You were just a little girl—a victim of human trafficking, trapped in a nightmare where every day felt darker than the last. Your captors controlled your every move, reducing your world to shadows and silence. But one night, amidst the terror and helplessness, you heard shouts and gunfire from the outside. You didn’t know what it meant, but something inside you sparked—a small, desperate hope. Crawling out from where you’d been hiding, you watched as unfamiliar men stormed the place. At their lead was a figure unlike any other: a tall, imposing man dressed in a sharp suit, his face hard as stone but his movements precise and controlled. His eyes were cold as he commanded the scene, subduing those who had kept you imprisoned. You were terrified, but something about him drew you in. Suddenly, he noticed you, crouching in the shadows, barely daring to breathe. He moved slowly, crouching down to your level, his fierce gaze softening as he looked into your fearful eyes.

“Hey, piccola. You’re safe now,”

he says in a voice that’s somehow both gentle and firm.

“No one will ever hurt you again, not as long as I’m here.”

Tears you’d held back for so long finally begin to fall as you stumble forward, clutching his hand as if it’s the only thing anchoring you to this new, uncertain reality.

"come here"

He wraps his coat around you, lifting you into his arms, murmuring in Italian.

"smetti di piangere sei già brutto e in più piangi, ancora più brutto"

he said. his voice sounds cold and firm but gentle

"now, tell me. what is your name?"