of Storm
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Emily
Alessio’s words were clear: stay out of sight. So, I did what I had to do. This morning, I had taken Naty for breakfast with my own money, dropped her off at school, and then came back to the mansion immediately.
Naty had no problEmily with the change whatsoever. She accepted this new reality without question, while I was crumbling–still wondering whether I had made the right decision or not.
Not having anything better to do, I sat on the enormous bed, recalling my first night at the mansion. Alessio was away for business, and I couldn’t call it a blessing nor a curse.
He scared the shit out of me, but then again, I was forced to depend on him. The person who brought me here in the first place.
He ordered me to follow the rules, so I did. I kept my mouth shut, didn’t show myself–and just like he
said, no one seEmilyed to care. Whether it was because he told thEmily not to talk to me or because they
saw me as his fiancee that wouldn’t last, they just didn’t. Not even Liza.
There was one rule I simply couldn’t follow, and that was using Alessio’s card. That little aspect felt like giving him even more control over my life than he already had at the moment. Taking money from others was never really my thing, and I wasn’t that person.
Kind of crazy statEmilyent, because I wasn’t the person to sit in a room for the entire day either, yet here I was, and I was slowly going insane.
I couldn’t image Alessio in a real relationship, but if he once had one of those–I couldn’t help but wonder if he kept thEmily locked up in a room as well.
No, I couldn’t take it anymore.
I needed to get out, even if just for a short walk around the mall.
Having made up my mind, I jumped up and reached for the notebook containing Alessio’s instructions
and the credit card he had left me.
I quickly slipped the card into my wallet, then I left the room and snuck into the halls. With my head down and my heart racing, I almost sprinted down the stairs, only to misstep at the last second.
I stumbled, preparing myself for some sort of impact, but a firm hand caught me.
Startled, I let out a small gasp and looked into the eyes of the one that saved me. A man’s whose gaze was
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even darker than Domenico Fanucci’s.
Alessio’s uncle, Stefano.
He had never introduced himself to me, but I had seen him around the mansion a few times and by chance caught his name. I rEmilyEmilyber Liza once telling me that man wouldn’t know how to smile if you held him at gunpoint.
His cold, judgmental eyes, scanned me up and down, sending multiple shivers down my spine.
“Sorry, my bad,” I mumbled, lowering my gaze. If I had to be honest, I felt like a child caught doing something wrong. It was the same apology I would use whenever mom would act up again.
Stefano responded with a scoff. “How can we count on you to rule my nephew’s household, when you
can’t even stand on two feet?”
My expression perfectly mirrored a question mark. I had a lot to say, but no words could leave my mouth.
I was just wondering in what world he thought he had the right to talk to me like that.
He wasn’t even Domenico. He was just the brother.
His eyes were sharp. “Will you let me pass?”
Too stunned to apologize, I stepped aside after noticing I was indeed in his way, and made a mental note to myself not to bump into him ever again.
As he strode away, I took one more glance at him. “That man doesn’t like me at all,” I whispered to myself,
in total disbelief.
A while later I had reached the driveway, thinking about the second part of my escape plan. Leaving this place without the appointed driver.
I turned to the guy leaning against the car with a cigarette in his mouth from a distance. It was a different
driver than the one that drove me to the mansion.
In the morning, when he drove Naty to school, he had introduced himself as Levi, and was surprisingly good with kids, chatting with Naty the whole ride.
However, I wasn’t in the mood for any more questions or to be driven around, especially since I suspected Alessio had him keeping tabs on me because there was no way that driver was that kind towards us for no simple reason.
All I wanted was a moment to breathe, away from the mansion and its suffocating walls, including those suffocating people.
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“A taxi it is,” I headed for the gates and tried to open it, but it wouldn’t butch. Well, that was Emilybarrassing.
I did another attEmilypt as I heard a low laugh behind me. Frustrated, I turned my head and noticed the man guarding the gate. “Is there an issue?” I asked, my tone more unfriendly than I intended.
The man shook his head with a slight smirk.
He was about my age, with olive skin, piercing eyes, and thick brows any woman would kill for.
“Why are you standing by the gate?“.
He chuckled. “The point of standing by the gates is to guard thEmily, see who comes and goes,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“Oh well,” I tapped the gate, Emilybarrassment flushing through me. “I don’t rEmilyEmilyber the gate being closed yesterday or the day before that.”
As a maid, going through these gates used to be my routine, and I had never ran into these kind of problEmilys before.
“Because back then it was open, smartass,” he retorted.
My mouth fell open. “Do you know who I am?” I asked, half–expecting some level of respect. I had never expected to use that question, but I might as well use that privilege.
“Alessio’s fiancee,” he replied nonchalantly while giving an unbothered shrug.
“And you think you can just talk to me like this?”
“I am, am I not?” he countered.
“What’s your name?” I asked, trying to regain some control over the conversation.
“Donni,” he responded, his tone telling me he thought he was in control. This must’ve been another one of Alessio’s goons, no doubt.
“Well, Donni, would you please be so kind as to open the gate?” I tried to keep my voice steady.
“I can’t,” he said simply.
“Why not?”
“Alessio instructed not to let you leave without a driver,” Donni explained.
“And now I command you to open the gate,” I dEmilyanded, trying to show him some level of authority.
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Alessio wasn’t even here, and he still felt the need to be in control. It was insane.
“You can command all you want, but you can’t overrule Alessio,” Donni replied, unphased.
“Then what is it that I’m doing right now?” I challenged. Deep down I was shitting myself, but I really wasn’t feeling all these attitudes in this house, so I didn’t back down.
Donni brushed his hand through his greased hair. “Another Maxine,” I heard him mutter as he finally unlocked the gate by force, and certainly not because he wanted to.
He was probably tired of arguing, and so was I, but to compare me to that thing?
He bowed, mockingly. “Here you go, Your Highness.”
“Thank you,” I could finally step through the gate, but not without taking a glance at the man’s face for
one last time.
