Vanessa's POV

Fucking bastard!

I clenched my fists furiously while staring at my reflection in the mirror.

Fortunately, Jack wasn't coming back soon. And for my parents, I had to find some lie not to meet up with them till they went for a vacation next week because a scarf or concealer couldn't hide these hickeys. I heaved a loud sigh and wiped my tears off my cheeks.

***

I bit my lower lip nervously, looking at myself in the mirror, and adjusted the scarf around my neck. Fortunately, it faded slightly. So now I could hide it with a scarf.

I didn't want to think what would happen if Jack saw these hickeys. He came back yesterday. Now he demanded that I joined him for dinner.

I heaved a loud sigh and went downstairs.

"You look so happy to see your husband as always," Jack commented mockingly as he saw me walking into the living room.

I rolled my eyes and sat down on the chair without saying anything. Once the maids served the dinner, they left, leaving us alone.

"Are you not hot? You look ridiculous wearing a scarf in this weather," Jack asked, gesturing to my scarf.

I placed my hand on my scarf reflectively as my heart started pounding, and I mumbled nervously. "No, I am not. I don't feel good. Probably, I caught a cold."

He frowned, standing up, and approached me.

"What are you doing?" I asked, pulling my head back as he wanted to put his hand on my forehead.

He ignored my question and checked my temperature. "You don't have temperature. Take off this scarf," he said, annoyed and pulled my scarf quickly before I managed to stop him. "What the heck?!" he shouted as his face darkened after seeing the hickey on my neck, and he grabbed my arm, pulling me up, making me stand up.

"Jack... I...," I mumbled nervously.

"You fucking slut!" he exclaimed, frustrated and slapped me across my face. I lost my balance and fell down, crying. He grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled it back, making me face him. "Who is he? Tell me!" he snapped, gripping my hair tightly.

"Jack... Let go of me! You are hurting me," I begged, crying while trying to pull away from him, but he didn't release my hair. I gulped nervously as he stared at my chest. In a flash he ripped my blouse. His jaw clenched as he saw the hickeys on my chest.

"You don't let me touch you, but you give it to someone else. Do you think I will let you disgrace me again?! You will pay for it," he warned me, giving me an intimidating look and kicked me in the stomach.

I curled up, crying, and pulled the ripped sides of my blouse together, trying to cover my chest as much as possible while lying on the floor as Jack finally stopped hitting me. He gave me a murderous look and leaned towards me. I pulled back in fear, giving him a begging look.

"No... please...," I pleaded, trying to pull back as he grabbed my arm.

"Pray I didn't kill you and send you beside your ex-lover." He gave me a disgusting look and dragged me towards the stairs, ignoring my protests and pleas.

As soon as Jack opened my bedroom door, he threw me onto the floor. I groaned, holding my arm in pain while crying.

"You want to be naughty, then you will do it with me." He gave me a disgusting smirk and leaned over me.

"No. No," I protested, trying to pull back when he wanted to take off my torn blouse.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He cursed under his breath and pulled his phone out of his pocket. I wrapped the sides of my torn blouse around me tightly and pulled away from him while shaking in fear.

"You have to wait, slut," Jack commented sarcastically and picked up his phone. "Yes?" he snapped, angrily. "What? Fuck! I am coming." he said in panic and hang up his phone, walking,towards the door in quick steps.

I breathed deeply in relief and leaned against the bed while tears were still running down my cheeks uncontrollably.

"You won't leave this room anymore. I won't let you fool around behind my back," he stated in an authoritative tone and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

"No! Jack, open the door... Please...," I begged, crying while knocking on the door as I rushed after him, but he didn't listen to me and locked the door. I burst out crying and collapsed onto the floor.

Rick's POV

Palermo, Sicily

"The police searched their semi-trailer trucks.  They are in trouble now," my trustworthy henchman and friend, Mario informed me proudly as soon as he walked into my study room. "Our informant called me earlier and told me that he looked panicked when he left the house."

"Good." I smirked, self-satisfied and took a sip from my whiskey.

"Umm... He informed me that... Jack... had a fight with his wife. Probably, he found out about that night. The plan is working. He locked her in her room before leaving. And... she... probably isn't in a good state because... he hit her badly," Mario informed me uneasily.

I tightened my grip around the glass, looking away. I cleared my throat and looked at Mario. "Trouble in paradise?!" I commented nonchalantly. 

"Do you have another order?"

"No. And don't forget what I told you yesterday," I reminded him firmly.

"I am on it."

I nodded. "You may leave."

I breathed deeply as I stood up and approached the window, sipping my drink. I looked through the window, lost in my thoughts.

Flashback

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around in daze.

"Where am I?" I mumbled while feeling thirsty.

"Riccardo, how do you feel?" my mother, Martina asked, sobbing, and grabbed my hand.

"Mom? What happened?" I asked, trying to remember what happened. My mind was fuzzy.

"You are in the hospital. Your father brought you to Palermo while you were in coma. I thought..." She burst out crying without managing to finish her sentence.

"Mom, don't cry. I am fine," I tried to assure her.

"You have been in coma for three weeks. The doctor told us that we had to be ready for the worst," she informed me, sobbing while caressing my hair tenderly.

"What? Three weeks?" I asked in shock. "I have to get out of here," I stated and tried to sit up.

"No, Riccardo. You opened your eyes a few minutes ago. Please lie down. The doctor have to check you," my mother protested, trying to stop me.

"No, Mom. I have to go back to New York. I have to see Nessa," I stated, determined.

"Riccardo, please. You didn't get well. You have to rest."

Suddenly, the door opened, and my father and his right-hand man, Giovanni walked in. As soon as my father saw me awake, his face lit up.

"Son," he said happily and approached me in quick steps.

"I will call the doctor," Giovanni informed my father and left quickly.

"I have to leave," I stated firmly, looking at my father.

"You aren't going anywhere. You can only leave the hospital if the doctor gives you permission," my father stated firmly.

"No, I have to see Nessa," I refused, shaking my head.

"You almost died, but you are still thinking about that girl, Riccardo?!" my father commented in disbelief.

"I have to see her."

"Forget that girl. Because of her and her bastard husband, you are here." my father stated firmly.

"Husband?" I mumbled.

"Yes, while you were fighting for your life, she got married to that bastard," my father informed me angrily. "Do you want to see with your own eyes?" he asked and opened the drawer and showed me the photos. "Look! It is the woman you are crazy about. Now they are in honeymoon. I told you that you can't fight with them as a random guy. You didn't listen to me. Now you are in the hospital. And the woman whom you were ready to die for is happily married now," my father added in frustration while I was looking Nessa's photos with Jack. There were the photos from their wedding and honeymoon.

"Antonio, be easy on him. He has recently opened his eyes," my mother intervened as she felt that I didn't feel good.

"Your son is a fool. How could he still think about that girl?" my father snapped furiously and added, traveled his gaze from my mother to me. "If my men didn't find you in time, do you know what would happen to you?! Understand it. That girl chose power and money over you."

I stared at the photos without saying anything in daze.

"If you wanted that girl this much, you should have told her you are more powerful and wealthier than her bastard fiancé," my father said sarcastically.