Alina

Bianca

"We'll know," I said.

I said that with confidence attempting to convince myself that I'd soon be able to hold my sweet little girl again.

It's been less than twenty-four hours since then. For the most part, the entire family is here waiting for word back. Our boys in Japan, France, and Canada are the only ones missing.

"I'm so scared."

"Me too amore. But this is the closest we've ever been and we—"

The ringing of my husband's phone interrupts him.

"Boss."

"It's one in the fucking morning. What is it?"

I place my hand on his bicep to calm him.
He mouths 'sorry' to me.

I can't hear what the man on the phone is saying nor can I tell whether it's good or bad news from my husband's face.

He hangs up the phone and looks at me.

"They sent another recording."

Mixed emotions fill my mind. I'm nervous and dreading it. I'm glad she's still alive. I'm hopeful that Anastasia might contact us.

"Ok," is all I can say. "Should I wake everyone?"

"Yeah. Yeah go on, I'll be there in a minute," he says getting out of bed in a numb-like manner.

His mind is going through every possibility on his way to the closet. Neither of us knows what to do at times like this besides accept it and hope for the best and I hate it.

I throw on sweatpants and a hoodie and leave for the bedrooms. I walk down the hall knocking on each door to wake up the family.

Most of them had the same numb reaction as us and woke up immediately upon hearing the news.

We all go to Antonio's office where he had already connected his laptop to the television. The anticipation the looping circle brings drives me mad as the file uploads.

Soon, it's ready and my husband presses play.

Alina's sleeping body is the first thing we see. There's a nasty bruise on her cheek and Alexei and Dmitri's voice taunts us through the screen.

I'll kill them. I'll kill them. I'll kill those bastards!

Silent tears roll down my cheeks as they continue, Antonio wraps his arm around my shoulder and gently strokes my arm for comfort. His hand is shaking though and I feel his chest tremble, attempting to keep his own tears at bay.

Dmitri then plays a recording with a grin on his face. It's of Alina's voice. We hear the impact of the hand on her cheek and the manipulative words being fed to her. She's crying and begging them.

My poor baby.

I don't know how much longer I can stay sane knowing my daughter is being forced to forget me under physical and mental abuse. The Alina we know and love is fading and we need to get her home now.

The video cuts out and tears are seen all around the room. Even Alberto's eyes are glassy.

"FUCK!" Antonio screams, punching the wall and collapsing to the floor in a ball of tears.

"Principessa. Oh my Principessa, my little girl. Please forgive your father. I'll rescue you," He sobs.

"Roman, what do you see?" Alberto asks.

I want to yell that he's just a child and that he needs a goddamn second, but he's already in his headspace. I see the gears turning in his head as his fingers fly across the keyboard.
He begins to mouth words to himself before writing them on a piece of paper.

"Instructions," he says to himself before diving back into the computer, his fingers moving twice as fast.

The TV changes and a room in black and white appears before us.

"A princess is always saved from her knight in shining armor."

Anastasia's voice.

But we only see her back.

Move Anna. Move!

She does and my daughter's tiny figure comes into view.

"So I do have a family out there?" Alina jumps up and down as she smiles at Anastasia.

"Yes, princess."

We found her.