"Sir, what happened, and what are you doing here?" She inquired apprehensively, and those innocent wondering eyes full of blamelessness infuriated me to no end. She's acting innocent and believes I won't find out her real identity, but I'm Sergio Fiorentino. She had no idea I am an old player in the game she is playing with me right now.

"Oh! Look at you, being so naïve and innocent." I scowled as I took a step closer to her.

"Sir, I don't know what you're talking about." She said as she took a step back in nervousness. Fear was quite evident in those innocent brown eyes.

"You already know what I'm talking about. I despise fucking liars, and you know what I do when someone lies to me? I growled, and she whined as she moved back, hoping to be miraculously saved.

"I fucking kill them without mercy," I said and she instantly squeezed her eyes shut.

"Who are you?" She swallowed the massive knot in her throat and summoned the strength to inquire.

"I'm your worst nightmare, Emma," I murmured, taking slow steps toward her. She was terrified—very terrified—and seeing the fear in her eyes gave me a sense of relief. I intended to kill her, but before I did, I wanted to ravish her.

"You, on the other hand, already know who I am. So don't act like you're merely a victim of circumstances here."

"I don't know who you are. I've never seen you before. I saw you for the first time in the chocolate factory yesterday."

"It will be fun killing you, Emma."

"Please don't kill me. I swear I have no idea what you're on about." She yelled, tears streaming down her cheeks. She proceeded to take her steps back until she abruptly hit the wall, and I smirked since she now has nowhere to go.

"Now, you have nowhere to go." I took a step toward her and she screamed in fear, begging me to spare her life. "I haven't done anything, Sir. Please, let me go."

She gradually drew pepper spray from her bag and was about to spray it into my eyes when I grasped her wrist, prompting her to groan in pain and the bottle to fall to the ground. "What are you thinking, Cagna (Bitch)?" I pinned her to the wall, and she screamed as her head collided with the wall with such severity that for a fleeting moment, I thought I smashed her skull. I slammed my hand against the wall, and she clenched her eyes shut in fear. "Tell me what you know. This is the final time I'll ask you; otherwise, I won't waste a single minute before killing you."

"I'm afraid I don't know anything, Sir. Please let me go; I will not tell anyone. My head hurts." She pleaded with me to let her go.

"You won't be alive to tell anybody about it." I ripped her black leather jacket and she tried to conceal her body from the chilling sensation of cold. She began to shiver as she felt frosted. I grabbed her right arm and examined the scar. "How did you get this scar?"

"I already told you about the scar. I got it from the accident that happened fourteen years back." She choked on her tears.

"Don't you dare lie to me?" I warned her.

"I'm not lying." She yelled as she tried hard to shove me away from her, but it was all in vain. To me, she was only a little girl, yet she was a fighter as she somehow managed to wiggle out from my clutches. She lifted her hand to slap me, but I grabbed her wrist before she could. Anger poured in my veins, and all I wanted to do right now was torture her until I ripped her innocence away. I wanted to torture her until her soul craved death. I clutched her hand above her head and grasped her neck as I peered into her gorgeous eyes that were full of innocence. I scowled as I tightened my grasp on her neck; she struggled to withdraw my hand from her neck but couldn't. She started choking and fell out of breath. She was attempting to hurt me with her claw-like nails. "Oh wonderful, my little kitten has claws."

"S-S-Sir...I'll die. P-Please, leave me." She gasped. I tightened my grip on her neck, and she wheezed. She finally gave up after a brief struggle. I withdrew my hand from her neck, and her body crumpled to the ground. I knelt and checked her pulse; she was still breathing. "Fuck, she's indeed a fighter."

I scooped her into my arms, slid her into the passenger seat, and drove back to my place. I carried her upstairs to my room and laid her on the bed. I carefully analyzed her right arm. This was not an accident scar. This was undoubtedly a bullet scar, indicating that she had been shot. Did she lie to me about the scar, or was she utterly ignorant of what had happened to her when she acquired it? I need to keep her here until my reservations about her are dispelled.

I took a brief shower before heading to bed in a casual black shirt and grey sweatpants. Emma was still unconscious. I took my laptop and sat on the other side of the bed. It was around three a.m., and I was still working on the laptop when Emma began to quiver and wriggle in her sleep. She was sweaty and mumbling something. I instantly grabbed her and hugged her securely in my arms, providing her with a feeling of comfort and ease.

"No...No...No...No...No...No. Put an end to it. He killed the injured man. Please help. The young girl is hurt. Please help." She murmured and strongly gripped my shoulder. "Please help. He killed him with a gun." I was taken aback by what she had just said. Is it possible that she is simply a victim of horrible circumstances?

"Emma, open your eyes," I murmured, wiping away her tears.

She slowly opened her eyes and peered into mine, adding, "I ran into the injured man and the young girl once more. The bad man shot the injured man, killing him and injuring the young girl. Please, don't leave me. I'm scared."

"Shh! Stop crying, Mio Angelo. It was just a nightmare—a very bad nightmare. Don't worry, I am here with you and I am never going to leave you alone. I promise you that nothing bad will happen to you as long as I'm here with you." She cupped my face in her tiny hands, and then her hands slipped from my face, and she flashed me a weak grin before she was driven back to sleep.

I attempted to gradually release her hands from my body, but she had her hands firmly clasped around my shoulders. Emma was plastered to my chest like an adhesive as I slowly relaxed against the bedrest. I could feel her warm breath on my neck and, for some reason, it seemed like something I hadn't felt in a long time. I've never met her, but I feel as if I've known her since the very beginning. I was having an insane sensation—a sensation that she belonged to me—in my arms, in my warmth, and she was the final piece of the puzzle I was missing. I don't have any emotions or sentiments to perceive, yet just seeing Emma made me feel different about myself. I brushed my fingertips delicately across her cheeks before tucking her lovely hair behind her ear. I couldn't get my mind off her. Her innocence. Her smile. Her lips. The way she rambles on without pausing. The rhythm of her breathing. She was clutching me tightly as if she was afraid of something. I wanted to solve this lovely puzzle because I wanted to own her. I want to possess her. I'm not sure why I desire her, but I know I won't let anything bad happen to her.

I pushed all the absurd thoughts out of my mind. She has no power over me and never will. She's a tiny little thing, and I can break her with the snap of my finger. I sighed deeply and draped the blanket over us. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep slumber.