Dear My Mafia (English Version)

Chapter 1

The sound of gunshots heard from outside the building startled everyone. They scattered, searching for alternative exits, while the tall iron door was being forcefully breached by the special police unit. Most of the new members chose to hide in the place and resign themselves, as they had no prior experience in this field.

However, Matt was different. He was one of the most alert individuals, running towards the boss, Antonio, and standing behind him.

"I will protect you," he said as he pulled out his pistol.

Antonio nodded in agreement and immediately ran to another corner of the building, where he had already prepared an escape route in case unexpected events like this occurred. It was truly unfortunate that this incident happened so abruptly.

Matt continued to trail behind Antonio as they finally managed to open the main gate. The commotion could be heard from behind them. And, of course, some of the special police units deliberately targeted Antonio as their primary target and continued to pursue him. Thinking they would pass through a narrow secret passage, Matt took the initiative to stop there, causing Antonio to turn around instantly.

"What's going on?! Why did you stop, Fool? Hurry up!"

However, with his firm stance, Matt planted his feet firmly and stood guard, pointing his gun forward while squinting one eye. "You're the one who will go, I'll stay here to protect you."

The man in the white shirt and shimmering charcoal black jacket attempted to grab Matt's collar and said, "You're insane, huh?! Come on, quickly."

Unfortunately, Matt had already made up his mind. He dedicated himself to saving Antonio until the end, like a loyal dog. He brushed off Antonio's hand on his clothes and pushed him towards the secret door on the left side. "They're coming, you must leave here immediately."

And without further ado, Matt shifted his gaze and began firing at the pursuing police officers in front of him.

Antonio had managed to pass through the door but hadn't closed it yet. He fervently hoped that Matt would follow his words and escape during the exchange of gunfire.

Unfortunately... fortune was not on Antonio's side.

In the next gunshot, Antonio witnessed with his own eyes that a bullet from one of the police officers pierced deep into Matt's head, causing him to fall backward. Like a slow-motion scene in a movie, Antonio and Matt exchanged glances before Matt collapsed to the floor. His eyes rolled upwards, marking the last time Antonio saw him.

Antonio desperately wanted to stop and embrace Matt, his loyal assistant who had stood by his side for years. At the very least, he wanted to express his gratitude and bid farewell. However, the sound of footsteps heard from behind made him abandon that intention.

Antonio closed the door and pressed the buttons next to it, causing the iron door to close instantly. The chase finally came to a halt, but the 40-year-old man felt no relief whatsoever.

Matt's death had pierced his perpetually darkened heart, worsening his feelings of the devastation caused by betrayal from his closest allies.

In the midst of mourning, Antonio had to continue his journey. He used the car stored in the secret chamber and exited through the prepared underground route. All these ideas originated from Matt during the construction process and were implemented. Who would have thought that all these secret passages would truly come in handy for him, even though Antonio had to spend more money in the end?

He successfully escaped and blended in with other vehicles on the bustling outskirts of New York City. The simple appearance of his unremarkable black car kept Antonio from drawing attention. He even managed to elude the special police who intentionally surveilled him from a distance, cautious of his small black vehicle.

He changed direction and headed towards the Brooklyn Bridge. Regardless of the time it would take or the amount of fuel consumed to reach that destination, Antonio continued driving.

The Brooklyn Bridge may be famous for its age, but Antonio remembered this place as the spot where he first met Matt Octo, a friend, companion, brother, and the only person he could trust. Their encounter could be considered quite terrifying because, at that time, Matt was near death, beaten by another mafia. He was entangled in business debts, he said. However, Matt's condition at that moment reminded Antonio of his own past, and without hesitation, Antonio decided to help Matt.

With his brown eyes scanning the surroundings, Antonio stepped out of the car. There was something pressing in his eyelids, although he didn't actually shed tears. He simply took in as much air as he could and exhaled heavily. Thin vapors emerged from his mouth. Coincidentally, it was Christmas Eve. Snow fell, making everyone shiver. But unlike others, Matt's body couldn't feel warmth anymore.

The man had died, sacrificing himself.

A sense of pain coursed through Antonio's chest. Somehow, he felt that it was the first time in a long while. His father's death had been the last one for him. However, Matt's departure turned out to be significant. He continued walking, gripping the sturdy and solid edges of the bridge, gazing at the calm waters of the East River on that cloudy night.

Matt once said that for him, every day was the same. His parents had already died, murdered. Matt had endured difficult and harsh days. His other family members didn't want him around. He was often abandoned and ignored. Living alone in a city as vast as New York felt excruciatingly painful for a grieving Matt. Gambling and debt became the dark companions of his life. Until Antonio came along, helping him when he himself thought he would die, giving him hope, and sharing a bitter life together. Christmas became warm enough for Matt because he finally felt like he had a family.

But on this Christmas night... it was Antonio who felt like he had just lost his only family.

Antonio clenched his

fists tightly as one face crossed his mind.

Elliot Maximus.

That wretched, ugly-faced traitor who betrayed their partnership.

His teeth gritted as he pictured Elliot, sweet-talking promises of loyalty to Antonio, only to disappear after stealing hundreds of items worth millions of dollars and putting Antonio in this dire situation.

And... Elliot was the reason Matt was shot and killed today.

"I will find you, Elliot. An eye for an eye, a life for a life."

Chapter 2

Human life is not always smooth sailing, and the same goes for Rose's life. As the first child of Jasmine Miles and Arnold Pennington, Rose Pennington was forced to endure a difficult life at the age of twenty-five.

Arnold Pennington passed away due to chronic meningitis at the age of forty-two. The doctor said his condition was already severe and worrisome. Unfortunately, Rose couldn't do anything to keep him alive. The savings she had after working at Aunt Liliane's small restaurant, her mother's friend, for a few months, couldn't help much either. The wise man closed his eyes in Rose's embrace.

But her suffering didn't stop there. In the following years, her mother was also diagnosed with the same illness. Her condition wasn't as severe as Arnold's initially, but gradually, everything became worse.

Jasmine could only lie in her place. Occasionally, she would go out just to check on her condition, which showed no signs of improvement.

Before enduring this tormenting illness, Jasmine had a relationship with a man she met at Aunt Liliane's restaurant. His name was Elliot, and Rose got to know him as well.

Elliot, a promising man with a well-built body, held many promises for Jasmine, her mother.

In truth, Rose didn't quite understand the closeness between Jasmine and Elliot. Suddenly, they decided to get married and live together, even before Rose really got to know this stranger. She didn't talk much to her mother's new husband either because Rose was busy working at Aunt Liliane's restaurant.

Then suddenly, all her nightmares became a reality. Aunt Liliane's fast-food restaurant slowly became empty, and her mother fell ill. Elliot started coming home less frequently. Even when he did come home, he would arrive drunk and worsen everything.

"How are you doing today, Mom?"

Jasmine smiled softly as Rose sat on the edge of her bed. "Better. And how about you? Did you come home early today? Nothing happened, did it?"

Honesty was a value highly cherished by Rose. However, it seemed that no longer applied to her. She shrugged her shoulders quickly, then gently massaged Jasmine's covered feet under the white blanket. "Everything's fine. Aunt Liliane just wanted to close her restaurant early," she lied. "And I thought she wanted to give me more time to take care of you."

Jasmine got up from her bed and leaned against the rearranged pillow by Rose. Now she could position herself leaning against the wall with her pillow as support. Her melancholic blue eyes gazed at her only daughter, and a faint forced smile appeared on her pale lips. "You should just rest, Rose."

"I've rested enough, Mom."

"Since I got sick, it seems like you rarely spend time with your friends, right?"

Rose chuckled softly, a hint of bitterness barely audible. "I don't need friends, you know. Well... they just come and go. Being with you like this feels more enjoyable, Mom."

There was no better response that Jasmine could show than giving a small smile to her daughter, who had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her thin hands caressed the top of Rose's head. And their eyes met for a while before Jasmine spoke again, "Elliot came to see me this morning."

That instantly furrowed Rose's brow. "What?"

"He came."

"So, what did he say? Did he give you money? Did he at least apologize for disappearing for so long?" Rose pressed eagerly.

But her mother only replied briefly, "He just left this."

Rose's blue eyes immediately turned toward the direction Jasmine pointed with her hand. On a piece of paper lying on the nightstand.

"He said it's for you," he said.

Rose turned with a confused expression. "For me?"

Quickly, Rose's hand reached for the paper on the table, opened it, and read the writing inside. "For Rose."

Jasmine, sitting in her place, could only remain silent and wait for her daughter to finish her words.

"If you need money for your mother, I can provide it. Come to my place tonight." Rose looked at Jasmine, then flipped the paper she was holding. "He gave me the address."

"Is that a good thing?"

"That jerk sent me the address, Mom. Can't you see how irresponsible he is?"

Jasmine sighed and pursed her lips. "You still have to speak politely to someone older, Rose."

Even though Jasmine could no longer express it clearly, she still defended Elliot. Rose pouted and closed the paper again before crossing her arms over her chest. "You should have asked for my opinion before marrying that jerk, Mom."

"Rose..."

"Fine, fine, 'Elliot.' Are you happy now?"

Jasmine smiled and replied, "He was nice at first, wasn't he? He even bought you things even though you're not his child."

"I was twenty years old at the time and could buy my own things. He was just showing off, there's nothing to be proud of him, Mom. Really."

"It seems we should end this conversation before we start arguing, don't you think?"

Rose murmured for a moment, then took medicine and a glass of water from the table, which she handed to the frail woman in front of her. "You should take your medicine before discussing Elliot and make your condition worse."

"You sound like you hate him so much," Jasmine concluded as she accepted the medicine and water from Rose.

"I really, really hate him. You just keep pretending not to know, Mom."

After finishing, Rose helped Jasmine put the glass back on the table and adjusted her pillow position. Rose also made sure to pull the blanket up to her mother's abdomen to keep her warm.

"Are you going to meet him?" Jasmine suddenly asked.

"Are you talking about meeting that jerk?"

"Rose..." Jasmine admonished again.

She responded calmly to the woman in her plain black t-shirt. She lazily rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "First, let me curse him, Mom. And second, yes, I will meet him. I will take a lot of money from him so that I can take you to a better place. Understand?"

"Are you sure?"

"Why are you suddenly doubting, Mom?"

"Because I thought you hated him?"

Rose shrugged quickly. "I only hate him, but not his money."

The woman turned around and waved after making Jasmine comfortable on her bed.

Every morning, Rose always tidied up the bed, making it clean and fragrant so that her mother would feel comfortable even though she spent the whole day in bed. Rose never imagined that at such a young age, she would have to struggle for her mother. And her mother had to fight against meningitis.

Armed with a little information from the general practitioner where Jasmine was examined and additional articles on the internet, Rose knew to some extent that meningitis was one of the inflammations that occur in the meninges, the protective layer that covers the brain and spinal cord of humans. It was somewhat complex and confusing because Jasmine initially showed flu-like symptoms.

People of all ages are susceptible to meningitis, including babies. But out of so many age groups, why Jasmine? Why her mother? Why did the disease infect the only family she had?

Rose sighed before putting on the black leather jacket that she kept behind the door, then she went out and hailed a taxi.

Her plan was to go meet Elliot, ask for the money he promised, slap him, and leave. But the plan that had been meticulously designed only stayed as a plan, never becoming a reality. Because Rose's expectations were immediately contradicted by the existing reality.

The woman was dropped off by a taxi in front of a nightclub. A sign with illuminated lights reading Heaven's Club welcomed Rose's sight. She didn't expect that the place Elliot referred to was a nightclub. She looked around, seeing several adult men and women entering and exiting through a door guarded by a muscular bouncer. Most of them were dressed flashy and revealing, unlike Rose, who wore a leather jacket and torn denim pants.

Someone accidentally bumped into her from behind and snapped her out of her reverie. She immediately approached the bouncer to ask.

"Excuse me."

"What are you doing here, Young Woman?"

Rose looked nervous due to the lewd gaze of the muscular man in front of her. She felt uncomfortable afterward. But her curiosity about Elliot compelled her to continue, "I'm looking for Elliot."

The man with a plain black short-sleeved shirt furrowed his brow. "Elliot? Elliot Maximus?"

"Do you know him?"

Then the man burst into laughter. After laughing, he shrugged and said, "He's Jean's favorite."

"Well... um, who is Jean then? Is she an important person?"

"He is very important."

Rose raised both her eyebrows. "Oh, really?" she pretended to be interested. "So, where can I meet Elliot tonight?"

There was a pause, and the tall, burly guard muttered for a moment before leaning his face forward. "You won't be able to meet him anywhere."

Rose furrowed her eyebrows. "What?"

The man returned to his original position before firmly grabbing Rose's hand.

The woman panicked and screamed, "Hey, what's going on?! Let me go!"

However, the guard completely ignored Rose's cries. Instead, he pulled the woman, who was much smaller than him, into the club. The loud music and colorful lights began to disturb Rose, who had never set foot in such a place before.

"Let me go! What is this?"

Unfortunately, Rose's voice was like the wind passing by the ears of the man whose name she still didn't know. His large and powerful body rendered Rose unable to do anything. She couldn't even resist the grip of the massive guard who continued to take her deeper inside. Finally, they arrived in front of a brown wooden door with a hanging sign that read 'no entry.'

Rose wondered in her heart why she, who didn't know this man at all, was forced to enter a noisy and unfamiliar club. Even if the woman asked the man next to her, she knew she wouldn't get any answers.

Then the man knocked on the door twice before grasping the doorknob and pushing the door in front of him. He didn't enter alone; his strong hand also pulled Rose along with him.

The door closed, and Rose no longer heard the noisy sounds behind her.

But the sudden scent of chamomile flowers and peppermint leaves permeating her sense of smell intrigued Rose. She followed the guard's gaze and saw a short woman with a well-endowed figure walking toward them.

The woman brushed back her long blonde hair, but Rose knew she was wearing a wig or fake hair. She approached and stopped right in front of Rose's face. Her brown eyes stared at Rose from head to toe without expression, then glanced at the guard beside her and gestured with one hand, causing the man to immediately step back a few steps.

And the woman with her striking appearance turned her gaze back to Rose. "So... you are Rose Pennington?"

The question made Rose furrow her brow curiously. "How do you know?"

The woman laughed, just like the earlier guard. However, her laughter was loud and piercing, almost making Rose faint with a shiver.

She regained focus after stopping her own laughter and folded her arms. One eyebrow raised and her gaze became sharp. "Do you know what Elliot has done to you, young woman?"

"I'm not sure."

"He sold you to me."

Rose was shocked and panicked. She raised both her hands in the air and quickly interrupted. "Whoa, wait! Hold on! There must be a misunderstanding. I didn't come here to... sell myself or anything like that."

The woman named Jean mumbled briefly before continuing, "So... how did you manage to come here? Wasn't it because Elliot asked you?"

"Well, yeah... I mean, Elliot did ask me to come here, but it was because he promised me a sum of money for tak-" Rose's words hung in the air as she finally realized the intention behind the crumpled piece of paper. "I guess he just tricked me."

Once again, Jean laughed. However, this time, she didn't immediately bombard Rose with questions. Instead, she shook her head and sneered. "I don't like your attire. Now, go to that room and choose one of the outfits I've prepared there."

"What?" Rose clasped her hands together and kneeled. "Madam, please, I have been deceived, and I humbly ask for your mercy to let me go. I don't want to sell myself like this."

"Aww, sweetie, you're so touching. But unfortunately, I've already given my money to your stepfather. And..." Jean tossed a handful of money onto the floor, right in front of Rose for her to see. "That's for you."

The woman's heart stirred. Throughout her years of working at Aunt Liliane's restaurant, Rose had never seen such a stack of money. She desired it, or rather, she needed it. Suddenly, her mother's face flashed through her mind. The money could save her mother. She could take her mother to the best hospital for treatment. However, her conscience hesitated to compromise.

Rose had never known love in her entire life. She couldn't engage in relationships with anyone due to taking care of her sick father. Even when she reached a suitable age, she had to accompany her mother. Rose was inexperienced in that area. Truly, she had no idea what she should do. Even if she sold her virginity, she wasn't sure those opportunistic men would keep ordering her services.

Her blue eyes looked up at Jean, who still had her arms crossed over her chest. She swallowed hard before finally asking, "W-would I get this much for my body?"

"Absolutely, and you can get even more if you serve the clients well," said Jean.

Rose picked up the wad of money in front of her and slowly stood up. Her eyes couldn't turn away from the alluring bills. "Can I take my mother to the hospital with this money?"

"Oh, certainly. But... you can't leave tonight."

"Why?"

"Because you have your first client."

*

CHAPTER 3

Antonio slipped his small-caliber pistol into the pocket of his jacket after loading it with several bullets without hesitation. His long wait had paid off, as Nathan had finally discovered the whereabouts of the traitor, Elliot, thanks to the organized help of some informants he had deployed.

For months, Antonio had waited and investigated tirelessly. The 40-year-old man didn't hesitate to send his subordinates far and wide, even outside the city, just to locate Elliot and seek revenge. It turned out that Elliot was hiding in a densely populated suburban area of New York.

"He rented a modest house in the midst of cheap hotels," Nathan informed him.

The man in the long black shirt then took out his phone from his pants pocket and appeared busy manipulating something on the screen.

"I went through the trouble of searching for him in distant places, but that filthy rat was hiding right near us. Just like before, he positions himself close enough to his own enemy."

"I've shared the location coordinates with you; one of my informants is there," Nathan said, then put his phone back into his pants. He looked up and gazed at Antonio, who stood there tidying his expensive black jacket. "Elliot frequents that club every night."

"Instruct your men to retreat," the boss commanded. "I will handle that scumbag with my own hands. I guarantee he'll be dead tonight."

However, Nathan's expression quickly changed. He raised both of his eyebrows, slightly surprised. "You know it'll be very risky, right?"

"I have to make him pay, just like what he did to Matt. Life must be paid with life."

"Your face will be exposed because of Elliot. If the police see you, they won't let it go."

"We've been waiting for him for months. Isn't this the right time to exact revenge, Mr. Four?"

Hearing Antonio mention his last name, Nathan realized that the man was trying to assert his ego. His decision was absolute, and Nathan better comply. So, the only words that came out of the tall man's mouth were, "Very well, sir."

"Make sure your informant retreats now. You've executed my plan, right?"

"Of course, sir," Nathan nodded. "We've booked a room for you under the name Octo, as you requested."

"Octo...," The right corner of Antonio's lip curved upward. He turned his body around and faced Nathan now. "Good. I want him to remember Matt's name in his final moments."

The man in the all-black attire then walked past Nathan, who stood tall before him and exited the room. Antonio's firm and determined steps led him to the ground floor, where he kept his luxury cars.

One of his subordinates, Edgar, immediately walked ahead of Antonio and opened the door of one of his red Mercedes-Benz cars.

Antonio kept his foot on the ground and observed Edgar, who was ready to close the door. "Do you know why I asked you to prepare this car?"

"No, sir," Edgar replied nervously.

Understandably, Edgar, a young and skinny man, had only been working under Antonio's leadership for the past year. He wasn't very close to his superior. The reason was that he was assigned to take care of Antonio's personal collection of luxury cars, ensuring they remained clean and fragrant, the engines ran smoothly, and other similar tasks.

In fact, this was the first time Antonio had spoken to him in a year of his employment. It was truly awkward.

"It's because there will be bloodshed tonight."

Antonio lifted his previously grounded foot and entered the car, then closed the door and put on sunglasses to complete his appearance.

Edgar had stepped back, and the

car's engine started. The gate opened after Edgar pressed a button at the edge of the large garage, and Antonio accelerated his car at high speed.

The busy atmosphere on the road initially frustrated Antonio. However, a sudden sound from the radio somewhat calmed him. It was Nathan with the latest update.

"Elliot is heading towards the club; my informant is far enough from his reach. But if you need anything, they're ready to assist."

Antonio pressed the button next to the radio and smiled crookedly. The sound of the song "Heathens" by twenty-one pilots played from there, accompanying the man's journey with his all-black appearance as if he was going to a funeral.

It took about twenty minutes until Antonio finally arrived at the location point shared by Nathan. As described by his assistant, the nightclub where Elliot frequented was merely a place situated amidst small, seemingly inexpensive hotels. Approaching the coordinates, Antonio parked his car behind a large white vehicle to avoid standing out.

Although the bright red color of his own car was already attention-grabbing enough for the people around, especially the women in their revealing dresses. One by one, their eyes observed the presence of Antonio's car in that rundown area with astonished looks. Most of the guests who arrived were middle-class individuals, predominantly married couples or lonely old men without any romantic stories.

Antonio stepped out of his car, causing the women surrounding him to be impressed and stirred. However, his brown eyes were solely focused on a muscular guard who appeared to be intensely peering forward with a stern expression.

"Reservation under the name Octo," Antonio's voice suddenly emerged, not even causing the man to flinch. He briefly glanced before using his phone to call someone.

"Octo," the man repeated. And a moment later, he nodded and ended the call. "Your room is ready, sir. Please follow me."

The man shifted, making way for the guest to enter the row of VIP names and proceed into the Heaven's Club. Like previous nights, the nightclub, offering a variety of drinks, had a disk jockey entertaining the guests. With loud music competing against colorful lights as the backdrop, Antonio continued walking inside, passing busy guests dancing and enjoying alcohol on the dance floor. Finally, he noticed a woman in a blue feathered dress, complete with a shimmering pearl necklace around her not-so-tall neck.

Antonio halted and took off his sunglasses. "Mr. Octo, you're a little late," Jean said with a teasingly deep voice.

"Have you prepared what I asked for?"

"Of course." Jean crossed her arms and raised her proud face. "Please follow me."

And the woman, wearing pointed-toe high heels, gracefully and authoritatively walked ahead of Antonio. Her steps depicted clearly the figure in charge of the business within the two-story building. She led Antonio up the stairs, each step taken towards the next floor until they stopped in front of a large brown door.

Jean turned around and smirked. "Please, sir. This is your room."

After saying that, the woman with numerous rings on her slender fingers departed, leaving Antonio staring straight at the large door in front of him.

He clenched his fists and smiled thinly. Then he whispered to himself, "This will be your last night, Elliot."

His strong hands pushed the door open. He entered, and his brown eyes immediately scanned the surroundings as the door closed behind him. However, contrary to his expectations, the room was spacious and empty. Elliot was nowhere to be found.

"Is this a trap?" he thought.

Antonio took the initiative to retrieve the pistol he had prepared in his suit pocket and began pointing it forward, ready in case Elliot was hiding among the objects in front of him, waiting to attack when he let his guard down. Antonio planned to shoot Elliot in the head, just as those cursed policemen had done to Bryan Octo, his assistant, and friend.

But as the man took a few steps forward, a sound emerged from the bathroom in the corner of the room. It made Antonio alert, and he swiftly aimed his gun at the bathroom door.

After a few seconds, the sound of running water

ceased, and the doorknob began to move. Antonio became more prepared, pulling the trigger on his pistol, and finally, the door opened.

"AHHHH!"

Unfortunately, it wasn't Elliot who appeared there. Instead, it was a slim woman in an open red dress. She seemed surprised and instinctively raised both of her hands. Her legs trembled as it was the first time someone aimed a gun at her, causing her to step back until her slender back hit the white-painted wall behind her.

"D-Don't shoot me," she stammered.

At that moment, Antonio's brown eyes met the dim blue gaze of Rose. The woman appeared visibly frightened and shocked. However, Antonio didn't immediately lower his weapon in front of Rose. Instead, he exclaimed, "Why are you here?"

"I-I don't know. The woman with many rings on her fingers asked me to come in here and change clothes," Rose replied, lowering her gaze, trying to reveal the ill-fitting dress that actually seemed to suit her body perfectly. "Y-You can see for yourself that this dress doesn't fit me."

"I don't believe you," Antonio retorted.

The woman in front of him was about to testify again when suddenly a panic attack struck. Rose looked up and gazed at Antonio. As she struggled to catch her breath, which had become heavy, she said, "Fine, if you don't believe me. But I-"

Antonio's eyes widened swiftly. He was surprised because the woman he suspected to be Elliot's ally suddenly fell right onto her shoes. Rose started losing consciousness and experienced shortness of breath.

The athletic-built man quickly holstered his gun back into his jacket pocket and lowered himself. He pressed Rose's cheeks and asked, "Is this part of a trap?"

Rose briefly looked up, giving a resentful look in Antonio's direction, but the panic attack made her chest ache, and she closed her eyes as she fainted. This only added to Antonio's confusion. And to be cautious, Antonio didn't immediately carry Rose but instead inspected the entire room first. In his mind, the woman who was now completely unconscious was nothing but a trap set up by Elliot.

Only after finding nothing in the room did Antonio reluctantly lift Rose's body onto his back.

"Goodness, I've never met you, but you're so troublesome!"

However, Rose couldn't respond to his sarcastic remark.

Antonio struggled to descend the stairs with Rose on his back. He passed through the bustling crowd of people still dancing on the dance floor, intoxicated. He became annoyed because he had repeatedly shouted for help, but no one responded. Even the large-bodied guard who had been guarding the door was nowhere to be seen. So he decided to take her to his own flat in his attention-grabbing red car.

*

The sunlight seeping through the gaps in the window managed to reach Rose's beautiful face, gradually waking her from her deep sleep. Slowly, her blue eyes opened. She blinked a few times after realizing that the wide, white ceiling was not part of her own room.

Rose sat up, looking surprised. And what startled her, even more, was that she was only covered by a thick white blanket, without any clothes.

"Ah! What is this?! What did I do last night? Am I dead?"

"You were a nuisance to me last night."

A voice suddenly came from the bathroom, making Rose scream again in surprise. She tightly hugged the blanket that covered her body.

"You're the man who shot me, right?" Rose asked.

If last night she seemed nervous and frightened, this time she appeared angry.

"Almost."

"What do you mean?"

"You're not dead. Look? You can still sleep on my comfortable bed."

Rose looked around and realized that what Antonio said was indeed true. She lifted her face and exclaimed, "Then where are my clothes? What did you do last night, huh?"

"You fainted," Antonio said, sipping from the cup of coffee in his hand.

"Do you have to undress an unconscious woman?"

"The doctor asked me to give you some fresh air. The dress was clearly too tight, wasn't it?"

Rose wanted to say that Antonio was right for the second time. But being undressed was also not something she could justify. "But you made me

undressed. Are you a pervert or something?"

"I don't have any women's clothes here," Antonio replied casually.

"You must have done something to me, didn't you?" Rose accused.

Then Antonio placed his cup of coffee on the nightstand and sat at the edge of the bed, which made Rose panic and try to move her body backward. She didn't forget the thick blanket covering her body.

Meanwhile, Antonio stared directly into Rose's eyes, steadily getting closer. Narrowing the distance between them even further.

"If I wanted to do something, I would have done it already. Understand?" Antonio pulled back his body and stood up, allowing Rose, who had almost suffocated from holding her breath, to breathe a sigh of relief. He picked up his coffee cup and raised his face. "Put on your dress again and let's have breakfast together."

Just as Antonio was about to leave the woman who was still lost in thought, Rose spoke up. "I have to go. Why should I enjoy breakfast with you?"

Antonio paused in his tracks. He turned around slowly, murmuring to himself for a moment before saying, "Because there's something I want to discuss with you after this."

"And what is that?"

"A business opportunity."