Virgin Slave of the Cold-hearted Mafia

A bell tolls in the distance, signaling midnight, as warm hands pull Mei from her sleep. She slowly opens her eyes to find bright blue ones staring back at her. Instinctively, she jumps up in alarm, glancing around to ensure they are alone before focusing on the most handsome person in the room—Kaz. “You scared the hell out of me,” Mei whispers, trying to suppress the fluttering butterflies in her belly. Kaz is stunning, exuding a dark, alluring aura reminiscent of a fallen angel. His striking features include high cheekbones and piercing ocean-blue eyes that radiate vulnerability. Tonight, his raven-black hair is tied back sleekly, adorned with a silver hairpin. Dressed in an emerald kimono with glittering pearl sleeves, he looks regal, like a true noble. “It’s midnight; what are you wearing?” Mei snickers. "We have ten hours until my reveal and coronation.” She stifles a laugh and raises her gaze to meet her best friend's. “I couldn’t sleep; I was nervous,” he admits. His cheeks flush a soft pink, and he shifts his gaze to the ground, looking away in embarrassment. “Anyway, I came here to show you something.” He extends his hand in invitation. Mei’s face warms, and the butterflies in her belly dance excitedly. “There’s no need to hold hands. Lead the way,” she says, feigning bravado. Kaz arches an eyebrow and, ignoring her protest, grabs her hand and pulls her along. Her heart almost beats out of her chest as his fingers close over hers. The warmth of his hand ignites something deep within her as she imagines all the tantalizing things he could do with them. “Focus, Mei,” he snaps, pulling her back to reality. She flushes with embarrassment, grateful he isn’t looking back at her. “I’m focused; where are we going?” she whispers harshly. “You’ll see when we get there,” is his only reply. They fall into silence, navigating the twisting hallways. After five minutes, Mei notices something strange. “The guards—where are they?” she asks, stopping in her tracks. Kaz tries to pull her forward, but she stubbornly holds her ground. “I don’t know, Mei. They’re probably securing the perimeter for your coronation,” he replies, a hint of nervousness in his voice. Mei frowns. “That makes sense, but we’ve walked for a while without seeing anyone. Surely, there must be at least one guard patrolling.” “Guess we’re in luck,” he responds smoothly. Mei gazes into his beautiful blue eyes, filled with earnestness. They’ve had midnight escapades before, so she shouldn’t be worried. But something about Kaz’s impatience makes her gut twist—her instincts urge her to stop. “Mei! Are you doubting me?” he asks, his eyes widening in realization. The hurt in his voice makes her feet move again. “Sorry; I just got confused for a moment. It’s okay; let’s continue,” she squeezes his hand in reassurance. They quicken their pace until they arrive at the rear gate of the inner palace. The cold air rushes past Mei, whipping her hair across her face as she inhales the crisp night air. She catches sight of the palace’s outer walls in the distance. “Don’t you think the stars are beautiful?” Kaz asks, dropping her hand to gaze up in wonder. “Yes, but that doesn’t explain why we’re at the rear gate,” she replies, squinting her eyes at her surroundings. “What did you want to show me? It’s freezing out here.” “Look at the stars, Mei. Imprint this image of the sky in your mind; it might be the last beautiful thing you see for a while,” he whispers, barely audible. “What is wrong with you? If this is a joke, I’m not laughing,” Mei snaps, annoyance bubbling over. She turns to leave but is met with a sight that chills her to the bone. Masked figures dressed in black stand in a solid line, menacing and ready to pounce. Their stance marks them as foreigners; they shouldn’t be on palace grounds. Mei listens for alarm bells to signal their invasion, but all is quiet. How could they have breached the inner palace? Why are they blocking her path? She takes a step back, her heart pounding in her chest. “Kaz... we’ve got company!” she calls, her voice trembling. He doesn’t respond. Without taking her eyes off the intruders, she tries again, panic rising. “Kaz!! We’ve got hostile company!” When she finally glances over her shoulder, she finds him reclining against a pillar, cross-legged, watching her with a bored expression. “Take her away,” he commands the men in black. Mei gasps in shock. Surely, this must be an elaborate joke. As the masked men approach her, she hurries to Kaz’s side. “Call this off, please; it’s creepy.” He steps away from her. His voice takes on a note of hostility as he addresses the masked men again. “Take her—quickly.” They surge forward, and Mei stands in disbelief, unable to comprehend the unfolding scene. Suddenly, her survival instincts kick in. She turns and sprints for her life. The wind whips her hair violently, but she doesn’t stumble or stop. The sound of rustling fabric informs her that the masked men are closing in. This is real. With no buildings in sight, her goal is the outer wall—where surely guards would be present. She runs faster than ever, adrenaline fueling her. As her energy begins to fade, she pushes on—the pounding of feet behind her spurring her forward. She hears a whizzing through the air, and something strikes the side of her face. She temporarily loses balance, and the masked men pounce like starving wolves. Mei shivers in fear as they grab her hands and shove her to the ground. Her knees hit hard, drawing blood. She looks down at the shiny object on the floor—Kaz’s hairpin. Anger battles with denial within her as she watches him approach regally. “Gag her,” he commands coldly, all trace of friendliness gone. “Take her far away, somewhere she would never find her way back from.” Mei’s eyes widen in shock at the unfamiliar coldness in his voice. This is actually real—her best friend is betraying her. She suddenly realizes why he’s dressed like a party guest by midnight. A wave of intense hatred washes over her, causing her body to shudder from the rage coiled up inside of her. She lurches forward in the arms of her captors, trying to reach Kaz so she can claw out his beautiful blue eyes. Blood rushes in her ears, and her vision goes red. She tries to scream through the gag, but he doesn’t look at her. He bends down to retrieve his hairpin, wiping away all evidence. “The emperor would be hurt that you ran away from home,” he says calmly. “It’s a pity you argued with him last night and said you hated him. Now you’ve run off because you can’t stand to look at him. Your poor father would have a heart attack and die. There would be no surprise reveal or coronation today, and the country would never know about you. You simply do not exist.” Mei feels her panic rising again, and her heart constricts painfully in her chest. She increases her struggles violently, and one of the masked men hits her over the head. She crumples to the ground like a ragged doll; the betrayal sapping away her strength. A lone tear escapes her eyes. As consciousness slips away, the last thing she sees is Kaz’s beautiful face, the sorrow in his ocean-blue eyes. Her final thought is there’d never be a man as beautiful as Kaz.