Lena sat on the bed while in deep thought, trying to plot her escape, but Dante had closed the door on his way out, and the building was so high that she couldn't jump from the window.
So all she could do was cry and reminisce about her parents deaths, which was caused by Nero. “So heartless,” she clenched her fist, still in deep thought, when the door pushed open and two maids walked in. "Hello, miss,” the first maid greeted, but Lena just glared at them; she hated being here and also hated anyone associated with this house or Nero. “You need to freshen up and get ready; the Pope (Nero) is waiting for you,” she explained, and a tear rolled down Lena’s cheeks. The thought that her parents were no longer alive shattered her, and to think the man who caused this was walking freely. “Maybe I could file a case against him,” Lena thought; all she needed was to get out of this building and hurry to the nearest police station. With this new plan in mind, Lena stood up and walked to the bathroom and closed the door. She could have her shower alone and didn't need the help of her fellow women. Minutes later, Lena stepped out of the bedroom with a towel wrapped around her body, and all she could find on the bed were new underwear. Her gaze moved to the maid by the side who smiled at her. “We don’t know which dress the pope will like on you, so we will let him decide,” they explained, and Lena’s brows furrowed, but she didn't have much time to waste in this place, so she quickly slid into the underwear, and with just a towel covering her modesty, she followed the maids who took her to Nero’s bedroom. “I can’t go in.” Lena finally blurted out the first word to them. She stood before the door and didn't have the guts to go further. That man seemed dangerous, and of course she didn't want to play with fire by standing before him with exposed thighs and cleavage. But she had no choice. The maid pushed the door open. “I am sorry, miss; we are just carrying out orders.” The maid apologized and signaled for Lena to go in. She clenched her fist by the sides tightly. Even her boyfriend Chris had never seen her with just a towel, so how could she let another man see her? “I can’t go in,” Lena muttered again. The second maid was annoyed as she quickly pushed Lena inside and closed the door. Lena swiftly turned to the door and tried pulling it open, but it was locked from outside. “Get me out of here,” Lena’s fist had turned red as she kept banging the door. She heard a man clear his throat from behind her. Nero sat on the couch at the side of the bedroom with his gaze stuck on her and a cig on his lips. “You…you” Lena found herself shivering, not able to come up with a clear word; this man made her feel like she was standing on hot coal and couldn't move. Nero had a smile before he stood up and strode towards her. Lena had no escape route as the wall was behind her. Standing a meter from her, Nero pointed at the towel. “Take it off,” he ordered, and her eyes widened in shock. “I already like you a lot; don't give me a reason to hurt you, baby,” he held her hand and pulled her closer, forcing her to look into his eyes. “I will give you the world, and I request just one thing from you: obedience." Nero stated and wrapped his hand around Lena’s waist when she pushed him away; the hate she felt for him had overshadowed her fear, and all she wanted was to hit him. “Don’t come near me, monster,” Lena scolded and hurried to the other end of the bedroom. Nero pointed at the bed, and on it there were three gowns of different colors and designs. “Dress up; you better do it yourself or I will. You have two minutes,” he warned, and her gaze was stuck on the dresses; she didn't have a problem wearing one of them, but the fact that she would be changing before him hindered her. Her gaze shifted to the bathroom door, and in a swift moment she picked up the red gown on the bed and hurried to the bathroom while Nero stood still and watched her. A chuckle left his lips. “How pretty she scolds,” he bit his lower lip, and his thoughts were interrupted by the call from his phone. “I am listening,” Nero said after he sat comfortably on the couch and lit a cigarette. “We couldn’t find Linda; it turns out she is being protected by a powerful group,” one of his men in America reported. “Then put a ransom on her head; let the hungry wolves dig Linda out and bring her to me alive. You have three days to bring that bastard to me, and just like her parents... I will decide her fate,” Nero scolded before he ended the call and checked his time. “It’s two minutes; get the fuck out of there." Nero scolded impatiently when the door pushed open and Lena stood there still with the towel around her body. She didn't get enough time to change and also chose not to find an escape way because she heard him tell someone to bring Linda in three days. "I... I don’t want to have dinner with you." Lena blurted, She was going to try and stay here for three more days and wait for her sister; this way they could escape together. Nero clenched his fist before he typed a message to one of his men. He stood up and walked towards Lena. “All I asked was for you to be obedient; well, you have a lot of time to think about your actions,” Nero said before he walked out of the bedroom, and Lena sighed in relief. For a moment, she thought he was going to hurt her because she refused to have a meal with him. “Will Linda be alright?” she thought before she walked to the door and tried to open it before she realised it was locked from outside. “Oh no…” Lena sat on the floor frustratedly; she clenched her fist and gritted her teeth angrily. “I will make sure you rot in jail; you killed my parents and kidnapped me. Do you know how grave this is?” Lena scolded. “You monster, do you look at your face in the mirror? Doesn't it scare you?” “You will die a painful death, and even the worms won't feed on your sinful body.” Lena stood up and kept kicking the door and pulling her hair frustratedly. “If the law doesn't give me justice, then I promise to send a knife right into your chest,” she screamed at the top of her voice. The image of her dad falling off the balcony had made her lose it completely; all she wanted was to see Nero suffer.Linda walked over and quietly shut the door on the maid. “What are you talking about? You didn’t kill him… his country did,” she insisted, but Lena only shook her head, grief etched into her features.“I’m such a monster,” Lena whispered. Linda’s heart clenched at the sight of her sister breaking down.“He killed our parents, Lena. You need to hate him.” Linda tried to convince her, but Lena’s pain was too raw.“Why did he kill our parents?” Lena asked, her voice trembling. Linda looked away, but Lena grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to face the truth.“Tell me, Linda. Why?”Linda’s composure shattered. “Because of me,” she confessed, a tear slipping down her cheek before she could wipe it away. “It’s all because of me, and I feel so guilty. I just want to give you your life back,” she managed. “You wanted to marry Chris, right? I’ll arrange everything. I’ll make sure you get the happy life you deserve. Just pretend everything that happened was a bad dream and you are still getting m
Linda had spent the entire day convincing the authorities to let her and Lena leave for America that very night. Italy was no longer safe for them, and finally, her request was approved.First, Linda managed to get Lena out of the hospital unnoticed. Lena lay unconscious on the wooden bed in a small room as Linda paced anxiously. “We need to leave today. If Nero’s execution doesn’t go through, he might come for you—and I won’t let that happen,” she muttered, glancing at the clock again.Outside, the private jet had just landed. The government had kept its word about returning Lena safely to America. A man in a suit walked down the jet’s stairs and approached the hut.“Lena Morgan?” he asked, flashing his credentials.“That’s me,” Linda replied, and his gaze shifted to Lena.“I requested a nurse for the flight. My sister passed out,” Linda explained.“Understood. I’ll carry her to the plane.”Linda nodded as the man carefully lifted Lena. They made their way to the jet, and a nurse imm
“Just Leave” "Just leave," Lena muttered, turning her face away. She couldn’t bear to look at him. The closer Nero got, the weaker her resolve became. Her protective wall was crumbling. "Death is an easier escape, huh?" Nero said, his voice calm but laced with pain. "Then let me take that route." Lena stared at him in disbelief, wondering if he was serious or just trying to emotionally blackmail her.He turned to his men, who stood by anxiously, sensing the danger of the situation. "You all leave," he ordered firmly. The men exchanged uneasy glances. "Boss..." one of them began, hesitant. They knew the police were closing in; how could he ask them to leave now? "Do as I say," Nero growled, his tone leaving no room for argument. With reluctant nods, his men obeyed, filing out of the hospital. As soon as they were gone, Otto stepped forward, raising his gun and pointing it at Nero. "A criminal like you doesn't deserve freedom," Otto spat. Nero nodded, showing no res
They reached the police van, and it pulled away from the curb. “Miss Morgan, this way,” some officers gestured, but Joan shoved the nearest one aside and stepped in front of Lena.“Remember our deal?” Joan asked, eyes cold. Lena looked anywhere but at her.“I hope you do. And you must be foolish to make Nero your enemy. That man is beyond anything you imagine.” Joan burst out laughing and pointed at her father, who sat calmly, watching it all. “He was trained and raised by that man over there. Do you really think you can bring Nero down?”Joan leaned in, her voice icy. “Even if you dig a hole and hide, Lena Morgan, he’ll find you. The only way to be free is through death—and I’d be happy to grant you that.”Lena pushed Joan aside and walked past her before she stopped before Dante, memories of how he pushed her parents down the balcony kept replaying, she quenched her fist. “You pushed them,” she muttered.Dante shrugged. “I don’t regret it. But I know you, Lena. You’ll live with regr
“What is that supposed to mean?” Joan asked.“I mean our wedding night,” Lena explained, and Joan chuckled.The car parked in front of an excluded hall; they chose to hold the wedding away from the city so they could have their men guard the place without interference from the police.“Wait here…” Joan walked down the car and hurried to the door; the hall was filled with their guests, and her father sat in the front.“Dante,” she waved at Dante, who was dressed in a brown suit. Dante hurried to her.“Where is Nero?” Joan questioned, and Dante checked his watch.“He will be here in about five minutes; don’t worry about him.”“But the bride can’t go in first; he needs to wait for her at the podium,” Joan pouted. They were going to ruin her perfect wedding setting.She already had everything planned, from the romantic scenes to the music."And something seemed off with the guards which followed us, they were too visible. Did Nero change his security system?" She asked and Dante shrugged
It was the night before the wedding; Nero had spent the week making preparations. He didn’t want his enemies showing up to hurt Lena; he was going to give her the fairytale life she deserved.“What are you thinking about?” Lena asked while lying on his chest.“You,” he replied, and she chuckled and looked up at him.“What about me?”“Many people told me I was no different from my dad; they said I became a criminal just like him,” he explained, and Lena sat up. She loved hearing him talk about his family; this was her chance to get to know him better.“I believed them… I mean, I still believe them.”“He was neither a good father nor husband, so I was scared—scared to get married and treat a woman exactly how my mother was treated.”“You will be a great husband,” she assured him, and he rubbed her lips.“What if I end up having a child who pulls a trigger at me?” he questioned. He had done the same to his dad, and he knew so well that karma was real, so what if his son does the same to