CHAPTER ONE

ETHAN SHARPE'S POV

The sun was up early enough. Its light seeped in through the curtain almost blinding me as I opened my eyes.

Something had jolted me awake.

No, not something. It was a sound.

And it was coming from the living room.

I froze to listen. Then without thinking, I got up, checked my face in the mirror, and rushed out of my room. I walked straight to the direction of the living room, walking cautiously to avoid making a noise.

Before I could sneak a peek, I caught sight of my sister, Nicole, peering through the curtain.

“Who are they, Ethan?” she asked when she saw me.

I peeped and caught sight of three men dressed in black outfit with a gun in hand. One of them guarded the door, the other toyed with his gun, and the most fierce one which looked like their leader was seated, watching–

“Mother?” I whispered on seeing her. Then I turned to Nicole, “get inside.”

Nicole looked at me, but did not bulge.

“Now!” I said in a low, but commanding tone.

“Would they kill mummy?” she asked me in a shaky tone.

“Shh…no, they will not. Now go.” I assured her even though my heart was beating fast.

With a slight nod, Nicole went back to her room.

“Where is the girl?” the leader thundered.

His voice made me rush out of the room.

Upon seeing me, my mother rushed to my side and held me closely. Then the men averted their gaze to me and the leader smirked.

“Were you lying when you said your children are not home?” the leader asked my mother as he stood up.

“What's going on, mum? Who are these people?” I asked her in a low tone.

She looked at me and shook her head in a whimper.

“Where is Nicole?” she asked me in a whisper.

I narrowed his brows. “She is in her room.”

“You have to hide her. These people are here to take her. They are Don Draven's gang.” she explained.

Upon hearing that, I felt his heart skip a beat.

Don Draven?

The ruthless Mafia boss in the whole of Italy?

The man everyone feared?

“Hey! You!” the fierce man called to me. “Where is your sister? We need her.”

“What for?” I blurted out unknowingly.

Just then I felt a slight nudge around his waist. I looked at my mother and she shook her head. I could see the fear in her eyes telling me that these people are not to be messed with.

The man scoffed and rose from his seat, approaching us like a prey ready to attack.

“You dare to speak?” he asked me, bending close to my level.

All of a sudden, he held me by the neck and pulled me up so that I had to face him. Then he pulled out his gun and placed it on my forehead and smirked.

I shuddered in fear.

“I could pull the trigger this minute and your blood will be all over this floor.” he said as his grip tightened around my neck.

“Please! Don't kill him! I beg you.” my mother begged as she knelt on the floor.

“Then do as I say!” the man yelled, “your husband made a deal when he came to my boss for help and there were terms and conditions associated with it.”

“What are the terms?” I asked him.

The man cast me a dirty glance. “Your father agreed to let my boss take whatever he owned if he did not pay up on time.” he explained.

“What?” I asked in a low tone.

Has my father really done such a thing?

I looked to my helpless mother, begging continuously for the men to spare my life, and at that moment, I felt the pain of what she had to go through pierce my heart.

My father, Mr. Sharpe, was not the man I had known him to be. He had abandoned his family on the basis of finding greener pastures only to be caught with another woman.

Now he was nowhere to be found, and no one, not even my family, could escape the wrath of Don Draven.

“Take me instead.” I blurted out.

“Ethan!” my mother shouted.

The man holding me released his grip and scoffed.

“Don wants the girl. What makes you think you can do what he requests of her?” the man asked me.

What he requests of her? I repeated in my head.

From what I have heard about Don Draven, he was a cruel boss who uses people however he likes. Rumours have had it that he has an underground secret system where he sells off his human collaterals in exchange for money or drugs. Worst still, these buyers in turn use the people they obtained as sex traffickers and drug carriers.

I sighed deeply.

Was that what was going to become of me?

But still, I couldn't let them take Nicole. She had just turned eighteen and had more years ahead of her.

“I don't care.” I insisted.

If taking me could let them leave my family, then I was ready to sacrifice my life.

The man smirked again, then he let go of me and turned to his men.

“I think Don will like this one. He seems very ambitious.” he told them.

The men gave a light laugh that sent shivers down my spine. Then one of them approached me and smiled as he ran his fingers down my arm.

“He is too soft and delicate.” Then he turned to the fierce one, “do you think he would be able to handle Don Draven?”

I quickly recoiled from his touch and looked away.

The fierce man cast me a glance and shrugged. “You know Don to be generous. If he doesn't want him, he can let you have him.”

“Have? I don't belong to anyone, I still have my rights.” I retaliated.

“Rights?” the man with the gun chuckled, “once you belong to Don, you are his to keep. You have no right whatsoever attached.”

Fuck?!

What the hell have I gotten into?

“But, I–”

“Get him out of here.” the fierce man commanded before I could complete my statement.

As I was forced out of the building, I could only watch my mother pleading on my behalf with tears in her eyes. Then I caught sight of Nicole. Just a few days ago, we had made plans to watch the newest marvel movie in the cinema. But now, she had to watch them take me away from the people I love.

I could only smile, a reassuring one, that all was going to be fine.

The worst Don could do was kill me.

But…but I was not ready to die.

Not yet.