Page 10 of Beneath the Shadows

He blinks in surprise. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m dead serious,” I reply crossing my arms defiantly. “If you won’t bring me to him, then tell me where he is, and I’ll go myself.”

Antonio sighs, rubbing the back of his neck—a gesture so familiar it stirs something inside me. He always did that when he was trying to stay calm but couldn’t. "You can’t wander the grounds alone," he says, even though I already know that.

I smirk, tilting my head. "Then I guess you’ll have to escort me, won’t you?"

He shakes his head, muttering, "This is a terrible idea."

"I think it’s a brilliant idea," I shoot back.

Antonio holds my gaze for a moment, then lets out another sigh, clearly giving in. "Fine," he grumbles. "Let’s go."

* * *

Antonio leads me down so many hallways that I’m completely disoriented. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?” I ask as we move deeper into the castle.

He gives me a confident nod as we stop in front of an old wooden door. “I’m positive,” he says, pushing it open and revealing a staircase descending into a lower floor. “Do you trust me?”

I hesitate, my gaze shifting between Antonio and the shadowy stairwell. If it were anyone else, my answer would be a hard no. But this is Antonio, the boy I once loved. My heart and mind battle each other for control as I weigh the risks. Finally, I whisper, “Yes, I trust you,” my voice barely steady, my eyes lingering on his deep blue ones longer than I should.

For a moment, his confident demeanor falters. I see it—the way his body relaxes, as if he’s just become painfully aware of how close we are. But then he catches himself, and his body tenses. “They’re a bit steep,” he says, his voice a little rougher than before as he holds out his hand.

I take his outstretched hand, hoping that maybe, just maybe, the spark we once had would reignite. But there’s nothing. His hand is warm, steady, but distant. And in that moment, I realize the truth I’ve avoided for so long—Antonio left me of his own free will. All the excuses I made for him, all the reasons I convinced myself must have forced him away... none of them mattered. He never cared enough to stay.

The wood creaks beneath our feet. “What’s all this down here?” I ask as I look down the narrow passage.

“Mainly rooms for staff. Break rooms and storage,” he explains. “But there’s also a few party rooms.”

“Why would anyone want to party down here? It’s creepy.”

Antonio chuckles, but his face turns serious as we come to a stop outside a door that’s flanked by two guards I don’t recognize. The muffled sounds of music come from the other side.

“You don’t have to do this,” Antonio says, turning to face me, a look of concern on his face.

“I want to,” I reply, standing my ground.

“What good’s it going to do?” Antonio pleads, lowering his voice. “It won’t change who he is, and you have nothing to prove.”

“I haveeverythingto prove,” I snap. “I’m the one being forced to marry him. It’s me who’s going to be expected to wait in his bed until he’s ready to take his turn with me.” My voice trembles, but I stand my ground. “You’ll either open the door, or I’ll call my father’s men and have them do it for me.”

Antonio’s jaw tightens as he considers my words. Finally, he turns to the guards. “Let her in.”

They pull the door open, and I’m hit with the full force of the music. As I step inside, the dim lighting reveals a scene worse than I thought. A naked woman dances on a pole, her legs spread as she holds herself upside down. Several men are pleasuring themselves while they watch her performance.

My stomach churns as I look around. Women in various stages of undress are draped over men. Some are on their knees, their heads between spread legs. Others straddling laps, their breasts bounce as they ride the man under them. Off to my left, a woman is bent over the pool table, a man’s cock shoved in her ass as he thrusts from behind. Moans of pleasure and the smell of sex fill the air.

I lean closer to Antonio so he can hear me above the music and ask, “Where is he?”

Antonio motions toward the far corner of the room. My eyes follow until I spot him. My fiancé has his dick buried in the ass of a brunette, his hand fisted in her hair. She’s straddling another man who’s thrusting between her legs, her underwear shoved into her mouth like a gag.

For a moment, I’m stunned. I expected to find him with a woman, but not like this.

Antonio’s hand rests on my arm, his voice gentle but urgent. “Alessia, let me get you out of here. This isn’t worth it.”

I shrug off his touch, quickly forming a plan in my head. Looking around, I catch the eye of a handsome stranger sitting at the bar. His gaze locks on mine as I straighten my shoulder. “Game on,” I whisper as I walk toward him, swaying my hips.

“Alessia,” Antonio calls, but I ignore him as I stride past Valentino toward the handsome stranger.

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