Chapter 0005

Sarah's POV

I turned slowly to look at the man beside me.

Vincenzo Bruno.

His gaze stayed fixed on the road, so was expression carved from stone. Cold, composed and dangerous.

My eyes dropped to the marriage certificate in my hands, the ink still fresh, our names printed side by side.

Who is this man? A stranger, the one I’d just married and I didn’t even know who he truly was.

A ripple of panic stirred in my chest. Then, without warning, his voice slid into the silence like a knife through velvet.

“Do you find me so attractive you can’t stop staring?” I flushed, startled as his smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he glanced at me briefly.

Did I find him attractive? The answer was yes! But how could I admit it?

“Cat got your tongue?” he teased, voice low, but thick with arrogance.

“N-no,” I stammered, turning my face away as I barely had time to process the heat in my cheeks when his tone shifted.

“Get out.”

My head jerked back toward him in confusion, only to realize the car had stopped.

We were here… At a penthouse. I’d been so lost in thought, I hadn’t noticed we’d arrived at the penthouse.

Vincenzo stepped out, then yanked my door open and gripped my wrist tight and unyielding.

His touch burned, but he didn’t wait for me to protest. He just pulled me along wordlessly, through the marble-floored lobby, into the elevator.

His hand didn’t let go. If anything, it tightened with every passing floor.

I didn’t say a word but I gritted my teeth and endured it.

Soon, the elevator chimed, the doors opened.

And then... I froze.

Dozens of men stood in a perfect circle. All dressed in black suits, their eyes sharp, unreadable and their presence was rather overwhelming. As Vincenzo stepped out, every man lowered his head in eerie synchronization.

“Don Vincenzo.”

The words were spoken in one voice, deep and reverent. Like a king had entered the room.

Don.

The word echoed through me, while I felt his grip on my wrist loosen, but the pressure still lingered on my skin.

Their eyes shifted…all of them to me. Assessing and calculating. So I instinctively stepped behind him. Though I didn’t know who they were. But I knew exactly what this was.

This was power. Raw, dark power.

And as Vincenzo stood at its center, the circle of men parted.

That’s when I saw him.

A man knelt on the ground. Gagged, bloodied and bruised beyond recognition. His face was swollen, and his body were barely holding itself upright.

I staggered upon seeing this, as my stomach twisted and bile rose in my throat.

“Do you know why you’re here, Marco?” Vincenzo said, his voice was sharp and steady.

A man yanked the gag out.

“I swear, Boss—!”

“You sold information about the syndicate,” Vincenzo cut in coldly. There was something about his aura now that was far different from when we were at the marriage registry earlier. This aura was bone-chilling enough to make anyone cower in fear.

“Th-they threatened my sister! I had no choice!”

“Oh, but you did,” he said, eyes narrowing, his lips curling up into a deadly smirk that made the hairs on my body rise. “There’s always a choice.”

Bang!

Having to witness this, I screamed or tried to, but no sound came out.

My whole body froze and Vincenzo didn’t flinch as his arm lowered slowly, with his gun still warm in his hand.

Marco collapsed, wailing in agony as blood kept pouring from his shoulder.

I trembled.

He had just shot someone. Like it was nothing.

“Kai. Take her away.” he said as I couldn’t stop shivering, so a tall man stepped forward. “Young madam,” he said with a polite bow, “please come with me.”

With that, I looked at Vincenzo one last time. His face was unreadable and cold. And at that moment, I knew he was not the man who’d caught me from the rooftop and offered me a way to save myself.

He was someone else entirely… someone far more dangerous.

*****

Kai drove farther away from the penthouse. While I sat in silence... still totally stunned, and unable to speak. I had no idea where he was taking me, but from what I just witnessed I knew one thing... And that was to never cross Vincenzo or any of his subordinates.

Finally, we arrived at a mansion …Vincenzo’s home, which is now my new home. Then a maid opened the doors and bowed. “Welcome, madam. Please feel at ease.”

I offered a weak smile. If only she knew.

“Would you like a bath drawn for you?”

“Yes,” I whispered. “Please.”

****

However, Night fell and Vincenzo still didn’t return. So I paced the room, my heart racing, and thoughts circling until I finally entered the bathroom to shower. The hot water did little to soothe me.

Wrapped in a towel, I stepped out—

And stopped.

He was sitting at the edge of the bed, puffing smoke lazily into the air.

“You…” My voice cracked. “Why are you back?”

He crushed the cigarette in the tray. “This is my house. Is it not?”

I gripped the towel tighter around my body, suddenly feeling exposed.

In one motion, he stood. Then, he was in front of me getting too close.His hands gripped my waist, and pulling me into his chest.

My breath hitched.

“Were you scared earlier?” he asked, his voice almost too soft.

“I…”

“Are you sure?” he interrupted. “You didn’t mind that I hold grudges… that I eliminate people who cross me?”

Then I remembered Marco’s face. The scream. The blood. All of these thoughts made my throat turn dry.

Was he warning me? Or threatening me? Though a part of me wanted to pull away and run. But I didn’t. Why? I don’t know

“I…” I paused as his mouth was on mine all of a sudden. It was rough, demanding and possessive.

He didn’t ask permission. He took it rather and I let him. And when he finally pulled away, his lips lingered near mine.

“Who are you?” I asked, breathless. Then his smirk returned.

“Don Vincenzo.” He replied.

“You’re… a Mafia lord,” I whispered. But he said nothing. He didn’t need to.

“Are you scared?” he asked again, lips brushing my jaw.

I hesitated.

“No.” I lied.

Then he chuckled darkly. “You’re a terrible liar.” And at that moment, he did something that made my knees weaken.

He pulled out his gun… twirled it in his hand like it was nothing but a toy.

“You see. Loyalty is everything in this world,” he said, voice dropping low. “The people who hurt you... they won’t stop unless you stop them.”

He stepped forward and slowly placed the gun in my palm.

Instantly, I froze as his eyes drilled into me.

“Do you want to stay weak, Sarah?” he asked. “Or do you want to fight back?”

Hearing this, my chest rose and fell in short, as a sharp gasps followed. My fingers tightened around the weapon.

Anger. Betrayal. Pain. It all rose in me like a storm.

“I…” I paused, looking him in the eyes.

“Teach me.” I spoke finally as a slow, yet dangerous smirk spread across his lips.

Then, he leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “Good girl.”

And in that moment, I knew… I wasn’t free or safe. But one thing was certain and that was I was no longer helpless but bound to him.