CHAPTER FOUR
1066 Words
BETRAYED
The quiet of the vineyard had always been Ravenna’s refuge, but tonight it felt suffocating. The sharp scent of grapes and soil clung to her clothes as she worked late, trying to ignore the turmoil in her heart. Carla’s absence over the past few days had been deafening.
Ravenna hadn’t dared reach out to Carla after Rosangela’s humiliating manipulation, delivered through Jane’s smug, well-timed confrontation. What could she even say? Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Jane’s arrogant smirk and heard her poisonous words. Her mind knew better than to believe Jane’s lies, but her heart wasn’t so sure.
The sound of approaching footsteps snapped her from her thoughts. She turned to see two men in uniform walking purposefully toward her.
“Ravenna Alfonsi?” one of them called out.
“Yes?” she replied hesitantly, her pruning shears falling from her hands.
“You’re under arrest for theft from the Montenegro estate,” the officer said firmly, pulling out a pair of handcuffs.
“What?” Ravenna stepped back, her voice trembling. “That’s ridiculous! I haven’t stolen anything!”
The officer ignored her protests, grabbing her wrists and snapping the cold metal cuffs around them.
“This is a mistake!” Ravenna cried as they dragged her toward their vehicle. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Her coworkers, frozen in shock, watched silently as Ravenna was shoved into the backseat. The whispering began almost immediately, but no one dared intervene.
At the Consoli estate, Carla was in the middle of reviewing vineyard expansion plans when his phone buzzed. he frowned as he picked it up, seeing an unknown number.
“This is Carla Montenegro,” he said.
“Mr. Consoli, this is Officer Reyes from the Olivarez police department. I’m calling to inform you that Ravenna ALfonsi has been arrested for theft from your estate.”
The words hit Carla like a physical blow. “What?” He snapped, his voice sharp.
“We found evidence in her locker at the vineyard,” the officer explained. “she’s being detained at the station. You’re welcome to come down if you’d like to discuss this further.”
Carla didn’t even hang up properly. He grabbed his car keys and stormed out of the estate, his chest tight with anger and disbelief.
Ravenna sat alone in a cold holding cell, her arms wrapped around herself. Her mind raced with questions. Who had framed her? Why? But deep down, she already knew the answer. This had Rosangela Consoli’s fingerprints all over it.
The clang of the cell door jolted her. She looked up to see Carla rushing toward her, her face a mixture of fury and worry.
“Ravenna!” Carla said, gripping the bars.
She stood shakily, relief flooding her at the sight of her. “Carla,” she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. “I didn’t do this.”
“I know you didn’t,” Carla said firmly. “I’m going to fix this.”
Before Ravenna could respond, a sharp voice interrupted.
“Carla.”
They both turned to see Rosangela standing in the doorway, her presence commanding as always.
“What are you doing here?” Carla demanded, her voice laced with suspicion.
“I could ask you the same thing,” Rosangela said coolly, her eyes flicking dismissively to Ravenna. “Why are you wasting your time defending someone who betrayed us?”
“She didn’t betray anyone!” Carla snapped. “You did this, didn’t you?”
Rosangela’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Oh, Carla. Always so dramatic. If there’s evidence against her, it has nothing to do with me.”
Ravenna gripped the bars, her voice rising. “You did this because you can’t stand the idea of Carla being with me!”
Rosangela’s gaze turned icy. “You overstepped, dear. You thought you could waltz into my family’s world without consequences. Consider this your lesson.”
“That’s enough!” Carla shouted, stepping between them. “I’m getting her out of here.”
Rosangela’s expression didn’t waver. “Do what you must, Carla. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
It took hours of negotiation, but Carla eventually secured Ravenna’s release. As they walked out of the station, the weight of the day pressed heavily on them both.
“Let me take you home,” Carla said softly, her hand hovering protectively near Ravenna’s back.
Ravenna nodded, too exhausted to argue. But the ride back was filled with a tense silence. Carla’s jaw was tight, her mind racing as she tried to figure out who had planted the evidence against Ravenna.
When they reached her doorstep, Ravenna turned to her, her face pale and drawn. “Thank you for getting me out.”
Carla frowned. “You don’t have to thank me. You shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”
She hesitated, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and sorrow. “I don’t think I can do this anymore, Carla.”
Her stomach dropped. “What are you saying?”
“Your mother will never stop,” Ravenna said, her voice trembling. “And now everyone at the vineyard thinks I’m a thief. She’s already destroyed me.”
“No, she hasn’t,” Carla said, her voice rising. “We can fight her together.”
Ravenna shook her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “You can’t fight her. She has too much power. And I... I don’t belong in your world.”
“Ravenna, don’t do this,” Carla pleaded.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears streaming down her face. “But I can’t be the reason your life falls apart.”
Before Carla could stop her, she slipped inside, closing the door softly behind her.
Back at the Montenegro estate, Rosangela sat in her study, sipping her wine with a satisfied smile. Jane stood by the window, her arms crossed.
“Did it work?” Jane asked.
Rosangela nodded. “She’s gone. And Carla will come to her senses soon enough.”
Inside her room, Ravenna paced restlessly, her tears drying as anger burned in her chest. Rosangela thought she had won, but Ravenna wasn’t done yet.
“They think they can destroy me,” she whispered to herself, her jaw tight. “But they’re wrong. I’ll make them regret ever crossing me.”
- Writer
