The Mafia’s Innocent Revenge

Chapter 9: Messed up

Lana collapsed against the cold marble floor. The heavy iron chain clinked loudly as she pulled her knees tightly to her chest, burying her face in her hands. She wept bitterly, the terrifying words he had spoken repeating in her mind over and over. He thought she was a dirty club girl. He thought she had been touched by thousands of boys. The injustice of it crushed her spirit. She was completely innocent, and now her bright university future was slipping away while she was chained to a bed like an animal.

Hours passed. The bright morning light faded through the blocked drapes, turning the room into a dark, suffocating evening. Lana did not move from the floor.

A soft click broke the silence. The door opened slowly, and an older maid entered the room. She carried a silver tray with a bowl of warm soup, fresh bread, and a glass of clear water. The woman looked at Lana with deep pity, setting the tray down on the floor just within reach of the chain.

"Please, child, you must eat something," the maid whispered softly, her voice filled with worry. "Zekail does not tolerate disobedience."

Lana did not even look at the food. "Take it away," she whispered, her throat raw and dry. "I will not touch anything in this house. Let me starve."

The maid sighed heavily, picking up the tray and leaving the room when she realized Lana would not budge.

A whole day passed. Lana did not touch a single drop of water or a single bite of food. Her throat felt like sandpaper, and her head throbbed with a painful, empty ache. She was completely weak, her body shivering on the hard stone floor, but her stubborn innocence refused to give in to the man who captured her.

Downstairs in the dark study, the maid bowed her head before the large mahogany desk. "Sir, she has not touched the food or the water for twenty-four hours. She is growing very weak."

The pen in Zekail's hand snapped completely in half. His grey eyes flashed with a dangerous, sharp spark. He stood up, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "She thinks she can play games with me?" he growled. "I will teach her a lesson myself."

His heavy, angry footsteps echoed down the grand hallway. Lana heard them coming from inside her dark room. Each step sounded like an approaching storm.

The lock turned with a loud, aggressive click. The heavy doors burst open, and Zekail marched into the room, his presence filling the entire space with pure fury. He held a fresh tray of food in his hand, slamming it onto the table near the bed.

"Get up," Zekail ordered, his voice a low, terrifying vibration that made the air freeze. He walked toward her slowly, looming over her shivering body. "You think starving yourself will make me let you go? If you do not eat this food right now, I have other ways to force it down your throat. Do not test my patience, girl."

As his large shadow fell over her, and his heavy leather shoes stopped just inches from her face, Lana's heart leaped into her throat. The memory of his cruel grip on her chin flashed in her mind, and she knew he was entirely capable of carrying out his threat.

"Okay!" Lana gasped out, her voice shaking violently as she shrank back in terror. "Okay, I will! I will eat! Please, just do not come closer!"