Sophia slowly woke up, with her body aching from the cold ground beneath her. She groggily blinked her eyes open, but the darkness of the room overwhelmed her. She tried to move, however the clanking of chains told her she was restrained, with her wrists shackled to the wall. Panic set in, but she forced herself to stay calm.
"Where am I?". She sat up, glancing around cautiously. The faint memory of Luca Moreno injecting something into her neck surfaced, accompanied by a sharp headache. She winced but pushed through the pain, piecing together the fragments of her memory.
Just then, the door creaked open, and a lean woman in her fifties entered, carrying a tray. She set it down in front of Sophia without a word, revealing three pieces of stale bread and a cup of colorless tea. "Here's your food. I know you must be hungry," the woman said calmly.
Sophia scowled at the pitiful meal. How could she, the daughter of Dante DeLuca, be expected to eat this?
"I can't eat that," she declared with a scrunched nose. "And please, call Luca Moreno. I want to speak to him."
The woman gave her a stern look. "It will be in your best interest to eat this food before the boss returns."
"And I said I don't want to eat it," Sophia shot back with defiance. "Now go call your boss, and while you're at it, get me some clothes. I'm fucking naked and cold." She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep warm, but the woman seemed unfazed by her demands.
"Don't say I didn't warn you," the woman warned sharply. "He'll be really pissed off if he returns and you haven't eaten yet."
Sophia hesitated, eyeing the stale bread. The look in the woman's eyes and the way she spoke of Luca Moreno made a shiver run down her spine. Reluctantly, she asked, "Your boss, who's he?"
"Soon you'll know," she replied. "But for now, I have to go." She gave a curt nod and left the dark room, closing the door behind her with a definitive click.
Left alone, Sophia's mind was unsettled. The cold room made her shiver, and her stomach growled severally. She looked at the tray of bread, feeling torn. She was scared of how Luca might react but also angry at being treated like this.
Meanwhile, Luca Moreno was in his office, glancing at some photos on his desk. His most trusted men stood nearby, their shoulders tense as they awaited his wrath.
"Are you sure these are the only pictures from Scarface's club?" Luca's voice was calm but icy.
"Yes, sir. We searched everywhere inside the club. There were also some girls in a cage, but Lucia wasn't among them," one of his men explained with a shaky tone.
Luca stood up, causing all of them to fall to their knees in fear. "You expect me to believe that? If so, how did you miss that Sophia DeLuca was kicked out of her family?" He was livid, but his voice remained calm.
"We're sorry, sir. We didn't mean to slack. We'll do better," another man begged, bowing his head to the ground.
Luca was not having it. "Diego," he called, and his right-hand man rushed forward and kneeled.
"Yes, sir," Diego responded sharply.
"Punish them and make them suffer until they're pleading for death," Luca ordered.
"Yes, sir," Diego nodded, then commanded the other men to follow him out. They didn't dare argue, knowing that defying Luca would lead to a fate worse than death.
Immediately they were out of his office, Luca slammed his fist on the desk, making the wood creak. Every time he got close to finding Lucia, his little sister, it always led to a dead end. It had been ten years since she was taken, and he felt her absence every day.
He looked at the photos on the desk, frustration growing. He had hoped to find Lucia at Scarface's club, but the man had only been selling innocent women. None of them were Lucia. He remembered the last time he saw Lucia. She was a scared little girl, taken from their home. That memory pushed him to keep going.
He had built his power on that pain, becoming the most feared Mafia boss in New York. But every clue seemed to mock him. He clenched his fists, anger rising. He thought she might be at Scarface's club. But no, just some innocent women.
Luca's phone rang, pulling him from his thoughts. He quickly answered. It was Carla, his housekeeper.
"Hello, Boss," Carla's voice trembled, clearly afraid of Luca's reaction. "The lady has refused to eat, and she's demanding to see you."
"Demanding to see me? Who does she think she is?" His jaw clenched tightly. "I'll be there shortly."
He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the office. On his way, he met Diego, who was hurriedly approaching.
"Boss, the Crowl Mafia boss has arrived with his entourage…"
"Cancel it," Luca interrupted before Diego could finish his sentence.
"But, boss—" Diego started to protest, however one look from Luca sent him to his knees.
"Yes, sir. I'll do as you say," Diego said, bowing his head.
Luca continued on his way, his mind now focused on Sophia. She was testing his patience, but he would deal with her personally.
As soon as he reached his estate and stepped out of his car, everyone went on their knees and bowed. No one dared look into his eyes; it was a punishable offense that could even lead to death.
Carla saw him approaching the living room and knelt down to greet him, but he didn't acknowledge her as he walked past, heading straight to the room where Sophia was kept. His footsteps echoed through the corridor, a sound that sent shivers down the spines of those nearby.
Reaching the heavy iron door, Luca paused, collecting himself before pushing it open.
The sweet scent of pleasant cologne filled Sophia's nostrils. Her heart skipped a beat as she heard slow, calculated footsteps approaching. Finally, Luca Moreno stood before her, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. Sophia felt small under his intense gaze as his striking green eyes roamed her body from head to toe. She used her arms to wrap around her breast and private area to savor some dignity, but he only laughed at her. A short and dark one.
Taking a closer look at her, he took in her features. She had grown into such a beautiful lady. She was beautiful then but more beautiful now.
"What are you looking at, you pervert?" she ground her teeth as her gray eyes glared daggers at him.
He bent down to her level, green eyes staring into her eyes. "You had better get used to this, because from now on this will be your reality," he promised her, but her eyes narrowed down.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me? Haven't I been disgraced enough?"
"No, you haven't... not yet." His gaze was cold, hateful, and it almost drove her insane with confusion. Why did he hate her so much?
Despite her fear, she raised her chin defiantly.
Luca grinned, a dark and knowing smile as he straightened up. He was well aware of her fear and confusion. "Who are you? Why am I locked in here and chained like an animal?" Sophia demanded sharply.
"Because you are an animal, my animal. The sooner you realize that, the better."
"But I haven't done anything to you," Sophia protested, growing more frustrated.
"Eat your food," he replied coldly, ignoring her question.
"You expect me to eat this crap?" Sophia spat, glaring at the tray in disgust. "What do you take me for?"
"An animal, I already fucking told you," Luca sneered. "You're no longer a human being but an animal, so eat up or I swear I'll make you regret it."
Sophia scoffed. "You must think I'm afraid of you."
"One," Luca began counting.
Sophia started to feel less sure of herself, but she made herself stay strong. She thought Luca was just trying to frighten her. When he got to "five," Luca took some keys from his pocket and started to unlock the chain. Sophia didn't understand. Why was he releasing her?
As soon as the chain fell off, Luca grabbed Sophia and began to drag her out of the room.
"What are you doing?" she quivered, trying to free herself, but he was too strong. "Fucking stop already. Where are you taking me?"
He paused and looked at her with burning fury. "I'm taking you outside and tying you naked to the pole for everyone to see so that you'll learn to obey me."
Sophia's eyes grew wide in horror. She couldn't imagine such a nightmare. She would rather he just kill her than subject her to such humiliation.
"You can't fucking do that," she fumed, her squirming growing more frantic as they neared the door. But he ignored her and pushed it open.
"I warned you, didn't I? Now come outside!"
"Let me go!"
"Alright, if you kneel down and kiss my feet, I might consider," his intense eyes mocked her.