4. You're So Heartless

“He knows my identity. He must know.”

 

Natalie paced the room. After talking to Dante, she was becoming more and more certain he knew her identity as Natalie Hale, who should still be in prison. It made her feel even more uneasy.

 

Two cruel men had threatened her and made her lose control of her life. Thinking about it only made her heart grow cold.

 

“Getting out of prison isn’t as wonderful as I thought it would be.”

 

Natalie closed her eyes. She used to be a cunning woman. Being in the competitive modeling industry for so many years required her to be ruthless and not easily bullied. However, what happened recently was beyond her capabilities.

 

She had never faced the cruelty of a mobster. She had never been involved with the people of the underworld.

 

Recalling her life’s journey of dirty things, Natalie was eager to live a quiet life after getting out of prison. She was tired and wanted to be a good woman who lived simply and stayed away from any conflict.

 

However, from the moment she entered the auction house, she should have known her wish would not come true. Her life was getting further and further away from tranquility. It was a dream she shouldn’t have dreamt.

 

Moments later, Natalie finally sighed. “I can only see what the situation is.”

 

During that whole day, Natalie stayed in the room. She knew the people in the mansion were watching her, and it made her uncomfortable to do anything. Her hatred for Dante naturally increased.

 

“Is he so afraid I’ll run away?” Natalie snorted. “I’ll have to talk to him later.”

 

Unfortunately, until the evening and the next day, Dante didn’t show up at all. The man had left after they spoke the previous day and still hadn’t returned. That continued for the next few days.

 

Natalie became a little confused. Was God giving her a chance to escape? However, with Don Vittorio’s ruthless character, she couldn’t imagine what horrible things he would do to make her regret.

 

Standing at the edge of the window, Natalie saw some people getting out of a black SUV in the yard. They took out some black suitcases and carried them into the mansion. Over the past few days, she had already seen that scene several times. Without much difficulty, she could guess it.

 

“Damn shame I don’t have a cell phone,” she muttered. If she could record Dante’s dark business, maybe it wouldn’t be difficult to leak it and destroy him, then she could escape.

 

Suddenly, someone opened the door to her room from outside, taking her by surprise. Cora looked at her flatly while holding a pile of clothes and a makeup bag.

 

“Mr. Vittorio will be back soon. You get ready.” The head maid handed the objects in her hand to Natalie. Then she turned around.

 

“Wait!”

 

Cora turned to look at the woman still standing in her place. “Do you need anything else, Miss Smith?”

 

“Is he going to take me away?”

 

The middle-aged woman smiled. “He certainly didn’t buy you just to waste his money. Whatever happens, you better be nice so that things will be easy for you.” She left immediately after saying that.

 

Natalie crumpled the pile of clothes in annoyance. Even a head maid treated her coldly. There were no good people there.

 

“Fine. This may be my chance.”

 

She smiled coldly and then began to prepare herself. The clothes Cora had prepared for her were not overly mini or revealing, unlike the ones she had worn last time at the auction. It looked like Dante needed a girlfriend who looked elegant rather than bitchy.

 

While Natalie was busy applying makeup, Dante came home with Alex. As he took off his Homburg hat, he asked Cora, “Where is she?”

 

“She’s preparing, sir. I’ll call her.”

 

“Hm.” Dante paid no attention to Cora, who had gone to call Natalie. He turned to stare at some of his subordinates, asking, “What about the money?”

 

“Boss, the money is safe, but we found something.” They showed him a black suitcase that they had placed on the table.

 

Dante opened the suitcase and saw a pile of money neatly organized inside. He rifled through the pile of money and found a package of white powder that didn’t amount to much. He chuckled mockingly. “What does this mean?”

 

“They want to offer another partnership,” Alex said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

 

“I don’t like that idea. Get rid of the stuff!” Dante commanded with a flat expression.

 

“Alright.”

 

The men obediently carried the black suitcase away. Alex watched until they were far away, then asked Dante, “Why did you refuse the offer? Although Bernardi is a bit annoying, he’s a fool we can use.”

 

Dante smiled coldly as he removed his black coat. “Some of our soldiers are starting to be secretly tempted to use drugs. I’d like to withdraw from the business,” he explained, handing his coat to Alex. “I need a suit.”

 

“Are you sure? It’s one of the businesses that has benefited us the most,” Alex protested.

 

“Nothing is more important than a soldier’s hygiene. Once they use that stuff, it’s hard for them to get out.”

 

Alex was silent. After a while, he finally nodded. “The temptation of drugs is no joke.” He walked upstairs, carrying Dante’s coat. Not long after, he returned with a black coat in hand.

 

Dante quickly put on his suit. Just then, the sound of footsteps came from the stairs. He turned his head and saw a beautiful, cold-faced woman descending the stairs with elegance.

 

Natalie was wearing a long maroon dress with spaghetti straps. Her curves were imprinted underneath the dress. She looked elegant and sexy at the same time. Her wavy black hair was left loose at the back. Even though it did not receive proper care during her stay there, it still looked beautiful.

 

Their eyes met. Natalie had to admit the Don’s charm in his black suit. He looked more like a real billionaire than the leader of a ruthless mafia organization. Could it be his disguise?

 

She walked barefoot. Her expression was calm, even though her brain was busy planning her escape. That’s right. While she had not gotten too involved with that man, it was better to escape.

 

“Are there no shoes for her?” Dante asked Cora.

 

“Sorry, we forgot about that,” Cora replied, her head bowed.

 

Dante snorted. “There should be something in this house she can wear.”

 

“I’ll look for it.” Cora quickly backed away and went looking before her master got angry. Meanwhile, Natalie prayed that there were no shoes she could wear. That way, they could stop by the store to buy them. That would be the perfect time to escape.

 

Her hopes rose when she saw Cora come in with a small black stiletto. “I just found these, sir. They belonged to Miss Gardner.”

 

“Put them on!” Dante ordered.

 

Natalie tried on the stilettos. They were at least two notches smaller than hers. She secretly smiled and quickly took them off. “These don’t fit. Maybe we should buy a new one.”

 

Dante suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her close. “I told you to wear them, Cavey, not to try them on,” he whispered, his lips pulling into a devilish smile.

 

Both Natalie’s pupils dilated. She shook her head. “You’re so heartless.”

 

“I’d rather see you in pain than let you escape,” the man retorted without mercy.

 

Psycho! Natalie cursed him silently. How could she possibly leave with such small shoes? Forget running away. Just walking to the car would be torture for her.

 

“I’d rather not go.” Natalie backed away. One of Dante’s subordinates suddenly pulled her back. The man squatted in front of her, grabbed her ankles, and began to put on the tiny stilettos forcefully.

 

Natalie gritted her teeth angrily. Her hands were clenched tightly into fists. She looked up, giving Dante an icy stare. Is that how they dealt with women? What cruel people!

 

Anger made her courage rise. She vowed not to give in but instead was determined to endure the pain until she found a way to escape.