One month and two days since the night
I sat in my room, wearing a black dress with sleeves and a collar. It was made out of cotton, making it feel very soft against my skin. I stared through the window of one of Vlad's guest rooms in his mansion in Moscow. I don't think I will ever get through the fact that I was used by him. Unconscious.
Maybe I will after I kill him tonight.
Since he knocked me out, I woke up after the long flight and in the same bedroom I was in at the moment. Valentina only showed up yesterday after my morning shower and I was quite disappointed, to say the least. She was the one I had grown to trust and yet didn't bother to visit me after I had woken up. Although she did tell me she was by my side throughout the flight here.
I was getting exhausted from the never-ending flights from one continent to the other. But it was the only thing that made me at least enjoy the new scenery instead of having to go through torture from the same buildings, mountains or landscapes.
Tonight, Vlad was going to take me to Luca's parent's house on the other side of the city. He wanted to talk to them about what they were going to do with me and as much as I awaited the moment I was in the same car as him, I dreaded it.
I was afraid everything might end just as easily as it started. One thing about Vlad was a fact. He was unpredictable as I previously mentioned and with that being said, it makes the entire plan making twice as difficult. I had two plans for tonight.
Plan A was the one I hope to go by and if everything went as expected, he'd be dead before we even reached the city centre. Or at least should be dead.
Plan B was slightly different. If by any chance I wasn't able to slide a knife across his throat in the vehicle, I would do it after the dinner with the Lorenzos. I wasn't looking forward to this plan but it was the only way out if plan A was a disaster.
Once Valentina escorted me to the car, I frowned. There were two black cars. As well as a security vehicle at the very end of the two cars but I wasn't expecting to be riding in two separate cars.
The moment someone's arm wrapped around my waist, I flinched before I moved to the side. I didn't even have to look up at the man. I could smell him.
"Two cars. You and I in one, Valentina and Sergey in the other," Sergey was his personal assistant. One he employed after Igor's sudden death. I smiled as I remembered him in the cell of my estate. Vlad gently pushed me forward, earning a death look from me.
"Togli le tue fottute mani di dosso," [Get your fucking hand off me] I spat through my teeth, making him smile. I turned away from him before I climbed into the car and slammed the door in his face. He could walk around to the other side. He wasn't that old.
I buckled up and crossed my arms over my chest as I stared through the window. Once the opposite door closed and the driver sat in, I could feel the fear running through my veins. Plan A was in the trash at this point. I needed Valentina to be beside me to distract him in order for this to work but since Vlad most likely expected this, he went around me.
"Excited?" He asked which I ignored. "Chert voz'mi," [For fuck's sake] that saying I was familiar with. "Speak, you cunt," I didn't hold back a laugh. "What is up with you and your fucking laughs?"
"Maybe the fact that you're delusional," I said under my breath. I couldn't even take in a breath before his hand wrapped around me and turned my face to face him. The car, as if a cue, started moving.
"I fucking dare you to insult me again," his eyes burned as he stared at me. I was glad he didn't cut my air supply completely. "I might have to show you who has the upper hand, suka," he released my throat before he sat back in his chair and looked away from me and through his window.
My entire body was on fire. I didn't reject the possibility of my face turning red due to the fury building inside of me. My neck was bruised. Blue mostly from how the piece of shit choked me. And it's clear he picked out the dress. He didn't want anyone to know how badly I was treated. Not that anyone would be surprised.
I stared at him as I imagined his organs displayed on the ground, watching him slowly lose his useless soul. I didn't smile at the fantasy. Solely because I knew he'd meet his fate one way or another tonight.
Whether he likes it or not.
--------
I walked behind the sadist asshole who led me up the massive stairs leading to the mansion. Valentina walked closely behind me while Sergey was right next to his boss.
Once the grand entrance was visible, Armani and Giana came into view. They both looked exactly the same since the last time I saw them. It made sense since it wasn't that long ago. Still, the sight of them made goosebumps appear on my body.
"Vlad, what a pleasure," Armani shook the bastard's hand before he looked over at Sergey and shook his hand. While Vlad greeted Luca's mother, Armani's eyes shot toward me. The look of pure disgust decorated his face beautifully. It made me want to rip his eyeballs out. "What is this cunt doing here?" He asked as he looked me up and down, licking his lips as his eyes locked upon my almost bare legs. The only part of my body which wasn't bruised.
Vlad looked back with a smirk on his face. "I took her. Wasn't that easy since the idiots forgot you could hack a person's phone during a phone call," I sighed before rolling my eyes.
"And the attitude hasn't dropped?" Vlad shook his head. "Shame. Luca doesn't want her though." Even if that did bring me some relief, it didn't mean he wasn't going to keep insulting me and trying to one-up me. He walked forward, getting closer to me. I took a big step back, making him chuckle. "What a woman," he shook his head before he walked back to his wife. "Luca said she's already a used whore. No more use from her," I frowned, wondering if he perhaps meant the fact I was pregnant.
Luca could've easily accessed the medical records since he became such good friends and business partners with Vlad it seemed overly concerning.
"Who was she with, dear? Francesco's kid?" Giana asked her husband.
"Yes. Liam Martinelli," I hated how his name was brought up and even though I felt guilty about it, it didn't affect me so badly. I had a job to do that would benefit him and my family. So he shouldn't be so upset with me.
I know I've disappointed him but there was no other way. I knew the conversation would be ugly once he found everything out but at least I would know I had some kind of future ahead.
"I had high hopes for him but he turned out to be the complete opposite of his father," Vlad interrupted, all of their eyes aimed at me as if I was a goddamn art exhibition.
"You're all brainless as I can see," I said, catching them by surprise. "Surprise, she can talk!" I raised my hands before I crossed them over my chest. "Francesco is just like you. Heartless, cruel and misogynistic."
"I have no idea how wanting a woman to stay at home is a bad thing," I laughed from the absurdity of that comment.
"It's because you're insecure. You're too fond of yourself that you're scared to have a woman that would overpower you. You thrive from being dominant and if something doesn't go your way, you tear them down. No matter their gender. But all this misogynistic shit shows is not that you're strong or capable of being the alpha male," I took a step further. "All it shows is how weak, pathetic and selfish all of you are. Because a real man, like you, would call it, isn't afraid to be dominated or put down to his place by a woman. He doesn't see them as lesser human beings just because he's afraid of being worse. It all comes back to the fact you're all incapable of being told what to do. You can't tolerate it so you find women that want to feel love above everything else and you take everything out on them. All because you're too afraid of letting your emotions show since it's not stereotypical of men to show any emotion."
"Stop it, Rossi," Vlad warned me.
"You're all just scared little cats, trying to gain power by hiding behind your anger issues and being the imposters." Armani was too stunned to speak. Giana looked between me and her husband, probably waiting to see what he'd do next.
"Are you done letting it all out?" Vlad asked as his eyes shot daggers at me. I smiled at him before turning my gaze on Armani.
"I don't know. Am I?" He was about to come at me before Vlad stood in between and held him back.
"You fucking cunt. This bitch comes to my house and decides to call me names?" He chuckled before fixing his suit jacket and turning around towards the door. "I don' want to see her in my eyes again," he said as she disappeared into the house. Vlad turned around to face me.
"This girl needs to be checked out," Giana said before following her husband. I tilted my head upwards, meeting Vladislav's eyes.
"Happy?" I smiled before nodding.
"Very. But just remember, I was talking to all of you." I grabbed the collar of his shirt and got onto my tippytoes as I brought his face closer to mine. "Pick your words very carefully, Mr Usoro. Because I'm a real pain in the ass once the devils come out," I let go of him and walked down the stairs towards the gate.
"Where the fuck are you going?"
"I'm going to wait in the car while you go trash talk about me," I shouted back at him before I opened the gate and walked over to the car and opened the door.
Once I sat inside, Valentina came running down the stairs towards me. Vlad watched her every move and turned around to head into the estate after she climbed into the car.
"What the hell was that?" She asked as I stared through my window.
"I don't care. I said what needed to be said. No further comments on this subject." She scoffed as she stared at me.
"You don't know what kind of hole you're digging yourself into," I looked at her with my brows furrowed.
"I stated as it was-"
"And men like them don't care about the truth. You said it yourself they act like imposters. They want to live in the world they create not the one that follows the truth, Celeste." She placed her hand on my forearm. "We have a lot to do. Well, you have a lot to do. I'm almost irrelevant here," I fought back a smile.
"I'll need your help, don't worry," she smiled before taking her hand off me and leaning back in the chair. It was good the driver wasn't present since everything we spoke about would've been reported back to Vlad. Even if we spoke in Italian which the drivers didn't understand.
"Brace yourself," she said before I saw Vlad coming down the stairs. "It's about to begin."
--------