PROLOGUE
CHRIS
Two years ago
I've always been the shadow lurking in the corner, forgotten and ignored. When no one gives a damn about your existence, you learn to blend into the darkness, to fade away into nothingness. That's me. Ever since Mom passed away, the air in the Bonetti household turned icy, amplifying the loneliness that gnaws at my soul.
My brother Nicholas, he's always been the golden child, basking in the glow of my father's admiration. Whatever he desired, he obtained effortlessly. And me? I became the punching bag, the scapegoat for all of Dad's frustrations. I learned quickly to keep my head down, to swallow my pride, and to never dare to fight back.
Nicholas was untouchable, destined to inherit Dad's business empire, while I lingered in the shadows, forgotten and insignificant.
“Alzati, pezzo di merda!”Get up, you worthless piece of shit!Nicholas' voice cuts through the air, dripping with venom, as I lie battered and broken in the cage.
I've grown used to these Saturday night beatings, a sick spectacle to entertain Dad's friends. But tonight, Nicholas went too far. I try to rise, but pain shoots through my side like a fiery arrow, stealing the air from my lungs. Damn it!
He leans in close, his smirk twisting into a cruel grin. “Get up, unless you want Dad to find out about Leila.” The bastard's words strike like a dagger to the heart.
How the hell does he know about her? I've kept her hidden, shielded from their prying eyes. Blood trickles down my face, staining the ice below as I struggle to my feet, my vision swimming in a haze of pain and fury.
Nicholas advances, but I refuse to back down.
“Keep her name out of your filthy mouth,” I growl, blocking his fist with a defiant stance.
He struggles against my grip, but I hold him firm. “Or what, huh? She'll be in my bed before the month ends.”
“Touch her and...”
“And what? You're nobody,” he sneers.
My fist connects with a satisfying thud, sending him crashing to the ground. “She's off-limits to you, Nick.”
As Dad rises to his feet, I realize I've fucked up big time. I pick myself up, leaving Nick sprawled on the ground as I make my way to the door.
The roar of shouts and cheers surrounds us, drowning out any hope of escape. The impact knocks the air from my lungs, trapping me between the cage and Nick's weight. “Respiri solo perchè sono io a concedertelo,”You're only breathing because I allow it, he snarls, landing another blow that makes me cry out in agony, collapsing to the floor.
Nick is on top of me in an instant, his rage tangible. The pain is unbearable, blinding, before darkness descends, enveloping me in its embrace.
No pain.
No shouts and cheers.
No more his fucking face.
Only peace and silence.
The beepingof the machines around me is like a relentless drill boring into my brain. It's incessant, and I feel as though I'm drowning in a sea of noise. A cold hand caresses my face, and I struggle to open my eyes, but they feel like lead weights, impossible to lift. I hear voices, distant and muffled, as if coming from underwater. I strain to make out the words, but they slip through my grasp like elusive shadows. Panic claws at my chest, threatening to suffocate me as I realize I'm trapped in this hazy limbo between wakefulness and unconsciousness. What the hell happened? Where the fuck am I?
Think, Chris, think…Confusing flashes pop in front of my eyes but I can’t quite focus them until the darkness claims me again.
I’m too tired now.
I need a moment.
A minute.
The noises become strongerand longer each time, as does the continuous murmurs around me. I want to tell them to shut the fuck up because they confuse me even more but I can’t. I feel trapped and it drives me crazy. Each time I manage to pry my heavy eyelids open, I'm greeted by a blur of white coats and worried faces. They check my vitals, run tests, and mutter incomprehensible medical jargon that sails over my head like distant thunder. But through it all, there's one thought that keeps me going: I have to wake up.
For Leila.
