37
Lucia
Faint sounds of music and conversation float from the direction of the entrance hall but the beating of my heart sounds louder as I hear the ring of a phone on the line.
“Hello?” a female voice answers my call.
“H—hello? Who is this?”
“Miss Lucia? Is that you?”
“Laura?”
“Yes,” she says in an urgent tone. “Thank God you called. Your dad needs to be taken to a hospital right away. He’s having trouble breathing and nothing’s helping.”
Laura is a middle-aged woman who works alongside our housekeeper. Her presence in my dad’s room makes me anxious at once.
“Did you call Dr. Patel?” I ask.
“Dr. Patel is no longer his doctor,” Laura replies. “Mr. Baldwin let go of all the staff in the house. We don’t even have a nurse here anymore. I’m the only one remaining here to take care of your father.”
“Why don’t you call emergency services?”
“I was going to but you’ve got to come home, Miss Lucia,” she says in an urgent, anxious tone. “Your father is suffering from a lot of complications. I’ll be of no help when the hospital staff ask me about his medical history. You need to be here. He needs you right now.”
“I’m sorry, Laura, but I can’t come. You have to ask Callum to help you.”
“You have to come, Miss Lucia! He’ll die otherwise!”
My bottom lip trembles as a sob chokes my throat. I’d allowed myself to forget about Dad’s miserable, bedridden life over the past few weeks. Now that he’s sick, I feel terrible.
“Mr. Baldwin is away,” Laura continues. “There’s no one else who can help.”
“I can’t come,” I say as tears burn my eyes. “I want to but I can’t. There’s no way to get out of here. Besides that, I can’t let Callum’s men catch me. You know what it has been like for me all these years. I can’t go back to being controlled by him.”
“There’s no one guarding the house,” Laura says, sounding hopeful. “Mr. Baldwin doesn’t keep anyone in the house anymore. He gets a cleaning company to come in once a week to take care of the house and that’s it. Your father has no one, Miss Lucia. He needs you.”
“I’m so, so sorry,” I say through a choked throat.
“Miss Lucia! I’m ashamed of you!” Laura’s voice thunders in my ear. She’s usually a quiet woman and rarely shouts. Dad must be in a terrible state for her to behave this way. “You have to come right away or stop calling yourself a daughter of this man. He was always good to me and my family. He never treated anyone unfairly his whole life. How can God curse him with such cruel, irresponsible children?!”
The phone feels terribly heavy in my hand.
Tears pour from my eyes while my heart breaks with guilt and sadness. I shouldn’t have bullied that waitress into giving me her phone. Not knowing how Dad is doing would’ve been so much better than being told he’ll die without my help.
Should I ask Damien for help? I wonder.
At once, his enraged face rises in my mind. He’ll be pissed off if he knows I dared to contact Dad without his permission. Even Mikhail and Leon might not take my side. They all want me to cut ties with my family and be theirs.
The little trust and faith they’ve developed toward me would shatter if they knew what I did. I can’t tell them , I realize.
Laura’s voice shouts at me through the phone as I clutch it in my shaking hand. My body shakes with the force of my sobs while my tears turn my vision hazy. Despite that, I become alert to the sound of heavy footsteps moving closer toward me.
Switching off the call, I whirl around.
A tall, bulky man is tottering toward me. Dressed in a luxurious navy suit, he looks like one of the guests crowding the entrance hall. His unsteady moves tell me he’s heavily drunk.
He stares at me but seems to have trouble focusing. Still, he manages to drag himself up to me.
“It’s time to go home, sweetheart,” he says in a deep, slurred voice. “Daniel Ricci won’t be coming here tonight. What a waste of a fucking night!”
Moving closer, he wraps an arm around my shoulder. “Time to take your old daddy home now,” he says, putting all his weight on me. “It’s time Mia put her sweet mouth on my cock and sucked me to sleep.”
Disgust spreads through me. What kind of a man spoke this way to his daughter?
“I’m not your daughter,” I say with a huff, throwing the man off me.
He easily slumps against a column.
“Don’t sass your Pa, Emilia” he admonishes. “Call Diego and ask him to bring the car to the front so we can go home already.”
An idea sparks in my head. Maybe there is a way out of Volkov Manor, after all.
“Pa, I’m cold,” I say, playing along with the drunk man.
“You’re always making so much trouble for your old Pa,” he says in a slurred voice. “Just get married already so I can have some peace in my life.”
“Yes, Pa,” I say demurely.
The man shirks off his jacket clumsily and throws it at me.
Taking his jacket, I put it on quickly. The large black attire is long enough to reach my mid-thighs, effectively hiding a good portion of my dress.
The man slings his arm around me once again. His weight nearly makes my knees crumble but I soldier on, dragging him to the entrance hall.
There’s every chance of me being caught by Damien and his brothers.
Guilt swirls in my belly. I know it’s wrong of me to deceive them after they decided to trust me but I don’t have a choice right now. There’s no way I can stay here and be obedient while my father is dying.
I shouldn’t have to choose between the people I love. They’ll understand why I did this , I tell myself. They value family over everything else.
My throbbing heart thunders in my ears as we walk through the crowd in the entrance hall. The stranger’s large, wide chest is a great cover for me. I make sure to keep my face lowered, acting like a dutiful daughter who’s helping her drunk dad navigate through the throng.
I breathe heavily as we both step outside the manor. A cold breeze blows by, lifting the stray strands of hair away from my forehead.
“What are you waiting for, stupid girl?” the man chides. “Call Diego.”
“I lost my phone,” I lie.
He curses in Italian. “Here,” he says, thrusting his phone in my hand. “Call the fucking chauffeur.”
I don’t have trouble finding Diego’s number in his contact list. It’s at the very top among the recently-called IDs.
“Is this Diego?” I say when an unfamiliar male voice answers the call.
“Who’s this?” the man asks suspiciously.
“Emilia asked me to take her father home,” I lie through my teeth.
“Oh,” he says, his tone softening. “Is Mr. Marco ready to go home?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
The call switches off. My heart beats so hard, it’s becoming difficult to breathe. My gaze roves all over the ground, taking in the armed guards patrolling nearby.
To my utter relief, no one pays me any attention. Burying my face in the elderly man’s chest, I continue to pretend to be his escort.
A luxurious Bentley smoothly drives up to us and stops.
A man of about forty, with closely cropped hair, peers at me through the window of the car. I guess him to be Diego. “Miss Emilia won’t be joining us?” he asks.
“She’s busy with Daniel Ricci,” I lie, meeting his suspicious gaze.
He nods, seemingly aware of his boss’s intention of setting up his daughter with him. Climbing out of the car, he opens the back passenger door and helps me put Marco in the seat.
Heart beating hard, I climb in after him.
A moment later, Diego is back in his seat and starting up the engine. Within seconds, the car is moving through the dark, shadowy grounds.
The guards at the exit gate stop the car. Two armed men come to peer inside the car. I lean against a barely conscious Marco and hide my face against his bulky biceps.
To my astonishment, the car starts moving again. Feeling bolder, I risk a peek at the window.
The car is already outside the gates!
I did it , I think dazedly. I escaped Volkov Manor!
The car picks up pace, driving us through a nearly empty highway and heading straight for Ashville. Marco snoozes beside me, leaving me to delve into my thoughts.
The toughest part of my escape is over but I still need to free myself from my current companions. My mind whirs, thinking of excuses.
It takes us nearly an hour to reach the town’s premises. The car is moving through a posh district filled with closely towering skyscrapers when an idea forms in my head.
I’m fairly familiar with this area of town. If I can get out of the car, I can get rid of Marco and his chauffeur.
“Stop the car, please!” I shout and clamp my hand over my mouth.
Diego glances backward.
I make a gagging noise behind my hands.
The man frowns. “Are you going to be sick?”
Widening my eyes, I nod hard.
“Shit,” he mutters, slowing the car down and coming to a sudden halt. “Get out of the car right now.”
I fumble with the car’s door and finally throw it open. Running to a corner of the street that leads into the back alley of a restaurant, I pretend to hurl and gag.
When did I become such a good actress? I wonder, slowly walking away from the scene.
Diego stays in the car, not even bothering to come help me, making it even easier for me to sneak away.
I run down the back alley and walk inside the kitchen unit of a restaurant I’m familiar with. The small area just behind the door is covered in bulging bin bags.
Standing there, I listen to the activities happening inside the kitchen. Several people converse in loud, casual voices. I can also hear the sounds of splashing water and clink of porcelain dishes. This late at night, they’re probably busy cleaning up the place.
I look down at myself. My dress is luxurious enough for them to think I’m a guest. I dig into Marco’s jacket that I’m still wearing. Apart from the two stolen phones, I also come across his thick wallet.
Grabbing his purse, I open it. A thick wad of hundred-dollar bills is tightly stuffed alongside credit cards and business cards. There’s enough money in here for me to escape to a different city right away.
“Who’re you?” an unfamiliar male voice makes me look up.
A tall, lanky boy in a dirty apron stands before me, clutching large bin bags in both his hands.
“I was here earlier this evening,” I lie easily. “My friend needed to go outside to meet her crazy boyfriend. I was forced to stay by my friend’s side while they talked about their issues. Now they’re both gone and I’m left all alone here. I don’t even have a ride to go home. Can you please help me?”
I pretend to look innocent and pathetic.
The young man’s expression softens immediately. Putting down the bin bags, he moves to my side.
“Do you want me to call you a cab?” he offers.
“That’d be great,” I say gratefully. “Thank you so much.”
The guy whips out his cellphone. Without looking up, he says, “Where do you want to go?”
I give him the address of a house on an adjacent street from my home to make sure he can’t locate me easily.
His fingers tap the phone’s screen furiously. Next minute, he grins at me. “Your ride will be here in a couple of minutes. Stepping closer, he leans down to whisper in my ear. “Can I have your number?”
“Sure.” I blurt out. “Give me your phone.”
His smile widens as he hands me the phone.
I type a false name and put in a fake number. At the same time, I check the app he used to book me a cab. The car is almost at the front of the restaurant.
“Would you wait with me?” I say, still holding onto his phone.
“Sure,” he says, moving forward to open the door through which I’d entered. “Let’s go wait at the front of the restaurant.”
“Sure,” I say with a nod.
“What’s your name?” he asks as he leads me through the back alley to the open street.
“Kyla,” I lie.
“Sexy,” he says with a grin. “I’m Morgan. Which school do you go to? I can’t tell whether you’re a senior or a freshman at college.”
I’m already too old to be either of those but I play along. “I’m a senior at Knightswood University.”
“I could tell just by looking at you,” he says, scratching the back of his head. “You’re all classy and shit.”
I smile at him, pretending to agree with him.
A car soon comes to a stop beside us.
“That’s my ride,” I say, glancing at Morgan’s phone. “Thanks so much for your help.”
“No problem,” he says as I hand him back his phone and climb into the car.
“Let’s go,” I instruct the driver.
Within seconds, I’m being driven away from the restaurant’s front gate. My heart still beats hard and my senses remain hyper-alert.
I can barely believe I’ve successfully escaped Volkov Manor without a hitch. Thoughts of Damien, Leon, and Mikhail probe me from time to time but I suppress them.
Dad needs me right now. I can think of a way to return to them after sending my dad to the hospital.
They’ll never trust you again , my mind whispers.
The thought sends a cold shiver through me. Am I going to lose them over this?
You didn’t have a choice , I tell myself. You could never be happy if you sacrificed your father to be with them.
Within half an hour, the car drops me at my requested location.
I feel a tiny glimmer of guilt for fooling Morgan. The young man paid for my ride and would receive nothing in return for his kindness.
You’ve got far more important things to worry about right now , I remind myself and suppress my guilt.
The straps of my stilettos cut into my skin as I get out of the car. Ignoring the pain, I hurry toward home.
A different kind of emotion comes over me when I see Baldwin Mansion in the distance. Absolute calm steals through me at the familiar sight.
I’m finally home.
Approaching the mansion cautiously, I make sure Laura hasn’t lied to me. If any of the guards see me, they’ll inform Callum immediately. No matter what, I can’t allow myself to get caught by him.
Getting closer to the property, I see no signs of the guards. Feeling relieved, I reach out and push the tall, heavy gates aside. It swings free, surprising me.
Laura hadn’t lied.
I look up at the dark windows of the mansion. My searching gaze roves all over the shadowy grounds. It truly looks like Callum has abandoned the place. Even though it’s dark, I notice the overgrown bushes and untrimmed grass that rustles against the hem of my dress.
Calm steals through me. It’ll be much easier to shift Dad somewhere safe without having to dodge my brother. Thanks to Marco, I have enough cash to hide with Dad. Once he’s well enough, I’ll try to go back to Damien and his brothers.
I try not to think of their reaction when I see them again. My only focus at the moment is to get Dad to a hospital and then sneak him away somewhere safe where we can both be free from Callum’s oppression.
Hope flares in my chest. Despite the burning pain in my feet, I run down the path that leads up to the house.
Pushing open the front door, I barge in.
The entrance hall is dimly lit. A layer of fine dust coats every surface. Dried flowers stick out of vases. It looks like it’s been a while since anyone bothered cleaning in here.
The cleaners come once a week , Laura’s voice replays in my head.
That explains the lack of care here.
Taking my shoes off, I sprint forward. The skirt of my dress flares behind me as I run up the staircase leading to Dad’s room. He’s going to be okay , I chant happily in my mind. We’re going to be okay.
Reaching Dad’s room, I push the door open.
Even though it’s dark in here, I catch sight of a familiar figure lying on the bed in the corner. Laura sits in a chair nearby and stands up at the sight of me.
“Dad!” I shout, running forward. “I’m here!”
Throwing my arms around him, I hug him.
Loud, incoherent noises escape Dad as he struggles to move.
“It’s okay, Dad,” I say, hugging him tighter. “I’m here now. We’ll get you to a hospital and they’ll make everything better. Don’t worry about a thing from now on.”
Dad’s voice rises higher, taking on an urgent tone.
Something niggles at me. Even though Dad can’t form proper speech, I’ve become used to understanding his emotions.
Right now, he seems agitated and alarmed.
Straightening up, I let him see it’s me.
Dad’s eyes widen as he shakes his head vehemently.
I frown. He doesn’t seem sick but something is bothering him badly.
“Dad, it’s me. Lucia. You’re not alone anymore,” I say soothingly. “I’m here to look after you.”
Despite my efforts, Dad continues to look alarmed.
I suddenly feel a presence behind me. Before I can turn around, a pair of strong, muscular arms wrap around my body.
“Hello, Lucia.”
An icy chill spreads through me at the sound of that voice. It’s Callum’s.
I feel his nose skimming along the back of my neck, inhaling the scent of my skin. “I finally caught you, little dove.”
“But...but...” I bleat like an idiot. My terrified gaze falls on Laura who quietly moves forward. “Why?” I breathe, staring at her. “Why would you do this to me?”
“He threatened to kill my children if I didn’t lie to you, Miss Lucia,” she says in a small voice. “I had no choice. I’m sorry.”
Her betrayal is as painful as a stab in the gut. I can’t blame her for what she did but damn, it hurts!
Laura hurriedly walks away, leaving me in my brother’s clutches.
“You’re mine now,” Callum’s voice slithers down my spine.
Damien! Leon! Mikhail! I scream their names silently, their faces rising in my mind. Help me!
“I’ll never let anyone take you away from me again,” Callum croons in my ear. “I promise you, Lucia.”