♛ I entered the dimly lit room, my eyes adjusting to the low lighting as I saw Warren Ferrara sitting in the chair opposite the table. He had a scotch in his hand and papers were splashed all across the table. He smirked as he saw me and spoke in a flirtatious tone.

"Ah, Vanya Santoro. What a pleasant surprise. I was starting to think your uncle had forgotten about me," he says, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I take a deep breath and try to steady my nerves. "I'm here to talk about my brother, Koen. I want to hear your terms," I say, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible.

Warren chuckles and takes a sip of his scotch. "Why didn't Paolo come himself? Is he afraid to face me?" he asks, his eyes still locked onto mine.

I roll my eyes, not taking his bait. "Just tell me what you want," I say, trying to sound confident even though I feel anything but.

Warren chuckles, "Oh Dolcezza , you're not in a position to make demands. But, since you asked so nicely, I'll tell you my terms."

He takes another sip of his scotch before continuing. "I want free reign over your family's properties in exchange for your brother's safe return. And Paolo must come himself to deliver the papers."

"That's impossible. You know Zio would never agree to that," I say, trying to keep the desperation out of my voice.

Warren shrugs, "then I guess your brother will have to stay with me. It's a shame, really. I mean, I can make Koen suffer. I can torture him slowly and painfully before I discard him at the bottom of the sea. And you will watch him suffer, Vanya. Your family will watch him suffer until Paolo comes crawling to me on his knees, begging me to let him go," he said, his voice dripping with venom. I felt sick to my stomach at his words. I couldn't believe someone could be so heartless and cruel.

"You're a monster," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Warren just chuckled again, "maybe so. But I'm a monster with power. And you, Vanya Santoro, are at my mercy," he said, his eyes fixed on mine.

"Bastardo," I mumbled under my breath but he heard it as he narrowed his eyes at me and said, "you have no idea what it takes to survive in this world, little Santoro. You and your family are just pawns in my game. And, you should be careful about what you say to me next, or else I might just change my mind about your brother's fate to something much more brutal."

I swallowed hard, trying to keep my fear at bay. Maybe I hadn't thought this through well enough. "Just let Koen go. Please," I begged, "just tell me what you want. My brother's life is at stake here. I'll do whatever it takes to get him back," I say, desperation creeping into my voice.

Warren raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of his drink. "You're a brave one, aren't you? I like that. But you don't seem to understand the situation here. I hold all the cards. You have nothing to offer me."

I gritted my teeth, feeling frustrated and helpless. "What do you want then? I'll get you whatever. Just let my brother go."

Warren laughed and shook his head. "It's not that simple, sweetheart."

"It is that simple!" I yell out, surprised by the pitch of my own voice, "I...it's my brother, you bastard. I will do whatever it takes to ensure his safety."

"Should've thought of that before he ended up in a situation like this, huh?" he scoffed, further fueling my anger, "but I'll tell you what. I'll give you a chance to earn your brother's freedom. You see, I have some business dealings that need to be taken care of. And I could use someone like you to help me out."

I raised an eyebrow, unsure of what he was getting at. "What kind of business dealings?"

Warren leaned forward and lowered his voice. "Let's just say that there are some people who owe me some money. And they're not too keen on paying it back. I need someone to draw them out and convince them otherwise. Someone who can be persuasive. And I think you're just the woman for the job. They wouldn't suspect you to be working for me."

I shook my head, feeling disgusted, "you want me to become a criminal like you? I could never do something like that."

Warren shrugged and took another sip of his drink. "Suit yourself. But remember, I might have all the time in the world but time is running out for your brother. And I hold all the cards. Think about it."

I feel a shiver run down my spine, but I force myself to hold his gaze. "Tell me what I have to do," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

And as a victorious smirk creeps up his face, I realize what I just did. I just made a deal with the devil. No, a deal with The Reaper...and something told me this might end with a visit from the real one itself.