Rosana looked from Enzo to Carmencita, surprised by his question. "How hard?" She thought. Of course, the slap had been pretty hard, it left a painful ring in her left ear. But it was nothing compared to the two slaps she returned. "I... I slapped her back on both cheeks" "How hard?" Enzo asked again. He still wore a soft smile on his face. "Um... Very hard, I guess" "Doesn't sound hard enough for me" He responded and started walking away. Where was he going? Rosana wondered and turned to look at Carne. "Did you tell him, your husband?" How could she have told him when she didn't get to see him again after dinner the previous night? He didn't even join her for breakfast in the morning. Not that she cared. At least she ate her meal in peace. Before Rosana could utter a word, Carmencita cut in. She suddenly looked troubled and scared. "No, please. That would be the end of her!" "She should have thought about that when she raised a finger on her Master's wife, the Donna" Donna? I
"You sent for me!" Rosana uttered and went to stand in front of Sergio's desk. She could vividly remember what happened the last time she was there. The memories were still fresh in her mind. He has trusted her, only for her to crush it to the ground. What if the powder was some sort of poison? She wondered. She had not even stopped to ask Munika what it was before following up with the plan. And then, what could've happened after that? His men would've found her and killed her, or maybe not. They would've sent words to Enzo about his brother's demise and how he was poisoned by his wife who tried to escape afterward. Rosana could only imagine Enzo smiling and making her laugh until she unknowingly danced inside the grave he had dug for her. And before she would realize it, she was six feet under the ground and dead already. "My brother must have told you about the introduction" Sergio started, his cold voice jerking her out of her thoughts. "You must be ready" "I do not wish to t
Rosana was breathing heavily and exhausted from training so hard since morning. It had been that way since she started training three weeks ago. There were no breaks or any time to relax. She had to keep training until Enzo was impressed with her performance. The training was intense and geared toward building physical strength, agility, reflexes, and mental toughness. She was taught different techniques that drew from various martial arts styles. Enzo and a few men made demonstrations, showing how to strike, kick, punch, throw, the vital techniques that could disable or neutralize an opponent, and how to finish them off. Rosana would watch with focused attention, observing their practicality and effectiveness. She was determined to learn how to fight and become strong, just as Carmencita and Enzo said. Those were the only ways to survive in the Mafia world. "Good job, My Lady!" Enzo praised and proffered a bottle of water. She immediately stretched out her hand to grab the bottle
Sergio chuckled dryly and looked around. They were far apart from each other. "Take the seat beside me, Bambolina" "The distance is fair enough, Tesoro." She replied and smiled sweetly. "The only person that should sit beside you is your Mistress. You should send for her. I am sure she will gladly join you!" "You are my wife!" "Am I?" She asked and met his hard gaze. They stared at each other for a long time before she finally looked away. Her heart was pounding heavily in her chest. "Enjoy your meal, Amore mio!" Rosana was trying so hard not to shake. After the bold act she had just displayed in front of him, it would be shameful if she started trembling. He would know it was just a facade and use it against her, break her. The room suddenly felt hot and she blamed it on the long sleeve dress she was wearing. She should've worn something simple, something sleeveless. Now, she was starting to sweat when she hadn't even touched her meal. Sergio watched her with a smirk plastered o
Rosana tried to calm herself as the fight was about to begin. Sergio was present as well as Enzo, and Alfonso. She had to prove herself, she had to fight well and convince them that she was ready. Enzo smiled at her and nodded once. He believed in her and didn't fail to show his support. Sergio just stood like a rock, his eyes pinned on her the whole time. He was there to watch her dance because he didn't believe his brother had trained her enough. The fight started and Rosana was able to fight like she had been taught. With speed, precision, and technique, she was able to fight three of her opponents and disable them. She fought longer with the fourth opponent because he was stronger and equal to the task. He had already made her bleed from the mouth but she succeeded in hitting him off to the ground by kicking his balls. "Told ya" Enzo whispered beside Sergio who stood with his arms crossed, watching as Rosana fought with the last opponent. "She finished off Grateo and the other
"He hurt you. He had to die" Rosana articulated the words slowly as she stood still, staring at him. Her heartbeat skipped a beat but it wasn't because of his proximity or how he kept staring and caressing the corner of her lips with his thumb. It was because he had killed for her. He ended the life of an innocent man because he hurt her. She was bound to get hurt one way or the other. That is why it was called a fight. But he killed the man just like that and wasn't remorseful. He didn't care if he had a family or loved ones. He just ended him. "You did not have to kill anyone because they hurt me. It was a fight!" "I do not care whatever it was, Bambolina. No one touches what is mine and lives." He deadpanned and pressed his cold fingers against her chin. He pushed her face upwards so she was now looking up at him. Rosana stared into his eyes and all she could see was darkness. The kind of darkness that left a trail of shivers running down her spine. There was no warmth whatsoe
"I guess he was proud of you," Carmencita uttered after Rosana told her about the fight that took place the previous night. They were in the library, as usual, reading books and discussing. "I doubt that. He didn't even stay till the end of the fight. He didn't even care if I got hurt and died afterward, he just left." "But he killed the man that hurt you" Carmencita insisted but she scoffed and continued reading her book. "That does not mean he cares." She replied and continued reading but nothing could get through. She couldn't stop herself from thinking about the man Sergio had killed. The gunshots... "He only killed the man because he left a mark on me. A mark that was not Sergio's." "And what about the reward you mentioned?" Carmencita asked, clueless. If Sergio had rewarded her for the fight, then it only meant he was impressed by her performance. But Rosana didn't believe that. "The reward?" Carmencita nodded in response and she turned to look around. "Um... It was... Not
"And what about his mother?" "She is a busy woman. She handles the strip clubs and brothels" That explained why she wasn't around all the time, Rosana thought and heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness! At least she didn't have to hear about Munika's trust issues all the time. "Enzo said I could trust them. Because they are family. But..." She paused and sighed, not knowing how to place the other words. "There are more enemies in the family than you imagine, my dear. You have to be careful!" > INDOOR SHOOTING RANGE Rosana stood beside Enzo, wearing ear protection and eyewears as she watched him quietly. He was teaching her about different types of guns and their uses. He also showed her the different parts and how they worked. Holding the pistol with both hands, he maintained a focused stance. "Sight alignment, breath control, trigger squeeze, those are the fundamentals" The sound of gunfire echoed through the air and Rosana applauded when the bullet hit the target which w