Chapter 1 - The Torn Apron on Wet Marble
The heavy metal cleaning bucket clattered violently against the polished marble floor of the grand mansion lobby, sloshing soapy water across the entrance.
Elena, a 20s woman with her dark hair pinned in a messy bun, slipped on the wet surface, losing her balance. As she tried to catch herself against the foot of the grand staircase, the strap of her black maid dress caught on the ornate wrought-iron railing and tore completely open. The white lace apron pulled down, exposing her bare back to the blinding glare of the crystal chandeliers—revealing deep, horrific reddish-purple scars and fresh whip marks crisscrossing her skin.
"I’m sorry, sir! I didn’t mean to be sloppy!" Elena gasped in sheer terror, scrambling on her knees to pull the torn fabric over her shoulders as heavy leather footsteps echoed across the lobby.
Vincent Moretti, the late-30s Mafia chief in a tailored black suit with an unbuttoned black shirt and a gold wristwatch, froze dead in his tracks. His armed guards in black suits standing silently in the foyer looked away in stunned shock as Vincent slowly dropped to his knees behind her.
His large, calloused hand gently held the edge of the torn fabric, his dark eyes widening in quiet horror as he examined the brutal, jagged lines carved into her flesh.
"Who did this to you?" Vincent asked, his voice dropping into a low, intense whisper that made the grand foyer fall into a suffocating silence.
Elena froze, tears welling in her eyes as her entire body trembled like a leaf in a winter storm. She squeezed her eyes shut, afraid that speaking would cost her everything she had left.
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"Please, Mr. Moretti... don’t ask," Elena whispered, her voice cracking with unbearable terror. "He’ll hurt my daughter."
👉 Read Part 2 to see the arrogant monster who stepped through the front doors.
