CHAPTER 8
Chiara
I stare at the door long after Matteo closes and locks it behind him. Did I hallucinate the whole thing or did this really happen?
I don’t get it. Why would he want me to divorce Adriano and marry him instead? It’s crazy. I don’t understand him, and I don’t know enough about him to be able to tell if he’s serious or messing with me.
What would he gain? Adriano would be very pissed off. That’s for sure. But why would Matteo want to raise the children of the man he hates?
Maybe it’s all part of the game he thinks he’s playing with Adriano. He’s toying with all of us. It’s the only explanation I can think of.
The good thing is that Matteo wants me alive. At least I’ll be safe... until he changes his mind. There’s no way I’m taking his offer.
Even though I tried to convince myself otherwise, I’m in love with Adriano. I miss him with every second that passes, and my heart breaks when I think about how much he must be suffering right now.
Because he cares about me too. I’m sure of it. Matteo would’ve killed me a long time ago if he thought his plan wasn’t working. Adriano must be looking for me, and I hope he doesn’t fall into any of Matteo’s traps.
Not knowing what’s going on is driving me crazy, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Matteo will never reveal his plan to me, and there’s no way I’m marrying him.
But maybe I can use this somehow to get free. If I want to escape, I have to get out of this room. There’s nothing in here I could use as a weapon or a tool to help me with my plan.
But if Matteo really wants me to be his wife, then he’ll have to prove to me that I can trust him. I don’t know if he’ll be willing to do that, but I can try. It’s not like I have anything to lose.
The door swings open just as I’m pacing up and down the room. Matteo is in the doorway, a casual smile on his face. His guards are lurking behind him just like always.
“Have you thought about my offer?” he asks.
“Yeah, but I don’t know you and I don’t trust you. You can promise me whatever you want, but I can’t know if you’ll treat me right.”
“You have my word. I always honor all my contracts.” His gaze holds mine, and I don’t think he’s lying.
“Maybe, but I’m just a pawn to you. You’re using me to play games with Adriano.”
“And all that ends if you accept my terms.”
“And I repeat, I don’t know you. You’re a stranger to me. A stranger who kidnapped me and who keeps me trapped in an empty room.”
He tilts his head. “We can get to know each other better. Over dinner.”
I shrug. “All right.”
If I’m lucky, he won’t want to eat in this room, so he’ll take me somewhere else. Maybe there I’ll find something that can help me escape him. All I need is for him to lower his guard around me. I don’t think he sees me as a threat at all, so I have a good chance.
“See you later then.” He winks at me and leaves the room.
I sigh and sit down on the bed. It’s better if I get some rest. Who knows what will happen at dinner? If I get my chance, I’ll have to take it, no matter the risk.
If not, at least I’ll see something other than this boring room. Matteo thinks I’ll agree to be his wife, but he doesn’t give a damn about any of my needs. He couldn’t even have someone bring a book to me so I’d have something to do.
But it doesn’t matter. Adriano is my husband, and I don’t want or need anyone else.
I sit across from Matteo, eyeing the table. The food smells delicious, and I take a few bites. We have everything—real plates, forks, and knives. I can work with that. But Matteo is watching me too carefully, as if he’s studying my every move.
I have to distract him, but how?
“Why do you hate Adriano so much?” I ask.
“Don’t want to talk about it.”
“Ah, so it’s because you’re just like him.”
His brow furrows. “I’m nothing like him.”
“No? He also kidnapped me and forced me to marry him.”
“I’m not forcing you to do anything.”
“Coercing then. It feels the same to me.” I glance at the guards, who are to our left.
“If you keep annoying me, I’ll change my mind about marrying you. And then I just might kill you.” His icy-cold gaze lands on mine.
“But why am I annoying you? I’m only asking a simple question. What did Adriano ever do to you? Because from what I heard, you’re the reason he ended up in juvie, so you must have hated him even then.”
His hand closes around his glass so tightly that it’s a wonder nothing breaks. “It’s not that simple. My father would’ve killed me if I’d gotten caught.”
“So you just decided to throw Adriano under the bus and forget about him?” I arch my eyebrows at him.
“I had no choice. You don’t know my father.”
“And what about now? Do you still have no choice?” I lean forward and cover the knife with my hand.
Matteo takes a gulp of whatever the hell is in his glass. His guards’ attention is on him, and I slip the knife under the tablecloth.
“Maybe I don’t. Maybe I do. It’s none of your business. I’ll tell you once you’re my wife,” he says, lowering the glass.
“If I marry you, what happens when you fall in love with someone?”
It’s a good thing I’m still wearing a dress because it makes it easier to pull off my plan. I reach for my glass of water with my left hand, shielding the guards’ view. With my other hand, I press the knife against my inner thigh.
This is going to hurt like hell, isn’t it? But if I make even the slightest sound or move, Matteo’s going to figure out what I’m doing, and I can’t have that.
Matteo laughs.
“What’s so funny?” I ask, letting go of the glass.
I quickly snatch the fork and bite on it, pretending to eat, as I cut myself with the knife under the table. Oh hell.
“People like me don’t fall in love. What about you? Are you in love with Adriano?” Matteo asks.
I wipe the knife on my dress and slowly return it to the table. Maybe it’s all the adrenaline that must be coursing through my veins, but I can barely feel anything.
“I...” I lower my hand to the wound, coming away with blood.
A gasp escapes my throat as I push myself up to my feet. My eyes widen as I stare at my hand.
“My babies!” I let out a cry. “No! Please help me! Please! I can’t lose them!”
I give my best petrified, pleading gaze to Matteo, who stares at me open-mouthed as he gets to his feet.
“Please!” If this doesn’t work, I’m so screwed.
The thought of not being able to save myself and my babies forces real tears out of my eyes. I sob as blood drips down my leg.
“I’ll do anything you want! I’ll marry you!” I cry. “I can’t lose them! Please!”
I hug myself as sobs rock my body.
Matteo presses his lips into a tight line. “Okay. We’re going to the hospital, but you’ll keep your mouth shut. If you say anything about any of this or if you try to escape, I will put a bullet in you, and there’ll be no babies. Got it?”
I bob my head.
It’s working! My plan is working. Now it’s time for phase two. I need to make sure Matteo doesn’t figure out the truth. Because if he does, he’s never going to let me go. I won’t get another chance, especially not one better than this.
Matteo rounds the table and grabs me by the arm, and the guards trail after us. Hopefully, he doesn’t have his friendly doctors at the hospital where we’re going. But even if he does, I might still be able to get their sympathy somehow.