“I want Luca to suffer,” Vito continued, his voice laced with sadistic pleasure. “I want him to know what it’s like to lose everything he loves. So, here’s my offer: if Luca wants to see you and this little one again, he’ll have to come to me and beg for mercy.”
Sophia felt her heart shatter at Vito’s words. “He’ll never do that,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “He’d rather die than beg for anything.”
Vito grinned, the expression hidden behind his mask. “Oh, I know.
“But I also know that love makes men weak,” Vito continued. “He loves you, Sophia. And when he sees what I’ve done to you, he’ll do anything to get you back. Even if it means kneeling at my feet and begging for your life.”
Sophia’s eyes filled with tears as she thought of Luca, the man she loved more than anything in the world. “You’re wrong,” she whispered. “He won’t do it.”
Vito chuckled, his laughter echoing off the walls. “We’ll see, Sophia.
Vito’s lips twisted into a cruel smirk as he presented Sophia with a phone, gesturing for her to pick it up. “Call him,” he ordered, the sinister gleam in his eyes betraying his intentions. “Convince your husband to step down from his position as the head of the Mafia. Otherwise…” Vito’s gaze shifted to Isaac, his unsaid threat hanging heavy in the air.
Sophia trembled as she pressed the phone to her ear, Luca’s line ringing. “Please,” she begged, her voice wavering with desperation. “You have to step down.
“I can’t do that, Sophia,” Luca replied, his voice strained but determined. “The mafia is my life. If I step down, Vito will take over and he’ll be even more ruthless than I am.”
Sophia felt her heart sink as her husband continued. “But I promise you, I’ll find a way to get you and Isaac out of there. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
She could hear the sincerity in his voice, and for a moment, she allowed herself to hope. “I love you, Luca,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face.
Luca’s voice caught in his throat, his heart shattering at the sound of Sophia’s pain. “I love you too, Sophia,” he said, his voice raw with emotion. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you and Isaac come back to me. I swear it.”
Sophia closed her eyes, drawing strength from the sound of her husband’s voice. “Be safe, Luca,” she whispered. “I’ll be waiting for you.”
As she hung up the phone, she could feel Vito’s cruel gaze burning into her back.
Continue
“You see?” Vito hissed, his voice dripping with scorn. “Your boyfriend doesn’t care about you, Sophia. He’s willing to sacrifice you both for his precious Mafia.”
Sophia glared at Vito, her eyes burning with hatred. “You’re wrong,” she spat, her voice trembling with rage. “He loves us more than anything. He’ll do anything to keep us safe.”
Vito laughed, his laughter echoing off the walls. “We’ll see, Sophia. We’ll see how much he loves you when he watches me kill you and your son
Vito’s laughter echoed through the room as he continued to taunt Sophia. “Your precious husband will watch as you and your son take your last breath,” he sneered. “And he’ll be powerless to stop it. All because he couldn’t sacrifice his position for your lives.”
Sophia’s eyes blazed with defiance. “You underestimate him,” she spat. “He’ll do whatever it takes to save us, even if it means taking you down.”
Vito’s expression hardened, his amusement replaced by a cold, calculated hatred.
Vito’s eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a sadistic smile. “Then let’s see how much you mean to him,” he hissed. “Gag her and tie her up. We’ll see how long she lasts before she’s begging for mercy.”
Sophia screamed in rage and terror as two of Vito’s henchmen dragged her to the floor, binding her hands behind her back and gagging her with a piece of cloth. Isaac cried out in fright as he was snatched from her arms, his small body wriggling against the harsh grip of his captors.
The world spun around Sophia as she was hauled through the corridors of the rundown building, her feet barely touching the ground. They finally stopped in front of a heavy, rusted door, and she shivered as one of the henchmen kicked it open, revealing a room that was dark, cold, and reeking of neglect.
The floor was covered in dirt and grime, and the only light came from a single, weak bulb that hung from the ceiling. Sophia was thrown to the ground, her body hitting the hard concrete with a painful thud. Isaac was dumped beside her, still wailing in fear.
Sophia tried to comfort her son, despite her own agony, but her efforts were futile. The heavy door slammed shut, and a key turned in the lock, sealing them into the tiny cell. As the last slivers of light disappeared, the cold began to seep into Sophia’s bones, chilling her to the core.
She lay still, her thoughts a dizzying spiral of fear and despair. She couldn’t believe that this was how it would all end – cold and alone in a dingy room, her child crying in the darkness.
As hours passed in the suffocating darkness, Sophia’s thoughts became increasingly scattered. Images of Luca’s face flashed in her mind, his warm smile and gentle touch a fading memory in the face of her current predicament.
Isaac had eventually fallen asleep, exhausted from his crying and the terror of their situation. Sophia huddled close to her son, her body providing the only warmth in the freezing room.
As the night wore on, Sophia’s fear was gradually replaced by a strange sense of calm. She had accepted her fate, and her only remaining thought was of her husband and son.
In the stillness of the night, Sophia’s mind drifted back to happier times, to the early days of her marriage when Luca’s love had been a radiant light in her world. She relived their first date, the shy smiles and stolen glances that had blossomed into a passionate love.
She remembered the moment Luca found out he had a son, the joy and tenderness that had filled his eyes. And now, with her own life hanging in the balance, Sophia could only hope that her husband would find a way to save their unborn child.
As the first rays of sunlight broke through the small, barred window in their room, Isaac woke up with a shrill cry that reverberated through the frigid room. Sophia, who had spent a restless night huddled with her son in the corner, tried to comfort him with soft shushes and coos, but to no avail.
In the middle of her soothing whispers, the door swung open, revealing Vito’s silhouette. The moment he spotted Sophia and the crying baby, his face twisted in rage.
“Silence that brat!” Vito yelled, marching towards Sophia, his fists clenched tightly. She recoiled in fear, pulling Isaac closer to her chest, but Vito was relentless. He raised his hand high and struck Sophia across the face with a resounding slap, sending her reeling backward.
“How dare you disturb my sleep?” he snarled, his voice low and dangerous. “If that thing can’t be quiet, then he won’t be staying with you for long.”
Sophia clutched Isaac tightly, her eyes wide with fear and anguish.
Vito stepped closer, his breath hot and stinking of cigarettes as he towered over Sophia. He sneered, his eyes gleaming with malice as he eyed her up and down.
“You are nothing but a pathetic excuse for a mother,” he spat. “If you can’t even quiet your own child, then you’re of no use to me.”
As Sophia cowered in fear, Vito’s gaze fell on her breasts. “Feed him,” he ordered, gesturing at Isaac. “Naked. And if he doesn’t stop crying, then I’ll make you pay for your incompetence.
Sophia’s trembling hands slowly untied the loose fabric of her dress, exposing her swollen breasts to the cold, musty air of the room. She brought Isaac closer to her chest, coaxing him to latch on, but his wails continued to fill the room.
Vito’s face darkened with rage, and he seized Sophia’s dress, ripping it away from her body, exposing her pale, naked skin to the harsh, unforgiving gaze of the guards.
Vito’s sneer widened as he surveyed Sophia’s exposed body. “Pathetic,” he muttered under his breath. “You’re nothing but a useless piece of flesh, a pretty trophy to be broken and discarded.”
Sophia’s face burned with shame as she clutched Isaac tighter to her chest, her heart breaking at her own helplessness. But she knew she couldn’t give up, not while her son still needed her. She continued to feed him, tears streaming down her face as Isaac’s cries slowly subsided.
As the silence finally descended, Sophia wrapped her trembling arms around Isaac, attempting to shield him from the horrors around them. Vito stood over her, his eyes surveying her naked, shivering form with a predatory gleam.
“Better,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll keep him quiet from now on.” He spat on the floor, then turned and gestured to the guards. “Put her back in the cell. And make sure she remembers her place.”
Sophia’s tears flowed freely as the guards roughly yanked her to her feet, tossing her discarded dress aside. She clutched Isaac tightly to her chest, her eyes fixed on the ground as they marched her back to their tiny cell.
The cold, dirty floor felt like ice against her bare skin as she was thrown back into the room. The heavy door slammed shut, the darkness enveloping them once again. Sophia huddled against the wall, her arms wrapped protectively around her son.
“Mama,” Isaac whimpered, his voice a pitiful whisper in the silence.
Sophia held Isaac closer, her body trembling with rage, shame, and grief. She rocked him gently, whispering words of comfort into his ear. “Shh, my love,” she murmured. “Mama’s here, and I won’t let anything happen to you. We’ll be okay, you’ll see.”
But in the depths of her heart, she knew the odds were stacked against them. Vito was a sadistic monster, bent on breaking her and her boyfriend. And as the hours stretched on, she began to wonder if they would ever make it out alive.