As night settled in, Rosa's eyes fluttered open.
The room was covered in darkness, the only movement was the soft rustle of curtains swaying
from the open window.
cigarette smoke filled the air, burning her nostrils and making her coughed
"You are awake at last" a voice sliced through the silence, sending a shiver down her spine.
Rosa's fingers curled tightly into the
bedsheet, her heart hammering in her chest.
She couldn't see him but the weight of his voice alone made her skin prickle
Suddenly, lights flashed on.. blinding her for a moment. As her eyes adjusted, they locked onto him, Silvio.. sitting across the room in the dim light
His black hair fell in messy strands over his
forehead,but it was his eyes that caught her attention. A striking, icy blue-sharp and unyielding,
They seem to see through her. His white shirt, unbuttoned just enough to reveal a hint of muscle beneath. The cigarette between his
fingers burned, sending lazy curls of smoke into the air. He took a slow drag, his gaze never
leaving her.
"I heard you tried to run" he said, his voice
smooth
Rosa's throat tightened, but she forced the words out "Yes, and l will keep running away, if you don’t take me back home”
A thin, mocking smile tugged at his lips. "Little girl, your home is here with me"
"Never" she shot back, her voice rising despite the fear creeping up her spine "Take me back to my mother"
Silvio's gaze flickered with something unreadable. "Quite feisty." Then he stood, movements deliberate and calm. As he closed the distance between them, his fingers brushed a strand of her hair and Rosa jerked his hands away
He then reached the nightstand and pulled open the drawer with a quiet click. The envelope inside looked heavy in his hands. Without a word, he turned back to face her and extended it.
"Take it" he said, his voice clipped, almost bored.
Rosa's fingers were stiff as she took the
envelope from him. She slowly pulled out the first sheet and felt her breath catch in her throat. The
paper trembled in her hands as her gaze fell to
the signature at the bottom-her father's.
Sold. Five billion. The words blurred together.
She couldn't process them. She scanned the rest of the paper
A bitter, hollow feeling crawled up her chest, she fought the urge to crumple the paper
She forced herself to move on, pulling out the second sheet. The bold print jumped out at her like a slap across the face. You are to give birth to a son. You are owned. You can never leave unless your master chooses to free you.
The words burned into her mind. She didn't want to read it again but she couldn't stop her eyes from tracing over them.
Rosa's chest tightened painfully, her fingers
gripping the paper so hard she could feel the
edges cutting into her palm.
she tore the paper in half then in quarters, the sound of the paper tearing loud in the silence.
She threw the pieces to the floor and turned to
face him, fury burning in her eyes.
"In your dreams" she spat, her voice low but steady "I will never, never belong to you. Not in this life. Not in the next"
Silvio's lips curled into a smirk, he was at his wit’s end. He moved toward her and grabbed her chin.. forcing her to look up at him. He leaned in… his breath cold against her skin.
"Do you know what I hate most?" he murmured, his tone low, dangerous. "Women who aren't submissive. And you.." His grip tightened on her chin "You appear to be one."
Rosa's lips twisted into a defiant smile. "And you know what I hate most?" she shot back “men like you”
Before Silvio could react, she spat squarely in his face. He froze for a second, staring at her with a mix of disbelief and dark amusement then wiped the spit away slowly, a low chuckle building in his chest.
His laugh wasn't funny, it was frightening and it sent a shiver of fear down Rosa's spine. She felt the change in the air
Without warning, Silvio took her off her feet, flipping her over his shoulder with ease. Rosa kicked and screamed, hitting her fists against his back but it was like striking stone..He didn't even flinch
"Let go of me" she screamed
Silvio didn’t respond, he carried her across the room, opening a door to a pitch dark space
Rosa's heart skipped a beat as she was thrown onto the cold floor.
Rosa gasped as her body hit the cold floor with a harsh thud. Pain shot through her back but she barely had time to react before her eyes desperately searched the darkness. The room was silent, empty-nothing
Panic surged. What is this place?
"You'll stay here. Reflect," Silvio's voice cut through the stillness,Without another word, he turned and walked away.
"No-don't leave me!" Rosa's voice cracked, her legs already pushing her to her feet. She ran toward the door, her hands brushed against the wall as the sound of his footsteps faded.
The door slammed shut and Her breath caught in her throat and she fell to the floor, her back pressed against the door. The darkness closed in around her as she hugged herself tightly
It's going to be okay. You're going to get through this, Rosa. You will.
But then, Dr. Mira's voice sliced through her thoughts, cold and unwavering "Your mom died. She didn't survive the accident."
"No..." Rosa's breath hitched, and she jerked her hands up to her ears,
Her vision blurred as tears welled, but she blinked them away angrily. No, they're all lying. She promised. She promised to protect me, I can't... I can't cry" she whispered to the silence
****
Rosa stood in a dimly lit room,she blinked in confusion and then she saw her mother..standing just a few feet away, glowing in a golden light that seemed to come from nowhere
Her mother's face was as calm and loving as she remembered but there was sadness in her eyes, Rosa wanted to speak but her voice seemed to catch in her throat
"Rosa..." Hana’s voice came as a whisper "You have to take care of yourself my sweetheart"
"I'm sorry" her mother continued, her eyes shining with tears "I can't be there to protect you anymore wish I could but you will have to find your own way"
Rosa's heart pounded as she reached out, her hands trembling..desperate to cross the space between them. She moved but her body felt as if it were made of stone..her legs heavy and her arms stiff.
"Mom!" Rosa cried out, the words breaking in her throat "Please... don't leave me, I can't do this without you”
Her mother's eyes softened but there was something final in the way she stepped back. A chill washed over Rosa's skin.
"I'm sorry my sweet girl" her mother whispered again, her voice fading like a breath on the wind. "I have to go now”
Rosa fell to her knees, sobbing.. her fingers scraped against the cold floor as she tried to crawl toward her mother.
"Please.." she sobbed, her voice raw. "Please
don't leave me... Don't leave me alone. I need
you”
Her mother's figure turned and disappeared into the light.She reached out one last time but her mother was gone, vanishing like smoke in the air.
Rosa's world shattered and in that instant, her eyes snapped open.
The next morning, Jia's phone vibrated constantly on the nightstand, a sharp, irritating buzz that pulled her from her sleep. She groaned, tossing and turning, trying to block out the noise. But it persisted, nagging at her until she finally turned onto her side, peeping at the screen. She didn't want to get up but the vibrations wouldn't stop.Suddenly, the door to her room crashed open and Jia's eyes snapped wide open. Her heart skipped a beat as she shot upright in bed, instinctively pulling the blanket tighter around her.There, standing in the doorway was Enzo. His jaw was clenched, his face twisted with fury. His eyes locked onto hers with a burning intensity.Before Jia could say a word, Enzo stormed into the room, slamming the door behind him so forcefully that the walls shook."Why did you barge into my room so early?" Jia demandedEnzo didn't answer. Instead.. he shoved his phone in her face, his expression darkening further "What is this, Jia?"Jia's gaze fell to the scr
The morning light filtered softly through the glass walls of the rooftop garden as Jia's eyes snapped open. Her head rested on Silvio's chest, while his arms were wrapped securely around her waist. She could feel the warmth of his body and as her gaze shifted downward, the memory of last night flooded her mind—intense, passionate and unforgettable He had promised to be gentle but in the end, he had pushed her to the edge, making her beg before allowing her to sleep. Her cheeks flushed at the memory.She didn't regret a single moment. Despite the raw intensity of it all, she knew she would always cherish this night, locked away in her heart forever She glanced at him. Silvio looked almost harmless while sleeping, his usual dangerous demeanor softened in his sleep. She reached out..her fingers hovering over his skin but hesitated He rarely slept deeply and she knew that one wrong move could wake him. She had to go before he opened his eyes.Carefully, she shifted his arm off her wa
After a moment of silence, Silvio placed his hand on Jia's shoulder, his thumb brushing away the tears that had fallen. Silently ..he scooped her up, catching her off guard Jia didn't flinch—instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her toward his car.He set her down gently in the passenger seat, adjusting the seatbelt around her before shutting the door. He slid into the driver's seat, the engine humming to life as he pulled away from the curb, the sound of rain tapping softly on the windows Jia stared out at the rainy city,the streets were empty in the downpour Silvio's eyes flicked toward her, noticing how she curled up in the seat"Are you cold?" His voice was steady, though his focus remained on the road "I'm not” she replied softly, her voice barely audible, eyes never leaving the blurred streets outside.Silvio could hear the lie but he said nothing. The car hummed along through the rain, his mind on other things as they drove on until they arrived a
As Jia hurried to her car, Elena's voice stopped her in her tracks "Aren't you joining me for shopping?"Jia turned, offering a tired smile "I have to hurry home to my kids, I haven't spent much time with them lately.."Elena nodded, her expression understanding.Without hesitation, she rushed over and wrapped Jia in a quick hug "See you later then" she said.Jia returned the embrace, then nodded before waving goodbye. She slid into the car, shut the door and started the engine As she drove, her mind replayed Elena's bold confession and Silvio's reaction, a familiar twist forming in her stomach, Jia’s grip on the steering wheel tightened "I can't be angry... I shouldn't be feeling this way" she muttered under her breath, trying to reason with herself"But why can't I be happy for her? Elena likes Silvio and she's my friend. I should be happy for her” she repeated the words, over and over like a mantra but the words did little to settle the unease inside her.She arrived outsid
Before Jia could answer, Elena chimed in with a smile "We are heading out for lunch""We are also having lunch" Tiziano said smoothly "Why don't you join us?"Jia quickly shook her head “We are fine on our own, Tiziano" she replied softly There was a brief, uneasy silence.. Elena—however, hesitated. She didn't want to spend any time near Tiziano, but the thought of being so close to Silvio made it impossible to say no After a moment, she turned to Jia "Why don't we join them?" Elena suggested Jia's eyes widened as she glanced over at Tiziano, who was staring at her with a look she couldn't quite decipher. Her gaze flicked to Elena—who gave her a reassuring nod With a sigh, Jia finally agreed "Alright" she said quietly, her heart pounding in her chest When they arrived at the restaurant, they were ushered into a private room, where a lavish feast awaited them. The waitress quickly set the table, offering them a final check to ensure everything was to their liking before stepp
Days had passed since the incident and Jia still hadn't heard a word about Silvio. She tried to forget him but the harder she tried, the more his memory stayed Today, she was at the grand hotel in Rome for an audition. Her nerves tingling as she glanced at herself in the rearview mirror. She adjusted her glasses and straightened her posture.. taking in her reflection Just as she was about to step out.. the car door opened unexpectedly. Jia looked up..startled."Elena" she said, her voice soft but relievedElena gave her a small smile, without a word—she placed a cap on Jia's head"You will need this" Elena saidJia studied herself in the mirror one last time, then shut the car door with a soft thud, they walked into the hotel lobby together. The audition was taking place in a private wing of the hotel and Jia knew most of the actresses thereHer name was called and she stood to enter.Time seemed to stretch as she disappeared behind the door. Moments later—she emerged, her face li