Luxury After Punishment

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Chapter 5

~Ari~

First of all, I learnt Scarface’s name. Secondly, Damon wasn’t kidding when he asked that I be locked up. The door slammed shut behind me, leaving me in complete darkness. My breath hitched, panic clawing at my throat. 

The cold seeped in almost immediately, biting into my skin through the thin, skimpy outfit I wore, but that wasn’t what made my heart race. That was a fraction. 

The issue was the dark, locked room—the walls closing in and the suffocating darkness pressing on all sides. I’m claustrophobic. It happened after my parents' death and since then… Oh well. 

My chest tightened, and my knees buckled beneath me. I couldn’t see a thing, couldn’t even hear my breathing over the sound of my racing heartbeat. 

I stumbled back, my fingers scraping against the cold stone wall, the only thing tethering me to reality. Within seconds, the memories flooded back—being trapped, helpless, after my parents’ car accident. 

The crushing weight of the wreckage, the endless blackness and the smoke billowing around me after the accident. My throat burned as I fought the rising terror. I was back there, all over again.

‘Mum…. Dad…’ 

The image of their faces just before the accident, the smiles, the worry when it came, and how they tried to protect me came rushing back. 

No. No. No. No. Please, don’t go… Do not die on me…!

My hands shook uncontrollably as I rushed forward and banged on the door, hoping someone—anyone—would hear me. 

"Let me out!" I screamed, my voice breaking as the cold air stung my throat. The temperature dropped, freezing the tears streaming down my cheeks, but no one came. 

I couldn’t think straight, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. Damon had thrown me into this, and all I could do was curl into myself, praying it would end soon. Every second felt like an hour, my limbs stiffening, my breath coming out in ragged gasps.

I sniffled and sank to the floor, curling into myself, shivering violently as the cold sank deep into my bones. Time dragged on for what seemed like an eternity.

As the darkness swirled around me, my mind slipped between the recent events in my life—my uncle selling me without a shred of guilt, Damon’s words in my head—You’ll learn. You’ll survive.

But how? How was I supposed to survive this?

No one had dared do that to me in the past. Once my uncle realised this, he ensured I was well taken care of until his wife’s passing. 

The door creaked open just as I thought I might pass out from the panic. Light flooded the room, blinding me. I was too weak to stand, shivering uncontrollably as two of Damon’s men dragged me to my feet, my body shaking uncontrollably from the cold. 

I was too numb to resist, too weak to care. The world spun around me as Scarface—no, Victor—pulled me through the halls of Damon’s domain, my legs stumbling beneath me as my skimpy dress rode up my hip a little. 

Thankfully the air seemed warmer. I barely registered the lavish surroundings, my mind still trapped in that cold, dark room. 

My teeth wouldn’t stop chattering, and I could feel my skin burning from the cold. My thoughts were muddled, drifting between anger and fear, my body betraying me as it shook with violent shivers.

After what felt like an eternity, they shoved me into another room, and I froze at the sight.

So many things caught my attention but my mind didn't register on any of them at the moment.

I couldn’t shake the cold as my body shivered. I stood there, arms wrapped around myself as I tried to make sense of what was happening. 

Damon had thrown me into the cold like I was nothing, and now he was offering me luxury, warmth and comfort. But at what price? 

My body was still trembling, both from the cold and from the raw emotion swirling inside me. I didn’t know whether to collapse in relief or scream in anger.

Before I could think, Victor pushed me onto the bed, the softness of the blankets engulfing me. "Freshen up and stay here," he ordered gruffly, his cold gaze leaving my face as his nose crounched. "You’ve been given everything you need. Don’t make Damon regret his generosity."

Instinctively, I curled into the blankets, my teeth chattering as I nodded weakly, too afraid to speak because of my chapped voice. Victor turned and left, shutting the door behnd him.

I was alone again, but this time, the darkness didn’t press in on me. I stared up at the ceiling, the chandelier’s light forcing me to shut my eyes. 

“Urghh!” I groaned and forced myself to move, shivering my way to the bathroom, where the tub gleamed invitingly.

Hot water with roses and scented candles was set for me. Without thinking, I tossed the clothing into the wash bin and sank into the warm water, my body slowly thawing, but my mind couldn’t.

After about thirty minutes of soaking, I got out and showered, cleaning myself. Once done, I wrapped my wet body in a clean white towel and stepped out. 

Unlike before when I barely noticed anything, this time around I gasped at the sight. The space was enormous, easily twice the size of my old apartment with Uncle Jackson. 

A king-sized bed with soft white sheets and plush pillows stood in the centre, flanked by velvet curtains. A walk-in closet full of fresh, luxurious clothes I could never dream of affording, nor had I seen in my life—lined the walls. 

Across the room was a vanity and an open door that led to a huge bathroom with a gleaming bathtub that looked like it belonged in a palace and was big enough to drown in. 

Everything was pristine, gleaming under the soft lights. 

Still, it couldn’t offer me freedom. I brushed off those thoughts and got a change of clothes. Once done, my stomach grumbled, reminding me of my meagre meal before my night shift.  

I glanced around, my eyes settling on the fridge in the corner, the small table by the counter at the wall and the fruits there. 

It was like I had a mini dining room with cups and plates on the counter for my comfort. 

I took cold milk from the fridge with an apple, ate, and drank. Once I was done, I snuck into bed and wrapped myself up in the blanket.

Just as my eyes fluttered close, a knock on my door made me jolt, spiking her heartbeat. 

“Arianna?” 

I considered answering, knowing who was calling. Pretend to sleep till he goes or answer? 

“I know you’re awake,” Damon’s voice rang out. “My advice... sleep while you can. You’re to be awake at 6:30 am.”