Dry Your Tears

Two

Pain, you'd think with everything Olivia had been through in her life she'd accustomed to the sentiment, that it honestly couldn't get any worse for her. Well, life really seemed to have something against her. She sat there, emotionless, her body moving left and right as she was driven to God knows where, Luca in the passenger seat, tapping his fingers against the window and humming as if he hadn't just ruined her life, again. 

She closed her eyes, recalling the heart-wrenching and fatal moment when Luca shot Elias, the ghastly scream that escaped her lips, the way he stumbled back while desperately holding his chest, the grave look in his eyes as all the life and colour drained from his cheeks. Elias was dead and so was sweet, innocent Aaliyah and worst of it all, she was doomed to spend the rest of her miserable life with their killer. 

She couldn't remember much from the journey between leaving England and arriving in New York, slipping in and out of consciousness, trying to avoid and run away from all that had just happened in a mere span of twenty-four hours. However, as the car slowly came to a halt and the grim shadow of the Luca's mansion loomed over them, all those memories that she had escapes, all the fears and torment she thought she was done with came rushing back and she bit her lip harshly as she tried to stop herself from crying. There had been enough of that, Luca wanted her to cry, he wanted her to be weak but she refused to give him that satisfaction, for Elias, she'd be strong. 

The harsh slamming of doors echoed loudly in her ear as the men around her exited the car, but she remained unmoved, sitting in her seat, hands trembling in her lap as she tried to wrap her head around the fact that she really was here again, that a year has passed and she really found herself back where she started, only this time feeling more alone and empty than before. 

"Principessa, welcome home." Luca said with a devilish grin as he leaned against the car door, extending an arm out, inviting her out the car. Olivia looked up from her hands towards the devil she once loved, not saying anything as she shuffled out the car, her movement slow and rigid, body working against the mind, who screamed at her to run or fight, to not give in so easily. As her feet touched solid ground for the first time in hours, she wavered in her stance and Matteo shot his hands out to steady her. Olivia rejected his touch, rather falling to the floor than having his hands on her body, not when they had just been an accomplice in the murder of a teenager. Luckily she didn't fall, instead clutching her middle as a sudden wave of nausea hit her, feeling the urge to puke and Olivia knew why, being here, around these men, it sickened her to the core and would very well be the death of her. Luca had no patience or pity for her, rolling his eyes dragging her into his large mansion after grabbing her roughly by the upper arm, his men following along behind him like lapdogs. Olivia didn't say anything, she didn't hiss or wince at his touch, she remained quiet, a stoic expression on her face, much to Luca's dismay. He wanted her to cry, to scream and beg, he wanted her to call for that pathetic man's name and then he wanted to taunt her about his death and his stupid sister's death but Olivia remained quiet, angering him greatly. He scowled, muttering words in Italian as his grip on her arm tightened, undoubtedly leaving a string of bruises on her skin, forcing her into his home. He would hurt her, he torture and torment her until soon enough, she would scream, she would beg and cry, exclaiming how much she loved him and only him, and then, then Luca would be satisfied. 

Olivia's eyes flickered around the halls of the house she once called home, memories of what happened in each corner playing in her brain. The entryway, where Luca had beaten her for supposedly looking at a man in the wrong way, the grand staircase, which she had frequently descended, body trembling in fear as Luca was almost always waiting for her in a foul mood, the bedroom where Luca had not only forced himself on her but had also carved his name into her skin, the office, where Luca had humiliated her in front of Matteo, all because of his fragile ego. Every inch of this house was laced with an awful experience and now she was back to make more. She knew the coming day, weeks, if not months were going to be hell. Luca was going to make her suffer, he was going to make sure she felt everything he felt and she was prepared for it. She'd take every kick, every punch, every cut, she'd take everything and she vowed not to allow Luca the satisfaction of seeing her break down. Elias wouldn't have succumbed so easily and she was determined to do the same. 

Luca dragged her all the way up to her old bedroom, Lorenzo and Matteo following along behind them but before Luca could enter the room, he turned to face his companions. 

"Partire. Ho bisogno di stare da solo con lei." He ordered, voice exuding authority. Olivia didn't know what he said, nor did she really care to find out but Lorenzo nodded obediently, glancing at her briefly with angry eyes before walking away. Matteo, however, hesitated, eyes flickering to Olivia apologetically before slowly shuffling away. She looked at his retreating figure, angered. He didn't get to do that, he didn't get to act as if he cared, not after all he had done. 

She sat silently on the bed, her hand running over the softness of the duvet, remembering all those sleepless nights crying herself to sleep, while Luca closed the door behind him and slowly approached her. She felt her breath hitch, eyes following his every move, preparing for the worst. He kneeled down in front of her seated figure, holding her hands to his lips, kissing them softly. 

"I missed you, amore, I missed you so much." He whispered, running his hand over her cheeks before he pushed her neck forwards, planting his lips on her own. Olivia didn't move, repulsed by his touch but he bit her lips harshly, forcing her to respond to the kiss. It lasted for mere seconds but felt like hours and when he pulled away, Olivia couldn't help wiping her lips with her sleeve when he wasn't looking. He stayed quiet for awhile, observing her face intently before he suddenly gripped on to her chin harshly, obliging her to look into his eyes. His angry, brown eyes stared darkly into her own, that were void of emotion and Olivia knew he hated it, he wanted to see her afraid, he wanted her to be a weeping, whimpering mess and perhaps a few months ago she would have been, but she wouldn't be, not for him. "You will never leave me again, amore, never again. Do you understand?" She stayed quiet, looking back at him sharply, silently challenging him. His grip on her chin strengthened, the skin of her cheek rubbing harshly against her teeth from the pressure. "I said, do you understand?" He seethed and again she remained quiet. His eyes blazed with fury as he let go of her face, she didn't get a chance to recover because before she knew it, a forceful blow was delivered to my stomach and she gasped, falling to floor coughing, spluttering and wheezing as she clutched my stomach as it throbbed in pain, still she remained quiet.

"It seems like you have forgotten your place, Olivia. You belong to me, and only me. You obey me, you love me, you please me and nothing more and nothing less. You'll learn soon enough." He spat, crouching down to meet her eyes before getting up and leaving, locking the door behind him. She crawled towards the bed, curling up in a ball as silent tears fell from her cheek, all the emotion she had been holding in all day finally tumbling out. Elias, Aaliyah, it was all too much and Olivia didn't know if she could handle the pain of their deaths; she could take the punching, the kicking, the forcing but she didn't know, she didn't know if she could handle being without them, she didn't know if she could handle living, knowing that their deaths were all because of her. She cried and cried, clutching on to her face as she screamed and sobbed, the emotions too much to bear. This is what Luca wanted, he had won. 

But no, in that moment something within Olivia snapped, she couldn't go on like this. She couldn't just sit there, crying,  and allow herself to be tossed into the hands of one man to the other, she needed to fight, she needed to fight for herself, for the memory of Aaliyah and the love she had for Elias, their deaths would not be in vain, she refused to allow Luca to win, to go unpunished. He was going to suffer. 

A/N: A lot of you didn't like Olivia's character in the first book and looking back on it, I don't really like how I portrayed her either, so, there will be a lot of character development on her part and a lot more girl power in this novel as ultimately, who run the world? Girls! Let me know what you think of the second chapter and don't forget to vote!