THE MAFIA'S COLLATERAL

Chapter 10: The Dark Choice

The sharp click of Victoria’s high heels slowly faded away down the empty corridor until a heavy, suffocating silence took over the space. Once he was completely sure that dangerous woman was gone, Vance slowly pulled his large palm away from my lips. As I desperately tried to catch my ragged breath, he leaned in slightly closer, fixing his cold, commanding gaze right into the depths of my eyes.

— I will be waiting for you in the car, — he delivered, his deep voice still a low, chilling murmur.

— You better not be late, Aria.Without granting me a single second to reply, he turned the brass handle and stepped out of the room first. I leaned my weight heavily against the cold wall, trying to calm my racing heart. But the living nightmare wasn't over yet for my soul. As Vance was walking out of the lecture room, Mark, who was standing at the edge of the hallway, had caught sight of his frame. The exact microsecond Dante disappeared around the corner, Mark burst through the door, his face twisted with severe anxiety and pure rage. He rushed over to my frame, grabbing my shoulders firmly.

— Aria! What the hell were you executing in this room with that man? — he demanded, his voice trembling sharply with anger.

— Tell me the truth, is he threatening your life? Is he hurting you?!Seeing the pure worry and love burning in Mark’s eyes broke my heart completely. But I couldn't tell him the truth. If he ever discovered the reality about the mafia don, he would throw himself into immediate danger, and Dante Vance would destroy his existence without a fraction of hesitation. To protect both my helpless father and Mark, I had to bury my internal emotions deep down and act cold. I gently but firmly pushed his heavy hands off my shoulders.

— No, Mark, you are completely wrong, — I said, forcing my voice to remain steady.

— Nobody is threatening me under this roof. I am only working for him to pay off my father's heavy debts, nothing more. Please, just leave this alone.Leaving him standing there in absolute shock and pure disbelief, I quickly turned around and walked out of the room. I hurried through the university building and ran straight toward the massive, black luxury car waiting inside the courtyard. I pulled open the door and slid securely into the back seat.Dante was already sitting there, calmly blowing gray cigarette smoke out of the open window. Neither of us uttered a single syllable during the entire ride. The vehicle moved swiftly through the city streets, eventually bringing our presence back to that colossal, freezing mansion. As the heavy iron gates shut behind my frame once again, I felt my remaining freedom drifting even further away from my reach.