Cinque

*Three days.

It had been precisely three days since Victoria was locked in the same room. During this time, a woman entered every day, placed a tray on the table near the bed, and left without uttering a word. No matter how much the redhead screamed, pleading for any kind of help, not a single sound was emitted by the staff member, who didn't even look in her direction.

Certainly, she should have been accustomed to such situations. Books were scattered all over the room's floor. Victoria randomly picked them, read a few pages, and quickly grew tired. Eventually, exhausted and bored, she surrendered to one of the works, reading it in its entirety. In three days, she would have read about three or four books in a short amount of time. However, she was fully aware that she hadn't absorbed any content from the great literary works.

It was challenging to concentrate when your mind is in a constant state of alert, preparing you to be locked in a dark room again. They were not voluntary thoughts, obviously, but she didn't know exactly what fate awaited her in that mansion.

And she was right to have such apprehensions. So far, there had been no indication that she would be safe in the room where she was placed, but deep down, she knew they wouldn't keep her confined just to enjoy some vacation.

During the last night, she could hear a different commotion in the hallway. Agitated footsteps and even some running. Victoria wasn't sure what was happening, but she had the feeling that something was being prepared. Peering through the crack in the door, she managed to hear the voices of Catarina and Damiano a few times, but nothing they said provided any conclusive information.

What made her confused, at times, was the feeling of being constantly watched. She searched every corner of that room and found nothing resembling a camera. Still, she avoided changing or appearing nude outside the bathroom.

Victoria felt like she was going crazy. She wanted to know if her parents were alive, understand everything that was happening, and be able to confront them about the horrible words she heard the repulsive man say about them. Damiano's voice echoed in her mind, just as the scene of his deceptive smile repeated when he talked about her parents' involvement in money laundering. It was simply unbelievable. Two elderly people, residents of a quiet town, involved with the Italian Mafia. It sounds laughable.

In addition to her mental confusion and the fear of being killed or abused again, Victoria was eagerly anticipating a conversation with Catarina. Because she was incapacitated when she met her, she missed the opportunity to extract any useful information she might have about where she was and who these people were. Almost all Italians are aware of the Mafias that control each province, but Victoria had no idea which one belonged to the house where she was. The names were not familiar, and she had never seen the faces of those people exposed in the local media. It was an unknown, just like everything in her life at the moment.

For a moment, she remembered her life a week ago, and her eyes filled with tears, thinking about how cruel fate would have been to put her in that situation. Victoria never had the habit of exercising her faith, but over the past few days, she prayed continuously, seeking help from any higher being that could save her from the torturous situation. In another one of her pleas, Victoria heard three knocks on her door.

She rushed to answer, desperate for some kind of help. And upon opening it, she realized it was the housekeeper bringing her lunch. The woman entered the clearly messy room but expressed no indignation. She only collected the trays she had left the night before, noting the exorbitant leftovers of wasted food.

“You need to eat, miss.” She said, addressing Victoria for the first time.

“It's hard to have an appetite in this situation.” The redhead weakly smiled, sitting on the bed.

“If you want to find your parents again, you need to be strong,” the woman whispered before quickly leaving. Victoria tried to run to extract any information, but she wasn't fast enough. Cautiously, she opened the door, looking into the corners, without any sign.

As strange as it may seem, she wasn't getting locked up; she barely seemed like a prisoner. She had free access to any room in the house she wanted, although she hadn't had the courage to leave the room even once. And, for the first time, she found herself standing in the hallway in front of the room she was in. Her bare feet touched the cold porcelain floor, and Victoria clasped her hands, crossing her arms. She stood there for a few seconds until she decided to take small steps toward the corridor on the right, where she heard some commotion.

When she prepared to look to her right, she felt a hand touch her shoulder without any subtlety, and her body shivered completely, fearing for her safety.

“Decided to explore the house, neighbor?” Damiano asked, mockery evident on his face. Victoria simply froze in his presence, unable to utter a single word.

“I-I just wanted to know where I can get other clothes,” she asked, not really knowing what to say. She had enough clothes in her room, but fortunately, Damiano didn't know that. He held her wrist firmly, practically dragging her through the corridors that followed until she saw a familiar room. It was Catarina's room.

He let her go abruptly, giving three knocks on the wooden door. Catarina opened the door, sleepy, and was surprised to see Damiano next to Victoria.

“Any problems?” She asked, closing the robe she was wearing.

“The little princess needs more clothes,” he pushed her into his sister's room, with a cynical smile on his face, “Then take her back to her room.”

“What do you think you're doing? I left enough clothes for a week,” Catarina exclaimed, whispering as she locked the door.

“I needed to see you; I'm worried about my parents. Since you helped me, I thought you could at least tell me if they're alive,” Victoria tried not to stutter, completely nervous.

“I'm not your friend. We can't talk, and you're not here for a vacation.”

“Exactly. I don't know why I'm here, Catarina. What are they going to do to me? Please, help me,” Victoria felt tears roll down her face and desperation take over her body. Moved by the situation, the blonde led her to the bed.

“Listen well, Victoria. You need to follow everything they say, and above all, stay away from my father and Damiano. Understand?” She tried to be clear, even noticing the chaotic state of the girl.

“I just want to understand what's happening. I believe they don't kidnap everyone, and if I'm still alive, there must be some reason behind it,” regaining her composure, the redhead tried to be rational and collect as much information as possible.

“What I can answer is that your family is alive. But they are certainly in danger, so you need to keep yourself safe to see them again, okay?” The blonde made her affirm before guiding her to the door.

“Thank you, Catarina. Thank you so much!” Victoria hugged her, overwhelmed with emotion. Without a reaction, the blonde remained motionless. Seeing her leave the room, Catarina ran her hand through her long blonde hair, resting her hand on her forehead.

Concerned, she leaned on the dresser next to the door, and seconds later, heard another knock. It was Damiano again, with an unpleasant expression on his face. Knowing his sister, she feared that her soft heart would harm them.

“What do you want?” She asked, sounding completely irritated.

“I want to know if you didn't talk too much, little sister.”

“I didn't say anything; I just tried to calm her down. She's terrified, needs to know what you guys plan by leaving her here,” Sitting on her bed, Catarina kept her eyes fixed on Damiano, who lit a cigarette near the window.

“That's good; terror will make her more obedient,” he smiled, “Didn't she ask about her parents?” When he asked, he tried to analyze any expression that would betray his sister.

“She asked; she's not stupid,” the blonde replied.

“And?” Damiano asked, impatient.

“Are you going to interrogate me here? I also live here, idiot,” she went to the door, opening it so he understood the hint.

“Are you going to kick me out? I'm always watching, Cat. Don't forget,” he replied, extinguishing the cigarette on the carpet in his room.

As soon as Damiano left her room, Catarina leaned against the door, releasing an uneasy sigh. She wondered if she was going crazy by putting everything at risk by helping a simple stranger. Catarina couldn't explain it, but she felt she should help Victoria.