Chanel was right. They would have never worked out. This was a side of Chanel he had never thought he would ever encounter. She seemed so broken. He never realized it before. He never noticed how fallen apart she indeed was.

When she looked into her eyes one last time, he saw. He saw the pain, all her pain. He felt it.

He needed to get away from her. He needed to breathe. Everything that involved her is twisted. He wished he had met her some other way. But wishes are for the weak. His father once told him that.

He has other things to worry about.

He met Derrick in the middle of the hall.

"What did you find?" Giovanni asked Derrick.

He was waiting patiently downstairs after he let Giovanni retake his sister.

"I found someone important for you," Derrick smirked.

"Why?"

Giovanni was skeptical.

What did Derrick want in return?

"Let's say we both have the same enemy. Aleksei took something of mine, and I need to get it back. My men aren't strong enough by ourselves. We need to work together to beat him. He is way too prepared."

That was what he wanted.

"What makes you think I would just help you," Giovanni narrowed his eyes. "You are leading the rival gang that was once my enemy."

Derrick popped open the truck to his Rolls-Royce. A body was in it. Did he kill someone? Kidnap them? What was Giovanni supposed to do with a dead body?

Giovanni rolled his eyes.

Derrick moved the strands of blonde hair from the girl's face. Her cheeks were rosy and sweaty. Her eyes were closed, but Giovanni could make out who it was.

The girl was Valeria.

Derrick slammed the trunk closed.

"What am I supposed to do with her?" Giovanni snarled. He hated games. Derrick was messing with him.

"Don't you want to find out what Aleksei is up to? Use her. She must break eventually. She could tell you everything," Derrick suggested.

As much as Giovanni didn't want to admit it, he had a good point. Giovanni could use it.

Derrick stuck his hand out. "Deal?"

Giovanni stalled.

He looked at the trunk. Thinking back to Valeria. Then at Derrick.

He roughly grabbed his hand. Derrick winced.

"Deal."

•••

"Tell me," Giovanni snarled.

He rolled up the cuff of his suit and adjusted his tie. He grabbed ahold of her head and made her look at him.

He gets in her face.

"You better tell me," he warned.

She had tears on her face, which made her golden hair stick. Even though her years, she managed to let out an evil chuckle.

"You can do whatever you want to me. I'll never speak," she choked.

She was strong, but eventually, she won't be.

"Oh, you're going to speak," he growled. A smirk made its way to his face.

He got the cigar cutter he had in his pocket. He grabbed her finger. She let him. The look on her face made it seem like she didn't care. But her insides were on fire. She felt scared. Angry. Anxious. She would never show it, though.

He slipped her finger in the cutter, threatening to cut it off. Immediately she thrashed away from him. She couldn't. She was tied down to the chair with ropes. The same way Chanel was when he first kidnapped her for seeing too much.

He pushed down the blade tauntingly. Slowly.

This ought to make her talk.

She panicked. Her eyes widened. Aleksei couldn't get her out of this one.

The blade knicked her finger. It stung, and Valeria winced, letting out a gasp.

"Why did you spy on me. What does Aleksei want?" Giovanni asked harshly. "I won't hesitate to cut your finger off."

"No!" She exclaimed. "I can't tell you. He'll kill me."

"I'll kill you myself if you don't."

"Does Chanel even appreciate how handsome you are?" Valeria said.

He pushed down further on the blade. A scream rippled out the back of her throat. It turned into a laugh. She was crazy.

"Don't speak of her."

"She left you, didn't she? Especially after what you did," Valeria continued. She didn't care about the state she was in.

"Shut up," he roared.

He looked up at her. Something about her face was suspicious.

"How did you know about that?"

"Well, it was my idea, sweetheart," Valeria smiled.

Giovanni brought his other hand to her neck, squeezing slightly.

"Don't you fucking call me sweetheart, puttana," Giovani threatened.(bitch)

"What are you going to do about it? Your hand is already around my neck. I'm guessing you like it kinky," she grinned. She was finding amusement in this.

Giovanni squeezed his hold tighter, blocking her airways. Her breathing came ragged. Her face is turning bright red.

He let go, she gasped for breath.

He would kill her the next time she doesn't answer.

Without realizing it, she removed her finger from the cigar cutter.

"Tell me all you know about Aleksei," Giovanni snapped. He was fooling around. He needed to get something out of her.

"Nothing, I know nothing."

She dismissed the threat on his voice.

Now it was time for Giovanni to get serious. He took out pliers and positioned them on her manicured nails. He gripped the pliers tightly in his hand. He tugged slightly on the handle.

She let out a gasp.

"I won't ask again."

He yanked the pliers away from her finger and let out a pained scream. The nail was almost out.

"Stop," Valeria shouted.

Giovanni didn't stop. He kept pulling on the nail. It was nearly out of her skin.

Valeria watched in horror.

"I'll tell you, I'll let you know," she screeched.

Giovanni released his grip from the pliers but still held it on her long nail.

She was hesitant.

Giovanni had no time for games.

He wiggled at the players again—the nail ripping from her finger. Blood gushed from the wound. Her screams filled the room. He dropped her blue mail polish coloured nail on the floor.

She let out a sob.

That was for messing up his relationship with Chanel.

"Fuck," she screeched.

He moved the pliers to another nail. She positioned them the same way he did with the first nail.

"He's my boyfriend, " she finally admitted. "Please, please, no more."

She didn't want any of her other fingernails pulled out. She winced at the memory. The pain still throbbing on her pointer finger.

"Where is he?" Giovanni asked sternly.

She knew better than not to answer.

"He's here," she confessed. "He's in New York."

"Call him," Giovanni ushered.

He handed her a phone by her fingers.

She dialled the phone number.

She looked up at Giovanni. Tears stung her eyes. Her perfect nail was gone.

Giovanni snatched the phone away from her fingers and pressed the call.

He switched it to speakerphone.

"Hello," a deep voice answered the phone. There was a strong hint of a Russian accent in the man's voice. Giovanni knew it was the man he wanted.

He gave Valeria a sharp look, signalling for her to talk.

"I need help," she choked out.

"What type of shit did you get into this time?" Aleksei spoke harshly through the phone.

"They got me," she sobbed. "He took out my nail."

"Okay, that's enough," Giovanni snarled.

He took the phone off of the speaker and placed it to his ear.

"I'll send you an address. Meet me there. Then you can get back your bitch of a girlfriend back," Giovanni grumbled into the phone.

He hung up urgently.

He sent the address.

Then he smashed the phone on the ground.

A piercing scream left Valeria's mouth.

The phone screen shattered into a million pieces, just like his heart.

Now all he had to do was wait.

He would get what he wanted. He would get his revenge.

He would do all of this, and then he'll worry about getting his princess back.

Suppose she'll want him back. The thought that she doesn't make his head spin. He needed her. He missed the warmness of her skin. He missed the sound of her voice, even though it was mostly annoying at times. He even missed her snobby attitude. He never thought he would say that in a million years. But everything he used to hate about her made his heart warm up.

He would never mention any of this to her. He would never tell her the power she has over him.

But he would show it.

He'll prove to her. And himself.

He'll love only her.

Nobody has found a way into his heart. He doubted anyone would.

But Chanel, she had.