Page 133 of Beneath the Shadows

I struggle to blink open my eyes, my mind grappling with the haze of disorientation. My mouth is painfully dry, each swallow feels like sandpaper is dragging down my throat. The room around me is shrouded in darkness, unfamiliar and foreboding. I’m lying on a single dirty mattress, the only thing between me and the cold, hard floor.

Panic begins to seep into my bones. I’m no longer in the black gown I wore to the gallery. Instead, I’m dressed in an oversized man’s button-down shirt, the rough fabric scraping against my skin. My heart slams in my chest. Who undressed me? How did I get here?

Desperation claws at my throat as I stumble to the door, pounding it with both fists.

“Hello?” My voice cracks, echoing in the small space. “Can anyone hear me? My husband will come for me. If you want to live, you’ll open this door.”

I scream for what feels like hours, but in reality, is probably mere minutes. My voice is ragged and I’m exhausted and trembling. Defeated, I drag myself to the opposite corner of the room, and slide down the wall, drawing my knees tightly to my chest. My breaths come fast and shallow. The room feels like it's shrinking, pressing in on me from all sides.

The metallic click of the lock shatters the silence, and my heart leaps to my throat. The door creaks open, revealing the silhouette of a man, his form shadowed but unmistakable.

It’s my father.

His face is twisted in fury, eyes gleaming with contempt.

“Papa,” I whisper. “What’s going on?”

“Don’t play dumb, Alessia,” he replies, his voice too calm, too steady. “I told you I had plans for you.”

“I’m not a commodity to be traded or used,” I manage, my voice gaining strength.

“You ungrateful bitch,” he snaps, venom lacing his words. “You’ve ruined everything.”

“Just let me go and I’ll tell Antonio I don’t know who took me,” I beg, trying to bargain with him. “You can disappear, and we can pretend this never happened.”

He throws his head back, laughing, the chilling sound echoes in the small room. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to fall for that?”

“I’m not asking you to trust me. I’m asking you to save yourself. If Antonio finds me here, he’ll kill you.”

His voice drops, icy and sharp. “Luciano doesn’t give a damn about you. You’re just a warm body for him to stick his dick in.”

Each demeaning word feels like a lash, stripping away at my composure, leaving me raw.

He paces in front of me, gesturing wildly. “I have plans for you, little girl. A promise I need to fulfill.” His movements are erratic, each step punctuated with bitterness.

“I thought I made it clear that I’m married,” I say forcing my voice to remain steady.

He stops, turning to face me with a twisted grin. “I’ve already taken care of your marriage.”

“What did you do?” I whisper as fear tightens its grip on me.

“I haven’t hurt your precious Antonio—yet,” he laughs, the sound sharp and cruel. “But I did make your marriage license disappear. Congratulations, you’re a single woman again.”

He stops pacing, reaching into his pocket before tossing something toward me. It flutters across the floor.

“This,” he sneers, “will take some effort to erase.”

I scramble to pick up the paper. When I turn it over, I gasp. An ultrasound picture. My hands tremble violently as the reality crashes over me. I’m pregnant.

Before I can even process the shock, my father grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. Pain shoots through my scalp.

“You’re a whore, just like your mother,” he spits, disgust twisting his features. “So desperate to keep a man that you let yourself get knocked up.”

His fist connects with my face, the impact sending a searing jolt of pain through my cheek. I scream, clutching my cheek. “What are you doing?” I sob.

“Your future husband doesn’t want you carrying that bastard’s spawn,” he growls, striking me again. “But don’t worry, Daddy will make this little mistake go away.”

“No, Papa, please,” I cry, curling into a ball, desperately trying to protect my stomach, to shield the tiny life inside me. “Please, stop.”

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