Chapter 1: Mariano Di-Falco

It was 8 A.M in the morning when Mariano got down from his bed, his chest bare, and the first thing that came to his mind was the p*ssy he fucked the previous night. Glancing out of his window, he soaked in the morning sun, casting a warm glow on his face. He was eagerly anticipating the evening as he couldn't wait to visit the club and fuck new pussies.

He left the window side to his small wine bar where he grabbed a bottle of brandy and a glass before walking to the couch. Sitting down he poured himself a glass of brandy, and took a sip, then leaned against the couch. He closed his eyes afterwards trying to savore the taste of the brandy. This was his routine when he needed to clear his head. He couldn't go to work, especially not after f*cking six bitches the previous night.

Moments later, he heard footsteps but chose not to open his eyes, assuming it would be one of his maids – a guess that proved correct.

"What do you want?" he asked coldly, his eyes still closed. "Just get to the point, and if it's something meaningless, your family might be planning a funeral soon" he said calmly. The maid gulped forcefully. Although his voice was calm, she knew all too well that those were not just empty words. Mariano was not one to give mere threats and they all knew that, so they avoided getting on his bad side.

"It's your mom... I mean, Ma'am Rose" she corrected herself quickly, not ready to lose her tongue just yet.

Mariano had warned them about calling Rose his mom, but even that slight mistake didn't make him open his eyes, so the maid continued.

"She's running a fever and needs immediate attention. She might die; she's burning up badly" the maid reported, and that was enough to make Mariano snap his eyes open.

He looked at the maid, a deadly frown appearing on his face. "And you came to tell me? Why? Because I'm the doctor?" he asked coldly while the girl nervously bit her lips, her head bent. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes, especially not when he was that angry.

Sighing, Mariano downed the entire glass of brandy before issuing a command, "Get Doctor Grey to check on her!" The maid nodded hastily and left his presence.

He snickered and slammed the empty glass on the table "She wants to die? Absolutely not!" he muttered, his tone dripping with hatred as he walked to his wardrobe and grabbed a sleeveless shirt.

After dressing, he left his room, traversing the long hallway until he reached a door. The guards at the door bowed their heads and made way for him as he entered the room.

In a corner of the room, a woman was chained, her clothes were like rags and her hair was unkept. Despite her haggard appearance, her inherent beauty shone through. Mariano wore an irritating smirk as he took deliberate, predatory steps toward where she was chained. Squatting in front of her, he raised his hands and delivered a sharp slap to her cheek, causing tears to spring from her eyes profusely.

He got a tissue from the bedside table and cleaned his hands before arranging her scattered hair. "Did I just slap you? Oh, I'm so sorry" he feigned surprise, but it only lasted a few seconds before he burst into laughter.

"I heard you're thinking of dying? You know you can't die that easily, Mother, not yet. Although the mere sight of you irritates me, I suppose I can endure. You need to stay alive and face your punishment—for everything you've done. There's no escaping it" he said with a wicked smile.

He stopped laughing and took a few steps back when Doctor Grey stepped into the room, which was more like a prison cell.

"Do your job well. If anything happens to her, you won't like what I'm going to do" he warned, lightly slapping Dr. Grey's cheek before leaving the room.

He returned to his room, and immediately, his phone rang. He checked the caller and a frown creased his forehead as he placed the phone to his ear.

“Hey, Mr. Di Falco” a husky male voice spoke from the other end of the line.

"What is it, Eduardo?" Mariano asked casually, tossing his phone on the bed as he removed his shirt, revealing his well-built body, particularly the six-pack abs that drove all the women he'd been with crazy.

Eduardo was Mariano's only friend, and their friendship dated back to high school. Eduardo nicknamed Mariano "Lucifer" because of how bad he treated his mother. Despite Eduardo's attempts to make Mariano change, he never listened.

"So, how was your night, wifey?" Eduardo asked.

"Just get to the point. Are you coming over, or..." Mariano's words trailed off as a thought crossed his mind. "Shall we go out for drinks and some fresh p*ssies?" he asked.

"Maria, don't you think it's too..." Before Eduardo could finish his sentence, Mariano abruptly ended the call, uninterested in a lengthy lecture. He just needed a "Yes," not a long, boring sermon, which he was sure Eduardo would give. He hissed, imagining how Eduardo would curse at him for cutting him off, but he didn't care.

Dr. Grey entered the room to find Mariano on the couch drinking, as usual. Despite being a bad guy, Mariano had no tattoos and didn't smoke either, but he was a heavy drinker who didn't easily get drunk unless haunted by thoughts of his past and the hardships he endured. He drank himself into a stupor to ensure he got wasted, all to forget about the pain.

"What do you have to say?" Mariano asked without looking at Dr. Grey or bothering to offer him a seat. He only grabbed the glass of brandy from the table, staring at it as if it were the most important thing in his life.

"She's fine, but she refused breakfast. I... I gave her some medication, which she... she also refused to take" Dr. Grey stuttered continuously. Mariano's gaze snapped away from the glass, his frown deepening at the old man who lowered his head immediately, unable to look Mariano in the eyes as his expression was often frightful.

"She doesn't want to take her medication?" Mariano asked, laughing shortly like a wizard. He was growing annoyed that she was desperately seeking his attention. He stood up abruptly, and Dr. Grey quickly moved aside, clearing a path for him.

Entering the room where Rose was, she gulped forcefully upon catching sight of him. The dangerous and deadly look on his face could make anyone wish for death, and she wasn't an exception.