04 - The Blood Name

You are not suppose to know who you are…

Giulia words resounded in Rosy's head for days to come. No matter how much she tried to disregard it, she always ended up thinking back on it.

Sergio too was no where to be seen though his sister Bianca was always hovering around like a shadow. On few occasions, Rosana even caught her glaring in her direction.

The only friends she had were the Chef and Giulia, though she tried not to get too close to them.

De Luca.

Why was her mom's necklace bearing a different surname from the the one Rosy bore? Rosy still puzzled over that and the only person with all the answers was avoiding her like a plague.

Who exactly was De Luca?

She pressed the button below the dresser, calling for Giulia..

“You called Mistress.” Giulia gave a slight curtsied, coming in through the door.

“Come in. I need to speak to you about something.” Rosy told her and Giulia walked in gingerly.

Rosy regarded her for a while, wondering where to start and the maid waited patiently.

“You know you're the only friend I have here, right?”. she began.

A smile lit up the girls face as she beamed gleefully at Rosy.

“Yes and I'm honored Senora is friends with me.” the girl responded, still smiling meekly.

“So that means you will never lie to me, right?” Rosy went on, silently praying the girl won't withdraw.

“I would never think to lie to you, senora.” Giulia responded but Rosy noted that some of her earlier enthusiasm died down.

“What did you mean by the statement you made that day?” she asked, her heart beating in anticipation of the response Giulia was bound to give.

Instead, Giulia was silent, her whole body becoming rigid just as it did whenever Rosy tried to press her on the topic.

Rosy refused to give up this time, grabbing the girl's hand in hers.

“Please…I need to know. I need to understand. I need to know why my mom’s locket had the name De Luca__”

“Shhh….Senora musn’t mention that name. Young master will be angry.” Giulia voice trembled, and her eyes held a frightened look.

“But he isn't here.” Rosy pointed out, shocked at the girl's reaction.

Giulia was shaking her head, her face going pale. She spoke to Rosy in a very low tone and Rosy had to strain to catch every word.

“Senora Bianca has ears everywhere and I'm sure she is just behind the door right now. Look…” she jerked her head towards the door and Rosy could make out a shadow through the small space between the door and marble floor. “I don't want to get in trouble with young master and the senora."

It seems Bianca or someone else was trying to eavesdrop.

“Do you know who originally owned this house?” Rosy asked, changing her line of questioning.

“No.” Giulia responded at first, then nodded slowly but purposefully at Rosy.

Rosy's heart leaped excitedly. Giulia knew but she had to pretend because of whoever was at the door.

“So__”

“The senor is back.” Giulia interjected, hastily getting up.

“How do you know that?” Rosy was skeptical.

“I hear the car down below.” Giulia replied. Truthfully, Rosy heard the slamming of a door.

Giulia bowed and beat a hasty exit, leaving Rosy alone.

Minute later, Sergio walked into the room like he owned it, not bothering to knock.

They both size each other up.

Rosy picked up the locket from the dresser and held it out to him without saying a word. He looked down at it then set his eyes on her again.

“Why’are you giving me this?” He asked. “Its for your mom, isn't it?”

“Exactly. It's for my mom so why was it with you?” She demanded. “How come you have her safebox also?”

“Is that the question you really want to ask? It seems you are finally beginning to unlock your memories.” Sergio asked her a question of his own.

Rosy bit on her lower lip, considering his question. It was as if he was inviting her to ask about her past.

“Why does my mom's locket has the name De Luca written on it?” She asked.

Sergio didn't respond, just kept looking at her but she noticed his eyes had what looked like hatred or disdain in them.

“You are getting close but that's not the question you should be asking.” he said after a while.

Again, Rosy sucked on her lower lip.

“Who's De Luca?” she asked tentatively, absentmindedly clenching her fist.

Sergio smiled maliciously. He walked up to the window and looked out.

“That's the name of your father…” he said slowly.

“What?” Rosy was confused. Her father was Marcello.

The orphanage had told that was the name on the letter with her when they took her in.

Sergio looked back at her, leaning against the wall beside the window.

“Antonio De Luca, more precisely.” he emphasized.

“Who's that?”

“Your father.. Marcello isn't a real name.” he continued, watching the denial creep into her expression.

“Liar.” she disagreed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Well, it doesn't matter to me if you believe me or not. It's the truth.” Sergio shrugged in indifference.

He looked around the room, still speaking to her.

“And this mansion…this mansion belonged to him.”

Rosy mouth hung open, dumbfounded by his revelation.

“You lived here as a child.” He leveled his gaze with hers.

“Liar.”

A small knock sounded on the door.

“Come in.” Sergio answered without taking his eyes off Rosy.

Bianca walked in, and dipped her head in greeting at her brother, completely ignoring Rosy.

“what is it?” Sergio demanded angrily.

“The families have called an emergency meeting.” Bianca said, unfazed by her brother's fury.

“Who ordered it?” Sergio tone was calm in a deadly way.

“Luca De Rossi. He wants the Sit to pass judgement on your actions.” Bianca eyes slid to Rosy.

Sergio swore under his breath, pushing off from the wall.

“Coward.” then he uttered something in Italia.

Bianca dipped her head again and exited the room, Sergio close on her tracks.

“What happened to him?” Rosy blurted, halting him.

“To who?” Sergio asked, giving her a quizzical look.

“Antonio De Luca.”

An evil grinned flashed on his lips then disappeared.

“He faced judgement at my hands…him and his entire family."

He slammed the doors shut on his way out.

Rosy collapsed against the foot of the bed hugging her knees to her chest and trembling.

If he had murdered her entire family, then that means a similar fate awaited her.

She buried her face against her upraised knees and wondered what she had to face.

**************************************************

The beeping sound of the keypad woke her up but the room was dark.

Instinctively, she reached out to switch on the bed lamp but a sound though faint made her pause. She held her breath and listened hard, hoping to her it again.

This time, there was no mistaking it. A footstep.

Someone was in her room.

She lowered herself back into the bed and raised the duvet over head, fear gripping her with icy cold fingers.

Her mind recalled Sergio's last sentence;

He faced judgement at my hands….

What if this was Sergio coming to carry out her own sentence. She clapped over her mouth in horror.

The person was close by her bedside now. Rosy prayed silently, her fingers pulling out the long Sharp pin in her hair.

The keypad sounded again and the door burst open, startling both Rosy and the intruder.

Not daring to look over the edge of the duvet, she listened to the struggle that ensued.

“Take him away.” A voice said after a while.

Sergio.

He hadn't been the one trying to kill her. Rather he and his men saved her.

Bright light flooded the room and Rosy pulled the duvet down to see a very furious Sergio glaring down at her.

“What happened? Who was that?” She stammered at him.

Instead of answering, he withdrew a military knife from his waistband. Still staring hard at Rosy, he slid it across his palm and Rosy gasped in terror.

She tried scrambling away from him but he was faster. He caught her by wrist and in one swift motion sliced her palm, droplets of her blood ruining the bed covers.

"Nessuno oltre a me è autorizzato a sigillare il tuo destino". he uttered in Italia as he did so.

'No one but me is permitted to seal your fate.'

He looked her straight in the eyes, his lips a thin pale line and Rosy felt a fresh wave of fear wash over her.

He is going to kill me, after all.

He spoke yet another declaration in Italia instead.

"E nessuno ti toccherà eccetto che io lo permetta. Tale è il destino di De Luca".

'And no one will touch you are except I permit it. Such is the fate of De Luca.'