005

Chapter 5

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Natalie

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They sent me home after the statement, not gently or kindly; just dismissed.

By the time I reached my apartment building, my eyes were swollen and my throat burned from holding back tears. The only thing louder than the echo of my footsteps in the hallway was one terrifying thought: has Mama seen the news yet?

News travelled fast in Rome, exceptionally faster when it carries a scandal. My fingers trembled as I opened the door to my apartment, the moment I set my eyes on the interior my breathe stopped.

My apartment was in ruins; drawers ripped out, cushions turned upside down, plates shattered across the floor, my bookshelf overturned like someone had shoved it down in rage. It looked less like a break-in and more like a message.

A warning.

I stepped inside slowly, my shoes crunching against broken glass, that moment I knew they were going to come after me, and in fact they had already started.

I exhaled sharply as I bent down to pick up a broken photo frame; it was the one with Mama and Stephen at the beach last summer and the glass had cracked straight across Mama's smile.

My phone rang and the sound made me flinch so violently, that I nearly dropped it. My mind raced, Mama.

My heart nearly gave out, but when I looked at the caller's id it was Mia. I couldn't answer and I couldn't explain, I also didn't want to hear pity in someone's voice right now.

Did I say pity? Slander!

I declined the call, then sank into the floor bawling my eyes out heavily. My scholarship; it would have been revoked by now.

All those nights I spent studying, all the sacrifices and the lies I told to keep everything balanced; all gone.

I gently forced myself up eventually, if I didn’t move I’d definitely drown in my own panic, I began rearranging my room back into order; not because I had the strength but because I needed control over something.

When my apartment looked somewhat like a place where a human lived, I rushed into the shower to get dressed.

I had three jobs, definitely one of them would need me today.

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The bar was my first stop, where I worked as a tender but unfortunately I didn't even make it past the entrance.

“We can't have you work for us anymore. Not after what's circulating,” my manager said blocking the entrance with his body.

Circulating, like a virus.

I laughed slightly one that sounded like a hallow, broken sound and walked away.

The fabric store was the next place, where I worked as a sales associate, I went to and for a moment, I caught a glimpse of hope; they let me inside but it died just instantly.

“We're letting you go. We can't risk the association,” my supervisor said.

She said association, like I was a criminal who was already convicted.

By the time I reached the location of my last job, my hands were numb. Tutoring was something I loved doing and right here I was a math tutor.

The mother of my students opened the door, staring at me like I betrayed her, “I used to think you were a responsible young woman, and now I found out you're involved with in a scandal?" She said coldly.

Involved? If only she knew.

" I can't trust my child with you around this kind of scandal. We won't be needing you anymore. Good luck!” She shut the door violently at my face.

Good luck, the words felt like mockery coming from her.

As I turned to leave, I walked straight right into someone; Emily.

Oh of course, her smile was wrapped in a red gloss venomously.

“I knew it, you always pretended to be better than the rest of us. Turns out you're just a trash with good grades," she said, looking at me up and down.

" I'm too busy for this,” I muttered, stepping aside but she moved with me and she wasn't alone. Three guys who looked more like thugs, stood behind her watching like they were expecting some kind of entertainment.

My stomach dropped as I turned and ran, laughter following me as something struck my back hard enough to knock air out of my lungs, I stumbled forward barely catching myself before I could hit the pavement.

A baton.

They were laughing but I didn't look back, I just ran.

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By the time I got back home, I could barely feel my whole body as I eye scanned the room for my phone.

Then it began ringing, right beside me on my bed. Mama was calling.

My stomach twitched and I answered, but nobody was saying anything, all I could hear were the sounds of someone crying... Stephen, my kid brother, he was crying.

“Hello? Stephen? Mom? What's going on?" I said, my voice trembling and I heard glass shattering faintly somewhere on the other end.

“Mom! Stephen! Is everything okay?" I asked again, then Mama's voice came through the phone.

“You caused this, Natalie,” the voice didn't yell or scream it just sounded exhausted and strained.

"You were so into whatever was going in your head and that led us to where we are now," Mama said through the phone and I could feel the weight of pain that followed it.

“Mama, what do you mean?" I asked as my throat tightened painfully.

“My seafood restaurant has been destroyed, the glass walks, the glass tables, plates, cups and everything valuable are all gone”

No.

That restaurant was her life, since Dad died she had worked two jobs before opening that place. I remembered her coming home with burned fingers from hot oil, smiling anyway.

" I hate to really say this but it's all because of you. I warned you,” she said.

"I'm sorry,” I choked, falling in my knees.

“Mama, I'm so sorry."

“Well, sorry doesn't rebuild a business," she said finally and hung up.

Something inside me cracked open, I didn't know how long I knelt there; seconds, minutes, hours, time just felt irrelevant until a knock came in.

It was an easy knock, not impatient but slow as another one came again, I wiped my face and walked to the door.

When I opened it, my heart stopped. Leonardo Moretti stood there like he owned the air around him and I slammed the door shut instantly.

My pulse thundered against my ribs and the knocks came again, then I opened the door again; because hiding would change anything.

He stepped in without invitation, his presence filling the room effortlessly. His gaze swept over my apartment noting ever crack and scratches like an inspector evaluate damages.

He ran his fingers across my plastic chair then my cupboard, “Neat," he muttered softly.

Neat? My entire life was crumbling and he called it neat?

" What more do you want? Haven't you done enough?” My voice shook despite that I tried to steady it.

“I'm clearly a nobody who has nothing to offer to you anymore, so what more do you want?”

He tilted his head slightly, “Done?" He scoffed.

“You clearly haven't seen the mess you created," his bodyguard stepped forward and held out a phone in front of me.

They had really uploaded the video of me making a statement and the comments under it were worse now. More of accusations, insults and threats.

“You've ruined everything,” I whisper as a stray tear rolled out of my left eye.

"No, you stepped into something bigger than you" he corrected.

“Why are you here? What else do you want from me? You've taken my jobs, my reputation, my family's livelihood. What more is there?” I cried clenching my fist tightly, suppressing the urged to punch the face in front of me.

He stepped closer, not threatening but certain, “You’re going on a dinner date with me. Tonight,” he said evenly.