Alessia! darling, my mom yells up to me from the kitchen your father is requesting to see you in the dining room. We have a visitor.

"Okay ! I'd be right there." I yell back as I round up with my cleaning .

I hurry downstairs, curiosity getting the better of me. Who could be visiting? We rarely have guests, especially not the kind that warrant a formal meeting in the dining room.

As I enter the dining room, I see my father, Alex, sitting at the head of the table. He looks nervous, fidgeting with his hands. Sitting on the other side is a man I've never seen before. He's imposing, with a stern expression and piercing brown eyes that seem to bore into my soul he looked like he was in his early thirties.

"Alessia, darling, come meet Vincenzo Colin," my father says, his voice trembling slightly.

I extend my hand, trying to hide my unease. "Nice to meet you, sir."

Vincenzo's grip is firm, Pleasure is all mine, Alessia," he says, his voice low and smooth. "I've heard a lot about you."

I force a smile.

My mother, Emily, enters the room with a tray of coffee and pastries. "Please, Vincenzo, help yourself," she says, her voice nervous.

He takes a sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving mine. "Alessia, I'm sure you're not aware that your father and I have some... unfinished business."

"I've been wanting to talk to you about this, Alessia," my father says, his voice shaking with emotion. "Remember when your mom fell ill and the doctors said we needed $500,000 to pay for her kidney transplant and to clear all the bills, including medications?"

I nod, remembering the desperation and fear that gripped our family during that time. My mom's illness was threatening to destroy everything we held dear.

"I didn't know what else to do, but I needed to save your mom's life," my father continues. His eyes filled with tears. "I felt so helpless, watching her suffer and not being able to do anything. But then I remembered Vincenzo, who had helped some of my friends in the past."

He pauses, taking a deep breath.

"I went to see him, and he agreed to lend me the money. But I knew it wasn't going to be easy. I had to sign a contract, Alessia, a contract that says I must pay back the loan after a year, unless...unless! something happens to me."

He looks at me, his eyes filled with a mix of sadness and regret.

"I'm afraid I haven't been able to pay back the loan, Alessia. I've tried, but it's been tough. And now, Vincenzo is here to...to rediscuss the terms of the contract."

Vincenzo leans back in his chair, steepling his fingers together. "Alex, my friend," he says, his voice dripping with menace. "I'm afraid you've defaulted on our agreement. You borrowed $500,000 from me, and now it's time to pay up."

My father swallows hard, his eyes darting around the room. "I know, Vincenzo. I'm sorry. I'll do whatever it takes to pay you back." Vincenzo's smile grows wider. "I'm glad to hear that, Alex. But since you've defaulted on our agreement, I'm afraid I'll have to take...alternative measures."

My heart starts racing as Vincenzo's eyes lock onto me. "Your daughter, Alessia," he says, his voice low and husky. "She's a beautiful young woman. I think she would make a lovely addition to my...staff."

My father's face goes white. "No, Vincenzo. Please. You can't take my daughter." Vincenzo shrugs. "I'm afraid I can, Alex. You see, Alessia will work for me as my slave until you pay off your debt in full."

I feel like I've been punched in the gut. Slave? What does he mean?

My father looks like he's about to collapse. "Please, Vincenzo. Have mercy."

Vincenzo's smile grows even wider. "Mercy? Ha! You should have thought of that before you defaulted on our agreement, Alex. Now, your daughter will have to pay the price."

I feel a cold dread creeping up my spine. What have we gotten ourselves into?He leans forward, his eyes glinting. "You see, Alessia, you'll be working for me, doing whatever tasks I assign to you. But first, you have to sign another contract willingly renewing the old one, which states that You'll be my property, my slave, until your father pays off his debt."

I signed the contract placed before me pressing so hard as I looked at the papers.

My mind reels in horror. This can't be happening.

My father tries to protest, but Vincenzo cuts him off. "No, Alex. This is the price you must pay. You should have thought of that before you borrowed money from me."

I feel tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

My mom rushed to her knees, begging Vincenzo to reconsider. "Please, don't take our daughter," she pleaded, her voice shaking with desperation. "We'll find a way to pay our debts, I promise. Just don't take Alessia away from us."

Vincenzo's expression remained cold, but his voice took on a slightly softer tone. "I'm not taking her yet," he said, his eyes glinting with a hint of calculation. "I'll give you one more week together as a family. Consider it a...farewell gift."

My mom's sobs slowed, and she looked up at Vincenzo with a mixture of hope and desperation. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice trembling.

He nodded, his expression unreadable. "I'll return in one week. Alessia will be ready to leave with me then." One week? That's all the time I had left with my family.

Vincenzo turned to leave, his men following closely behind. As they walked out the door, my mom rushed to my side, embracing me tightly.

"We'll make the most of this time," she whispered, her tears wetting my cheek. "We'll make every moment count."

I nodded, holding her close. But deep down, I knew that no amount of time would ever be enough.

My dad wrapped his arms around us, holding us close. "We'll make this week count," he whispered, his voice shaking with emotion. "We'll spend every moment together as a family."

I nodded. The next few days were a blur of activity. We spent every waking moment together, doing all the things we loved. We went on walks, had picnics, and watched movies together.

My mom cooked all my favorite meals, and my dad took me on long drives through the countryside. We talked and laughed, making memories.

But despite the happiness, I felt sadness

And then, on the last day, my parents gathered around me, their eyes filled with tears. "We'll always be with you, Alessia," my mom whispered, her voice trembling. "No matter where you are, we'll always be in your heart."

I nodded as Don's driver came to pick me up. as we drove away to his mansion.