Chapter Seventeen
Alessia
I woke up with a splitting headache, as if my skull had shrunk overnight and my brain was clawing for space. My vision blurred at first, but I could feel the warmth of the soft bed beneath me.
The smell of wood, mixed with the lingering scent of alcohol, clung to the air. I pushed myself up, the pain in my head worsening with each movement. Blinking, I took in my surroundings.
This wasn’t the girls’ quarters where we usually slept.
I was in a room with wooden walls. The window across the room offered a view of trees.
There was something eerie about the quiet, the stillness pressing down on me.
I tried to recall the events from the previous night, but my mind was foggy, a blur of flashing lights and loud music.
I remembered the club, the heavy bass vibrating through my bones, then Artur dragging me out.
We rode his bike together, but the rest? Gone. As though someone had wiped it clean. Waking up here, wherever “here” was, unsettled me even more.
Swinging out of bed, I walked to the window for a better view.
There was a black car parked outside the cottage, its sleek body blending into the shadows of the woods.
No one was around, but the quiet felt oppressive, like the calm before a storm.
The trees surrounding the cottage were thick, as if they could swallow the house whole.
I wondered if I could make a run for it, if I could somehow escape.
But the thought passed as quickly as it came.
I wasn’t foolish enough to think I could outrun Artur.
Instead, I turned away from the window. I couldn’t escape this life.
I walked across the room, my feet dragging toward the small bathroom.
The mirror above the sink reflected a version of myself I barely recognized.
My hair was a tangled mess, strands falling to my face.
The pale skin of my face was blotchy, a mix of fatigue and the aftermath of far too much alcohol. My eyes were bloodshot, the dark circles beneath them telling their own story. I looked pathetic. How much did I drink last night?
As I was about to splash water on my face, a loud voice echoed through the house.
It sounded like someone was watching something—probably the TV.
I froze, fear curled in my stomach and spread like ice through my veins.
I didn’t know where I was, and I didn’t know who was in the house with me.
The last thing I wanted was to be in trouble.
Tiptoeing, I eased the door open, wincing as the hinges creaked.
The wooden floors beneath my feet creaked with every step.
I paused, holding my breath, and strained to hear the voice again.
Creeping forward, I pressed my body close to the walls as I navigated through the hallway.
The house felt like a maze, the narrow corridors twisting around corners.
The smell of fresh coffee drifted from deeper inside, mixing with the woodsy scent that had settled over me.
Finally, I reached the source of the voice. I peered around the corner and saw Matvet standing by a window. He was holding his phone where the sound came from. He fixed his gaze on the screen. The tense set of his jaw told me he wasn’t just watching something light.
I stepped out of the shadows and cleared my throat.
“Good morning,” I greeted him.
He glanced over at me, his eyes narrowing slightly before turning off the phone and slipping it into his pocket. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer than usual.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, and I nodded. He pulled out his phone again as he walked to me, stretching it toward me. “Here. Make the call. One minute, and say less.”
I frowned. “To whom?”
“Carina,” he said. “Didn’t you ask the boss for a favor?”
“Really?” I stared at the phone, confusion washing over me. “Wait, Boss said I could use it?”
Matvet raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t that part of the deal?” He sipped his coffee. “Just do it.”
My mouth opened to ask a question, but I paused.
Artur actually did it? Swallowing, I stared at the phone for a moment.
The idea of speaking to Carina felt unreal.
It was like a lifeline, a thread to the world outside this hellhole.
I dialed her number and pressed the phone to my ear.
The dial tone rang in my ear while I waited for her.
Carina picked up on the second ring, her voice crackling through the silence. “I thought I told you not to call me unless I’m speaking to Alessia.”
She was yelling. God, I missed this girl.
I blinked, surprised by her tone. Had she already met Matvet? “Hey, Carina. It’s me.”
There was a pause. I could feel the shock radiating through the silence. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I smiled anyway. I was talking to my best friend when I thought I’d never get the chance.
“How are you?”
“What do you mean, how am I? Bitch,” she breathed, her voice trembling. “One moment you’re off to see Marco, then you vanish. Marco showed up, telling me I had to help him find you. I was terrified, Alessia. That’s why I gave him your father’s information, and then your father disappeared. I—”
I was crying. She was crying.
“Carina, I—”
“Then these men started following me,” she continued. “I was going from house to house looking for you. They… they nearly killed me, but someone showed up. This guy saved me.”
“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”
“No, it’s not. It’s that damn asshole. God, I hate him.” She sniffled. “Where are you? The guy who helped me said you’d call. I’ve been waiting for this. Are you okay?”
My throat tightened. “I’m okay. Don’t worry about me. I just needed to hear your voice.”
“That’s enough,” Matvet cut in.
“Alessia…”
“I’ll call you soon, Carina,” I whispered, wiping my tears. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
She had been through a lot. The guilt weighed heavier than anything I’d felt in a long time.
Matvet collected the phone. “Are you good now?”
Something didn’t sit right. “Were you the one who saved her?”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he picked up the cup of coffee and took a sip.
“I was doing what the boss told me to.”
A chill crawled down my spine. I remembered asking Artur for the favor and promising I’d do whatever he wanted in return. Now that I thought about it, Matvet had mentioned a deal.
My head spun. The last time I checked, Artur wanted me to take the poisonous pill in exchange for Carina’s safety. Was that the deal?
“Wait, what deal?” I asked.
Matvet shrugged. “I don’t know the details. All I know is that the boss promised to keep Carina and your family safe, and in return, you will do something for him.”
My mind scrambled to remember anything from last night that could explain this. But everything was a blur. I had been so drunk I couldn’t even remember the conversation that led to whatever deal I had made.
But something inside me twisted with dread. What had I agreed to? What was I supposed to do for him?
“I don’t remember,” I murmured, looking around as if the house could provide some information. “Where is he?”
Matvet grabbed the car keys. “He attended Salvatore’s burial.”
My heart dropped. “He what?”
“We should go.”
We got into the car.
The drive back was heavy with silence, the kind that made every thought louder. I kept my eyes on the passing streets, mind chasing the deal I’d made. I desperately wanted to remember the details before they came back to haunt me.
When we returned to the mansion, I half expected Artur to be there. Even though I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to be, I still needed to know what I’d gotten myself into. But that night, he came home long after midnight. The next night was the same. By the third day, I’d stopped waiting up.
Artur had killed Salva, that much I knew, and did I care?
No, God knew I’d had enough of them. I still hadn’t had a single chance to ask him about the deal.
Not that he spoke to me much, anyway. One night, he would act like I barely existed; the next, he would send me away without a second glance.
Tonight was one of those nights. He came in late and sent me out.
A yawn escaped my lips as I trudged through the silent hallways of the mansion. A few guards lingered nearby but didn’t seem to care that I was walking around at midnight. I dragged my feet toward the dorms, my body aching for sleep. The other girls must be fast asleep.
Reaching the door, I wrapped my fingers around the knob and twisted it slowly. But the door didn’t budge. Frowning, I tried again, turning the handle, but the door refused to open.
It was locked.
The patience I had left dissolved. My grip tightened as I twisted the knob harder, pushing against the door with my foot, but it was jammed. Rage coiled inside me. Just when I thought things were settling, some petty girl reminded me I wasn’t welcome in this place.
Mara. This had to be her doing.
Grinding my teeth, I exhaled and stepped back.
Wasting my energy on the door was pointless.
I needed another place to crash, at least for a few hours.
The most obvious option was Artur’s wing, but I wasn’t stupid enough to walk willingly into the lion’s den.
Things had been tense but tolerable between us these past few days, and I wasn’t about to risk setting him off.
Which left me with only one option—his office.
The night swallowed me as I made my way there. I knew his schedule. He wouldn’t be anywhere near his office for a few more hours. I would be gone before he even knew I was there.
Artur’s familiar scent filled the space the moment I stepped inside—a mix of expensive cologne and a faint trace of smoke. The dim glow from a desk lamp cast long shadows across the room, making the space feel even more ominous.