Chapter 53: Unexpected encounter
The night was unnaturally quiet, the air heavy as though it carried a warning.
When the old woman opened the creaking wooden door, her heart tightened at the sight before her.
Two armed guards stood firm on the porch, bearing the royal insignia of Princess Elowen’s father.
Their presence brought with it an undeniable authority, and in the hand of the lead guard was a weathered poster... Elowen’s face staring back in stark black and white.
"Good evening, ma’am," the taller guard said politely but firmly. "If you don’t mind, we would like to ask a few questions.
How many people reside in this home? Have you by any chance seen this lady?" He tilted the poster toward her.
The old woman’s eyes narrowed, a practiced calm masking her racing heart. "No, I haven’t seen her," she replied smoothly, her voice not corresponding to her pounding heart. "And only my granddaughter is here, having her meal." She gestured toward Bianca, who sat at the dining table, feigning complete nonchalance as she lifted a spoon to her lips, smile at the guards and also waved the guards.
The guards glanced at each other.
The woman widened the door further, the scent of old oak and candle wax spilling into the night. "You may come in, but I don’t appreciate strangers ransacking my home when I have already spoken the truth."
They stepped forward cautiously, boots echoing against the stone floor.
Underneath the table, hidden by a thick tablecloth that brushed the ground, Elowen’s breath caught in her throat. Her body was curled tight, every muscle tensed, but fate betrayed her. A slight creak of the floorboard beneath her palm broke the silence.
One of the guards turned sharply. Bianca’s spoon clattered deliberately against her plate, and she let out a dramatic sigh. "Sorry, that was me," she said casually, flicking her hair over her shoulder, eyes meeting the guard’s with practiced boredom.
The two men shared a silent conversation, then nodded to each other. "Thank you for your time, ma’am," the lead guard said. "We’ll be on our way."
The old woman gave a tight smile, hiding her relief. "Goodnight, gentlemen." When the door shut, she leaned her weight against it, heart still thudding.
The lamps were turned off quickly, and the house descended into a darkness thick enough to hide secrets.
One by one, they retired to their rooms, each carrying unspoken fears to bed.
****
Far from the quiet country house, Alessia stepped into the underground haven.
Seraphina unlock so many doors using a secret code, everything seems dark and weird to Alessia.
A labyrinth of stone halls and candlelit rooms.
The air smelled faintly of iron and damp earth, walls lined with secrets untold.
Every step she took echoed, a haunting reminder of isolation. Her voice, small but steady, broke the silence.
"Why is everything underground?" she asked, turning to Seraphina, whose graceful figure moved ahead like a shadow.
Seraphina didn’t pause. "Because we are not safe aboveground. You, little sister, are the most wanted woman alive. So I will do anything to shield you away from.
The world doesn’t wish you well. It wishes to harm you."
Alessia’s brows knitted. "Wanted? By whom? And why?"
"We’ll talk in time. For now, trust me." Seraphina’s voice softened, yet an undercurrent of command remained. "I have your back."
But Alessia’s heart tugged at something more fragile. "Where is Mother?" My woman, my mother The question came softly, almost breaking in the air.
Seraphina stopped. She turned slowly, her face a portrait of control. "Mother’s gone. Her name was Mrs. Walton. She... she’s dead."
The words struck Alessia like cold water. "Dead? No..." and I think her name is mrs bianchi She pressed a hand to her head, a surge of confusion rising. "I have no memory of her been dead. None."
Alessia began to feel her head banging. She rested on the wall for support.
You have been unwell, Seraphina said quickly, ushering her toward a chair. "You’re just out of the hospital. Don’t push yourself. Rest. Here.... She placed a bowl of fresh fruit before her.
"The nurse will check you soon."
But as soon as Alessia looked away, Seraphina slipped onto the balcony where Lorenzo waited, his expression tense. Her whisper was sharp, cutting the night.
"She’s starting to remember. We need to act fast, before the fragments become whole."
Lorenzo’s face tightened. "She remembered her mother?"
"Yes. If she regains everything, we lose control. We must keep her under until we finish our mission."
Lorenzo hesitated. "You’re suggesting...?"
"Put her to sleep," Seraphina hissed. "Days, if needed. An injection."
He didn’t like it, she saw it in his eyes but eventually, his nod was reluctant. "Fine. But quickly."
*****
Sleep would not claim Alessia easily. Her body was tired, but her mind wandered like a restless bird.
She paced the halls quietly, fingers grazing walls as though seeking answers.
Something inside whispered that this home was not safe.
A flicker of curiosity led her to a door she hadn’t opened before.
It groaned as she pushed it wide, revealing an old wardrobe filled with photographs.
At first, they seemed ordinary faces she didn’t know but then her breath caught.
Many of the pictures were marked with crimson Xs across the faces, as though they had been erased from life. And there, among them, she saw a familiar name - Luca Morano.
Her pulse quickened. "Luca," she murmured.
The memory was distant but alive. The name had been spoken by someone at the hospital. Daisy.
And now here it was, on a wall of enemies. Why? Why was he marked like prey?
A heat rose in her chest, confusion battling something tender. "So cute..." she whispered without thinking. "Why does my heart... ache for him? Not just my heart alone, including my body". Her fingers trembled as they traced the edges of his photograph.
Something about his eyes called to her, a pull she couldn’t deny. Yet, anger sparked too, a silent betrayal she couldn’t name.
With a sudden burst of frustration, she tore the photo from the wall, into pieces.
Her vision swam.
A wave of dizziness struck her hard, forcing her to stumble.
The photographs slipped from her hands as she staggered back to her room, the world tilting.
She barely made it to the bed, collapsing into its softness.
****
In the quiet of another room, Bianca stirred.
The moonlight caught the edge of a leather satchel belonging to Princess Elowen.
Curiosity or perhaps greed slid through Bianca like a serpent.
Quietly, she rose and crept to the bag.
Her fingers dipped inside, and when they emerged, they held something priceless.
A book.
Not just any book but "The black book", The important book the moranos, are dying to get? How comes she have it?.....
Suddenly bianca’s lips curved into a dangerous smile. "Such a sweet idea," she whispered to herself. "Elowen, you have no idea how close I will stay to you now. This book will change everything."
She slipped it back with practiced care, the seed of a plan already taking root. By morning, she would be ready to play a new game.
****
Alessia’s breathing was shallow, her clothes loose around her delicate b*obs as she shifted in restless sleep.
The moonlight cut across her like silver, tracing her collarbone, the curve of her shoulder, the elegant shape of her waist.
She looked ethereal and vulnerable, her beauty sharpened by mystery.
There was an almost magnetic allure in the way her hair fanned over the pillow, the faint rise and fall of her chest drawing the eye.
The breeze from the window blew part of her hairs to cover half of her eyes. Her sleeping position was curved in a sexy way and her round big butt positioned facing the door and that would be what anyone who entered the room will sight first.
Lorenzo entered the room quietly, but when his eyes fell on her, a tension coiled inside him.
His hands curled into fists at his sides, desire mixing with something darker, bitterness, possession and regrets.
His d*ck harden as he craves for a good moment with Alessia
He moved closer, his gaze running over her like a silent confession.
"She should have been mine," he whispered, voice thick. "But Luca stole her away."
His hand hovered, trembling near her ankle, the urge to claim her warring with the shame of betrayal.
The quiet hum of his breathing grew heavier, each step an echo of conflict. Then....
The door crashed open.
Wood splintered, and the force of it slammed against the wall.
Lorenzo jerked back, his breath caught in his throat.
There, framed in the doorway like judgment itself....
There stood Luca Morano.
His eyes were blazing, jaw tight, every muscle drawn with fury.
The gun in his hand was steady, lethal, and the command in his gaze could freeze blood.
The tension was a knife’s edge and it was about to cut.
"how dare you Lorenzo? You have got so much Audacity around my woman. Luca said...
Lorenzo also pointed his own gun at Luca’s face.....