Tainted Faith

Twenty Seven: Ventisette [re-written 22/05/21]

[RE-WRITTEN]

That night, Marcello didn't return to their bedroom. She only knew he had gone to bed at 3am, by the sound of the shower running in the empty bedroom next door. After their last conversation, it wasn't a surprise he had resorted to sleeping in another bedroom once again, just like the beginning of their marriage. It wasn't until an hour later, when no more sounds were heard from the bedroom, that Liliana gathered the courage to finally put her plan into action.

With a bag clutched tightly at her side, Liliana tip-toed through the D'Onofrio manor, praying that she would not run into anyone else. It was a risky move, considering she could never be sure just how late the other D'Onofrio brothers were usually awake. The task was made harder by the furious pounding of her heart in her chest, and ragged breaths as she snuck through the manor like an intruder, all too aware of the effects of a real intruder. She'd had great difficulty already, walking through the house after the attack, but now, in the dark, such a task seemed almost impossibly.

By the time she had made it to the front doors of the manor, Liliana's head was spinning, and her entire body felt clammy with sweat. Outside, the cool air of the night was a welcome relief, and she savoured the silence, inhaling deeply and trying desperately to calm her heart.

Liliana knew, if she had any hopes of actually escaping the manor, she could not do it alone. Sophia had seemed the only possible option, but Liliana had not until now considered just how she would escape the property amongst the manors guards. So, it was with great surprise that she met the eyes of Alessandro Barbato, wrapped in his thick coat and scarf, waiting for her outside of a luxurious black town car with a smirk playing on the corner of his thin lips.

"Liliana," he greeted in his raspy voice, holding open the door to the car for her.

Of course, Barbato had been granted access to come and go from the property as he pleased. He was the only one that would potentially be able to get through the security at the gate and leave again without alerting Marcello before she could make her escape.

Inside the car, a frowning Sophia greeted her. She reached out to Liliana immediately, grasping her hand and offering a comforting squeeze as she rushed to apologise, "I'm so sorry I had to get my uncle involved, but I didn't know how else to get you out. You didn't get caught did you?"

Sophia glanced behind her, through the open door, as if expecting Marcello to come storming out of the house any minute now.

"No, no," Liliana assured, her heart still hammering away in her chest as she too glanced back towards the house. She found it a little easier to breath now, freed from their captivity, even if this freedom was only temporary. "I take it we're not going to your apartment?"

Barbato entered the car behind her, slowly sinking into the leather seat. Liliana was left a little in disbelief as the car drove down the long driveway without interruption.

"I didn't think it was the safest idea," Barbato acknowledged, coughing into his hand as he clicked his seatbelt into place with the other. "My home is guarded more securely and I'd feel better if the two of you were kept safe there instead of my brother's home, or Sophia's own apartment." He smiled and patted Liliana on the knee lightly. "I take it my nipote has done something wrong for you to be running away in the dead of the night?"

Liliana's answering smile was forced. "I just had to get some time away from that house."

She was unwilling to reveal anything further. As grateful as she was to Sophia and Barbato in this instance, she would not reveal every detail of her marriage to them. Marcello, she was certain, would not take kindly to such a betrayal. Considering the tumultuous relationship between Marcello and his grandfather, if she wished to confess anything at all, it would be to Sophia only, and only if she could ensure Sophia would keep her silence on the matter.