"You! I want you," he said coldly.
Valentina's expression changed and a look of confusion covered her face as she looked at him.
"What do you mean by that?" she said.
The man suddenly dropped a piece of paper on the table.
"I don't have time for all this. Look!" he said, his voice raised an octave higher.
Valentina picked up the paper and started reading it. What she saw left her shocked. She saw a contract of ownership written on the paper with her father's name.
Instantly, a look of betrayal filled her face once again, and her eyes became red and started to steam as she continued reading and saw, at the bottom of the paper, a signature that said "Lorenzo." She finally realized where she was and looked up.
Lorenzo looked at her face, understanding she now knew where she was.
"You're Lorenzo?" she said calmly.
"Yes, I am," he said.
"Please let me go," she said shakily.
Lorenzo ordered his men to take her to her room. As they took her away, Valentina kept begging as tears rolled down her cheeks.
Lorenzo averted his eyes from her.
"You can't do this to me! Let me go!" she shouted as she struggled.
As they locked her inside the room, she kept banging on the door and begging. She then looked around and noticed that the room was painted plain white with a small-sized bed and a vanity table. She went to the bed, sat down, continued crying, and then passed out from exhaustion.
There was a knock on the door. She woke up and sat upright on the bed, eyes swollen.
An elderly woman suddenly walked in.
Valentina felt a sense of warmth as she saw the elderly woman, a feeling she hadn't felt since she arrived at the house.
The elderly woman walked up to her.
"The master has requested that you take a shower and change into this outfit. I will come back later to take you to his chambers," she said.
The elderly woman placed the clothes on the bed and turned to leave.
"Wait! Please tell me where I am and who you are. I beg you. Please help me," Valentina said.
The elderly woman smiled at her and turned to leave once again.
"Please wait! May I know your name?" Valentina asked.
"It's Ronita, ma'am," she said.
"Please call me Valentina," she replied.
"I can't do that, ma'am. If you would excuse me, I'll be on my way," Ronita said.
As she left, the door was shut and locked by the guard outside.
Valentina went back to the bed and inspected the clothes. It looked like nightwear that came with a red jacket. She then stood up to inspect the room too. She found women's clothes in the wardrobe and things for women in the bathroom. She thought to herself that a woman must have been there before her.
She went into the bathroom to take a shower. While taking a shower, she started crying and thinking of how she could escape this place, wondering what her dad had put her into. She didn't even have a phone to call her mom or anyone for help. She just felt hopeless.
Later on, Ronita knocked on the door again and entered the room. Valentina was already dressed, and Ronita was relieved.
"It's time to go to the master's chamber, ma'am," Ronita said.
"I told you to call me by my name," Valentina said.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, ma'am. I have to follow the master's orders," Ronita said, smiling.
They left for the master's chamber.
On their way there, Valentina looked around to see if there was a way to escape, but unfortunately, there were guards everywhere watching her, so she couldn't. She also noticed some symbols on the furniture and paintings.
They finally arrived at Lorenzo's chambers. Ronita knocked on the door, then Valentina was told to go in alone while Ronita left.
As she walked in, she looked around and noticed that the room was black and white, with some books and objects that had the same symbols she saw on her way there.
It looked interesting, and she was curious, so she walked around to inspect some things. Then she saw a small black box. As she touched it, Lorenzo opened the door and walked in from a different entrance.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
She was quiet for a while.
"Nothing," she said.
"I need to make one thing clear to you. You're not my wife. I own you. You're nothing but a hostage. Never forget your place. If you ever try to run or escape, I will hurt your parents and your sisters. Their safety lies in your hands," he said.
Valentina was frightened. She finally understood that indeed, he was dangerous and powerful.
"Don't you dare hurt my family," she said.
Lorenzo smirked.
"Then behave properly," he said calmly.
Then Lorenzo called one of his men to take her to her room. Just as she was about to leave a call came in.
"Oh it's from your dad" he said
Better be quiet and behave. Or else!
Meanwhile, at the Ross family house, things weren't calm. Rosa couldn't find her daughter Tina and was in a panic. She didn't want to think that anything had happened to her daughter. She went back home with hope that her daughter would be back.
She opened the door only to see that her husband was still sitting in the same position, but this time he was with his other daughters.
"Mama, you're back!" Alessia said excitedly.
"Where did you go, Mama?" Alessia asked politely.
Rosa was distracted, looking around to find her daughter, whom she couldn't see. She didn't answer her kids' questions and went around the house to check if Tina was back. She found no sign of her. She came back down to the living room, looked at Carlo, but Carlo couldn't look directly at her.
"Where is my daughter, Carlo?" she asked angrily.
"She hasn't come back yet," he said calmly.
Rosa was filled with anger because of how calm Carlo was about the whole thing. The girls were confused because they didn't think anything had happened.
"I thought Dad said she went over to her friend's place," Camila said.
"She did?" Rosa asked.
"Well, that's what Dad said," Camila said.
Rosa looked at Carlo suspiciously. She immediately knew he had something to do with her daughter's disappearance.
"Girls, please go to your rooms. Your dad and I need to talk," she said.
"Is something wrong, Mama?" Camila asked.
"Nothing is wrong, okay? Your dad and I just need to talk about some grown-up things. Be good girls and go to your rooms," she said.
Both girls went to their rooms with thoughts about what happened between their parents. Alessia didn't really think too much about it, but Camila started getting suspicious again and tried to connect the dots.
In the living room, Rosa gave Carlo a dirty look as he kept bowing his head to avoid eye contact.
"I'll ask you one more time, Carlo. Where is my daughter?" she asked.
He stuttered as he told her the truth.
"She's with Lorenzo," he said.
Rosa paused and stared at the man she called her husband, looking pathetic and calm as he uttered those words. She could not help but wonder what evil deed she must have committed in her past life to deserve such a man. Her eyes began to turn red with anger. She balled her fists until her knuckles turned white.
"Take me to her now!" she said, her voice filled with rage.
"How do you know she's with Lorenzo? Did you plan this?" she demanded, now standing directly in front of him.
Carlo, wearing a defeated look, replied, "No, I didn't. Shortly after you left, I received a text from him saying he's with Tina."
Rosa grabbed his hands and shoulders, shaking him as she cried.
"So you did not even call to know how she's taking this? What type of man are you?" she yelled.
Carlo stood still, unsure how to console his wife, allowing her to shake him continuously.
With her voice cracking painfully, she shouted, "I want to speak to my daughter now! Call Lorenzo! I want to see my child!"
More tears streamed down her face.
Carlo pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number Lorenzo had contacted him with. Lorenzo picked up almost immediately, as if he had been expecting the call.
As soon as the call connected, Rosa grabbed the phone instantly.
"Where is my daughter? I want to speak to her now!" she shouted.
Lorenzo laughed calmly over the phone.
"Your daughter?" Lorenzo said calmly.
"She belongs to me now."
The call ended, leaving the room silent and cold.