ALESSIA
A man pulled me and almost dragged me to the side of the wall. Before I could protest, he untied my hands. I thought he was going to release me. But I was horrified when the man pulled my hand. He inserted it into handcuffs attached to the wall. He did the same to my other hand.
I whimpered in protest, but the man just sneered at me. Then he left me there. I could only cry. How could I escape now that I am handcuffed and imprisoned?
I cried for a few minutes until the door opened again. The man they called the boss entered. Two other men who were with him in the car followed.
“Well? Are you going to talk now, or do I need to force you?” the man asked as he stood in front of me.
I shook my head violently. How could I speak when my mouth was gagged? The man seemed to read my mind. He immediately ordered his men to remove my gag. I could breathe properly now that the gag is gone.
“So, where’s the ring, Cali? Where did Luther take my wife’s ring? Where? Tell me,” the man demanded.
I was dumbfounded. He had a wife? Why is he cheating then? He even had an affair with Haven. I thought earlier that he might have a relationship with the woman he called Cali. It turns out he is just looking for a woman who resembles me and her boyfriend.
Thankfully, he didn’t seem interested in my body. I’d really lose it if another man claimed me aside from Claude.
“I’m not Cali. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Damn you, Cali! You’re such a liar!”
The man’s eyes almost glowed as he stared at me. His fists clenched, and his palms sweated.
“I’ve had enough of you! You damn woman!” he shouted.
He turned to his two men.
“Take her away! Enjoy her body! Don’t stop until she confesses.”
My eyes widened, and I felt deafened by what I heard. When the two men approached me, I struggled. I tried to break free from them. When the handcuffs were removed from my hands, I pushed the man who pulled me with all my strength. He almost fell. His companion was quick to support him and grabbed me with one hand. I struggled again. The other companion approached me and grabbed my other hand. They tried to pull me towards the door. No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t escape.
I glanced at the boss of the men.
“Have mercy on me! I’m not Cali! I’m Alessia Robinson! My husband is the CEO of Artisan Furnitures! Believe me, I’m not deceiving you!” I shouted while looking at him.
The boss remained unfazed, his sharp eyes fixed on me.
But when we reached the door, the boss suddenly yelled, “Hold on!”
The two men holding my hands stopped. I also looked at the boss, as did the two men pulling me.
We waited for the boss to approach.
“What did you say? You’re the wife of the CEO?” he asked as he approached us.
I nodded.
The boss raised an eyebrow. “How are you related to Robinson?”
“He’s my husband,” I replied directly.
The man scrutinized me from head to toe and back.
“How can you prove to me that he’s really your husband?”
I sighed. “Could you please release me for a moment,” I pleaded with the two men holding me.
“Let her go,” the boss ordered.
The two men immediately released me.
I looked at my left hand. Our wedding ring with Claude is on my finger. I took it off and showed it to the boss.
“This is our wedding ring. Look at it to believe that he is indeed my husband.”
The man took my ring. He examined it for a few seconds.
“The ring does seem real and expensive. But I want to make sure you’re not fooling me. I’ll have this ring checked by a reputable jeweler. We’ll find out if you’re telling the truth.”
He pocketed my ring. I was about to protest, but I stopped when I heard his next words.
“Take this woman to the guest room on the third floor. Tell the maids to give her food and clothes. But don’t let her out of the room until I say so.”
The man left first. The two men then escorted me out.
The atmosphere changed when I mentioned my husband’s name. It meant Claude is well-known. My husband must be very famous for even intimidating men like the boss to know him. Rich and famous people were indeed different. I am grateful that the boss suddenly became nice to me. At least there is still hope of escaping his wrath. Hopefully, he would also release me because I hadn’t done anything wrong. I am not Cali, the person he was looking for. I am just mistaken for her.
Do I really look like that Cali? Why would we have the same face if ever? I don’t have any siblings except for Lia. I didn’t even resemble Lia, we’re not even blood related. So, who is Cali? And who could be the boyfriend that boss mentioned?
Many questions swam in my mind. But I didn’t want to dwell on them anymore because we had stopped in front of a closed door.
One of my companions opened the door, revealing a large room decorated in baby pink.
“Go inside,” the man who opened it ordered.
I immediately entered. But before I could reach the bed, the door suddenly closed. I approached and tried to open it, but it is locked.
I wanted to go crazy. But when I thought that the boss might get mad at me again, I chose to remain silent. I returned to the bed and sat on the edge.
I scanned the entire room. It was fully furnishe. I could say that the owner of the mansion was wealthy. I just hoped that the money was earned legally. I had different thoughts, especially since there were staff who seemed to be followers.
But my contemplation was interrupted when the door suddenly opened. An elderly woman entered, carrying clothes. Behind her was a younger woman carrying a tray of food.
They approached me.
“Good afternoon, Miss!” greeted the elderly woman. “I’m Vera, and this is Ruth. Here are your clothes. I hope Ma’am Lia’s clothes fit you.”
I felt a pang in my heart when I heard the name mentioned by Vera.
“Who is… Ma’am Lia?” I asked.
“She’s Sir Ramiro’s wife,” Ruth replied. Vera nudged Ruth. “Sorry,” the girl apologized, bowing her head.
I bit my lip. So, the boss’s name is Ramiro. And my sister shares the same name as his wife.
“We’ll leave you for now, miss,” said Vera, pulling Ruth away.
Once they left, I looked at the food. I suddenly felt hungry, especially when my stomach growled.
I ate first and then took a bath. I felt tired as I dried my hair. When I couldn’t fight off the drowsiness anymore, I lay down on the bed. I hoped Ramiro would also release me when he returned. It’s okay even if he doesn’t return my ring. The important thing is to be free.