003

Caterina.

My palms stung from the fall, but it was my pride that burned hotter.

Fuck Luca.

I had barely registered the ache in my knees when hands descended on me. Large, rough hands... different from Luca's... gripped my arms and hoisted me upright.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, thrashing against the hold, but my captor didn't relent. My vision was blurred with anger, my chest heaving with shallow, rapid breaths.

What kind of power did Luca hold that none of the party goer could even stop him?

Not even my father could stop him.

My vision was blurred with anger, my chest heaving with shallow, rapid breaths.

Then I saw him again... Luca, the arrogant bastard who'd dropped me like a sack of flour. He stood a few feet away, brushing nonexistent dust from his suit, completely unbothered. His green eyes flicked to mine, calm and cold, as though he hadn't just shattered the last bit of control I thought I had over my life.

“Don’t waste your energy, amorino,” he said, his voice maddeningly smooth.

I lunged, or at least I tried to. The hands on my arms yanked me back, and before I could summon another furious retort, a dark strip of fabric appeared in my peripheral vision.

“What the..."

The world went dark as the blindfold slid over my eyes. I thrashed harder, my screams escalating, but it was no use. The knot tightened behind my head, securing me in place.

“You can’t do this!” I shouted, twisting against the hold of my captor. “You can’t just take me like this!”

“Yet here we are,” Luca’s voice drifted toward me, infuriatingly calm. “Stop fighting. You’ll only exhaust yourself.”

I spat a curse, but it didn’t matter. Someone hoisted me over their shoulder, the sudden motion knocking the air out of my lungs. The new position pressed my ribs painfully against a hard shoulder, leaving me with no choice but to hang limply as I was carried away.

“Put me down!” My fists pounded against the back of my captor, but my strikes were useless. They didn’t even flinch. All I could hear was the faint murmur of partygoers, their oblivious laughter growing fainter with each step.

The first thing I noticed when I was set down was the smooth leather beneath me.

A car seat.

My wrists were pinned by firm hands, and when I tried to kick, another set of hands caught my ankles and held them still.

“Stop squirming,” a gruff voice muttered.

I didn’t listen. My heart raced in my chest, a storm of panic and anger, but it was impossible to focus through the darkness. The blindfold felt suffocating, and no matter how I twisted or turned, it wouldn’t budge.

“Where are you taking me?” I demanded, my voice raw from screaming.

Silence answered me.

“Luca!” I shouted, louder this time. “What do you want from me? At least have the decency to tell me that!”

Still, nothing.

I could hear the car engine now, its low purr vibrating through the seat beneath me. The sound of tires rolling over pavement filled the silence, but it offered no comfort.

Time dragged painfully slow. I didn’t know how long we’d been driving, only that each passing second stretched into an eternity. My body ached from tension, my fists clenched so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.

At some point, the car slowed. The sound of gravel crunching under tires replaced the smooth hum of asphalt, and my stomach twisted with dread.

“Where are we?” I whispered, my voice shaking despite myself.

No one answered.

The car stopped. Doors opened and closed. My own door creaked open next, and before I could react, hands gripped my arms and pulled me out.

“Let me go!” I shouted, twisting and kicking, but they didn’t loosen their grip. I stumbled over what felt like uneven ground, relying entirely on their hands to keep me from falling. The cool night air bit at my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

And then, suddenly, the blindfold was ripped away.

The world came rushing back in a blur of light and colour. My eyes blinked rapidly, adjusting to the brightness of an outdoor courtyard illuminated by warm, golden lights. A towering mansion loomed before me, its grand façade both beautiful and menacing.

“What is this place?” I demanded, but my voice lacked its earlier strength.

Luca stood a few feet ahead of me, his back turned as he barked orders to the men surrounding him. He didn’t even glance in my direction.

“Hey!” I called out, my voice sharpening with anger. “I’m talking to you!”

He ignored me.

That was it. The last straw. My frustration bubbled over, my vision narrowing on the man who had just ripped my life out from under me. Without thinking, I kicked off one of my heels, snatched it up, and hurled it with all the strength I could muster.

It struck the back of his head with a satisfying thud.

Luca froze.

The men around him stiffened, their eyes darting between me and their boss. The courtyard fell deathly silent, the tension so thick it was hard to breathe.

Slowly, Luca turned to face me.

For a moment, I thought I’d made a mistake. His eyes were like shards of green ice, sharp and piercing. But then, to my utter confusion, his lips curved into a small, amused smile.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” he said, his voice low.

I lifted my chin, defiance flaring in my chest. “Let me go. Now.”

He ignored my demand, stepping closer until there was barely a foot of space between us. He reached down, plucked my discarded shoe off the ground, and held it out to me.

“Throwing shoes now, Caterina?” he said, his tone teasing. “How very dramatic.”

“I’ll do worse if you don’t let me go.”

His smile widened, but there was no humour in it. “Noted.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and started walking again.

Two women emerged from the mansion, dressed in matching uniforms. Their faces were kind, though their eyes were wary as they approached me.

“We’ll show you to your room, miss,” one of them said softly.

I backed away from them, my body tense. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

Luca stopped at the base of the mansion steps, turning back to watch the scene unfold. His expression was unreadable, but I caught a flicker of curiosity in his gaze.

“Caterina,” he said, his tone almost patient. “Go with them.”

“No.” My voice was firm, my feet rooted to the spot.

One of the maids reached for me, but I batted her hand away. “I said no!”

Luca sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Stubborn little thing, aren’t you?”

“You’re damn right I am!” I snapped.

His gaze darkened, but instead of arguing, he stepped forward. The maids stepped aside as he approached, his tall frame casting a shadow over me.

“Fine,” he said simply. “Have it your way.”

Before I could react, he grabbed my arm... not roughly, but firmly enough that I couldn’t pull away... and started dragging me toward the mansion.

“Let me go!” I shouted, my voice echoing off the stone walls.

He didn’t answer.

We entered the mansion, the grand foyer blurring around me as he marched me down a long hallway. Finally, he stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, pulled it open, and shoved me inside.

The room was spacious and luxurious, with a large bed, an ornate dresser, and a window overlooking the courtyard. But I barely had time to take it in before the door slammed shut behind me.

I whirled around, lunging for the handle, but it wouldn’t budge.

“You can’t keep me in here!” I yelled, pounding on the door.

Luca’s voice came through, muffled but unmistakably amused. “Get some rest, amorino. You’re going to need it.”

“Luca!” I shouted again, my fists hitting the door.

But there was no response.

I sank to the floor, my breath ragged and my body trembling. Anger simmered beneath the surface, but so did something else.

Fear.

For the first time, I realized just how far out of my depth I was.