Before Carlo could answer, the door opened. An older man stepped inside, salt-and-pepper hair, dressed in a spotless suit, carrying a medical kit. He gave Carlo a respectful nod, set his bag down, and stood quietly.
Carlo turned to me, answering my question. “Your final gift. A necklace you don’t wear around your neck, but inside it.”
I stared at him, baffled. “What?”
He didn’t sugarcoat it. “A tracker.”
I looked down at the capsule in my hand. Then at him. Then at the doctor. Then at Maxim. And something inside me broke. Anger surged through me like wildfire.
Did he really think I was some sheep he could tag? Some pet to track? But this was Carlo. He’d made up his mind and no amount of argument would change it. I fisted the capsule and turned on my heel.
I heard Carlo behind me, muttering under his breath.“Not again.”
Maxim didn’t try to stop me. Of course not. No one touched me without Carlo’s say-so.
I stormed down the hallway. Giorgio spotted me, eyes going wide with confusion. He was about to speak, but I rushed past him without a word. When I reached my room, I slipped inside and went straight for the lock, only to find the key was missing.
That bastard. He’d thought of everything.
Cursing under my breath, I yanked the door open again, ready to dart into another room. But Carlo was already coming toward me calmly, Maxim and the doctor trailing behind him like shadows. Panic kicked in. I spun back inside and ran straight to the bathroom. But the lock there was keyless too. I was trapped.
Desperate, I yanked open the toilet lid, threw the capsule in and flushed. The second the water swirled away, the bathroom door creaked open. Carlo stood there. His eyes landed on the toilet.
I met his stare with a smug little smile. But he didn’t even blink. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out an identical box and waved it beside his temple. My hands started shaking and I took a step back.
“Don’t make this a bigger deal than it has to be, Emily,” he warned. “Come here and cooperate. Or I swear, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and drag you out.”
Fury exploded inside me. “I’m not a sheep for you to tag! I’m not your property! I’m a human being, Carlo. You can’t do this to me!”
“I can.” He stepped forward. “And I will.”
Before I could blink, he lunged. One move and I was over his shoulder, legs kicking, fists pounding at his back. He ignored every scream, every protest, and carried me out of the bathroom, then carefully placed me on the bed.
The moment I tried to wriggle free, he reacted fast, sitting behind me, wrapping one strong arm across my chest to pin my arms down. His legs trapped mine effortlessly, locking me in place.
Cocooned in his hold, I felt the adrenaline crash and vanish, leaving behind only panic and desperation. “Please, Carlo. Don’t do this.”
He leaned closer, his lips brushing my ear. “Stay calm.” His tone was disturbingly gentle. Then he turned to the doctor and gave a quiet nod.
I saw the syringe. My panic surged. I begged, thrashed, kicked, but it was useless. The sting hit my arm, and everything went black in his arms.
***
When I woke up, the memory came rushing back with cruel clarity. Sunlight spilled through the curtains, meaning I’d slept through the night. Slowly, I looked around. I was alone. The sheets were different, and when I pulled them back, I saw I was wearing a soft nightgown I didn’t recognize.
Carlo had even changed my clothes. I sat there, staring at the fabric, a strange numbness settling over me. I really was nothing more than a doll to him.
Moving slowly, I slipped out of bed and stripped off the nightgown. Standing in front of the mirror, I ran my hands over my skin. That’s when I felt a dull ache in my neck. I pulled my hair aside and found it: a tiny scar, stitched neatly.
That’s where he’d put it. The tracker. Like a bell around a goat’s neck, to keep it from wandering too far. A lump rose in my throat. My eyes filled with tears. All I could think about was Lucia. She was the one who betrayed him. She ran away. She lied. Yet I was the one paying the price.
It wasn’t fair.
I wiped my tears, turned on the shower, and stood under the hot water until my skin burned and my legs started to tremble. But I didn’t care. I stayed there until the water washed everything off, except the ache in my heart.
When I finally stepped out, I didn’t hesitate. I gathered my clothes, every single piece, and marched back to my old room. I didn’t want to see Carlo. I didn’t want to hear his name. I couldn’t imagine touching him, let alone making love to him.
He’d called a woman’s mood spring weather, unpredictable and fleeting. But this sky was now covered in dark, stormy clouds, heavy with bitterness, and it had no plans of clearing anytime soon.
