66 | Once A Naive, Innocent Girl
Three days of radio silence.
She hadn't stepped out of her room for three days now.
No matter how hard we tried, we never succeeded in convincing her. She needed to talk to someone. If not us, then someone professional. But she just won't let us enter her room. Scratch that, we haven't even heard her voice ever since she returned.
This day was over as well. Don't know how long this was going to continue. Exhausted, I began trudging up to my room. That's when I heard a whistle from my right.
Following the sound I reached near the pool and found her seated at the edge with her legs dipped into the chilling water.
I had to do a double take. Was that really her?
Of course it's her. The black and blue bruises on her body along with red lash marks on her back were still clearly visible. My heart bled seeing her pitiable state. But that won't make it any less painful for her, would it?
"Hey Grayson." She called me out, without turning back.
I can do this.
I stepped closer to her.
I can't do this.
Her spaghetti strapped black top was doing nothing in hiding her scars. I know she's doing this on purpose.
Taking off my hoodie, I covered her dainty frame with it, cautiously settling down next to her. She yanked it off carelessly and tossed it in the water.
"It's freezing, Vittoria." I noticed she was wearing gym shorts.
"That's for someone with sensations alive."
Does she really not feel anything at all? I'm literally shivering in the cold out here.
"How do phones get married, Rafael?" She asked all of a sudden.
"I'm sorry what?"
"How do phones get married?" Her eyebrows shot up, encouraging me to answer.
"Please be okay Vittoria. Don't do this to yourself. I can't see you like this." I pleaded.
"Just say you aren't smart enough to know the answer." She scowled.
I shook my head, my worry heightening. "Fine. What's the answer?"
"They give each other a ring." She threw her head back laughing uncontrollably. "Oh come on Raf, it was a nice one. Tobo would've laughed."
"We need to talk, Vittoria. I need to explain myself. It's not how it seems. I still love you. It's only you." I moved my hand towards her but her sharp gaze stopped me.
"You only do that if you want to find your hand in a box." She spat.
"D-Do you really hate me so much Vittoria?"
I tried not to show the agony on my face. At this point it was like I didn't know what I'd do, what's the purpose of my life if I don't have her. That's how much she means to me.
"What went wrong, Mr Grayson?" She asked, staring at the ripple made by her feet.
"We haven't gone wrong. We still have everything same as before. Just hear me out once. I swear I-"
"Who the fuck is talking about 'we'? There was no we." She shrugged.
If only you knew, love.
"I'm talking about the plan. What went wrong with the plan? You even had my location. Why did none of you come to help me out of that godforsaken place?"
Her words felt like a slap right on my face. I must've been mistaken. Did she really say that?
"You.. You knew?" I gasped.
She scoffed. "I'm too smart to be fooled by a dumbass like you, Mr Grayson."
"H- How? When? I don't understand anything. " I whispered incredulously, more to myself.
"Tsk tsk. Someone's stuttering a lot today." She grinned.
The little space unoccupied by shock filled with a soothing relief. She knew it was all a lie. She knew I'd never give her away for someone else.
"This is where you praise my acting skills, Raf." She nudged me.
"Excellent acting skills. Why didn't you give me a sign? I was worried you'd hate me."
"One." She held up her index finger. "I do hate you more than anyone in this world. And two. You'd put in a lot of efforts to make me think you're actually exchanging me for Camila. I didn't want to make it all go in vain."
Holy fuck! She figured that out too?
"Yep." She answered as if reading my mind. "All that façade with Toby coming to find me just a few moments before the act, grandpa asking me to be careful about not slipping the truth about me being his sister and you squirming next to me making me aware of your action."
Should I be afraid of her extraordinarily capable mind?
"You made sure I believe you. You preferred that I get hurt instead of including me in the plan. But why would you do that? I have a history of messing up. Isn't it?" She snarled.
I looked down in shame. "It's not like that. It's just that.. It was all so last moment. We would have to tell you the entire truth and we didn't know how to break such a big revelation to you and how you'd react." I tried explaining.
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes.
"So you trusted me, didn't you?" My lips slightly curled upwards.
"Quite funnily, yes." She said, padding her feet in the water. "I knew you'd never do that to me. Apart from that all the observations I deduced."
"Observations?" I asked.
"You telling me never to take that necklace off. Liam showing up there and not catching a hint about what's going on. He just looks dumb. He isn't actually dumb. Those papers Nikolai signed were on the bench, right before his eyes. But Liam didn't notice them. How? That conversation you had with him just to let Nikolai know he had feelings for me so that you can use it in the meeting. I just had to join the dots. Oh and above all, your absolutely shitty acting." She said all in one breath.
Alright, I should be afraid of her extraordinarily capable mind.
"Fuck!" I cursed, utterly amused.
"You think I'd let Nikolai touch me like that behind the wall? You think I was incapable of at least alerting Liam that I was there? That fool Nikolai kept satisfying himself seeing me struggle." She scoffed.
"Oh my god!" A startled whisper was heard from behind.
I turned my head back to see a very shocked Oliver stand behind us. He heard everything.
"Vittoria!" He breathed out her name, a small cloud of mist forming in the air.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I'm really really very sorry." His voice broke as he wrapped his arms around her cold body, gentle enough to not hurt her. Vittoria on the other hand had an impassive face on.
"You still didn't answer my question. What went wrong?" She peeled his arms away heartlessly.
It was a subtle but clear indication. No one would be forgiven. Not even him.
Oliver's face dropped and so did his heart. But he quickly recovered.
"It's too cold out here, muffin. Let's go inside." He caressed her head.
"Did you like my gift?" She smiled widely.
"Vittoria." He closed his eyes. "Please let's go inside. You'll fall sick." He urged.
"Naah." She shook her head stubbornly, splashing the water. "It's good to be cold. So cold that your heart freezes."
"Okay then. I'll sit with you until you move in." He sat down next to her with his legs outside the water like mine.
"Fine. But don't tell me if I accidentally push you into the water." She smirked.
"How did you escape, Vittoria? What place was it?" I tried prying out some information.
"My brother got me out." She looked straight at Oliver as if challenging him.
"Why are you lying, Vittoria? I don't even know where they'd held you captive." Oliver gushed before she even completed.
I see what's happening, Oliver.
An unnerving emotion swerved through his eyes when he said that. I couldn't quite put a finger on what exactly it was. For the first time, I couldn't read his eyes. It was a worrisome mix of fear, confusion and...warning?
"With that I mean your training got me out. If you hadn't taught me how to fight, I'd be getting buried right now. So yep you helped me out in a way." She explained and Oliver visibly relaxed.
Either these siblings are hiding something mammoth or I'm just being paranoid.
"How long has she been gone?"
Rafael looked away and Oliver remained silent.
"Come on boys. You've committed way more shameful actions. Saying the truth shouldn't be so difficult." I scowled.
"Seven months." Rafael mumbled.
The answer sent a shiver down my spine. I was there just for a few hours. My sister is with them for seven months.
Seven months!
"I demand to know why you still haven't found her." This really wasn't helping. I'm not sure how long can I stretch before I kill him.
"We are trying but-"
"Well trying isn't fucking enough!" I yelled, shooting myself up from the cold ground. "You don't know the first thing that happened to me over there. And I was there for hardly seven hours."
"Then tell us, Vittoria. Please talk to us. Tell me who did this to you? Just you tell me." Rafael gripped my shoulders, his eyes turning red with fury.
"What happened there?" I chuckled darkly, fighting back a comber of pain threatening to break free from my eyes.
A lot of things happened.
Things that change everything.
Things I'm not supposed to speak about to anyone. ANYONE.
"I wasn't like this." I mumbled, gulping the knot forming in my throat.
I closed my eyes momentarily and when I opened them back I saw Liam leaning against the doorframe. His soft blue eyes met mine but immediately traveled down. He didn't speak a single word.
"Do you do it yourself?" Oliver asked hesitantly.
"Do what?"
"You know what. Don't make me say it."
"Why? Are you afraid of the person I've become? Weren't you the one tell me to cut off the hand that dares to touch me."
"Yes I did. But I never thought about the consequences. I know what killing people does to your mental health. Honestly, I never thought you'd kill anyone." He gently stroked my hand.
The thought made me break a laughter.
"I'm sorry I just couldn't hold back. I killed twenty three men, dear brother."
Rafael gasped, Liam stumbled back and Oliver just gaped at me.
"Oh and one innocent girl."
"What are you saying, Vittoria?" Rafael whispered.
"I had no choice. I kept waiting there like a fool. You know Rafael I never even thought about it but I secretly wished you come and save me. I trusted you even when I was being tortured there. I trusted you even after knowing you lied to me about such a big thing. But what happened? You never came. I helplessly waited. I didn't show it but I was terrified. And then came that point where I knew no one was going to help me."
Don't cry Vittoria. Don't cry. Don't fucking cry. He doesn't deserve it. None of them do.
"They treated me like a fucking sex slave Rafael. By the way do you know I'm sold to someone? For three million dollars. Can you imagine?"
"No." He shook his head violently. Stop talking.
"Why? Can't even hear it? I've lived it all. And this not the only thing that happened to me. You can just see these scars on my body. You can't see the scars on my heart. Not all abuse is physical. I had to go through it because you failed." I jabbed a finger in his chest.
"Please stop Vittoria." He screamed, his face twisting in agony.
"Who was it? Tell me who dared to put a price on you." Oliver demanded.
I tried not to picture his face and feel the disgusting touch of his hands over my body.
"Try figuring out yourself. You have his hand." I dismissed it.
"That..that hand..."
"Yes. It's my master's hand. A true collectible isn't it?" I chuckled. "How I loved hearing his screams when I chopped it off his body. Music to my ears."
The three men, actually four. Toby was here as well now. They all eyed me with horror stricken face and I absolutely enjoyed it. They should know what they've turned me into.
"I'll never be able to trust you ever again, Rafael. You've failed me. And Camila."
He opened his mouth to speak but shut it without saying anything. What would he even say? His ego was too big to accept his failure.
I stepped away, heading back to my room but he held my wrist lightly. "I love you, Vittoria." He whispered, raising his hand up to push my hair back.
That's bullshit.
"How many times will you say the same lie to the same person?" I huffed.
"It's not a lie." Hai voice began to break.
"Well guess what, I don't trust you anymore and so, I don't love you anymore." I jerked my hand away.
His touch disgusted me more than anything.
"Just like that huh? You suddenly fell out of love with me." He blocked my way yet again, desperately wanting to convince me.
"Yeah because you suddenly turned out to be my sister's fiancé." I did a huge eye roll.
"You have to at least hear me out once." He begged.
"So you have an explanation for this huh? And you too?" I pointed at my brother.
"Please just let me tell you everything." Rafael pleaded.
Now he wants to tell me everything. Just great.
"You know why I'd locked myself into my room?" I walked back to him. "You think I was crying my eyes out? Nope! I just wasn't mentally prepared to kill my sister's fiancé."
"Is that so?" He challenged.
"Mhmm."
"And now?" He stepped closer, holding me by my waist. I looked at him and flashed him the sweetest smile.
"Now I am, mon cheri."
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