His collateral

Chapter five: Shattered Hope

Pov: Ivy

The Huge black Metallic gate of the mansion shut, the sound increasing my heart rate, I glanced at him. He didn't say a word, his hands gripped at the steering. I thought his anger would have subsided all our way here but he seemed to be boiling.

Do people get this angry just because of money, or maybe the fact that he got in trouble with my buyer because of my escape plan?

The silence in the car throughout our drive was deafening. I was too weak to speak,

The pain on my side was getting worse and my stomach wasn't at rest either. It rumbles and cries to me for food. I didn't even remember to take anything all day. It has been an eventful day of my life or will I say the most miserable day of my life.

The car finally came to a halt and the panic grew in me. He pushed the door open circling the car. My eyes followed him as he opened my side of the door dragging me out.

He didn't even look at me as he pulled me out of the car, his grip firm. I tripped, my legs hardly supporting me, but he didn't budge. His silence was louder than any words he could have spoken.

“Leonardo”, I managed to whisper. My voice was weak and shaky “ I –”

“Save it!" he yelled, his voice cutting through the cold night. He didn't stop walking, dragging me toward the mansion entrance. My feet scratched against the ground as I managed to keep up.

The door swung open, revealing the vast, intimidating interior of the mansion. His steps were purposeful, each one echoing through the silence.

“Please”, I tried again, flinching as the pain in my side increased, “I wasn't trying to —”

He stopped suddenly, before I could finish, turning to face me. His eyes burned with fury, but there was something else there too – something I couldn't quite place.

“You weren't trying to do what, Ivy?” His voice was dangerously low, sending a shiver down my spine. “Espace? Make me look like a fool ? You think this is some game?”.

I opened my mouth to respond but no words came out. The weight of his anger was suffocating.

“Enough,” he grumbled, his hand tightening around my arm; he dragged me down a hallway, each step inflicting me with pain.

“Why not just kill me already?" I snapped, "You have taken everything else” my voice cracking as I tried to hold back the tears. For a second I don't care what he does or what happens to me.

“Why not just end my life, huh?”

“Or you can't let go of the money you gave my dad? Then tell me what to do to pay you back so you will set me ……..”

Before I could finish, he snapped, his hands shooting up to my neck and his fingers tightened around my neck. The cold fury in his eyes sent a chill down my spine.

“If that's what you believe,” he growled, his voice low and threatening, “ Then yes, you will pay for every single cent of that money, and you will pay the way I want it”.

He shoved me back, releasing my neck. I stumbled, holding my neck and trying to breathe, the shock of his outburst freezing me in place.

Before I could get myself, he dragged me again; we stopped in front of a heavy metal door. He pushed it open, revealing a cold, dimly lit cell. My heart sank as I realized what was about to happen.

“You want freedom?” he asked, his tone mocking. “Here is your freedom”.

He pushed me inside, the force sending me to my knees. The pain was unbearable radiating through my entire body. I gasped, holding my sides, but he barely glanced at me.

The door slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing through the small space. I was alone, chill sinking deep into my bones as I struggled to breathe.

The world around me blurred, and darkness began to creep into the edges of my vision, the cold floor beneath me fading as the world went silent. The last thing I heard was his footsteps retreating down the hall.

** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

“She likely fainted from the pain; she is stable now,” a calm voice said.

I tried getting the light in but I was unable to lift my eyelids. My body still aches, but the pain was mild, unlike earlier.

“Thanks, Dr Robert, glad to have you again.” I knew that voice too well, Leonardo, always calm like nothing matters.

Dr Robert? I'm in a hospital? I wondered

“Always at your service Leonardo I will be leaving,” the other voices said again

The sound of the door opening and closing made me realize that whoever it was, left the room.

But I could still feel Leonardo's presence. He was still there, everywhere was quiet. It was us alone.

What was he doing?

Then I felt his touch brushing away the strands of hair on my neck like he was inspecting them. His hand ran over my neck leaving a trail of warmth that made my breath hitch. My heart betrayed me, skipping a beat as if my body craved his touch.

Why do I feel way towards this monster of a human touch, someone who could slit my throat in seconds. Why do his touch matters?

“Why won't you keep your little mouth shut? And just be quiet, ” he said, noticing I was awake. As if my thoughts were loud.

I opened my eyes to see his grey eyes already staring back at me. I struggled trying to sit up a little bit.

His hands reached out towards me, a gesture meant to help, but my body involuntarily tensed; he pulled back with an expression I had tried so hard to make sense of.

“Does it hurt ?" He asked, his voice soft and gentle, never heard him speak that way.

Why did he sound like that? Like he cared.

His hands went back to my neck again, and he pulled them away after leaving the tracing of his touch, leaving me craving for them.

My gaze drifted to his face. His eyebrows were drawn together, like he was worried, even though the rest of his expression didn’t give much away

He picked up a gel from the bedside table. What was he doing ? his finger curling around the bottle as he reached for my neck again”

“Don't touch me” I hissed, forcing my body to obey my mind. I could hear my heart race in whatever way he would react next.

His hands lingered for a second too long before he pulled away, his jaw tightening as his gaze bore into me. “ You think hating me will change anything ?” he asked, his voice colder than the air around.

“Hating you is the only thing keeping me sane”, I spat, meeting his gaze despite the fear curling in my gut. “You have destroyed everything . My parents, my freedom, me, you don't get to touch me like I belong to you”.

His lips twitched, not in amusement but in something darker “ Don't delude yourself into thinking you can fight me, Ivy,” he murmured, his voice low and dangerous. “Your hatred won't change where you are or who controls your fate”.

He turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the quiet room. I collapsed back against the pillow.

Why does my body react to him like this? Why did my heart stutter? Why do I feel like he cares?

“Which of them touched you?”

“Ivy, Which of them?"

" Next time, Think before you put your hands on what’s mine”.

Those words and his voice saying them echoed in my head as If I were

reliving the moment all over again. I had never been protected in my life, nor had anyone fought for me. I have always been the one struggling to escape or endure. He was the first person to protect me, to fight for me. But what did he mean by “what's mine”?

My eyes drifted to the gel earlier and I picked it up. The image of him curling his hands on it came again. I curled my hands the same way he did with it.

What was I doing?

I managed to stand up and made my way to the mirror in the room to observe my neck. Two red marks stripped around my neck; I didn't know they looked that bad. I turned my neck trying to observe them.

“Bastardo," I mumbled

The door cracked open, my soul almost left my body as I jerked with fear and I turned around to know who it was. Her eyes flicked in fear like she was in big trouble to have scared me.

“Sorry, can I come in?” she said, her voice low like she was trying not to offend me.

“ You can”

Her black hair was tightly held back, and her clothes hung already her frame. Her hands held on tightly to the tray she was carrying. Her brown eyes met mine and she redirected them quickly. Focusing them on the bedside table.

Why was she scared of me? I wasn't like her jerk of a master. I was no different from her. Maybe in a few weeks, I will be wearing the same clothes as hers, who knows.

The scent of the food she was carrying in the tray filled the room, heating my nostrils and making my mouth water, reminding me of how hungry I had been.

“Thank you", I tried appreciating, But she nodded in response, unsure of how to respond to me, and walked out of the room, calculating her steps not to trip even though it was a flat surface.

Even before I saw the food, I recognized the scent – rich, buttery, and slightly spicy. It was unmistakably lasagna, my favorite.

I hurried over to the side table where she had dropped the food earlier. It was what I thought it would be, with gingerbread, a red apple, and grapefruit. I moaned out in excitement without even tasting them yet.

I picked the grapefruit first, filling them in my mouth, rolling my eyes, and moaning out in excitement. I have been starving. Wanted to dig in but felt like taking a hot bath before digging in would be more relaxing.

I made my way to the bathroom, stopping in the mirror again.

Wait what? What I was wearing last time I checked I was in a nun dress now in a silky nightgown, I hadn't noticed earlier the image of him changing my clothes played like a series. I pulled the nightgown, throwing it to the bed.

“He wouldn't do that fool, he must have had his maids’ slaves do that”

I exhaled, ignoring the stupid voice in me still telling the story of how he might be the one. I walked my way into the bathroom, the sound of the door closing behind me almost like a promise of solitude. The steam from the hot water filled the room wrapping me around like a warm embrace.

I sank into the tub letting out a sigh of contentment, the heat immediately soothing my tense muscles.

For a moment, I forgot about everything – my troubles, the nagging doubt, the lingering thought of him. My mind quieted, and I let the warmth seep deeper, just allowing myself to be, if only for a little while.

After a few minutes in the bath I dragged myself out even though I wanted to enjoy the peace for a little longer. But hunger won. I grabbed the plush robe hanging by the door, wrapping it snugly around me, and made my way out of the bath.

“What the hell?" I yelped, my breath cut as I nearly collided with him, standing there like a shadow I wasn't expecting.

"You’re jumpy," he said, his voice low and steady. "I suggest you watch where you’re going next time.”

Really, asshole who the f**k stands in people's door when they take their bath.

He walked away placing his hand in his pocket as he received a call.

“Bring them in, in five minutes"

I walked my way towards my bed, the nightgown I removed earlier lying on the bed. How does this jerk of a human want me to wear my clothes? Speaking of clothes I have none apart from the one lying on this bed and my dear pants in the bath.

Unsure of what to do, I stood there staring at his back as he was on his phone. He turned around, and his gaze went to the food on my bedside table.

“You aren't eating?”

“I’m not hungry,” I snapped

Where did that come from? That was definitely an involuntary answer; my stomach let out a loud growl as it spoke for the other part of my body. I could feel my cheeks heat up

“Suit yourself". He said, a smirk playing on his face.

The c***k of the door saved me from the moment two maids dragged a rolling garment rack into the room filled with wedding dresses. My face twisted in confusion. More other different clothing came in. They opened a little door I had hardly noticed before in the room and took in the normal clothes there, but my gaze fixed on the wedding dresses.

“ We are getting married"

My gaze shifted immediately from the dress to his face to make sure I heard him right.

“ What?", I whispered, my voice barely audible.

“ You heard me” his voice devoid of emotions but laced with finality. “The wedding is in three days . You’ll have no say in the matter. At least, that is the only punishment your body can take”.

“ Ring the landline if you don't feel happy with any of the dresses, the maids will help you put them all on"

Before I could process his words, he turned and left, leaving me stunned.

The maids stared at me to give them the next order.

“I want to be alone,” I said, barely audible, but they could hear me.

They walked out, leaving me all alone by myself; my mind couldn't tell what I felt like. I don't know exactly how to process what I felt.

Marrying him is living my whole life in fear, just like my mother; getting beaten over the slightest argument, not knowing what to say and how to say them, the things I dread.

I wanted a man to love me, to understand me, a man who I am equal to, not some jerk who treats me like a slave. I have always imagined a happy life with a man I love , someone I could be free with someone I could play with, but the universe has its own way of being against me, like my whole life was built in toxicity maybe that was my fate but fate or not I will go against it if need be maybe through death.

My eyes darted to the food earlier, and my appetite for it seemed to have faded away. The faint glint of silver caught my attention. A knife small but sharp, sat neatly next to the untouched food.

I stared at it, my thoughts spiraling out of control; I moved to the side table, picking up the knife, my fingers trembling as I wrapped my hands around the handle.

My gaze shifted to my wrist, where the faint blue line of my vein stood out against my skin. Tears welled in my e

yes as I tightened my grip on the knife, bringing it closer to my wrist.

“I can't leave my whole life in fear, Maybe it was meant to end this way"