: Eva's Nightmare
The air was thick with cheap perfume and despair. The dimly lit room reeked of desperation, filled with women trapped in a life they never chose. Eva sat on the edge of a worn-out mattress, staring blankly at the cracked mirror in front of her. The reflection she saw wasn't her—it was a stranger, a woman with hollow eyes and a bruised soul.
James had taken everything from her.
Her father's death had come suddenly, leaving behind nothing but unpaid debts and broken promises. James, a ruthless loan shark, had wasted no time in collecting what he believed was rightfully his. When the money ran dry, he turned to the only thing Eva had left—herself.
She remembered the first night. The way her body trembled as she was shoved into a room with a stranger. The shame. The helplessness. Now, weeks had passed, and the numbness had set in. She had learned to disappear within herself, to shut out the horror of what her life had become.
Tonight was no different—until the door slammed open.
James stormed in, his cruel smirk widening as he dragged a cigar across his lips. "Got a special one for you tonight, sweetheart," he sneered. "Be on your best behavior."
Eva didn't react. She had long learned that resistance only brought more pain.
The door closed, and footsteps echoed through the room. She didn't bother looking up—until a voice, deep and commanding, cut through the silence.
"You don't belong here."
Eva's breath hitched. That voice. It wasn't rough like the others. It carried power, authority. She finally lifted her gaze, and her heart nearly stopped.
He stood tall, his presence filling the entire room. A dark suit hugged his powerful frame, his sharp features shadowed by the dim light. But it was his eyes that froze her—piercing, calculating, yet filled with something she hadn't seen in a long time.
Pity.
"Who are you?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from weeks of silence.
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he stepped closer, his gaze running over her bruised wrists, the hollow look in her eyes. His jaw tightened.
Then, in a low, almost dangerous tone, he said, "I'm the man who just bought you."
Eva's stomach dropped.
Before she could react, James burst back in, grinning. "So, what do you think? She's a beauty, huh?"
The stranger—whoever he was—didn't even glance at James. His focus remained on Eva as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a thick envelope. He tossed it onto the table. "This covers the debt."
James hesitated, his greedy eyes flicking between the money and the man in front of him. "She makes me a lot more than this—"
The man stepped forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. "Take it," he growled. "Or I take your life."
Silence.
James swallowed hard before snatching the envelope and stepping aside. "Fine. She's yours."
Eva couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
The stranger extended his hand. "Come with me."
Eva hesitated. Was this another nightmare? Another man who would own her, use her? But there was something about him—something that made her want to believe this was different.
With a shaky breath, she placed her trembling hand in his.
And just like that, her nightmare changed.
She had no idea that the man standing before her wasn't just a stranger. He was Alexander Ricci. A king in the world of crime. A man more dangerous than she could ever imagine.
But for the first time in a long time… Eva had hope.