Prologue

Without imagining the horror happening in the house where she spent her childhood, Victoria was sitting on the bench in the park where she used to go with her parents as a child.

Since her flight took off a bit earlier, she decided to enjoy the pleasant weather before heading to her parent's house.

The lack of hurry was not without explanation, as arriving unexpectedly in Luca, a small town in Italy, Victoria knew that at this hour her parents would still be at the textile factory where they worked.

Leisurely, she strolled through the streets where she grew up, feeling memories visiting her vividly even after so much time. Only when her legs grew tired did she decide to go to her parent's house to rest from the long hours spent cramped in the airplane seat.

Everything seemed normal. The neighbors remained silent, and the flowers in the garden in front of the house where she grew up were still beautiful and apparent, displaying the extreme care her father had for his precious plants.

Victoria's slow steps took a while to reach the entrance, and perhaps, due to her fatigue, she took too long to notice that something was wrong.

The slightly ajar door surprised her, making her believe that her parents, for some reason, might have come home earlier. However, her intuition only alerted her to some danger when she saw small red stains scattered on the carpet covering the floor.

Perhaps the most logical thing to do would be to leave as quickly as possible and call the police. However, when she thought about the possibility of her parents being injured, she threw all the bags she held tightly to the ground, running as fast as she could to the bedroom, which, to her surprise, was empty.

Confused, she observed all the empty rooms until she noticed the noise coming from the kitchen.

And at that moment, Victoria saw him for the first time.

Hidden behind the wall separating the living room and the kitchen, he didn't see her back. And so Victoria remained, motionless, watching him while thinking of any action she could take to keep her parents safe.

He stood there, with his body leaning on the island, displaying an unpleasant expression on his face. Some loose strands of his long hair fell over his cheeks, and he continued to stare hatefully at the cell phone in his hands.

When Victoria's eyes followed further, she saw her parents.

Her body automatically collapsed on the floor marked with the spilled blood from earlier, unable to muster the strength to remain intact in the face of such a difficult scene.

She saw them tied to each other, crying copiously while begging to have their lives spared.

Unfortunately, they were seeking mercy from an empty source. Occasionally, the black eyes of the boss who kept them there found them, quickly dispersing as he displayed a sly smile on the corner of his mouth.

He seemed to be enjoying the situation, and that disgusted Victoria.

Trying to think logically, she decided to take advantage of her invisibility before the men holding them hostage and ran to the door, retracing the same path she used to get there. Desperate, she continued to search for the cell phone among the pieces of clothes tangled in her bag, and at that moment she saw a light at the end of the tunnel by looking at the lit screen at the bottom of the bag, all her hope faded away.

A thin and slender man appeared in front of her, emerging from the front door, smiling maliciously at seeing her with tears in her eyes.

He grabbed her arm without any gentleness, dragging her into the kitchen. The smile on his face made it seem like he had won a prize, and indeed, he had reasons to be content.

"Boss!" He shouted excitedly before continuing, "I found this at the front door."

Victoria's parents panicked the moment they saw their defenseless daughter in the hands of a thug like that, and at the same time, his eyes lit up.

He stared at her, watching her squirm and struggle against the floor, making it difficult for the henchman who kept her under control.

Indignant, he approached, taking slow and intimidating steps toward the redhead, who remained lying on the floor.

"Get up!" He ordered, making Victoria shudder at the sound of his deep voice. "Are you deaf? Get up now!" This time, he drew his .380 caliber gun toward the young woman, who finally complied with his order.

She rose with difficulty, feeling her legs wobbly from the terror she felt at that moment. Awkwardly, she straightened her white dress that insisted on riding up every time she moved. The leader of the other men followed the movement of her hands pulling the fabric of the tight dress, and the malicious smile that appeared on his face made Victoria fear, imagining what was going on in his mind at that moment.

"Please, don't hurt them," she pleaded with a low and fearful voice, noticing a wide smile appear on his face.

He did not respond, only continued towards her, holding her face with disproportionate force.

"Who gave you permission to speak, slut?" his words made Victoria want to spit in his face. However, she needed to think wisely. "Since you want to save your parents, what do you propose in return?" The brunette asked maliciously.

"I'll do whatever it takes," she replied with a trembling voice, watching her parents' eyes jump with concern.

"Are you willing to do anything?" He asked before continuing. "Your request is an order, princess. You come with me."

The man dragged the cold steel of the gun he held firmly over Victoria's sensitive skin. She did not argue, just accepted the fate that chose her at that exact moment.

Thinking for the good of her parents, she did what she deemed necessary and extended her trembling hand towards the man who had been devouring her with his eyes since he first saw her.

The smile he displayed on his face did not convey happiness. It was obvious to Victoria that he was nothing more than a sadist who, at that moment, found a new toy to have fun with.