Chapter 1 Emma Costello

Emma is tied to a chair, blindfolded and gagged. She is scared out of her mind. 'How did I ended up here? All I remember is going out of the house to escape from the wandering hands and eyes of Ambers's friends. She is throwing a party again tonight, and all Emma wanted was to stay away from being raped by one of her male friends. So she usually sneaks away until the party is over. Her room is in the basement, which is not a very safe place to sleep in when there is no lock on the door to hide inside. "Did she wake up?" a gruff voice asked, making her jump with fright. Everyone around laughed at her. "She is scared easily. Are you sure she is the Costello's daughter?" one of them asked. "Yes," the other one said confidently. "Then remove that cover over from her head. I heard she is a beauty" One of them commented. Then suddenly, the black cover that was thrown over her head was removed. Emma blinked a couple of times to adjust to the harsh lighting over her head. She looked around a little and confirmed that she is in a warehouse somewhere. "Disgusting" one of the guys shuddered looking at her face. She felt a little relieved that her face is repulsive to these guys. Emma looked at the man who just commented. He is a made man and she never saw him in their villa before. So she understood some other outfit planned to kidnap Amber but instead kidnapped her. "Who are you?" the guy who removed the cover away from her head asked. He jumped away from her with disgust. "I am Emma, I am a maid in the Costello villa" she whispered with fear in her face and voice. The guy who removed the headcover glared at the one who is standing away from the group of made men surrounding her. He is standing alone and alert. "Is she the daughter of Costello?" he asked the lone man with confusion. "She is" Marco replied. "But she is claiming herself as a maid," Steve said with confusion. "Wait for the Boss. He wanted me to kidnap this girl" MARCO said with a blank face, playing with the small pocket knife, he usually carries with him. Marco knows many things these guys don't. His Boss Luca Vitiello is searching for the sister of his best friend Gio DeLuca. The girl who is sitting on the chair, tied and helpless is the bastard daughter of Frank Costello. He has another daughter Amber. Amber is two years older than Emma and is very beautiful. She is tall, lean, and is called the most beautiful girl in the family. Marco looked away from the ugly girl he kidnapped with disinterest. He knows Gio and even saw his mother. Both of them are fair and can be considered good-looking. But this girl is ugly and can also be called a freak. Emma looked around her with fear. Yes, her step-sister Amber is a beauty. But no one knows the original Emma. Emma is small, with her 5.4 height, and is also Slim. Emma has her mother's features. Her eyes are hazelnut colored and her hair reddish-brown. Her face can be considered beautiful, with fair spotless skin and good features. Emma has a very good figure. But she is scared to get noticed in the family. As a maid, if one of the made men rape her, no one will protect her. So She wears huge black-rimmed glasses, even though she doesn't need them. She uses braces, even though her teeth are straight and perfect. She wears a dark-colored foundation on her exposed skin, to look darker than her usual fair skin tone. Her clothes are loose and ill-fitting, not at all suitable for her frame. But living between the made men is like living in the middle of the beasts. You should always be on guard. So she disguised herself as a freak. That worked and no one usually looks at her a second time. She usually blends in well with her surroundings, never garnering attention to herself. LUCA Vitiello is the Boss of the New York outfit. Since the time he became the Boss, he started to take over almost half the other outfits under his control. Now, more than half of the US underworld is controlled by him. He is colder than Ice and he doesn't have any emotions. He is seen less and speaks even less. Only a select few ever saw him directly. Most of them are 6 feet under the ground. Even the Costello family is scared of him. Frank lost all his fortune when the Russians attacked his outfit. He ran like a coward and is currently living in New York with his permission. Luca was busy in search of Emma for the last one and half years. His best friend and his trusted confidant and his underboss, Gio. He took the bullet intended for him and died. The bullet pierced Gio's heart and all he said in his last moments was for him to find and protect Emma, his stepsister. Finally, after searching every outfit out there, he stumbled upon a small piece of information, which one of the close relatives of Frank Costello revealed in his drunken stupor. Frank has another daughter, who looks ugly as a crow and works as a maid in his house. That's when Luca found out about Emma. The same girl, he ordered to be kidnapped by Marco. Luca walked inside the warehouse, where the girl is held. All the guys who present there instantly stopped talking. Everyone is scared of Luca. He is a devil in disguise. He is ruthless and could kill countless people if he needs to without even blinking his eyes. Emma noticed the sudden silence around her. Her heart pounded with more fear. She felt her heart might give out if it started to beat at this pace. The silence felt like the storm before the calm. She heard the approaching footsteps of someone. She raised her head and looked at a man older than her in a black suit and cold calculating grey eyes. He is very handsome for a man from a girl's point of view. But She is living in their world for far longer than she liked. She knows looks can be deceiving. The dangerous dark aura this man is carrying around him clarifies her analysis. He is not a person whom we should have as an enemy. Sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip with tension and fear. She knows he Is the one who will decide her fate. Emma did not know what she did to deserve this fate,  but by their words earlier, it is something to do with her father. She gulped with fear. She is terrified and weak. Luca looked at the girl, who is weak and shaking like a leaf in the breeze. His hawk-like eyes miss nothing much. He noticed the slight discoloration on her skin, where the sweat trickled down from her forehead. The area around her mouth, where she was gagged is in a different color than the rest of her face. Her glasses look too big on her small oval face. The braces she has in her mouth came off a little, showing her straight white teeth when she is trying to control her anxiety and fear. She worrying her lower lip between her teeth unconsciously. "All of you get out" he commanded his men in a cold emotionless tone. The girl flinched with fear. For some odd reason, he found her reaction cute. As soon as he issued the command, all the men silently shuffled out of the warehouse. "Bring me a bucket of water Marco," he told his right-hand man. Marco nodded his head. 'What is the Boss up to now? As far as he knows, she is Gio's step-sister. Why does he need water for?' he thought in his head but didn't dare to ask the capo out loud. As soon as Emma heard about water, her eyes widened and her lower lip trembled with fear. 'Will he torture me?' she thought fearfully. Tears pooled in her eyes, before slowly sliding down her cheeks. Luca looked at her teary eyes but did not say anything. She is living among the made men all her life. If it was anyone else, then they would have eaten her alive. You should never show weakness in front of your enemy. She looks too weak for this life. No wonder Gio wanted him to protect his sister. Marco dutifully brought a bucket of water. "Boss," Marco said as he stood there with the water bucket. "Dump the water on her head," Luca said without a flicker of emotion on his face. Marco is confused by the command, but he did not dare to delay. He immediately Dumped the water on the girl's head. The girl gasped with shock and then coughed violently. Luca watched the girl struggling to clear her eyes from the water. He waited patiently for her to collect herself. Slowly, as he expected the water to clear the black color from her face, her ugly spectacles fell on the ground along with half-hanging braces. "Holy shit" Marco muttered, looking at the beautiful specimen in front of him. 'No wonder Boss wanted to me to dump water on her head' Emma is even more scared now. "Untie her," Luca said looking at the hyperventilating girl tied to that chair. He is a man in his prime. He noticed her nipples poking from her sorry excuse of a dress because of the cold water. She has a slender waist and round bottom. 'She looks like a sin I want to commit' he thought. 'If she looks like this when drowned and disoriented, then how would she look when she is dressed in fine clothes and makeup' he thought with amusement. As soon as she was untied, her self-preservation kicked in and Emma tried to run away. But before she could take a dozen steps away from him, he caught her easily around her waist and pull into him tightly. "Don't even try little kitten. I found you. Now you belong to Luca Vitiello" he whispered in her ear.

Chapter 2 Want her

"Clean this mess" Nora Costello snapped at Emma, pointing out the mess her daughter and her friends made at last night's party. "Okay" Emma bent down with a broom and her cleaning supplies to clean the entire house, which is a mess. Beer bottles, cigarette butts, paper wrappers, drugs, used condoms, piss,  everything. Emma cleaned everything without any complaint, as it is a regular occurrence in the house. Amber Costello is the princess of the Costello family,  and Emma is nothing but a Maid. Even though both Emma and Amber have the same father, Emma is the bastard daughter born out of the infidelity of their father. So Nora and Amber treat her worst than a maid. Her father doesn't bother about her at all. Emma saw too much in the familia, so she knows that they will never let her go out alive. She is stuck here for life. Amber is spoiled beyond redemption. She will get whatever she wants without a delay. But Emma is ugly and useless. They only remember her, when they need some cleaning needs to be done or a maid. After she is done, she put away her supplies in the storeroom and walked back towards the back door of the kitchen. They don't like to see her face near the dining table or anywhere in the house for that matter, except for cleaning she should stay invisible, never to be seen or heard. Emma remembers the last night's events and she shuddered with fear. Subconsciously, she checked her spectacles, braces, and her dark foundation. Everything is in place. After he caught her from running away, he simply drove her back to the Costello villa and left her near the gates. She could still see his black limited edition car, even after she sneaked inside the basement, from the small window in the basement. His parting words still lingering in her mind, evoking fear every time she remembered them. "See you soon little kitten" he whispered when he left her near the Costello villa last night. Emma is not naive. She knows what all men are after. Now that he saw her real self, he too might want her body for one night. 'Emma, do you remember him? He doesn't need an inexperienced virgin in his bed who lays on the bed like a stone. He might like an experienced woman. He needs something from your father. That is what all this is about' Emma reasoned again. But she is terrified of that man. He identified her ruse with just one glance. No one managed to do that in all these years. He is smarter and the most dangerous man she has ever seen till now. She used to think her father is scary. But this man is making her father look like a kid with plastic guns. "Emma, eat" the cook in the Costello villa is a 50-year-old kind lady, who always saves food for her. "Thank you, Mrs. Gabi" Emma thanked the kind lady. "Always so polite and proper," Gabi said with a pleased smile. Emma smiled shyly in return. Gabi is a plump woman, who is on the shorter side of the scale. She has kind brown eyes, with laugh lines at the corner of her eyes and mouth. Her husband is also a made man, who works for her father. Like all made men, he is also scary and cold. The only time she saw him talking softly is when he was talking with his wife. They don't have children of their own. So Mrs. Gabi always treats Emma as her child. Emma finished her simple breakfast, sitting on the kitchen floor before washing her plate and neatly keeping it aside. "I have some cleaning work in the garden, Mrs. Gabi. I will go now" Emma excused herself before going. "Emma" Gabi stopped her. She retrieved something from one of the draws and gave it to Emma. Emma looked at the gift-wrapped box curiously. "Happy 19th birthday Emma" Gabi gave a gift to Emma. Emma's eyes teared up with happiness. Mrs. Gabi is the only one who remembers her birthday. Emma eagerly opened the present and found the textbooks for the first year of her college. "You finished your high school this year. I don't think your father will let you study further, even though you always were homeschooled. I don't think he will let you study further. These are the textbooks for the first year of your college. You study using these books. I will talk to a college principal to let you write exams online from the house." Gabi said lovingly. Mrs. Gabi is the only one who understands Emma. She is the only one who is truly concerned about Emma. So she knows Emma wants to become a doctor in the future. They both know it's not possible. Emma sighed with resignation and left to do her work. Luca Vitiello is sitting in his car, looking at some documents. Marco is sitting in the front passenger seat with the driver. Marco occasionally glanced at his boss with confusion. 'He left her last night when we had her with us. Now he is going to the Costello villa to retrieve her. I can't understand the boss sometimes' Marco thought in his head. He is too scared to ask his boss about this. So he shut his mouth and simply follow his boss. Luca knows what is going on in Marco's head. But he doesn't have the habit of explaining his actions to anyone. 'I want Frank Costello to know who took Emma. I want him to know she is with me. He is not blind. He must have known that she is beautiful. Moreover, she is the daughter who is born out of wedlock. She is like a black mark on his reputation. But he still let her live with him all these years. He homeschooled her and appointed tutors to make her learn the etiquette of being a lady. He has planned something for her. If we kidnap her, then he will come for her. But if we take her away openly as a peace offering from his side, then he will be helpless to do anything' Luca thought darkly. He still remembers her innocent fear-filled eyes. Even though she lived in this world in her father's house for so long, she was always protected indirectly by her father. That ugly makeup might be his way of shielding his daughter from the ugliness of this world. That one thing Luca wants to know is why? 'Did Frank Costello love his daughter? Is it why he is doing all this for her indirectly?' Luca pondered. They reached the Costello villa, the place he left Emma last night.

Chapter 3 Frank Costello

Frank Costello was sitting in his study, looking at some documents. He lost all of his fortune and business when the Russians attacked him and he along with his family and a few close members escaped barely. Now he is living a life of an ordinary made man, in another Mafia boss's territory. This is so insulting for him, as he was a boss for a very big family in the past. Now, he is living under another mob boss's protection, who is half his age. But he has a plan under motion. For that plan to work out, he needs his younger daughter Emma. The daughter is born out of wedlock. He still remembers the time when he kidnapped her mother Grace. He had no intention of sleeping with Grace when he kidnapped her. All he wanted was to scare her husband a little and let him leave the cocaine he snatched away from his men in his port. The mafia usually controls the ports in its region, for the import and export of drugs, weapons, etc. At that time, his men had faced an issue and had to en route and dock their Boat in the port controlled by Deluca's. The  DeLuca's are not the most powerful in the underworld. But they still have some weight for their name. They act as the middlemen between the higher-ups and the goons. Since the drugs were found in their port, they seized them. The cost of that consignment was 10 million dollars. So Frank became extremely angry and kidnapped his wife Grace. She is a very beautiful woman. So naturally, he was tempted. He forced her for the first couple of times, then she came to him willingly. They had Emma. But Grace found out about his wife Nora, so she ran away in the middle of the night. Since then he gave the responsibility of raising Emma to one of his trusted Man and his wife, who is also their Chef. Since she is young, he knows Emma will be as pretty as her mother. Since he doesn't want to cause more trouble for himself with his wife and her father, who is Frank's financial backer. So he instructed to hide Emma's face with ugly makeup. That way, he doesn't have to worry about her falling in love with someone and losing her virginity. In their world, a virgin bride has more value than the others. He knows she will be very useful for him in the future. So he let her stay under his roof as a maid. He was busy in his study with work when one of his men announced the arrival of none other than Luca Vitiello. Luca is cold and ruthless. Frank never saw a person who is devoid of any emotions before. He could be a psychopath or he is very good at hiding his emotions. But whenever he looked at Luca, Frank felt like he might belong to the former group. Frank once saw Luca torturing a man for information. Frank's stomach rolled with disgust at the amount of blood he saw that day. But in the entire process, Luca never showed an ounce of emotion. Not even his eyes flickered at all. He did everything mechanically as if he is not torturing a man within an inch of his life and draining his blood until the very last drop. Frank still shuddered remembering that day. He is utterly scared of Luca Vitiello. That man's gaze is hawks' gaze. He never misses a single detail. Luca could kill just because he is feeling like it. So everyone traded carefully around him. So Frank immediately went out to greet the Boss. "Mr. Vitiello, what a pleasant surprise," Frank said. His back is bent like he is bowing in front of Luca. Luca looked at the man coldly. "If my visit is so pleasant, then why are you sweating so much?" Luca commented casually, making Frank jump with fright. He immediately wiped away his seat using his dress shirt. "Much better" Luca commented. He is looking around the house, just standing in the middle of the living room. This house has a kitchen on the right along with an attached dining area. Right opposite the main door is the door leading to the back yard. That is where Emma is working currently. Luca eyed her, her palms are dirty and she is hiding her face with her dirty makeup. Frank followed Luca's gaze and started to panic when he found Emma at the end of it. She is his golden goose, whom he is trying to sell up to the highest bidder. He will gain millions for her body. But the way Luca is looking at Emma is making him feel uneasy. 'Did he look past her ugly makeup?' he thought fearfully. "She is a maid in my house" he supplied helpfully, trying to divert his attention. "I want her" Luca's words fell on him like a ton of bricks. "B..b..but Mr. Vitiello, she is just a maid" Frank stressed the word Maid. "Then it shouldn't be a problem to give her to me. Is it?" Luca asked starting directly at Frank. Luca's presence as intimidating as it is. But he looks at you directly, one will feel breathless and suffocating. "Yes, yes" Frank bobbed his head in agreement. Luca extended his palm towards Marco, who placed a stack of papers on Luca's palm. He gave the papers to Frank. Frank took the papers and opened them obediently to read the content. He paled instantly by looking at the transactions of drugs under his name. Frank is selling drugs in Luca's area without his permission. He thought as long as he doesn't sell directly, he will not get in trouble with Luca. But it looks like, he found out anyway. Frank immediately collapsed on the ground and caught Luca's feet with both of his hands. "Please Mr. Vitiello, please don't kill me" Frank pleaded pitifully. Luca simply stepped aside, away from Frank's reach. By now, this scene caught the attention of everyone around them. Even Emma looked behind her when she heard a commotion near the entrance. She paled instantly when she noticed the man who kidnapped her last night starting right back at her. She started to shiver with fear. She thought of running away, but the man moved his head from left to right and back as if he read her mind and is telling her that it's a bad idea. He crooked his index finger and motioned for her to come near him. She saw her father on the floor, pleading with her kidnapper not to kill him. Sweat started to trickle down her back with fear. She slowly walked towards the man with her muddy palms. When she reached within a couple of feet from that man, he roughly pulled her towards him. Emma gasped with fear and shielded her face from the oncoming blow. But to her surprise, that never happened. When she peeked at him between her muddy palms, he is looking at her coldly as if waiting for her to move her palms away. She looked at her father again and slowly lowered her palms. He snatched her ugly glasses from her face and braces from her mouth, before throwing them on the ground. The glasses broke on impact, making her jump a little. "Never come in front of me wearing these ugly things" he warned her coldly. Luca held Emma by her elbow and led her towards his vehicle. Muddy hands and all. Luca could feel the girl's fear and anxiety. She is shivering violently and constantly looking behind her at her father. She is hoping that he might help her. Her father is useless and in this moment, he might be concerned more about his life than his daughter. 'Selfish prick' Luca thought.

Chapter 4 New place

Emma was led towards the car before someone opened the back door for her to slide inside the car. But she is shivering with fear and she is sure this guy might kill her just like that. She didn't slide inside immediately. She wanted to resist and run away as far away from him as possible. Luca is losing his patience with her. He still has a strong and unyielding hold on her elbow. It's quite evident that she is scared. But she will be better off without her father. "You wouldn't want me to lose my patience with you Little kitten. It's already scarce to be found within me" Luca warned her with a cold tone making Emma jump with fear. She immediately sat inside the vehicle without further delay. She sat as far away from him as possible. She is trying the make herself look small and barely visible, which is impossible. Luca nodded at the driver who looked at him for permission to start the vehicle. They drove away from the Costello villa, making Frank Costello visibly relax. He is glad that Luca left him alive. He did not care about his daughter at all. He doesn't want to bother himself to think about what would happen to her now that she was taken by the scariest one of them all. In the car, Emma is sitting on the farther seat away from Luca. But it's impossible in an enclosed space. Luca is sitting comfortably in the middle reading some documents. He planned everything for Emma. He is trying to do right by her, as per his friend's request. The first part of his plan is to take her away from her scheming scum of a father. Which he did. He already enrolled her in an ivy league college to let her pursue her dream. Gio wanted to keep her sister as far away from our life as possible. But we both know it's impossible. Once born in the mafia, you have to die Mafia. There is no easy entrance or exit to our world. You have to prove your worth and become a made man to enter. The only way out is your death. If you are born here, then you are trapped here. 'I have to make her stronger Gio. She will not survive out there with her innocence still intact' Luca thought. Luca is always a cold man. He is called the Ice King in the mafia for a reason. People will freeze or shiver when they see him coming. His face is as emotionless and cold as an iceberg. The depth of the iceberg cannot be seen, neither the depth of his mind and thoughts. Soon they arrived at his Mansion, which is sprawled in a 20-acre estate, just on the outskirts of the city. He prefers silence over noise anytime. So he built a Mansion in 6000 Square yards. A big driveway with a fancy water fountain in the middle, in which two dolphins are spitting water from their mouths. Fancy flower garden on either side of the driveway, with different colored flowers. Upon entering the huge double wooden doors, is a foyer that leads to the spiral staircase on the left and the living area on the right. On the other side of the stairs are a big kitchen and a dining area. On the far end is a sliding glass door that leads to the huge backyard, which is nothing but artificial grass sprawled till the end of the property. Luca stepped out and looked at Emma pointedly. She is scared about what he wanted from her. She is sure he will not kill her or hurt her, for now. If they intended that, then they would have done that last night when they kidnapped her. She is scared and confused about why this dangerous man is after her. "Are you planning to sleep there?" Luca asked. Emma jumped with fright and immediately scurried out of the car. His voice is neither hot nor cold. It's neutral and emotionless. He is born in this cruel world and he was raised by the cruelest of them all. He was never allowed to feel anything for anyone. That was the first thing his father incorporated into his mind. That's why he will not show any kind of emotions in front of anyone, even in front of the people whom he trusts or likes. He never loved anyone, neither his father nor his dead mother. He trusted Gio, but he never showed any kind of emotion in front of him either, not even when he died in his arms. Taking care of Emma and protecting her is his responsibility. He will do it for Gio. Emma walked behind Luca who led her upstairs to the end of the hallway. She counted 5 doors after they stepped on this floor and every door is closed. He opened the last door and indicated that she should step inside. Emma immediately panicked. 'Will he lock me in this room like a prisoner?' she thought with fear. Luca could read all her emotions on her face like an open book. "I will not lock you in this room like a prisoner. I am not so generous to give my prisoner a room like this" he said calmly. Emma looked startled and squeaked with surprise. She immediately stepped inside and stopped in the middle of the room, looking at the huge four-poster bed. 'Will he force me?' she thought with fear. "No," Luca said surprising her again. Emma's face flamed with embarrassment. "This will be your new home. You will stay in this room from now onwards. I enrolled your name into a college. I arranged for someone to bring new clothes for you, they will be here soon. There's an envelope on the bed beside you. You will find your new phone, bank card, and your college details in there" with that said Luca turned away to leave. Emma needs answers as to why he took her away from her father. Why he is keeping her in this house and why he is letting her go to college. "Wait," she called softly. Luca felt that his heart skipped a beat when he heard her soft melodic voice, which sounded pleasant to his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion. But he masked it immediately. 'Something is wrong' he thought before composing his face into a cold mask. "Yes?" he asked her calmly. Emma gathered her courage before speaking softly. "Why did you bring me here? Is it to gain something against my father? If so, he doesn't care about me at all" She said innocently. As soon as she started speaking, Luca felt a strange sensation in his heart. It became soft for a second. But he snapped out of it immediately. 'What is she doing to me?' he thought with confusion. But he did not let anything show on his face. He understood what she wants to know. It will be good for her to know what she is into. "You have a stepbrother named Gio Deluca, he is elder than you by 7 years. Your mother died a couple of years ago, as well as your brother. Protecting you away from your father and any potential threat to your life was your brother's final request. I am only doing what he asked me to. That's why you are here" he explained to her vaguely.

Chapter 5 New friend

Emma sat on her bed in a daze after that scary man left her alone in her new home. From what he explained to her, he bought her here to protect her from her father. He also talked about her mother and stepbrother, who is apparently dead. He enrolled her in to a college and now she can really study and chase her dream of being a doctor. She saw the envelope he mentioned and gingerly tried to take it into her hands. That's when she noticed her muddy hands. Now the mud is completely dried up and her clothes are stained with mud and whatnot. She wrinkled her nose and decided to wash up a little. She looked around and found two closed doors. She tentatively approached and opened the first one, and opened it. Emma gasped when she saw a walk-in closet full of women's clothes, shoes, sandals, and even underwear were neatly stacked on a shelf. "Oh my" she whispered in surprise. Emma never saw such beautiful clothes before. She always wore castoffs of Amber or anyone who are willing to give her clothes in the Costello villa. But she never wore beautiful clothes like this, ever. When Emma was so lost in her thoughts, a young girl of Emma's age walked inside her room, as the door was open. Lizzy is the daughter of one of the made men, who work under their boss Mr. Vitiello. She was assigned the task of showing a girl name Emma around the Vitiello mansion. She thought she needs to bear with a headstrong brainless bimbo, who wears small clothes and looks at others down her nose. If she is related to Mr. Vitiello, and if he personally went to pick her up, then she would be someone, Lizzy wouldn't like. But when Lizzy entered that girl's room, she found her standing with her back facing her and peering inside the walk-in closet. Her clothes are faded and are less than ordinary with mud stains all over. Her hands have dried mud till her elbows. Lizzy is stunned and confused. "Hello" she greeted the girl and announced her presence. That girl was startled and clutched her heart with fear. She turned around to face Lizzy with fear-filled eyes and a black patchy foundation on her obviously fair skin. "What happened to you? Did you had a wrestling match with a bulldog?" Lizzy teased the seemingly innocent girl. 'How did she ended up with a person like Mr. Vitiello' Lizzy wondered, pitying the girl. Emma is scared of the new girl and was expecting her to yell at her and slap her like Emma was usually treated by Amber and her friends. But when she teased her appearance, Emma relaxed a little. "I was plucking weeds in the garden when that scary man brought me here" Emma slipped and immediately paled at her mistake. "I mean he is not scary. I really didn't mean it. It's that, I really don't know his name, so I..." Emma was rambling with fear until Lizzie's laughter stopped her rambling. "Relax, I will not tell anyone that you called Mr. Vitiello scary. Pinky promise" Lizzie promised to Emma. Emma gave the other woman a tentative smile. "I am Emma" she introduced herself softly. "I am Lizzy. I am the daughter of one of the made men. Mr. Vitiello instructed my father to send me to the mansion to assist you" Lizzie informed. "Oh," Emma said with a small smile. "Why do you look so skittish?" Lizzie observed Emma closely and asked when she looked rather uncomfortable. "This place and people are new to me," Emma said truthfully. "You don't worry. I am here to help you" Lizzie said before going towards Emma and looking at her from top to toe. "Let's start with your bath first. I want to see how you look" Lizzie told Emma before holding Emma's hand and led her towards the bathroom. "Go" She pushed Emma inside and closed the door after her. Emma is shocked by Lizzie's behavior, but not in a bad way. Lizzie is a handful and Emma admired the other girl. She smiled slightly and took a much-needed shower, scrubbing the mud and sweat with the expensive body wash and shampoo. After she finished her bath, she found a white fluffy towel, which she used to wipe the excess moisture from her body. She looked at her face, which is clear and blemish-free. Her hazelnut colored eyes are filled with fear and doubt. Her reddish-brown hair looked clean and wet from her shower. She sighed wearily and looked at her discarded clothes, which are now lying on the ground. She bent down to pick them up, as she doesn't have another pair with her to change in to. "Don't even think about it" Lizzie's voice rang from outside. Emma is startled by her voice. She opened the door a little and peeked outside. "Wear these" Lizzie thrust a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with matching underwear into Emma's arms. "But, they are not mine and look new" Emma tried to push the clothes back towards Lizzie, but Lizzie stopped Emma firmly. "This is your room, so they are yours" with that Lizzie closed the bathroom door. Emma looked at the clothes in her hands with wonder. She doesn't want to accept these, but she is scared of him. So she reluctantly dresses herself in her new clothes. Emma came out and stood in front of Lizzie, awkwardly shuffling on her feet. Lizzie's eyes widened with shock. The girl she saw earlier and the girl standing in front of her look completely different. "Damn, you are hot," Lizzie said in stunned surprise. Lizzie looked at the gorgeous girl that stood in front of her. She has curves where needed and is on the slimmer side of the scale. Emma flushed a little when Lizzie complimented her. Lizzie saw Emma's face and pinched her cheeks lovingly. "You look cute when you are shy" Lizzie announced. After that, Lizzie showed Emma around the mansion and they both prepared a chicken sandwich for lunch.

Chapter 6 Home

Emma and Lizzie became inseparable. Lizzie told her everything about Emma's mother and brother. She heard her father and her brother Marco, who is a right-hand man of Mr. Vitiello. She told Emma more than Luca shared with her. Now Emma has a vague idea of why she was brought here. Lizzie took her to her first salon appointment. She made Emma wax every inch of her body, much to Emma's displeasure. Her frizzy and dull hair is now neatly trimmed and shaped, thanks to Lizzie. It's been 4 weeks since the day she came here. Initially, Emma was terrified. But soon she warmed up to the house and the grumpy bodyguards around her. They have a chef who is an older man named Peter. He adores Emma to bits. Peter used to be a made man who used to work for Luca's father. But he lost his wife and daughter in an accident. He was severely injured as well. He became handicapped. Now he is using a artificial leg to walk. Then Luca offered him a job as his cook, because Peter is loyal to his family. Occasionally, Emma and Lizzie would cook and give that to the guards for taste testing. Initially, they just used to say good. But then, Lizzie decided to mix a lot of salt in their food. That's when they gagged and spit the entire thing, making Lizzie, peter, and Emma laugh at their expense. "What the hell is this?" one of the guards named Emanuel asked with disgust. "Salt," Lizzie said between her laughter. Emma and Peter are having fun at the pranks Lizzie makes. Emma still couldn't dare to do such things. Not now, not ever. She is too shy about these kinds of pranks. The mansion always has Emanual and Smith as the day time guards, who will exchange shifts with night time guards. Lizzie informed Emma that both Emanuel and Smith are here for Emma's safety. Emma was somewhat uncomfortable but still grateful. No one in her 19 years of life has ever cared about Emma's safety this much. She gradually believed that Mr. Vitiello will not hurt her. If he did, then he doesn't have to arrange guards for her safety. He stays in the mansion, but she never saw him after the day she came here. She is still scared of the man, as much as she was scared on the first day she met him. "Emma, she is trying to poison me" Emanuel complained to her about Lizzie. Emanuel is 6 feet tall with muscular physic covered with a suit. His skin tone is olive-colored with brown eyes and blond hair. He is good looking for a made man and is young. Maybe only a couple of years older than Lizzie and herself. Smith is roughly the same age as Emanuel, and he is taller than Emanuel with a bulkier build. He is fair looking and has a small scar on his forehead. He looks scary when you see him for the first time, but he is funny and always encourages Lizzie to prank poor Emanuel. "You should blame Smith. He is the one who encourages Lizzie" Peter chimed in. Emma couldn't help but laugh at Smith's expression when Emanuel playfully glared at him. "You" Emanuel chased after Smith, who ran away. "Smith is in trouble" Lizzie giggled. "Won't you help your partner in crime?" Emma pointed out. Lizzie looked thoughtful before nodding her head. Then she too ran after them. "I will go prepare your lunch now" Peter informed and left. "Ok, then I will go and weed my Tulip garden," Emma said and went into the back yard, where she is growing White Tulips. A couple of weeks earlier, when peter saw her interest in gardening, he bought some tulip seeds for her. She sowed the seeds and watered them regularly, mindful not to let the soil too wet. Emma usually prefers Jeans and a t-shirt. She finds it comfortable. She knotted her hair into a messy bun, before starting her work. After a couple of minutes, she heard Lizzie calling her. Emma looked at Lizzie, who is wet from top to toe along with Smith and Emanuel who are dripping wet as well. Emma noticed the water bucket Lizzie is carrying and running towards her at full speed. "Oh no," Emma understood Lizzie's intention and ran inside the house towards the main entrance. They were all in a playful mood, so none of them noticed Luca coming inside the Mansion. Emma's hands are covered with mud and she is running away from Lizzie. Emma is looking behind her and did not notice Luca just entering the mansion. Lizzie is gaining on her and in a rush to escape, Emma ran faster and bumped into Luca, who is watching the spectacle in front of him. Emma bounced back and was about to fall flat on her ass when Luca caught her around her waist and steadied her. Lizzie stopped dead in her tracks after watching Luca and her brother Marco, followed by Emanuel and Smith. Emma saw her mud handprints on Luca's suit, on either side of his chest. Her eyes widened with fear. She started to shiver, thanking them that, he might scold her. Luca on the other hand is calmly standing with one of his hands in his pant pocket and the other still holding Emma around her waist. He is not all concerned about the mud on his clothes. Instead, he is angry at the two guards whom he appointed to guard Emma and the girl who is holding a bucket of water in her hands. The two guards are dripping water all over the floor. They were specially arranged to protect Emma. Not to ignore their duties and play like kids. "You are fired" Luca looked at the guards coldly. Then his gaze shifted to Marco's sister, who looks pale. He arranged for her to make Emma feel comfortable. But she is distracting the guards and is not a good influence on Emma. "Never come to the mansion again. Don't even dare to meet Emma again" he said coldly. Emma instantly panicked. Lizzie is her first friend she ever had. She doesn't want to part ways with her. Even Emanuel and Smith grow up on her. She doesn't want other guards. They are not scary and she feels comfortable in their presence. "Please" Emma whispered, stopping Luca in his tracks. He let go of Emma and was about to go into his study when her soft plea made him stop in his tracks. He looked at the girl, who cleaned up pretty well. She is much more beautiful than he first saw her. But she is Gio's sister, and he is mostly interested in creating a better future for her, Nothing else. He usually never change his decision once made. But something in her soft plea, that made him stop and turn back to listen to what she wants to say. Lizzie, Emanuel, and Smith panicked for Emma's safety when she softly pleaded with Luca. They all know their boss is cold and is ruthless. He decides everything and never changes his decision. But this time, he actually stopped and turned to look at Emma when she pleaded with him. Emma knows he will neither kill her nor send her back to her father's house. So she dared to plead with him for her friends, whom she like so much. The others who come in their place will not be kind to her. She knows how the made men leer at the woman. But neither Smith nor Emanuel made her feel uncomfortable. Luca walked towards Emma and stood an inch away from her. Emma is not that courageous to talk to him while looking at his face. So she is looking at his shoes. But Luca is having other ideas. He held Emma's chin and raised her head and forced her to look at his face. Emma refused to look into his ice-cold blue orbs. She looked at his cheek instead. "Look into my eyes and tell me one good reason why I should let them stay here kitten," Luca asked her. Emma gathered her courage and looked into his eyes. She gulped audibly with fear. "Lizzie is the first friend I ever had. I like her a lot. Unlike other made men, I feel comfortable with Smith and Emanuel. They never made me feel uncomfortable. I don't know I will feel the same with my other guards" Emma explained truthfully. Luca looked into her eyes, which reflect honesty. He never saw anyone being this honest with him. They always have a hidden agenda. He felt good looking at her honest face. His ice-cold heart melted a little. He looked at the guards who are frozen in place. "I am letting you go this time. If I find a hair missing on her head, then I will kill you" Luca said coldly. Both Emanuel and Smith nodded their head vigorously. Luca looked at Lizzie next. "My little Kitten seems to be fond of you. So I am letting you stay here. If I find her in any trouble because of you, then I will not be lenient" he threatened Lizzie, who nodded her head as well. "Wash your hands and come have lunch with me," Luca told Emma. Emma looked at him in shock. 'He really considered my plea' she thought happily. A smile broke on her lips, instantly brightening her face and two dimples popped on her cheeks. Luca is taken aback at her bright innocent Smile, shining through her eyes. He touched her dimpled cheek and left, leaving everyone in shock. Marco is still reeling in shock. 'Did boss really changed his decision? Did I see his eyes becoming a little softer when he is looking at Emma?' he thought in disbelief. He is so stunned, he forgot to follow behind his boss. "Marco" the cold voice of Luca barked out loud. Marco instantly sobered and instantly ran to catch up with Luca.

Chapter 7 Confusion

Luca went into his study and loosened his tie and removed his jacket before sitting behind his desk. He unbuttoned his cuffs and folded them twice. Marco is still in a daze. 'Is something wrong with the boss? Why is he acting differently with Emma Costello? Is it because that she is Gio DeLuca's sister? But he was there when he met her the first time. There is nothing but coldness in his eyes and voice. But today, he has shown just a fraction of gentleness, when talking to her. What is happening here?' Marco thought with confusion. Luca wanted to throw away his mud-stained suit jacket. It's expensive, but it's stained. But when he saw her perfect handprints on it, for some odd reason, he wanted to keep it with him. So he draped it behind his chair, to let the mud dry out completely. So that the shape of her handprint will stay the same. Marco noticed that simple moment and misunderstood his boss's intentions. "I will send it to the dry cleaners" Marco reached to pull the jacket away, only to be stopped by his boss's cold tone. "Don't touch it" Luca said in a cold tone, which made Marco jump in fear. 'What did I do now? I just wanted to help' he thought with confusion. But he slowly observed the way his boss arranged the jacket so that it won't smear the handprints. 'Dumb ass, Boss actually wanted to keep it. Of course, he would be angry if you wanted to give it to the dry cleaners' Marco understood belatedly. In the living area, Lizzie, Emanuel, and Smith are still looking at the closed doors of their boss's study. They still couldn't believe that he let them go just because Emma asked him to. This should be a very pivotal moment in their lives. They never thought they will see a day when their boss would relent to someone's plea. On the other hand, Emma is not exactly aware of what just happened here. She is thinking that Mr. Vitiello understood her and let her friends go. But she never would have guessed, that's it's a first for him as well as to the people around him. Emanuel and Smith understood that Emma is more important to their boss than they previously thought. And they really like their boss's innocent kitten very much. She stood up for them, which no one would do. Lizzie is confused about what just happened now. 'Boss cares about Emma. Even if he is not aware of it himself. It's not wise to meddle in between them. Let's just play it out naturally' she decided. In the end, none of them said anything to Emma. But they understood, she is loyal, innocent, and extremely important to their boss. "Mr. Vitiello is not as bad as my father. He is reasonable" Emma said out loud. Smith snorted with ridicule. 'Their boss? reasonable?' he thought fearfully. 'He scares the living hell out of everyone he meets. The only time he is being reasonable is just now. That too only with Emma' he thought with confusion. Emma looked at the three people around her, who are having funny expressions on their faces. 'They must have been still scared of what just happened' she thought. "I will go and inform uncle Peter that Mr. Vitiello will be having lunch with us," Emma said happily and went to the kitchen to inform Peter, leaving the three who are still drowning with disbelief. After Emma left, the three of them exchanged silent glances and nodded their heads, as if to say that it really happened. After Emma informed Peter that Luca will be eating lunch today, Peter started to sweat profusely. He took extra care in preparing the meal. After he is finished, he arranged everything on the table. Then they waited for Mr. Vitiello to come for Lunch. Lizzie was scared and requested Emma to let her go home and she promised to come back in the evening. Emanuel and Smith changed their clothes as fast they could in a spare room behind the kitchen, which is usually used by guards. Emma is waiting for him to come and join her. She was standing anxiously writhing her palms. Luca Vitiello walked into the dining area and sat at the head of the table. The table is long with about 20 chairs capability. He sat at the head of the table and looked at Emma. "Sit," he said pointing nodding his head towards the chair to his right. Emma sat in the indicated chair, like the scared little kitten, he prefers to call her. He found her clumsy moments cute. She found her dress in casual jeans and a t-shirt refreshing. Much better than the barely-there dresses, the woman flaunts around him to attract his attention. Marco is standing behind Luca, holding a packet in his arms. Peter immediately started serving them. Luca prefers his food spicy. But Emma couldn't handle much spice in her food. Miss Gabbi didn't have the authority to cook whatever Emma likes. She will usually save anything which is not that spicy and Emma could handle. But here, Peter who always prepares spicy food as per his boss's taste, noticed that Emma couldn't handle much spice, so he started to prepare his food a little bland. But today, as Mr.Vitiello will be joining them for lunch, he prepared lunch spicy as per his taste. Peter prepared a Chickpea spinach salad and double grilled chicken sandwiches. Even the salad is too spicy as Peter added a little too much black pepper powder. He is worried about poor Emma. He saw her condition when she ate the spicy food. Her eyes teared up and her face became red. She drank a full bottle of water upon eating just a bite of spicy food. As soon the food was served, Emma started eating, but her widened at the spiciness of the food. She did not dare to make a sound or reach for the water glass.

Chapter 8 Spiced up

Marco is currently holding Luca's mobile phone with him. As soon as the food was served his mobile rang with an incoming call. Marco looked at the caller id and noticed it as an important call. So he promptly handed the phone to Luca. Emma's face became red, and tears are pooling in her eyes. She didn't dare to raise her head or make a sound to disturb Luca, who is on the phone, talking to someone. Peter is looking at Emma with worry. 'This poor child. She cannot handle spicy foods' he thought sadly. Emma is struggling to finish the sandwich. She doesn't want to anger Mr.Vitiello. She is grateful for what he is doing for her. So doesn't want him to think about her as ungrateful. So she just kept eating, even though her stomach started to ache and burn with the spicy food she is eating. Luca finished his call and handed it over to Marco, who is still standing behind him without looking back. Luca looked at Emma, who is looking at her plate as if it is interesting to look at. That's when he noticed her trembling hand, which is holding the half-eaten sandwich. 'What is wrong with her? She did not tremble this much when she was pleading with him just a while ago' he thought. He noticed a tear slipping down from her right eye before falling on the dining table beside her plate. "Kitten" when Emma heard Mr.Vitiello calling her, she instantly became stiff. "Look at me," he told her. His now usually cold face has a small frown. As Marco is standing behind him, he didn't notice that. Peter is more concerned for Emma, so he notices the flicker of emotion their boss is showing at that moment. "Kitten," Luca said In a commanding tone. Emma slowly raised her head and looked at Luca. Luca looked at her usually fair and porcelain skin is now red and her eyes are teary. "What happened to you?" Luca stood up from his chair and handed over some water to Emma, who is breathing through her mouth. "It's Spicy" she whispered before taking the offered glass of water and finished it in a second. He offered another glass and she finished it up as well. "Why did you eat it if you can't eat spicy food?" he demanded. "Bring me something sweet" he snapped at Peter who stood there frozen like a statue. As soon as Luca snapped at him, he ran inside and brought a piece of chocolate cake, which Emma prefers. "Eat this" he snatched the offered plate from Peter and placed it in front of Emma. Emma's hand shivered with the unbearable burning sensation in her stomach. Luca looked at her trembling hand and started to feed the cake himself. "I can't" Emma whispered Clutching her stomach after a few spoons. "Damn it" he cursed and lifted her into his arms bridal style and took her into her room. Marco, who never saw his boss caring for anyone before, is looking at him as if he is an alien. "Call a doctor" he snapped at Marco who is standing there stupified. Marco immediately nodded his head and dialed the doctor's number. After that both Peter and Marco stood side by side in a daze. "Where did you guys go for the last one month?" Peter inquired. "Nowhere. He stayed in his parent's house in the city which is now empty" Marco answered truthfully. "Why? As for as I know, he didn't like to stay in the city" Peter asked. "I am not courageous enough to ask our boss about such things" Marco answered. Both Marco and Peter know each other for a long time. Peter is also Marco's father's friend. He used to come to their house all the time when his daughter was still alive. "Why are you asking these questions all of a sudden? Since when did you start gossiping like a woman?" Marco muttered. Peter snorted like Lizzie. 'That girl' he thought fondly. "I was just wondering that our boss changed a lot. I never saw these many emotions on his face. Even as a kid, he was as cold and detached as he is now. Since his mother's death, I never saw him caring for another person" Peter answered in shock. Clearly, both Marco and Peter are shocked. "Don't kid yourself, he just killed a mole who betrayed him. He seems to soften a little for Miss Emma. We were not planning to come here. He had a meeting with an underboss from another outfit. But then, he got a call from the principal of  NYU. That's the college Miss Emma would be going to in less than a week. So We went and bought a laptop for Miss Emma. He came here to deliver it to her personally" Marco revealed everything that happened a couple of hours ago. He found his Boss's behavior as odd, but he didn't question it then. But now, Marco understood that his boss has a soft spot has to miss Emma. "Oh," Peter nodded, obviously coming to the same conclusion. In her room, Emma is in so much pain. Usually, Luca sees people he tortures in pain as well. But his heart never responded to their pain. But looking at her innocent face twisting in pain, he is feeling restless and anxious. 'What the hell is happening to me?' he thought with irritation. 'Feelings and emotions are a weakness Luca' his father's words rang inside his head like a church bell. 'Father might be twisting in his grave with displeasure' he thought. Everything that's happening with Emma is complete with what his father taught him. But who would tell his heart to behave and stop feeling, when he is in front of this innocent kitten? 'Who would have thought a lion would soften up to a kitten instead of eating up from his meal' he thought. Just then the doctor arrived. He checked Emma and gave her a pain killer and some medicine to soothe her stomach. "She clearly cannot handle spicy food. Just give her soups for the next 24 hours. She will be fine" he said and left in a hurry. The doctor Mr. Adam is the one who usually treats Vitiello's and he is scared of Luca. He is in his early 40's and the hair on his head thinned in the middle, leaving him almost bald in the middle and only the sides of his head have hair. After the doctor left, Luca noticed that Emma is not looking that painful. "Why did you eat it, if you can't handle it?" he really wanted to know. Emma is feeling guilty for troubling him. Her face is sad with guilt. "Kitten," he asked again with impatience. "I don't want you to think about me as an ungrateful girl. So I ate it with the out complaint" Emma mumbled truthfully. He thought about many possibilities, but this one is not one of them. People usually do stupid things in front of him to impress him. But this stupid Kitten suffered because she wanted to show him that she is grateful for his help. His heart softened a lot, making him uncomfortable. "Don't do stupid things like this ever again" he scolded her coldly and left. He went downstairs and collected his mud-stained jacket. 'You are going soft' he thought and threw that jacket in the empty trash can under his desk before leaving the mansion. "Don't cook spicy food ever again" he snapped at Peter before leaving.

Chapter 9 Not a good man

I don't remember a time when I wasn't being groomed to step into my father's shoes and run the underworld in which I was brought up. There wasn't a hiccup when I took over, tightening up the operation and bringing the family into the twenty-first century. I'm not a good man by any means. I've killed. I've intimidated. My business practices are illegal, immoral—and they make me a lot of money. I've got no intention of going legit any time soon, or never. I was always trained to be cold and detached from my surroundings and mostly from people's emotions. I was not even allowed to cry when my mother died. 'Men will never cry' my father said sternly when he saw my tears. I immediately wiped my tears and stood near her cassette, as if the woman lying inside there is not my mother. Since then, I have never felt any kinds of emotional attachments or detachments to people or their pains. But ever since Emma, I am finding it difficult to maintain my indifferent attitude towards her. She is making me feel, which is making me uncomfortable. "Next" he snapped, and the apple on Marco's head, which he just shot with his gun was replaced with a new one. He aimed and shot the apple again, which was immediately replaced. Marco is sweating profusely with fear. As soon as they returned from the Vitiello mansion, his boss Luca Vitiello is in a weird mood. He shot apple after Apple which was placed on Marco's head. The made men around, who were watching the scene are scared too. They are scared that their boss might shoot them, just because he was irritated. They are feeling as if they are standing on pins and needles. "What were you doing gossiping with Peter?" Luca asked Marco coldly. Marco became instantly pale. He thinks I don't know anything. I did not become the boss of the dozen mafia outfits just like that. I should have tack and intelligence along with a cold calculation. I didn't hear them talking, but I just made a wild guess. Marco's pale face is telling me that I am right. "It's nothing boss. We were just catching up" he stutters. "Is it?" I drawl firing the bullet a little too close to his head, making him jump with fright. "I hate people who lie," I say coldly. "Sorry boss. Please don't kill me boss" he starts to beg pathetically. But his voice is not the one I am hearing and his words are not the ones my brain is reminding me of. 'Please' it's her plea. So soft, so innocent. My heart is aching at the painful expression I saw on her face today. "Damn" I throw my handgun and turn away. All I wanted was to forget about her. I have a dozen important things to do and few more people to threaten and if it doesn't work out, even kill them in cold blood. "Did you give her the laptop we bought today?" I asked Marco, without turning back. I know he would follow behind me. He is as loyal to me as his father. "Yes, boss. I handed it over to Emanuel to pass it over to Miss Emma after she recovers" he says hastily. I know Marco is curious to ask me questions about my mood. My behavior in front of Emma. But he is too scared to ask me about it. I decided to busy myself with work and forget about Emma. I already arranged everything for her. I even gave up my Mansion for her. I know she is scared of me. So I thought me staying away from her would make her transition smooth. So I decided to stay in my old house, which I hate. This house always makes me feel like a small boy, who was always scolded by his father. Marco followed Luca to one of their pubs. They own almost half the night clubs in this city. Their meeting with one of the underboss, who previously used to be a boss himself. But he lost to Luca, resulting in him being the underboss of the mafia operations in another city. "They want to use this city for transportation of their weapons and drugs" the underboss informed. "Ask them to pay the right price. 10% of the cost of the goods. If they refuse, then you refuse their passage" Luca instructed coldly. "Yes boss," the underboss said, and the video call is disconnected. Marco looked hesitant to tell Luca something, which Luca noticed. "Speak," Luca said coldly, looking at the documents in front of him. "Tasha is here for you," Marco said. Tasha is Luca's fuck buddy. Whenever he feels the itch, he will use her. She is the daughter of the local senator. "Send her in," Luca said, still looking at the documents. The night clubs he owns around the city are high end and offer a wide range of alcohols and VIP treatments. Making them the to go places for the VIPs and celebrities. He met Tasha here, in his club, dancing with a guy. As soon as he summoned her, he dumped the guy and was ready to cater to his needs. He noticed recently, her behavior is changing from soft and compliant to demanding. She will never have the guts to demand anything from him, but she is making sure to show her authority in front of his men, making herself superior and his would-be wife in front of them. Which is utter bullshit. He will never marry a selfish woman like Tasha. She didn't think twice to dump her businessman boyfriend for her, to climb higher. He is sure she would sell her husband if the money is high. "Darling" Tasha drawled in a husky voice, which previously used to turn him on. But now it's making him irritated. 'Please' her voice. 'Why the hell are you thinking about her voice now Luca?' my mind, which was trained by my father snapped at me. But my heart seems to wake up from his deep slumber, by the sound of her voice. 'Damn it, Luca, get a grip' I snap at myself. "What do you want Tasha," I ask her coldly. My face is an ice-cold mask. Utterly impenetrable. Nothing will be shown on my face, but coldness. 'Only Emma can break that mask' my sub-conscience reminded me. 'I know, that's why I am staying away from her' I remind myself. Tasha looked at Luca with a pout, trying to seduce him into her trap again. She needs him wrapped around her finger. But she cannot read anything on his face, which makes her shiver with fear. But she tried to gather herself and maintain her pout. "You are not calling me recently" she whined. "Is it?" he asked, not bothering to at least look at her. When he refused to even look at her, Tasha became a little uneasy. She wore this short red dress that barely reaches past her butt cheeks and showing ample cleavage, only to seduce him. Tasha is a beautiful girl with her impressive height and slim figure. Her blond hair and thin red lips are tempting almost everyone, but the one she is trying to seduce. "It's been so long. I am craving for your touch" she purred like a cat in heat.

Chapter 10 Night club

After Luca left the mansion in anger, Emma felt bad. She doesn't want to trouble him at all. Even though he is scary, he is considerate. Emma can never repay his kindness. So she tried to be compliant and not at all troublesome. But all she did was to make him angry. 'I couldn't have told him that the food he is providing me is not to my taste. I am doing nothing but sit and have fun with Lizzie' she thought. Emma felt bad about how she made him mad. 'He came after 1 month and you drove him away within hours' Emma scolded herself. 'I would have asked Lizzie for some help on how to apologize to Mr.Vitiello' Emma thought sadly. After thinking for a couple of minutes, Emma finally came up with an idea. 'I ruined his Lunch. He didn't even eat half his sandwich before I ruined everything. So I will cook him dinner' she thought happily. She rushed downstairs and ran into the kitchen. "Uncle Peter, I am planning to cook dinner for Mr. Vitiello" Emma announced excitedly. Peter Jumped with shock and surprise. He wanted to tell her that their boss will not eat food cooked by others. He has a specific taste and he prefers the only specific and trusted people to cook for him. But he remembered how their boss cared about Emma. So he swallowed his words and nodded his head in agreement. 'If Emma comes into His life, then he will find happiness through her' Peter thought. He has seen Luca since he was a little boy. His father was strict with him, making him Emotionally incapable. Peter stepped outside and let Emma do her thing. Emma decided to cook Lasagna for Mr. Vitiello. She started by making a sauce with ground beef, bell peppers, onions, and a combo of tomato sauce, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. The three kinds of tomatoes give the sauce a great depth of flavor. She let the sauce simmer, before boiling noodles. She used ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and parmesan -- like the mix of tomatoes, this 3-cheese blend gives the lasagna great flavor. Then she assembled everything. A cup of meat sauce, a layer of noodles, more sauce, followed by a layer of cheese.  She repeated the process until she used up all the ingredients. Then she placed it in the oven to bake. After she is done cooking she packed the food in hot containers with a plate and cutlery. Then she asked Emanuel and Smith to take her to Luca. Both Emanuel and Smith exchanged worried glances, as they know where their boss will be at this time. But they know that their boss likes Emma. So they couldn't deny her either. So Emanuel fired a text to Marco about the issue before taking her to the nightclub. Marco looked at the text and started to sweat. The Apple target practice on his head is still fresh in his head. 'By the time Boss gives in and realizes that he likes Miss Emma, I might die to one of his bullets whenever he meets her and his control slips a little '  he muttered to himself. Usually, he will not disturb their boss when Tasha is with him. But his experience is telling him that Miss Emma is much more important than Tasha. "Boss" he knocked on the door. "Come in" Luca called. "Boss" Marco looked between Tasha and his boss. He doesn't want to reveal Emma's identity in front of Tasha. Emma is too innocent and Tasha is too vicious. "What?"  Luca asked impatiently. "Emanuel texted me. They are coming here" Marco told tactically. Luca immediately understood who is coming here. 'I just saw her today. Did she need anything? I didn't give her a chance to talk at all. I snapped my irritation on her and left angrily. I left her alone in my mansion for One month. She is a girl. She might have in need of something. Or else she wouldn't come willingly seeking him out' he thought. "Ok," Luca said. Marco breathed a sigh of relief when his boss didn't snap at him. "They must have reached already. Emanuel texted me when I was in the storeroom. Liquor consignment just came now" Marco revealed in a hurry. Luca glared at Marco. "Idiot" he snapped angrily and left his office in a hurry. 'Emma will look like an innocent lamb in between wild animals, who would want to pounce on her.' he thought. Emanuel led Emma inside the nightclub. Smith went to park their vehicle. Emma looked around the club in horror and Embarrassment. Half naked bodies making out on the dance floor. Sweat and a strong deodorant smell are thick in the air. She is wearing her usual black jeans and a red ruffle top and sneakers. She is hugging the food bag into her torso. Her long brown hair falling in soft waves on her back. She darted her huge almond-shaped eyes all around her. There is a kind of innocent Emma carries around her, which is appealing to the men. Her effortless beauty is the other thing. Soon, within seconds, all the hungry male eyes followed her through their eyes. She is looking different from all the other half-dressed females around here. She is fully dressed but at the same time is much more appealing than the other girls. "Come here, baby" a few drunk guys commented loud enough to be heard around the music. Emma's heart started to pound with fear. She always disguised herself with ugly makeup. She never caught so much attention in her life. The eyes of these men are making her skin prickly and uncomfortable. "Kitten" Luca called loudly, announcing to anyone and everyone, to whom she belongs. He hated the lust-filled gazes pointed towards her. She is too innocent for this world and these people. He is instantly satisfied when all the men diverted their eyes away from his kitten with fear. When Emma heard the familiar voice, she dared to raise her head and look at Luca. She instantly ran towards him and stood closer to him. She believes in him. She believes that he will not hurt her. He is still scary, but much better than the men around her. Luca looked coldly around him, making everyone stand on edge. He placed a protective arm around Emma's shoulders and pulled her towards his office.