เข้าสู่ระบบThe voice was so authoritative and intimidating that the entire room froze. Every head turned toward its owner—and so did Rosa’s.
The first thing she noticed was a hand emerging from the shadows of the hallway—long, steady fingers gripping a smoldering cigarette. Then, with powerful, measured strides, the man himself stepped into the fluorescent glow of the atrium.
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.
Laura’s lips quivered, tears spilling down her cheeks.“I’m sorry, Rosa… I swear, I didn’t know that… that they would—”Her voice broke. She covered her mouth, unable to finish the sentence.“I hated you,” she admitted, shaking her head. “And… I still do. But I never wanted Uncle Carlo to die. He deserved to live—longer than any of us.”“Stop lying!” Rosa snapped, slamming her hand on the table in front of her, her voice rising despite the quiet restaurant. “You hate me—and you hated my father too. How could you all do this? You’re monsters… all of you.”Her chest heaved, her heart twisting painful
Rosa paid the taxi and stepped out onto the quiet street.Neon lights flickered above the restaurant, their glow cutting through the late-night darkness. The place looked almost empty—like it was on the verge of closing.She tilted her head up, staring at the sign for a moment, and then took a deep breath.She still couldn’t understand why Laura had asked to meet here.They had never been close. Not even as children. Laura had never liked her—not as a cousin, not even as a person.And Rosa had never known why.What had she ever done to deserve that kind of hatred?She exhaled slowly, the cool night air brushing against her skin, then tightened her grip on her sling bag.Whatever this was… she needed answers.Pushing the door open, she stepped inside.The soft chime of the bell echoed faintly in the near-empty space. Only a couple of tables were occupied, and the staff was already beginning to clean up for the night.Her eyes scanned the room.And then she saw her.Laura sat at a corne
Renzo was tired—he hadn’t slept the whole day—so he went to bed right after dinner. Rosa and Lucy were now sitting together, talking over cups of coffee.“Lucy, I want you to start coming to Prose and Stanza with me and take charge of operations,” Rosa said.Lucy frowned. “Me? Why?”“I didn’t get the chance to complete my education,” Rosa admitted. “So I need someone I can trust—someone capable and well-qualified—to oversee things, support me in decision-making, and help manage the company effectively.”She held Lucy’s gaze.“And you’re the right person for that position.”L
“But how will it happen?” Rita demanded. “Who will we hire this time? The crime lord of this city—hell, of this entire country—is none other than Rosa’s so-called protector. God knows why he’s suddenly so interested in keeping her safe and backing her, when in the past he couldn’t even stand the sight of her.”She groaned and downed another shot of whiskey.“Don’t worry,” Alberto said calmly. “I’ve made plenty of connections over the years. I’ll make it happen. No one will suspect a thing—after all, I’m Laura’s uncle, and she’s about to become Luciano Mancini’s wife.”A smug smile spread across his face.“And even if something does go wrong… we’ll simply remove the threat from our path and walk away clean.”Rita grew more confident after Alberto laid out his plan.“Yes, that bitch has to die. No one is taking the wealth of Prose and Stanza—or the life we’ve built so far,” she said.“That stupid girl really thinks she can win against us,” Alberto scoffed, shaking his head as he poured
Rita and Alberto remained in an office they had forced an executive staff member to vacate. They didn’t step out—only because of Luciano. Otherwise, they would have made Rosa’s day in the office a living hell.But they stayed silent, watching, planning, and plotting—keeping a close eye on her every move.Their frustration only grew as Rosa began changing their strategies, revising existing contracts, and even reaching out personally to Prose and Stanza’s bestselling authors—something Rita and Alberto had never done in all these years, always relying on representatives to speak on their behalf.Meanwhile, the executive staff were impressed by Rosa’s practical and calculated decisions. In just one day, she had made bold moves, and for the first time in years, hope began to stir among them—that the struggling company might rise again to its former success, just like it had been ten years ago, before Rosa’s parents passed away.When office hours ended, it was Alberto and Rita who left fir
In one brutal motion, he yanked his gun hand upward. Because she was gripping it, she was dragged with it—jerked hard against his body. His other arm wrapped around her waist like iron as the barrel snapped toward the ceiling and the trigger pulled.As the bullet tore into the air, the blast echoin
“No, there’s no need. I can buy one myself,” she protested, defiance flashing in her eyes.He ran a hand through his hair—an unusual gesture for someone usually so composed. “I know… I was just—” He hesitated, searching for the right words. “I just want to help… in any way I can. Please.” He pause
“Why are we here?” she asked, looking up at him.He didn’t answer.Instead, he slid a cigarette between his lips. Luca stepped in instantly and lit it for him. Luciano took a long drag, exhaled smoke through his nose, then grabbed Rosa’s hand and dragged her forward, his stride long and ruthless.S
Luciano Mancini strode in wearing an impeccable black suit, every inch of him screaming power and danger, looking like a man carved by God himself. His charm usually stole every eye in the room—but this time it was the gun and dagger in his hands that commanded all the attention. His men stormed in







