Valentina #3
"You will." He moves to the window, looking out over the city. "The wedding will be in three months. You'll stay at the estate until then. Elio will show you to your room and introduce you to the staff. Someone will take you shopping for appropriate clothing."
"Appropriate clothing," I repeat numbly.
"You're going to be the wife of the Don. You'll dress the part." He turns back to face me, and there's something almost predatory in his expression now. "You'll look the part. You'll act the part. And eventually, Valentina, you'll be the part."
"I'm not one of you."
"Aren't you?" He moves closer again, and I'm trapped between the chair and his presence. "You have more connection to this family than you know. More than your father ever wanted you to know. Or your mother."
"What does that mean?"
"It means," His hand comes up to my face again, fingers spanning my jaw. "You were always meant to be here. This was always your destiny. Your father tried to run from it, tried to hide you from it. But some debts echo through generations, Valentina."
His thumb strokes my cheek. I lean into it before I can stop myself, a fraction of a second, barely perceptible, but he catches it, and the smile that crosses his face tells me he'll never let me forget it.
"And the debts your family owes mine?" His voice drops to a whisper. "They're about to be paid in full."
He releases me, steps back. The loss of contact is almost physical. I hate that it is.
"Any questions?"
"Do I get to say goodbye? To my family?"
"Tomorrow. Under supervision." He picks up his phone, his attention already moving to his next task.
And just like that, I'm dismissed. Thank God.
Yesterday I called Lindsay and said so so fine, disgustingly fine, it should be illegal.
I was right about that part, at least.
I make it out quickly. Elio is waiting, silent and patient.
"This way," is all he says.
I follow him through a maze of corridors, each more opulent than the last. Original artwork. Marble floors polished to a mirror shine. Vaulted ceilings with crystal chandeliers. Security cameras in every corner, discreet but present.
A beautiful prison.
We pass other people, guards in dark suits, staff in uniform, and every single one of them looks away when they see me. Like I'm already marked. Already claimed.
Already his.
"This will be your new room," Elio says finally, opening a door to reveal a suite that's larger than my entire apartment.
I step inside, and it's like walking into a luxury hotel.
King-sized bed with silk sheets in deep charcoal gray.
Sitting area with leather furniture and a fireplace.
A desk with a state-of-the-art computer.
Floor-to-ceiling windows with a view of manicured gardens and, beyond them, the city sprawling out like a glittering promise of a freedom I no longer have.
"The closet is through there," Elio gestures to a door on the left. "Bathroom on the right. If you need anything, there's a phone on the nightstand. Press one for the main house line."
I nod, unable to form words.
Elio studies me for a long moment. When he speaks again, his voice is quieter. Almost gentle.
"My brother isn't as bad as you think, Valentina."
"So, he doesn't kidnap women and force them into marriage, and this is just a sick joke?" Elio chuckles. "This is not a joke, but he keeps his word. If he says your family is safe, they're safe."
It's meant to be comforting.
It's not.
Elio is young and kind, and unlike Rosa who comes across scary as hell, he's... normal.
"The other brothers will be here for dinner, so you should meet them soon."
"Any advice?" I ask, trying to sound calm.
Elio pauses at the door. "Don't try to win them over. Don't try to make them like you. They'll respect you more if you don't."
He starts to leave, then turns back one more time.
"And Valentina? Whatever Salvatore told you about your family, about your mother... there's more to the story. Ask her about it. About the Castellanos and the Vitales. Before the wedding, it'll help you get some clarity."
"Any advice on how to escape your brother?" He laughs and walks away without answering.
Then he's gone, and I'm alone with that cryptic warning and my gilded cage.
The computer on the desk is already logged in, no password required.
Interesting.
I open the browser and type: how to disappear without a trace
Let him see that in his surveillance logs.
I make it to the all-marble bathroom with gold fixtures and a tub big enough to drown in, and lock the door.
Then I slide down to the floor, pull my knees to my chest, and finally let myself break.
Silent sobs shake my body, and my throat starts to burn.
I just sold my soul to the devil.
Signed my name to a contract that makes me property.
Agreed to marry a man who threatened to dismember my family while looking me in the eyes without a shred of remorse.
But Elio's words echo louder than everything else.
Ask her about the Castellanos.
What does my mother have to do with any of this?
What isn't she telling me?
But most importantly, what in the literal fuck has my life become?