The Enemy Inside The House
710 Words
I thought I understood secrets.
I was wrong.
A secret was not just something someone hid from you.
A secret was a door.
And once you opened it, you could never return to the room you came from.
Since Alessandro told me about my mother, I had been trying to understand one thing.
Why him?
Why did Sofia Rossi, a woman running from the De Luca family, choose a twenty-two-year-old Alessandro to trust?
Because that was the question that bothered me the most.
Not the danger.
Not Victor.
Not even the lies.
It was Alessandro.
The man I was supposed to hate was becoming the only person connected to the truth.
And I didn't know what scared me more.
That he was lying...
or that he wasn't.
---
I found Marco in the library.
He was standing near the shelves, organizing old documents.
He looked up when he saw me.
"You have questions."
I almost smiled.
"Is it that obvious?"
"With this family, people usually have questions."
I walked further into the room.
"I want to know about Sofia Rossi."
Marco became quiet.
Not surprised.
Careful.
"What did Alessandro tell you?"
"That he met her sixteen years ago."
Marco nodded slowly.
"That is true."
"He was twenty-two."
"Yes."
"And he helped her escape."
Marco looked at me.
"He did."
I studied his face.
"You were there?"
"Yes."
"Then tell me the truth."
A long silence followed.
Finally, Marco sat down.
"When Alessandro was young, his father was preparing him to become the next head of the family."
"At twenty-two?"
"In that world, age does not matter. Only usefulness."
I didn't like that answer.
"What was Alessandro like then?"
Marco looked toward the window.
"Angry."
That surprised me.
"Angry?"
"He had spent his entire life being told what he was supposed to become."
"And Sofia changed that?"
Marco nodded.
"She reminded him that he had a choice."
I looked down.
A choice.
That seemed to be the theme of Alessandro's life.
Choosing between the person he was born to be and the person he wanted to become.
"Did my mother trust him immediately?"
Marco almost smiled.
"No."
That answer felt more believable.
"She trusted no one."
"Then why him?"
"Because he risked something for her."
"What?"
"His future."
I looked at him.
"His own family?"
"Yes."
Marco's expression became serious.
"Do you understand what that meant?"
I shook my head.
"Alessandro was the heir. His father wanted obedience. Helping Sofia was betrayal."
"So he lost everything?"
"Not everything."
Marco paused.
"He lost his innocence."
The words stayed with me.
Because I was beginning to see something.
Alessandro wasn't born cold.
Someone made him that way.
"Why didn't he tell me all this before?"
Marco looked at me.
"Because he believes protecting someone means carrying the pain alone."
I sighed.
"That is a terrible way to protect someone."
A small smile appeared on Marco's face.
"Yes."
"You agree?"
"Completely."
I looked at him.
"Then why stay loyal to him?"
Marco was quiet for a moment.
"Because I know the man beneath the reputation."
"And who is that?"
He looked toward the door.
"Someone who would rather be hated than watch someone else suffer."
Before I could answer, a loud noise came from downstairs.
Glass breaking.
Both of us froze.
Marco's expression changed instantly.
The calm disappeared.
The soldier returned.
"What happened?"
He moved toward the door.
"Stay here."
I followed him.
"No."
He turned.
"Elena."
"I am tired of being told to stay somewhere while everyone else decides my life."
His expression softened slightly.
"You are exactly like your mother."
I stopped.
"What?"
"That was the problem."
A pause.
"She was brave."
He opened the door.
"And sometimes brave people forget they can be hurt."
The lights suddenly went out.
Darkness filled the mansion.
Then came a sound.
A voice.
Someone inside the house.
"Elena."
My blood ran cold.
Marco immediately stepped in front of me.
"Stay behind me."
For the first time since I arrived at the De Luca estate...
I saw fear in his eyes.
Not for himself.
For me.
And somewhere in the darkness, someone was waiting.
Someone who knew my name.
Someone who knew my mother's name.
Someone who had come looking for the daughter of Sofia Rossi.
- Writer
