Chapter Three

"If you take even a single step towards me, that's it. Your fate is sealed forever,” Frederico sneered, his lips curling into a smirk.

My heart hammered in my chest. I had no choice. I couldn’t let my father die because of my selfishness. But this... this was the price I had to pay.

I nodded slowly, my throat tight with unshed tears.

"Yes. I agree, Red. I’ll be your toy," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. The tears burned my eyes, slipping down my cheeks as I said the words I’d never imagined I’d say.

Somewhere, on the edge of the city, my father was tied to a bridge—his life hanging by a thread. And my mother—she lay unconscious in a hospital bed, unaware that her life was hanging in the balance too. If I chose myself now, everyone—every single person I loved—would be gone. It was me or them.

"Then come on…" His voice was steady, but the command behind it was unmistakable. I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart pounding in my chest. I could barely move, each step feeling heavier than the last.

For Ma and Pa, I thought. Do it, Rose. Do it for them.

With that, I forced myself to take a step toward Frederico. His lips curled into that smug, predatory smile, like he had just claimed a prize.

"Let her father go," he said, his tone cold and final. "The debts are settled as long as she's mine—my little plaything. And keep a close eye on the mother."

One of his men nodded, his smirk matching Frederico’s. "Roger that, Boss."

Frederico's glare pierced through me as I was dragged away. A tall, masculine woman with a cruel sneer approached, her hands roughly cutting the ropes binding me before shoving me toward the exit.

I staggered but managed to keep my footing, heart pounding in my chest. Every step I took toward him felt like a betrayal, but I had no choice.

What now? I wondered. My life... Ma... Pa... everything—gone.

Anger simmered inside me, a rage that wasn’t just directed at Frederico but at myself. I couldn't choose my own fate. Broken. Useless. That’s how I felt.

When we stepped outside, my breath caught. A sleek car idled in front of us, waiting.

Frederico opened the door. His cold glare dared me to resist, and I knew better. I slid into the car, not daring to meet his eyes.

I sat frozen, a hollow feeling eating at me. What happened to him? The Frederico I knew—kind, gentle, almost innocent—was long gone. In his place was a man who barely resembled the one I once trusted.

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything?” His voice was low but laced with venom. "Huh? Look at me, Rose... Look at me!!"

I turned to face him, and for a brief moment, I saw something in his eyes—something dark and twisted, just like my father’s. A look I knew all too well. Anger. Blame.

“No, Sir.” The words came out cold, my resolve firm.

“It’s master!” he snarled, venom dripping from each syllable. “It’s fucking master, Rose! I owe you now!!”

He spat the words as if they tasted bitter in his mouth. His disgust was palpable, and it made me feel smaller than I already did.

“Pathetic,” he muttered under his breath, his words cutting deeper than any physical blow.

I rested on the latter seat, taking in the AC and the calm Italian song playing in the car.

And then, just like that, everything started fading…I was slowly slipping away.

I wondered how long I had slept when someone tapped on my body. I thought it was a dream, but it wasn't.

“Wake up!...Wake up!!” An angry voice shouted, and I gasped, jolting awake.

A middle-aged lady stood in front of me, angry and annoyed.

“Rose, right?” She raised her eyebrows.

“Yes… Yes. I'm Rose.”

“Well, Rose, if you're replying to me, it's ‘ma'am,’ and secondly, it’s past eight in the morning! Why are you still in bed?!” She shouted, and I jumped up, rushing off the bed.

“Sorry… Sorry, ma’am.”

“You’re the one Fred brought in yesterday, the gambler’s daughter,” she gave me a disgusted look. “I hope you don’t steal anything from here. Anyway, go have a bath, brush your teeth, and come out now. You’ve got ten minutes!” Her commanding voice was no different from a military person’s.

So I rushed, finding my way into the bathroom. Everything was ready and intact.

I began scrubbing my body and having a hot bath, also brushing my teeth.

In no time, I was done. I tied a towel around my body, came out of the bathroom, and saw a uniform on the bed.

It seemed like a maid's uniform.

“Put it on, moron!” she gritted her teeth, annoyed.

I slipped off the towel and pulled on the bra from the bed, then tugged the maid’s uniform over my head. It wasn’t awful. In fact, it hugged my body just right, fitting my curves, and surprisingly, it was comfortable.

“Good. Now get moving, Gambler’s Girl,” she snapped, her voice sharp as she walked out of the room.

The nickname hit me like a punch to the gut. Gambler’s Girl. I didn’t know how I felt about it. It didn’t even sound like me, but it felt real. As if it had already been stamped onto my soul.

I followed her down the hallway, feeling like I was walking through some sort of prison. The house was quiet but full of tension. Every step I took echoed off the walls, and I could hear muffled voices ahead. When we rounded the corner, I saw a few other maids, all wearing the same uniform.

She stopped in front of them and cleared her throat. “This is Gambler’s Girl, Fred’s pick from yesterday. Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her steal anything, alright?”

I felt their eyes on me, cold and judging. They looked me up and down like I was a thief, like I didn’t belong. I could feel my heart racing in my chest, but I kept my head down, trying to ignore the whispers and the quiet glances they exchanged.

“You’ll clean the big room,” the woman said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “Every corner, every inch. Don’t leave a spot untouched.” She pointed toward a door at the end of the room, and I nodded. My throat was tight, but I forced myself to move.

The room was huge. It wasn’t filthy, but there was dust on the windowsills and a few smudges on the floor. It needed a good cleaning, and I’d do it.

I focused on the task. The more I scrubbed, the more I felt my nerves calm down, but then the door creaked open, and in walked three more maids.

“Gambler’s Girl,” one of them said with a sneer, crossing her arms. “So, you think you can just walk in here and start working like you belong?”

I kept my head down, scrubbing the counter. “I’m just here to clean.”

Another one scoffed, eyeing me up and down. “You’re really something, huh? Just because the Boss picked you doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want. You better not touch anything that doesn’t belong to you.”

I swallowed hard, feeling my fists clench at my sides. “I’m not here to steal anything,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’m here to work.”

“Is that what you think?” The first maid stepped closer, her voice dripping with mockery. “You don’t think we know what kind of girl you are? Boss’s little pet. We all know what you’re really after.”

The words stung, but I bit my tongue, focusing on the task at hand. The last thing I wanted was to get into an argument with these women. But then one of them stepped even closer, poking me in the shoulder. “Maybe you should just go. It’d be easier for everyone, don’t you think?”

I jerked back, but the second maid grinned, pushing me in the chest. “Yeah, why don’t you just leave? You’re nothing but trouble.”

That was it. Something in me snapped. I pushed her back, my anger flaring. “Don’t touch me,” I growled, my voice low and filled with anger.

But she wasn’t backing down. In one swift movement, she slapped me across the face. The sting spread across my cheek like fire, and I felt my heart race.

Before I could even react, the third maid grabbed my arm, shoving me into the wall. “What are you trying to do?”she sneered. “To slap her? Are you crazy!”

I didn’t know what came over me, but in that moment, I slapped her back, my hand landing across her face with a sharp crack. I saw her eyes widen in shock before her hand whipped around, hitting me hard. The force of it sent me stumbling back, my foot slipping on the floor.

I couldn’t stop myself. I fell, crashing to the ground. The back of my head hit the cold tiles, and everything went black.

I could hear their voices, distant, muffled like they were far away. I tried to move, but my body wouldn’t listen. The pain in my head made everything spin, and I couldn’t fight the darkness that slowly took over.