When I walked up the stairs I didn't expect the stylists to already be there with their clothes racks already set up. He's sitting in the same seat that he sat in last night again while a woman with glasses and grey hair is fixing some outfits. A younger boy who seems to be her assistant follows every step of hers. They don't seem like snooty, rich designers but more like matey people who really know what real fashion is and put worth on quality instead of looks.
"I'm sorry for taking so long." I apologize because I feel like I let them wait a little too long and close the door behind me. He doesn't seem bothered by it. Actually it looks like he has plenty of time and isn't that much of a businessman that doesn't have time to go shopping. That's why he's shopping at home with me. I thought he'd leave me alone with them but apparently he has to see everything with his own eyes and make sure that it goes fine. That's controlling but that's his job so it's okay. He's a leader.
"Don't you worry, love! We planned this whole morning for you." the woman says and she has an accent. An Italian accent. Her voice is soft and joyful. She seems really kind. I already like her and feel comfortable with her and her assistant as well because his smile tells me that he's a good person too.
"Bella already has some outfits ready for you and Sergio will take your measurements for custom dresses." he explains but he seems uninterested, as if this all is boring. I'm about to roll my eyes because I'm asking myself why he's here then but then I realize something.
Bella, Sergio, June. All these names I got to know but an important one of missing. His. I don't even know this mans name. It wouldn't surprise me, if he already knows mine but I would like to know who I'm talking to. Now is not the right time to find out though so I leave that for later.
It's confusing. The fact that he gets me expensive designer outfits and custom made dresses is ridiculous. If I am here because he wants to hurt my father then why is he spending so much money on me and treating me so well? Why would he invest so much time and money in me? I'm sure that he must have more important things to get done. The reason for him to be so generous could be because he will take it all back from my father. All these facts make me suspicious.
"What?" he notices that I'm watching him with a raised brow. I clear my throat and rip my eyes off him because I'll play along instead of making up theories.
I take a look at the clothes that Bella and Sergio brought with them and everybody in the room notices immediately how my eyes start to sparkle. There's one thing I can't deny. I can't resist outstanding designer clothes that have an insane design because I have a weakness for them. That's what these clothes are and I'm amazed by their work. It's incredible that he gets these designers here instead of just organizing some random clothes. It almost feels like he brought me here to do me favors and not to get revenge on my dad. If he keeps going like this then I will actually start to like him. Not liking him is almost impossible in this case. He may be crazy and brutal but he's kind to me.
I take a closer look. So many different shades of soft colors and so many different fabrics. There are also some casual clothes for the daily. Tops, shirts, jeans, socks.
"I'm sure these will look great on you." Bella says with a bright smile on her face. She's not saying it because she wants to sell her work. She actually means it. I smile back and she takes one outfit out. "Come on, try this one!" she presents it to me and I look at it with heart eyes, yet try to be humble about it and fail miserably.
"I'd love to." I get excited and can't wait to see myself in these but there's more.
I look at the shoes that they brought with them and the boxes of jewelries and accessories. Jimmy Choo's, diamonds, hats and gloves. It's impressive how they thought of everything. These things are the dream of every young girl that's interested in fashion. They're even more beautiful than the things I have in my closet at home.
That's why I turn around to look at him. He's already watching me. This attention. I'm not used to it but it's all mine and it feels good. Seeing how his eyes are laying on me feels good. Knowing he doesn't leave me alone feels good. All of this feels so good for some reason. I can't even hate the way he makes my heart skip a beat when he looks at me like that.
I may seem venal but in this situation I'm like a little child with a generous man that's taking care of me and will get me whatever I want. I just need to say it, or don't.
"Bella, we're taking everything. Let Sergio make the measurements and leave everything here." apparently I don't.
He understood me. I just needed to look at him for him to know what I was thinking and maybe even going to say. One look into my eyes and he knew that I wished to keep everything in this room. He didn't even put a limit on what I could get and he wasn't lying when he told me that he would treat me like a princess. There wasn't even a need to tell him what pieces I want. He just got me all of it.
I keep my eyes on him. Who knew that things like these would make me feel so drawn to him. First the cherries and hazelnuts and now this. He looks like he's enjoying watching me get happy about clothes. There's no doubt. He enjoys seeing me happy. Someone who's watching this from the outside could believe that he is my sugar daddy.
Bella laughs and says something to him in another language. Italian.
He's Italian.
Why am I even surprised? I should've known because that's the biggest cliche to exist.
He laughs and says something that I don't understand and all I can do is stare at him and listen to his beautiful laugh. There's no piece left of the man who destroys his living room or gets attacked. There's a man inside him who can laugh and have a good time with people he's familiar with. Seeing him like this makes me feel some type of way that I'm not used to. I look away as fast as possible when I notice this feeling in my tummy that suits the description of people talking about butterflies in their stomach.
Bella and Sergio are really happy about it. "What a lucky girl! I'm so happy for you!" Bella holds my hand and nods before she starts doing what he says. Sergio is taking my measurements while my sugar daddy is watching us carefully and Bella is putting some thing in packages that look beautiful. I want to tell her that she doesn't have to pack it all up but I don't. Instead I let her do her job because I'm not the boss here.
"Alright, I have everything now." Sergio says, still taking his notes and I notice that he has a little accent too which I find very cute. This all is getting me so exciting, even though it shouldn't because it means that I'm getting comfortable here and fine with that fact. That shouldn't happen but it does and it's weird that I don't feel like stopping that feeling.
"I'm done too. That means we can leave now." Bella says with her bag in her hand. The man whose name I still don't know gets up which I find respectful and smiles at them.
"Have fun with the outfits, love and let me know if you need more or different sizes. I'll make sure to take care of it as fast as I can." she's as lovely as a cute aunty and that makes me feel even better about it.
I nod. "Thank you."
"I'll get back to you." he says kindly and they find their way out on their own. I'm sure that they're taking care of his whole closet and that they're walking in and out here many times. There's no doubt they'll stay in contact.
As soon as their gone he approaches me.
"Are you happy Anastasia?"
My jaw drops. It's cheesy and corny to think this but I've never heard anyone pronounce and say my name so beautifully before. So softly and smoothly. So delightful that it makes me blush.
What is happening to me?
I already knew that he knew my name but I didn't know that he would say it this nicely. It's not a difficult name but it fits perfectly into his mouth. Actually, it sounds like I was named like that just to hear him say it. My name was made for his mouth.
Bullshit. I need to stop.
"I am." I answer. "Seems like you're planning to keep me here for a long time." I add and he grins softly. The joyful man is gone. He's playing again and I'm not complaining. If he wants me to, I'll play.
"Who said I'll give you back?" he asks but I know he doesn't want an answer. He just wants me to understand that I'll be here for the rest of my life which is really hard to believe. That's why I don't say anything about it.
"What exactly is my job here?" I ask instead and take a step towards him to close to gap between us. I have to look up to look into his dark eyes. Seeing him from this angle isn't a good idea. It distracts me from the actual matter. It makes me think about other things.
His lips are so soft that I'm asking myself what he's using to keep them like that or if it's just natural and his scent is so hypnotic that he could make me do everything for him. All these things must be on purpose to wash my brain. Just like all the other things he's doing. Did he already succeed? Am I that easy to buy?
"Looking pretty." he answers. That's not what I expected. I frown in confusion but before I can ask him anything, he continues speaking. "That's why you will change into something cute now and join me in my office."
My jaw drops softly. "I thought I'm not allowed to enter your office." I remember him telling me about it last night. He said I'm allowed to enter any room except for his office and he was really serious about it.
"Not without me." he says and slowly backs off, although I wish he wouldn't. Then he leaves me alone again but this time I don't waste any time. I pick an outfit. The first one that gets into my hand. A short, white skirt with a skintight, white body that has a turtleneck and long sleeves. Finally I have some shoes. I put some sneaker socks and comfortable sneakers on.
After I look into the mirror and notice how good I look, I realize something.
He said that it's my job to look pretty. Why would he want me to look beautiful? It could be because of his own needs which would be really disgusting or because he wants to sell me which would be even more disgusting. Why else would he want me to look beautiful then?
The thought of that makes my stomach drop. It's something I haven't thought of before and it makes sense. People treat their victims well before they kill them. The fact that this could be possible is terrifying. I feel like throwing up but I'm still brave enough to leave my room and look for his office.
"I'm here." his voice comes from upstairs. Three floors. Or four. This place is really huge.
I walk up the stairs and enter his office. Before I start to analyze it, I close the door behind me.
His wooden desk is standing in front of the wall that's made out of floor length windows and from here he has a great view over the whole front yard. Like an eagle. Perfect for him to keep an eye out on everything and I already feel like he's that type of man who spends endless time in his office and in front of that window, watching the outside. Just like he's doing right now.
He also has shelves filled with books and folders that look important. Theres a drawer which is surely something like his minibar. It's obvious because of the bottles and glasses on top. It's nice here. Especially because he kept it minimalistic again.
He turns around to me and scans me from head to toes and I get nervous. Especially because of my thoughts from earlier. Now that we're here, things seem more serious than around the breakfast table and that makes me really nervous.
"Good girl." he says and again... I'm blushing. I shouldn't be blushing but I can't control the way my body reacts to him calling me like that.
I catch him smirk and get embarrassed.
"I see you like it when I call you like that." he says and makes it worse because it's true but I change the subject because otherwise I'll throw myself through his windows.
"What now?" I ask with a dry throat. "Take a seat." he points at the seat in front of his desk and I do what he says. I sit down in the comfortable seat and he sits down across from me instead of on his desk. I don't know if this means anything but I'm curious about what's going to happen. Too curious and nervous to be able to stand this silence any second longer.
"Are you going to sell me?" the words roll straight off my tongue without any warning and I don't know, if he will find this ridiculous or be mad at me but the thought of it makes me crazy. If it's going to happen then I want to know it now.
He looks confused.
"Why would I sell you?" he asks and I try to control my breathing, not even knowing when I started breathing so fast. At this point I can't even hide how nervous this makes me. I was so brave until now. "Isn't that what people like you do?" I know I shouldn't judge him but that's how it is. The mafia is known for doing the worst things you can think of and I'm a victim right now, no matter how well he's treating me.
"You're telling me to look pretty all the time and that it's my job and-..." he cuts me off and I'm almost thankful for it. I was speaking too fast anyway. "For me." he says and I'm not sure yet if that makes it any better or worse. I don't understand it but I believe that he will explain. "For you?" I ask.
"Yes. When the time comes you will be by my side at some events, business dinners and trips. There's nothing else you have to do than look beautiful by my side. Even here you have nothing else to do than exist." he explains but I can't believe that this is everything because it sounds too easy. So easy that it's ridiculous. I'm sure that there are other ways to hurt my father instead of going out with me. Even if he's an enemy to him, I doubt that it will do much.
My blood pressure turns back to normal while I try to let his words sink and the fact that he will not sell me or my organs. It's good to know that he won't sell me but not knowing why he is doing this isn't any better.
"Wait... like an escort?" that's the first thing that comes to my mind and that's exactly what it sounds like. "Not at all." he looks like he has to laugh. I can see that it takes him a lot of strength to not burst out in laughter but I find it awkward and I just don't understand it. I'm still confused.
He leans in and places his elbows on his knees. "Don't break your head about it because it's not that deep. You don't need the details because there won't be a situation in which you will get hurt." he explains but I insist. "I do! How will this help you? Do you think that's the way to hurt my father and get revenge?" I find this all stupid. "With who else can I threaten him with?" he asks, knowing there's nobody else. Except for my mother maybe but she's with him all the time so that would be harder. I sigh and rub my face. "So I'll just exist here? Like a plant?" I ask, a little offended because that means he's seeing and using me like an object and no matter what he's planning, I'm not in for that.
"You can do whatever you did at home. You'll even get to leave the house but only with some of my guys. Your life goes on the way it did before, just not at home." his explanation confuses me more. If he's not planning to sell me, torture me, let me rot in a cellar or anything similar to that then he could've threatened my dad with me while I was at home.
"But only under one condition."
That's it. That's what I was waiting for. I knew there would be more behind it and that it couldn't be that easy. There just had to be more. Now we're finally getting to the point. Everything that happened until now was only to wash my brain. Just a game.
I frown.
"You will play along."
He leans back and looks at me in a way that makes me weak but I don't let him notice that. I don't show him how nervous this glance of him makes me. There's fire behind his eyes and I don't know if it's just me or also him. If it's the revenge or the fact that he's feeling the same as me that makes the fire grow.
"How?" my voice cracks and I clear my throat. "You will act like I'm treating you awfully and beg for help when you talk to your parents." he says and makes my jaw drop. "You'll let me talk to them?" I ask because that's the only thing I care about. Just because he's treating me like a princess doesn't mean that I want to stay here forever. Of course I want to talk to my parents. I didn't believe that I wouldn't see them again because I knew sooner or later he would have to let me go anyway but now that he's talking like this, I realize that he really won't let me go until this game is over and he got what he wanted.
"Of course. I have to. You will make sure that he gets his fucking ass over here and attacks me with all the strength and means he has." he clenches his jaw and I can feel his shoulders trebling again. He's about to turn into the monster from last night again. This time I'm even more scared.
"Because you want to... kill him...?" even saying it is so hard for me that I can't do it without shaking. He's literally telling me to set a trap just so he can hurt my father. There must be a hidden camera, this must be a joke.
He looks dead into my eyes and doesn't hesitate. "Yes."
My blood goes cold.
That simple word dropped like a bomb and ruined everything. It's not like it was fine before but it is so upsetting and fucked up that my mouth goes dry.
I only asked that because I thought of the worst again. I had hope in him telling me that he's not that type of bad guy. That he would just hurt him or solve his problem with him and then let me go but he really wants to ruin his life and kill him. That's awful. There's not a man sitting in front of me. It's someone who likes to play god.
My stomach turns because I'm asking myself how many people he has already killed. Whatever my dad did to him, he doesn't deserve to die. Especially not because of business. I don't know who this man thinks he is but I will not let him do this.
My chin is shaking and my eyes are burning as I lean my elbows on my knees, taking in the position he was in earlier.
"Why would I help you to hurt my family." I ask and he gets in the same position again because he knows that he fucked up and he's trying to intimidate me like that, to tell me that he's the man and that I can't challenge him or shouldn't even think of not obeying him.
"Because I'll hurt you if you don't." he's challenging me as well and I need to keep myself together to not cry. I'm not crying because I'm sad or scared because of his threat or his plan in general. I'm almost crying because I'm so angry that I fell into the hands of such a dangerous and disgusting man. My anger is kicking in. An emotion that I forgot I had because nothing triggered it before but he did it.
"Then hurt me." I clench my jaw as well and look straight into his eyes. There are only inches left between our faces.
I'm a soft girl. Shy and nervous when I'm encountering things or people that I'm not used to. I don't know how to handle the big things that happen outside of the walls of my home. Things that are a size too big for me.
But that doesn't mean that I won't fight against whatever could harm me or will let whatever is outside these walls win. Even if it's a 6'3 Italian man.
I'm still brave, tough and rude enough to survive and especially if I have to. He might think that this will be easy for him because I didn't fight against him since he brainwashed me with all these little surprises but now I understand and I will ruin him for even thinking of killing my father. He thought that I'd do anything for him if he would treat me like this. It's his fault that I have to show him the worst of me now.
"You don't need to tell me to act like I want him to get me out of here. I will and it won't be acting." my tears are threatening to escape my eyes. I never cry. Only when I'm so angry that I can't express what I'm feeling with words and that rarely happens.
"Doesn't matter as long as it works."
Playing with someone like him who's insane enough to kill me any second it gets too annoying for him is crazy but I'm not that selfish to sacrifice my father just because he's obsessed with revenge. He could literally get tired of me not helping him and will find a way to make it work. He will hurt me or even kill me but that's better than betraying and ruining my family.
I look at him. I despise him and myself for thinking that my name was made for him to say it and that I would be fine with being here. So stupid. It was so stupid of me to believe that I would find a way to be okay here. Especially as long as he'd treat me well. I almost have to laugh because I can't believe my stupidity. I really believed he would make it this easy for me.
"That's what you think... that it will work." I say and he's mad serious when he says "If I want it, then it'll work and you have no idea how bad I want it." but I don't show him how disgusted I am.
"What did he do?" I ask and it's obvious that he didn't expect me to ask that. At least not yet because he knew I'd have to ask at some point. That's why he freezes for a moment."What could my dad have done that makes you want to kill him. What makes you want to kill someone anyway? Do you think you're god?" my voice gives away that I'm fighting my demons to not leave this place, screaming and fighting. I wouldn't win in a physical fight anyway so I win that fight with my demons.
"I don't. God is more merciful than me." his answer gives me goosebumps. "And if you don't stop asking me about your dad, I'll cut your tongue off." I know he's serious about that. I swallow. "Then I can't help you." I say and stand up. I look down at him while he looks up at me. His dark eyes and his clenched jaw tell me that he's right.
God definitely has more mercy than this man.
And he's also way more impatient.
"Sit down." he says calmly but I know that's the calm before the storm. I keep my head up, nose towards the sky. This is where I have to show him that he can't control me. I did whatever he wanted until now. That's over now.
"I told you to sit down." he says but I don't mind him. Instead I walk towards the door. I open it and look at him. He's looking at me, giving me a dangerous, warning glance because he knows I'm testing his patience. If I don't leave now, he will probably attack me.
"I don't even know your name but fuck off." I say and slam the door so hard that every inch of this mansion hears it and then I start running down the long stairs as fast as I can, knowing he will follow me and punish me for it. My heart is racing but I have to do this. His door opens.
"Anastasia!" he yells. His voice is even deeper and scarier when he screams. I keep running and don't even try to hide somewhere because I know that he will kick open every door that I hide behind. It's his mansion. He knows this place the best and I have no idea where to go. That's why I run through the open front door which I called gates to heaven this morning and that's what they are right now. They're my freedom.
That's my chance to run away or at least try it. Either I'll die or I'll go back home. I run straight through the door, where the armed men are still standing and I hear them move immediately. I even hear the noises of their weapons being raised. That makes me run even faster and I have the urge to scream because I feel like I will get a heart attack and die before they get to kill me if I don't make it out of here.
Then I hear the men running after me. Apparently they're not allowed to kill me. Now I'm screaming but something cuts me off.
"Maria!" he screams so loud that every tree, every plant, bush, stone and cloud heard him. I freeze immediately. My blood pressure is off the roof and I'm out of breath. My saliva tastes bloody and I'm about to drop on my knees. It feels like I ran a marathon.
I can hear how he's walking up to me and I'm shaking.
Nobody knows about my middle name. Nobody except for my parents. Not even my closest friends or related families because it's not on my ID. My parents don't even call me like that. It's a important middle name. How deep must this man have done research to find out about it?
He's standing behind me. Really close behind me. I can feel the warmth of him on my back. I'm sweating from all this running, yet I start to shiver.
I slowly turn around, still catching my breath. I look up into his eyes. His eyes are blank. There's a thick wall behind them which tells me that I can't reach him in any way. That just means he let his mask fall. He won't be treating me like a princess anymore. The 24 hours of treating me well are over and he will hurt me until I obey him just like he said. His eyes are even colder now. That's why I'm freezing again. My heart is about to stop. Maybe because of the running, maybe because he knows my middle name, maybe because of what he will say or do.
"Valentin."
I hold my breath but feel like throwing up. His voice is blank too. There's nothing behind it. No anger, no madness. Nothing.
I can't speak or ask him what he means but he understand me again with just a look into my eyes. I hate that he can do that and that I'm this easy to read. I'll have a hard time hiding things from him and he will make me suffer. He will use everything that I can't hide against me and he will enjoy it. Until he gets what he wants and that will never happen.
"My name is Valentin. If you want to tell me to fuck off then do it correctly."
He turns around and walks back inside again, giving the men a sign to go back to their places and I stand there. Alone again.