Transmigrated as the Youngest son of the Mafia's don.

CHAPTER 4;THE GIRL THEY TRIED TO ERASE

Anna’s POV

That night, Rosa sold me to another man.

I had expected the worst. After what I had experienced before, I was convinced this man would be just as cruel as the others. I had already prepared myself for another night of humiliation, but things took an unexpected turn.

He wasn't brutal.

Although we eventually slept together, it was my choice this time. There was no force, no threats, and no fear. But something was wrong with him. His body was burning, and his breathing grew increasingly uneven. It didn't take long to suspect that he had been poisoned.

When he finally regained consciousness, he seemed different. After hearing my story, he looked at me with something close to guilt. Perhaps he couldn't bear the thought of what I had endured.

As promised, he transferred fifty thousand dollars into my account and gave me a way out.

For the first time in years, I had enough money to leave.My life has never been easy. Ever since my older brother, James, died saving me during an ambush by a rival family, my parents had treated me as though I were responsible for his death.

They had lost their only male heir, and somehow, I had become the child they could no longer bear to look at.

They stopped acknowledging my existence. Everything that should have belonged to me was handed to Rosa instead.She became the only daughter the Moretti family publicly recognized. I, on the other hand, was kept hidden away, treated more like a servant than a member of the family but that wasn't enough for Rosa.

She hated that I was beautiful. In her eyes, even that was something I had stolen from her. She couldn't stand the thought of me possessing anything she didn't control.

So she began selling me to powerful men for her own amusement, keeping my identity hidden from the other mafia families.

I had endured it for far too long.Now, staring at the balance on my phone, I felt tears gathering in my eyes.

Fifty thousand dollars.It wasn't a fortune, but to me, it meant freedom.I could finally leave that house and build a life of my own.

The following morning, I made a call.

"Hello, Mom," I said when she answered. "How much would it cost to buy the flower shop?"

There was a brief silence on the other end.I had already made up my mind. I would change my name, leave the city, and disappear somewhere Rosa would never think to look.

A few days later, I did exactly that.

I changed my appearance, dyed my hair a rich burgundy, and replaced my natural eye colour with hazel contact lenses. With a new identity and a completely different look, I travelled to a quiet, remote village. I bought a flower shop and began living a simple life, spending my days arranging flowers, serving customers, and enjoying the peace I had never known.

For a while, it was everything I had dreamed of but peace never seemed to last long in my life.

After few months,word eventually reached me that Rosa was furious about my disappearance. She had been asking questions and searching for me, determined to find out where I had gone.

I wasn't surprised.Rosa had never been someone who accepted losing control but this time, I wasn't the frightened girl she could lock away and sell whenever she pleased.

I had a new name, a new appearance, and a life I intended to protect.If Rosa wanted to find me, she would have to work for it.

I wasn't going to make it easy for her.Business was unusually quiet that afternoon. I was arranging a fresh batch of roses near the front window when the bell above the shop door rang.

"Welcome. How can I help—"

The words died on my lips.I stared at the man standing in the doorway, unable to believe my eyes.

"Ryan?"

He offered me a small smile. "Hello, Anna."

Ryan was tall, with neatly styled dark hair and warm brown eyes. His features were sharp but inviting, and a faint dimple appeared on his cheek whenever he smiled. There was something calm and reassuring about his presence, though his eyes held a hint of mischief that's what my brother loved about him.

I glanced towards the street before looking back at him. My heart began to race.

"How did you find this place?" I asked ,shocked. 

"I followed you after you left the hotel,"he replied. 

My fingers tightened around the rose I was holding.

"You followed me?"

"I had to make sure you were safe." He stepped further into the shop, his expression turning serious. "I promised your brother I would stay by your side, Anna and I intend to keep that promise."

For a moment, I couldn't speak.James had been gone for so long, yet hearing someone mention him still made my chest ache.

"Why now?" I finally asked. "Why didn't you come sooner?"

"I needed to be certain you were somewhere safe before approaching you. I've also been keeping an eye on Rosa and your family."

I lowered my gaze.

"There's no need for that anymore. I've left everything behind."

"That's not what your brother wanted."he said,they were quite close and I know he missed him.

I looked up sharply.

"James believed you were supposed to be the next heir," Ryan continued. "We all did. You have the intelligence, the strength, and the qualities needed to lead the family. You're far more capable than Rosa."

A bitter laugh escaped me.

"Stronger than her? You should have seen what she did to me."

"Anna—"

"No." I shook my head. "You don't understand. I've spent years being humiliated, treated like I was worthless, and made to feel ashamed of simply existing. I can't go back to that life."

I placed the rose on the counter.

"I'm not fit to be an heir. Mother and Father would never allow it anyway. They've already made their choice."

Ryan remained silent for a moment.Then he spoke again, his voice softer.

"All right. I'm not asking you to return to the family or fight for the position. Just let me stay here and protect you. Please, Anna."

I stared at him.

Part of me wanted to refuse. I had worked so hard to escape that world, and allowing someone from my past into my new life felt like opening a door I had struggled to close.

But Ryan had been James's trusted friend. He was one of the few people who had never treated me like a burden.

After a long hesitation, I finally nodded."All right. You can stay."

His shoulders relaxed,"Thank you."

That was how Ryan became part of my quiet little life.He didn't interfere with the flower shop, and he never pressured me to return to the Moretti family. Instead, he focused on keeping me safe.

He began teaching me self-defence, insisting that I needed to know how to protect myself if trouble ever found its way to my doorstep.

At first, I struggled. I wasn't used to fighting back. But little by little, I grew more confident.

Ryan also kept track of Rosa's movements. Whenever she came close to discovering my whereabouts, he found a way to mislead her, sending her search in the wrong direction.

He made sure no one could trace me to the village.I was glad I had someone watching my back and although I still had no intention of returning to the family that had abandoned me, I began to wonder whether James's dream for me had truly disappeared.

Perhaps one day, I would find the courage to face my past but not yet.

For now, I only wanted to live.