Introduction, Mrs Ricci

"What...what do you mean?" Isabella asked.

"Ma'am, listen to his story clearly. Everyone was killed except three people, his boss, his boss's daughter and himself. And out of these three, one has been kidnapped, the other lies unconscious and him, nothing strange happened to him. And he has a motive, with everyone dead, he could easily take over the home. He seems like the murderer to me." The man stated out as a fact.

"Why would I want to murder them?" Skyler muttered.

"The answer is within you. Now if you will kindly turn yourself in, the court will be lenient with you." The man said and brought out an handcuff, cuffing him immediately. He was about to drag Skyler into a cell when a fellow police man appeared.

"Did you hear about the news?" He asked.

"What news? I'm busy. I'm about to take a murderer to his cell, don't disturb me." He replied but the other one simply held him down, eager to disperse his interesting story.

"You know, Sterling Vance, that billionaire business man?" He asked and the other nodded.

"Turns out he was the lead of that mafia group, Dark legacy." He said.

"What?" The other gasped.

"Valentino Ricci, the notorious mafia of The Shadows attacked his house yesterday. The story was pretty complicated. And funny enough, Valentino called the boss and told him to lay his hands off any matter in the Sterling's home." Immediately the police heard that, he smiled and picked a key, uncuffing Skyler's hand.

"What are you doing? Didn't you say he was a murderer?" The other asked.

"He is Sterling Vance's worker, he came to report the crime. What did you say your name was? Aah, Skyler....and Miss Isabella, take your hands off this matter if you don't want to end up dead. I'm pretty sure Skyler was saved for a reason. Maybe to tell the story." The police said.

"Are you out of your mind? A whole compound was wiped out and you are telling me to sit still!" Isabella shot angrily and the police shrugged.

"Anything involving Valentino is sadly out of our reach." With that, he led them out of the station.

Isabella scoffed as she brought out her phone, searching Valentino Ricci on her search app.

"I think he is a mafia lord." Skyler muttered.

"I know that." Isabella closed her phone when she didn't see any results on the app. He really knew how to clear his tracks. She thought.

"I don't know, but I think Madam followed off her own accord, she was even the one who pleaded for my life to be saved." He muttered.

"Of course, if her father's life was being threatened to the extent he was knocked out of consciousness, she would have to comply. But what exactly would make one mafia attack the other, stolen drugs?" She bit her lips.

"I don't know what to do, Skyler. We were clearly warned to take out hands off this matter" She said and Skyler looked at her.

"But madam is still there...who knows what would happen to her?" Skyler asked.

"I'm sure nothing bad would happen. You said her father was being treated already, maybe they already settled with something. You know what? Let's wait. If we wait for a while and she's not yet back, we'll search again. In the meantime, I'll see what I can get about Valentino Ricci." She said as she got into her car. Skyler sighed slowly, still feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing.

"Get in. I'll drop you off." She said and he got inside too.

----

Jasmine's eyes opened slowly after ten hours of unconsciousness. The first thing she saw was the spotless white ceiling above and she wondered if this was a dream. If it was just a dream, it would be nice. It was better to be in a dream than be in that reality.

She turned slowly and her eyes landed on the deadly face of the monster who had turned her life upside down in just a night. So it wasn't a dream afterall...

"How could you faint on the night of our wedding?" His cold voice reverberated throughout the room. Yet, he was speaking calmly.

She couldn't speak, her eyes were already brimming with tears and this was even when he wasn't looking at her. He heard her sniff and so he turned.

"I thought you were done with the tears. You make me feel evil, Sweetheart." He muttered.

"Please let me go home." She whispered, barely hearing her own voice. It was as if she forgot how to talk. The proud, sassy Jasmine was gone and it was just that weak inner self that showed now.

"This is why I can never trust anyone's words. You said you were going to do everything I asked and now you want to leave?" He was sounding very calm, like he wasn't the monster who attacked her house last night, but she had come to fear his voice that she didn't even notice the difference and if he was acting calm, that was even scarier.

Jasmine gulped as she closed her eyes, letting the hot tears fall down her face.

What exactly was she going to do now? How was she going to get herself out of this mess without endangering her father's life?

Valentino's cold eyes ran through her body and it was like he could read her every thought through the expressions on her face.

"Don't try to escape, Jasmine." He said slowly as he closed the book he was reading and stood up calmly. He walked to the chair opposite him and brought the tray on it towards her.

"You have to eat." He said. She didn't reply, instead she turned fully, away from him, towards the window.

"I'm not hungry." She whispered.

"You'll have to gather your strength." He said and she opened her eyes slowly.

"Why do you care?" She muttered.

"Care?" He scoffed.

"Why should I care?" He asked again and she blinked. Then why does he want her to eat? Maybe so she would live a long life as his prisoner but that...it would never happen.

"I don't like you, Jasmine. I hate you and I hate your father so much more, so don't expect me to go easy on you when consummating our marriage. You should eat a lot."