The Shadows

Chapter Forty-Three

5 Months Later....

Looking at the concrete walls of the cell she was being held in, Annabella began to wonder what she ever did in life to deserve the hand that had been dealt to her.

Right after she had gotten out of the "hospital" and didn't comply with what Samuel wanted, he sent her down to where he keeps his prisoners. At first she thought that he was just joking since he constantly declared his love for her and how he would never make her suffer if It wasn't needed, so she just went along with the little stunt, thinking that she would get out the next morning.

Annabella waited in the cell all night, not daring to fall asleep and become vulnerable. Soon it had turned to morning and she was waiting for him to show up and say that she had learnt her "lesson" and let her out. But soon morning turned into afternoon and afternoon turned into evening and so on.

She stayed there for a week before he decided to come visit her. She could remember that visit as though it was yesterday, which with how her sense of time was currently, it could have not been that far from the truth.

Flashback to First Week in Cell...

Annabella honestly would have thought Samuel would have been down here to get her already. She hadn't eaten any of the scraps the guards call food that have been given to her, which they didn't seem to care about anyway. She had thought about what Samuel would say to her if he would come down here and talk to her instead of hiding in his office.

He would probably start whining about how she should just listen and this would all be over and he could comfort her. Not that she would ever allow him to do so.

Annabella was counting the cracks in the ceiling when she heard a different pair of footsteps come towards the cell that she was residing in at this point in time. Yes, she had memorized the guards, who typically dealt with her, footsteps. There was not much else to do in here.

She sat up quickly when the cell door opened with a loud creak, notifying anyone within a mile radius that it had been opened. She looked up hoping to see a guard or maybe even one of her ever so lovely brothers, but it was sadly not.

In walked the devil himself.

She was starting to believe that she was cursed or something.

He stopped after walking about 10 steps. Close enough to the door in case he needed to escape quickly. Like she was going to be able to do anything to him. She hadn't eaten in a week or slept, so her energy was running on empty.

"Have you made a decision on what you want to do mi amor?" He questioned with a condescending smirk on his face, like he was happy to see her in the state.

Annabella said nothing, choosing to conserve what little energy she had left in case the opportunity rises and she could escape from that hell hole.

"The guards have told me that you haven't been eating any of the food they give you. Though, I don't blame you. That food doesn't look very appetizing. If you were to just accept my offer and become my queen, then we could go upstairs to get you a bath and some nice food. You don't have to suffer. You know very well I don't like hurting you." He said, trying to manipulate her into doing what he wants.

Annabella frowned and considered giving him a piece of her mind, but decided against it. He was not worth her wasting her breath on him. 

"Hmmm. Seems that you are still going to be stubborn. Maybe I need to bring some family members into this. What about precious little Armani? Isn't he still in the hospital because of you?" Samuel says with fake sympathy in his voice.

She knew exactly what he was trying to do. He is trying to get inside of her head, getting her to lower her defenses and allow him his victory. Annabella would not let him become victorious, because the day that she did, she would have no other purpose than being his trophy to show off.

Annabella turned around to face away from him, not giving him the time of day. She guessed he got the hint because she heard him sigh and then walk away. She wondered how long this will last before he gives in and lets her free.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Walking away from the dungeon, Samuel allowed his thoughts to roam free.

As much as it hurted him to leave Annabella to suffer in the cell, it needed to be done.

He knew what would happen if he allowed her to talk or act however she wanted around anyone other than him in the world that they were both involved in. He also knew that if he gave her the option and trusted her to behave, that she would not and it would end badly in the end for them.

Samuel would lose all respect from his men. They wouldn't want someone who allowed a woman to walk all over him as their leader. They would see him as a coward.

He needed to put any feelings he had for her aside, and treat her like he would one of his whores. It hurted him to even think about it, but it had to be done.

Nothing can explain the heartache that was brought to him when the guards told him she was refusing to eat any of the little food she was being offered. Although it wasn't much, it was still much better and a lot more than what other prisoners were being given.

She may think that he was being tough on her just then, but it is nothing compared to what is coming.

She is about to meet the real Samuel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Annabella came back to the present, she shivered at the thought of how much Samuel had changed since the day he first visited her. She still had not given into his demands, keeping up her strong front even though she was so close to breaking each day.

He kept taking memories that she had with her family from the little time that she knew them, and turning them into not so lovely memories. He has managed to twist every single story that he has learned, and make every little inconvenience her fault somehow.

Sometimes Annabella had to truly question if what he has been saying is what truly happened. She remembered one of them, as it was a few days ago that he began to twist the story.

It was when her and the triplets were planning a prank to play on Adriano since he was always so uptight. They had planned on taking his shampoo and putting neon orange hair dye in it.

Flash forward to the next morning, Adriano had just gotten out of the shower and saw his hair and then proceeded to wake them all up, angry at everyone.

He apparently had a very important meeting with someone, and they might have just cost him millions of dollars.

Samuel managed to make Annabella think that it was completely her fault and none of her brothers, even though she knew that it was Angelo's idea to begin with. Her mind was just so weak that it was open to the deception that he was trying to feed her.

It was this very instant that made her realize that she needed to escape no matter what it takes.

She couldn't be a damsel in distress waiting for her family to save her.

Annabella had to be her own damn hero.