Maya was seething with anger and betrayal. She couldn't believe that Alex, the man she had cared for and saved, was now her captor. She had no idea he was a mafia boss capable of such cruelty. All she wanted was to go back to her life, far away from this nightmare.
As she sat on the edge of the cot, the door to her holding room creaked open. A burly man entered, carrying a tray of food. He placed it on the small table in the corner without a word.
"Eat," he grunted, but Maya glared at him, her anger boiling over.
"I don't want your food," she spat, her voice trembling with rage. She grabbed the tray and threw it across the room, the contents scattering across the floor.
The man's face twisted in anger. Without warning, he slapped her hard across the face, sending her sprawling onto the cot. Pain exploded in her cheek, and she tasted blood.
"Ungrateful brat," he snarled. "You'll regret that."
Another man, who had been standing guard outside, saw the commotion and quickly made his way to Alex's office. He knocked and entered, his expression serious.
"Boss, we have a problem," he said.
Alex looked up from his desk, his eyes narrowing. "What is it?"
"The girl, She refused to eat and threw the food. One of our men slapped her. She hasn't eaten anything."
Alex's jaw tightened. He felt a surge of anger, both at the guard who had hit Maya and at himself for putting her in this situation. He stood up abruptly, pushing past the guard and making his way to the holding room.
When he entered
Alex was seething as he left Maya's room. His anger was directed at the man who had dared to slap her. Reaching the guardroom, he found the culprit and without hesitation, grabbed him by the collar.
"How dare you lay a hand on her?" Alex's voice was low and dangerous.
"Boss, she threw the food—" the man started, but Alex cut him off with a punch to the gut.
"You don't touch her. Ever." Alex's voice was cold as ice. He dragged the man outside, where he administered a brutal beating. The other guards watched in silence, knowing better than to interfere. When he was done, Alex's knuckles were bruised and bloodied, but his rage was somewhat sated.
"Let that be a lesson to all of you," he said, looking around at his men. "No one harms Maya. Understand?"
They nodded quickly, fear in their eyes. Satisfied, Alex turned and headed back inside. His mind was still racing with thoughts of Maya.
Later that night, Alex found himself unable to sleep.
He quietly made his way to the holding room and opened the door. In the dim light, he saw her sleeping on the cot, her face turned to the side. Despite the anger and pain, there was a serene beauty to her in sleep. Her lashes were damp, evidence of the tears she had shed, and her face was slightly swollen where she had been slapped.
Alex felt a deep pang of guilt and sorrow. He had never wanted to hurt her, and seeing her like this broke something inside him. Slowly, he approached her, his footsteps silent. He crouched down beside the cot, watching her peaceful face.
"I'm sorry, Maya," he whispered, his voice filled with regret. "I never wanted any of this for you. I never wanted to be your enemy."