Chapter 3

DARK ROOM

Carlo stormed into Kristen’s room, causing her to flinch in surprise. A wave of fear washed over her as she trembled, watching him approach with anger burning in his eyes.

“What do you want from me?” Kristen asked, fear building up as he walked up to her.

“ how dare you defy my orders and disrespect me in front of my maid” Carlo yelled as he grabbed her arms and lifted her from the bed.

“You want to be stubborn? You want to show me how strong-headed you are right? I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget for the rest of your life.” he said dragging her out of the bed down to the floor.

“No, please stop you're hurting me” she screamed while trying to release her arms from his grip.

“Ohh, you're still proving hot head you little brat? I'll show you what happens to people who defy me” he said lifting her to his shoulder and grabbing her very tightly.

“Let me go… let me go” she cried while hitting his back hoping he would release her, but to no avail, as he headed to the door and out of the room.

“Where are you taking me to, please let me go” he didn't answer her, and kept walking.

They reached a dark empty room, and he threw her on the cold bare floor, making her bruise her hand and twist her ankle, she screamed in pain but he was unbothered.

“You'll learn your lesson you little brat,” he said as he turned back leaving the room.

Kristen sprang to her feet and rushed to the door, but before she could get away, he slammed it shut in her face, locking it from the outside. Pain shot through her as she fell to the floor, realizing her ankles had twisted. She pounded on the door, screaming for help, but no one came to her rescue. “Let me out, you monster!” she cried, her voice echoing in the emptiness around her, but again, no one answered her call.

“Insufferable brat!” Carlo seethed as he stepped out of the room. “She’ll learn not to defy my orders again.”

“Cassy!” he called to the maid.

“Make sure that brat stays locked in that room until I say otherwise. No one is to go to her, even if she calls,” he directed the maid sharply.

“But, sir, she hasn’t…” Before she could complete her sentence, he shot her a fierce glance that silenced her. Bowing her head, she replied, “Sorry, sir,” her voice trembling.

He dismissed her with a wave and retreated to his room, still reeling from the unexpected stir Kristen had caused inside him. How could a frail woman evoke such strong feelings? No one else had dared to challenge him, yet she dared to do so. He was determined to make her life as miserable, as her mother, Madam Carolina, had made his sister's.

Evelyn, his sister, had worked as a maid in Madam Carolina's house, and when she fell ill, she pleaded for her wages to seek treatment. But Carolina refused, leading to Evelyn’s untimely death due to neglect. He had sworn to exact his revenge one day.

With no one left to lean on and his sister gone, he wandered the streets begging for scraps. It wasn’t long before he caught the eye of Don Ricko, the head of a mafia group, who took him under his wing. Ricko raised him like a son, eventually making him the heir to his empire. Following Don Ricko's death, he seized control of the organization, stepping into the role of its new leader.

He observed Madam Carolina closely, waiting for the perfect moment. When she came to his casino begging for a loan, fearing her business was on the brink of bankruptcy, he seized the opportunity. He funneled the money through lawyers, ensuring she never met him and remained none the wiser. He handed over a significant sum, fully aware that she had a reputation for mismanaging her finances. When the repayment deadline arrived and they were unable to pay, he decided to propose marrying her daughter in exchange for their debt.

“And I have her daughter right where I want her; she’ll pay for her mother’s sins,” Carlo said with a smirk on his face. He cleaned up and left for work, leaving Kristen still in the dark room.

The hours had slipped away, and evening had settled in. Kristen remained in the room, her eyes puffy from crying, her throat parched, and her lips cracked and dry from thirst. Her stomach growled in protest, reminding her of her hunger. She attempted to get up several times, but the pain from her twisted ankle caused her to collapse back to the floor, crying out in agony, both from the fall and her injury. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, draining all her strength.

When Carlo returned in the evening, he completely forgot about Kristen. He headed to his room to take a shower and soon came back to have his dinner. Meanwhile, the maid, worried about Kristen, summoned up the courage to approach Carlo.

“Excuse me, sir, but the madam is still in the room,” she stammered, bracing herself for his reaction. Carlo looked up, a chill running down her spine, but he was too fatigued from work to reprimand her.

“Go and get her out; by now, I think she must have come to her senses,” he replied dismissively.

The maid hurried up to the room, unlocking the door quickly, but she was met with a shocking sight—Kristen lay unconscious on the floor. Panic gripped her heart as she realized the woman might be in serious trouble, and she rushed back to inform her boss.

“The madam is unconscious!” she gasped, trying to catch her breath from the sprint as she finally reached her employer.

“What?!” Carlo exclaimed, dropping the spoon from his hand as he turned to his maid.

“I went to fetch her and found her lying unconscious on the floor,” the maid responded.

“That damn woman!”