Fransisca's POV

"Welcome to your worst nightmare, Fransisca," Lucas Gambino sneered, his icy gaze piercing through me like a dagger. "You're going to wish you were dead because I'll shatter your heart, crush your spirit, you'll be my puppet, my plaything and my prey”

I shivered, my heart racing with fear.

The Gambino twins, Lucas and André, stood before me, their eyes blazing with a malevolent fury that made my blood run cold.

It all started on a frigid night, October 10th, 2015.

The Gambino men stormed into our home, killing my mom and leaving me for dead. I remembered her screams, her head rolling on the floor, her eyes wide with shock.

"Fransisca, run! Run for your life!" Her voice echoed in my mind as my hands shook uncontrollably.

But I was frozen in place, water cascading over me as the sound of gunfire drew nearer. They entered the shower, fired at me, but their aim was off, and the bullet zipped past.

In a frantic moment, I grabbed the scissors I had been using to trim my hair and drove them into my own skin, watching the red mix with the water. Holding my breath, I submerged myself, trying to make my body look lifeless and float.

Then everything went dark.

The flashback faded, and I found myself facing the Gambino twins. Their stares were icy and calculating.

"You're going to be our slave bride, chosen by our father to bear us children," Lucas said, his voice deep and gravelly.

A wave of revulsion washed over me. This was the moment I had been waiting for my entire life—the moment I would finally confront the men who had destroyed my family.

But they were unaware of the truth. They had no idea that I had feigned my death all these years, hiding and training with my uncle Pedro Ferrarez, plotting my revenge.

Now, I had returned to reclaim what was rightfully mine.

They were going to pay for everything they did to my family!

I kept my gaze lowered, attempting to appear submissive. "Thank you, masters," I murmured.

André scoffed. "Don't waste your breath thanking us. You're nothing but a slave, a plaything for our pleasure."

Lucas laughed. "Exactly, and you'll obey us without question, won't you, Fransisca?"

I nodded, struggling to keep my anger at bay.

"Good," Lucas continued. "Let's make one thing clear. You belong to us forever, and we can do whatever we please with you! Secondly, you will follow our orders, for every act of disobedience, we will cut off one of your fingers. Thirdly, your body is ours; we are your husbands now. And lastly, you are not allowed to leave this mansion. Is that understood?"

He shouted, and I shivered slightly before nodding.

At that moment, one of the guards shoved a young girl into the room. She was trembling, her eyes wide with terror.

"What's happening?" Lucas asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and anger.

The guard replied, "This girl refused to entertain our customers at the club, and she stabbed one of them."

André's eyes narrowed. "Bring her here."

The guard shoved the girl forward, and André's gaze locked onto hers.

"Turn around," he commanded, his tone icy. "Hands above your head."

The girl hesitated for a moment before slowly turning. André raised his gun, pressing it against the back of her head.

"No, please!" she screamed. "Please, don't kill me, I don't want—"

André pulled the trigger, and the girl's body collapsed to the floor.

Lucas turned to me, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "You see, Fransisca, we don't tolerate disobedience. What happened to her will happen to you if you dare betray us."

A wave of fear washed over me, but I knew I had to hide it. I had to maintain the act, no matter how difficult it felt.

Lucas's eyes narrowed further. "What's in the bag, Fransisca?"

I hesitated, scrambling for a believable lie. "Just some clothes, masters."

André's hand shot out, gripping my neck. "I don't think so," he sneered.

Lucas chuckled, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Let's take a look, shall we?"

He grabbed the bag from my hands and spilled everything out onto the floor.

Just as I was about to crouch down to gather my things, one of the guards chimed in. "Boss, we found a bottle in her bag. It smells like poison."

Lucas's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze piercing. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?”

Fransisca's POV

André's eyes narrowed as he sniffed the bottle. "This smells like poison," he growled, his hand shooting out to slap me across the face.

I cried out in pain, falling to the floor as my lip split open, blood gushing from the wound.

"How dare you try to deceive us!" Lucas spat, his eyes blazing with fury. "You think you can just waltz in here and try to kill us?"

I knew I had to think quickly, to come up with a convincing lie. But before I could even open my mouth to explain, Lucas aimed his gun at my head.

"Listen, you bitch, I've got five minutes to blow your brains out if you don't tell me the truth—who sent you!" Lucas hissed, his finger tightening on the trigger.

I knew I had to act fast. Seeing the uncertainty in their eyes, I snatched the bottle from André's hand and downed the liquid in one swift motion.

"See! It's not poisonous! I would never do something like that! I'm not a spy! I'm just a poor orphan!" I exclaimed, tears streaming down my face.

Lucas's eyes gleamed with suspicion. "Everything you do looks suspicious," he hissed. "I hope I catch you, because that day will be bloody! I won't just rip out your intestines; I'll drink your blood!"

I sniffed, trying to seem submissive, but inside, I was boiling with anger. I knew I had to tread carefully, to play the role of the obedient wife and servant.

André's voice cut through the tension. "Pick up your bag and take the elevator to the top floor. Clean the apartment until it shines. Then wait for us in the bedroom. You need to start having babies right away!"

I gasped in horror. "Babies?"

André's eyes gleamed with malice. "Isn't that why you're here? Listen, little slut. We are businessmen, and everything is about business to us. You're expected to have babies for us every nine months because we sell them for child trafficking to make cold cash, is that clear?"

I felt a wave of revulsion wash over me, and I burst into tears, fleeing the room.

As I exited the room, I collided with a man who made my heart race. He was Alessandro Bianchi, known as "The Shadow," the most feared and wealthiest mafia lord around.

Our eyes met for what felt like an eternity, sending a chill down my spine.

"Watch where you're going," he said, his voice deep and gravelly.

I attempted to sidestep him, but Alessandro's hand shot out, gripping my arm.

"I know you—your face seems so familiar, are you—," he remarked, his gaze scrutinizing me.

I knew I had to think fast. "I don’t know you, sir—please, I have to go," I replied, and dashed straight to the elevator.

As I stepped out of the elevator and into the twins' apartment, a wave of disgust washed over me. The place was a disaster, with drink and cigarette stains marring every surface.

In the corner of the room, I spotted a dead woman, her body cold and stiff, blood oozing from her mouth.

I knew I had to clean the apartment, but it was difficult to face. I took a deep breath and got to work, my mind racing with thoughts of escape and revenge.

Once the apartment was finally clean, I headed to the twins' bedroom, my heart racing. I knew what I had to do, but it was difficult to face.

As I stepped into the room, I noticed the safe tucked away in the corner, and my mind kicked into action. I quickly slipped on the gloves I had brought and entered the code I had cracked from their system earlier to unlock the safe.

As I sifted through the papers, my eyes searched for anything related to my family. What I discovered instead sent chills down my spine.

My uncle's name appeared under a different identity, listed as a member of the Gambino mafia.

I snatched the documents and stuffed them into my bag, my mind swirling with questions.

Just as I was about to close the safe, I heard the twins enter the room, and a rush of fear made me feel a warm trickle down my thighs; I had been caught.

"What are you doing with our safe?" André's voice was low and menacing, his eyes blazing with fury.

Fransisca's POV

I quickly locked the safe and tossed it back into the closet, trying to act casual. But the twins saw right through me.

"You thief!" Lucas shouted, charging at me with André right beside him. "We might overlook a million other crimes, but we will never forgive theft!"

I stepped back, raising my hands in defense. "I didn't take anything! I promise!"

But Lucas was beyond reason. He grabbed a nearby flower vase and smashed it on the floor, shards scattering everywhere.

Then, in a move that sent chills down my spine, he picked up a shard and drove it into my skin.

I screamed, the pain flooding me with memories of the trauma I had faced a decade ago. "Mommy!" I cried out, my voice trembling with fear.

The twins were startled by my outburst, but they quickly composed themselves.

"Search her bag," André growled. "She must have stolen something, and if you find anything, Lucas, you kill her immediately. We still need more fresh organs to complete this month's batch."

Just as they were about to dig through my bag, Alessandro appeared in the doorway.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his voice steady and commanding.

When his gaze landed on me and noticed the blood, his expression turned icy, and he frowned. "Why are you assaulting her?"

Lucas scoffed. "Stay out of this, Alessandro. It's none of your concern; she belongs to us, and we can do whatever we want with her!"

"So what if she belongs to you? Does it give you the right to treat like a slave? You're harassing the poor girl just let her go!"

"Listen Alessandro! We know you're a high ranking mafia don, but it doesn't give you the right to come into our territory and give us orders, who do you think you are, just get out of here!"

But Alessandro didn't back down. "I'm making it my concern and I'm not leaving here until we make things right. What's the price?" he asked abruptly.

Lucas and André exchanged puzzled looks. "What are you talking about?" Lucas replied.

Alessandro's eyes were fixed on me. "How much to buy her?"

The twins erupted in laughter. "She's our slave," André mocked. "We're not selling her."

Alessandro's smile was icy and calculating. "I'll offer you a hundred million dollars and a full cart of weapons. That's a fair trade."

The twins' laughter faded, and they shared a greedy look. "She's yours," Lucas finally said, shoving me toward Alessandro. "Do whatever you want with her."

Alessandro's eyes remained locked on mine. "Come with me," he said, his voice deep and husky.

I nodded, still trying to wrap my head around what had just happened. "I— can't go, they'll kill me" I said, tears streaming down my face.

"You're free! Come with me" Alessandro said sternly this time and I complied.

But as I took a step forward, a wave of dizziness hit me. The pain from the shard still embedded in my skin was beginning to catch up with me.

Alessandro's eyes narrowed as he assessed my condition. Without saying a word, he walked over and lifted me into his arms.

We reached the car, and Alessandro carefully laid me down on the back seat.

He climbed in next to me, his gaze fixed on my face. "Hold on," he said, his tone steady. "We're going to the hospital."

I nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude towards him.

At the hospital, Alessandro was assertive and commanding, ensuring I received the best care possible.

The doctors and nurses rushed to my side, and soon I was being treated for my injury.

Finally, the doctor informed us that I was stable. Alessandro nodded, his expression unreadable, paid the bills, and left the hospital.

Once we were inside the car, I turned to him, my voice just above a whisper. "Thank you, sir, for saving my life," I said, locking eyes with him.

But before I could continue, Alessandro's demeanor shifted to icy, and he replied,

"Cut the act. Agent Lopez, what are you doing here? You were meant to be in France on a mission."

His words hit me like a slap in the face, and I felt my heart racing with fear.

How did he know my true identity?