Page 28 of The Cute Psycho

Her face becomes a mottled mass of red as my words sink in, and everyone gasps when they realize that I might be right.

"Assisi! You're grounded!" she yells, stalking toward me.

I move back, but I'm already one step in the grave, might as well jump all in.

"What about you? Or the other nuns? Shouldn't someone punish you for getting drunk on communion wine?" I know I'm overstepping a lot of boundaries and breaking a lot of rules in this moment, but as everyone stares at me, stupefied, I can only smile.

"Shut up, Assisi!" Mother Superior catches up with me, her hand circling my wrist as she tries to drag me out of the room. Lina looks at me with worry in her eyes, but I shake my head at her. This ismymess.

"Why? You're not so high and mighty now, are you?" I speak louder, addressing the other nuns, too. Mother Superior is dragging me by the hand until we're out the door.

"You've really done it this time, Assisi," Mother Superior continues to chastise me, but I can't find it in myself to care.

Not when she throws me into the dark, barren room I'd come toassociate with all my punishments, not even when she tells me I'm going to spend all my time here until I repent.

When she locks the door behind her and I'm left in the chilly chamber, I take a seat on the floor, bringing my knees to my chest for some heat.

"Ah, but how can I regret it?" I mutter to myself, a smile playing on my lips. Just the sight of the senior nuns looking embarrassed in front of everyone had been enough. Because I'd proven my point.

Not eventheyare above reproach.

6

SISI

Closing my eyes, I let the warm water pour over me, hoping to remove the cold that had seeped deep into my bones. I should have known Mother Superior would not let me out without a good reason. She'd let me stew in that dark room for close to three days until she'd come to get me, ordering me to get dressed and make myself presentable.

I'd been confused about her behavior, but when I'd found out my brother, Marcello, had come to visit, it had all made sense. She didn't want Sacre Coeur to get in trouble for abuse.

Tired and chilled to my core, I'd tried to put on my best performance, even though I'm sure I must have stressed my happiness a little too much, my smile strained as I'd tried to convince him my life was perfect.

I hadn't seen Marcello in almost a decade, Valentino being the only one visiting every couple of years or so. But this time, Marcello had a good reason for dropping by.

Valentino's dead.

I'd been shocked when I heard that he'd taken his own life. But I couldn't muster any other feelings aside from pity, since we'd never been close.

He would come by every few years to make sure I was doing fine, but it had always seemed more like a duty than his own desire to see his sister.

Marcello, though, had managed to surprise me this time. He'd implied he might bring my younger sister, Venezia, to visit.

I sigh deeply at the thought.

I've never even met Venezia. All I know about her is from Valentino, but even that isn't much.

It's funny how most girls brought up here are orphans, with no one to turn to. And while my own parents are dead, I do have family out there. They just don't want me...

When I finish washing, I go back to the room, once more putting on a mask and pretending everything is fine. Lina's curiosity about my brother is not helping either, since she can't seem to stop herself from asking questions.

A smile plastered on my face, I recount everything we'd talked about. I try to ignore the way my heart contracts when I think about the family I have behind the walls of Sacre Coeur. Because in the end, do I really have them if I can't count on them?

Time passes, and a new priest arrives at Sacre Coeur. Father Guerra's entire persona is shrouded in mystery, the rumors about his affiliation with the mob proving to be the most interesting thing Sacre Coeur has seen since Cressida's disappearance years ago.

Regardless of his potentially dangerous reputation, everyone is taken with the guy, including Lina. She'd had her reservations in the beginning, but seeing how he'd been kind to her and Claudia, she'd decided to put aside her prejudice against him.

Well, I'm still on the fence.

He's tried numerous times to talk to me and invite me to confession, but I'd declined each time. There's something entirely too fishy about the man. It's in the way his eyes move around the room, as if he's cataloging everyone. His gaze is more that of a predator than a man of God.

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