PROLOGUE
"Bel, Arabella, listen to me," John mumbled as he embraced his teenage daughter. He took a staggering breath and caressed her pale hair before squatting to her eye level."No matter what happens tonight, do not come out of there.""What's going on, papà?" Arabella replied, hugging her father back at the same time. He barely called her full name, and hearing it out of his trembling mouth made her anxious."Arabella, my beautiful child." He groaned, caressing her face. Her bright blue eyes widened, and tears poured out of them due to the urgency in his voice."Don't worry, Bel, just promise me that no matter what happens, you will stay right there."She nodded, and her sobbing got intense; she clung to him, "Papà, please."Her tiny body trembled as she held on. Even as he attempted to pry her hands away, she didn't budge. The dreadful feeling became intense, and she didn't want to let go for fear of it being the last time they'd see each other."Promise me, Bel, please promise me," John said as he joined his daughter, sobbing. He shook his head and bit his lower lip as his hands wrapped around her small frame."I promise you, papà, that no matter what happens, I will not come out," Arabella replied with a quavering voice, and her hand trembled as she made a pinky promise with him."Here, take this," John murmured, squeezing a white sheet of paper in her hand."Go there," He paused, brought out a bunch of keys from his pocket, and pointed to the corner of the room where another door was situated. "Whatever you see, take it and leave this place; go far away from here, somewhere he won't find you.""These are the keys to unlock every door there, do not stay there, or else he will find you; just take what is there and go very far away." He added, dangling the keys in his hand."Papà, what are you saying? I do not understand you. Why do I have to run away, and who are you talking about?" Arabella creased her closely knitted brows and scrunched up her button nose."His name is Alessandro De Luca." He answered, wiping the sweat trickling down his face with the back of his palm."Who is he, papà? Is he a bad man?""I'm so sorry, my child; please forgive me," John mumbled, ignoring her question. His shoulder trembled once more, and he burst into tears."Papà, why don't we leave together?" She reasoned."No, Bel." He said with a slight shake of his head, "We can't, or he would find us and then kill you too. I can't let that happen.""I'm so sorry darling child, my nemesis has caught up with me, and it's time I pay for what I've done." He said, and he nudged her into the wardrobe before shutting it."Papà, please don't go. Do not leave me here!" Arabella banged her fists on the wooden closet. Despite her cry, it didn't stop her father, as there was nothing he could do to escape the impending death that awaited him.Tears slid down his bloodshot eyes as he turned to gaze at his daughter's hiding place to make sure it wasn't obvious she was in there. Arabella wanted to call out to her father once more, but the gunshots she heard silenced the words in her mouth.From a crack in the closet, she watched as the door to the room went ajar, and a man dressed in a steel black tux strode in with some men with him. Arabella trembled as she glimpsed the guns in each hand. She clasped her hand tightly to stop her from yanking the closet handle and darting out to meet her father, who was on his knees."Please, Sandro, spare me. I truly regret what I did." John's hand extended as he grovelled in the presence of the man he was twenty years older than."Bastardo!" The man Bel believed to be Sandro exclaimed. He shoved his hand through his dark brown messy hair, and his piercing green eyes narrowed at her father.She bit her lip as he kicked her father in his gut, which made him double over."Now you regret it, don't you?" Sandro's voice was laced with a thick Italian accent. "Well, too bad for you; I won't spare you this time. Do you know how long I've waited for this day to come, the day I can finally take my revenge on you and make you pay for what you did?"Arabella shook as she gripped the handle of the closet. She moved to twist it, but she remembered the promise she had made to her father earlier. Despite all his pleading for forgiveness, Sandro didn't listen."Do you know that every night all I could see in my dreams was your betrayal? You took away everything from me due to your greed." Sandro yelled. His eyes narrowed as he gazed around, "I bet you must have hidden your daughter somewhere you think I wouldn't be able to find her." He chuckled, and his voice turned colder, "I'll make one thing clear to you, no matter what happens, I will find her and make sure she joins you in hell."From her hiding place, Arabella shuddered at the threat. Within her, she was aware it wasn't an empty threat. The man currently punishing her father would carry out what he said."P-please, Sandro," John stuttered, coughing out blood, "It's me you want; kill me and spare my little girl. She knows nothing.""Spare?" Sandro sneered. "Why should I spare the offspring of my foe? Did you listen to me when I said these exact words to you many years ago?" He said as he collected a gun from one of his bodyguards."You fucking made my life miserable," Sandro growled. "You caused me pain. Every fucking night, the things you did haunt me in my dreams, and they became my worst nightmare. You took away my peace and happiness, and here you are, talking about sparing your daughter." Sandro scoffed."Well, too sad, I wouldn't be able to grant you this wish. It's time for you to go to hell, and don't worry because I'll find your precious daughter and make sure she suffers the same way I did."A wicked glint appeared on his face as he cocked the gun, pointing it at her father's head. Arabella closed her hands around her ears and shut her eyes as the shot fired. A while later, she opened her eyes to see her father in his pool of blood, blood spattered around the room, and she clasped her throat while heaving.She opened her mouth slightly and breathed in before letting it out slowly. Her hands clasped her trembling thighs as her eyes glided back to her father's lifeless figure on the floor. Her whole body shuddered, and various emotions surged through her.Grief, fear, pain, and then hate.She loathed him.She loathed Alessandro De Luca.Arabella watched him laugh victoriously. He seemed like a psychopath, and she wondered if he was indeed a human or a beast in human form. But one thing she knew was the night would change her whole life forever. She'd never forget the face of the man in front of her.Alessandro De Luca. He was her worst nightmare and nemesis. She was going to avenge her father, she vowed while sobbing quietly.August 17th, 2022PEACE BLOSSOM PLAZACOOAN city, New York."May I assist you with that?"Arabella straightened as a deep voice reached her ears. She furrowed her brows and squinted.A man around her age strode towards her, producing a lighter from the pocket of the red cargo pants he wore and igniting the cigarette jutting out from his lip. As he drew nearer, she appraised his face. He was the most handsome man she had encountered since arriving in Cooan—a sprawling city renowned for its nightlife and mysteries.Perhaps she hadn't interacted with enough men, given her lack of outgoing nature. However, she believed she had seen more than her fair share of those who frequented the Peace Blossom Plaza. Nonetheless, she was certain that he stood out due to his exceptional looks. His biceps flexed as he raised his hand to slick back his dark-brown hair into a quiff.She wondered whether he dedicated extensive time to styling his hair or if he had a personal stylist at his service. The brow
"Please... Stop!" "Leave me alone!" Arabella jolted awake, her voice quivering with fear and panic. She let out a piercing scream, gasping for breath, and clutched her throat as sweat dripped down her face. Frantically, she groped for the bedside lamp switch, accidentally knocking something off the nightstand. With the room bathed in light, her eyes widened, and she huddled on the bed, rocking back and forth. It had returned. The nightmare had returned, its haunting grip as strong as ever. Despite her best efforts to suppress the memories of that dreadful night, they surged back with even greater intensity. For the past two years, she had believed it to be behind her, only to have it resurface today. After each occurrence of the nightmare, she found herself pondering the same question about her father's involvement in the crime. It was a relentless query that echoed in her mind, but one for which she could never unearth answers. Arabella grimaced and raked a hand through her dish
Arabella's gaze shifted to the wall clock once again, the umpteenth time she had checked, and midnight had arrived. Rubbing her tired eyes, she sighed, her thoughts focused on the reason for waking at such an odd hour, though she didn't know why. Nonetheless, a certainty that something was about to occur enveloped her, impossible to ignore. This sensation was familiar, not for the first time. It mirrored the feeling she had experienced when her father was killed. Had she been older then, she might have persuaded her father to flee, avoiding the tragic outcome. Unfortunately, her age at that time had stopped her from making that decision. “Alessandro,” she murmured, the name leaving her lips almost involuntarily. A shiver coursed through her, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end at the mere mention of his name. She couldn't rationalize how she knew, but she was convinced that this inexplicable feeling was somehow connected to him. “What if he found me again?” Her
Arabella's hand instinctively moved to her neck again, remembering how he had injected her twice with an unknown substance. She bolted out of bed and rushed to the door, her trembling hand gripping the cold metal doorknob, yanking it open forcefully. "Shit!" She cursed, kicking the door with the black ballet flat she was wearing and tugging at her hair in frustration. She was in serious trouble. How had she ended up in a situation like this? She let out an exasperated sigh while scanning the room for any means of escape. Her chest felt constricted as her heart raced, the familiar sensation of a panic attack beginning to wash over her. After regaining control over the overwhelming emotions, Arabella took a step closer to the door. Twisting the knob, she was relieved to find that it turned easily. A tentative smile formed on her lips as she swung the door open, only for it to vanish as soon as she spotted the person standing on the other side. She recoiled, a hand instinctively flyin
The disorderly chirping of birds awakened Arabella from her slumber. She gently massaged her temple and exhaled deeply as she slowly sat up on the chilly tiled floor. With furrowed brows, she recollected the reason for finding herself sleeping on the floor. Memories from the previous night flooded her mind as she shook her head. It had been because of Sandro. After leaving her in a state of agitation, he returned to taunt her once again, asserting ownership over her and her possessions. He had deemed her absurd for outrightly rejecting his offer, and as a result, he coerced her into retracting her words by nearly choking her to the brink of death. Arabella believed his stopping was prompted only when he saw her gasping for air. However, she had doubts that it was driven by pity, as he seemed to relish every moment of his actions. In fact, she was convinced that he hesitated solely to revel in watching her wheeze and grovel before him. The humiliation was deep, yet her frail body left
"The boss did."Alessandro Fúcking De Luca. Jesus, he was testing her patience."Did you say something?" Janice furrowed her brows."I didn't." Arabella gritted her teeth and stared back at the mirror."Since you are fine with it, how about we get going? It's almost time, and the boss isn't fond of lateness. But you might be an exception as he seems fond of you.""If you only knew my situation, you wouldn't think that…." Arabella mumbled."Uhn?" Janice questioned."Nothing. Let's get going."Arabella let out a deep breath and patted her stomach forming knots.'Help me, dear lord.' She mumbled as she stepped out of the room with Janice.************"See you later," Janice said as soon as they reached the door. "This is the boss's bedroom.""Please, Janice," Arabella gripped her hand as she was about to move. "Stay with me a bit. Don't leave me.""Oh!" Janice exclaimed as Arabella's arms wrapped around her."He's really harmless, don't be scared," Janice mumbled while caressing her back
"I'll never do that!" Arabella screeched.Even though a gun was pointing at her, showing her body in front of him was the last thing on her mind."I refuse to do whatever you say!"Sandro chuckled. He stood from where he sat and stepped towards her.He stood in front of her for a few seconds before swiftly shoving her to the nearest wall."What did you say?" He growled, clutching her neck."I-I'll never do that…."Arabella didn't get the chance to finish her words. She gasped as his hand smacked her hard on her face.She bit her tongue due to the force and winced at the metallic taste of blood in her mouth. Her eyes watered, and she gazed up at him.His face was stoic, and he sneered, "You'll fúcking do as I say all the time. No matter what my orders are. You are not to disobey me and freaking watch your mouth when you speak to me next time. Is that understood?"Arabella nodded and trembled."Good." Sandro gritted.He tugged her by her long hair and dragged her to the centre of the roo
Arabella winced as she came awake.She turned and let out a groan as pain flared up as soon as she moved.Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks before she snapped her eyes open.Realising she was lying on her stomach, as soon as her vision cleared, she creased her brows despite the pounding in her head and sat on the bed."Shit!" She gasped softly. Using a pillow to brace herself, she leaned to the edge of the bed and shut her eyes.Then she opened them again. Her eyes wandered around the vast room, which was done in white.She didn't need to think twice to know she was in the clinic as the smell of bleach and antiseptic wafted into her nostrils.She gagged and glared at the IV line connected to her vein as she recalled what had happened.She wondered if he was a monster of some sort.Goodness, he had not shown remorse and had hit her until she passed out!He hadn't stopped, and she was sure he enjoyed everything he did.That bástárd!"I see you're awake."Arabella lurched as a voice