Five: Rage.

Natalia’s POV:

I shouldn’t have opened the envelope…

My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto the floor, the envelope crinkled under my grip as my hands trembled. Suddenly, the room felt too little and it felt like my lungs could no longer function as I struggled to breathe. This can’t be true—

A rattling sound behind the door had me scrambling to my feet as I wiped my eyes. Quickly, I hid the envelope and its contents in my duffel bag, stuffing the rest of my things back inside my bag. I couldn't let anyone find me in this state.

The door swung open, and I expected it to be Carlo. But at the door stood an elderly lady and a young woman who held a tray of food and juice.

I frowned. “Who are you?”

“Ciao, bella. How are you?” The older lady asked, ignoring my question. “Let’s get you freshened up and changed into something—”

“Who are you?” I asked again. 

The older lady’s eyes softened as she sighed. She gestured to the younger lady. “This is Vittoria, she will serve you. She’s your maid—”

“Don’t need a maid, my hands, legs, and eyes work just fine.”

The older lady chuckled. “You are fierce, good. I am Caterina, Carlo’s aunt.”

I eyed her warily as my shoulders stiffened.

“…I know you're scared but—”

“No shit, Sherlock. Your nephew is a monster,” I spat.

Caterina shot me a sympathetic look but said nothing as she turned to Vittoria. “Set the tray down, so she could eat.”

“Take it back, I'm not hungry,” I insisted, even though my mouth watered and my tummy rumbled from not having eaten for hours.

Caterina frowned. “Take the food away.” Vittoria bowed and turned away with the tray of food while I cursed myself for being stubborn, but I wouldn't back down. 

Caterina took a step toward me, her face held concern and worry. “I just want you to know that I'm on your side and I'm not here to hurt you.”

I scoffed loudly. “You barely know me, and we both know you'd pick your nephew over me at the drop of a hat.”

She moved to my bed and lowered herself slowly, wincing a little probably from back pain that comes with old age. She wasn't very old though, she seemed to be in her mid-fifties. “Please sit,” she tapped the spot on the bed beside her. 

I wanted to fight her on it and say no, but I was exhausted, my mind was still reeling over everything that had happened in the past few hours. And I couldn't even speak to anyone about it. 

Eventually, I dropped on the bed beside her. 

Caterina placed a hand over mine. “I don't expect you to trust me blindly, but you have to know that I can help you out around here. I don't have the power to go against Carlo despite being his aunt but I have my way around most things.”

“I want to see my baby sister, Ava. Carlo didn't let me see her and she must be scared.”

Caterina’s face fell as she took her hand off mine. 

Panic enveloped me at her reaction. “Ava is okay, right?”

Caterina's expression remained gloomy; she couldn't look me in the eyes and had suddenly become a stutterer.

“Right?! Caterina, where is my sister? For God's sake, answer me!” I bellowed; I was boiling already, and if I found out that anyone had hurt her if I found out that Carlo, that filth, had put his hands on her…

“The girl,” Caterina started softly, “Has been sick.. Her body is rejecting all the food and water she's taken in, and she's currently unable to leave her bed.”

“Ava… is that sick?” Rage flared up inside me… Ava was dying, and whether or not it was due to a sudden change in environment or the trauma, it was all tied to Carlo. This was on him, directly or indirectly. My chest heaved up and down, frantically, and I subconsciously clenched my fists as I felt beads of sweat pouring down my face.

“Where is he?” I gritted through clenched teeth. “Carlo.. Where is he?”

She sighed. “He's in the outer courtyard, Natalia…”

She kept speaking, but I was no longer listening. It was a good thing Caterina had come here today, it meant that my door was now opened.

Without warning, I darted out of the room.

“No, Natalia, wait..!” Caterina said, alarmed at what I was doing, but my mind was made up. I looked to my left to see the guard. Seeing me loose, he started to charge towards me, panic in his eyes. To my right, I saw a passage that, surely, would lead to the outer courtyard. 

I ran, without looking back, pursued by Caterina and the guard, through the passage and then through another door which finally led me to the outer courtyard. As Caterina had said, Carlo was there, taking in the view of his garage. He was sitting at a table, in a white shirt - with its sleeves rolled up - a pair of corporate pants and brogues, and before him was a large chunk of steak, some salad on a plate as well as some pudding. There were also two bottles of wine, and a glass filled from one of the bottles. Carlo looked lost in thought and was startled by my hasty approach towards him.

Carlo’s eyes widened slightly when he saw his aunt and a guard chasing after me.

“What is this madness?” He growled, clearly stunned, “This girl should be in her room, why is she out here?”

“My sister is ill and I want to see her,” I demanded, once I stopped in front of him.

The guard, at this point, grabbed hold of me and tried to muscle me back to my room, but Carlo waved a hand, signaling him to let me go. 

“It's alright… let her be...” As the guard released his hold on me, I snatched my arm away still breathing heavily from the impromptu 50-meter dash, Carlo leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, looking annoyingly handsome and amused, as though I was putting on some sort of show for him. God, I hated his guts!

“I have my best physicians running tests and administering treatments to her. You have nothing to worry about..”

“Nothing to worry about? Says the man who kills people at will, holding me against my will, and yet you say there's nothing to worry about?” I snarled. 

“You’re putting up quite a show, so let’s cut to the chase… What do you want, child?” Carlo said. His voice, though thick with anger, remained controlled.

 “I demand that you let me and my sister go!” I yelled, slightly disbelieving myself. Where did this courage come from?

His face hardened as he rose to his feet. “And why would I do anything remotely close to that?”

Carlo pinned me with a death stare. “Know your place, or I will forcefully fit you into it. You’re nothing but my property and that includes your sister—”

All I saw was red.

“Stupid jerk!” I grabbed one of Carlo's wine bottles before anyone could stop me and swung it, smashing it across his head.