DISCLAIMER: Just a fan of Massimo, I own nothing to do with 365 Days.

WARNINGS: Instances of physical and verbal abuse. Massimo is not always nice to the main character, he has lots of issues, but please remember it is just fiction and I do NOT condone any kind of abuse/ unhealthy relationships in real life.

SPOILERS: For those who haven't read 365 Days two sequel books, there will be some references to those books in the story as it is set after the ending of the trilogy.

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SMUT SCENES: So far there is is only a a tiny amount of smut but I am planning to include more smut in later chapters. Unfortunately I have had to cut out any mention of smut in the chapters as this site does not allow it. To read the fic complete with smut just search for the same story on archiveofourown , wattpad, or quotev.

I slowly walked down the plush, cream carpeted hallway that led to one of our biggest suites. In my hands I carried a small silver tray, on which was a tall glass filled with freshly squeezed orange juice. It was 2am in the morning. I was not meant to be doing room service at all, my job was to clean rooms and I had only been sleeping for four hours when I was awakened by the hotel's head housekeeper. A guest had specifically requested that I should bring a glass of fresh orange juice to their suite and Hotel Delegate prided itself on catering to their guests wishes. After I had hurriedly pulled on my black uniform, scraped my long curly hair back into a bun and washed my face, I had been handed the silver tray by a member of our room service team.

I was tired, and felt nervous too. It was strange that the guest had specifically requested to see me. All I knew so far was that he was a powerful businessman named Massimo Torricelli. I only hoped that everything went smoothly and he had no reason to complain about me. When I reached the entrance of the suite, I took a deep breath before knocking firmly on the door. I was taken aback when the door opened to reveal a stocky, bald man in a black suit with an earpiece. His face was void of expression and his eyes were a cold blue. He scrutinised me carefully from head to toe before taking the tray from me and setting it down on a table. "You can come in."

As soon as I entered the suite, he held up a hand. "Before you meet my boss, I need to pat you down." When he saw me hesitate, he frowned at me then shrugged his bulky shoulders. "Or you can leave. The choice is yours."

I raised my arms and stretched them out. He came closer and ran his hands slowly over my body with a firm touch. I was uncomfortable when his hands lingered over my chest, and I could see his breathing start to deepen as he crouched down to run his hands up my legs one at a time. When one of his clammy hands crept under the skirt of my uniform I quickly stepped away from him, eyeing him warily as he stood up again.

His blank look turned into a small leer for a few brief moments. He gestured to his left. "You can go to see him now."

I quickly picked up the tray and hurried past the security guard, which caused the orange juice to spill slightly. I sighed, but was still relieved to have escaped from him as I walked onwards to the lounge. My footsteps slowed as I reached the seating area. In the middle of the circular couch sat an extremely handsome man who had dark hair, piercing brown eyes and an olive complexion. I noticed his hands were marked with tattoos. "Hello, sir. Here is the orange juice you requested." I stepped forward and carefully placed the tray down onto the glass coffee table. "Is there anything else I can do for you or may I leave now?"

He laughed, a rich, bitter sounding laugh that emanated from deep down inside. Then he stood up from the sofa, and even from the short distance between us I could see how tall he was. The difference in our height became more clear as he walked around the coffee table and came to stand in front of me. His brown eyes darkened as he stared down at me with a cold, ruthless expression. "No, you may not leave, Laura." His Italian accent made every word sound like a caress.

I bristled inside as he got my name completely wrong, and struggled to keep myself from frowning at him. "Fine, sir. What can I do for you?"

"You seem unhappy, baby girl," His eyes softened slightly. "It's not nice, is it? To have someone call you by the wrong name? But to me, you are very similar to Laura. Your petite body, your sweet face and creamy skin made me think of her when I first caught sight of you. But your eyes and hair do not match hers. Laura doesn't have amber eyes or curly hair. I will never be with Laura again, but I believe you will make a good substitute for her."

"If there's nothing else you require, then I must leave, sir," I replied, forcing a smile as I warily took a step backwards. I could sense that something was not right, that I was in danger. "I hope you continue to have a pleasant stay with us."

He smiled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "No, I can't let you leave. This time, I will make sure you stay with me, Laura. Stay with me forever." He nodded sharply, but I could see his eyes were not on me. There was someone behind me, but before I could turn to see who it was I felt my arm getting pricked by a needle then the world around me went dark.

When I awoke, I was lying on an old iron frame single bed in a small, sparsely decorated room. I winced at the harsh brightness of the naked lightbulb in the ceiling, and it took a few moments to my eyes to adjust to the light. I put a hand to my head as I sat up, feeling a dull ache there. I was now wearing only my underwear, my maid uniform, tights and shoes were gone. When I stood up from the bed, I saw a table with a neatly folded black silk dress with long sleeves and shiny black ballet flats which had a soft inner lining.

I did not like the idea of wearing the dress but I knew I would feel less vulnerable once I could cover up more. So I put on the dress, which fit me quite snugly once I did all the buttons up. It was a little too tight for my liking, but at least the hem reached my knees and the neckline was a modest cut. Just as I reached out to try the door, I was startled when the door was unlocked.. It opened to reveal the lecherous bald security guard. "Come out, Don Massimo has asked to see you."

I quickly stepped out of the room, not because I wanted to but because I knew it was safer for me to be out in the open and not enclosed in a small room with him. I looked at him warily as he took hold of my arm and pulled me along with him. "I can walk on my own!" I exclaimed hurriedly. "Let go of me."

"I can carry you if that's what you wish," He leered at me lasciviously. "I know how to handle women like you. I enjoy it very much."

I shuddered, not daring to say anything else lest he actually do what he had told me he would do. We passed down a few narrow, twisting hallways before we headed up a flight of stone stairs and down a wider hallway. The guard stopped outside two large wooden doors guarded by two armed men in black suits. As soon as they saw us, they opened the doors, revealing a luxurious, spacious living room. The guard holding me shoved me inside and then the doors were closed.

He was standing in front of a roaring fireplace, his back to me. I stayed where I was, not moving a muscle. I did not want to get closer to him. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "Laura, come here to me."

"Why did you kidnap me, Mr Torricelli?" I asked him quietly. "I know it wasn't for money, since my whole bank account is spare change to a man like yourself, so why did you do it?"

"I told you to come here, Laura. I don't like to repeat myself," He replied, a sharp edge to his voice that had not been there before. He slowly turned around to face me with a look of contemptuous anger on his face as he downed an amber liquid from a crystal tumbler he was holding. "And I don't like to be kept waiting, get your ass over here now, babygirl, or I promise you will regret it."

I stared at him, barely able to hide my shock when he suddenly threw his tumbler down onto the floor, where it smashed into pieces. He stepped right into the broken shards of glass towards me, a murderous expression on his face. That was when I ran over to him. "I'm here now, I'm here."

"Look what you made me do, Laura," He snapped, his hands latching onto my arms tightly before he shook me like a ragdoll. His eyes were like dark pools, full of pain and despair. They were also dilated, hazy, and red rimmed. I did not know if he was high or drunk but I was sure he was not sober. "You bitch, you made me like this. You wrecked me for other women."

"Mr Torricelli," I gasped out fearfully after he stopped shaking me, "I'm not Laura, my name is –"

He cut me off with a backhanded slap, his gold signet ring causing my lip to split and bleed. He looked down at me, and I thought I caught a flash of remorse in his dark eyes but soon it was gone without a trace . "Your name is Laura when I want it to be, do you understand?"

I quickly nodded, trying to hold back the tears that had sprung into my eyes when he had hit me. "Please don't hurt me anymore."

He sighed heavily, giving me a disgusted look as he grabbed hold of my chin roughly. "You're really not like Laura. You don't have her fire. Maybe this was all a mistake." He whipped a silk handkerchief out of his suit lapel pocket and pressed it against my lip to stem the trickle of blood. Then he dropped the handkerchief onto the floor, keeping my head tilted up towards him as he leaned closer. My heart dropped as I came to a chilling realization. If he thought he had made a mistake then he might kill me. He was not simply a powerful businessman, but a criminal too. So I wrapped my arms around his neck and forcibly pushed my lips against his own, with a yearning for him borne not of passion but desperation. I was only 22, I had barely lived my life and I was determined not to die yet. His stubble aggravated my cut lip, but I persisted with my amateurish kiss. The first kiss I had shared with a man.

His body stiffened and he did not return my kiss. I froze for a moment or two, then carefully let go of him and stepped back. I stared at him with horror as his hands clenched into fists. I decided if he was going to attack me again then I could at least try to fight back. I quickly crouched down and snatched up a piece of the tumbler he had broken. Before I could stand up again he grabbed a fistful of my brown curls, winding the long strands tightly around his fingers and yanking my neck back painfully as he knelt down next to me. "Laura..." He let out a deep, bitter laugh as he rested his head against my shoulder. "Laura, why did you betray me?"

I did not want to talk, but if I stayed silent I was afraid he would lash out again. I dropped the glass and gingerly rested my hand on top of his head. "I'm sorry for everything that happened between us." I flinched when he suddenly locked his muscular arms around my waist, but I was relieved that he had stopped pulling my hair.

He pressed his face against the side of my face and inhaled. "You don't smell like her."

"You smell good," I replied after a short pause, wary of what he would do if I broke character although he himself had finally acknowledged that I was not Laura. "What do I usually smell like, then?"

He ignored me in favour of dropping a sensuous trail of kisses down my neck. I was very tense, but I closed my eyes and pretended I was with an imaginary lover, not an amorous criminal with deep relationship issues who did not care about me. I turned my head and he captured my lips in a hungry, passionate kiss that made me completely forget my pretence. I felt sick as I returned his kiss but I also felt a sudden thrill shoot through my entire body.

A heavy pounding was heard on the door, which startled me. He pushed me away roughly, then stood up and straightened his suit. "Come in," He called out, as I quickly scrambled to my feet. I was ashamed of myself, I knew it was not just for survival that I had allowed myself to be attracted to him.

A man not much older than me came in who I had not seen before. He was wearing a suit too, but not a black one and he did not have an earpiece like the guards did. He was handsome, and had kind eyes. "Massimo..." The man shook his head slowly as he surveyed me. "What did you do to the poor girl?"

"Nothing she didn't deserve," Massimo replied shortly. "Now what do you want, Domenico? I still have a few things I need to say to her."

Domenico headed over to us and reached out his hand with a sympathetic smile on his face. "It's lovely to officially meet you."

I hesitated, looking at Massimo. "Can I...?"

He nodded slowly, but after I smiled at Domenico and shook his hand, Massimo gave me a fierce look that seared right through me. "Just remember, this doesn't give you a free pass to touch other men. I can count on one hand the number of people I trust and it's your good fortune that Domenico is included in this number."

Domenico patted Massimo on his shoulder and leant close to whisper something into his ear.

Massimo shook his head. "No, no. I want to kill him personally."

My eyes widened, and I bit back the sound of shock that wanted to escape my mouth. I knew he was a hardened criminal, but it was still frightening to hear him talk so casually about ending someone's life.

"Let's talk about it later, it's not like he's going anywhere," Domenico gave Massimo a look of reproach. "I don't think this is a nice topic for a lady's ears, or no?"

Massimo smirked at me cruelly. "If you had come in just a few moments earlier you would have seen with your own eyes that she is not a lady."

"That's true," I replied, his words stinging me so deeply I could not help but bite back, even if just a little. "Because I'm nothing to you but a toy. But you call yourself a man after what you did to me? A real man doesn't hit a woman."

"But you said it yourself, you're just a toy." Massimo grabbed me by the throat with one hand and squeezed until I was struggling to breathe properly. "So I can do whatever the hell I want with you. Don't disrespect me in my own house, Laura. I won't allow it. You understand?"

I desperately nodded, clutching at his wrist with both my hands in an attempt to ease the pressure. He let me go, and I coughed before inhaling a deep breath and placing a trembling hand up to my throat.

"Apologize, Laura." Massimo commanded me. "Now."

"I'm sorry for disrespecting you, Mr Torricelli."

"Massimo, call me Massimo." Massimo snapped at me. "Go and sit by the fire while I talk to Domenico."

I went to sit in an armchair close to the fireplace and stared into the orange and yellow flames. The warmth of the crackling fire was slightly comforting, but also reminded me of the hell I was in now. Massimo made a good devil, although I was no angel. I was just an ordinary woman who had got entangled in his snare. I wished I had never gone to deliver the orange juice, but orders were orders as a maid and I was certain a man like Massimo would have easily found another way to capture me if that plan had failed. He might not have plans to kill me now, but I did not know if that could change in the future. And I did not think he would just let me go if he grew tired of me. It was far easier to simply dispose of me.

"Laura? Laura? " Massimo snapped his fingers impatiently. "Pay attention to what I tell you now, because it's very serious. For you, not for me," He stepped closer and dashed a cream manila folder onto my lap. "Look inside."

I slowly opened up the folder, and saw a few printed forms written in Italian as well as a bulletin dossier with the name and details of my last foster mother before I had aged out of the care system. There were also a few photos of her on a school run with some of the younger children she fostered. "Why do you have these?" A feeling of sickness and fear washed over me in a devastating wave. "Don't do anything to hurt her or the children. They're all innocents, please..." I pleaded fervently, locking my eyes onto his own dark storm filled ones as I stood to my feet, the manila folder slipping out of my hands. "I'll do anything you want, but please just stay away from them."

Massimo pushed me back down onto the armchair and picked up the scattered contents of the manila folder. He threw the photos in the fire, then sorted the papers before placing them on my lap and handing me a Parker pen. "Sign your full name where it's been marked with red tabs."

"What is this for?" I asked warily.

"Do you want Jane to live a healthy full life and enjoy her retirement?" Massimo shot back coolly, his dark eyes glittering callously. "Then don't ask questions and sign."

I looked through the papers, uselessly trying to translate the Italian to English. What made it worse was that certain words were blacked out with tape, and I assumed they were cognate words that Massimo did not want me to guess the meaning of. Massimo crouched down by the side of the armchair and gave me an intimidating stare as I let the pen hover over the first red tab. "Did you forget your own name? Should I spell it out so you don't make a mistake? " I reluctantly signed my name where the red tabs indicated, and each time I wrote my name, I felt strange, like I was a losing a part of myself. As soon as I had finished signing all the papers, Massimo snatched them away from me and studied them intently before a brief smile appeared that made his eyes glow with a sudden happiness that was gone as soon as he looked at me again. "You should be thankful I did not get you to formally change your name to hers."

"What?" I exclaimed loudly, glaring at him fiercely. "You were going to make me..." I allowed my words to trail away into nothing, my righteous anger draining as fast as it had come. Because there was no point arguing with him. After all, a man like Massimo Torricelli usually got whatever his heart desired. Except for Laura, a woman who was still such a mystery to me although we supposedly shared a similar appearance. I could not risk the safety of my foster mother or the children, and at least he had not made me sign a name change form though it was still frightening to not know what I had signed. "Can you promise me Jane and the children will be safe?"

"I would never hurt children," Massimo glowered at me, seeming disgusted by my assumption. "And Jane will be fine, as long as you be who I want you to be, and don't try to escape from me. Not that you would get far if you tried to escape the island, and then I would have to punish you."

I did not say being with him was already a punishment, although it was. But I was relieved that Massimo had morals enough not to hurt children. My practically empty stomach chose that moment to make grumbles of dissatisfaction. "May I use your kitchen?"

"You're hungry, aren't you?" Massimo eyed me knowingly before he crossed over to a phone, picking it up he spoke a rapid burst of Italian and laughed before setting the phone down again. Two minutes later Domenico came in again, although I had not noticed him leave the first time. "Take her to our room, put her in something pretty that will make the guards crave what they can't have, then escort her to the back gardens. You'll join us for dinner. And send someone to deliver the paperwork to Ambrisoli."

Domenico smiled sweetly as he held out his arm to me. "Shall we go?"

I nodded softly as I stood up, not sparing Massimo a glance as I latched my hands around Domenico's arm although I could sense him staring at us. A naturally pretty, plainly dressed maid with no makeup and dark brown hair in a tight bun was now in the room, cleaning up the broken glass. She looked like she was only a few years older than me. I wanted to say sorry for the mess but settled for an apologetic look. The maid smiled at me but then quickly looked back down at the floor as if she was afraid of getting in trouble. And I could well imagine how afraid she might be with a boss like Massimo around. When we were almost at the doors Massimo called out to Domenico. "And don't let her wear a bra." My head twisted back to look at him then, and he blew me a mocking kiss. "See you soon, babygirl."

Thanks for reading :)