Chapter 3: The De Luca Estate
1352 Words
Alessia’s POV
The cold night air hits my face as the guards lead me outside.
A black SUV waits at the curb.
One of the guards opens the back door.
I don’t move.
“Miss Moretti,” Matteo says calmly. “Please don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
I look at him.
“You keep saying ‘please’ like I actually have a choice.”
His expression doesn’t change.
“You don’t.”
The words settle like a weight in my chest.
I climb into the SUV.
The door shuts behind me with a heavy click.
A guard sits beside me.
Another sits in the front.
Matteo takes the passenger seat.
No one speaks.
As the car pulls away, I look through the window.
My home grows smaller.
Then it disappears.
I swallow the lump in my throat.
This can’t be happening.
The SUV slows at a traffic light.
My eyes dart to the door handle.
If I move fast enough…
If I run…
I glance at the guard beside me.
His jacket shifts, revealing the gun strapped to his waist.
A gun.
He has a gun.
My fingers tighten around my bag until they begin to ache.
He notices where I’m looking.
Without a word, he adjusts his jacket and looks straight ahead.
He doesn’t threaten me.
He doesn’t have to.
The message is clear.
Escape isn’t an option.
I slowly look away, my pulse pounds so hard I can hear it in my ears.
True fear settles deep in my chest.
The SUV comes to a stop.
I look out the window, and my breath catches.
A pair of towering black gates slowly opens before us.
Beyond them stands a mansion so big it barely looks real
It isn’t a home.
It is a palace.
As we drive through the gates, I notice armed guards posted along the driveway. They stand perfectly still, their eyes following the SUV until it reaches the front entrance.
The moment the car stops, a guard rushes to open Matteo’s door.
Matteo steps out first.
Instantly, every guard straightens.
The front doors swing open, revealing a line of servants waiting inside.
As Matteo walks past them, each one lowers their head in silent respect.
No one says a word.
I frown.
They aren’t bowing because of Matteo.
They’re bowing because he represents Dante De Luca.
A shiver runs down my spine.
If this is how everyone reacts to his right-hand man…
What happens when Dante himself appears?
A young maid glances at me.
For a brief second, our eyes meet.
There is something in hers.
Pity.
Before I can make sense of it, she quickly looks away and lowers her head.
My stomach tightens.
No one welcomes me.
No one smiles.
No one even pretends I belong here.
To them, I am not a guest.
I am simply another order that has been carried out.
Matteo turns to me.
“Miss Moretti.”
I look at him.
“Welcome to the De Luca estate.”
I lift my eyes to the mansion one last time.
To everyone else, it is a palace.
To me…
It is the beginning of my nightmare.
A maid leads me upstairs without saying a word.
The hallway seems endless, lined with expensive paintings and crystal chandeliers.
She stops in front of a large wooden door and pushes it open.
“This will be your room, Miss Moretti.”
I step inside.
The room is beautiful.
A king-sized bed stands in the center. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the gardens. Fresh flowers sit on a polished table, and a walk-in closet is bigger than my bedroom back home.
None of it matters.
A prison is still a prison, no matter how beautiful it looks.
The maid quietly excuses herself.
The moment the door closes, I walk straight back to it.
I grab the handle and pull.
The door opens.
Hope rushes through me.
I take one step into the hallway.
A guard immediately steps in front of me.
“You can’t leave this floor, Miss Moretti.”
I frown.
“And who’s going to stop me?”
“I am.”
Before I can answer, Matteo’s calm voice comes from behind him.
“Mr. De Luca values obedience.”
I turn to face him.
A bitter smile tugs at my lips.
“Then he’s about to be disappointed.”
For the first time, Matteo’s expression almost changes.
Almost.
“I expected that answer,” he says.
“But I suggest you choose your battles carefully.”
I hold his gaze.
“I’m not afraid of your boss.”
Matteo studies me for a moment before stepping aside.
“We’ll see.”
Then he walks away, leaving the guard exactly where he is.
I look down the long hallway.
There is only one way out.
And someone is already standing in it.
A maid knocks on my door an hour later.
“Miss Moretti, dinner is ready.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“The boss requested your presence.”
I let out a dry laugh.
“So now I have to eat on command too?”
The maid lowers her head.
“I’m only delivering the message.”
I sigh and follow her downstairs.
She leads me into a grand dining room.
A long table stretches across the room, covered with more food than I have ever seen.
My eyes land on the two place settings.
Only one is occupied.
Matteo.
I frown as I take my seat.
“Where is Dante De Luca?”
Matteo glances at the watch on his wrist.
“The boss was delayed.”
I fold my arms.
“Of course he is.”
Silence settles between us.
A maid serves the food, but I don’t even look at it.
My appetite disappears the moment I am brought here.
Matteo picks up his fork.
“You should eat.”
I shake my head.
“Tell your boss I’m not hungry.”
I push the plate away.
Matteo doesn’t argue.
He simply places his fork down and looks at me.
“Whether you eat or not changes nothing.”
His calm voice irritates me more than if he shouts.
“You people really think you can control everything, don’t you?”
“We control what we must.”
I let out a bitter laugh.
“You keep talking about your boss like he’s some kind of king.”
Matteo meets my eyes.
“No.”
He holds my gaze.
“He doesn’t need a crown for people to obey him.”
The words hang in the air.
No one at the table speaks again.
Even the servants move quietly, as if they are afraid of making too much noise.
I look at the empty chair at the head of the table.
For someone who isn’t even in the room…
Dante De Luca has everyone’s attention.
Including mine.
Dinner ends in complete silence.
I haven’t touched a single bite.
Matteo rises from his seat.
“So,” I say, pushing my chair back. “Can I go now?”
“You may return to your room.”
I don’t wait for another word.
I turn toward the doors.
Before I can take another step…
They open.
Every servant freezes.
The guards standing by the walls immediately straighten.
Even Matteo stops walking.
The room falls silent.
Footsteps echo through the room.
Slow.
Steady.
Confident.
No one dares to look away.
No one dares to speak.
Then a deep voice breaks the silence.
“So…”
It is calm.
Controlled.
Yet it makes the entire room go still.
“This is the woman who refuses to eat my food.”
My breath catches.
I slowly turn around.
A tall man stands at the entrance, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.
His sharp gaze settles on me, unreadable.
This isn’t just a rich man.
This is someone people fear.
Someone they obey without question.
Our eyes meet.
He doesn’t look away.
Neither do I.
For the first time…
I am standing face to face with Dante De Luca.
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