6

I stayed quiet, just staring at the food in front of me. My hunger was completely gone.

A few hours later, I stood up. Some people looked surprised, while Lucille and Renzo were watching me closely, keeping an eye on what I was doing.

"Ma’am—"

"I’m going to rest. I’m not hungry," I said.

Without waiting for them to say anything else, I walked away, heading upstairs to our bedroom. I leaned against the closed door and closed my eyes, wondering if this feeling of loneliness would stick with me, even in this new space. Maybe I was wrong to think this house would be any different from my father’s. Maybe no matter where I was, the loneliness would always follow.

Wanting to get some rest, I changed into fresh clothes and took care of my personal hygiene. Then, I climbed into bed, wrapping myself up in the warmth of the duvet. I wasn’t planning on actually sleeping, but I shut my eyes, hoping the darkness would bring me some comfort.

Time passed, but I stayed still with my eyes closed, unable to fall asleep. Then, the sound of the door opening snapped me back to reality. I could tell it was Marco, since he didn’t knock.

I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, pretending to be asleep, hoping he wouldn’t realize I was faking it.

His phone rang, and he answered it quietly.

"Hello," he whispered. "I’m back."

I strained to hear the conversation, but Marco was giving short replies, making it hard to understand.

"Tomorrow. Make it happen, Gi." Then the call ended.

I heard some movement, like he was going through the bathroom and the closet. A few moments later, he left the room, and I caught a whiff of food.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of hunger hit me. I had completely forgotten about dinner.

"Maddie..."

I tried to fake sleep again, but it didn’t work because Marco was already standing in front of me. The soft light from the lamp made his face glow.

"Why haven’t you eaten?" he asked.

I sat up and glanced at the tray of food on the side table. I swallowed hard and deliberately looked away.

‘I just don’t want to eat alone,’ I thought to myself. ‘The idea of eating without you... I couldn’t do it.’ But I didn’t say any of that out loud.

I gathered some courage and met his gaze, but I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on in his eyes. He was calm, but distant, hiding whatever he was really thinking.

"Let’s eat together, then," Marco said. "I had the food brought here so you won’t go to bed hungry." He turned away and started setting up the food on the table.

"I lost my appetite—"

"What did I tell you about defying me?"

Right. I had to obey him.

"Let's eat, Maddie."

I looked up again and saw Marco sitting in a chair. That’s when I noticed two plates on the table.

I got up and walked over to him, my eyes falling on the delicious spread of food that instantly made my mouth water.

"Aren’t you hungry?" I asked, checking the time. "I thought you were planning to eat with me."

"I already ate," he said. "But if you want company while you eat, I can have another meal. Now, sit down."

I felt like a puppy following orders, sitting where he pointed. My head lowered, feeling a mix of shyness and gratitude, especially when he started serving food onto my plate.

"Don’t skip meals again."

I bit my lip, trying not to smile. Maybe he’s not so bad after all... maybe?

Just then, my phone rang, and I was excited to see it was my sister Violet calling.

"Violet!" I said happily, answering right away.

"Wow, what a surprise. I don’t usually hear you this cheerful, Maddie," Violet laughed on the other end, matching my smile. "I love the positive energy."

At home, things were usually pretty gloomy—how could they not be when your own father mistreats you?

I laughed with her. "Did you call for something specific? Is everything okay?" My smile faded as a worry crossed my mind—was Papa directing his anger at Violet now that I wasn’t there?

"I just wanted to check in on you, Maddie," she said with a sigh. "I wanted to know if your husband is treating you well. I really hope he is."

"Don’t worry, I’m fine. He treats me well here," I reassured her, though I couldn’t help but think about Marco’s actions. He might not say much, but I can tell he cares from the little things he does. Still, I admit, he does intimidate me sometimes. I try not to think about him hurting me.

Violet responded, "That’s good to hear. Oh, by the way, Sophia stopped by. She didn’t have your new address, so I gave her your info. She said she couldn’t reach you and I told her you changed your number. Was she not at your wedding?"

Sophia and I have been best friends since we were kids, but sadly, she couldn’t make it to my wedding because of her job abroad. Another friend of ours, Alec, is living in a different country too, so he couldn’t come either. But he mentioned he’s planning to visit us soon.

I suddenly remembered and said, "Oh, I totally forgot to reach out to Sophia. I didn’t know she was planning to come here! Honestly, I haven’t even checked my social media. She might’ve tried to contact me and I just didn’t see it. Thanks for letting me know, Violet. I’ll call her later."

Violet and I kept chatting about different things until she had to go.

After dinner with Marco, I couldn’t wait to catch up, so I opened all my social media accounts. As I thought, my friends had definitely been trying to get in touch with me.

I saw that Sophia was online and called her right away. She picked up almost immediately.

"Sophia!" I greeted happily.

It had been a while since we last talked, especially after her vacation in Hawaii. She’d mentioned there was a spotty network there, and she’d been taking a break from social media to focus on herself.

"How are you? Have you figured things out yet?" I teased her a bit, knowing we could always joke around with each other. With friends like them, I could be myself. When they weren’t around, though, it felt so lonely. It was great to have Sophia back.

"You’re so silly! So, how’s married life? Is your husband treating you well? I always thought Alec and I would get married first, but look at you, beating us to it! Life sure knows how to surprise us, huh?" Sophia joked.

I smiled and filled her in on everything. She said she planned to visit, but not anytime soon.

"At least you’re finally out from under your dad’s control! I’ve been telling you for ages to leave that house, and I can’t even imagine how your dad reacted when you left."

I didn’t want to go into that too much. "I’m doing fine here. Nothing like that’s happening," I reassured her, though Marco’s always busy and hardly home.

"Can you tell me more about your husband? I looked him up online, but there’s barely anything about him! I found some articles about his business success, but no photos of Marco Moretti. He seems really private."

Her question caught me off guard. How could I even explain Marco to her? It was hard to put into words. I’d said it before—there just weren’t words good enough to describe him.

"Well, he’s pretty much the stereotypical bachelor," I said.

"Wow, that description really paints a picture!" she said sarcastically, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

It was hard to explain Marco. I had a clear image of him in my head, but when it came to describing him, it felt like I always tripped over my words. As I said, no words really did him justice.

Marco has this undeniable charm and presence. His intense eyes have this power that just pulls you in. He’s tall, strong, and his whole vibe just screams confidence. There’s this mysterious aura around him that makes him even more intriguing. Oh, and his armband tattoo? I noticed it the first time he rolled up his sleeves, but I never got a chance to really check it out. Every time I’m around him, I get so distracted that I can’t even focus enough to see the details of it.

"Is he here right now?"

"No, he’s at the office. As CEO, he’s always working, barely has any time for personal stuff." I said it almost like I was complaining, a little disappointed. It’s like I’ve gotten used to him being around, even though it’s always a bit nerve-wracking.

"Oh, come on, tell me everything about your honeymoon! I wanna know all the details!" she squealed on the phone.

"Stop it!" The memory of our first night together flooded back. It was unforgettable, a mix of sweet and passionate, with just the right amount of intensity. Maybe Marco was extra careful because it was my first time, but the thing is... he left me the next morning.

He said it was for my safety, but it’s still something that sticks with me.

"What?!" Sophia was torn between laughing and being mad. "Should I be laughing about this?"

"Just laugh," I told her.

"After your first night? What kind of husband does that?" she asked, clearly shocked.

I didn’t have an answer, not even for her. Honestly, I still have doubts. Even with Marco’s excuse, there’s something missing that I can’t shake off.

"Even if he’s not physically hurting you, you need to realize emotional pain can be just as bad. Mental abuse can leave scars too, you know."

Her words hit me hard, like a slap that I wasn’t expecting.

"But maybe I shouldn’t judge too quickly without meeting him," she sighed, concerned. "We need to plan to meet up soon, okay? And remember, Alec and I are always here for you. Never feel like you're a burden. I’m just a call away. Take care, Maddie. See you soon. Love you!"

I thanked her and said goodbye. After hanging up, I sat on the edge of the bed, lost in my thoughts.