*Lucia*
As he stepped back and walked towards the door, I suddenly thought of an idea. Why not try to repurchase yourself? Since he said he owned me, there should be a way to buy myself. So I caught hold of his hands. Who would have thought that it would end with him pinning me to the wall and staring pervertedly at me? I had seen his eyes on my chest a few times, but right now, it felt so uncomfortable. I placed my hands around my chest. He must be dreaming if he thought he would have his way with me.
“What are you looking at?” I asked. I was scared of him, but I tried not to show it on my face. I tried to look bold. But I was sure he could see through the facade I was wearing because he had a slight smile on his lips. I wanted to slap that stupid smile off his face. For a while, he didn’t respond. He just kept his eye there. Should I push him to the side? I thought.
But what if he puts a bullet across my head?
His eyes slowly left my chest, and he trailed it up my face. “Why do you think I’ll agree to your stupid idea? He asked. His eyes moved down again, but it stopped on my lips this time. If there is one thing I have noticed about him, it is that he is arrogant. He reminds me of Jason’s uncle. My eyes turned cold as I stared at him.
“You said you own me but weren’t sure what to do with me, so how about letting me go and taking back the money you used to buy me?” I asked. He bit his lower lips as he stared at mine. Why was I suddenly getting hot? I had to get away from his side.
“Why do you think I would explain to you? Should I have a reason for not wanting to sell a property of mine?” He asked, his voice hoarse.
“That’s not what I was saying,” I began, only to be interrupted by him rudely, “Then what are you saying?” I inhaled a scent of breath as I tried to steady my beating heart and explain slowly.
“I just want to…” I began.
“Save it. I don’t want to hear. Whatever you say won’t change my mind,” he cut me short. He moved to the side, and I quickly stepped out of his reach. I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “I hope I have made myself clear. Don’t try to push me by trying to kill yourself or escape,” he said and walked away. I stood as I watched him leave. So there was no way to get away from this hell? I sighed.
Why did he come to the room? I was just a moment away from jumping down.
I went back to the mat and sat down. Different emotions overwhelmed me. I raised my head and looked out of the window. Was there no way out of this mess called life? I asked. I had lost all hope; I had lost the will to live. How could I not when I have no one to live for?
My heart thudded loudly in my chest. It was yet to be settled after standing so close to Bruno. I looked at the door, wondering if he would suddenly barge in again. That guy can mess with anyone’s mind-just as he had messed with mine. There was no way I could believe that he was not a pervert. His gaze on me disgusted me. What if he brought me here to satisfy his sexual urge? I frowned at the thought of that and shook my head swiftly. I refused to think about that. I would rather die than be under him.
I laid down.
My body still felt sore all over. All I wanted to do was sleep and wake up in a better place, but that was impossible. I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling, wishing to count the stars from my room. I couldn’t sleep. My mind keeps reverting to everything I’ve been through. I sat up. My throat felt dry, and I needed water, but there was no way to get water.
I couldn’t live like this. I refused to.
Maybe I should not give up on my plan of ending my life. I don’t deserve to live. I disregarded his threat. If I was this time, I succeeded; there is no way he could punish me. You can’t harm the dead.
I spent the entire night convincing myself of why it was good I ended my life rather than staying here. I didn’t sleep a wink, no matter how tired I was. I bet I had dark circles around my eyes. My body itches like crazy. I wanted to have a bath, cold or hot. I didn’t care anymore as long as water would pass through my body. The sun was up in the sky. It cast its rays on the room through the window. I inhaled a scent of breath sharply. My back hurts a lot as I have sat for most of the night staring into the night.
I moved to the window and stood in front of it. I looked down. It was genuinely high. If my plan to take my life had been realized yesterday, I would probably be looking down from a much higher place. I heaved a sigh as I watched the bursting city. Soon, the door opened, and two men stepped in. They wore black all through, from jackets to trousers and gloves. I knew immediately that they were Bruno’s men. I didn’t have to overthink what he did, as all mafia lords usually did the same illegal business.
“Follow me,” one of the men said. I didn’t have the strength to argue and was not in the position to do so. So, I followed them. We stepped out of the room, with me walking in the middle. They took quick strides down the hallway, and I struggled to meet up. I didn’t even have the time to inspect the house.
They opened a door at the side of the hallway, “Go in and have a quick bath; there is a dress on the bed. Do not spend more than five minutes,” one of the men said. His voice was very deep but low. He had a serious expression, which left me wondering if he had ever smiled.
I stepped into the room. Just as he said, there was a black dress on the bed. I walked towards it and picked it up. I walked to the bathroom and quickly took a shower. From his expression, I could tell he would waste no time in pulling me out of the bathroom naked if I dared to exceed the time he had stated. There was a mirror in the bathroom. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I moved closer to it, and I inspected my body. My skin had turned pale. It wasn’t as if I had cared for my skin properly, but it didn’t look this bad. My breasts were round. I rubbed my nipples in a round motion for a while before moving away from the mirror.
I hurriedly took my bath and wore the dress.
When I stepped out, I thought I would be returned to the storeroom, but I was not. I walked behind them as we walked down the stairs. The sitting room was as big as I expected. The walls are painted in white. There was a frame of Bruno at the side. It was the biggest among the other frames on the wall. I noticed that there were more nude frames than ordinary ones. I quickly moved my eyes away from the frame and kept it down.
Bruno sat on one of the sofas in the sitting room, one leg crossed over the other. I wondered if he was the one who had asked them to take me for a bath. He had a cigarette in his mouth. His eyes were trained on the newspaper he held. He was exceptionally handsome. I bet he would have been the most wanted man by women if not for the domineering and cold aura that lingered around him.
He finally raised his head to look at me. Raising a hand, the two men walked away, leaving me alone with him. Why did he bring me here? I wondered. The dress I wore was so uncomfortable that I kept trying to adjust it on my body. Not that I don’t wear skimpy clothes, but wearing one in front of a pervert like him kept me on the edge.
“Why did you call me? Is there something I can do for you, or have you finally thought of what to do with me?” I asked and quickly bit my tongue.
He didn’t reply but smiled. A smile that could be interpreted in different ways. I wondered if he would punish me for speaking back to him. He stood up, his eyes still trained on me. He began walking towards me. I trembled from fear. He could do whatever he wanted to me, but I couldn’t dare think about anything. I thought he was walking towards me, but he walked past me.”Follow me,” he said, and I turned immediately to take hurried steps behind him.
I couldn’t tell what was going through his head. He walked to the door, and after punching in some pins, the door opened, and we stepped out. I struggled to keep pace with him. He stepped into the elevator, and with a low ding, it closed. As we stepped into the elevator, I caught sight of a staircase.
We went to the rooftop, and I was surprised. Why did he bring me here? I was careful not to show any emotion on my face. He still has not told me why he brought me here. I wanted to know, but I didn’t ask him. It was best if he didn’t say anything to me all through, but that was impossible.
“Do you know why I brought you here?” He asked.
I smirked as I took slow and unsteady steps behind him, ‘how would I know?’ I asked myself. “I don’t know,” I said to him, my voice low but firm. He turned to hold my gaze for a while before looking ahead. Something about how he looked at me always seemed to keep me on my toes. I waited for him to tell me why he brought me here, but he said nothing.
We just kept walking around the expansive rooftop. The morning sun was scorching. If he had nothing today, he might as well have allowed me to go back inside while he walked alone.
He was about to say something when his phone rang. “Speak,” he said with authority. Immediately, he placed the phone on his ear. I noticed his brow ceased as I watched him from the side. The air around him seemed to change swiftly. I concluded that whatever the person on the other side told him wasn’t good.
He walked forward, leaving me behind. I let out a breath of relief. Staying around him wasn’t something anyone would look forward to. As I stood waiting for him, a thought flashed through my mind. What if this was the moment I have been waiting for? I could end my life by jumping down the rooftop before he would return.
I hurriedly put my plan into action. I walked to the other side as fast as I could. I moved closer to the edge and climbed on the pavement. I took a deep breath, ready to jump down.
Before I could jump, I heard a voice behind me, “You don’t seem to listen; I think I’ll have to punish you this time,” I froze and turned slowly, only to come face to face with Bruno.