Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Caterina woke up with a groan. Her head was aching and her throat was dry as she had screamed a lot before she was smacked on her temple that had her unconscious. 

She panicked as everything rushed back in her memories. She was going to leave for her aunty when Hugo and his men barged in and they shot her father and took her away.

“Papaaaaa.” She screamed as she tried to get up but realised that her hands and feet were tied up and she could only crawl in this cold and dingy place. 

She could see it was dark outside considering the window showed no light from outside but it could possibly be a basement too as she could smell the wetness seeping in the walls. She somehow managed to crawl to a door as her eyes got used to the dark in the room.

“Somebody there? Anybody? Please help me. Please… is anyone here. Open the door please. i … I want to leave. Please let me go please.” She kept banging with her forehead but there was no one listening to her wails and shouts. She didn’t know how much time had passed as her headache grew unbearable and she fainted again. 

She gasped and opened her eyes as someone had splashed cold water on her.

“Wake up princess.” she heard a cold voice from her left and a shiver passed her body to recognise the owner.

She turned to her left and gasped to see Luca sitting on a chair. She scooted back as if unconsciously but the smirk on his face told her that her efforts were fruitless. She could never leave this hole.

“Why have you kept me here? Please let me go. I need my papa. I want to go to him. We will never cross you, I promise. Whatever my papa did to offend you, please forgive us and let us live. We will leave the city. We will never mess with you”. She clasped her hands but all he heard was a loud laughter full of mock. 

“What? Do you think you can bargain with us? What do you have to offer us huh? Your cafe is now owned by us, your flat is owned by us and your pathetic excuse of a father…. He…”. 

“He what? What did you do to him? Where is he?” Caterina was shouting on top of her lungs when suddenly her hair was grasped in a tight handful and her head tilted upwards where she could see the depths of greens looking over her. 

“Shut.up”. Hugo put a finger on his lips and she would have shut up even if had not growled. 

“Your father borrowed a hefty amount of money to open the cafe and to buy the flat above it and I gave him as much time as he wanted but not anymore. 

I had asked him to hand over the money he took but he couldn't arrange it. 

I opted him for a 75% share as payment but he tried to run away from me. 

How stupid could he be to think that he could leave me? I know of every ant that crawls on earth. I can hear every leaf that falls off the tree. And both of you thought you could go just like that? 

And now I took everything back that I once gave. No one deserves my mercy. I am the king of this city. And especially not those who betray me. 

You will live here from now till I tell you. I will use you however I like and then I will feed you to my men once I am done with you and let me tell you, I never fuck the same woman twice in my life. 

So crawl while you can but once you are in my bed, you will pray for death every single moment and it shall never reach you”. Hugo spat on her face before pushing her away and strode of the room.

Caterina was crying in anguish. Her heart was in pain for herself and her father. She wanted to hide herself but she had nowhere to go and she was already praying for death. 

—--

“So what do you think?” Luca asked Hugo once they settled in his office. 

Hugo didn't say a word clicking buttons to turn on his computers. 

“What is the update about the payment from Bratva?” He asked Luca who sighed and opened an app to show the payment details. 

“What about the next production of the hand grenades ordered by the Mexicans?” 

“Two thirds done and packed. Rest in process. We have time till the end of this week and I am sure it will be dispatched before that”. Luca informed and this time he got a humm of approval. 

“Lock her in the maids quarter in my wing. She has to clean up my room and do my laundry. Tell her to cook my meals and I don't want to listen to a single word from her. 

Understood?” He waved his hand in dismissal because he knew Luca would do everything he said and then some more. 

—--

Caterina had presumably dozed off to sleep when someone opened the door with a loud bang, making her startle. 

“Move”. A guard pulled her roughly before cutting the zip ties from her hands and feet so that she could walk. 

“Where are you taking me?” She protested weakly but the guard didn't say anything. He kept on dragging her until they reached to the opposite side of the room where she was kept captive. 

She saw maids and servants moving around in uniforms but no one spared a glance towards her. 

She didn't know how she was even walking because apparently her body was all limp but suddenly the guard stopped in front of a room and threw her inside. 

“You will stay here until your next order. You will do whatever the boss orders. There are uniforms hanging inside the closet and a few other clothes. Your bag is placed in the closet too with everything we got from your room. 

You will not step outside the mansion. You will be provided with food and everything required, but if you speak a word, you will be dead”. The guard spoke in a cold tone and went outside, locking the door behind him. 

She slumped down on the carpeted floor, crying for the umpteenth time in the last 24 hours. 

“I want water”. She knocked on the door but there was no answer. She stood up on shaking legs and turned to search for a washroom. She could quench her thirst but for the first time she was captured, her eyes shone with gratitude to see a pitcher of water on the table. 

She filled the glass quickly and gulped down the water, spilling on her dress as if she was afraid someone would snatch it from her.  

Once she had her full of water she sat down again on the carpet, thinking about what would happen now. 

The guard had told her that she was supposed to clean and do house chores but how and when was she supposed to start? 

She somehow realized that she had to wait until the next orders and till then she had nothing to do except ponder about what happened to her peaceful life.

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Tabby