"Somethings can only be seen in the shadows"~ Carlos Ruiz ZafónA phone ring disrupts our peaceful moment.Salvatore groans, he pats his pant pocket and fishes out his mobile.He talks about some urgent business meeting that is going to be conducting in half an hour, he doesn't seems pleased by the sudden call."I don't want to attend the meeting" he grunts rubbing his face while looking up at me from my lap. I move away the strand of hair falling on his forehead."Work is also important, let me help you pack up the stuff" I say, he nods his head half heartedly, together we pack up everything, I shut the basket after putting the picnic mat inside it.I am sitting on the ground with my knees folded under me, Salvatore sits beside me."How are you feeling" he asks rubbing my cheek with his thumb, I push my face in his palm "happy" I answer genuinely."Good" he says satisfied "thank you for today" I say honestly, his brown eyes bore into my green one's "thank YOU for staying" he says in
"Scars show a journey, but first the wounds need to close"~ Unknown "Where were you last night?" Ray asks curiously, I tie my apron around my waist, I look at her through the mirror."I went for a stroll" I keep my answer short, "you missed dinner" she points, "wasn't feeling hungry" I say turning around."You know you've been acting weird since you came back from Russia" she says looking at me doubtfully."Why do you say so?" I ask keeping my expressions in control, "you don't spend as much time with me as you did before" she complains."Oh, we'll plan something real soon" I say relieved, she nods her head excitedly "when am I going to meet that mysterious boyfriend of yours?" I ask in a teasing manner, Ray looks away shyly.So it's that serious, I smile.She slumps on her bed with a dreamy sigh "very soon, he's a busy man, he works directly with Capo Giovanni" she boasts proudly."That's good" I appreciate while correcting my bed sheet."I need to go" I announce, "why? Your duty s
"If we don't end war, war will end us"~ H. G. WellsI just got done cleaning Capo Giovanni's room, it took me about 4 hours to clean the massive room.I glance at the time, it is nearing sunset, lunch time is already over but I am feeling famished.Tiredly I pick up my cleaning supplies, throughout the cleaning my mind was stuck on Sophia, I am struggling between if I should tell Madam Joy the truth or not.A loud commotion just outside Capo's door diverts my attention, I leave my stuff and slightly push open the door.I peak outside, I see Senior Capo, Madam Guilia, Capo Giovanni and Salvatore standing in the hallway, Snior Capo seems angry, his face is red."Quante volte devo ripetere la stessa cosa Gio? Quando imparerai ad assumerti le tue responsabilità!?" (How many times do I have to repeat the same thing Gio? When will you learn to take your own responsibilities!?) He seethes at his elder son."È mio fratello, ha gli stessi diritti sui doveri che ho io!" (He is my brother, he h
"That was manipulation, that was traumatic, that was abuse, that broke me, you broke me"~ Unknown (TRIGGER WARNING: TORTURE)"TRANQUILLO!" (QUIET!) Salvatore's thunderous voice booms in the garden startling everyone, even Capo seems stunned at his son's sudden outburst.The garden is now filled with pin drop silence.All eyes look at Salvatore in fear, he scans around the garden, glaring at each and everyone until his eyes stop at me, he pauses for a brief second than diverts his gaze.He walks towards the bruised man, he crouches down on one knee.He grabs the man's jaw, turning his face both ways, inspecting it."Ti piace rubare?" (You like to steal?) He asks in a low dark voice but it's audible to everyone, my heartbeat seizes as I realize what he's about to do.He's going to move forward with his father's order, he is saving his father's respect.Senior Capo for the first time seems speechless, he stares at his son with an undescribable emotion."Porta una sedia" (Bring a chair)
"He was her dark fairytale and she was his twisted fantasy and together they made magic"~ F. Scott Fitzgerald "Daisy.." he whispers my name in the silent air, I shut my eyes, not letting him get through me.I hear him nearing me, he sits behind me, his muscled arms encircle my waist, his hands rest on top of my stomach, I freeze in my place.He rests his chin on my shoulder, his chest attached to my back, his hot breath fans my neck "breath" he says lowly.I exhale out a breath I didn't know I was holding, I stare at the tree nervously."Do you know how hard these past 2 days have been? They were nothing short of hell" he nuzzles his face in my neck, he places a butterfly kiss on my sweet spot.Unconsciously, I grip his hand that is placed on my stomach.He takes that hand and sandwiches it between his hands.He leans closer and rocks us side to side in a slow rhythm.My heart beats frantically, I look down at his hands on my body, I picture them all bloody holding a blade, I look a
"I'm not scared of commitment, I'm scared of putting my all into someone and ending up with nothing again"~ Unknown Senior Capo's loud voice booms inside the palace walls, for some unknown reason he was angry today, since morning he's been shouting at everyone.All the maids are trying there best to stay away from his sight, including me.I decide to tune out his loud voice and focus on last night as I dust the sofa's.I smile unconsciously as I remember the magical kiss I shared with Salvatore, we spent some time together, laughing at silly things until it was time to part ways.Salvatore told me he's going to Greece soon, he said he'll take me with him and we'll at least spend a month there, away from everyone.I couldn't help the excitement that is building in me at the thought of spending alone time with him."You have a beautiful smile" a foreign sweet voice compliments, I raise my head, my eyes land on a beautiful woman.I internally gasp at her beauty.I blink my eyes twice t
"If you are strong, you can fight alone"~ Rajbir Kaur"Mama!" I say unable to hold in my excitement, "il mio bambino, la mia Daisy" (my baby, my Daisy) I hear my mom's teary voice from the other line, I clutch the phone tight in my hand as tears roll down my eyes.Her voice gives me a sense of comfort.I requested to call my mother, I received my first Salary today, I was so excited and happy for this achievement, I has already instructed for half of my salary to be transferred to my mother.""Ho i soldi" (I got the money) she says with equal excitement, I laugh heartily, "Ho preparato un pasto caldo per noi proprio come mi avevi ordinato di fare prima di partire" (I got a hot meal for us just as you had instructed me to before leaving) she says matching my happiness."E i nuovi vestiti che ho detto? Ti sei procurato un letto? Sai che non puoi dormire per terra, non fa bene alla schiena! Hai preso la spesa? ottenere tutto quello che chiedono i miei fratelli e sorelle..." (What about
"A true lady doesn't start a fight, but sure knows how to finish them"~ Unknown "Capo.. please..." I request him as he drags me by my arm inside the palace.The moment he caught me, he harshly pulled me up by my arm and dragged me out of the garden, he didn't give me time to defend myself.All the maids and guards stared at us in shock, murmuring filled the palace, I bowed my head in shame as he pulled me like a ragged doll.Soon we reach the main hall, he pushes me on the floor, the force of the fall bruises my elbows.Few strands of hair fell out of my bun, I push them away, they stick to my face because of my teary cheeks.Senior Capo is heaving uncontrollably, his eyes are red, soon the hall is filled with nosey maids and guards, Madam Guilia, Madam Joy, Jade, Ray, Capo Giovanni and Lucia, everyone arrives in a panicked state.My scared eyes search for Salvatore, he's gone for the meeting, I remember.Ray steps forward to help me but Jade stops her, she looks at me helplessly."W
"Out of all my sins, you're my favourite"~UnknownNo.I cannot let Dario ruin me! His lie is going to cost me everything that I hold dear to me.Salvatore, how can he trust Dario over the woman he claims to love?And Ray.. she's misunderstanding me!Salvatore broke me, the doubt and mistrust in his eyes spoke volumes. I'm not taking him back now, I'll prove my innocence and leave this place for good.I clench my fists and march towards Salvatore's office, ready to fight fot my innocence, a maid stops me midway. "Capo is not in his office" she says, hurriedly stepping infront of me. I give her a questioning look, but he just said that he was heading there with Dario."He's upstairs in his brother's room" she points towards the stairs. I don't give it much thought and turn my direction. My only goal is to leave this palace, each second is suffocating me.I finally reach Giovanni's room, I push open the door. It's cold inside, no one has occupied this room since he passed away.Surpri
"A storyteller makes up things to help other people, a liar makes up things to help himself"~ Daniel Wallace"N-No" I stutter out the words in pure disbelief. Salvatore's hard stare pins me down, questioning me.Don't look at me like that, please. I request through my eyes."What more proof do you want son? I knew my intuition can never be wrong" Senior Capo speaks, pleased by himself that he is proven right."You know this is a lie" I whisper. My eyes frantically searching for him despite him standing infront of me.Salvatore doesn't respond, I can see the doubt creeping in, like a fire engulfing a forest in it's blazing flames. "This is your love for your brother?" Madam Guilia snickers coldly."You were abandoning your brother's child, your own blood for someone else's dirty blood" her nostrils flare with each word."You're a liar Salvatore! You never loved him, he was just a mean of convenience for you, you knew how much he adored you, he always protected you from everything! Y
"The truth is, some people will never know you, and utterly hate you for who they think you are"~ Samantha King Holmes"Daisy.."Salvatore calls for me from the other side of the bathroom door. I don't respond.I have locked myself inside for the past few hours, just sitting on the closed toilet seat, staring into nothingness.After the doctor left, Ray rushed to inform Salvatore. I didn't wait for him. "Amore mio.. Cuore mio... mi dispiace" (My love.. My heart... I'm sorry) he expresses his regret in a broken voice. I shut my eyes close. "Daisy, I'll have to break this door if you don't open it now" I sense a hint of tiredness in his voice.It's been hours since he's been trying to reach out to me, but I have completely blocked him.He has been apologising profusely, he told me how Senior Capo sent him to check on an important shipment and ordered for the test behind his back.He promised to take me away from here, he says he now understands what I meant.I wish he understood it
"The silence left by loss is as loud as a thousand voices raised to the sky in pain" ~ Edward Lee "..... and I peed myself" I say with a fake crying face, Ray bursts into a fit of laughter. A small smile makes it's way to my lips. She's finally distracted, I'm glad my silly childhood stories could take her mind off Dario. She was upset after he left ignoring her completely. We were sharing our most embarrassing moments, Ray continues with one of her own but gets startled as the bedroom door is pushed open and loudly bangs on the side wall. I'm suprised it didn't fall from it's hinges. Both Ray and I stare in horror as madam Guilia enters my room with her guards and the palace doctor tailing her. "Tu puttana!" (You whore!) She screams charging at me. Instinctively I crawl back, Ray stands infront of me, blocking madam Guilia. The doctor is fast to grab on madam's upper arm "signora, per favore si calmi" (madam, please calm down) she says gritting her teeth as she tri
"Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult"~ Unknown "Come stai mamma?" (How are you mama?) I ask clutching the phone tightly, I hear a sigh of relief from the other side."Molto meglio ora il mio raggio di sole" (Much better now my sunshine) her voice trembles with emotions, I make my way towards the bed and sit down, Salvatore gave me his phone so I can talk to my family.He informed me that mama has been sick since I was taken away, even after she got to know that I am free of all the accusations her health still hasn't gotten any better."Mamma..""Ascoltami Daisy" (Listen to me Daisy) she speaks in a stern voice making me remember my childhood when I used to sneak out with Dario and when I got back home she would use this exact stern voice at me but papa saved me everytime."Voglio che tu esca da quel posto il prima possibile" (I want you to get out of that place as soon as possible) she says worriedly, my eyes instantly shift towards the closed door of my be
"And find the place where every single thing you see tells you to stay"~ Seeker Salvatore shifted me back to our bedroom, even though I didn't wanted to be here but he isn't in the mood to listen to me.He assigned 2 maids for my assistance, even though I am perfectly capable of moving and doing my own work.He left saying he'll be back after an hour, I took this time to lay on the bed and ponder over what just happened, I gently put my hand over my stomach and rub it.Ofcourse this had to happen, considering the amount of love making we were doing.I sigh leaning against the headboard, what do I do now? Salvatore will never let me go now.Half an hour later the door to opens, I glance at that direction, a small head of brown curly hair peeks inside the room, I sit up straight."Who is it?" I ask tilting to have better look, with shy steps a small boy enters inside the bedroom followed by Salvatore.The boy is clutching tight on his pointer finger with his small hands, my heart melt
"It's a journey not a race, keep going at your own pace"~ Lesley DianaI wake up alone in the morning, I'm not surprised as Salvatore is an early riser, I look around and find a bag of food beside me and a note attached to it. I take it and read through it.'Good morning Mio Amore,I got you breakfast, when your anger is subsided please return back to our room, if you still don't want to then I'm not going to force you but remember it's also your room and you can use it to freshen up or change your clothesYoursSalvatore''Your room' I roll my eyes remembering is previous words that he said to me.I clear up the area and stack my things in a corner, I do need to use the restroom, I go to Ray's room and use her bathroom, I take a shower and change into a new dress.I step out inside the room while drying my hair with the towel, "You're getting beautiful by each passing day" a male voice makes me yelp in surprise, with wide eyes I stare at Dario.My heart drops seeing him here "what a
"Value your peace more than people's opinions"~ Rithvik Singh"Where are you taking me?" I question as I notice the familiar path leading towards his room, "our room" he answers in a tired voice, I stop instantly, noticing my lack of movement he turns back gazing at me confused."I'm not going there" I say firmly, he sighs remembering my previous words, "I apologized Daisy, please come with me" he requests, I shake my head staying firm to my words."I hope you get a good night sleep, goodbye" I turn around towards the stairs, I can feel his intense gaze boring holes in my back but I ignore it.I return back to the back garden back to my secret corner, I notice few sheers layed on the grass, away from Sophia's grave, two bags sitting beside the sheets, one full of clothes ans the other with fruits and water bottles.I smile gratefully "Ray" I whisper looking up at the sky, she's the best.I chnage into a light material sundress behind a tree and make my way towards my sheet bed, I not
"What hurts the most is letting go of the one who meant the most"~ j.m. wise"Signore, abbiamo controllato il sistema del suo ufficio e ho trovato questo chip, sembra che qualcuno stesse cercando di controllare le sue impostazioni di sicurezza, grazie a Dio il chip ha funzionato male e abbiamo rilevato l'errore in tempo, altrimenti chiunque l'abbia fatto avrebbe potuto accedere facilmente all'interno del suo ufficio" (Sir, we checked your office system and I found this chip, it seems like someone was trying to control your security settings, thank god the chip malfunctioned and we caught the error on time or else whoever did this could had easily accessed inside in your office) the palace technician informs showing us a small microchip held between his gloved thumb and pointer finger."Come può qualcuno superare il sistema così facilmente?" (How can someone get through the system so easily?) Salvatore rages at his man.I silently observe around the office room, I found out that behin