Owned By The Mafia King She Betrayed

C12— Consequences

~VALENTINA MONROE~

I stayed awake all through the night, watching the clock inch forward until it finally struck four in the morning. Then I slipped out of the room.

My heart hammered violently against my chest as I moved through the dimly lit hallways. Growing up, my father had trained me well. He'd taught me how to fight, how to survive, and, most importantly, how to escape. This wasn't the first time I'd attempted something like this. I'd accompanied some of his men on missions as early as fourteen. I'd snuck through guarded buildings before. Yet somehow, walking through Green Veil was different. Every step felt like I was walking deeper into one of Kael's traps. Even when there was no sign of him, I couldn't shake the sensation that he was watching me from somewhere unseen. Waiting and anticipating my next move before I even made it.

Still, I pushed the thought aside and kept moving. Whenever I heard footsteps, I slipped into the shadows and waited until whoever it was disappeared from sight before continuing.

A few moments later, I had managed to step outside without being seen. It felt too easy. Way too easy. Still, I relished the cool breeze against my face.

All I had to do was make it through the main gate. I could already hear the sound of the busy road ahead. I was only a few moments away from meeting up with Ava, and then we would both disappear.

Without wasting another second, I moved, heading straight for the main gate. It was already open. Not one of his men was in sight. It felt a little suspicious, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to let fear get the better of me now.

I stepped through the open gates and began racing towards the road where I spotted a taxi. Behind me, there were still no alarms and no guards chasing after me.

I waved at the incoming taxi to stop, and it did. I climbed into the back seat and immediately gave the driver the address Ava and I had agreed to meet at.

For the first few minutes, I sat there in silence, my heart still racing from the escape. I couldn't quite believe I'd done it. I was getting away from Kael.

Then something felt wrong the moment the driver reached a crossroads. One road had a sign pointing towards the location Ava and I had agreed to meet at, but he turned onto a different route entirely.

"Excuse me," I said, leaning forward. "You're going the wrong way." I notified him but there was no response. I sat up straighter.

"Did you hear me? You're supposed to be heading in the other direction."

He still remained silent. Panic began to creep in and I demanded. "Stop the car."

"Stop the damn car!" I repeated. Only then did the driver finally begin to slow down.

Before I could get out, a tall figure appeared beside the door and recognition hit the moment I saw his face. It was the same boy I had seen after I was abducted. The same one who had poured cold water on me.

My stomach dropped.

I scrambled towards the opposite door, intending to use it instead, but he was already getting in. Before I could reach for the handle, his arm reached out to mine and he pulled me back.

"Get away from me!" I shouted, but his hold was unyielding. One hand locked my arm and yanked me back while the other produced a white cloth. I smelled something strange and harsh from the cloth before it was pressed firmly over my nose and mouth, cutting off my airflow.

I struggled immediately, trying to break free, but it was useless. With every passing second, my movements grew weaker and weaker. My vision blurred, my eyelids grew heavy, and before I knew it, darkness swallowed me whole.

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

I don't remember what happened after that. When my eyes finally opened, I found myself kneeling in the middle of a large room with several figures standing around me. They looked blurry at first until my vision cleared and I made out their faces.

Maeve, the same boy from earlier, and... Kael.

Fuck!

Judging by the mocking amusement on his face, I knew I'd been played. He definitely let me get that far on purpose. He let me believe I was escaping so he could watch me hope before crushing it.

I watched as he approached me, dressed in a black silk robe, a glass of red wine in one hand. Then he settled into a chair in front of me, his eyes boring into mine while I still felt dizzy.

"Leaving without saying goodbye to someone who treated you like a guest is incredibly rude, Valentina."

His voice was calm, but I could sense the danger beneath it. He was definitely not letting me off for the escape act I had pulled.

"A guest?" A bitter laugh escaped me. I had enough. I was done begging and pleading. He might as well kill me if that was what would satisfy him. "You're holding me against my will and forcing me to be with men. If you think that is mercy, then you must be insane."

His smile only widened at my outburst. "There she is." He spoke. Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist.

"The Valentina I knew would never sit quietly and accept her fate. You were afterall trained by Rudolf Monroe. You were raised in his shadow. Taught to lie, manipulate and survive at any cost." He continued. "You're very good at pretending to be the victim. You've always been good at it. Looking innocent while everyone else pays the price."

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. "But I know what's underneath that mask. I've seen it. Beneath all that guilt and regret you like to wear so proudly, there's a devil lurking underneath. The same one your father carried."

His voice dropped lower. "The difference is that he never pretended to be anything else."

The words cut deep and I let out a shaky breath, tears threatening to fall. "I love... I loved you, Kael. I did. With everything in me."

I confessed but the amusement vanished from his face very quickly that it became frightening.

"Consider your next words very carefully. I don't want to kill you yet, but I will if you keep spewing those lies." He warned.

Of course, there was no point trying to explain myself anymore. The hatred in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. There would never be a reconciliation between us. He was going to make me suffer until he had his fill, and when he was done, he would kill me.

"As entertaining as this morning has been, I think there's something I need to address which is the reason why youre here. Your escape." He took a slow sip from his wine. "Every time you disobey me or pull a stunt like that, there's a punishment attached to it." He leaned back in his chair before continuing.

"Currently, every man downstairs desires you for some reason. They're willing to pay absurd amounts of money just to spend time with you."

His gaze travelled over my body in a way that made my skin crawl. Like he couldn't fathom why there was so much fame behind my stage name.

"You're a valued courtesan." He paused. "But since you've decided to test my patience, I see no reason to let you have privileges you clearly don't appreciate. So, until I decide otherwise, you're being demoted."

His lips curved into a cold smile. "From this moment forward, you will be a Pleasure Doll."

I noticed Maeve's expression change at those words, and fear crawled up my spine. Whatever a Pleasure Doll was, it was worse than my current status.

"What's a Pleasure Doll?" I asked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Before I could question him further, Kael's gaze shifted towards Maeve.

"Get her out of my sight."