Reign of a Billionaire : A Dark Mafia Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

All eyes were on us, but I kept staring at the faceless man before me. My savior.

“Take them to their rooms,” Mother ordered. I glanced around, wondering who she was talking to. Her eyes locked on my sister. “Step out of line and you’ll both be punished.”

“Yes, Mother,” my sister grunted, dragging me along as the boy followed behind us.

The moment we were out of sight, he reached for me. Something twisted in my stomach, something that shouldn’t have been there.

“That was reckless.” His tone was full of disapproval.

My sister let out a frustrated groan. “You fucking think?”

Her glaring eyes darted between us. In rushed steps, we sped up the stairs and down the hallway to the east wing.

“I’m sorry.” I wasn’t sure who murmured those words over and over again. Was it my sister? Or was it me? It was all mushing together, right along with this guilt that was gnawing at me.

We stopped by our rooms and she headed straight into hers, slamming the door with a loud thud. I turned to the faceless boy.

He didn’t object, and I felt the emotions swirling around him like a dark cloud. “Don’t ever put yourself in danger like that again.”

I jutted my chin stubbornly, pressing my lips into a thin line. “You put yourself in danger every day for us.”

He let out a warm chuckle. “What am I going to do with you?”

Butterflies took flight in the pit of my stomach as I stared at the face I couldn’t see. I couldn’t understand… Why couldn’t I see him? Why couldn’t I remember who he was? To me? To my sister?

I knew he was someone important. But who?

A splash of cold water yanked me out of the dream. I blinked my eyes open, black dots swimming in my vision and water dripping off my eyelashes. I tried to make sense of it all. Why was my mind showing me myself when I was 14 years old? I knew it was just a dream, but the images seemed so real.

Disoriented, I waited for the room to come into focus, and the moment it did, my heart froze.

“Please… No,” I whispered. “Not again.”

I squeezed my eyelids shut before opening them again, but the reality didn’t change. The sweet haze from moments ago, filled with butterflies and warm hands, had vanished. I was in a tub now, my wrists and ankles bound. I studied the room. The bright white tile and walls blended together, their brightness magnified by the naked fluorescent bulb overhead. There wasn’t a window, but the door was left open.

“Finally awake.” Mother entered the bathroom, her stiletto heels clicking against the tile. “Did you get some rest?”

My lips thinned, refusing to answer. I hated when she did this shit. Even more, I hated that I didn’t see it coming.

“Not enough,” I hissed. “What are you doing here?”

“What have you done with the women?”

A shiver started at the base of my spine, the old me trembling with fear. Fear I thought was long since buried thanks to the days and weeks—maybe months—of torture I’d endured at her hands. I couldn’t stand the cycle repeating itself. Thoughts rushed around in my head for the best answer.

I landed on denial.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Her eyebrows rose in surprise at my calm tone.

“Tell me the truth,” she demanded, her jaw clenched. She wanted to believe me, I knew it. “This is a matter of life and death for all of us.”

I scoffed at that. “It seems you’ve already decided on death for me.”