I Endured Her Moans Until I Couldn’t

In the Santoro family, there was one rule: the heir marries a daughter from another powerful Family. But Alessio Santoro was crazy. He wanted to marry me, a nobody from a flower shop. He knelt in the family chapel for ten days straight. He even took a bullet fired by his own father, the Don. All just to walk away from his title and run away with me. I held him, crying, begging him to stop. He just smiled and kissed my eyes, wiping my tears. "Don't cry, Thea. As long as I can marry you, it's all worth it." In the end, the Santoros relented. But they had one condition: Alessio would still produce the next heir. Just not with me. He had to have a son with Aurelia Rossi. So I endured. I endured listening to them through the wall, night after agonizing night. I endured the smell of her perfume on his skin, the sight of her marks on his neck every time he kissed me. A year later, Aurelia got pregnant. It was a girl. Alessio begged me, his eyes red. "Just a little longer, Thea." So I waited another year. Finally, news came. Aurelia was pregnant with a boy. I thought we could finally leave, finally be free. But then disaster struck. Aurelia’s daughter had a sudden, violent allergic reaction. Everyone blamed me. They threw me in the cellar and left me to die. And Alessio? He believed them. This time, I was the one who gave up. I walked away from everything. Chapter 1 My husband had a daughter with another woman. When the baby had a severe allergic reaction, everyone pointed the finger at me. "You vicious bitch!" Aurelia loomed over me, shaking a silver rattle in my face. Her eyes were pure fire. "My daughter almost died! Do you have any idea the pain she was in?" Two guards held me down in a chair. I couldn't move. "I didn't—" SLAP! The crack of the slap echoed through the room, leaving a fire burning on my cheek. "Still lying!" she shrieked. "If you hate me, come after me! Why would you poison an innocent child?" "I never touched that rattle!" A voice cut through the noise. "Enough." Vito Santoro, the Don, stepped from the shadows. A black pistol was already in his hand. He pressed the cold muzzle to my forehead. "You touch my granddaughter, whore?" His voice was a low growl. I could feel his finger tense on the trigger. "Father, don't," Alessio finally said. I whipped my head toward him, my heart leaping with hope. He would believe me. He had to— But his eyes were cold. Unfamiliar. "Drag her to the cellar," Carmela Santoro said, walking into the room. Her voice dripped with disgust. "Let her think about what she's done." "No!" I struggled against the guards. "Alessio, believe me! You know I would never hurt a child!" He looked at me like I was a stranger. "We had a deal, Thea. We wait for Aurelia to have a son, then we leave. Why did you have to hurt my daughter?" His words cut deeper than any knife. I remembered the soft nights, him tracing my face, whispering, "Thea, once this is all over, we'll go to Tuscany. We'll open a small flower shop." I remembered his promise, his lips against my ear. "I'll protect you for the rest of my life. I'll never let anyone hurt you." I remembered that snowy night, him taking a bullet for me. His blood staining my white dress. He was smiling as he collapsed in my arms. "As long as you're safe, Thea, it's worth it." Where did that Alessio go? The guards dragged me toward the cellar. I looked back one last time. He turned away and gently pulled Aurelia into his arms. The cellar was dark and freezing. Three days. Three nights. A piece of bread, a little water. Just me, the rats, and my despair. On the fourth day, they let me out. I didn't go to Alessio. I went straight to Vito's office. "I want to leave," I said, my voice a raw whisper. Vito and Carmela exchanged a look. Then Carmela let out a cold laugh. "Finally came to your senses? A flower shop girl, thinking she could actually marry into the Santoro family?" "Yes," I said, my voice flat. "I'm not good enough." "Hah. At least you know your place," she sneered. "I told you from the start. A girl with your background could never deserve my son." "Please, just send me somewhere Alessio can't find me." Vito ran a thumb over his cigar box. "In two weeks, someone will arrange your departure. And remember, you are never to see my son again." I nodded and turned to leave. As I walked through the living room, I saw them. Alessio was on the couch. Aurelia was curled up against him, holding their baby girl. The golden sunlight streamed in, painting them in a perfect family portrait. My footsteps made them look up. When Alessio saw me, his first instinct was to pull the baby protectively to his chest. That single, protective gesture was the final stab to my heart. He realized what he’d done and awkwardly handed the daughter to a nanny. "Thea," he said, standing up, trying to come closer. "You look like hell. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat?" His concern felt like a mockery. "I'm fine." "Thea, I... locking you in the cellar wasn't my idea. It was my father's—" He paused. "You shouldn't have been so impulsive." "I didn't hurt her." "But everyone saw—" "I said I didn't do it." We stared at each other. I saw guilt in his eyes. I saw pity. But I didn't see trust. "Alessio," Aurelia's voice was sickeningly sweet. She walked over slowly, her hand on her pregnant belly. "Don't be so hard on Thea. She only lost her mind because she loves you so much." Her words were meant to sound kind, but they were pure acid in my wounds. But what truly broke me was the necklace around her neck. It was the only thing I had left from my grandmother. A small, simple pearl pendant. Worthless to anyone but me. "That's my necklace," my voice trembled. Aurelia looked down, a picture of innocence. "This? Oh, Alessio just gave it to me." "Liar!" I lunged for her, trying to get it back. The moment I got close, she stumbled backward, letting out a piercing scream. "My baby!" "Aurelia!" Alessio yelled, rushing to her side. "She pushed me!" Aurelia cried from the floor, clutching her stomach in terror. "She's trying to kill my baby!" "I didn't touch her!" But no one was listening. Alessio spun on me, his face a mask of fury, and shoved me hard. My head slammed against the sharp corner of the stone fireplace. The impact sent black spots across my vision. Warm blood trickled down my neck. "Thea!" I heard someone yell my name. The voice sounded far away. Through my blurring vision, I saw Alessio lift Aurelia into his arms, whispering to her. "Don't be scared. I'm here. You and our baby will be fine." Chapter 2 I sat in a pool of my own blood and watched Alessio carry Aurelia out of the room. He didn't hesitate. He didn't even look back. I started to laugh, but tears streamed down my face. The memories crashed over me. Three years ago, back in the spring, I was just a girl working in a small flower shop in Brooklyn. Every morning at nine, a man in an expensive suit would walk in. He always bought a bouquet of white roses. Twelve, never more, never less. "Why always white roses?" I'd asked him once. "Because the girl who wraps them loves white." His eyes were so gentle, you felt like you could drown in them. For three months straight, rain or shine. The other girls whispered about the handsome, rich mystery man in the black Maserati. But I knew he wasn't just some rich guy. I saw the bodyguards who followed him, the faint outline of holsters under their jackets. I saw the danger that flashed in his eyes sometimes. Then came the rainy night that changed everything. A rival family ambushed him in my shop. They were there to kill Alessio. They took me hostage instead. A bullet flew towards me. Alessio threw himself in front of me. Blood soaked his white shirt, staining the bouquet of roses he hadn't had the chance to give me. "Why?" I cried, sitting by his hospital bed. He lay there, his right arm wrapped in thick bandages. The bullet had shattered the bone. The doctors said he might never use it the same way again. "Because you owe me a life," he said, smiling weakly. "And you can pay me back with yours." That was the first time he told me how he felt. Later, in that sterile hospital hallway, he got down on one knee, holding a bouquet of blood-stained white roses. "Thea Monroe, be mine." I nodded, sobbing. After that, he treated me like a queen. If I nicked my finger trimming flowers, he'd call his private doctor. If I mentioned I liked the cheesecake from a certain restaurant, he'd buy the whole place the next day. I complained about the cold one winter, and he had heated floors installed in our bedroom, always kept at a perfect seventy-two degrees. "Thea, you're my whole world," he told me, over and over. Back then, he only had eyes for me. And now... I wiped the blood from my face with my sleeve and shakily got to my feet. No one cared if I lived or died. The guards had gone with Alessio to the hospital. The maids hid in the corners, too scared to make a sound. I walked out of the Santoro estate alone. The night was cold. My head was still bleeding. At a private clinic, the doctor was cleaning the gash. "This is deep. It needs stitches," he said with a frown. "How did this happen?" "I fell." "Miss, this was clearly caused by blunt for—" "I said I fell." He didn't ask again and started stitching. The sharp sting of the needle pulled me back to reality. Suddenly, the clinic door flew open. Alessio stormed in, his eyes blazing. "Thea! You just don't give up, do you?" he snarled, striding toward me. "Aurelia is in emergency surgery, and you follow me here? What, you want to finish the job?" Whatever was left of my heart turned to ice. "This wound on my head," I said, pointing to the stitches. "You did this." Alessio froze. The rage vanished from his face, replaced by shock and guilt. "Thea, I—" He reached for me. I flinched away. "Don't touch me." "Thea, I'm sorry," his voice softened. "I was so worried about Aurelia. You know what happens if she's hurt. The alliance with her family is destroyed. It means we wait even longer to leave—" "Enough," I said, pushing him away. "Go take care of your Aurelia." "Thea, listen to me—" He grabbed my arm, his eyes desperate. "You're the only one I love. It's always been you. Just wait for me. Wait for me to handle all this, and we'll leave this place for good." I'd heard it all before. He said it every time he came back to our bed after sleeping with her. He said it every time Aurelia cried and he had to comfort her. "I'm waiting," I said, looking him dead in the eye. "I've always been waiting." "Thea—" "Go," I said, pulling my arm free. "Your woman is waiting for you." Alessio hesitated for a second, then turned and left. As the door swung open, I heard Aurelia's weak voice from down the hall. "Alessio, I'm so scared... our baby..." His footsteps faded away. I sat on the cold examination chair, staring at my reflection in the mirror. A white bandage wrapped around my head. A face as pale as a ghost. The doctor was cleaning his tools. "Miss," he asked gently, "are you alright?" I smiled, but fresh tears welled in my eyes. "Doctor, how long can someone love another person?" "I... I wouldn't know, miss." "Me neither," I said, wiping my tears. "But I do know this. The moment you stop believing the promises, the love is already dead." I stood up, paid the bill, and walked out of the clinic. Fourteen days left. The night wind was cold. It dried the tears on my face. I glanced back at the clinic's warm light and whispered the truth to the empty street. "Alessio, I don't believe you anymore." Chapter 3 For the next three days, I was confined to my room. Laughter didn't return to the manor until the news came that Aurelia was well. On the fourth day, one of Aurelia's maids knocked on my door, a practiced smile on her face. "Miss Monroe, Mr. Santoro has commissioned a famous painter for a family portrait. It's your turn." My heart didn't leap. It slammed against my ribs. A portrait? Did this mean they still saw me as part of the family? The maid, as if reading my mind, added, "Besides, Lady Aurelia said you could retrieve what you came for after the portrait." My grandmother's necklace. Clinging to a sliver of hope, I changed into a respectable dress and walked to the manor's art studio. The studio was bright, a massive canvas at its center. But there was no chair for me. I saw the nearly finished portrait. A grand, sweeping picture of a dynasty. Alessio, in a black suit worthy of a Don, sat enthroned in a magnificent armchair. His gaze was distant, fixed on the empire he commanded. Aurelia, draped in virginal white silk, nestled beside him, cradling their sleeping daughter. A perfect, sacred, untouchable family. And I was the sinner who had stumbled into their temple, pathetic and out of place. "You're here," Aurelia said without looking up, her eyes fixed on the artist's brush. "Come fix my dress. The hem is wrinkled." Her tone was the one you'd use for a scullery maid. I froze, the blood turning to ice in my veins. "Thea," Alessio's brow furrowed, a flicker of impatience in his voice. "It's a small thing." A small thing. I swallowed the acid rising in my throat. And under his watchful eyes, and the artist's, I slowly knelt. Just then, Alessio's phone rang. He took the call and stepped out. As the door clicked shut, my fingers brushed against the cold, dead silk. Humiliation wasn't a vine. It was a cage, its iron bars closing around my heart. I smoothed every crease, as if I could iron out my own shattered pride. "See how good Alessio is to me?" Aurelia purred in my ear. "He said to make up for my... ordeal, this portrait will hang in the main hall. The first thing every guest sees. So there is no confusion about who the true lady of the Santoro family is." I finished with the dress and stood up, silent. "My necklace?" "Of course," she smiled, her back to the door. She held out the necklace, the pearls glowing softly. Her hand moved toward me. Just as my fingertips were about to touch it, her wrist tilted. The necklace slipped. It hit the hard floor. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she gasped, feigning shock. She took a step, her sharp stiletto heel raised. "I lost my balance—" Crack. A small, heartbreaking sound. The pearl, my last connection to my grandmother, was nothing but a smear of white dust on the floor. "No!" The scream tore from my throat. I scrambled forward, trying uselessly to gather the dust between my fingers. Just then, the door swung open. Vito and Carmela stood there, their faces cold and judgmental. Aurelia's face transformed in an instant. The vicious woman was gone, replaced by a terrified mother. Tears streamed down her face as she backed away, clutching her daughter. "Father! Mother! Thea's gone mad!" she shrieked. "She tried to take Lucia! She said if she couldn't hurt me, she'd hurt the baby to get back at Alessio!" "Lies!" I scrambled to my feet, pointing a trembling finger at the dust. "She crushed my necklace!" "Still lying!" Aurelia ripped back the baby's blanket, revealing several angry, red scratches on the infant's arm. "Look! This is what she was doing! Thank God you came when you did!" Alessio burst back in, his eyes landing on his daughter's arm. I stared. The scratches. When had they appeared? I hadn't even touched the child. "Thea, how could you be so cruel?" Alessio's voice was filled with disgust and rage. "I didn't do it!" I stared at him, my eyes pleading. "Alessio, please, believe me! I swear I never touched that baby!" SLAP! Another sharp crack. Vito's hand struck my face with so much force I fell to the floor. "You bitch! You hurt my granddaughter again and again!" His eyes were murderous. "I'll kill you for this!" "Take her to the garage," Carmela ordered coldly. "Family business." "No!" I looked at Alessio. "Alessio, save me! You know I'm not that person!" He looked at me, his face torn. "Alessio!" Carmela snapped. "She went after your own daughter! Are you still going to protect this snake?" I saw the war in his eyes, and then I saw it die. He turned his head. "Take her," he said. His voice was pure ice. I started to laugh. A wild, broken laugh as tears poured down my face. "Thea Monroe, you are such a fool," I whispered to myself. "You actually believed the promise of a mafioso." Two guards grabbed my arms and dragged me from the room. The garage was cold and damp. The first punch landed in my stomach. The pain doubled me over, but the memory was sharper. That warm afternoon, Alessio's hand on my belly. "Thea, if we have a baby, I hope it's a girl. Beautiful and kind, just like you." A boot slammed into my ribs. I heard them crack. But the sound was drowned out by his promise, whispering in my memory: "Thea, I will protect you for the rest of my life. No one will ever hurt you. Not even me." The third fist slammed into my back. I collapsed onto the cold concrete, the taste of blood in my mouth. But my mind was in the chapel, watching him kneel for ten days. "Thea, as long as I can marry you, I'll give up everything." The punches and kicks rained down. Every blow was a reminder. The sweet memories, the sacred vows... all of it was a lie. My consciousness started to fade. In the haze, I thought I heard someone screaming my name. "Thea! Thea!" Was that Alessio? Or was I just imagining it? The last blow landed on my temple. The world went black. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard frantic footsteps outside the door. "Stop!" a voice roared. But it was too late. Chapter 4 When I woke up, the first person I saw was Alessio. He was sitting by my hospital bed, his face etched with exhaustion and guilt. "Thea, you're awake." He reached for my hand. I pulled it away. "Don't touch me," I rasped. My voice was like sandpaper. "Thea, I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes filled with a pain that looked real. "I know you suffered. But I couldn't stop him. If I'd defied my father, he would have made it worse for you." I stared at the ceiling. "So you just watched them beat me." "I was protecting you—" "Protecting me?" I let out a cold laugh. "Alessio, do you really think I'm stupid enough to believe that bullshit?" He was silent for a long time. I turned my head to face him, tears welling in my eyes. I met his eyes. "Alessio. Do you believe me? Do you believe I didn't hurt that baby?" His gaze flickered away for a second. "Everyone saw what happened." Those words pierced my heart. "And besides, Thea, you keep making trouble," he said, his tone shifting to blame. "Aurelia is pregnant. You keep provoking her. The doctor says her emotional state is fragile. What if—" "Enough," I cut him off. "Get out." "Thea—" "Get out!" I screamed the words with all the strength I had left. He was taken aback by my fury. He stood, fumbling for an explanation. "Thea, I know you feel wronged, but please, try to understand my position." His voice was soft again. "Once Aurelia has the boy, once this is all settled, we can go back to how things were." I closed my eyes as a tear slid down my temple. "How things were?" I laughed, a broken sound. "Alessio, we can never go back." He was about to say more, but a sharp knock came from the door. "Mr. Santoro, Miss Rossi is very agitated. She's asking for you." Alessio hesitated. "I'll be right back." He left. And he never came back. Three days later, I was discharged. A hard New York rain was falling. Nine days left until my departure. Alessio's black sedan was waiting at the hospital entrance. I walked toward it, pulling my small suitcase, and saw Aurelia sitting in the passenger seat. She was holding her daughter, and her eyes were wide with fear when she saw me. "Alessio, I'm scared to be in the same car as her," she whimpered. "What if she tries to hurt the baby again—" "It's okay, Aurelia. Don't be afraid," Alessio said, patting her hand gently. Then he pulled a black card from his wallet and held it out to me. "Thea, just wait here. Another car from the family will be here soon." The rain was cold, plastering my hair to my face. "How long do I have to wait?" "Not long," he said, starting the engine. "We'll talk when you get back to the house." The sedan vanished into the gray mist. I stood on the curb, the rain soaking through my thin jacket, staring at the black card in my hand. So this was my worth. A problem he could pay to make go away. The rain came down harder. I waited for two hours. No car came. I called Alessio's phone. It went straight to voicemail. I called the family driver. No answer. As night fell, I finally understood. No one was coming for me. I picked up my suitcase and started walking back to the estate, one step at a time, through the storm. Rain soaked through my clothes and blurred my vision. Halfway there, my foot slipped. I fell into a deep, muddy puddle on the side of the road. The icy water seeped into my bones. I just lay there, looking up at the dark sky, and started to laugh. This is what you get for loving Alessio Santoro. It was eleven o'clock by the time I finally made it back to the house. I was soaked to the bone, looking like a drowned rat. I stood in the foyer, about to head upstairs, when I heard Aurelia crying in the living room. "Alessio, it hurts so much... My breasts are so full... The doctor said I have to take care of it or I'll get an infection..." I stopped dead in my tracks. "Get a nanny," Alessio's voice was tight. "But the nanny's asleep," Aurelia purred. "And for something this... intimate... I only trust you. Please, Alessio. It really hurts..." Silence. A heavy, suffocating silence. I held my breath, listening. "Alright," Alessio finally said, his voice low and gravelly. "Just this once." "Thank you, Alessio... You're so good to me..." My world shattered. I heard the rustle of fabric. I heard Aurelia's soft, breathy moans. I heard Alessio's heavy breathing. "Just relax," he said, his voice quiet. I wanted to run, to scream, to pretend I hadn't heard anything. But my feet were stone, but somehow I moved closer. And I saw it. His head dipped low. His lips closed over her pale, swollen breast. Chapter 5 "Gently, Alessio..." Her voice was a honey-sweet poison. A low grunt was his only reply. Then came sounds that were even worse. Aurelia's bold seduction. Alessio's strained replies. A sharp pain twisted in my stomach, and I turned and ran out of the house, back into the storm. The rain swallowed me whole. I ran blindly through the streets, rain mixing with my tears. I couldn't tell which was colder. The memories flooded back. A warm summer night. Alessio tracing the butterfly I’d just had tattooed on my back. "Do you know what this means, Thea?" "What?" I'd asked, looking back at him, my heart full. "It's my mark on you. Forever," he whispered, kissing the butterfly's wings. "No matter where you go, this will tell everyone that you belong to Alessio Santoro." "And you?" I'd laughed. "Will you get my name tattooed on you?" "I don't need ink," he'd said, holding me tight. "Your name is already branded on my heart." How pathetic that sounded now. Whose name was really on his heart? I collapsed on the sidewalk, rain soaking me, until my body was numb. At two in the morning, when the lights in the estate were all out, I stumbled back inside. The living room was finally quiet. I dragged my soaked body back to my room and collapsed onto the bed. I was burning up. My head felt like it was splitting open. Fever. Through the haze, I heard Alessio's voice, soft and gentle, from the other side of the wall. "Hey, little one, want daddy to tell you a story?" I thought he was talking to his daughter, until I heard Aurelia's delicate laugh. "Alessio, can the baby even hear you when you talk to my stomach?" "Of course," his voice was thick with affection. "The doctor said it's important." Then he began to read. A passage from The Godfather. "In this world, there are some people you can never refuse. That's family..." My heart didn't just break. It shattered. That was the bedtime story he had promised our child. "Thea, when we have a son, I'll read him The Godfather every night," he'd once said. "So he knows what loyalty is. What family is." Now, he was making good on that promise. For another woman's child. I clamped my hand over my mouth, choking back a sob. After the tears dried, I stumbled out of bed to get a glass of water. My eyes landed on something on the nightstand. It was an exquisite snow globe music box. A gift from Alessio for our first anniversary. He'd said that when he first saw me, I was like the scene inside: quiet, pure, the only sanctuary in his chaotic world. The song it played was the waltz from our first dance. Sanctuary? The irony was a bitter poison. The rage of betrayal and a bottomless grief swallowed me whole. I lunged for it, grabbing the music box that held all our sweet lies, and with all the strength I had, I hurled it against the wall. The glass sphere exploded. The clear liquid and glittering "snow" sprayed across the floor. The sharp, shattering sound was deafening in the silent night. The music box mechanism rolled out from the wreckage, plinking out a few strange, distorted notes before falling completely silent. I sobbed, sinking to the floor. A shard of glass dug into my hand. Just like our love. A beautiful, bloody mess. The noise must have woken them. Less than a minute later, my door was thrown open. Aurelia stood there, disheveled. The belt of her silk robe was loosely tied, her face flushed, her eyes smudged with tears. Behind her stood Alessio, his face as dark as a gathering storm. He saw the wreckage. He saw me, a heap on the floor. Aurelia froze for a second, then a flicker of pure venom crossed her eyes. She let out a short, sharp scream and ducked behind Alessio, her voice trembling with manufactured terror. "Alessio! She's lost her mind! Is she trying to kill herself to curse me and the baby? Is she trying to use her own death to haunt us, to make us live in guilt and shadow for the rest of our lives?" Those words hit their mark. He looked at the broken glass, at the hysterical woman on the floor who was once his world. The last traces of guilt in his eyes were burned away by anger and raw frustration. What he needed now, more than anything, was for the chaos to just be quiet. "Get the doctor," he ordered the guard at the door, his voice cold. The family's private doctor arrived in minutes. Alessio pointed at me. His tone was calm, chillingly so. "Doctor, as you can see, Thea's previous trauma has left her completely unstable. She's showing severe self-harm and violent tendencies." He gestured to the floor. "For her safety, and to keep her from hurting herself further, I need you to give her a sedative. Something to help her calm down." "No! I didn't!" I finally found my voice, scrambling to get up. "Alessio, you can't do this to me! It was you..." My cries, my protests, only served as the final proof of his diagnosis. "You see," Alessio said to the doctor, shaking his head with a mask of false pain. "She can no longer communicate rationally." Under the guise of "for your own good," the guards pinned me down. A cold needle slid into my arm. I felt my strength drain away, my consciousness sinking. Before the darkness took me completely, I saw Alessio standing over me. His expression was a mix of things I couldn't name, but the warmth I once knew was gone. For the next few days, I drifted in and out of a medicated haze. My body was heavy, useless. Lifting a finger was a monumental effort. The door was no longer locked, but what did it matter? I didn't have the strength to walk to it. But the sounds, I couldn't escape the sounds. They were a new kind of torture. I could hear them decorating the manor for Christmas, their happy laughter echoing in the halls. "Alessio, can you put the star on top of the tree? I can't reach," Aurelia's voice was sickeningly sweet. "Of course, my princess," Alessio's voice dripped with affection. I heard them cuddling by the fireplace, drinking mulled wine, discussing the baby's future. "This wine is so warm. It reminds me of winter back home." "If you like it, I'll have the cellar send up a few more cases. You can drink it all winter long." On the third night, I heard the cruelest conversation of all. "Alessio, darling," Aurelia’s voice dripped with manufactured sweetness. "After the baby is born... can we move to Tuscany? I want an estate there. I want a garden full of white roses." A beat of silence. Then his voice, a low rumble of indulgence. "Alright. We'll go to Tuscany. I'll buy you the biggest estate. You can be its queen." The words cut me like a knife. I remembered a snowy winter night, huddled together in our tiny apartment. He kissed my forehead and whispered, "Thea, when this is all over, we'll go to Tuscany. We'll open a little flower shop that only sells white roses. I won't be the master of anything, except your heart." Now, the white roses were just decorations for Aurelia's garden. Tuscany, the place I had dreamed of day and night, our safe harbor, was being handed over to another woman without a second thought. I curled into a ball on the bed, biting down hard on the blanket to keep from screaming. Laughter echoed outside my door. And I was nothing. A ghost in a locked room, listening to my life being stolen piece by piece. Chapter 6 Three days later, the sedatives finally wore off. It seemed the fever had broken, too. When the door opened, I could hardly believe it. "Thea, today is Lucia's baptism," Alessio said, standing in the doorway. "My father insists you attend." I looked at him. "Worried I'd rot in here?" "Thea, don't talk like that," he said with a frown. "Get dressed. We leave in ten minutes." The baptism was held in the grand hall of the Santoro estate. The room was filled with guests, champagne glasses clinking. I sat in a corner, invisible. On the main dais, Alessio stood beside the priest, holding his daughter. Aurelia, glowing in a white dress, was nestled at his side. The perfect family. "Such a beautiful picture, isn't it?" Aurelia was suddenly beside me. "Don't you think so, Thea?" I ignored her. "Come on, let's take a photo together," she said, pulling me to my feet. "To remember this special moment." I tried to pull away, but her nails dug into my wrist. "Smile, Thea," she whispered in my ear. "Let everyone see how 'supportive' you are of our little family." The photographer raised his camera. "Three, two, one—" A horrific screech of tearing metal from above. The massive crystal chandelier shuddered. It was falling. "Look out!" Alessio's roar ripped through the hall. He didn't hesitate. He dropped his daughter and lunged. Not for us. For me. He tackled me, sending us both sprawling as the chandelier crashed where I'd been standing a second before. CRASH! The chandelier, weighing thousands of pounds, smashed onto the floor, sending crystal shards flying everywhere. "Aaaah!" Aurelia's scream ripped through the air. She was lying in the wreckage, her white dress soaked with blood. "Aurelia!" Alessio scrambled to her side. "Call an ambulance!" I stood frozen, watching it all unfold. If Alessio hadn't pulled me away, that would have been me. He had saved me. But the next second, as he scooped Aurelia into his arms, my heart turned back to ice. Outside the operating room, everyone waited. "She's lost too much blood. She needs an immediate transfusion," a doctor said, rushing out. "But Miss Rossi is RH-negative, and we don't have enough in the blood bank." "What do we do?" Alessio was frantic. "We need to find a matching donor." Every head turned. Carmela's gaze locked onto me like a hawk. "Thea," she said, her voice flat and cold. "She's RH-negative." My body started to shake. "No," I said, shaking my head. "I won't give her my blood." "Thea!" Alessio grabbed my shoulders, his face contorted with rage. "Aurelia is dying!" "That's not my problem," I said, shrugging him off. "How can you be so selfish?" he snarled. "If Aurelia dies, the alliance with the Rossis dies with her. It means war. We will never get out." I laughed, tears streaming down my face. "Alessio, do you regret saving me?" He froze. "Mr. Santoro, we need a decision now!" the doctor urged. "The patient is running out of time!" Alessio's patience snapped. "Take her to the donation room," he ordered the guards. "No!" I struggled. "I don't consent!" "Thea, that's an order," his voice was as sharp and cold as a razor. "If Aurelia dies, we're all finished." Two guards grabbed my arms and dragged me away. They forced me into a chair. A nurse efficiently slid a needle into my vein. I watched my own blood drain out through the tube. Alessio stood by the door to the operating room, his back to me, waiting anxiously. He didn't spare me a single glance. "Sir, that's 400cc," the nurse stammered. "The recommended limit—" "Keep drawing," Alessio commanded, his back still to me. "Draw until you have enough." The blood bag filled. I started to feel dizzy. My vision blurred. "Sir, we're at 600cc. Any more could be dangerous—" "Is it enough yet?" Alessio snapped at the doctor. "It should be." I looked at his back. My heart was a dead, empty thing. In his eyes, one drop of Aurelia's blood was worth more than my entire life. My vision went black. When I woke up, the hospital room was quiet. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Alessio. He was standing by the bed, looking down at me. But his eyes were ice. No warmth, no guilt. Nothing. His first words weren't 'Are you okay?'. They weren't 'I'm sorry'. They were a blade straight to the heart. "Did you loosen the screws on that chandelier?" Chapter 7 "I didn't do it," I said, my voice weak. "Alessio, I swear I didn't." "Then who did?" he sneered. "Did the chandelier just decide to fall on its own?" "I don't know," I whispered, tears blurring my vision. "But it wasn't me." "Thea, you've tried to frame Aurelia again and again," his voice was full of disgust. "First the baby's rattle, then the scratches at the hospital, and now this." "I didn't!" I struggled to sit up. "Alessio, why won't you believe me?" "Because all the evidence points to you," he said, turning his back on me. "Every time something happens to Aurelia, you're the only one there." I stared at his back, numb. "Then let's end this," I said, my voice barely a whisper. "I'll get out of your way. You can have your perfect family." BANG! Alessio spun around and slammed his fist on the bedside table. A glass of whiskey shattered, amber liquid splashing everywhere. "Don't you dare say that," he roared, his eyes blazing. "I love you! It has only ever been you!" "But you don't trust me—" "Shut up!" he shouted, rushing over and pulling me into a brutal hug. "This conversation is over." "Alessio, let me go." "Never," he growled, his arms crushing me. "Thea, you're not going anywhere." I couldn't fight him. I just let the tears fall. "But..." he said, loosening his grip, his gaze flickering away. "There's... a complication." "What?" "Aurelia is demanding a wedding," he said, his gaze dropping to the floor. "To announce the alliance between the Santoro and Rossi families to the world." The words hit me like a physical blow. "A wedding?" "It's just for show," he explained quickly. "Just to put the other families at ease. After the wedding, Aurelia will take the kids and leave. And then we can finally go." I was silent for a long time. "Thea, say something." "I understand," I said, closing my eyes. "When is it?" "Next week." After I was discharged, Alessio was a different man. He took care of me constantly. He cooked for me, watched movies with me, just like he used to. But I knew it was all a performance. My phone was gone. And there were guards posted outside my door 24/7. I was a prisoner in my own home. "Thea, what do you want for dinner?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed, gently stroking my hair. "Whatever." "I'll make you some pasta." After he left, I went to the walk-in closet. It was filled with expensive dresses, lavish jewelry, all gifts from him. Looking at them now made me sick. I packed everything into boxes and wrote a simple note: For those in need. Then I called a charity to come pick it all up. The next day, when the truck came and emptied the closet, Alessio's face was a thundercloud. "Thea, why did you give it all away?" "I have no use for them," I said, my voice flat. "A woman accused of attempted murder doesn't need pretty dresses." "Thea—" "When does the wedding start?" I cut him off. "I need to get ready." He just stared at me. On the morning of the wedding, my phone was returned to me. It was filled with texts from Aurelia. The first photo: Her in a stunning white wedding gown, smiling brightly. The second: Her and Alessio, kissing deeply. The third: A close-up of a massive diamond ring on her finger. The final message was just a few words: Thanks for making this all possible. I deleted everything and turned the phone off. There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Carmela entered, holding an envelope. "Thea. It's time." She handed it to me. Inside was a one-way ticket to Switzerland and a complete set of new identity documents. "A new passport, new ID, and a bank card," she said coldly. "There's five million dollars on it. Enough for you to live comfortably." I took the envelope without a word. "The car is waiting downstairs," she said, checking her watch. "It leaves in ten minutes." I nodded and picked up the small suitcase I'd already packed. It held only a few simple clothes and necessities. Everything else was in the past. As I walked out of the room, I could hear music from the living room. They were testing the sound system for the ceremony. I didn't look back. I just walked, step by step, toward the front door. The driver held the door. "One last look, miss?" "No," I said, getting in without a glance back. "Drive." The car pulled away from the curb. In the rearview mirror, the Santoro estate grew smaller and smaller. It was a place I once thought was my home. Now, it was just the prison I had finally escaped. I leaned my head against the cold glass and whispered a final vow to the passing city lights. "To separate lives. And may we never meet again."