The car screeches to a stop in front of a vast villa cloaked in shadows. Leila is dragged inside, her wrists burning under the men's grip. The marble halls echo with her every step until they shove her into a grand office.
At the far end sits Valerio Moretti, his figure relaxed in a leather chair, a glass of red wine in his hand. His smile is slow, calculated.
Valerio (cold amusement): "So… you're the girl who has Romano losing sleep. I must admit, I expected someone louder. More… flashy."
Leila glares, chest rising and falling with sharp breaths.
Leila (steady voice): "If you think I'm afraid of you, you're wrong."
Valerio chuckles, swirling his wine.
Valerio: "Oh, fiery. I like that. But you should be afraid. I could break you without lifting a finger."
Leila: "You can try. But men like you? You don't scare me. You disgust me."
The words slice sharper than she intends, but she doesn't falter. Valerio leans forward, eyes narrowing.
Valerio (mocking): "Strong words for a girl dragged in by my men like a lamb. Tell me, what do you think Romano will do when he finds you missing? Crawl? Beg? Die?"
Leila bites her lip but refuses to give him the satisfaction of seeing fear.
Leila: "He won't come for me. And even if he does—you'll regret it."
Valerio's smile fades, replaced by cold fury. He slams his glass down, the crack of shattering glass cutting the silence.
Valerio (snarling): "Enough! You think you can stand here and spit pride in my face? We'll see how long that pride lasts."
He signals his men with a flick of his hand.
Valerio: "Put her with the others. The new ones. Let her learn what kind of world she's walked into."
Leila's blood runs cold at his words.
Leila (struggling as they grab her arms): "No! Let me go! Don't you dare—!"
She kicks, thrashes, her nails digging into the skin of the man dragging her, but the men are hulking, unyielding.
Man 1 (grunting): "She's fighting harder than the others."
Valerio (dark laugh): "Good. It will make breaking her all the sweeter."
Leila (yelling as they pull her away): "You won't break me! Do you hear me? You'll never break me!"
Her voice echoes through the hall until the heavy door slams shut behind her, and the darkness swallows her whole.
The door creaks open, and Leila is shoved inside a dimly lit room. The air is heavy with fear — sweat, perfume, and muffled sobs. The room isn't a cell, not exactly; it's worse. Velvet curtains cover barred windows, crystal chandeliers flicker above, and plush couches line the walls. But the beauty is suffocating, a mockery of what it hides.
Dozens of girls huddle together — some no older than Leila, others barely in their teens. Their faces are streaked with tears, their wrists bruised, their eyes hollow. A guard pushes Leila forward, and the door slams shut.
Leila (whispering, trembling): "Oh, God…"
A girl with dark curls looks up at her, eyes wide and lifeless.
Young Girl: "They'll come for you too. You can't fight them."
Leila kneels down, gripping the girl's hands gently, though her own wrists burn from the restraints.
Leila (soft but firm): "Don't say that. They can't take everything from you. Hold onto who you are. Hold onto your name."
The girl stares, blinking as if she barely remembers what that means. Leila fights the sting in her eyes and forces a steady tone.
Then the sound of heels clicking against marble cuts through the room. A door opens at the far end, and the first girl is dragged away by two men in suits. Screams echo seconds later, high-pitched and piercing, muffled only by heavy music spilling from somewhere beyond the walls.
Leila jerks toward the sound, her body surging forward until the restraints pull her back.
Leila (shouting): "STOP! Leave her alone!"
The guards laugh as if her voice is entertainment. Another girl is pulled next, sobbing, her nails clawing at the carpet as they drag her away.
Valerio's voice floats in, distant yet clear, from behind the walls.
Valerio (mocking, almost theatrical): "Watch closely, little moon. Watch, and learn how fragile people really are. Soon, you'll stop fighting, just like them."
Leila presses her hands over her ears, shaking her head violently, tears burning her lashes.
Leila (whispering to herself): "Don't listen… don't break… don't give him this."
But she can't block it all out — the screams, the begging, the cruel laughter. Every sound pierces her chest like knives. Her shoulders tremble, her body aching against the bindings, her nails digging into her palms until she draws blood.
One of the younger girls curls into Leila's side, sobbing uncontrollably. Leila instinctively pulls her close, whispering.
Leila (soothing, broken voice): "Shhh… don't cry, sweetie. You're not alone. We'll endure this. I promise you. We'll endure."
The guards lean against the wall, smirking at her defiance, knowing Valerio's plan is working: every scream chips at her, every act of cruelty she cannot stop is another fracture in her armor.
But even as her heart feels like it's splitting apart, Leila refuses to let her tears fall in front of them. She lifts her chin, holding the little girl tighter.
Leila (to herself, through clenched teeth): "You won't break me. You'll never break me."