"Let me go! Let me go!" Leah screamed through her struggles as she woke to find herself restrained. Her body writhed violently, exerting every ounce of strength to free herself from the iron cuffs and the chains securing her to the bed.
Two nurses rushed toward her, their hands moving quickly as they tried to steady Leah's shaking shoulders.
"Miss, please be calm. Miss," the nurses pleaded in an anxious, futile tone.
Leah knew that all her efforts would yield no results. The cold clink of metal brought the reality home; both of her hands were bound by sturdy iron chains.
However, Leah refused to surrender. Every jerk of the chain was a form of resistance against Fabio, or Arnold, the name of the man she had loved as her boyfriend, who had turned out to be nothing more than a lie.
The bedroom door opened. When Fabio's figure appeared in the doorway, Leah's breath suddenly hitched. Her eyes began to well with tears, and her lips trembled violently, holding back a storm of emotion ready to explode.
Fabio stepped closer, moving slowly. As the distance between them closed, Leah's chest felt tighter, as if the oxygen in the room had suddenly vanished. Her tears fell without a sound, without a sob, just clear streams flooding her pale cheeks.
"Why did you do this to me?" Leah asked. Her reddened eyes stared at Fabio, demanding an answer through the pool of tears.
Fabio looked away. The man who was usually cold and untouchable now seemed to lose the courage even to return Leah's gaze.
"Answer me!" Leah screamed hysterically.
"What was my father's fault? What was my fault to you?" Leah's voice shook uncontrollably. A soft sob finally escaped her lips, followed by a violent shiver through her body. "Why did you kill my father?!"
Fabio moved forward and pulled Leah into his embrace. This time, Leah did not struggle; she was too shattered even to push the man away. She simply remained frozen in the arms of a murderer.
"Forgive me, Leah. I truly did not know that Jackson Sterling, the man you knew as Sean Etmand, was your father," Fabio whispered hoarsely.
"Why did you kill him? WHY?!" Leah shrieked at the final word, beating against Fabio's chest with what remained of her strength.
Fabio released the embrace and framed Leah's face with both hands, forcing the girl to see the truth in his eyes. "Your father. You do not know who he really was, do you?"
Leah went still, her gaze betraying a deep confusion. "What do you mean?"
"He stood in my way. He threatened the existence of my family. So I had to eliminate him," Fabio said in a very careful tone, as if every word were a blade cutting into Leah.
"You criminal! I do not believe you!" Leah's weeping broke out again, her voice raspy with grief. "My father was not a bad man!"
"I and your father were both carrying out a duty, Leah. I was trying to protect my people, and your father was performing his duty as an FBI agent," Fabio stated calmly.
Suddenly, Leah was stunned. Her eyes widened, staring at Fabio as if the man had just grown horns. The world around her seemed to collapse upon hearing that single fact.
"Yes. Your father was an FBI agent. Jackson Sterling was his real identity," Fabio continued.
"And you?" Leah's voice dropped low, but it was heavy with loathing. She looked at Fabio with the sharpest stare she had ever possessed. "Who are you really? Are you a mobster?"
Fabio fell silent. He turned his face toward the window, unable to bear the weight of Leah's judgmental gaze any longer.
"Answer me! You are a criminal bastard, aren't you?! You dare compare my father's noble duty to your crimes? You think they are equal? You are insane! You murderer!"
Spit! Without hesitation, Leah spat directly into Fabio's face.
Fabio's jaw tightened instantly. His hands clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white, holding back a surge of anger and wounded pride. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting the insult sit on his skin before he slowly wiped his face.
When Fabio opened his eyes again, the tenderness he had shown earlier had vanished, replaced by a cold and lethal aura. He gripped Leah's jaw, forcing the girl to face his dominance.
"Whatever you say, you will stay here. I will never let you go," Fabio said, this time with a firm, intimidating tone.
"So, do not waste your energy just to fight me," Fabio added with a piercing look.
Fabio moved away from the bed and stood tall, intending to leave the sobbing Leah behind. However, just as he took a step, the bedroom door was thrown open. One of his men appeared with a deathly pale face, his breath coming in panicked gasps.
"Boss! There are suspicious people at the restaurant. It seems the FBI has begun to suspect your restaurant," the man reported in a trembling voice.
"What?!" Fabio gasped. His eyes narrowed sharply, radiating both fury and shock.