Gabriele’s POV
I rushed out of the office with my gun tightly held in my hand and my eyes searching for where the danger could be coming from.
We had just finished sorting out Sara’s problem the last thing I needed was for another one of them to commit suicide again.
The corridors were empty and my eyes dimmed as I went up to the next floor to check the women.
My heart rate relaxed a bit as I found the corridor to be chaos free and the guards there still present.
“Where did that gunshot come from?” I asked as I passed them and pulled the first door open.
Nadia was on the bed and I walked in to check closely.
“It wasn’t from this floor boss,” one of the guards said and I gave a curt nod.
I still needed to be certain she was fine.
I got closer and saw that she was soundly asleep in between thousands of pillows. All the sounds we made didn’t even stir her awake.
I ran my hand along her soft cheeks and she stirred gently squeezing tightly unto her pillows.
How could she sleep so deeply? I wondered to myself.
“The good doctor gave her some sleeping pills. She had been crying a lot,” the guard said as if he had heard my internal mumble.
“Good,” I said straightening up. “Keep doing your job,” I added as I moved out to the next room.
The guards there straightened up to acknowledge my presence and I patted them on the shoulder as I pulled the door open and stepped in to find an empty room.
My eyes immediately darkened. “Where is she?” I growled.
They turned to themselves and quickly darted across the room to confirm if she wants in the bathroom or hiding.
“Sir she was… Right here-” one of them stuttered ad he returned from the bathroom without Eleana.
Damn it!
I didn’t wait for them to spit out more nonsense. I dashed out of the room and moved to the lower floors.
I was getting off the last stair with a jump when I saw Basilio taking the bend toward the stair.
“What happened? Where is Eleana?” I asked as I got to him.
“I was just coming to you. She escaped from her window and stole a gun from one of the guards,” Basilio explained.
His breathing was deep and fast, I could tell he had been running.
“Make sure the fools guarding her room lose fingers!” I growled as I continued moving ahead. “Where is she?”
“She is in the detention room Fratello,” he said.
What was she thinking?
Eleana was never the type to even consider running away. What could have prompted her to do this? What was wrong with her?
I returned my gun to my belt as I walked and hissed out in frustration. These women were starting to get on my nerves a lot these days.
What was wrong with them?
First Sara killed herself and now Eleana tried to escape? I never thought either of them could come up with ideas like this.
I didn’t spend much time with Eleana as I did with Sara but I knew the woman would rather stay here in comfort than return to the outside world where nothing was certain.
I got to the detention and kicked the door open as I stepped in.
She was seated in a corner and as she saw me her eyes brightened up.
I expected her to be remorseful or scared but Eleana’s face portrayed neither of these.
Did she look -angry? A trait she could never hold for me.
She had forgotten who I was. She had forgotten that I could end her life with just a snap of my finger.
I moved toward her and grabbed her by the neck. She squeaked out at the sudden movement but her expression didn’t change.
“Why did you do it?” I spat out.
Almost like she was being controlled by a remote, her face turned red and her eyes watered. She lowered her eyes and started crying.
“I am sorry Gabriele. I am so sorry.” She sobbed and I corked my head in surprise.
Where was the fierce woman staring back at me a few seconds ago?
“I didn’t mean to do it. I couldn’t- I couldn’t ever do something like that… Never… You know me, Gabriele… I am sorry… Please don’t punish me- I beg you. It wasn’t my idea…”
My eyes narrowed as my eyes softened from her neck. I should have thought of this.
Eleana couldn’t have thought this through on her own. She was beautiful but she wasn’t that smart.
The idea of escaping from her window and stealing a gun from my men was very dangerous and her kind couldn’t conjure up things like this.
If it were Nadia, maybe I would have believed but not Eleana.
“I don’t even know how to escape from a window like that… I don’t know anything. You know I would never leave this place… This is very comfortable for me…” She cried even deeper.
She had just confirmed what I was thinking. Certainly, someone planned this.
Were they trying to get to her, now that Sara was gone?
“Who asked you to do it?” I asked her.
My anger towards her had reduced but my voice still came out rough and harsh.
She suddenly shook her head from side to side like a sick child trying to run from medicine.
“No, no! I can’t tell you, Gabriele. I can’t!” She cried out.
I held her face in my hands and raised her chin so that she could look me in the eyes.
“Do not be afraid of anyone. I will be here with you. No one can hurt you.” I told her and I meant every word.
If Gianni was trying to get into Eleana as he had somehow done with Sara, then I would go to any length to save Eleana from facing the same end as Sara did.
“If I tell you -you won’t believe me! You will call me a liar and throw me over a cliff… Please Gabriele don’t make me do this,” She cried even harder.
Her tears framed her entire face. Each tear that she wiped was replaced with ten more in the instance.
“Why won’t I believe you?” I blurted out as I started to lose my mind.
My fingers itched and my legs strained as I fought back the urge to throw a punch in her face. I told her I was going to protect her so why the fuck was she still holding back?
“Gabriele, I do not want to be thrown out of here… I will die. I can’t… Please, I won’t listen to her again… I promise…” She stuttered again and my frown deepened.
I grabbed her by the neck again and pulled her face painfully upward to meet mine.
“If you do not tell me who the fuck made you jump off your window and get a gun from my men right now!” I growled.
“I will not only kill you but I will make sure no one ever recognizes even your corpse!” She shuddered at my words and her eyes batted around as she swallowed noisily at the lump in her throat.
“I was in my room,” she began with hiccups in between. I let go of her neck and watched her closely as she narrated the processes.
“… when she came and told me how I could attach a few strong bedsheets to the window frame and throw it down, just like Rapunzel,” she said.
My brows almost met as my head became clouded with thoughts of who it could be.
Had Gianni introduced women in his army now? Or had one of my maids been compromised?
“I know it’s crazy and foolish!” She rushed with her hands raised. “But I- she had assured me that if I could make it out of my room and kill at least one guard, she will come extract me from here…”
“But she never came for me, Gabriele… She left me to die! I am sorry…” She resumed crying again, wiping over her face with the back of her hand.
“Who is this person?” I whispered trying to sound as gently as possible.
She wiped her face with the back of her hand and tried to take deep breaths to calm herself before saying, “it was Arianna.”
My blood ran cold and I felt like a thousand hands had been deployed to my brain at the same time.
“What?”
“Gabriele please believe me… Arianna was the one who told me to do this… I am sorry I listened to her… I’m so sorry,” she cried into her hands again.
My body became tense as I struggled to believe her.
Arianna told her to run away?
Of all the women I have had, Arianna was the only one who had tried running away.
Could she truly have done this?