EPILOGUEFOUR MONTHS LATERSandro stretched his legs, shielding his eyes from the sun with sunglasses. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Arabella had suggested a vacation by the beach, and they had been here for four months now. He still wanted to fulfill all her wishes, agreeing to everything she desired.Lately, it had been peaceful. Since the altercation with Paolo, there was no imminent threat to Arabella, though he couldn't say the same for himself, which he didn't mind. He didn't believe his enemies would ever cease, as wherever he went, he seemed to attract more.He didn't want to involve Arabella in his dangerous lifestyle, but he also doubted his ability to shield her completely.Alessia had disappeared. When Paolo had died, Sandro had taken the time to scour the building for her before leaving for the Villa, but he hadn't seen any trace of her."Why are you staring at her?"Sandro snapped his head at the sound of Arabella's voice. She stood above him, arms folded. H
PROLOGUE"Bel, Arabella, listen to me," John mumbled as he embraced his teenage daughter. He took a staggering breath and caressed her pale hair before squatting to her eye level."No matter what happens tonight, do not come out of there.""What's going on, papà?" Arabella replied, hugging her father back at the same time. He barely called her full name, and hearing it out of his trembling mouth made her anxious."Arabella, my beautiful child." He groaned, caressing her face. Her bright blue eyes widened, and tears poured out of them due to the urgency in his voice."Don't worry, Bel, just promise me that no matter what happens, you will stay right there."She nodded, and her sobbing got intense; she clung to him, "Papà, please."Her tiny body trembled as she held on. Even as he attempted to pry her hands away, she didn't budge. The dreadful feeling became intense, and she didn't want to let go for fear of it being the last time they'd see each other."Promise me, Bel, please promise m
August 17th, 2022PEACE BLOSSOM PLAZACOOAN city, New York."May I assist you with that?"Arabella straightened as a deep voice reached her ears. She furrowed her brows and squinted.A man around her age strode towards her, producing a lighter from the pocket of the red cargo pants he wore and igniting the cigarette jutting out from his lip. As he drew nearer, she appraised his face. He was the most handsome man she had encountered since arriving in Cooan—a sprawling city renowned for its nightlife and mysteries.Perhaps she hadn't interacted with enough men, given her lack of outgoing nature. However, she believed she had seen more than her fair share of those who frequented the Peace Blossom Plaza. Nonetheless, she was certain that he stood out due to his exceptional looks. His biceps flexed as he raised his hand to slick back his dark-brown hair into a quiff.She wondered whether he dedicated extensive time to styling his hair or if he had a personal stylist at his service. The brow
"Please... Stop!" "Leave me alone!" Arabella jolted awake, her voice quivering with fear and panic. She let out a piercing scream, gasping for breath, and clutched her throat as sweat dripped down her face. Frantically, she groped for the bedside lamp switch, accidentally knocking something off the nightstand. With the room bathed in light, her eyes widened, and she huddled on the bed, rocking back and forth. It had returned. The nightmare had returned, its haunting grip as strong as ever. Despite her best efforts to suppress the memories of that dreadful night, they surged back with even greater intensity. For the past two years, she had believed it to be behind her, only to have it resurface today. After each occurrence of the nightmare, she found herself pondering the same question about her father's involvement in the crime. It was a relentless query that echoed in her mind, but one for which she could never unearth answers. Arabella grimaced and raked a hand through her dish
Arabella's gaze shifted to the wall clock once again, the umpteenth time she had checked, and midnight had arrived. Rubbing her tired eyes, she sighed, her thoughts focused on the reason for waking at such an odd hour, though she didn't know why. Nonetheless, a certainty that something was about to occur enveloped her, impossible to ignore. This sensation was familiar, not for the first time. It mirrored the feeling she had experienced when her father was killed. Had she been older then, she might have persuaded her father to flee, avoiding the tragic outcome. Unfortunately, her age at that time had stopped her from making that decision. “Alessandro,” she murmured, the name leaving her lips almost involuntarily. A shiver coursed through her, the fine hairs on the back of her neck standing on end at the mere mention of his name. She couldn't rationalize how she knew, but she was convinced that this inexplicable feeling was somehow connected to him. “What if he found me again?” Her
Arabella's hand instinctively moved to her neck again, remembering how he had injected her twice with an unknown substance. She bolted out of bed and rushed to the door, her trembling hand gripping the cold metal doorknob, yanking it open forcefully. "Shit!" She cursed, kicking the door with the black ballet flat she was wearing and tugging at her hair in frustration. She was in serious trouble. How had she ended up in a situation like this? She let out an exasperated sigh while scanning the room for any means of escape. Her chest felt constricted as her heart raced, the familiar sensation of a panic attack beginning to wash over her. After regaining control over the overwhelming emotions, Arabella took a step closer to the door. Twisting the knob, she was relieved to find that it turned easily. A tentative smile formed on her lips as she swung the door open, only for it to vanish as soon as she spotted the person standing on the other side. She recoiled, a hand instinctively flyin
The disorderly chirping of birds awakened Arabella from her slumber. She gently massaged her temple and exhaled deeply as she slowly sat up on the chilly tiled floor. With furrowed brows, she recollected the reason for finding herself sleeping on the floor. Memories from the previous night flooded her mind as she shook her head. It had been because of Sandro. After leaving her in a state of agitation, he returned to taunt her once again, asserting ownership over her and her possessions. He had deemed her absurd for outrightly rejecting his offer, and as a result, he coerced her into retracting her words by nearly choking her to the brink of death. Arabella believed his stopping was prompted only when he saw her gasping for air. However, she had doubts that it was driven by pity, as he seemed to relish every moment of his actions. In fact, she was convinced that he hesitated solely to revel in watching her wheeze and grovel before him. The humiliation was deep, yet her frail body left
"The boss did."Alessandro Fúcking De Luca. Jesus, he was testing her patience."Did you say something?" Janice furrowed her brows."I didn't." Arabella gritted her teeth and stared back at the mirror."Since you are fine with it, how about we get going? It's almost time, and the boss isn't fond of lateness. But you might be an exception as he seems fond of you.""If you only knew my situation, you wouldn't think that…." Arabella mumbled."Uhn?" Janice questioned."Nothing. Let's get going."Arabella let out a deep breath and patted her stomach forming knots.'Help me, dear lord.' She mumbled as she stepped out of the room with Janice.************"See you later," Janice said as soon as they reached the door. "This is the boss's bedroom.""Please, Janice," Arabella gripped her hand as she was about to move. "Stay with me a bit. Don't leave me.""Oh!" Janice exclaimed as Arabella's arms wrapped around her."He's really harmless, don't be scared," Janice mumbled while caressing her back