, huh?”I shot her a grin. “You know the answer to that.”She let out a laugh, shaking her head. “Alright, fine. I’ll keep your secret. But you gotta promise me you’ll be careful, okay? Think things through. At least give it a couple of days before you jump into anything.”I nodded.Ashley sighed, her tone getting serious again. “Look, we’ve got bigger stuff to worry about. What if your family finds out about what went down with Brittany the other day? Can you imagine the mess that’d cause?”I couldn’t help but smirk. “She probably still feels that slap I gave her.”Ashley snorted, but then noticed my mind was already somewhere else.Ashley snorted, but then noticed I wasn’t really listening. “Hey, Nat? Earth to Natalia.”I blinked, shaking my head like I’d just snapped out of a trance. “Sorry, what?”“You’re totally checked out right now, huh?” she teased. “I was saying we..Before Ashley could finish, the deep, familiar rumble of a motorcycle cut through the quiet café. My stomach flipped.“That sound…” I whispered, a mixture of anticipation and dread coiling in my gut. “It’s him.”I turned toward the window, my breath hitching. The rain blurred the streetlights, but I could see the shape of him, waiting. The headlights cast long shadows.Ashley sighed, already knowing. “He arrived. Tell me you’re not actually thinking about—”But I was already standing up.Ashley’s eyes went wide, and she quickly grabbed my shaking hand to steady it. “Nat, are you sure you’re ready to dive into that kind of danger again? Every time you go after him, you risk everything—your family, your life…”“I have to, Ash,” I said, barely above a whisper. “I can’t just ignore this. Even if it all falls apart, I need to know… I need to feel that freedom.”Right then, my phone buzzed loudly on the table, cutting through the quiet between us. I glanced at the screen and saw a single message pop up: “I’m outside.” A cold knot twisted in my stomach.Ashley squeezed my hand, her voice soft but serious. “Nat, you’re playing with fire. If anyone finds out, it could cost you everything. Don’t forget you promised me you’d be careful.” Her eyes were pleading, begging me to rethink this.I met her worried gaze, the weight of her words fighting with the pull of something I couldn’t ignore. “I know, don’t worry. I will,” I whispered, the words feeling too real to take back.Without saying anything else, I gave her a quick hug and walked out.The wind carried the scent of wet pavement, exhaust, and something sharper, something unmistakably him. My heels splashed through the shallow puddles as I crossed the distance. The steady hum of the engine vibrated through my chest, pulsing in my bones.Leonardo finally lifted his gaze, his eyes dark under the hood of his jacket. His fingers flexed around the handlebars before he reached up and pulled the helmet off his head. The rain caught in his hair, slicking dark strands against his forehead.Neither of us spoke. We couldn’t.He held out the extra helmet. A silent invitation.I should’ve walked away. I should’ve turned around, let the cold seep into my bones until it numbed the heat he sparked in me. I should’ve listened to every warning Ashley gave me, every quiet caution from my dad’s men.But instead, I took the helmet.A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips, like he expected nothing less. He waited until I settled behind him, until my arms circled his waist, until my fingers dug into the fabric of his jacket.Then he kicked up the stand, twisted the throttle, and we were gone.The city blurred around us, streaks of neon and shadows. The rain hit in sharp pinpricks, cold against my skin, but I barely felt it. All I could focus on was him—the flex of muscle beneath me, the heat radiating from his body. Every turn, every sharp lean, pressed me closer.I told myself it was just the rush, the speed, the wildness of it all—but it was more than that. It was him.The bike skidded slightly as we took a hard turn onto a smaller road, a path I didn’t recognize. I stiffened, but Leonardo just let out a low chuckle, his hand gripping my thigh like he was trying to reassure me.Or remind me—this was his game, and I’d already chosen to play.Minutes passed—or maybe more—before he slowed down, pulling into a deserted lot behind an abandoned warehouse. The rain had lessened, the mist curling around us like it was part of the silence.Leonardo killed the engine, and the sudden quiet was almost deafening. My heart was pounding in my chest as he turned to me, his expression unreadable.I opened my mouth to ask where we were—why we were here—but he beat me to it.“You trust me?” His voice was low, barely a murmur over the sound of the rain.A loaded question. One with only one right answer.I swallowed, my fingers still locked around his jacket. “No.”He smirked. “Good.”Then, without another word, he reached for me.Forbidden Redemption: Dark Mafia Romance Series.