Romario's POVMy eyes widened in confusion as Namiro's statement hung in the air. "She wants to leave with me?" I thought to myself, trying to process the sudden urgency. We were engaged, I knew that much, but what was driving this sudden rush? Namiro seemed to ignore my confusion, brushing past me as she headed upstairs, leaving me feeling bewildered and concerned. Leonardo, her loyal companion, was whispering something in her ear, no doubt fueling the fire. I shot a glance at my mom, who was sipping her coffee with a knowing smirk on her face. "That Jose's daughter sure knows how to safeguard her man," she taunted, but a stern glare from me silenced her immediately.My pet, sensing my unease, bowed and scurried off to attend to her duties. I followed Namiro upstairs, my mind racing with questions. What was going on? Why the sudden change of heart? As I approached the room next to mine, I could hear hushed whispers between Namiro and Leonardo. It seemed that's where she intended to m

Everybody stared at Leonardo in sympathy; Terrone Ndrangheta wasn't the kind of man to be joked with. Terrone could only glare at his son, pushing his hands away before walking out, to everyone's surprise. "That's certainly surprising," Venita grumbled, strolling back into her room; the entertainment was over.Leonardo helped Namiro up, her leg injured from the fall. Namiro hung her head in shame as she passed Romario, who didn't utter a word; he'd need to talk to her later. Romario picked up Allison, who was shivering on the ground, and whispered encouraging words as she cried profusely. He took her to the slave quarters, where several servants stared at him in shock, but he ignored them and walked towards Emily, who was standing on the sidewalk. "Take me to her room now," Romario demanded, and Emily nodded, leading the way. When they arrived, Romario gently placed Allison on the bed. He turned to Emily immediately, "Get her some food and let her rest," Romario ordered, before leavin

Romario's POVToday, I headed to the High Court of Justice in southern Italy for Tristian's hearing. I didn't have time for breakfast, so I grabbed a coffee at Costco on the way, needing the caffeine to stay calm during the proceedings. Ken accompanied me, just in case things went awry and Tristian started talking recklessly. We arrived at the court, and the judge was already seated with the prosecutors. We slipped in unnoticed, taking seats at the back to observe.The prosecutor addressed Tristian, "You're accused of human trafficking, and now your attorney claims to have evidence of your innocence. That's suspicious." Tristian's nervousness was palpable. Our attorney defended, "My client initially pleaded guilty to protect his family from the real traffickers, who threatened them. He's willing to reveal their names." The judge nodded thoughtfully. The hearing continued, with more debates and what I considered to be lies. I couldn't help but feel disdain for the court system, where b

I woke up with a sense of despair, dreading the day ahead. It was my birthday, the anniversary of my enslavement. Tears welled up in my eyes as I recalled my parents selling me into slavery. I remembered the cold floor of the slave ship that brought me to Italy like it was yesterday. I wiped away my tears and stood up, glancing around my room. Emily was nowhere to be found, probably busy in the kitchen. With no early morning chores and Master Romario still away, I decided to search for her.As I walked to the kitchen, I forced fake smiles in response to the warm greetings from the other servants. Most of them were unaware it was my birthday, and I didn't plan on sharing that with them. Upon reaching the kitchen and slave dining area, I couldn't find Emily or any of the others. Resigned to spending the morning alone, I recalled the painful memories of my past birthdays. My mom would beat me and force me to silence, blaming me for our family's misfortunes. I sighed, opening my room door

Romario POVI'd been in Mexico for weeks, finalizing deals and attending meetings. But the call from my pet caught me off guard. Today's her birthday, and her request was surprisingly bold. I needed Ken to accompany her, as she might try to escape again - a thought that amused me.But my amusement was short-lived, as I realized I was still in a meeting with the Mafia panel. Jose's stern gaze brought me back to attention. "Is anything about what I just said funny, Mr. Romario?" he asked gruffly. I quickly composed myself. "No, sir."Jose continued discussing Officer Naveen Kumar, who had successfully taken down drug lords and was closing in on us. But I wasn't worried. It was unusual for Jose to lead this meeting, as my father typically handled such matters. Since the Venita incident, however, my father had been avoiding Jose, who seemed increasingly hostile towards us.As the meeting concluded, Jose signaled for me to follow him. We walked to his car, where he instructed me to pass a