Chapter five

CHAPTER FIVE

I felt like a deer caught in the trap of a hunter. His grip on the gun unwavering the gun, his intense gaze drilling into my trembling form.

"I do not like repeating myself, gattina. Who in the hell are you?" His voice echoed his anger. The gun was still pointed at me and it brought back memories I had desperately tried to suppress. 

I told him my name, my voice barely above a whisper, but before he could respond, the door opened, and the man who had bought me at the auction entered.

"Merda, Luciano! What happened?" The shock was clear in his voice as he observed the scene in front of him from the doorway. (Shit Luciano)

"I should be the one asking you, Franco. I return and find some girl in my room, claiming to be a maid," The Don replied, his eyes trailing the length of my body before looking away, showing his lack of interest. "I didn't know we were taking in strays, Franco." The insult felt like salt on an open wound.

Franco cleared his throat, to explain the situation, “Don Luciano, she's a new maid in the mansion, and there must have been some misunderstanding. I assure you, I will handle it."

The Don's expression did not waver. He seemed unimpressed by Franco's explanation. "Franco, I left clear instructions about who enters my wing and when. There should not have been any misunderstanding at all. I need to know why a stranger is in my room."

I swallowed hard, my nerves making it hard to breathe. The longer he stared at me, the harder it became for me to breathe. 

While Franco tried to explain to him, I thought it wise to leave, but his voice cut through the air, “Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you Elena." I froze, the way he said my name made me feel funny inside, I liked it but at the same time I hated it.

The Don's gaze moved from Franco to me once more. His voice laced with disdain. "Do you have any explanation for this, Elena?"

I stuttered out a response “I-I was told to clean this room. I'm just a maid sir, and I swear I wasn’t doing anything but cleaning,"

He kept staring at me, observing me. "I don’t know where you come from but here I have rules, and breaking them has consequences."

Franco spoke up again. "Don Luciano, Elena is new, and she didn't know."

The Don's eyes never left mine as he listened to Franco's words. His anger was radiating off him in waves.

"Si Franco, it looks like we have some serious issues with communication around here," he casually said, his gun still pointed in my direction. (Yes Franco)

I fought to keep the tears at bay. The Don's furious gaze was unbearable, and I couldn't move or speak.

Franco, in another desperate attempt to make peace, moved to stand between us, "Don Luciano, please understand it was an innocent mistake. Elena didn't mean to—"

The Don cut him off, "Franco, this is not your concern. You should go."

Franco's expression hardened, but he didn't try to argue further. He gave me one last worried glance before exiting the room, leaving me alone with the infuriated Don.

My heart raced in my chest, thumping so loud I feared the Don would hear it. His gaze bore into mine, igniting an overwhelming sense of vulnerability and another feeling I didn’t quite understand. His predatory grey eyes seemed to lock me in. 

He took a step closer, his voice dripping with venom. "Do you have any idea who I am, Elena?" still pointing the gun at me. I could only nod.

"I am Don Luciano Vitello," he declared with authority, his eyes locked onto mine. "And I demand absolute obedience from those who work for me."

My lips quivered as I managed to whisper, "I-I understand, Don L-Luciano. I didn't mean to intrude, I didn’t know."

The Don finally lowered his gun but didn't put it away. Instead, he lifted it to the light, brandishing it as if he were taunting me.

"I should punish you Elena," he said coldly. 

I nodded, tears rolling down my cheeks. The Don's voice was almost a growl as he ordered, "Leave."

I didn't need to be told twice. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I could feel the Don's gaze burning into my back. I bowed clumsily before turning on my heel, and making a hasty exit. 

As I turned around the corner, I almost collided with Gigi who was carrying a tray of dishes, when she realized it was just me, her expression became concerned.

"Elena, are you okay? What happened?" Gigi asked, her voice taking a lower octave as she set the tray to the side, taking in my disheveled appearance.

My voice trembled as I replied, "The Don... he was very angry."

Gigi's eyes widened, and she grabbed my arm, leading me to a more private corner of the hallway. "You met him? What on earth did you do Lena?"

I shook my head, still feeling disoriented, "I don’t even know, Gigi. He was just so angry and scary,” I relayed the whole thing to Gigi and watched as her expression moved from concerned to angry.

“That conniving bitch! I knew it! I knew she was up to something,” Gigi's expression turned to pity, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. 

“Don't worry too much about it, Lena. The Don can be scary, but I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems. Maybe he was having a bad day."

I really wanted to believe her, but the Don's words were replaying in my brain like a broken record.

Gigi squeezed the hand on my shoulder and offered a comforting smile. "Come on, let's finish our work, and you'll see, everything will be okay."

I nodded, thankful for Gigi's support, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had somehow crossed a dangerous line with the powerful and mysterious Don Luciano.