Chapter 7: Dangerous golden eyes

CHIARA P.O.V.

I blink with pain in my head and my throat feels dry. Confused, I wonder if I'm dead. However, the faint peculiar smell that enters my nostrils warns me that this is not the case. That intoxicating and dangerous scent belongs to Wolfgang, and if he were in hell, he would be there. I wake up in a completely different room than the one I've been confined to for the last five days that I can remember. The little I can see of this dark room is that there is not much in it, there is little, but it clearly belongs to a man. I look at the needle that connects the IV to my vein, I also look at the heart monitor next to me.

For the first time in a long time, I am afraid to assume that I am in a worse place than the dirty little room they locked me in, or worse, a place even worse than my uncle's house. At that moment, Wolfgang walks into the room, as if he had read my thoughts from wherever he was.

The threatening silhouette of his large body covers me from the corridor light for a moment — and I have the feeling that I am facing death itself. Wolfgang always wears black.

Wolfgang closes the door and turns on the light in the room, to my surprise the light can also be set to dim lighting which is not disturbing to me. Then I can see Wolfgang's face. Maybe I'm crazy, but when Wolfgang's icy golden eyes look up at me, my heart races, and I feel many things, but none of them is fear.

“You were very close to dying, Chiara,” he tells me in a stern tone, but it reminds me of my dad's worried scolding. "I am very angry."

I remain impassive when he approaches me. It could be my hallucination, but I've been surrounded by so many men who look down on me that I can tell when someone wants to hurt me, and Wolfgang definitely doesn't mean to hurt me now, he seems worried about me. But I don't waste my time believing that someone like him cares about me, Wolfgang kidnapped me.

I want to ask him what I'm doing in this room, but I don't think he wants to answer me. Also, I don't think he knows sign language either.

“This is my room, now you will sleep here, where I can prevent you from hurting yourself again”, he answers my doubt, as if he could read my mind.

Wolfgang leans towards me and his hand comes to my lips, his thumb gently brushing my lower lip, in contrast to his dangerous golden eyes that are staring at me. I fear that he is discovering my most private secrets with his gaze. I swear I can hear my heartbeat all the way to my ears, and I feel my breath hitch as Wolfgang leans in further, coming to rest next to my ear.

“A lot of things will change from now on,” he declares with a calm voice that confuses me, “but we'll talk about it when you're well. For now you just need to rest, Chiara.”

Wolfgang turns away and walks out of the room, leaving me with my heart racing. I thought that at this point in my life nothing could surprise me anymore, that nothing attracted me anymore, that nothing disturbed me anymore. But today I see that Wolfgang is dangerous to me for another reason, he attracts me as a man.

***

I open my eyes again, I don't know how long it's been since Wolfgang was here. The room is still dark, and is plunged into a stillness that is only interrupted by my own thoughts. I feel trapped in a whirlwind of emotions and incomprehensible situations, like Wolfgang touching my lower lip, and telling me that now I will sleep in his room.

The door opens gently and a woman enters the room with a tray of food in her hands. My mind is far from any thoughts related to food, hunger has been replaced with uncertainty. But my eyes, which have hardly shown interest in anything since my captivity, light up at the sight of the colorful and appetizing food that the woman is carrying with her. There are desserts, chopped fruit and a large glass of orange juice. Although my stomach didn't ask for it before, I can't help but now my gaze is fixed on the delicious food.

The woman smiles pleased to see my reaction.

"My name is Magda, I'm Wolfgang's great-aunt."

My eyes drift from the food and meet the distinctive golden eyes that resemble Wolfgang's. She must have noticed something on my face because now there is concern in her eyes.

“I'm sorry for everything that happened to you, precious girl.” She places the tray of food on the nightstand next to the heart monitor, and helps me sit up. "No one deserves to be treated like this."

I hear the regret in her voice, I know she's sincere and won't hurt me.

When Magda makes sure I'm comfortable, she takes the tray back and places it on my lap. Once again, I can't stop my stomach from reacting to the vision I have of these foods. I look at her again, wanting to make sure I can actually eat this, because I can't remember the last time someone let me eat something that looked so pretty.

Magda nods and points to the food with her hands, so she sits on the edge of the bed. As I chew my food, I ignore Magda's curious look, until I realize that she wants to talk.

“Hans told me you can't talk. Do you know sign language?

I avert my gaze from the food and look at her. When I nod, she smiles and raises her hands.

"My husband is deaf and mute, so I have years of experience," she explains to me with agile movements of her hands.

I look at Magda's hands, surprised by the naturalness of her movements, she doesn't hesitate or tremble, as if it were her second language. I feel motivated, so I raise my hands, careful not to drop her IV, and move my hands to communicate with her.

"How do you know how to speak Italian?"is the first question I have.

Magda smiles warmly, and this time she speaks.

“I was born and raised in Italy, I am the twin sister of Wolfgang's grandmother, therefore I am an aunt of Wolfgang's mother” Magda makes a disgusted face with her nose. "Her rough German blood of hers comes from her father."

Now Wolfgang's excellent pronunciation makes sense. For that reason he was able to fool my uncle, at first glance, his German heritage is not obvious from his Italian features.

“Where are your parents?” I ask out of curiosity.

Wolfgang knows everything about me, but he is always mysterious and unreachable.

In Magda's eyes I see pain and sadness.

“Wolfgang's parents and my sister passed away.” Magda waves her hands towards the food in my lap. “But you have to eat, okay? And recover so you can go out, you lost a lot of blood, Chiara.”

Suddenly I come back to reality. I am kidnapped and I tried to commit suicide. I look at my bandaged wrists and suddenly feel like crying at how complicated my life is.

"Oh honey" Magda raises her hand and caresses the contour of my face delicately, her hands are as soft as a grandmother's. "I'm going to take care of you. I promise when you're better, I'll get you out of here to get some fresh air.”

I blink, surprised at her promise, can she do that, even if Wolfgang doesn't want to? Magda surprises me with a laugh.

"Don't doubt me. If you rest and eat well, you'll be out before you know it. Alright?"

I nod, though I don't really care if I'm locked in or out, I'll still be a prisoner.

"Okay, finish your meal then." She gets up from the bed to leave the room, but stops at the door. “You are eating lunch, I will bring your dinner at 7 pm.”

I frown and am surprised again, would they bring me more food?

Magda reads the confusion on my face, but doesn't say anything about it. She just gives me a shaky smile and leaves the room.