“W-what did you say?” Siena stared at Alfonso with her eyes wide opened. The grin on Alfonso’s face became wider. It felt so good for him to be able to tease Siena again. “Remember your promise, Cherry. You challenged me to break the fourth code. And I did it! It’s time to collect my prize.” Alfonso stepped closer. Siena immediately ran away from him, and hid behind the sofa. Alfonso chuckled, winking his eyes naughtily. “Cherry, you have promised me….” “I-I never promised you anything…. You’re the one deciding the prize for your own pleasure. I never said I agreed,” Siena tried to protest, her heart beating wildly inside her chest. Would Alfonso really dare to force himself on her? Alfonso crossed his hands over his chest. “Then why do you come to my room? You

 Siena felt her heart beat faster as the pilot of their plane informed they were going to touch down less than ten minutes. The city of Siena did not have an airport, thus they would have to land on Florence first, the neighboring city, and then continued by bus or train to Siena city. Alfonso held her right hand as if understanding her feeling. “You’re not alone, I’m here…,” he spoke with a reassuring smile on his face. Siena wondered if Alfonso could read her mind, because he seemed to know everything about her. But she certainly needed that smile, that touch of his hands. And above all, she needed him by her side. “As far as I know, Siena is a fantastic city, full of artwork and cultural heritage.” Siena attempted to counter her nervousness by changing the topic. “Then you’re going to love the city. You and Grandfather are both ar

  Brian’s eyes were pierced on the blonde woman sitting opposite of him right now. Two days ago, when they met in the lobby of Alfonso’s apartment, Gloria looked miserable like a seriously ill person. But now, she was in a better condition. Her eyes were not swollen anymore. She put on some make-up to cover her pale skin, giving a fresher look on her.   “Are you… feeling better?” Brian broke the silence.   It had been more than five minutes they sat in silence. Brian could not tell exactly why Gloria came to his apartment this morning. Since their first meet, they exchanged their phone numbers. Then Gloria called him out of the blue this morning, asked for his address, and showed up in front of his apartment door not long after.   Heaving a long sigh, Gloria shook her head. “I can’t feel any better if I haven’t met Alfonso.”   “Can’t you reach him by phone?”   “He ig

 Carlo’s words kept on ringing in Siena’s ears. The story was indeed similar to her mother’s story all that long ago, how her mother met her father in Gotemba. But did it mean she had to simply trust Carlo? “I don’t even know my father’s name. How can you be so sure… that you do not mistake me for someone else? And how can you expect me to believe in your story?” Siena opened her mouth eventually. Her brain was too flooded with many thoughts. In this situation, denying was a much easier thing to do. “You’re Siena Mori, the daughter of Sakura Mori. When Dad met your mother, she was in her second year of study as a nurse. Then you both moved from Gotemba to Los Angeles while you were just ten years old. You studied journalistic in college, and you worked as a columnist in Angels Daily online media for about two years. You are now twenty four years old.”&nbs

 Alfonso glared with his fiery eyes as the two men were approaching him. Light from the street lamps above flashed on their faces. They wore long coats and black glasses. Alfonso was suspicious, from the shape of their coat pockets, they might be also carrying pistols. He clenched his fists, his jaw tensed, all his senses were on alert. One of the men with bald head raised his hand and greeted him, “Good evening, Sir. We have been waiting for you. We come here to tell you that Miss Siena Mori is fine. At this moment, she is in a safe place. We’re returning here tomorrow morning to pick you up, and bring you to meet Miss Mori.” ‘What did he say?!’ Alfonso cursed inwardly. All his blood boiled at once. ‘Dammit! How dare he talk to me like that, while I have been searching for Cherry everywhere in panic!’  “Where is Siena?” Alfonso’s voice was lou