My Treasure

AURELIA'S POV


The day stretched until night came. Time passes faster when you're locked up with nowhere to go.
"Just fucking kill me now," I muttered under my breath as I leaned against the window. After my last attempt to jump out of the window with absolutely no plan, Vincenzo had kept the windows locked.


My fingers trailed the glass, a heavy feeling crawling my chest as my freedom stretched even further away. The sound of the lock snapped me out of my depressing reverie, sending me into a defensive stance. My shoulders squared, my nostrils flaring as I prepared to take on the bastard the moment he walked through the door.

The door opened, and my brows furrowed. A woman.
She was young, probably around my age, dressed in a maid uniform with a large bag slung over her shoulder. I heaved a sigh, relieved it wasn't Vincenzo. Hell, I might've even preferred Matteo. But seeing a woman was somewhat comforting.


"You must be Aurelia," she chimed, flashing a bright, toothy grin. 
She had short-cropped, chestnut hair framing around a pleasant face.

"And you are?" I asked, eyeing her warily.


"Selene... Il Capo sent me to get you freshened up."


Every muscle in my body tensed."You mean Vincenzo?"


"Yes," she glanced over her shoulder, then back at me, her voice lowered to a whisper, "But you really shouldn't call him by his name."


I scoffed, heat flaring up my neck as I balled my fists.


"I don't give a shit. He's not my boss," I crossed my arms over my chest. "And why does he suddenly show interest in my well-being?"


She shrugged. "Beats me. I just follow his orders."


I narrowed my eyes. Right.


Vincenzo didn't seem like the type to show an ounce of kindness unless he had ulterior motives. Having the slightest bit of trust in him and keeping my guard down would be a dumb move. Still, if given a chance to feel less like a prisoner, I'd take it. I havent had the luxury of a proper shower in god knows how long, and being wrapped in a damn bedsheet was getting old.


"Fine," I mumbled, and Selene clapped her hands delightedly.


She was awfully excited about this.


She locked the door from the inside before setting the bag on the bed. In it were toiletries and neatly folded clothes.


"I'll wait here while you shower," she said, pulling out a thong and holding it up like she was trying to figure out if it would fit.

I arched a brow. "Do you always size people up like that?"


She grinned. "Just making sure Il Capo got the right size."


I rolled my eyes. Why did it have to be a thong?


I got into the bathroom and spent almost an hour scrubbing myself clean thoroughly. My usual expensive toiletries would do the trick in minutes, but I was in no position to live luxuriously. Here, I was barely surviving as a prisoner. Once I was done, I stepped out, and Selene handed me a towel. Immediately after drying up, I got into my new underwear.


Selene handed me my clothes, and I didn't look at them properly—until I unfolded it.
My jaw dropped.


It was the shortest dress I'd ever seen. Backless, with a plunging neckline that might as well have been nonexistent


"Are these supposed to be pyjamas? Because how the hell am I supposed to sleep in this?" I snapped, losing my tolerance.


She stifled a laugh. "They're not for sleeping. He wants you downstairs when you're dressed."


I blinked. "What?"


"I think there's a party tonight... and he wants you there."


A party?


I frowned and tossed the dress on the bed.


The first time he's letting me out, and it's for a party. He was definitely up to something. I just didn't know what. The fact that he has unpredictable irked me more. 
Was he trying to play one of his sick games with me?

I sat on the bed, as Selene sat opposite, watching me with thinly veiled curiosity.


"What if I don't want to go to this... party?" I grumbled.


She smiled, almost sympathetically.


"Trust me, that's not an option. Il Capo doesn't take no for an answer."


She leaned in and grabbed my hand in hers, startling me. "I don't know you, but take my advice... try not to get on his bad side."


A dry, humorless chuckle lodged in my throat. "It's already too late for that."


After giving it a thought, I reached for the dress, a rebellious fire rekindling deep within me.
If he wanted a party, I'd give him more than he bargained for. Whatever tricks he had up his sleeve, I was ready to play his twisted games.


The dress clung to my body like a second skin, and I was given heels to match.
There wasn't a mirror in the room, but I knew I looked sexy as hell. Selene's dropping jaw was enough confirmation. 
After I was done getting ready, Selene guided me outside. It was the first time out of my cell, and my mind raced.


Could I use this as my chance to run?


But where could I possibly run to? I wasn't familiar with the architecture of whatever this place was. We could be in the middle of nowhere, too, so running without a plan was out of it.


We walked through the long corridor, the dark walls closing in on me. My heart raced as I observed my surroundings, taking in every door and arch. We exited the dark corridor and found ourselves in what looked like a grand room.


The grand room was expansive, bathed in the soft glow of a golden chandelier hanging over the curbed staircase. 
Everything about the place exuded wealth and power, cloaked in dark furnishings that mirrored Vincenzo's ambience. He had expensive taste, I had to give him that. Despite my own privileged upbringing, I couldn't help but be impressed.


That's the kind of luxury dirty, blood money gets you...riches the ordinary people couldn't make sense of. Descending the incessant stairs in these heels had to be a sport. Every muscle in my legs burned. Luckily for me, we walked towards the right wing and stopped at a tall, wooden door.
I heaved a sigh as I tried to catch my breath.


"Fucking finally," I rasped as I leaned on the wall.


"You'll go in alone. This is where my stop is," she said.


A feeling clawed at my chest. Her company had been surprisingly warming. A part of me hoped to see her again.
She knocked lightly on the door, then proceeded to open it. She signaled for me to walk in. Hesitantly, I stepped in. The moment I stepped in and registered the scene before me, my stomach dropped.


Hell no.


I turned immediately to flee from the room, but Selene had already vanished, shutting the door behind her.


"Great," I bit out under my breath, and a loud clap made me nearly jump out of my skin.


My heart drummed hard against my chest, and my palms dampened with sweat as I took in the sight before me.
The room glowed with soft yellow lights; a minuscule chandelier hung, casting light over a large table surrounded by men. They were mostly older men, and all were dressed in fine tailored suits. Poker cards, stacks of cash, and gleaming guns littered the table.


All eyes turned on me. Instinctively, I stepped back only to feel the warm wood of the door press against my bare back.
The smell of nicotine and danger hung in the air, seeping into my lungs as my chest heaved heavily. My senses rang in alarm as my mind begged the question; 
Why was I here in a room filled with these dangerous men?


But when my eyes locked onto a pair of cold gray eyes, I had my answer.


Vincenzo lounged at the head of the table, hand grasping his chin while a cigarrete dangled loosely from the corner of his lips. My blood ran cold. His gaze was cold and dangerous, piercing through me with an intensity that stripped me bare. Cold chills crawled down my spine, leaving me frozen in place.


He flexed his fingers, beckoning me forward.


"We've all been waiting for you, tesoro mio(my treasure)," he said, lips curved into a devious line. "Come."