Tessa Mariano turned the sign on the restaurant door backward to read 'close.' It was her third time closing the restaurant that week. She had picked up several shifts to keep up with the bills yet she still fell behind.

Sometimes she wanted to give up and quit because of how badly she was treated by the rest of the staff but if she did that, it meant that her mother would die. She had already lost her father when she was little and then, her younger sister during one of the Mafia gang raids in the city. She could not afford to lose her mother too.

The door opened as soon as she turned her back.

"We're closed." She faced the new guest.

"You have to help me." A man with blood dripping down the side of his face said.

Tessa was tempted to scream but he quickly covered the distance and placed his hand around her mouth. The metallic smell of fresh blood flooded her nostrils and stained her cheeks as he dragged her further into the room with his hand around her waist.

"Don't scream. They'll hear you."

Tessa didn't have to wonder who they were because a car headlights lit the street outside as a black ferrari came to a stop in front of the restaurant. The door opened and two men dressed in crisp black suits jumped out carrying guns.

Tessa knew that those men would be in here soon and would kill her if she didn't escape but she couldn't when there was a crazy man holding her. As he dragged her further into the kitchen, a plan started to form in her head. Once they were past the door post, she grabbed the wok that was hooked to the nail and swung it over her head.

He went down once, his weight taking her down with him just as the men outside looked in the direction of the room.

Tessa acted fast, knowing it was a matter of life and death. She swung the wok again and caught the man in the face. He groaned as he went down.

Tessa turned to run. "Help--"

The man grabbed her by her feet and pulled her to the floor. "Are you crazy? Those men will kill us both."

"Not if I tell them where you are. They're looking for you." She tightened her hand on the wok.

He lowered his voice but she could still hear the commanding rich baritone he possessed. "They're part of the Mafia. You're an easy target and you're a young lonely woman who just witnessed something you shouldn't see. The best they'll make out of you is a slave."

Tessa tried to swing the wok again but he pried it from her hand. For a badly injured man, he was full of strength. She had felt the steadiness of his chest as he pressed her against him.

"You have two choices, lady. You can help me and we can both live. Or we both die."

"You have no right to threaten me."

"Fine. Here." He dug his hand into his pocket.

Tessa was afraid that he would pull out a gun so she stepped back.

"Take it." He pushed it towards her.

"What's that?"

"If you don't want to save me, you can pawn it. But if you save me, I promise I'll give you anything you want when you present me with that wristwatch."

"Anything? Even-"

Tessa's next words were swallowed by the sound of the gunshots to the roof. Something shattered in the main part of the restaurant as the men outside spoke over each other and swore.

"You owe me." She pointed to the trash bin in the corner. "Hide quickly."

The man scrambled towards the trash bin and Tessa screamed so she could mask the sound of the trash bag rustling under his body. Then she ran to the main part of the restaurant so that the men wouldn't come into the kitchen.

The main part of the restaurant had been plunged into darkness. From the crunch under Tessa's shoes, she guessed they had shot the light which was good because then she wouldn't have to explain the blood stain on her clothes.

"Stop shooting bastard." The fatter shorter man said. "Pretty lady, why are you screaming?"

"It's... a crazy man came in here a few minutes ago."

"He did. I told you, Alessio. I did." The taller man nudged the fat one.

"Where is he?" The fat one moved closer.

"As soon as he heard your car, he ran out and towards the alleyway across." Tessa pointed to the other side of the street that was shrouded in trees and some overgrown bushes.

"That's it. We'll end that bastard's life today." The taller man said.

"You've been very helpful, dear Do you think you could help us some more?" The man grabbed her waist and pulled her so close that she could smell the cigarette on his face.

She remembered the words of a stranger. Of how, the Mafia would make her a slave. From the look in the man's eyes, it didn't take her long to realize which type of slave this man would want.

A loud sound came from behind her. The men pointed their guns at the kitchen.

Tessa pulled away, speaking before the men could shoot and placing herself in front of their guns. "It's just my cat. You're scaring her."

"Come on. Let's go before he gets away." The taller one headed out the door and the shorter one followed.

Tessa sighed with relief as she hurried to the kitchen. The injured man was already getting out of the bin.

"How do I explain all this to my boss tomorrow?"

"Just tell him Vincenzo Mancini was here."

Tessa turned white at the name. Mancini was the biggest Mafia family in the city and if he was a member, then she could very well be courting danger.

And he could also be lying about who he was to scare her and stop her boss from reporting to the police. He could also be a murderer. For those men to desire his death, he certainly wasn't normal.

"Leave now, please."

He threw his wristwatch at her. "Thank you."

The wristwatch felt heavy enough to be worth something. Tessa put the wristwatch in her pocket and prepared to clean up the mess.

She hoped she would never see him again. One thing was for sure, she wouldn't forget him so easily.

Tessa's day started in the worst way. First, her colleagues who opened the restaurant in the morning found a few stray bullets in the ceiling that she hadn't been able to reach. They reported the state of the restaurant to the owner and he had spent the better part of the morning berating her for failing to protect his restaurant.

She had played back his words as she walked through the halls of Midfields Hospital with a thick frown. How was she supposed to fight off two men with guns? She was willing to bet that Amadeus, her boss, would've fainted if he had seen Vincenzo's face last night.

And she was right because the moment she mentioned the Mancini name, he stopped talking and turned as white as an unfried batch of potatoes. He told her to take the day off and the first thing she did was hurry to her mother.

She didn't have much time to visit her because of the number of shifts that she had to take to stay ahead of her growing bills. It wasn't her first time visiting so she hurried to the ICU floor.

When she entered her mother's room, she saw two strange women. One of them was stricken and dark, lying on her mother's bed, while the other one cradled the sickly woman's head.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Oh Tess? I was just about to call you." A female nurse entered the room, holding a clipboard. "Your mother was moved."

"Is she awake?"

"I'm afraid not. Her condition has worsened."

"Then why would you take her off the machine? I thought you said that was the only way for her to stay alive?" Tessa's eyes widened.

"It is but we bill by the hour."

"And I pay every week." Tessa took a step in the nurse's direction.

The check bounced. “We hooked her to a cheap and older machine. Though, I must warn you. It's not as effective."

"Where's my mother?"

The nurse put her hand around Tessa's shoulder and guided her out of the room, closing the door gently behind her. "Listen, she's safe for now because you've never defaulted on any payment but our machines are in high demand. If you can't pay today, your mother will have to leave the hospital."

"But... But she'll die."

"You have less than 24 hours, Tessa. We've done our best."

Tessa called her bank immediately and she found that her boss didn't pay her for last night and he also filed a claim against her for the damage of his restaurant, so all of her weekly pay was not transferred to her.

She called Amadeus and screamed at him over the phone but he told her to go to hell. Since Tessa didn't know the direction to hell, she went for the closest thing she knew which was also the source of her problem--- Vincenzo Mancini's house.

Finding his house proved to be tougher than she expected but it turned out that rivalry among Mafia groups was so strong that all she had to do was claim that she had a message for Vincent about one of the rivals to the Mancini family, and she was practically offered a road map to Mancini family villa but most people told her it was a trip from which she might not survive.

She was willing to take the chance, considering the fact that she didn't even know if the man she met that night was an imposter. If her mother died, she had nothing to live for. She still had the wristwatch and she could sell it but it was nothing in the face of the bills that faced her.

The Mancini Villa was larger than anything she had ever imagined. It was set in front of the mountain close to the city, where the richer people lived. Before she entered the estate, she had to go through five levels of screenings to prove that she was who she said she was. She had to walk more than two hours on foot from the estate gate to the large intricate gate that marked the beginning of Mancini Villa because here, you either had a car or you walked. The houses were as big as supermarkets.

Once outside, she started banging on the gate. "Vincenzo, come out now."

"Whose that?" A man dressed in a security uniform eyed her.

"I need to see Vincenzo Mancini. I have news for him."

"On what grounds do you dare to mention his name?" Another guard joined.

"I saved him from getting killed. I could call him a dog if I like."

"Obviously, you need to be taught some respect." The guards opened the gate and one of them, tried to hold her.

She ran past him, yelling. "Vincenzo, you bastard, come out. You've ruined my life after I saved yours."

One of the guards set out his leg and she tripped. They all grabbed different limbs and prepared to throw her out but a voice from one of the towers close to the gate called out. "Stop this. She's an honored guest of the boss."

"She's making false claims that she saved the boss." The guards stopped at the gate.

"I did. I have proof!"

"This will certainly be interesting." The man with a balding head smiled as he dialed a number on his phone, saying. "It seems your saviour has arrived."

Ten minutes later, under the sun, Tessa could see the man she saved strode towards her with a cocky smile. His blue eyes and thick black hair that swooped over one eye. Above the other eye, there was a thick bandage. He had bruises all over his body and a sling held up his lower hand.

"So, you're really Vincenzo?" Tessa's eyes widened as the man she sought limped .

"And you're even more beautiful than I thought." Vincenzo took her hand and kissed it.

She pulled her hand away, eyeing him. She could not be swayed by his beauty, even though she wanted to unbutton his shirt and see if he looked as sturdy as he seemed.

The other man that had saved her from the guards, introduced as Matteo, smacked Vincenzo in the stomach.

Vincenzo winced, before asking. "Do you have my wristwatch?"

Tessa reached for his head to inspect his wound where she had smacked him with a wok.

He pushed her hand away.

"It's not that easy for someone to touch me but for you, Tessa."

"What does that mean?"

"My treasure." Vincenzo smiled at her, drawing her in with his deep charming eyes.

"Does it hurt?" Tessa stared at Vincenzo’s wounds.

"I had two gunshot wounds and a sprained hand but none of that hurt as much as the wok you handled."

Tessa caught the hint of some flirtation but she knew better than to be entangled with the Mafia. No matter how handsome one was. She remembered what he said was the best case scenario if she got caught by one.

"Here's your wristwatch. I want money." She threw the watch at him.

He caught it and held it up in the light, then turned it to check the back before he passed it to Matteo. "Straight to the point. I like her already."

"I want 200 thousand and I need it now."

"What for?"

Discomfort crept on Tessa. The Mancini men were rumored to be capable gun handlers. He could end her to avoid giving her money.

"I didn't ask you why you were running from those men."

"The Mafia's business is the Mafia's business." Vincenzo took the check book from the guard. "I'm disappointed that you rate my life as low as two hundred thousand."

"Five hundred then."

He also owed her for the destruction of the restaurant. She hadn't considered taking it as part of the money.

"Still low—"

Matteo nudged Vincenzo's side again and Vincenzo glared at him.

"But five hundred it is."

She stared down at the check he presented to her. "I want a bank transfer."

"Are you saying Vincenzo does not honour his words?"

"You might but I don't trust others." She made sure to glare at the guard that tripped her.

"Felix means no harm."

She called her bank account number, still shooting bad looks at Felix.

Vincenzo nodded at Matteo to transfer the money to her. Tessa felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she froze, unable to believe she had actually collected money from the Mafia.

"How about I make a deal with you? Two hundred every month as my secretary. Your boarding and feeding will be taken care of and I'll add in a shopping allowance for months that I'm impressed." He limped forward.

Tessa shook her head. "The Mafia's business is not my business."

"It would be a shame to let you go. There's very little I find redeeming in people, loyalty is one of such."

"Did I meet Vincenzo, no? Do I know if he's a man or myth? A mere rumour, I suppose." Tessa zipped her lips and made a show of throwing the key away before she turned to leave.

Vincenzo turned to Matteo as soon as his savior crossed the gate. "Are we sure about Rossi's involvement with those killers?"

"Not yet."

"Do you want to wait till I'm dead?" Vincenzo eyed him, then stared at his savior's retreating figure, feeling the loss of what could be. He pushed the feeling away. "I want you to find out everything you can about her."

Vincenzo busied himself with things about his territory to keep his mind off a certain woman with wavy chestnut hair, a smallish waist and legs that seemed to go for days with a feisty mouth that matched.

Since he learned her name. He hadn't been able to get it out of his head. He imagined that she was here with him in this room filled with dark wooden furniture quipping as he let drop a nugget or two about the business. If Tessa was his—

The door opened and he sat up, not wanting to be caught in a vulnerable moment. Since he was the Mancini leader now, it was important to keep his command of authority high. But when he saw that it was Matteo, he dropped his guard.

"Any news?"

"Good news."

Vincenzo sat up, hoping Matteo would say something about Tessa accepting his offer.

"We've caught the killers."

"Oh." Vincenzo blinked.

"I thought you would be excited."

Vincenzo sighed. Of course, he ought to be. It was just that news about soon-to-be dead men was less exciting than a certain woman.

"Who sent them?"

He already suspected a certain crazy leader of one of the faction that struggled for control of this city, Federico Rossi. Federico had set a trap for Vincenzo’s father and killed him. He had been outside the city in a place that was well controlled by Federico because he was sure they wouldn't dare to attack him and start a rival war. But, Federico sent some scum bags to do the dirty work.

"You were right. We whipped the fools in the cellar. I'm surprised Federico sent such low-level idiots, willing to spill in exchange for money."

"I'm not surprised. He's a master of under-handed ways."

"Apparently, he also had plans to attack the South Quarter." Matteo explained.

Vincenzo nodded. "It's not that easy to pull the city from my control. He probably thinks I'm just stepping into my father's footing and I'm unsure of what's going on."

"So, what do we do?"

"We have several options. Just not a direct attack to—"

The door flew open and Vincenzo stopped speaking. As much as the rivalry between him and Rossi was public knowledge. He did not want to set oil to a little flame. His men were loyal enough to stop breathing just so he could have the last breath. If one of them misheard something, the situation could spiral out of control.

It wasn't a man who stepped in though, it was a beautiful woman with thick dark hair, clear skin and a little beauty mark below her left cheek. She was dressed in a black shirt and black trousers with a face cap on her head.

"Silene?" Matteo turned to her with a smile. "Back so soon, darling?"

"Yes, papa. And I have news."

Silene threw some pictures on the table. "Stole it from men at the East Track. Your girl's in trouble."

Vincenzo stared at the pictures on the table. There were pictures of Tessa in the hospital with an elderly woman. Her face seemed brighter and whatever worry had plagued her seemed to have vanished. She also seemed to be oblivious of the red circle around her face in one of the pictures.

"Who?" Vincenzo looked to Silene for clarity.

"Who else?"

"I have to go to her, now."