KIDNAPPED BY THE MAFIA

“For God’s sake! Leave me alone!” screamed Zarina as she was involuntarily dragged out of her room.Tears rolled down her swollen, red eyes as she struggled against the unknown. The fierce hour of midnight saw her being pulled out of ‘Sapphire Aurora’, a lavish and luxurious hotel in Venice, by a tall male captor with broad shoulders and a husky build.Her free hand struggled to free the other, which was firmly grasped in a firm grasp, unwilling to let go.The hotel wasn’t exceptionally crowded that night, but there were a few vacationers checking in and out. The workers remained still and looked around with empty looks, but no one had the courage to raise a finger to help the unfortunate girl. The survival instinct clamped their lips and shut off their conscience, as if everything happening in front of them wasn’t there.“Please! Let go of me.” her voice quivered, body trembling with fear. “Somebody, Please!…Please!!… HELP ME!” she cried out for help, looking around at the people, si

Vladimir stormed out of the room, leaving a stunned Zarina behind. His smirk evaporated as soon as Zarina moved from his sight. He was suddenly all business and no play. His demeanor was void of emotion, just as he preferred and probably was.He was making his way to his room, shirt half-open, exhibiting a streak of his tanned skin, and blazer low on his shoulder when his phone rang.Despite the fact that he was awake, his eyes were tired as hell, and he was looking forward to a lengthy and relaxing bath. The call could, however, have been urgent. This type of organization required his undivided attention. He slipped his hand into the pocket of his trousers and took out his phone, not wanting to waste any more time.“What?” he gritted out, ignoring the caller ID. He just wanted to get it over with, fully intending to make the caller’s life miserable if it didn’t turn out to be urgent.When the caller responded, his brow furrowed, and he came to a halt.“When?” he asked as calmly as he

[ZARINA] As Xavier takes me into what seems to be another room, my heart begins to race with anticipation and apprehension. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined. Is this really happening? Am I dreaming? Or have I been kidnapped by some rich and powerful person? The room is a world apart from the dingy place I was in earlier. It’s the most gorgeous room I’ve ever seen in my twenty-five years of existence. It’s luxuriously furnished and well-crafted. As if someone has spent all of their time trying to impress a princess of some sort. An antique class of golden flowers stretches over the boundaries of the pearly white walls, creating its own staggering masterpiece. Like a snowy landscape surrounded by gold-plated trees. Who could possibly afford such a lavish space? And why have they brought me here? What do they want from me? These questions flood my mind, drowning out the beauty of the room. I can’t help but feel like I don’t belong here, l

[LIZZY] “That’s fucking ridiculous!” I exclaimed, my eyes widening to the size of a soccer field. “Watch your language, Lizzy,” Rose rebuked me sharply, her bright eyes fixing me in place. I flinched a little. “I’m sorry, it’s just not fair, Ms. Rose,” I corrected myself, trying to maintain a calm tone despite my cheeks burning with a smile. Rose dropped a bombshell on me by announcing that I’ll be a personal maid for someone. Seriously, what the heck is that? When they hired me last week, she said that my responsibilities would be limited to cleaning and serving. But now I have to take care of someone too? What kind of nonsense is this? Alright, maybe it’s not technically babysitting, but who gives a damn? I loved my job with all its unique benefits, and I appreciated that. So please forgive me if I sound a bit grumpy today. “The master’s wish is our command, Lizzie,” she said with a hint of sarcasm. Yeah, right! “Are you okay with that?” she asked, oblivious to my frustratio

[LIZZY]“Out of curiosity, do you actually like being here?” She questions me with her curious blue eyes.Hmm. Let me think about it…“My father sold me to the Perazzo family to settle his debts. Until we pay off every single penny he owes, I have no other choice but to stay,” I reply with a poker face, because answering this question is far less painful and more entertaining.Just dripping with sarcasm.Honestly, it’s no skin off my back these days, not like it was in the beginning. Dad was never the warm and fuzzy type, anyway. The only time he ever treated me halfway decent was when Mom was still around. But even with Dad working his butt off day and night, we were always scraping by, unable to afford the fancy surgeries Mom needed to survive. And once she kicked the bucket five years ago, Dad was quick to turn to the bottle and the ladies of questionable virtue.So yeah, nothing about my fucked up family bothers me anymore.Zarina shoots me a glance of annoyance, or maybe it’s sym