The Mafia's Claim

Scarlett's POV The loud sound of my alarm clock jolted me awake. I quickly sat up, my heart racing, and for a moment, I couldn’t tell if I was still dreaming. My breath came in shallow gasps as I looked around. Slowly, the familiar sight of my dorm room came into focus. My posters, my books stacked haphazardly on the desk, the small plant by the window—everything was right where it should be.I let out a shaky breath. "Thank goodness," I whispered to myself. "It was just a dream. A stupid dream."The sudden knock on my door startled me again. "Scarlett!" It was my roommate, Hannah. Her voice was sharp but playful, as always. "Are you up? First class is with her. You know she locks the door if you're late!"I groaned, rubbing my temples. “I’m up, I’m up! Give me a second!”“Two minutes,” she called back, her voice teasing but firm. “Or I’m leaving without you.”I swung my legs over the side of the bed, ready to get up, but the moment I moved, a sharp pain shot through my lower body

Scarlett's POV Hannah was practically bouncing with excitement as we made our way back to our dorm. She had that mischievous look in her eye, the one that always meant trouble. I should have known that this “fun” idea wasn’t going to be as simple as grabbing a quiet drink.The moment we stepped inside, she flung open her closet like it held all the answers to the universe. “Scarlett,” she said, her voice filled with glee, “tonight is going to be epic. We’re going to make memories you’ll never forget.”“Right. Is that code for me regretting every second of this?” I muttered, sitting on the edge of my bed.She ignored me and kept on pulling out one outfit after another. Most of them were barely outfits at all—short, tight, and shiny. Finally, she held up a tiny black top and an even tinier skirt. “This is perfect.”I blinked at her. “That’s not an outfit. That’s…two napkins sewn together.”Hannah laughed, playfully tossing the pieces at me. “Oh, come on! You’ve got the perfect body f

Scarlett's POV No. Not again. That can’t happen again.I looked up at him—those cold, unforgiving eyes watching me like I was some kind of prize he had already won. “I’m calling the police.” “Really?” Liam chuckled.“You can’t just… you can’t just do this to me! I’ll tell them you raped me.”His expression suddenly darkened. “Go on, Scarlett,” he said sharply, “Call the police. Let's see if you make it out of here in one piece.”I wasn’t going to back down. Not this time. I pulled my arm away from his grip. “Screw you! My voice cracked, but I pushed through. “You can’t control me! You’re crazy, you sick rapist!”Just then, one of his men stepped forward, his hand twitching towards his belt, and I realized with a sick jolt that he was ready to shut me up.Fear gripped me, but before I could react, Liam raised his hand to stop him. “Don’t,” he ordered. “She's mine to deal with.”The man hesitated, then retreated back into the darkness, and I let out a shaky breath.Liam's lip curled

Scarlett's POV Before the doctor could answer my question, Liam interrupted by clearing his throat. He adjusted the cuff of his suit and looked at the doctor. “I’ll be the next office,” he said casually.I glared at him, my chest tightening. “Coward,” I spat under my breath, but he didn’t react. His calmness, his control over everything—it was annoying. He didn’t even look at me, didn’t acknowledge my anger. It was like I didn’t matter.Without another word, he left.My hands clenched into fists. I wanted to demand he explain why exactly he was doing this—but what was the point? He wouldn’t care.The doctor adjusted his glasses, his expression calm and professional, like this was just another day at work for him. “Alright, Miss Scarlett,” he began, his voice steady. “We’re going to start with a few basic questions. Just answer honestly.”I blinked at him, trying to keep my breathing even. I listened to the hissing sound of the electricity and suddenly got scared. What kind of questi

Liam's POV The sun was out, bright and warm on my face, but it didn’t do a damn thing for my mood. When I was sitting on the swivel chair in the office, a heavy creak marked every swing. I was trying, really trying to keep my head on straight. But it was impossible.Scarlett's face kept flashing in my mind, and her lies were circling my brain like a pack of vultures.My gut kept telling me she was lying, no matter what that machine said.Just then, the doctor showed up, looking tired as hell. His eyes had dark circles, and his shoulders slumped like he had been up all night—which I knew he had. He stopped in front of me, shuffling his feet like a kid about to admit he broke something expensive. “Liam,” he started, his voice low. “We’ve gone over Scarlett’s statements multiple times. The machine confirmed she’s telling the truth. She has never been pregnant and doesn't know anything about a child.”My jaw clenched, my teeth grinding together. “So you’re saying she’s clean?”“Yes. Th