Chapter 2: The Devil's House
783 Words
Elena's room was at the end of a long, dark hallway.
The walls were painted black. The floors were marble. Every few feet, a painting of a stern-looking man stared down at her. Dante's ancestors. His father. His grandfather. Men who had built an empire on blood and fear.
Her room was small but elegant. A bed with silk sheets. A wardrobe filled with black clothes. A window that looked out onto the gardens.
She sat on the bed. Her hands were still shaking.
She had done it. She had made a deal with Dante Vitale. One year of her life in exchange for her father's freedom.
She did not know what he would ask of her. She did not want to imagine.
---
A knock on the door.
Elena stood. "Come in."
A woman entered. Older, maybe fifty. Gray hair. Kind eyes. She wore a simple black dress.
"I'm Rosa," she said. "I manage the house. Mr. Vitale asked me to show you around."
Elena nodded. "Thank you."
Rosa led her through the mansion. The kitchen was enormous. The dining room could seat twenty. The library had thousands of books.
"The staff is small," Rosa said. "Mr. Vitale trusts no one. The guards are outside. Inside, it's just me and a few others."
"Why does he need so much space if he's alone?"
Rosa looked at her. Something flickered in her eyes. Pity. Warning.
"He wasn't always alone."
She did not explain.
---
The tour ended in the study. Dante was there, sitting behind his desk, reading a document.
He looked up when they entered.
"Rosa, leave us."
Rosa left. Elena stood in the doorway.
"Come in. Close the door."
Elena stepped inside. Closed the door. The room suddenly felt very small.
"I've decided what your job will be," Dante said.
"What?"
"My personal assistant. You'll handle my schedule, my correspondence, my household needs. You'll be with me from morning until night."
"That's... not what I expected."
"What did you expect?"
Elena did not answer.
Dante stood. Walked toward her. "You said you would do anything. Did you mean it?"
"Yes."
"Then prove it. Starting tomorrow, you belong to me. Your time. Your attention. Your loyalty."
"My loyalty?"
"I don't tolerate betrayal, Elena. If you lie to me, if you steal from me, if you even think about helping my enemies, I will kill your father. And then I will kill you."
Elena's blood ran cold.
"Understood?"
"Understood."
---
He let her go back to her room.
Elena sat on the bed, staring at the wall. She had no phone. No computer. No way to contact her father.
She was trapped.
A knock on the door. She opened it.
Rosa stood there with a tray of food. Soup. Bread. Water.
"You need to eat," Rosa said.
"I'm not hungry."
"Eat anyway. You'll need your strength."
Elena took the tray. "Rosa... how long have you worked for him?"
"Ten years."
"Has he always been like this?"
Rosa's eyes softened. "He wasn't always the devil, child. Life made him this way."
Before Elena could ask more, Rosa left.
---
Elena ate slowly. The soup was good. The bread was fresh. She had not eaten a real meal in days.
When she finished, she lay on the bed. The sheets were soft. The room was warm.
She thought about her father. Was he safe? Was he worried? Did he know she had traded her freedom for his life?
She closed her eyes.
Sleep came quickly.
---
She dreamed of Dante.
He was standing in the shadows, watching her. His gray eyes were cold. His face was unreadable.
"You're mine now," he said.
She woke up gasping.
The room was dark. The house was silent.
She sat up. Her heart was pounding.
Something was wrong. She could feel it.
She walked to the door. Opened it. Peered into the hallway.
Dante was there.
Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching her.
"Can't sleep?" he asked.
"What are you doing outside my room?"
"This is my house. I go where I want."
Elena's hands clenched. "You're watching me."
"I'm watching over you. There's a difference."
"Why?"
Dante pushed off the wall. Walked toward her. He stopped inches away.
"Because you're mine now, Elena. I protect what's mine."
He reached out. Touched her face. Just a brush of his fingers against her cheek.
"I'll see you in the morning."
He walked away.
Elena stood in the doorway, her heart racing, her skin burning where he had touched her.
She closed the door. Leaned against it.
She had made a deal with the devil.
But the devil was not what she expected.
And that terrified her more than anything.
- Writer
