Alessandra
Iwas always glad to see Chiara, but she’d shocked me with her admission. She was having sex with Marcello. I wasn’t sure how to take the news. Sure, I’d slept with Savio, but Marcello had seemed more of a predator than Savio ever had. I stared at her in awe as she inhaled deeply, clearly nervous about what she’d just told me.
I placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. I know what it’s like. I don’t judge you for it at… ”
I was taken aback when I saw Lucia in the doorway of my cell. It was strange to see her so happy. I was almost disgusted. I was fully expecting to see her broken down by Romeo Cavetti. There had been no doubt in my mind that she would return to me as a shell of the girl I knew as my sister. Yet, there seemed to be no change in her. She was happy, almost glowing.
How was that possible? Romeo was a monster. How was it that Lucia looked healthy and happy? She even looked like she had brought some good news. What could possibly have made her so happy that she obviously couldn’t wait to tell me about it?
Chiara was sitting next to me, seemingly just as surprised. We’d both nearly fallen off the bed at the sound of the door, thinking that it had been Marcello. I was sure that he would simply barge in as he had done so many times before, simply to tear us apart.
I felt a tug of anger toward her, but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I adjusted my long white skirt and my black tank top. She looked better than I did. I was sure that she was shocked by how I looked. I was always taken aback when I saw what had become of Chiara. Both of us had lost weight, and we were both the palest we’d ever been in our lives. There were no mirrors in the cell, but I knew that her face was a perfect replica of mine. It was as much of a mirror as I needed to know that the Cavettis had succeeded in breaking us.
All three of us hugged, even though I was reluctant. Chiara had tears in her eyes, but my eyes were dry. I was prone to crying easily, just as Chiara was, but it was hard to trust Lucia. She looked as though she’d been brainwashed, and I didn’t like any of it.
“I’m so glad to see you both,” she said with a massive smile gracing her face. “How are you?”
Chiara was a mess as she wiped the tears from her eyes, smiling widely at Lucia. “I’ve been better, obviously. You look good, though.”
Lucia brought her hand to Chiara’s face, helping her wipe away the tears. I stared, watching them with a puzzled expression. She seemed completely nonchalant about the situation. She didn’t even seem bothered by the fact that Chiara and I looked like prisoners who’d been stuck in isolation for months.
“I know it’s been hard, but I have some good news for you both. You won’t have to worry anymore. I’m hoping to change some things around here.”
“How will you do that?” I asked her, folding my arms across my chest. “Aren’t you a prisoner here too?”
“I’ve gotten permission to have you both come upstairs with me. You’ll be my bridesmaids at the wedding.”
Chiara seemed surprised by the news, but she was also happy. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing. “Wedding?” I asked.
Lucia laughed nonchalantly, her hand rising up toward her mouth. “Of course. I didn’t tell you, did I? I’m sorry. I’m getting married to Romeo.”
I wanted to slap the smile from her face. She was marrying into the same family that had destroyed our lives. Savio was different. I could accept him and could see him being a part of my life. But Romeo and Angelo Cavetti? They were the knives placed at your back, ready to sink their sharp edges into you the moment you turned around. I wouldn’t trust them.
“So, you’re really going to marry him?”
They both turned to me, and Lucia’s smile began to dissipate. Good. I wanted her to know how I felt about the news.
“Yes, I am. But I’ve gotten permission for you guys to join me upstairs to help me get ready for the wedding,” she said and raised her eyebrows at me. “Will you join me? I don’t want to get married without both of my sisters there.”
Chiara and Lucia shared a look that made my stomach churn. Was I the bad guy? I felt as though I was the only sane person in the room. How was Chiara so accepting of the fact that our sister was going to marry a goddamn monster? Was she not as upset as I was? I tried to soften my expression so as not to worry Lucia too much.
“I’ll join, but only to get out of this room,” I finally said, brushing my hair back. “But I don’t think you should marry him. He won’t make you happy in the long run.”
Lucia reached out, took my hand in hers, and brought it to her chest. “Thank you, Alessandra. And don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
She kept my hand in hers and began to lead me out of the room. Chiara followed us as she exited the door to my cell. I was shocked. I never thought the day would come that we’d be free of those damned rooms. I hadn’t realized exactly where we were, but as she led me down the gray hallway, I began to understand. We weren’t in some kind of facility or warehouse. We were in a basement.
She led me up the stairs and toward a heavy, reinforced door. Her hand was warm as she held it tightly and pushed the door open. The sun was bright—too bright. I could barely keep my eyes open as we walked. I’d never seen the house. Savio had made sure that I was always blindfolded when he led me toward that shed. It was massive. The kitchen had beautiful marble countertops, a huge island in the middle, and all new appliances. I felt an ache in my chest, knowing we’d been deprived of the most basic necessities. I’d almost forgotten how nice sunlight felt against my skin.
Lucia could tell that I was in awe. I wasn’t sure I would ever get out of that damned cell. Having her hold my hand and take me out of there was surreal. It was as though I was in a dream. It was the last thing I’d expected that day. I was in their fucking house.
I stared at the front door as we passed it, wondering just how far I could make it if I started to run. Then I remembered. Antonio had died when he tried to escape. They’d shot him down in cold blood, and they’d likely do the same to me. Chiara seemed to give me a look that warned me not to make any mistakes. I knew better. If I was going to escape at some point, it would have to be at the right time and under the right circumstances.
It would be nearly impossible to leave them all behind.
“You both must be excited to be out of there,” Lucia said.
I narrowed my eyes at Lucia, who was walking as though she was traipsing through clouds. Why the hell was she so happy? Romeo had literally abused her during the time that I was trapped in that cell. He’d admitted so many terrible things to me. And yet, there my sister was, happily marrying the monster our parents had set her up with. It didn’t seem real.
“Come,” she said, breaking the silence. “Follow me. I’ll take you both to my room.”
Herroom?
I had expected that, on the day of my escape, if it would ever come, it would be my brothers who would break us out of the dungeon. Or maybe it would be me executing some make-believe escape plan I had in my head. Never did I think that it was my sister, Lucia, that would rescue me.
I didn’t want to go. I wanted to rip my hand from hers and make a run for it. After the things Romeo had told me, the last thing I wanted to do was see her room. It seemed like a sacrificial kind of place to me. She’d lost herself there. She’d become someone different in the time that he’d spent with her.
