Ariana’s pov~
Call me crazy but I know I felt something else in the room with me.
It felt familiar, a presence I had long known.
I shook my head, get a grip, Ariana, I need to find a way to escape this deranged man.
I couldn’t believe it, Silvio had tried to kill my child.
This man that I was slowly warming up to, I believed him when he said he wasn’t a monster.
I moved to the balcony overlooking the serene landscape of the hotel we were in, I looked around, and I saw the back exit, where the hospital staff came and went from.
How do I escape? I thought of Mateo, how did he find me in Malta? He must have found Fiona, Could he save me again?
My heart jumped when a knock came, “who is it?” I asked, my voice shaky,
“Room service ma’am,” she replied.
I slowly walked to the door, and gently opened it slightly, I peered through the opened space to confirm she was alone before opening the door.
“Maam are you okay?” she asked rolling in the food trolley, I peered outside again before shutting the door.
I nodded and smiled at her, as I thought about bringing up the idea of an escape.
“Thank you” I smiled again as I watched her set the trays down on the center table.
She looked at me again and smiled, but she noticed I was anxious with the way I fiddled with my finger and paced around.
“Ma’am are you unwell? is everything okay?” she inquired standing up straight and turning to me.
I was quiet, and silently I wished I had jumped out of the chopper with Serena, every moment scared me, and every time I remembered that Silvio was not far from me I started a short series of panic attacks.
“What’s your name?” I inquired, moving towards her, she was hesitant but then she replied, “Aleid” she said, I smiled at her, and she managed a smile back, “Aleid, I need your help” I finally said, “How can I be of service ma’am” she offered.
“I need to escape from the hotel” I announced, she gasped and then returned her face to normal,
“Escape? Maam? No one is holding you against your will in this hotel, you can walk out the front door anytime” she responded.
I shook my head, she could never understand.
“Aleid, the man im with, he is watching my every move, I’m not safe here” I responded, aleid looked worried, she walked up to me and took my hand.
“Have you been trafficked, should I inform the police?” she asked, looking at me intently, a glint of worry in her eyes.
“no, but my life is in danger, and my child’s,” I said touching my belly, she looked down at my hand clenching my belly tightly,
“maam? What’s going on?” she asked sitting me down on the couch “Why won’t you let me call the police?” she asked further as she sat beside me.
“No no police, this man he owns the police, they will take me back to him, I need to escape,” I said,
“I need you to help me Aleid” I pleaded, Aleid was quiet for some time then she replied, “Ma’am, I’ve got a job to keep, I don’t know if..” she started.
“Do you have kids?” I asked abruptly, I saw the look of shock on her face, and slowly it softened.
“Yes a baby girl, she’s my life” she replied looking away,
“And you would do anything to protect her? Aleid please I need to protect mine” I stated, “this man, he tried to take it away, I already lost one child, I will do everything I can to protect this one” I declared, Aleid looked at me for a moment before saying,
“I used to have a cousin” she started, “I couldn’t save her, but I will try to help you, tell me what you need from me” she finally said, I heaved a sigh of relief and hugged her.
“Okay well then, how do I come in?” she asked, I smiled happily, and together we made a well-detailed plan of my escape.
“First I need to make a call,” I said, she took out her phone and handed it to me, and in a few minutes, I was talking to my crying cousin.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that fi, but I’m going to need you to call Mateo”
“What!” she screamed “fuck no!” she added, “I thought we… you were moving on with Silvio” she mentioned.
“He tried to kill my baby, just so he could have me to himself, we are not safe here, I’m trying to escape the hotel, but I need you to call Mateo, I’m in …..”
I had to end the call abruptly and slide the phone deep into the couch behind me when my room door opened and Silvio came in.
He looked different, he had a small limp and his arm was bandaged, “what happened?” I inquired, I shot Aleid a look and she picked up the hint, “Excuse me, but I’ll be sure to get back to you on a brochure of the local entertainment” She smiled, nodded at Silvio and hurriedly left.
“Who was that?” he asked as his eyes followed Aleid out of the door, “nobody just room service, she brought this in” I pointed at the tray on the table.
He winced in pain and sat on the couch.
I sat on the couch but I gave him a little distance, I couldn’t bear to be near him.
I had this new natural instinct to protect my child from him,
“did you eat dinner?” he asked, “I’m not hungry” he gave me a suspicious look as he looked at the food and back at me,
” yet” I smiled, “what happened?” I inquired, touching his arm lightly, I hated every moment I had to put up with him, I wished that I was a thousand miles away from this murdering psychopath.
“Had to take care of local business” his tone insinuated that he didn’t want to discuss it, and I on the other hand was unbothered about it.
I sat quietly thinking about how I would put the plans into action with Aleid.
“Get ready,” he said, sitting up from the couch, “what?” I asked him, “Ready for what? I’m too tired, I don’t think I want to go anywhere today” I replied.
“Get ready, we leave in 10 minutes” he repeated as he got up and limped forward towards the door.
“Silvio, I don’t think…”
“Get ready, we are going to parley,” he said holding the door and opening it, he turned and looked at me,
“I don’t know how he did, but your husband found out where we are, and he wants to fight me to the death” he announced.
I sprung up from where I sat, the words ringing loudly in my ears as I tried to balance my shaking legs.
He knows I’m in Holland?
“What? I don’t understand?” I was shocked to my bones as the words left his mouth, “Mateo found us?”
“Yes, and Tonight one of us dies”