ELEANOR
I stood there frozen with both my legs trembling beneath me. My knees were weak-barely holding me upright, my ankles throbbed from where the ropes had burned into my skin, and every slight shift of my weight sent sharp aches through them.
The guard assigned to watch me loomed a little too close than necessary, as if daring me to make a move he could punish.
I had no intention of running because there was nowhere I could possibly go. I didn’t even know where I was, much less how to get out.
The mansion was huge-a fortress surrounded by God knows what, and trying to escape would only prove to be pointless. I also wasn’t ready to test the patience of the same men who had kidnapped me.
I tried to steady myself-taking slow breaths to stop the shaking-as my thoughts spun wildly, panic tugging at every corner of my mind. I needed to stay conscious, to stay present, else I would collapse under the weight of my own fear.
Time dragged on-every second stretching into an eternity-as I stared at the polished floors, avoiding the guard’s cold glare until the sound of footsteps echoed from the staircase.
My head snapped up and I saw the man from earlier, his face still just as stiff and emotionless as before.
“Sit down,” he said, his voice flat but final.
I hesitated, my feet refusing to move. My body ached, and the weight of my fear kept me rooted in place. I also didn’t trust what sitting down might mean or if it would make me even more vulnerable.
“Did you not hear him?” the guard beside me growled, and before I could react, his hand clamped around my arm, yanking me forward. I stumbled- pain shooting through my legs-as he dragged me toward the huge sofa in the center of the room.
“Sit,” the first man repeated, his tone sharper this time. His red eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
I lowered myself onto the sofa, every muscle in my body tensed as though ready to flee even though I knew I couldn’t. I barely noticed how soft the cushions were when I wrapped my hands around my knees, folding myself into the smallest shape possible.
My eyes dropped to the floor, my body trembled despite my efforts to stay still, and my heart pounded so loudly it drowned out the sound of my breathing.
I didn’t know who this boss was, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him. Why had he gone to all this trouble? Why was I here? And would he tell me what it was that he wanted, or would he just… end this? I couldn’t tell.
The silence in the room pressed down heavy on me and I heard the guard closest to me shift his weight.
“You’re scared,” he said suddenly, his tone mocking. “Good. You should be.”
I didn’t answer, rather I kept my eyes still fixed on the floor.
“What? Nothing to say?” he continued, stepping a bit closer. “You think you’re too good to talk to us? You think your little Don Armando’s gonna come save you?”
“Enough,” the red-eyed man snapped from across the room. His voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the air like a knife.
The other guard muttered something under his breath before he stepped back.
I let out a shaky exhale, trying to steady my nerves.
“You’re lucky we need you alive,” he said, his tone low but still sharp. “Otherwise, we would already be done with you by now.”
My stomach twisted at his words and I wanted to talk back, but my throat felt tight like it was closing in on itself.
I stole a quick glance at the red-eyed man who still stood near the base of the staircase, arms crossed, watching me like I was some kind of puzzle he was trying to figure out.
“What… what does he want with me?” I finally managed to whisper, my voice hoarse and barely audible.
His lips twitched, almost like he was amused. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said. “Just sit there and behave yourself.”
I swallowed hard, my mind racing with the possibilities, none of which were good.
Silence fell again, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioner and the distant echo of footsteps somewhere deeper in the mansion.
My heart pounded harder as I waited, every second dragging on endlessly. I didn’t know who I was about to face, but one thing I knew for sure was that nothing good would come from meeting him-whoever he was.
It wasn’t long before I heard footsteps on the stairs, and when I looked up, his face was unmistakable, a sickening reminder of the last thing I had seen before I blacked out.
Seeing him again sent a wave of terror coursing through me, but beneath it was something else-confusion.
Was he the boss they were talking about all along? Was he the one pulling the strings? The questions buzzed in my head, each one sharper than the last. I couldn’t figure it out, but a part of me didn’t want to. The idea that he might be in charge was terrifying enough.
Stephan’s steps were slow and deliberate, each one echoing through the room like a countdown. His eyes landed on me as he reached the base of the stairs, making me feel like prey caught in a predator’s gaze.
“Well, well,” he said, his voice dripping with mockery. A wicked smirk curled across his lips. “Look who’s finally awake.”
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My throat was dry, and my voice felt like it had abandoned me.
“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” he continued, taking a step closer. “Or are you just still processing the situation?”
I forced myself to meet his eyes, even though every instinct told me to look away. “What do you want from me?” I managed to ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
Stephan chuckled, the sound low and condescending. “Straight to the point, huh? I like that.” He tilted his head, studying me like I was some kind of specimen. “But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m more interested in how you’re feeling.”
I frowned, confusion momentarily overriding my fear. “What?”
“How are you feeling?” he repeated, his smirk widening. “You know, after that little… nap I gave you.”
I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. “You don’t care how I feel.”
“You’re right,” he said with a laugh. “I really don’t. But it’s polite to ask, don’t you think?” He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping. “Although, if you ask me, you looked a lot better when you were unconscious. I mean, being quiet really suits you.”
My stomach churned at his words. It wasn’t just the insult-it was the way he said it, like my existence was nothing more than an inconvenience to him.
“What do you want?” I asked again, my voice steadier this time.
Stephan straightened, his expression turning serious for a moment. “Oh, It’s not about what I want. It’s about what we need from you. Eleanor.”
I was utterly shocked as to how he knew my name. A total stranger, fluently pronouncing my name like he’d known me from somewhere else before now.
“And what’s that?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.
“To send a message,” he said simply.
I didn’t need him to elaborate to understand what that meant. I was the message. Whatever they intended to do to me was solely aimed at one person-Armando.
Stephan seemed to sense my realization. “Smart girl,” he said, nodding. “You catch on quick.”
I swallowed hard, trying to push down the rising panic. “Do you really think he’s going to fall for this?”
“Oh, he will,” Stephan said confidently. “Men like Armando Luca don’t ignore personal losses. They take them very seriously. And you, my dear, are as personal as it gets.”
I shook my head, trying to keep my composure. “If you think hurting me is going to make him walk into your trap, you don’t know him as well as you think.”
Stephan’s smirk returned, but there was something darker behind it now. “You’d be surprised what men will do for the things they own.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut. I hated how true they felt, how much they echoed everything that had happened since the night Armando bought me.
Stephan leaned in again, his voice low and menacing. “But don’t worry, we’re not in a rush. We have all the time in the world to make sure he gets the message loud and clear.”
My chest tightened, fear clawing its way back to the surface. “And what happens to me after that?”
Stephan’s smile widened, but he didn’t answer.
His slow, deliberate footsteps echoed in the room as he moved closer to me, his smirk still glued to his face.
He gestured to the sofa I was sitting on and said, “Why don’t you sit properly? Relax. It’s not time to feel like a prisoner just yet you know?”
I glared at him but didn’t move. The tension in the room was unbearable, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me shift under it.
“Ah,” he continued, snapping his fingers three times. “You there!” He pointed to a guard I hadn’t even noticed before. The man stood at the far end of the room, his face just as hard and unwelcoming as the rest of them. “Fetch our guest a glass of water. She’s had quite the journey.”
The guard took a step forward, but Stephan raised a hand, stopping him mid-motion. His eyes locked back on mine and his smirk widened.
“Wait,” Stephan said, his voice dripping with mock concern. “Do you even care for water? Or is it beneath you too?”
His tone made my blood boil. I clenched my fists, doing everything I could to keep from exploding. I stared straight at him, refusing to flinch. “Keep your fucking generosity,” I snapped. “Or better yet, shove it down your fucking throat, I don’t care. All I want right now is to get the fuck out of here. Let me go home.”
I didn’t know why the word “home” instinctively brought Armando’s mansion to mind, but I pushed the thought aside.
Stephan chuckled, shaking his head like I’d just told the punchline of a bad joke. “Such fire,” he mused. “I like a little spirit, but don’t mistake this for a negotiation.”
He then turned to the guard. “Never mind the water. It’s wasted on someone like her. You know what they say, you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.”
That was it. Something inside me had been stirred and I felt my fear burn away, replaced by anger so fierce I could barely think straight. I didn’t care about the guards or the situation anymore, neither did it it matter to me if Stephan was in control.
“You smug piece of-” I started, my voice rising, but Stephan was faster.
He raised a finger in the air and wagged it back and forth like a teacher scolding a child. “Ah-ah,” he interrupted, his tone condescending. “I’d hold that thought if I were you. You’re not as clever as you think Eleanor. All that tough talk? It’s nothing but noise.”
I glared at him, my body trembling with a mix of rage and helplessness.
Stephan leaned in closer, lowering his voice so only I could hear him. “Here’s a little advice,” he said, his words cutting through me. “The boss is on his way down, and let me tell you something. You’re not going to like him. He hates people like you. Mouthy, defiant, always thinking you’re smarter than everyone else. And if you piss him off…” He let the sentence hang, the threat in his words unmistakable.
I froze, the realization that Stephan wasn’t the one in charge sending a chill down my spine.
If he wasn’t the boss, then who was?
But before I could process the thought, Stephan straightened and turned toward the staircase. His demeanor shifted and his mocking smirk faded into something submissive.
“There he is now,” Stephan said, his voice barely above a whisper.
My heart pounded in my chest as I forced my eyes to look up. At the top of the staircase stood a figure, his silhouette sharp and imposing. He hadn’t even begun to descend, but the weight of his presence was already crushing.
My stomach twisted in knots, and for the first time since this nightmare began, I felt like I was truly on the verge of breaking.