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 her powerless to resist.
A knock resounded at the door, jolting her out of her thoughts. Arabella stood up abruptly, immediately regretting the hasty movement as her head spun.
She stumbled towards the vanity, clutching it for support while she exhaled. After regaining her balance, she straightened up. Her forehead creased as the knocking persisted. While she remained uncertain about the visitor's identity, she risked a guess that it was none other than the formidable Alessandro De Luca himself. He might have come to criticize her and force her into pleading for her life—the life she believed was on the ridge of being extinguished.
With measured steps, she approached the door, her breathing uneven. She wiped her clammy palms on her denim shorts and swallowed the lump lodged in her throat. What actions would he unleash upon entering the room, she pondered as her quivering hand closed around the doorknob. Despite her efforts not to succumb to his presence's threat, she found herself consistently failing.
Her teeth sank on her lower lip as she turned the lock before opening the door. Stepping two paces backward, she braced herself for the expected taunt. However, upon opening her eyes a few seconds later, she was met not by the sea-green eyes she had anticipated but by deep-brown ones.
Standing before her wasn't Sandro but rather a petite lady with ebony skin. Her vividly dyed red hair formed a cascade of curls, and she appeared to be roughly Arabella's age.
"Good morning, Arabella," her hazel eyes gleamed, and her plump lips curved into a broad smile. With a wrinkle of her long nose, she ventured further into the room.
Startled, Arabella arched her brows as she studied the newcomer. She pondered if she had encountered this woman somewhere before, but her mind drew a blank when searching for any resemblance to someone familiar.
"Don't be surprised," the redhead chimed, her smile unwavering. "The boss informed me about you. I'm your maid, Janice."
"The boss?" Arabella inquired. Before even receiving a response, she knew precisely who was being referred to.
"Signore Alessandro De Luca," Janice confirmed.
Suppressing a shudder, Arabella concentrated on Janice's presence and words, deliberately diverting her thoughts from him.
"So, uh...?" Janice playfully nudged Arabella, causing her to start.
"Oh, sorry," Janice quickly apologized. "I didn't realize your mind was preoccupied."
Arabella managed a smile. "It's alright, Janice. I don't mean to be impolite. It's nice to meet you, but I truly don't believe I require a maid."
"Please," Janice chuckled, waving her hands dismissively. "You can't go against his wishes."
"I can, and I—" Arabella began, her resolve faltering.
"Now, come on," Janice interjected, her tone insistent. "He wishes to see you soon, and I need to prepare you before the appointed time. I'd rather not find myself in trouble."
Janice guided Arabella out of the room before she could offer further resistance.
"Prepare for what?" Arabella questioned.
"Why not let me perform my duties without interruptions from you?" Janice said. "You'll find out once I'm finished. If I were to assume, maybe he intends to share a breakfast of sorts with you."
Arabella sighed, closing her eyes. She nibbled on her lower lip and clenched her fists. Would he be following through with his declarations from the day before? She silently protested within herself. The prospect of being enslaved in such a manner was her worst nightmare.
She craved for his summons to revolve solely around breakfast and not the distressing notions that plagued her thoughts.
After a while, Janice's gaze remained on Arabella's reflection in the mirror.
"You look exquisite, Arabella, just like your name suggests—absolutely gorgeous," she complimented, delicately putting the finishing touches on Arabella's face.
"I doubt that," Arabella grimaced.
Even with her awareness of her stunning reflection, Arabella knew her current look was primarily a result of Janice's help. The real reason for Alessandro's asking her to appear before him remained a mystery to her, but the attire she found herself in—or rather, had been coerced into—didn't sit well with her.
The sequined dress, with its short sleeves and mid-thigh length, clung to her body like a second skin. She marveled at how perfectly it fit her petite frame, pondering how they had managed to get her size right. She scowled at her chest, instinctively attempting to cover the pronounced cleavage that was on display, yet her efforts proved futile. She pondered whether it was the push-up bra she had been forced into or the dress's plunging neckline itself that was exposing too much.
As if these concerns weren't enough, the dress also featured an open back, leaving little to the imagination.
Exhaling sharply, she turned her attention to Janice. "Could I maybe wear something else? This feels overly showy. And seriously, who on earth would choose such a—such an outrageous outfit?!"
"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
"Do well to keep that in mind," Sandro smirked.She watched as he moved to the door."Ciao," He turned and blew her a kiss before winking.Arabella let out a relieved sigh as soon as he left.She lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling.Her neck still hurt from his firm grip on it and she wondered why he couldn't kill her at once.At least, it would save her from the unwarranted punishment that was meted out to her.It would save her a lot of anguish and she'd be able to join her father wherever he was.Again, her mind drifted to Blaze. He was a mafia. He was part of his gang.It was unbelievable. Thinking of it now made it look surreal. If she hadn't seen him here, she'd have assumed he was lying.But now, she didn't know what to think. She didn't know how to feel!The person she had been crushing on from her office window was a gangster. Goodness!She sat up straight and stared at the door as it opened."Hey!" Janice rushed in. She creased her brows as she stepped to the bedside."I
Arabella fought back the urge to burst out laughing.It sounded absurd even thinking about it but laughing might make it seem rather unserious.She wondered if he assumed she'd jump at the offer due to the naughty smirk on his face.She shook her head and climbed down from where she sat and stepped towards him."Alessandro De Fúcking Luca, I am not some cheap whóre that frequents your bed. Put some respect to my name and I will never give you what you seek!" She stabbed at his chest with each word she said.She wondered where the boldness to even face him had come from but she wasn't stopping.Arabella clenched and unclenched her fists as anger seared through her.She wondered what he took her for.Perhaps, he had assumed she was one of the slúts in Cooan. A slút he could have a nice time with anything he desired."If you are not willing to give it to me, you should know I can take it from you forcefully." He whispered in her ear and his tongue slipped out to lick her earlobe.He gripp
"It's so nice of you to join us," Sandro said, and he sat on the chair.His eyes moved from Francis to Blaze who stood by the door."I'm only a few seconds late." Blaze replied with a grunt. "Might I ask what held you up?" Sandro slanted his head. Blaze gave a half-shrug, "You wouldn't want to know. It's irrelevant."His eyes stayed on Sandro as he scrutinized him. There was no way he could confess he had been with Arabella. Except he was seeking a death wish. After he had met with Arabella at the hospital earlier, Sandro had warned him against being in her presence. Also, he had accused him of telling her to remain defiant to him whereas it was the opposite.Blaze sighed and let his eyes wander away first. Sandro had a knack for knowing when someone was lying after staring for too long. He wasn't just the leader, and their gang wasn't just an ordinary gang as most people saw it.They were a werewolf pack. In the human world, it was near impossible for such a creature to be in e
Arabella covered her face with her hands and shook her head.She dragged in a staggering breath and blinked back the tears in her eyes.What happened a few seconds ago was beyond her and what she didn't think would.Sandro must think she was a slút now as he had gotten what he wanted- she screamed out his name whilst he pleasured her.It was the last thing she had wanted to do but at that instant, she couldn't stop or help herself.The desire that had coursed through her was intense and she had wanted more.Arabella bit her lower lip as her core tingled. The image of Sandro buried deep in her core emerged in her head.She wondered the length of his díck and how she'd have felt if he actually fúcked her.It was possible she wouldn't have accepted and might have screamed bloody murder. But at the same time, she was certain Sandro would have taken her by force."Will you use the whole day to freshen up?"Arabella scrambled to her feet as Sandro banged on the door.Darting into the shower
Sighing for the umpteenth time, Arabella gripped the handle of the car door.She heaved a breath, and let her hand slide down again.She peered through the closed window and back at the driver, "Do you know when Sandro would be coming out?""That, I don't know." Mr. Rex said. He lifted his gaze from his phone and turned to face Arabella, "I'm sure he'll be with us soon. But, you don't need to be afraid. I promised to keep you safe."Arabella drew in a staggering breath and slouched in the seat.She had been in the car for four hours.As soon as they got to the middle of nowhere, that was the only description she could give to her location as what she could see was only the swaying of trees and nothing.Sandro had walked into the dense forest. She didn't know where exactly he went but she was certain he stopped at the large house she could see from where she sat.Aside from Sandro's disappearance, what bothers her the most was the middle of the road they were in.She heard howls of wo