ANYAI felt as if the ground beneath me had crumbled. Staggering backwards, I stopped breathing for a moment. Vincenzo's hands reached out to steady me, but my attention remained fixed on my uncle. This couldn't be real; he must be lying. My parents were my real parents, this couldn't be true.“You can lie to yourself by choosing not to believe it, but the truth won't change,” he sneered, his words laced with venom. “You are not a Chirkov, not by blood or any measure. You don't even have our blood running through your veins.”His words were like a dagger to my heart, each one piercing deeper. Anguish flooded my chest, threatening to drown me. “You're lying!” I spat, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation.I swung my fist at him, my knuckles colliding with his battered face, and I hardly noticed the blood now trickling from my own hand.Blow after blow, I unleashed my fury upon him

ANYAEverything had gone relatively smoothly for the past week. I spent most of my time taking care of Alessia and Erik, as Vincenzo seemed to be occupied with some matters he referred to as "cleaning."To be honest, I had no idea what that meant, but I trusted that he knew what he was doing.Our nights together remained passionate and intense, but I noticed a change in his routine. He would slip away in the early morning hours, leaving me to wake up alone. I missed him terribly during those hours, but I understood that his responsibilities were vast.Now, though, an entire day had passed without any word from him, which was unusual. Even Matteo and Carlo hadn't heard from him, which definitely set off alarm bells. Vincenzo wasn't the type to disappear without a trace, especially not for this long.Two weeks later and my worries had grown into full-blown panic. His absence felt like a gaping hole in my life, and the uncertainty of

ANYAI groaned as I opened my eyes, the harsh light from the window momentarily blinding me. Three days had passed since I received the devastating news of Vincenzo's death. In those three days, I hadn't ventured out of the confines of our room. Alessia, Cosima, and the guys had all tried to coax me out, but their efforts were in vain.My reason for existing, for smiling, for living, had been taken away from me. How could I possibly go on, smile, or find any meaning in life without him? I had cried until my tears ran dry, mourning the irreplaceable loss of the man who held my heart.This room, the one we had shared so many memories in, now felt like a void. I yearned to breathe in his scent again, to feel his presence, even though I knew it was an impossible wish.The realization that I would never see him again, never hold him or hear his voice, cut through me like a knife. Life without him seemed meaningless, an empty and painful existe

VINCENZOTHREE MONTHS LATERPain was all I could feel, a relentless ache that seemed to infiltrate every fiber of my being. The torment I endured was beyond anything I'd experienced before. Days melded into nights, a haze of suffering that blurred my sense of time.My body was a canvas of bruises, each one telling a story of brutality and torment. Dried blood streaked my arms and legs, a gruesome testament to the violence inflicted upon me. Nausea gnawed at my stomach, a constant companion in this hellish ordeal.I struggled to piece together the events that had led me here, to this nightmarish existence. The memories were fragmented, like shards of glass in my mind. One moment, I was driving, the world spinning around me. And then, I woke up in this wretched place – a grimy, dimly lit room that reeked of despair.The people responsible for my captivity were shrouded in masks that concealed their identities.

ANYADays turned into weeks, each passing day a painful reminder of his absence. My heart ached incessantly, yearning for him. My baby bump had grown noticeably, a constant reminder of the life growing within me.I wished he could witness this journey, be by my side to share in the anticipation and joy.I had exhausted every avenue in my pursuit to bring him back. My visits to Emiliano's house proved futile, met with his adamant refusal to help. He had even turned me away during my last attempt, his rejection a heavy blow to my hopes.Sometimes, the doubt would creep in – what if Vincenzo wasn't really alive? Why would he stay away for so long?The pain of his absence was almost too much to bear, my world feeling incomplete without him. I was living day to day, finding solace only in the life growing within me.Alessia's persistence wouldn't allow me to wallow in my sorrow. Reluctantly, I got up from the bed and headed