ログイン“Do you have an appointment?” the Front Desk Executive asked, peering at Rosa from behind her stylish cat-eye frames.“No, but he called me to sign some documents,” Rosa replied, a slight frown forming on her face.“Miss, don’t lie,” the woman said, her red-painted lips curling with open disdain. “Mr. Mancini doesn’t deal with women like you personally. If you have proof—maybe a message from his assistant—then I can arrange something. Otherwise, even his assistant doesn’t meet people who just walk in.”“I’m telling the truth. He called me—how am I supposed to have proof of our conversation?” Rosa shot back, irritation and urgency slipping into her voice.The executive rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed, and opened her mouth to say something harsher—“Rosa, come with me.”Reid’s voice cut in smoothly.The Front Desk Executive immediately straightened, greeting him, but he barely spared her a glance.Rosa hesitated for a second, then nodded and followed him.As the woman watched Rosa
“Ah!” Laura gasped in pain as she collided with a hard wall of muscle. Her eyes shut instinctively as she braced herself for the fall—but it never came. Instead, she found herself caught securely in a pair of strong arms.She slowly opened her eyes… and met a pair of dark ones watching her intently.“God, you’ve become so solid—like a mountain,” she muttered, her tone half-complaining, though her gaze lingered over his broad frame.He wore a crisp white shirt that clung to his body as if molded to his skin, the top buttons left open, no tie in sight. A black jacket rested over it, paired with tailored black slacks. Effortlessly sharp… and undeniably attractive.For a moment, Laura let herself look—really look.Then she realized… he was doing the same.His gaze moved slowly over her, deliberate, intense—taking in every detail. Beneath the beige trench coat, it felt as if he was stripping her bare with nothing but his eyes.Laura was a supermodel—stunning, confident, with a body most wo
The next day, Rosa went to meet her attorney. He was both shocked and thrilled to see the evidence they had obtained against Alberto and Rita. Now, he was completely confident that they would win the case at the very next hearing. He assured Rosa that he would try to secure the earliest possible date for the next hearing.After Rosa left his office, the attorney made a call to Luciano.“Mr. Mancini, I have good news,” the lawyer said as soon as Luciano answered the call. “Miraculously, we’ve obtained solid proof—a confession video of Alberto Bellini and Rita Bellini, in which they admit to all their crimes, including how they had Carlo Bellini and his wife murdered.”Hearing this, Luciano froze.The color drained from his face, and for
Samuele smiled faintly.“Because I’m a good reader, Rosa,” he said. “And I can read your face. It tells me you have something… something that makes you confident about your victory.”His words caught her off guard, but she quickly masked it with a frown.“Faces can lie,” she said. “Didn’t you read that too?”He nodded, a soft smile still on his lips.“They can,” he agreed. “But I know my heart wasn’t lying. It’s never deceived me.”Rosa looked at him—and this time, she really looked. She didn’t shy away from his gaze as her eyes lingered on his face.Then she exhaled softly.“Okay, fine… you’re right,” she admitted. “I happened to find something that could turn everything in my favor. And finally… I’ll get what I’ve wanted for so long—justice for my parents… and those criminals behind bars.”“What is it that makes you so confident?” Samuele asked calmly.Rosa bit the corner of her lower lip. She was conflicted.She hadn’t even told her attorney yet—and she wasn’t going to tell Samuele
She hesitated for a moment, then met his eyes.“You never have to be scared of me either,” he continued, his voice lowering. “I can’t stand seeing that fear in your eyes.”His hand slowly dropped.“If my presence makes you uncomfortable… I’ll stay away,” he said after a pause. “But I need you to know this—no matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you.”A faint, almost sad smile touched his lips.“Even if it’s from a distance… I’ll still watch over you. Okay?”“You don’t have to,” Rosa said quickly, shaking her head, her eyes wide with shock.She couldn’t bear the thought of him waiting for her… because it would be an endless wait.She was going to leave eventually—without staying in contact with anyone.Samuele was a good man, and Rosa didn’t want him to end up heartbroken.That was why she kept refusing him so firmly. She knew he might be the best man she could ever find… but she also knew she wasn’t good enough for him.A woman like her—scarred not just in body, but in heart
Rosa stood alone on the dark road, beneath a flickering streetlight, waiting for a ride.One by one, her ride requests kept getting canceled. She had been waiting for far too long, but no taxi passed by.This area—where she had come to meet Laura—was in the opposite direction from her home. Walking back would take at least two hours.And at this hour… in the darkness… she knew better than to take that risk.So she stayed where she was, standing under the faint neon glow spilling from the restaurant behind her—drawing what little comfort and courage she could from it.Suddenly, a car pulled up beside her.Her body tensed instantly.
The entire store went still.Heavy footsteps cut through the silence, each one deliberate… commanding.The polished black leather shoes that stopped just inches from her own came into Rosa’s tearful view first. Slowly, she lifted her lashes, her eyes tracing the tall, imposing frame before her. Bro
She swallowed the lump in her throat. She knew she couldn’t refuse him—the ruthless Italian don would never take a “no” from her. More importantly, she knew she couldn’t give that devil any reason to doubt her. So she composed herself, trying to forget that a dead body was lying only a few feet awa
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Luciano clicked a button on the adjacent wall, and the door opened. Rosa realized the room was specially designed with security for Luciano. Then she realized the hotel must also be owned by him. Oh God—where could she possibly go, since more than half the ci
Rosa felt uneasy when she found a pair of intense blue eyes staring back at her with recognition in them, followed almost instantly by a flicker of annoyance that tightened the man’s already cold expression.Luciano Mancini sat in the middle, the other two men positioned on either side of him. For







