Friday was an uneventful day and passed on quickly. Bruno wasn't talking to her of course and it broke her heart but she was telling herself that it was just better for everyone.
Valentino, ever since the fiasco with Cynthia happened was keeping an eye on her and at lunch, he instantly spotted that she was in a bad mood. He asked what was wrong but Sofia didn't want to talk about it. He seemed to be on a mission to get that information out of her so she was grateful that he will be having a football practice after school.
After the horrible school day ended she went back home with Raul to discover that Francesco and Alessandro were out.
The night came and she was still alone. She assumed that he was partying with his friends after the successful match, and who knows what her older brothers were doing at this hour.
Sofia was sitting in front of the TV in the living room. She was eating ice cream and crying, feeling truly miserable after losing her only friend. She wanted to call Bruno and apologize but she couldn't.
She knew that it was better if they weren't contacting each other.
***
On Saturday morning she checked the house was completely empty. Weird, Valentino would usually be asleep till 10 at the weekends.
Sofia was eating avocado toast in the morning when Raul showed up out of nowhere and asked: "How do you feel about a little road trip?" He asked.
"Right now?" Sofia asked, surprised.
"Yes, Alessandro told me I can take you to see the city nearby, have you heard about Syracusa? It's a popular tourist destination" he explained.
Sofia was reading about this city in one of the tour guides about Sicily. Of course, she wanted to go there.
"Oh... sure. What about Francesco? Wait, I will call Valentino and ask if he wants to go too"
But neither of them picked up.
"Let's go then" Sofia shrugged her arms. Her initial excitement has passed but she still wanted to see the new city. And maybe it was better that she's going alone? That way she can mourn her loss of a friend.
When they got inside the car Sofia couldn't help but think that the whole situation felt really unusual. Raul asking her to go out, suggesting a place? Alessandro sending her willingly to another city? Her brothers who have been really overprotective lately not picking up when she calls them?
Because the uneasy feeling couldn't pass Sofia gave a quick call to Alessandro. To her relief, he picked up.
"I'm going to Syracusa with Raul, just wanted to let you know," Sofia said, she tried to make her voice sound cheery and not nervous.
"I know. Is everything alright?" Alessandro asked.
"Yes. Everything is fine. I just wanted to let you know" she said softly.
"Have fun," Alessandro said in his calming voice. With that their short conversation ended.
It took her a few minutes to calm her quickly beating heart. Shit, she really needs to cut down the caffeine.
Ok, maybe her mind was sending her false alarm signals.
"Is everything alright, Fia?" Raul asked his eyes were shining with concern and Sofia suddenly felt really stupid for doubting him. Was it because she learned about Cesare and it kept her on edge?
"I'm sorry. I guess I'm paranoid"
Raul sighed. "You know, I'm not used to kids being so aware of dangers like you are. Usually, rich children are very sheltered from a young age and they don't understand that people can have bad intentions towards them"
Sofia stayed silent and looked at Raul with curiosity. She wondered where is he getting with this speech.
"I'm glad you called Alessandro and I'm not mad or offended. Can't trust anyone these days but being disloyal to your family would be a miscalculation on my part. The salary is good and my charge is not entitled. A dream for a person with my profession" Raul assured her and gave her a smile.
Then, the topic of the conversation changed. Raul had tons of stories about rich kids doing insane things. He told her a terrifying story of one of his former clients. The kid was 19, he got drunk and tried to take a shit on someone's roof. This is what prompted Raul to find a different job.
Sofia wanted to ask him about other stories, he was a funny way of telling them but she couldn't do that. She noted that there was a black car tailing them.
"Raul, I think someone is following us," she said, stressed out.
"Don't worry about it. We have some additional security"
She felt like a big weight disappeared from her chest.
"Why?"
"Syracusa is out of our territory" Raul responded shortly.
Syracusa was approximately at the same distance to Catania as Taormina so Sofia had no idea why this trip has been treated differently.
"When I went to Taormina I didn't have additional security, right?"
"Are you sure?" Raul asked.
No, Sofia wasn't sure. Maybe someone was following them but she didn't notice anything.
"We're here" Raul announced when he parked the car at one of the narrow streets of the city centre.
Landscapes and architecture were out of this world. Seeing the sea while walking will always feel special to her.
When she saw people on the bus she felt a mix of sadness and melancholy. She missed a bit being a person who could just be one of the many strangers there. When she could go whenever they wanted alone. Now she had Raul following her like a shadow. She didn't want to be ungrateful she just wanted to feel... normal again.
She took a walk near the coast, went to the local cafe and ordered an espresso. Then she sat for a while at the bench enjoying the view of the sea, for her this view was the view she could usually see only on holiday, or in pictures. Now she was living in this place where the sea could be reached with the palm of her hand.
The whole day she spends doing normal tourist stuff. She got a few postcards, went on a beach, visited a few churches and other historic sites.
"Maybe we should come back?" Sofia suggested when for a third time Raul tried to distract with a new idea or location to see.
"Of course" Raul agreed.
She felt relieved. She wanted to see her brothers. She and Valentino had a movie night planned for today.
When they arrived home everything seemed to be in order, actually, Francesco came back home, finally.
He didn't hesitate to give her a hug.
"How was your day, Fia?" He asked.
"It was great. Syracusa is amazing. We should go there together one day" she replied "How was yours?"
"It was great. The gun prototype I've been working on is gathering the interest of some relevant investors" Francesco winked at her. "We will go. Maybe on a longer trip, and I will force you to spend some money" he winked at her.
They were now both in the living room, Francesco on his favourite chair, Sofia on the couch.
"I've spent money today," she said feeling offended.
"Really?" Her older brother raised his eyebrows "What did you get for yourself?" He asked, clearly interested but sceptical about her answer.
"Postcards, espresso, and pizza for a dinner" she listed with pure excitement.
"How much did you pay for that pizza?" he asked with his arms crossed.
"3€? That's beyond the point!"
Francesco chuckled and shook his head.
"Fia, we have millions on our bank accounts and you're buying cheap pizza and postcards"
"Would you like me to buy a house??" Sofia joked.
"No, just get food at restaurants that won't give you stomach flu" he teased her.
"If the food comes with no risk, I don't want it" she deadpanned. That's true, her pizza, postcards and espresso were cheap things She liked cheap things. Loved them. And she's not going to stop enjoying them.
When for the moment they stopped talking Sofia had a moment to take a proper look at her older brother. He looked tired.
"Is everything alright?" She asked.
"A lot of things is happening lately" he admitted. Sensing he doesn't want to talk about it,
"Have you seen Valentino? I didn't since yesterday" She decided to ask another question. It was late, but he could be partying it was Saturday after all.
"I didn't"
Then, Francesco received a call.
"I need to go back to work," he announced and Sofia nodded feeling sorry for him, it was evening and he should be resting.
"Okay" she gave him quick hug and watched him go. She couldn't get rid of a sense that something is wrong.
***
When she woke up on Sunday she was sure she was going to see Valentino in the kitchen but he wasn't there.
"Where is Valentino?" She was repeating herself but this time her question was directed at Francesco, who was drinking a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
"He went for a camping trip won't be here for several days"
"Oh... he didn't even tell me he's going?" Sofia felt hurt.
Francesco didn't reply.
Before Sofia started eating she used her phone to write Valentino a message "Have a nice road trip" and hid the cellphone in her pocket.
***
When the next day she woke up the first thing she did was to check her phone.
No response.
Sure, there was an option that he was just too busy having fun to bother with replying but she was worried now.
She called him. No response.
Second call. No response.
Ok, now she was panicking. She needed to call Alessandro.
"Yes?"
"Valentino is not picking up my calls and he didn't respond to my message from yesterday," Sofia said anxiously.
"What do you want me to do about it?" Alessandro asked quietly. Sofia was weirded out by this question.
"Can you check if he's alright?" Sofia asked.
"He's going to be fine" Alessandro assured, his voice cold.
"That wasn't my question" Sofia insisted.
"Sofia, I am busy. We will talk later-"
"Just tell me what the hell is going on?"
"Don't swear"
"Alessandro"
"We will speak when I'm back home"
He hung up. Just like that.
20 minutes later Alessandro and Francesco were back at home.
"We need to talk. You have five minutes to get downstairs" was all Francesco said before leaving her room.
When she went downstairs a scary image unfolded right in front of her. The last time she saw these expressions on her brothers' faces was after she came back from her escape to Taormina. The atmosphere was heavy. Something was definitely wrong.
Alessandro instructed her to sit down. When she did he started speaking; "I don't think there's a gentle way of saying that so I will be blunt. Valentino has been kidnapped"
***
Hi guys,
Sorry, I wish I could write more but a day has only 24 hours, unfortunately. Any theories about who stands behind Valentino's kidnapping and what's going to happen next? ;)