Chapter 101

Kade walked up to Yuki’s dorm building with fast steps. He had been calling her the whole way over, but every call went straight to voicemail. He reached her door and knocked firmly.

“Yuki?” he called out.

No answer.

He knocked again, louder this time. Still nothing. He tried the handle but the door was locked.

Kade pulled out his phone and called her again. Straight to voicemail. He tried one more time, then let out a frustrated breath and walked down the hall to Ivy’s room. He knocked.

Ivy opened the door after a few seconds.

“Hey, have you seen Yuki?” Kade asked right away. “She’s not answering her phone and she’s not in her room.”

Ivy shook her head. “I haven’t seen her today. Sorry.”

Kade ran a hand through his hair, worry clear on his face. “Okay… thanks.”

He stepped away and called Jordan.

“Hey, have you spoken to Yuki today?” Kade asked the second Jordan picked up.

“No, I haven’t,” Jordan replied. “Why? What’s going on?”

“She’s not answering and she’s not in her dorm. I’m getting worried.”

Kade ended the call and turned back to Ivy, who was still standing in her doorway watching him.

“Did she mention anything to you?” Kade asked. “Anything at all?”

Ivy paused for a second, then said, “She did mention she was thinking about going back to New York.”

Kade’s eyes widened in shock. “What? Why are you just telling me this now?”

Ivy shrugged casually. “She’s not planning on leaving yet. She hasn’t even booked a flight or anything. She’s probably just out somewhere this morning, so relax. I’ll call you if she comes back to the dorm. Doesn’t seem like she’s going to go to classes today.”

Kade stood there staring at her, his face a mix of shock and growing panic. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. He gave a small nod.

“Thanks, Ivy. Let me know if you hear from her.”

He turned and walked down the hallway, pulling out his phone to try Yuki’s number one more time as he headed toward the exit.

\---

Yuki woke up slowly, her head throbbing with a dull, heavy pain. The room was unfamiliar — large, luxurious, with dark wooden furniture and heavy curtains blocking most of the light.

The bed was massive and soft, the sheets expensive. She sat up, blinking hard, trying to shake the fog from her mind. Her body felt weak, like she had been drugged.

The door opened.

A maid walked in carrying a silver tray of food. Behind her, Stefano entered the room, closing the door behind them.

“Leave,” Stefano ordered the maid calmly.

The maid bowed her head and quickly exited, shutting the door with a soft click.

Yuki felt a wave of dizziness. She crawled weakly to the edge of the bed, her legs shaky as she stood up. She moved toward Stefano, grabbing onto his shirt with both hands, holding on for support.

“I want to go home,” she whispered, voice hoarse and desperate. “Please… just let me go.”

Stefano wrapped his arms around her in a firm hug, one hand gently stroking her back.

“Good morning, princess,” He said softly, his voice low and almost affectionate. “How was your night?”

He broke the hug after a moment, looking down at her pale face. “You should eat. We have a long flight tonight and you look very weak right now.”

Yuki’s eyes filled with fresh tears. “Where are we going?”

“Italy,” Stefano replied simply. “That’s where we’ll be together. You by my side.”

She shook her head quickly, panic rising in her chest. “No… I don’t want to. Please, Stefano. I don’t want this. Let me go back. I can’t just leave everything behind.”

Stefano moved away from her without answering. He walked over to a small dining table in the corner of the room and began setting the food from the tray onto it — fresh fruit, warm bread, eggs, and juice.

He pulled out a chair and sat down, then gestured calmly toward the other seat.

“Come eat.”

Yuki’s stomach grumbled loudly despite the fact she tried to stop it. She hesitated, then walked over slowly and sat down.

She looked like a mess. Her hair tangled, eyes puffy, face pale. Stefano reached across the table and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

She picked up the fork and began eating quietly, her hands still trembling slightly.

“You probably know I told you that I met you back at the orphanage,” Stefano said, watching her. “But I was there for a reason.”

Yuki stopped eating and looked up at him.

“What reason?” she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Stefano leaned back in his chair, his expression calm but intense.

“The truth is that I was looking for a lost child. Two American-Italian Mafia couple lost their baby years ago in an ambush and they believed she was still alive.”

Yuki’s fork froze halfway to her mouth.

“They tried looking for her for so many years but it was to no avail,” Stefano continued. “I was 23 and a new leader in an Italian Mafia clan when they approached me. But of course I told them that it was pointless as their child could be dead.”

He paused, studying her face.

“But the woman insisted and I had to do some research. It turns out that I had a lead that the child was still alive. I asked what I would get in return and they said they would do anything.”

Yuki looked completely confused, her eyes wide.

“Until I found you,” Stefano said, his voice softening just a fraction. “You were 15 at the orphanage then, and I wanted nothing else but to make you mine.”

He chuckled lightly, almost to himself.

“Your hair was pink too back then.”

Yuki stared at him, unable to speak.

“I asked your parents that I wanted you in return and they agreed,” he continued. “I had to wait. I didn’t want to take you from the orphanage just yet. I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop if I got my hands on you, Yuki.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“I was going to bring you back when you turned 20, but you came to London instead. Isn’t that what we call destiny?”

Yuki’s fork slipped from her fingers and clattered onto the plate.

“What are you trying to say?” She whispered, voice trembling. “My… parents… are… alive?”

“Yes, Yuki,” Stefano said, looking directly into her eyes. “I’m not just taking you back to Italy because you’re mine. I’m taking you back because that’s your home. Where your real parents are.”

Their eyes locked across the table in heavy silence.

“Are you still going to resist..” Stefano asked quietly, “...or come with me willingly?”