Page 9 of The Beast's Broken Beauty

But this time, she's not alone.

There are other voices.

Signora Martha is with her. Signora Martha and... Antonio.

Twice in one day? How lucky am I?

I dash back to the bed, realizing the mattress has shifted. Great, just what I needed. Will they barge in, or are they planning to slip something under the door? No moment to ponder. I shove the mattress back into its proper place, making sure it hides the sharp shard from a broken plate. That shard has been my little piece of defiance, my secret weapon when the guy who used to bring my food gave me the creeps.

A way to protect myself when no one else would.

Cerberus barks and when the door flings open, I'm not prepared for the giggles that fill the room.

"She was crying. Asking for you," Signora Martha tells me in a warm voice, her eyes glancing to the bed in such a way that I wonder if she knows what I'm hiding there.

"What exactly did you say to her?" Antonio's voice is tight, edged with frustration, but a sharp look from Signora Martha coaxes out a reluctant sigh from him.

"This... for you," Elena beams with red eyes that tighten something deep within my chest. She clutches a crumpled piece of paper and I crouch to her level, giving her my full attention.

"It's beautiful," I tell her and she claps her hands.

"You!" She says in English, and holding the paper in my hands where the little girl drew something resembling a crown, I swear my heart leaps into my throat. Elena is looking at me like I'm just me. Not a chess piece in some grand strategy. Not a soul to be shattered. Not someone to use one way or another.

Just me.

But of course, my balance chooses this moment to fail me—thank you, neuropathy—and I slide onto the floor. Elena rushes to me and her little arms wrap around my neck. She smells like innocence and caramel and she's giggling. A carefree giggle that has me smiling back at her.

Lifting my gaze, I meet Antonio's and my heart stutters. His eyes bore into mine, tangled in a storm of emotions I can't quite decipher. Anger, concern, or perhaps a mix I've yet to understand.

A mix I don't want to understand.

And when he calls her name, Elena holds on to me tighter, like she's afraid to let go, and Cerberus sits by us, like he's guarding us.

And with a gruff voice, Antonio says something in Italian I don't understand.

Signora Martha nods and he strides away without another word, another look, nothing.

His exits definitely are dramatic.

"He said you and Elena can go for a walk if you want."

"A walk?" My eyes widen. I'm afraid to believe the words. Did I hear them right?

Signora Martha gives me another warm smile. "With me, too. But we can go outside before lunch. You can go outside, cara Bella." She pauses and her voice lowers. "But don't forget, eyes are always watching."

Chapter six

Antonio

Myshouldersaresotense they might as well be carved from the very stone of this fortress. Part of me wants to stay. Just to make sure my daughter is okay.

Nothing more.

But I march away from the wing I should have condemned the moment I confined Isabella within its walls.

The rage I expected to feel at seeing her with Elena never materialized. Instead, something more dangerous took its place. Doubt. Doubt about keeping her locked away. Doubt about whether I've been right all along.

"The shipment has arrived safely," Luca reports, falling into step beside me briefly.

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