If the sun refused to shine, I would still love you.

When mountains crumble into the sea, you and I will still be together.

_____________________



A black van pulled up outside Marino Food Store, causing panic among the other vendors at the market. Two burly men dressed in black suits, armed with guns, emerged from the vehicle.

"Where is Mr. Marino?" one of the men demanded of a young woman behind the store counter. She is a striking beauty with an enigmatic air about her. Her long, raven-black hair frames her porcelain-like complexion and doe-like hazel eyes. Her lips are a striking shade of red, like the blooming petals of a rose. Her figure is slender and elegant, She's a beauty goddess.

"That's my father, but he's not here. Who are you?" Marino Isabella, Bella for short, asked, her voice trembling. She doesn't know who the men are but their cold gaze sent fear and terror running down her spine.

"You're his daughter, right?" One of the men asked coldly.

"Yes, I am. How can I...we...help you?" Bella stammered, but before she could say anything else, a black sack was thrown over her head and she was forcibly carried away by one of the men.

"Let go of me, you asshole!" Bella yelled, struggling to break free from the man's grip.

"When her father returns, tell him that his daughter has been taken to settle his debt," the man instructed an elderly woman who owned a neighboring store.The woman had a wrinkled face, white hair, and a few missing teeth.

"Please release her, she's just a child," the old woman pleaded weakly. Beside, who are you people?"

"Tell Mr. Marino that Master Bernardi Lorenzo is the one who gave the order, and he better not show up at his mansion," the man warned with a cold tone.

The name Bernardi Lorenzo struck fear into the hearts of everyone at the market, including Bella, who was frozen in disbelief.

Bernardi Lorenzo is a devil in human form - vicious, cunning, merciless, tyrannical, and brutal. Going to his house was like stepping into a lion's den, a place where blood was shed without remorse. And that was who , her father has borrowed money from him.

Bella , being a young women, knew her life is over the moment she heard that the men were from Lorenzo. She knew there's no way her father would be able to pay his debt so therefore going to Bernardi Lorenzo mansion was already a death sentence for her.

"Let go of me, please," Bella continued to struggle as the man carried her, but he held her tightly, paying no attention to her pleas. Eventually, he dumped her into the back of the van.

No one at the market dared to intervene. No one wanted to cross paths with the ruthless Mafia lord. They all stood in silence, watching as Bella was taken away in the van till it was out of sight.

___

The van finally arrived at a grand mansion, painted in pristine white. Two more hefty men armed with guns opened the gates, allowing the van to enter. The van finally took a stop at the mansion entrance and the two burly men stepped out once again.

Bella was carried out of the van by one of the men into the mansion. Her face is still covered by the black sack, her hands bound with rope.

She knew they had arrived at the house of the Mafia lord. The thought of what awaited her sent shivers down her spine, causing her to tremble uncontrollably. She realized they were inside the mansion when the man carrying her abruptly stopped walking and stood still.

"Is she the one?" an old lady in her fifties, dressed in a black and white striped gown, with long white hair, asked as she descended from an inner room, accompanied by two young women. One had short red hair, wore a black corset gown, and had a small scarf on her head. The other had long black hair, also wore a black corset gown, and a scarf on her head.

"Yes, Old Lady Amato," one of the burly men replied.

"Remove the sack," Old Lady Amato ordered sternly. The men quickly obeyed by dropping Bella on the titled floor and removing the sack from her face now revealing her angry expression.

The interior of the mansion exuded opulence and luxury, with white walls and extravagant gold furnishings but Bella wasn't interested in that rather she was concerned about how to break free from the two men who still held on to her arms tightly.

"Let go of me, you asshole!" Bella shouted, attempting to free herself from the grip of the two men but her words fell on deaf ears.

"She's not bad, but what's that smell? Is that oil?" Old Lady Amato remarked, moving closer to Bella. She reached out to touch Bella's clothes but quickly recoiled.

"You may leave now. I will take it from here," Old Lady Amato instructed the burly men, who promptly departed.

"Let's go," Old Lady Amato commanded the two maids behind her who quickly moved towards Bella and grabbed her by her arms and followed closely behind old lady Amato as they walked down the tiled hallway, eventually reaching a wooden door on the east side of the mansion.

Old Lady Amato brought out a key from her gown pocket and unlocked the door. Bella was shoved inside, her face nearly scraping the ground, and the door was locked from the outside.

The room was dim and stuffy, with only a faint ray of sunlight filtering through a small window.

Bella stood up and began pounding on the door, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Please, let me go. I'm begging you. I don't want to stay here," Bella pleaded, but her cries fell on deaf ears as no one came to open the door.

Despite her dire situation, Bella's thoughts were consumed by her father, an elderly man in his late seventies who could barely stand without the aid of a walking stick.

Bella was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Marino, who had her in their old age.

Mr. Marino had approached Bernardi Lorenzo on that fateful day, seeking a loan to pay for Mrs. Marino's hospital bills. He was well aware of Lorenzo's viciousness and brutality, but he had no other choice. He couldn't bear to watch his beloved wife, who was suffering from cancer, wither away.

After Mrs. Marino's eventual passing, Mr. Marino found himself unable to repay Lorenzo's money, having exhausted his funds on medical expenses. All he had left was 2,000 Italy Lira.

In a desperate attempt to make a profit and repay Lorenzo's money before the six-month deadline, Mr. Marino opened the food store. However, things did not go as planned. Instead of turning a profit, he faced losses. Some of the food got spoiled and had to be discarded.

On that fateful day, Bella had volunteered to stay at the store so her father could rest from the stress he had been enduring. Little did she know that misfortune would strike on her very first day.

Now, she found herself a captive of the ruthless Mafia Lord.