Trapped

CHAPTER FOUR

Antonio stood in the grand estate of his family's Italian villa, the warm sunlight casting a golden glow over the lush gardens.

His mother, Maria, stood before him, her sparkling blue eyes filled with warmth and love.

"il mio sole," she whispered, her voice like music to his ears. "You are destined for greatness. Never forget who you are and where you come from."

Antonio's eyes locked onto hers, drinking in the adoration and pride that shone in her gaze.

He felt a sense of comfort and security wash over him, like a baby soundly sleeping in its mother’s arm.

“Mother, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I let that happen.” he went on his knees, shedding tears like the first day he was born into the world.

“no shuushh..” she bent and stretched her hands to him, as if imploring him to take it.

But as he reached out to touch her hand, her image began to fade away, like sand slipping through his fingers.

Antonio's eyes flew open, and he was back in his bed, his chest heaving with emotion. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the vivid dream.

The memory of his mother's words, echoing in his mind like a mantra. He threw off the covers and got out of bed, his eyes fixed on the portrait of his mother hanging on the wall.

"Ti prometto, Madre," he whispered, his voice barely audible. “Ti renderò orgoglioso.”

A knock at the door jerked him back to reality. "Who is it?" Antonio called out, his voice still rough from sleep.

"Boss, we're an hour behind schedule. The jet is ready for takeoff," Viktor's voice echoed through the door.

Antonio's gaze snapped to the wall clock. 3:00 PM.

He was supposed to leave for Italy by 2:00 PM. A curse escaped his lips as he rushed towards the shower.

"One minute, just one minute I close my eyes, and the whole day is gone," he muttered to himself, frustration written on his face.

* * * * * * *

Antonio and Sophia stood on the tarmac, awaiting the arrival of the car carrying Luciana.

Antonio checked his watch for what felt like the hundredth time, his impatience growing by the minute.

"Relax my love," Sophia said, her hand gently caressing his back. "they'll be here soon enough."

Antonio shot her a glance, but said nothing.

Finally, the car appeared in the distance, and Antonio's eyes widened as it approached them.

He watched Luciana step out and couldn’t hide his awe, much to Sophia’s disappointment.

She looked stunning, her long hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of silk.

The dress she wore hugged her hips, showcasing her little curves, and Antonio's eyes were drawn to the way her nipples poked through the fabric.

He cursed silently, trying to snap out of his admiration.

Luciana's eyes roamed wildly around the airport, and Antonio knew she was looking for an escape route. She shut the car door and without hesitation, she took off in a sprint, her heels clicking on the pavement.

"oh no you don't," Antonio muttered, taking off after her.

He quickly caught up to her, scooping her up over his shoulder.

Luciana kicked and struggled, but Antonio held her firm, carrying her towards the jet.

"Put me down!" Luciana shouted, her voice muffled against Antonio's back. She bit his shoulders and pounded his back with her fist.

Antonio ignored her and the sharp pain the bite caused, striding up the steps of the jet.

Once inside, he strapped her into a seat, securing her wrists and ankles with straps of buckles.

"Why didn't you wear a bra?" Antonio asked, his eyes fixed to her chest.

Luciana glared up at him. "You don't have my size."

Antonio raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. He slapped a piece of tape over her mouth, silencing her.

As he stepped back, Antonio noticed a figure in the jet’s bar. A figure he recognized. He looked at Viktor in shock. Viktor looked away.

“Father. What are you doing here?” he asked, not moving an inch.

"Antonio, mio figlio," Donatello said, his voice filled with disappointment. "I send you to retrieve a simple girl, and you can't even manage that without turning it into a spectacle. What would your mother say if she saw you now?"

Antonio's face burned with rage as he felt his father's words cut deep. He clenched his fists, his anger simmering just below the surface.

"You should let me do my job and not monitor me!" he raised his voice

Donatello rose from his seat, as he slammed his fist on the bar.

"You dare raise your voice at me?" he thundered, his voice echoing through the jet.

Viktor stepped forward, his voice calm and soothing. "Don, Don, please. We need to get to Italy before anything else. We can discuss this later."

Donatello's chest heaved with anger, but he took a deep breath, composing himself. "Hmmm," he muttered, while still staring at Antonio's face. "Let's go."

The tension in the air was intense as Donatello turned and walked towards the cockpit.

Antonio's eyes rested on his father's retreating back, his anger and frustration boiling just below the surface.

Luciana's eyes ran through the jet, as she sat strapped to the seat, her mouth taped shut.

She tried to think of a way to escape, but every idea seemed impossible. She was trapped, at the mercy of the ruthless Antonio and his wannabe princess fiancée.

As she glanced around the jet, Luciana's eyes met Antonio's, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something - regret, maybe, or even sympathy.

But it was quickly replaced by his usual cold, hard expression.

Sophia, who was sitting across from Luciana, caught her eye and smirked.

"You look lovely, Luciana," she gave a fake smile. "The whole 'damsel in distress' thing really suits you." she said, making air quotes with her fingers.

Luciana kicked the seat as she made a loud, indignant noise behind the tape.

Antonio raised an eyebrow, getting up from his seat.

"What's wrong?" he asked, a large frown curing on his face. He reached out and ripped the tape off Luciana's mouth.

Luciana gasped, wincing in pain. "I need to pee," she said.

Antonio's expression softened slightly, and he nodded as he unbuckled her. "Viktor, go with her.”

As they walked towards the bathroom, Antonio could see she was walking uncomfortably, and as he looked down her shoe, he saw a reflection of light coming from her shoe.

“well, do you want to see me pee?” Luciana asked as they got to the toilet door. “or you riff raffs are scared I would jump down from here, through the window and escape.”

“make it quick.” Viktor pocketed his hand as he waited outside the bathroom for her.

Once inside the bathroom, Luciana quickly reached into her shoe and pulled out her phone.

She frantically searched for a signal, her heart racing with excitement and fear.

She managed to get a weak signal and quickly opened the camera app, trying to take a video of her situation to send to the police in Colombia.

But before she could even record a second, Antonio burst into the bathroom, like a hungry lion going after its prey.

"What the...?" he snarled, snatching the phone from Luciana's hand.

With a swift motion, he smashed the phone on the counter, the screen shattering into a thousand pieces.

"You try to make any move to escape again, one call from me, and she’ll be gone." Antonio warned, he moved closer to her, his face red like a molten volcano and raw fury sparked in his eyes. "Do you understand?"

A chill ran down her spine, her heart thudding against her ribcage as she nodded. She could feel her palms getting sweaty as a picture popped up in her head.

How did he know about her?