Arianna’s POV
“Are you serious?” My eyes expanded as the news replayed in my head.
When I helped out with his documents, I wanted him to make me his secretary maybe in the house or something. I never in a million years thought he would be stupid enough to give me access to the outside world!
Oh my God!
I was squirming inside at the amazing news and my face brightened up as my body couldn’t contain the excitement.
“Thank you so much. I promise to do my job diligently!” I squeaked.
Gabriele and Basilio exchanged looks as of there was something I said that was wrong.
Did I scream out my plans to escape? Did I say he was stupid?
I wondered as my eyes moved between the two of them.
Then it struck me. What if this wasn’t what I was thinking? What if I would have to execute the job in the dungeon never to see his home office door talk more of the outside world?
“What kind of job is this?” I asked swallowing my excitement.
Gabriele moved from his seat and walked around the table to come to stand by me. A smirk covered his face and he looked intensely down at me.
I felt a shiver run up my spine. Could he read my escape thoughts? What was wrong now?
“Well, now that you have asked, I don’t think Basilio was wrong for recommending you in the first place,” Gabriele said.
I swallowed the lump as I realized he wasn’t unto me… Yet!
“What is it?” I repeated more confidently this time.
“Well, you my beautiful princess will be handling my international relations with my clients. You will represent me. Stand in as my personal assistant in a way and close the deal.”
My smile returned and my heart rate increased.
This was amazing!
“It means, you will be going out of the house more often now to see them and discuss the terms and conditions with them until the goods get delivered successfully to their country.”
Now I had my doubts again. If this business he spoke of was Mafia then I was only fooling myself because I wouldn’t be able to save myself at all.
Dangerous people would be all around me. My best bet would be to stick with Gabriele!
“What goods are they buying?” I asked.
Basilio who had been folding his hands across his chest finally joined in the conversation after bringing me to the devil.
“It’s a legal business. You have nothing to worry about. Gabriele has a company in the capital that produces cocktails. Our clients want a crazy quantity of it,” he said.
He walked close to me and tapped my shoulder. “You will make sure they are happy and come back for more deals.”
If Gabriele had been the one who said this, I would have thought he meant this as a threat but thank goodness it was only Basilio. I could rest assured it was a joke.
“We will get you a change of clothes so you look the part. Gabriele himself will fill you in on you what you need to know about this deal,” Basilio finished.
Now I could calmly start rejoicing because what I had thought was exactly what was happening.
They were making me in charge of a legal business. It meant I would be meeting good people. They might help me.
They could save me! Oh my God!
My face flushed as my excitement returned. I would finally taste freedom again. I could go to my grandparents.
Oh my God!
“When do I start?” I squeaked.
Gabriele tapped my shoulder and I turn to stare at him. I tried to pull up a straight face and hoped he bought it.
He couldn’t realize my excitement. No.
Not now.
I had to be a thousand miles away from Italy before he realized what his foolishness had done.
Gabriele placed his index finger under my jaw and raised my face.
“Don’t get so excited love. I am not as gullible as Basilio…” He whispered in a soft yet harsh whisper.
I blinked my eyes and tried to stay focused and clueless -even though my heart knew exactly what he was going on about.
“You will be followed at all times -even when you go to the bathroom. I will deploy people to go in with you.” He hissed and my heart skipped a beat.
Shit!
How was I going to escape if he kept his dogs all around me?
“That makes no sense Gabriele… Why would you want your men following me up into the bathrooms?”
The finger that he held me with caressed around my jawline and his eyes twinkled.
“My men know exactly what is within their reach and what isn’t,” he retorted.
Okay, the option of taking a run for it was ruined. Now all I could do was hope for the clients.
I would insist we speak privately and then beg them to help me. They would call the police and I would be rescued. I would speak to my grandma again. Yes, that would work. I thought.
“And…” He started and I knew he was about to ruin that well-thought-out plan as well.
“There will be devices and trackers attached all over you. Everything you say or do will reflect here on my system.”
“What?” I let out a gasp before I could cover my mouth.
This was not a good offer. It was horrible. Because he didn’t leave any stone unturned for my escape to be made possible.
“If you make even one wrong move, you will die,” he said and I swallowed another lump I didn’t even realize had formed in my throat.
It was bad but, I would find a way somehow. I passed a big smile on my face and even gave him a small bow.
“I am honored to be given this opportunity,” I said.
He was shocked for a few seconds at my action before snapping out of it.
“Great. I will go and call the stylish so long so that your measurements can be taken,” Basilio said pulling off his corner. “Excuse me.”
Gabriele waved him off and he disappeared from the office leaving just Gabriele and me.
He didn’t say anything after my little display. He only stared at me and a small frown sat at the center of his face ruining his beauty.
The silence began to grow and my heartbeat increased. What was wrong now?
I hadn’t thought of any scheme. Why was he quiet?
“There are dangerous men out there that want to hurt me, Arianna,” he began and I blinked at him.
He took my hand and slowly led me to the couch. He sat down first and I followed beside him.
“Before thinking about running away, you need to realize that these men would go to any length to hurt you… And I can’t protect you if you are far away from me. Do you understand?” He asked and I nodded.
I wasn’t stupid. I knew that there were dangerous people out there.
If I couldn’t find my way to my grandparent’s house, my best bet was with him. So the plan was to stick to the -original plan.
I would get the file that had the name of who had sold me out and then, I would find a way to run. I have seen enough movies to be able to generate some ideas.
His control system would have some kind of flaws. All I had to do was to find it.
“I won’t deliberately put myself in harm’s way Gabriele. I promise,” I whispered and he reached his hand on my cheeks.
They were so warm and assuring. I could feel a thousand words from just that one touch.
I couldn’t help but wonder what we could have been like if he wasn’t into these other dangerous deals…
I leaned into his hand and my eyes closed on their own accord as my imagination took me to that fantasy world where Gabriele wasn’t into the mafia. A world where we met at a bar or a club and he asked me to be his girlfriend.
We would have worked because I was attracted to him. He was so irresistible. I couldn’t deny him.
He would have no other woman held captive in his house. He wouldn’t buy any woman. I would have been the only woman in his life.
He would go out and come home to me. It would have been so perfect-
Bang!
The sound of a gun going off somewhere in the mansion suddenly made me snap out of my dreams. My eyes snapped open and I found Gabriele already on his feet.
My heart was racing as I feared what could have happened.
Where we being attacked? Or had someone else committed suicide again?
“Stay here! Do not move a muscle!” Gabriele ordered before digging out a gun from his body and rushing out of the office.