In front of the house, a big SUV is waiting. Allegra is the first one to get in the front seat. I don't even think as I get in the back.
"Allegra? Where are the children?" I ask, noting there's only one other guard in the car, but no sight of either Claudia or Lucca.
Allegra chuckles, shaking her head in amusement.
"You really fell for that."
"What?" I frown, immediately making to open the car door. Just as my fingers touch the handle, the man in the other seat presses a cloth to my mouth.
My eyes go wide and I start struggling. It's only for a moment, though, as I lose consciousness.
I WAKE UP WITH A MASSIVE headache, my eyes barely opening.
"Wake up, bitch." I think I hear Allegra's voice before she slaps me across the face.
The blow is strong enough to make me see stars, but also to get me more alert.
"Claudia... where is Claudia?" Good Lord, did she harm my daughter? The mere thought of something happening to her has me trembling wildly with fear.
As I regain my awareness, I realize I'm laying on the floor, my hands and legs bound. Allegra is pacing in front of me.
"I don't care about your daughter." She shrugs her shoulders. She stoops in front of me, a disgusting smile stretching on her face. "But you... you're finally going to get what's coming to you."
"What do you mean? Why are you doing this?"
"Why?" She laughs hysterically, before slapping me again. A ring catches in my lip and I feel a rip. Damn! "It's all because of you." Her eyes are manic, her nostrils flaring with anger.
"What did I do to you?" I never understood her attitude. I can even count on one hand how many times we've interacted before, and never was I anything but courteous to her.
"You stole Enzo from me. Don't think I don't know. He's been visiting you weekly at that fucking convent. No brother, not even a concerned one would do that. You think I don't know you've been fucking him?"
What is wrong with her?
She keeps on going with her delusions, implying that I'd been staying at Sacre Coeur so I could have illicit assignation with my own brother. What in God's mercy is that reasoning?
The more she talks, the sicker she sounds.
"Enzo is my brother, how can you even say that?" I ask, repulsed by the very thought.
"You..." She spits out, coming closer and jabbing her finger in my forehead. "You are the reason he rejected me. You... you..." Her words are hurried and incoherent. "You made him hate me."
"Allegra, do you hear yourself? Enzo is my brother, for God's sake! There's been no impropriety between us." I try to reason with her, but she becomes even more volatile, her grip bruising as she wraps her fingers around my neck. She's sputtering so much nonsense that I become lost.
"... after he's done with you, I'm going to enjoy breaking you." Her mouth turns into a twisted smile, and I can only see a deranged person acting on delusions. Good Lord, does Enzo know? But then I suddenly catch what she's saying.
"Who's he?"
She chuckles, falling back on her butt and laughing.
"He's going to play with you first. And I get to watch." I don't understand what she's saying, but the more time I spend in her presence, the more afraid I get. She's mad, and that means she's unpredictable. Does anyone know I'm missing? What about Claudia and Lucca, are they at home or did she take them somewhere too?
Both Allegra and I turn our heads as footsteps echo down the hall. Soon, the figure of a man dressed in a suit appears in the doorway. Allegra jumps to her feet and dashes to his side, wrapping her hands around his neck and peppering him with kisses.
"Enough!" He raises his palm to stop her.
"Why?" Allegra pulls a face, but the man simply pushes her aside, heading straight for me.
"And the girl?"
"I don't care about the brat." Allegra shrugs, her expression bored.
The man turns towards her, his expression murderous.
"What did I tell you, Allegra?"
She straightens herself, probably realizing the displeasure in his voice.
"To get Catalina and Claudia." She lowers her head in subservience, a first.
Who is this man?
"And?"
"I couldn't be bothered looking around the house for her. She was easy to get." She points at me, puckering her lips like a spoiled child.
"You disobeyed me." The man simply states, unbuckling his belt.
"I'm sorry, Master." Allegra suddenly says, getting on her feet and knees.
"You need to be punished." The man's steps are calm and measured. He reaches behind Allegra, and in a smooth swipe, he slides the belt over her back. There's a piercing sound as the leather meets her back, but she doesn't even whimper. In fact, if I look closely, I can see her purring.
What?
"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You wanted me to punish you."
"Master..." She moans.
What seemed an erotic dance, suddenly turns gruesome as he grabs her by her neck and smashes her face against the floor. A whooshing sound escapes her lips, her eyes rolling back in her head. The man seems disappointed by that, so he kicks her in the stomach with his foot.
"You must excuse me." He turns to me, shaking his head in disgust at Allegra's pitiful form on the ground. "Where are my manners?" He dusts the sleeves of his suit before regaling me with a smile.
"Long time no see, Catalina. Let me introduce myself."
Chapter Twenty-eight
"NO, I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING I know." I groggily open my eyes, squinting at the harsh light of the day.
What...?
I turn my head ever so slightly and I take in my new surroundings. Hospital... I'm in a hospital. I feel pain radiating from my thigh. One quick glance and I see an IV drip connected to my arm.
"Officer, I think there's a misunderstanding. He did not intend to take his own life. The mirror shattered, and he got injured." I hear Sisi's voice and it seems she's arguing with someone. Still disoriented, I raise myself to a sitting position, wincing at the sharp pain. I look down and note the white bandage on my upper thigh. It takes me a moment, but then I remember.
She left.
Watching her retreating figure, I hadn't been in the best mindset. My foremost thought had been to make it all stop. I hadn't intended to kill myself. I'd just wanted some peace, that calm that only pain can bring.
Sitting among the shards of glass, the reaction had been an immediate unconscious thought. I'd focused on a bigger piece, and wrapping my hand around it, I'd stabbed it into my leg.
Head thrown back, I'd closed my eyes, reveling in the exquisite pain; the way it made my mind blank... forget about her horrified expression. Forget about everything. When the pain threatened to become numb, I'd removed the glass, waiting for the cold air to make the sting more potent.
I don't know how long I'd stood there, but every moment brought me closer to the state of lightheadedness that I yearned for, where even the simple task of thinking was impaired.
With a deep breath, I wake up to my reality. Catalina is gone. Claudia is gone.