Chapter 14 Who Is She?

Two days had passed since Rossi received reports that the woman they had detained in the pub was still refusing to leave the room. Although he had granted her freedom, she remained. Today, Rossi finally had the time to address the situation himself. He opened the door quietly, finding her sitting in the same corner where she had been the first time he entered. Thankfully, his men had been bringing her meals—otherwise, she might have starved. “Why are you still here?” he asked, his voice sharp. “If I leave, they’ll hunt me down or kill me,” she replied, her tone trembling with fear. “I can’t let you stay with me. You need to leave,” Rossi said coldly. “But I…” Lyla looked up at him, desperation in her eyes. “If you don’t leave, I’ll kill you myself,” Rossi threatened, drawing the pistol holstered at his side and pointing it directly at her. He hoped the sight of the weapon would make her abandon her pleas and leave. “Would you really kill me?” she asked, her voice wavering as tears welled in her eyes. “Yes. I’m not a good man,” Rossi said, his tone icy. “If you leave, you’ll survive. If you stay, you’ll die.” “If I leave, they’ll torture me. Just kill me,” she whispered, closing her eyes in resignation. She had given up, preferring death to the horrors that awaited her outside. Rossi stared at her, stunned. She had chosen death over the possibility of escape. Slowly, he lowered his gun, his resolve wavering. “Get up,” he commanded. Lyla opened her eyes, her gaze shifting to the gun in his hand. “You’re not going to kill me?” “Get up,” Rossi repeated. Reluctantly, Lyla stood. “I’ll find you a place to stay. Is that acceptable?” She shook her head. “Let me stay with you.” Rossi sighed, running a hand through his hair. Women. They make everything so complicated. “No,” he said firmly. “Please… I’m scared,” Lyla pleaded, her voice trembling as she looked at him with tear-filled eyes. “I said no.” Despairing, she stepped closer and placed her hands on his, guiding the barrel of the gun to her forehead. “Then shoot me,” she said, her voice steady despite her tears. Rossi stared at her, his frustration mounting. He sighed deeply before holstering his gun. “Fine. You can stay with me,” he muttered, clearly exasperated. Lyla’s face lit up with relief. “Thank you.” “Let go of me now,” Rossi said. “Sorry,” she said, releasing his hand immediately. Rossi turned toward the door, motioning for her to follow. “Come on,” he said curtly, walking out without looking back. Lyla followed closely, saying nothing. To her, staying with him was the safest option. For Rossi, however, her presence felt like an enormous burden. He had always lived alone, and the thought of someone disrupting his solitude was unsettling. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three rapid gunshots rang out, each hitting its target with deadly precision. Lorenzo Riva glared at the bullet-riddled dummy before firing another round into the heart of the target. “Boss,” one of his men called out, drawing Lorenzo’s attention. “What is it?” “We haven’t found her yet, but our informant says she escaped into Mr. Sofph’s casino,” the man reported. Lorenzo’s grip on his gun tightened, his eyes narrowing with rage. Raising the weapon again, he fired another shot at the target. “If you can’t bring her back alive, kill her and dump the body far away. I don’t want the police sniffing around and tracing anything back to me. Got it?” “Yes, sir.” “Wait,” Lorenzo said, lowering his gun and turning to face his subordinate. “Make sure her body disappears. If the police get involved, you’ll be the next one I get rid of. Understand?” “Yes, boss,” the man replied, his voice trembling slightly. “Why are you still standing here? Go do what I told you!” Lorenzo barked. “Uh… Boss, one more thing. Our informant also mentioned that Mr. Sofph has been seen with a woman recently.” “A woman?” Lorenzo’s interest was piqued. “Yes, but we don’t know who she is.” “Then find out. I want answers immediately!” Lorenzo snapped. “Yes, boss.” As his subordinate left, Lorenzo sat down at his desk, setting his gun aside. Picking up a glass of brandy, he took a long sip, a sinister smile spreading across his face. “A woman, huh?” he murmured, his tone dripping with malice. At Dinner The drive to the restaurant was silent. Antonio, sitting beside Rose, found himself struggling to find the right words. He didn’t know how to explain the growing feelings he had for her. When they were finally seated at a table, Antonio broke the silence. “Is there anything you’d like to eat in particular?” Rose shook her head, avoiding his gaze. She felt trapped, unable to understand the emotions swirling within her. “Maybe we should talk about what I said earlier,” Antonio began, his eyes fixed on her. Her confused expression mirrored his own inner turmoil. “But not now. Let’s eat first. Or would you rather torture me with this silence?” “It’s not that important. I figured you were just joking,” Rose replied softly, trying to dismiss the weight of his earlier words. “Was I?” Antonio countered, his tone firm. “I don’t think so.” He turned to the waiter and placed their orders, determined to shift the mood.