LOGINThe sound of the first gunshot still hung in the air.For a moment, nobody moved.Bruno and everyone else turned their eyes toward the direction of Lidia’s gun.A body collapsed heavily onto the floor.Before anyone could process what had happened, another shot followed.Bang!The second body fell beside the first.Silence swallowed the warehouse.Lidia remained standing with the gun firmly in her hand.Her expression was unreadable.Bruno stared at her for a few seconds.Then, slowly, a proud smile appeared on his face.He lowered his head slightly and chuckled.“I chose the right one,” he murmured to himself.Those two men were not strangers.Bruno remembered them.They were among the men who had once kidnapped Lidia.The same men who had tied her down, mocked her, frightened her, and laid their hands on her when she was helpless.Bruno had never forgotten what they had done to her.Neither had Lidia.She slowly lowered the gun.Her eyes moved across the room.Then they stopped on S
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”Lidia broke away from the kiss, her voice barely more than a trembling whisper.Bruno froze.For a few seconds, he couldn’t understand what had just happened. One moment, Lidia had been in his arms, and the next, she had pulled away as though the kiss had awakened something inside her that she wasn’t ready to face.“Lidia?”She didn’t answer.She lowered her eyes, wiped quickly at the tears gathering in them, and turned toward the entrance.Bruno stood there, completely lost.Why was she apologizing?Had he done something wrong?Had the kiss made her regret forgiving him?“Lidia, wait.”She kept walking.By the time Bruno finally regained his senses and hurried after her, she was already outside, heading toward the car.“Lidia!”She reached for the door handle.“Lidia!”Bruno caught up and grabbed her hands before she could open it.“Why are you running away?”Lidia looked at him.For a moment, neither of them spoke.Her eyes were filled with emotions she was d
“Crip… crip…” The soft chirping of a bird echoed strangely inside the dark, silent room. Scarlet stirred. The faint sound of a chair scraping against the floor followed. She hummed weakly as she tried to lift her head. Her body felt heavy, her muscles aching from being in the same position for what felt like hours. She tried to move her hands. Nothing. Her eyes suddenly snapped open. Her heart began pounding violently. She looked down and realized her wrists were tightly bound together with thick rope. Her ankles were tied to the legs of the chair beneath her. Panic surged through her. “No…” Scarlet struggled violently against the ropes. They only tightened against her skin. She twisted her wrists again and again, desperately trying to free herself. Nothing. Her breathing became faster. Then memories began returning. The road. The gunshots. The men. The fear. The darkness. Her mother. “Mother!” Her scream echoed through the room. “Mother!” Silence answered he
Blanca stormed out of the mansion and headed straight for the waiting car.“Drive,” she commanded furiously.She didn’t even bother checking whether Scarlet was following.The driver immediately opened the door for her.Blanca climbed into the back seat and slammed the door behind her.“Mother!”Scarlet’s voice echoed through the hallway.She was still running toward the entrance, her heels striking the marble floor as she desperately tried to catch up.“Wait!”Blanca ignored her.“Start the car!” she shouted.The driver started the engine.Scarlet finally reached the car just as the vehicle began to move.“Wait!”She grabbed the door handle and quickly climbed inside.The moment she settled into the seat, the car sped away.Scarlet was breathing heavily.“Mother…”“Don’t.”Blanca’s voice was sharp enough to silence her.Scarlet swallowed the words she wanted to say and lowered her gaze.The driver kept his eyes on the road.The car raced through the streets, heading toward the Old Wo
“Follow me.”Blanca’s command came out cold and firm as she turned toward the door.Her heels clicked sharply against the polished floor as she walked out of the building, each step carrying the weight of her frustration. She didn’t look back to see whether Scarlet was following. She already knew her daughter would.Scarlet quickly wiped her face with the back of her hand.She was too ashamed to let the employees see her tears.Only minutes ago, she had walked into the building believing she could still control the situation. Now, she could barely lift her head.Every pair of eyes seemed to follow her.Employees pretended to be busy with their work, but Scarlet could feel their curiosity. Some whispered quietly among themselves. Others quickly looked away whenever she passed.She lowered her gaze and hurried after her mother.For the first time in her life, Scarlet felt small inside her own family’s company.She followed Blanca outside and climbed into the back seat of the waiting car
Blanca’s office door flew open. Her assistant rushed inside, clutching a phone in his hand. His breathing was uneven, and he nearly stumbled over his own feet as he hurried toward her desk. “Ma’am! Ma’am, you need to watch this!” Blanca barely looked up from the documents scattered across her desk. “What is it now?” she snapped. “Can’t you see I’m busy?” “Please, ma’am. It’s about Miss Scarlet.” The mention of her daughter made Blanca pause. She held out her hand impatiently. “Give it to me.” The assistant placed the phone in her palm. At first, Blanca expected another report about Mancini Gold’s collapsing finances. Perhaps an investor had finally agreed to help, or one of her contacts had found a way to stop the company from sinking. But the moment her eyes landed on the headline, every trace of color drained from her face. SCARLET MANCINI EXPOSED: MEN CONFESS TO KIDNAPPING ATTEMPT AGAINST LIDIA AND HER SON. “What?” she screamed. Her fingers tightened around the phone
The garden was alive with movement.The sharp sound of shoes striking stone.The crack of fists against padded shields.The low, firm instructions of the trainer cutting through the cool morning air.Lidia moved like someone trying to outrun her own thoughts.Every strike.Every turn.Every breath—
Rosario’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of surprise—and something darker—passing across her face. Jealousy. “Why so soon?” she asked, her tone dripping with suspicion, the edges laced with bitterness. Luca kept his gaze lowered, as if the answer might be written somewhere on the carpet. He searched fo
What could he possibly want from a teenage girl like me? The question gnawed at Lidia’s mind, sharp and relentless, refusing to loosen its grip no matter how she tried to distract herself. She had heard the whispers—how cruel and dangerous the man was. The Ice King wasn’t just another mafia boss
“You good-for-nothing brat! Come here now!” Rosario voice cracked through the air like a whip. Lidia flinched at the sound. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her bare feet slapped against the cold marble floor as she rushed toward the woman whose anger was as sharp as glass. “I’m sorry, Auntie…







