In Lucca:

Roman: Where the hell is my money?

Elena: It’s not your money.

As soon as she completed her sentence, a sharp slap landed on her face. The sound echoed in the room. Pain shot through her cheek, but she didn’t cry. It was not new for her. She had learned long ago that tears only made him angrier.

Roman: Where is the money, bitch?

He grabbed her hair and pulled it hard, forcing her to look at him. His eyes were filled with rage as he yelled right into her face.

Elena: I gave you.

She yelled back, her voice trembling but loud enough to challenge him.

Roman: It’s half of your salary.

Elena: I saved it for myself.

Her words came out broken, but she meant every word. It was her money. Her hard-earned money.

Roman: Give me the money.

Another slap landed on her face, stronger than before. She lost her balance and fell on the floor. Her head hit the ground, making her dizzy. He stood over her, shouting again and again, demanding the money. She covered her face with her hands, her body shaking, but she didn’t give it to him.

After beating the shit out of her, he finally stopped. He looked at her lying on the floor like she was nothing.

Roman: Bloody bitch.

He kicked a chair aside and left the house, slamming the door behind him.

Elena lay there for a few moments, staring at the ceiling, trying to breathe. Slowly, she sat straight, every movement hurting. she wiped the blood from face with shaky hands. Her lips were swollen, cheek burned, and head throbbed.

Her stomach growled loudly. She let out a tired sigh. She hadn’t eaten anything today.

Using the wall for support, she stood up weakly and walked to the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator, hoping to find something—anything. But there was nothing. Every shelf was empty. Every drawer was empty. Even the freezer was empty.

Thankfully, she found an apple in the corner of a basket. It was slightly bruised, but she didn’t care. she took it and walked back to my room.

She sat on my bed and ate the apple slowly, each bite feeling heavy in her mouth. She scrolled through my broken mobile, the cracked screen hurting her eyes, but it helped distract me from the pain.

After She finished eating, She washed my face with cold water. She looked at her reflection for a second, then turned away. She lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. Sleep came quickly, pulling her into darkness.

The next day Elena woke up as usual. Her body ached, but she ignored it. She brushed her teeth, tied her hair neatly, and covered the bruises as best as she could. She put on a calm face and left for work.

She worked in a hospital as a nurse. Every day, she took care of patients while hiding her own pain. She doesn’t know who her mother is and she was the only child… a mistake. Her father hated her. He abused her. Her mom handed her life to Roman, who continued the cruelty.

Yet Elena survived. Every single day.

In Milan:

On call,

Lucia: Mom, I’m okay.

She whined softly, trying to sound normal, but her voice was weak.

Lucia: It’s just a flu.

Caterina: You are sick, and we can’t take care of you because you wanted to live away from us.

Lucia: It’s not like that, Mom. Working in this company was my dream job.

She closed her eyes, holding the phone tightly.

Caterina: I know.

Lucia: Relax, Mom. I will be fine. I just need some rest.

Caterina: Okay. Take care of yourself.

Lucia: Yeah.

Lucia hung up the call and threw herself on the bed. The room felt too quiet. She stared at the ceiling, her head spinning. She had said she was fine, but she was not. High fever. Runny nose. Cough. Body pain. And on top of everything—periods. She groaned softly and pulled the blanket closer. She had been on leave for two days already, and tomorrow she had to go back to work. Missing another day was not an option.

Lucia worked in an architecture company. She had dreamed of working there since she was sixteen. While others enjoyed their teenage years, she studied, worked, and pushed herself harder than anyone else. Every sleepless night, every sacrifice had finally paid off.

She had always been a kind and cheerful girl. She loved her family a lot and believed life would always be gentle to her. She was living her best life.

But she didn’t know what life held for her.

A mistake that will ruin everything.

In Catania:

Alex: Open your fucking mouth.

He shouted, veins bulging on his neck, jaw clenched so hard it looked like it might crack. His fists were curled tight, knuckles white turning red. Rage rolled off him in waves. He looked dangerous—like one wrong move and he would kill the man without a second thought.

The man tied to the chair shook violently. His lips trembled, teeth chattering as fear took over his body. Christian watched from the side, arms crossed, posture relaxed. His face showed no emotion.

Christian: Why boil your blood? Let’s boil his.

He spoke calmly, composed, as if this was nothing more than a casual conversation. A slow, cold smile appeared on his lips, making him look even more terrifying than Alex. His voice was steady, controlled—deadly.

While Alex was fire, Christian was ice.

And together, they were lethal.

Christian stepped forward, each movement calculated. He closed the distance between himself and the man, crouching slightly so they were eye level.

Christian: Pain works better when it’s slow.

His smile widened, cruel and deliberate.

Christian: tell us where is our drugs, you stole from us.

Calm and cold.

Alex: Now talk.

The man shook his head, tears spilling down his cheeks.

Man: I—I don’t know anything. I swear.

Christian released him and straightened up with a tired sigh.

They always say that.

He glanced over his shoulder and gave a small nod. Christian:

Christian: Let’s try again.

At his signal, one of their men stepped forward, already knowing what to do. The room grew unbearably quiet, the kind of silence that pressed against the ears.

Christian leaned closer to the man one last time.

Christian: Scream if you want. No one is listening.

The next moment, fire flared beneath the steel chair. The heat rose slowly, cruelly. The man screamed, his voice echoing off the walls, filling the room with terror.

Alex and Christian didn’t flinch.

They watched. They smirked.

To them, it was nothing more than entertainment—a lesson in what happens when someone steals from the wrong people.