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I woke up with a pounding head, as if someone was hitting me with a hammer constantly. I looked around to find myself sitting on a chair in a dark room, with only a bulb dangling above me as a source of light. Both my hands and legs were bound tightly to the chair with ropes. I desperately tried to free myself from the restraints, but it was futile.

Tired, I recalled everything that had happened.

Albert had kidnapped me?!

But why?

I never even my dreams had thought about him doing such a horrible thing. He seemed to be so harmless. But the main question was why did he kidnap me? What was the reason for him to take such a drastic step?

Everything was so confusing. First Adele and now Albert. I was not able to connect the dots. Why would they try to harm me when they cared for me? They were my friends, then why were they doing all that?

On a second thought, he also seemed to be behaving strange. His sudden appearance in Italy, expensive hotels; it screamed danger since the beginning. But he waved it off saying it was all Adele's doing. I should have further enquired him instead of blindly believing him.

And in all that, I suspected poor Adele and doubted her. But how did Albert knew about her? Was she also in danger because of him?

BUT WHY DID HE DO IT?!

I heard the creaking sound of the door opening, which felt creepy and a man walked inside. I could not figure out his face in the darkness but I knew that he was advancing towards me by the movement of his silhouette.

His presence filled me with dread to the core and I started thrashing violently against my bounds. He chuckled at that and spoke, "Try how much you want, sweetheart. But you can't escape me."

It was Albert.

My mind registered that I had seen a similar dream, a few days ago after I had witnessed Ermanno torturing that man in the basement. I had thought that it was my fear of Ermanno, which was coming forward in my dream. I had thought that the man in dream was Ermanno, but it was Albert.

Light reflected on his features and he looked lethal, and my heart rate sped up by his presence. It seemed like he could harm me. There was no trace of the harmless and goody-two-shoes Albert, I had known. He looked like cold and sinister man, with maliciousness clearly clearly in his eyes.

"Please let me go. I won't tell anyone about you kidnapping me. I promise. Just please let me go." I pleaded him.

"You think that I am afraid of you ratting out on me?" he laughed evilly and continued, "Oh sweetheart! No one can harm a single hair on my head even if they want to. I don't care if you tell anyone about it or not."

"Then, why are you holding me a captive here? If you want to kill me then, do it already!" I shouted at him angrily.

He tsked at me and spoke, "No, sweetheart. I won't kill you, not unless my purpose is served. Till then, I won't even put a scratch on you."

I asked him fearfully, "What purpose? What benefit does it serve you by holding me hostage here?"

He pretended to think for a while then spoke, "I can use you as a bait to lure your beloved Ermanno D'Amelio here."

My heart was filled with dread at the thought of him trying to harm Ermanno. But why did he want to harm him? What wrong had he done to him? They didn't even know each other for crying out loud!

I asked him, "How do you know about Ermanno? And why do you want to harm him? What wrong has he done to you?"

"Mine and Ermanno's are acquaintance run a long back. Even before you came into the picture. And what I want from him? I want revenge from him," he spoke the last line so menacingly that chills ran down my spine.

I stuttered, "Re... Revenge? For what?"

"For destroying my life. For taking away my father from me," he spat.

Ermanno took away his father from him?! But how?

He had told me that his parents had abandoned him. Did he lie to me about that?

I asked him, "How did Ermanno take away your father? You told me that you were left at the orphanage."

He scoffed, "Ofcourse, it was a lie, sweet and innocent Lia." He mocked at me and continued, "Not exactly Ermanno took him away, but his dear nonno did it. Alessandro killed my father. And his entire family will have to pay for it. There is only one thing I want as a payment, their lives."

I strongly opposed him, "No! You can't do that. Why do you want to punish Ermanno for his nonno's deed? It is wrong."

He waved his had lazily and spoke, "I don't care what is wrong, or what is right. By killing him, I can also get his title."

"What title?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes at him.

He looked at me as if I was supposed to know the answer beforehand, but nonetheless revealed it, "Obviously, the title of the king of the Mafia."

"Ma... Mafia?" I asked him, confused.

He replied, "Yes, sweetheart. Now don't tell me that you don't know what it is, or that your Ermanno is one."

"You want to be a Mafia," I asked him shocked.

He looked into my eyes and said, "I don't want to be a Mafia baby, I am a Mafia!"

I am a Mafia!

I am a Mafia!

His words rang into my ears. He was a Mafia? So what about his jobs and studies? Was it all a lie? But why did he do it? What was his motive behind it?

I asked him as if he had grown two heads, "You are in the Mafia, Albert."

He smirked at me wickedly and revealed, "Not Albert, sweetheart. It's Luca. Luca Martinez!"

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Hello my lovely readers!

How was the chapter?

Albert is Luca Martinez!

A big shock! Isn't it? But it is not the final shock. More is yet to come, dear readers.* smirking evilly*

Let's see who can guess it...

It was the most difficult chapter for me to pen down. I have rewritten it so many times to present it in the best way I could. I hope that my hard work is paid off.

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And only 4 more chapters are left minus the epilogue... I can't believe its going to end so soon. This book has introduced me such sweet people, to all of you... I am really glad to get to know each one of you. It's like we have created a circle friendship which is so close to my heart.

I hope that we all will be in touch even after the book ends... I will just one DM away...

Thank you guys! You all have become a really important part, always there for me and I can't express my gratitude to each one you.

*I am feeling emotional here, so I guess I should stop here*