Chapter 13 Allegra
ALLEGRA
I may have misjudged the devil. Maybe he feels guilty because I took a bullet meant for him, but he's been on his best behavior.
After my initial period of convalescence, the pain in my arm has subsided to a bearable amount. I'd even mustered the courage to look at the wound, and while the doctor had stitched it well, it will leave a scar.
One side effect of the healing process, though, has been that I'm always sleepy. I don't know how many hours a day I sleep, but I've started losing track of time, each day blending into the next.
After the bed incident, Enzo hasn't tried to take advantage of me again. He still brings me soup every day and helps me with my medicine, but he's asked an older woman on his staff to help me with bathing and dressing. Even his taunts have stopped, and I don't know if I should be worried or not.
"The doctor is here to remove your stitches." His words bring me back to reality. I'm wearing only a tank top, so the doctor has easy access to my shoulder.
Enzo remains in the room, watching the doctor's every move.
The process is pretty swift and not as painful as I imagined.
"Continue to keep the area clean," the doctor advises as he leaves, stopping outside the door to have a few more words with Enzo.
I'm already sleepy, even though I woke up a couple of hours ago. I head back to the bed, asleep the moment my head hits the pillow.
"It can't be…" My mouth drops open at Enzo's words. Surely not…
"You've been out of it for a good portion of the time," he points out, but I'm still in shock.
Because if what he's saying is true, then… I look again at the date, stunned.
My wedding was supposed to be yesterday.
I missed the wedding.
"You don't understand…" I start, but I can't even find the words to explain what will happen to me because of this. And Lia, is she even still alive?
"Shh, little tigress. Everything will be okay. I'll take you back to your parents and explain everything. They'll know it's not your fault. Besides, they should be happy their daughter is alive, right?"
I shake my head. He doesn't get it… doesn't realize what will happen to me. The mere fact that I've been alone with a man…
"Trust me," he continues, using his finger to lift my chin up so I'm looking him in the eyes. "I know your parents, and they will believe what I tell them."
I want to protest, to tell him that it won't matter, but he seems so sure of himself that even I have a moment's doubt. Is it possible that he's right?
For the first time, I decide to put my trust in him. Because, really, what's the alternative?
We leave at first light, and instead of going to the port, we go to the airport where a private jet awaits us. In less than half an hour, we're landing back home. A black car stops at the landing strip, and we are welcomed inside.
Maybe Enzo is someone important, and maybe he can convince my parents. We don't really talk as we drive toward my village, but every second we get closer, I can't help but feel a void in my stomach—like I know I'm going toward the execution block.
"Don't worry. I have it all under control," Enzo reassures me once more, and I just nod.
Stopping in front of my house, the guards take one look at me and Enzo and communicate something through their comms.
The anxiety is killing me as we're given the green light to go inside. We don't make it past the main yard before my father and mother are running outside.
"M…" The word doesn't even come out of my mouth as my mother slaps me, the force of it thrusting me backward. I close my eyes and wait for the rest to come, since I know what to expect. But it doesn't.
"You don't hit her," Enzo's stern voice surprises me, but not as much as the look of awe on my parents' faces.
"You…" my father sputters, his hand immediately going to the gun he keeps in the waistband of his pants.
"I don't think you want to do that," Enzo comments arrogantly, and I whip my head around to give him a look.
Is this how he planned to help me explain the situation to my parents?
"You don't know what you've done, stupid girl!" my mother yells at me, her body language telling me she'd like nothing better than to drag me by my hair and beat me until I can't stand up. I see the contempt in her eyes, and I know exactly what it means. Once Enzo's gone, I'm dead.
"We had to give your sister to Franzè. Your sister!" She emphasizes the word as if I don't know what my sister means to them. "My sweet Chiara! And it's all your fault!" She charges toward me again.
I can't even muster the fear anymore. Now that I have confirmation of what awaits me, it's only a matter of when. If this affected Chiara, then there will be hell to pay—by me.
"Did I not make myself clear?" Enzo steps from behind, placing his body in front of me so that he's shielding me from any potential attack. "You don't touch her. You don't yell at her. Are we clear?"
"And who do you think you are to tell me what to do? You think you have any influence around here?" my mother says smugly, but Enzo shrugs, seemingly unbothered.
He takes my hand in his, holding it tightly and raising it in front of my parents. "Her future husband."
"I won't allow that!" my father exclaims, his gun out and pointed at Enzo.
"Really?" Enzo drawls, and my eyes widen at his nonchalance. He's outnumbered, and all the guards are focused on us, ready to take out their weapons too. "Everyone else thinks you've already allowed it," Enzo continues, telling my father to check his phone.
"You…" He looks shocked at whatever he sees on his phone and can only shake his head. "You planned this, didn't you? Why?" I'm confused about the exchange between the two of them, but I'm even more surprised when my father begrudgingly accepts Enzo's claim.
"Mario, call the priest!" he shouts at the guard. "We have a wedding to celebrate," he adds, not in the least happy.
"See, I told you," Enzo lowers his head to whisper in my ear as we're guided toward the living room.
"Is that your solution? To marry me?" I grit my teeth, the enormity of the situation dawning on me. But why would he even want to marry me? So I ask him just that. "Why?"
"I'm repaying a debt. You saved my life, and now I save yours." His face is expressionless, and I realize he couldn't care less about marrying me.
Dazed, I try to keep my head in the game. Everyone is extremely tense as we head inside the house, and my parents make no secret of their disdain for me.
"Allegra, go to Cecilia and have her help you dress. If we're doing this, we're doing it right. You're not embarrassing us again." I nod and leave the room, not bothering to look at Enzo. At least I can confirm that Lia is fine.
But she's not. Not really.
When I reach the landing of the stairs, I see the purple bruises on her face, stretching down her neck and into the confines of her clothes.
Oh, Lia!
"Miss!" She comes running toward me, hugging me to her chest.
"I'm so sorry, Lia. It's all my fault." The tears are finally spilling down my cheeks. This is on me. I knew there was no way my parents were going to let her be... That she's still alive is a small mercy.
"Shh, none of that. I heard the news. I'm so happy for you, my child. You won't have to marry that brute of a man."
"But Chiara…" I trail off, worried about my sister. We may not have the best relationship, but she's still family.
"She'll manage. She's managed her entire life to be the one on top." Lia raises an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to contradict her and knowing I can't.
Chiara's always been my parents' favorite. I'd been told countless times that I'd almost killed my mother at birth and that in their superstitious minds, it meant I was bad luck.
"I should have aborted you the moment I knew I was carrying you too," my mother had spat at me countless times.
By some twist of fate, not long after my birth, she'd been diagnosed with breast cancer and had undergone a double mastectomy.
To this day, she persists that the only reason she'd gotten ill was that I'd done something to her body when I was born.
I'm not a doctor, but I doubt the two are connected.
Still, that had meant that I'd been the receiver of such barbs my entire life.
My sister? She was the perfect child. She was the skinny, obedient, and pretty sister. She was everything I wasn't, and because of that, she was the one they took everywhere with them. The only one worthy of public display.
I can't say that my relationship with Chiara had suffered because of that since it's never been great to begin with.
Even as a child, she'd been malicious and envious.
She would always find ways to make herself the victim, and I'd end up the villain.
The number of beatings I took for Chiara's wrongful accusations had almost destroyed all the sisterly love I had for her.
But that didn't mean I wanted her to suffer.
"Better her than you," Lia whispers in my ear as she takes me to my room.
"You've been punished your entire life for sins that were not yours.
And don't make Chiara the victim, since her poisonous tongue harmed you more times than not.
I don't even know how you are related to these people.
" She shakes her head, her voice still low.
Sometimes, I don't know either.