4: Surrounded by Demons

The trip to Sicily was wrapped in a tense, suffocating silence. I glanced at Valentino a couple of times, unable to understand what he was doing. It was utter madness. From what I had seen of him, he didn’t need my consent to keep the baby… he could’ve easily taken the child from me and tossed my body into the sea. So there had to be another reason behind this damn kidnapping.

The car that was transporting us stopped in front of another colossal mansion. God… these people were definitely swimming in money.

"Get out," he ordered firmly.

I stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut, as if that would somehow ease the rage boiling inside me. For the first time in days, I caught a glimpse of my reflection.

I was still wearing the blue uniform. Even though I’d managed to bathe a couple of times since I’d been kidnapped, none of them had deemed it necessary to bring me clothes. As if I were just another piece in their dirty game.

Valentino walked up to me and grabbed my arm, pulling me toward him.

"You’re my woman now, the mother of my child, and you’ll behave as such," he said, without blinking.

I looked him straight in the eye and shook my head firmly.

"I’m not yours, and I won’t act like I am. You’re a kidnapper, and I’ll treat you like one," I replied with what little courage I had left.

"Do you know what happens to people who try to defy me? I kill them. But your case is different, so I’ll kill whoever you love most," he said, without a trace of emotion.

I swallowed a sob and nodded. He left me no choice.

"Walk," he ordered.

I took a deep breath and obeyed, slowly walking toward the front door. My feet were numb, my stomach twisted in knots.

In the lobby, a short woman with cropped hair and piercing brown eyes was waiting for us. When she saw me, she raised a brow inquisitively.

"Hello, Mother," Valentino greeted.

She walked toward us cautiously, not even glancing at her son. She looked directly at me. As if she already knew everything. And my heart began trembling in fear.

"And you are?" she asked. Her voice was sweet but firm.

I looked at Valentino, then at her.

"I’m Ginevra… nice to meet you," I said, offering my hand, but she didn’t take it. She just looked at me, the way a hawk looks at a mouse.

"And you are…?"

I swallowed hard. I was terrible at lying. That’s why I rarely did it. But now a life was at stake, so I had to sound convincing.

"I’m his woman," I said, holding back tears with all my strength.

She turned to him, her expression full of disbelief.

"Your woman? Since when?" she asked, incredulous.

"A couple of months ago, Mother. I brought her here so you could meet her. We’ll be getting married soon," he replied with a confidence that made me nauseous.

Valentino squeezed my arm tighter. I nodded and forced a smile.

"Does your father know?" she asked.

"Since when do I have to explain my private life to him?" he snapped.

She frowned but said nothing more.

Valentino pulled me a little closer. I looked at him, and he was smiling.

I couldn’t understand how he could take pleasure in other people’s suffering. What kind of monster was he?

"What about the Rossettis? I thought you liked that girl," she asked.

Valentino smiled even wider and shook his head.

"She means nothing to me. Just a bed partner."

I opened my mouth, wanting to slap him. How could he speak so despicably about a woman?

"The Rossettis don’t seem to think that," his mother said.

"I don’t care what they think. I love this woman, and soon we’ll have a child," Valentino replied, an idiotic smile on his face.

I couldn’t believe he actually looked happy.

"Is that true?" she asked, surprised.

I turned immediately and looked at her. She pushed her son’s hand off my arm and stepped closer.

"Tell me the truth," she urged.

I opened my mouth. I wanted to let it all out, to tell her what was really going on, but I couldn’t put Ethan in danger.

"It’s true. I’m pregnant, and I love your son too," I told her. And that last word… tasted so bitter I felt sick.

She looked me up and down.

"Do you really love him? How long have you been together?" she asked suspiciously.

I swallowed hard. This woman was far too sharp.

"Uh... we’ve been together a couple of months, and we just recently found out about the pregnancy. I assure you, we’re very happy," I said, improvising.

"Take her upstairs and get her some clothes. I doubt she wants to keep wearing that filthy uniform."

"What time is my father arriving? I need to discuss a few things with him."

"He’ll be here soon," she replied.

Valentino grabbed my arm again and dragged me upstairs to a bedroom. Once inside, I looked him in the eye.

"You don’t care about the baby, do you?" I asked.

"Of course I care. He’ll be the next heir of this family," he answered, as if he were talking about a trophy.

"You’re despicable," I snapped.

He stepped closer, and I backed away, heart racing.

"And you still haven’t really met me," he said with a crooked smile.

That sounded like a threat.

"Stay away from me," I demanded.

"That’s a bit hard to do right now," he said as he approached me again.

A commotion broke the moment. Valentino turned and rushed out of the room. I stayed for a second, then ran after him, my chest tight with tension.

Downstairs, in the lobby, there was now a wounded man on his knees, begging Valentino’s mother. The scene was surreal.

Valentino stepped up beside his mother and looked at the man with disgust, then kicked him hard, leaving him sprawled on the floor. I descended the stairs slowly, feeling like something terrible was about to happen.

Then another man entered and looked at me. He had the same golden eyes as Valentino.

Valentino turned to face me. They looked like two demons, thirsty for blood.

The injured man began to crawl on the floor, trying to escape. But Valentino didn’t allow it. He crushed the man’s head under his shoe like he was an insect.

Then he made a strange whistling sound, and three massive Dobermans appeared out of nowhere. They pounced on the man, tearing chunks of flesh from him with savage growls. The man screamed in agony, and they just watched. Cold. Inhuman.

I ran down the stairs and threw myself over the man’s body, trying to protect him. One of the dogs bit my arm, and I screamed in pain.

"Enough!" Valentino roared in Italian, and the beasts stopped.

Valentino picked me up in his arms and ran off with me—I didn’t know where to, and I didn’t care. I buried my face in his neck and began to cry.

Not because of the physical pain.

I cried because of what I had just witnessed, and for the hell that was still to come.

"I hate you so much," I told him between sobs. Valentino didn’t say a word—he just kept walking with me in his arms.

---

I didn’t understand why her contempt hurt so much. I wanted her close. I wanted her to look at me without hatred. To beg me not to leave her. But she always did the opposite, and that made me want her even more.