Arianna’s POV
I remained curled up on the bed for hours. I couldn’t move from that position as I still found what had happened to be surreal.
First, Basilio had come to explain to me Gabriele’s condition. Then Gabriele came and tried to rape me…
He stopped when I cried and –he apologized.
The sun was already rising and I was still awake. I couldn’t sleep. Each time I tried to close my eyes, I got enslaved with nightmares of Gabriele –not just him but even Stephano and his boys coming to rape me.
Each being rougher than the other.
A knock on my door made me jump out of my thoughts as my heart resumed racing. Did he return to finish what he had started?
“Arianna?” Sofie’s soft voice reached me and my eyes snapped up to meet hers.
She saw the tears in my eyes and ran to me. “Oh my God Arianna, what happened?” She hurried to hug me.
I gripped her hard and the tears I had thought had stopped rolled down my cheeks once again.
“Oh, Sofie…” I cried not knowing where to start.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to say anything, just let it all out…” She whispered, patting my back.
My tears continued coming as my body shook with the memories of what I had discovered a few days ago and what had almost happened to me just a few hours ago.
“When the boss told me to come to check on you so early… I knew something must have happened. Did he hurt you?” She asked when I had stopped crying.
She wiped my cheeks with her hand and then held me. “Don’t keep it in your heart. Share with me please,” the concern in her voice made me smile.
“I am fine Sofie,” I managed to choke out.
She pulled away from me and gave me a stern look. “No, you are not okay! He said you have been awake all night crying and I met you doing almost the same thing and now you say you are fine? Come on Arianna!”
How did Gabriele know that I didn’t sleep all night?
“Did he tell you that?” I asked absentmindedly.
“Tell me what?” She asked as a cloud of confusion hovered above her.
I squeezed her hand and gave her an apologetic smile.
“I am sorry I keep dragging you into my problems…” I said and then cleared my throat.
“Am I complaining?” She asked, corking her head to the side.
“I know you are not but…” I dropped her hands and pulled my hair away from my face.
“Just tell me what it is already!” Sofia snapped.
I took a deep breath and decided to tell her all that had happened and how I managed to escape from it.
“Oh my…” She exclaimed after I had explained the entire situation to her. “Mr. Gabriele apologized to you?”
“Yes, he did…” I said.
Sofie placed her right palm on my cheek and she smiled at me. “You are a very lucky woman Arianna. Mr. Gabriele doesn’t apologize. He has never done it. Yet he did it to you,” she said.
“What if he comes back?” I asked her.
My fear wasn’t this. But I had to give her something… My worries were centered on the part where I had enjoyed what he had done to me.
“He won’t. Have you seen him?” Sofia asked and I shook my head.
“He looks horrible. Even worse than you… I am sure he wouldn’t ever do it again…” She added.
I hugged her again as I didn’t know what to do.
The rest of the morning went by and I was still in bed. Sofia had dragged me to the bathroom at some point but my mind remained numb.
She brought me breakfast as Gabriele had instructed and I ate my meal slowly. Niko and Mike came around at one point but I was barely there.
My senses returned when the door opened and it was Gabriele standing there.
My blood ran cold. It wasn’t fear. It was desire and shame, all at once.
“Sofia, can I speak to her now?” He said.
He looked so pitiful I had to suppress the urge to hug him and tell him I was no longer angry with him.
It was mostly just my guilt eating at me now.
“Will you be fine?” Sofia whispered and I nodded.
I couldn’t keep hiding away from him for long anyway. Apparently, he owned me.
Sofia got up and walked to the door. She bowed slightly at him before stepping out.
Gabriele took a deep breath and walked in. He left the door open as he came and sat on the bed keeping a good distance between us.
“Can we perhaps go to the garden to talk? You have been indoors all day…”
I nodded and he smiled.
“Thanks.”
I pulled myself out of the bed and tucked my hair behind my ear as I trailed after him.
We got to the garden and he led us to the outdoor seats at the corner. He waited for me to sit before taking his position as well.
“Arianna, first off, I would like to apologize again for what happened last night,” He said, staring at me.
The intensity in his eyes was so high that I dropped mine to the ground. It was safer to stare at the flowers than him.
His intense stares woke things I was too afraid to admit in my heart. I had to constantly remind myself that he was a criminal.
I shouldn’t feel anything for him other than anger and hatred. Yet what I felt was something completely different.
“I had too many drinks last night. I wasn’t thinking straight. I am truly sorry,” He repeated.
Since he was being so open, maybe I could ask him about his condition. Because I believe that was what caused all of this.
“Why did you go drinking so late?” My voice filled the air, surprising even me.
He ran his fingers through his hair and looked away. “That is very complicated but yeah… I had too many things in my head.”
“It’s not an excuse!” He rushed out, turning to look at me again. “Demyan’s party is this weekend. I am a bit worked up about that…”
“But Demyan is your uncle,” I thought out loud.
His eyes darkened and he looked away for another second before he returned to stare into my blue eyes.
I almost gasped as it suddenly felt like he was staring into my soul. I was completely exposed in front of him and my heart raced.
“He led the enemy to my house and it caused the death of my mother and sister…” He gritted out.
He was angry, but I could tell it wasn’t directed at me.
“The events that took place torture me day and night Arianna. I can’t think straight until I have Demyan and the one who had used him,” He said.
“Was that what you dreamt of that night?” I dared to ask.
His eyes flashed with panic but he turned away and looked at the white lilies ahead of us.
I held my breath as I waited for him to contradict me.
His silence went on longer and I knew I had hit the jackpot. The death of his family traumatized him.
I scooted closer and held his hand. He froze and I gave him a small smile.
“I am sorry for what happened to your family Gabriele,” I said. “If you ever need to talk about it, please feel free to share it with me.”
Our eyes met at that moment and I got lost in his. Butterflies spurted in my stomach and a warm feeling enveloped me.
In that one moment, I felt peace. It felt right… Whatever it was that we were doing.
Suddenly he broke eye contact and got up. “I have something to do in the office, I will see you around,” He said and went away before I could say something.
It was almost like he had run away from something.
Did he feel what I felt?
I sat there in the garden trying to gather my thoughts together. For some reason I felt at ease.
“Finally, she is smiling again!” Niko’s voice got to me.
I turned around and saw him heading toward me with his shadow –Mike behind him.
The smile I didn’t even realize widened as I waved at them.
“What did Mr. Gabriele say to make you all mushy mushy?” Niko asked as he jumped onto the seat beside me.
“I think he has finally proposed,” Mike joked and I hit him playfully on the shoulder.
“No, he didn’t!” I laughed.
They joined me and the sounds of our laughter pulled Sofia out of the house.
“Don’t laugh without me!” She yelled as she ran towards us.
I laughed even harder and at the back of my mind I realized I was truly happy with these guys.
I had managed to find happiness in my captor’s house.