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Chapter 5: What should I call you?

Aurora

I didn’t know how on earth my father convinced me to agree to all of this or even go along with it but here I was, standing in the driveway, my eyes fixed on the imposing mansion before me. The D’Introno estate. My new home. My prison.

I felt a growing sense of irritation creep up my spine as I gazed up at the grand structure, it’s stone façade seeming to loom over me like a specter of doom. The trees surrounding the property appeared to close in around to close in around me, casting long, ominous shadows on the ground.

"Welcome to your new life, Rory." I whispered to myself, the sarcasm dripping from my voice.

The stern-looking man with a scruffy beard, who had driven me all the way from our mansion emerged from the car and approached me. “Miss De Luca, the Boss awaits you inside.”

My eyes dropped as my lips twisted into a frown. So much for stalling. I had hoped to delay the inevitable, but it seemed my new owner was eager to claim me.

Your eyes are glassy and your face is red. One look at you and I already know exactly where you’re coming from.

Let's just say we're both lucky.

That psychopath.

As I entered the mansion, I was struck by its opulence. I grew up in a rich home with maids and servants by side, so I was no stranger to luxury. But this…this was different. The sheer scale of the estate, the intricate frescoes on the ceiling, and the glittering chandeliers left me breathless. The marble floors, polished to a high shine, seemed to stretch on forever, and the lavish furnishings looked like they belonged in a palace.

As I wandered through the halls, I noticed the finely crafted woodwork, the exquisite artwork, and the impeccable attention to detail. Who would’ve thought that that asshole actually had refined taste in art?

“Hands off the painting De Luca…” I turned to find Leonardo standing in the foyer, his piercing brown eyes locked onto mine. “Oh wait…that’s your father’s name not yours.” He said, approaching us. The driver and the guards behind me quickly straightened on seeing him before locking their hands behind their backs but their boss on the other hand didn’t even acknowledge their presence. “Now….what should I call you?” He lifted a brow, eyeing me with calmness, his voice low and even.

“My name is Aurora De Luca.” My words dripped with venom, my eyes never leaving his. I knew exactly the type of person he was…show him a little bit of weakness and he was going to walk all over you. Well…unfortunately for him, I wasn’t going to give him that chance. “And that is what you’re going to call me.”

“You’re a feisty one aren’t you,” His calm facade cracked, revealing a flicker of amusement. He then reached for my chin but I immediately swatted his hand aside. “I must say I love the fire in your eyes,” his words dripped with an Italian cadence. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy dousing them.” His eyes dulled with disinterest, as his hands shot up, grasping my chin with a painful grip.

I struggled to push him away but his hold remained relentless. “I don’t know what you have against my father or why you want me as your slave but just know that keeping me here would be your biggest mistake.” I grounded out. Father didn’t want to go into the details of his plan since he was still working on it but from what he told me, the only reason he was going to let me be Leonardo’s slave was because he was planning on taking him down….when he least expected it and I was going to be his inside man….or woman in this case.

He suddenly released my chin with a forceful shove sending me stumbling backwards but fortunately for me his men prevented me from falling. “Take her to her quarters.”

With that his men grabbed me, pushing me down the hall with their fingers burying into my arm. “Let go of me!” I yelled and thrashed but their grips didn’t loosen one bit. When we finally reached the door to what was probably my room, they tossed me in, slamming the door in my face.

“Ugh.” I let out a small grunt when my butt hit the floor. He was going to pay dearly for treating me like this. I lifted myself from the ground, struggling to stand.

My brows shot up as I turned to survey the room’s dismal only to be confronted by an unbelievable sight. It wasn’t exactly that spectacular but it also wasn’t exactly what I had expected for a “slaves” room. I moved deeper into the room, my eyes scanning the lavish space.

A four-poster bed dominated the center of the room, surrounded by plush furniture and expensive-looking artworks hung on the wall. I cocked my head as my brows dipped in a small frown.

Artwork hung on the wall in the hallway was perfectly normal but in a bedroom? And a slave's bedroom for that matter? At first I just thought he loved art just like I did but now….

Did he look into my background?

And if he did. Why would he keep them in my room just because I like it? Or was it just a normal coincidence?

My eyes drifted to the vibrant artwork on the wall, and my slender fingers followed, tracing the swirling patterns and bold brushstrokes. And I couldn’t help but feel the textures and colors come alive under my touch. But it also reminded me that I wasn’t free anymore. And that I couldn’t go to work or do the things I loved anymore. I couldn’t go out or see my friends….I couldn’t even talk to them since the driver didn’t let me take my phone with me…or anything for that matter. I don’t even know how I’m going to be communicating with my father.

You’re not allowed to bring anything with you. Boss’ orders.

“Boss’ orders my ass.” I spat out. I glanced around the room again moving towards the closet. “Since they didn’t let me bring my clothes, I guess it won’t hurt to see what they picked out.”

I began looking through the closet, somewhat impressed by whoever picked out my clothes. It wasn’t exactly my style but it wasn’t the type of clothes I hated or couldn’t wear either. Well….that was until I stumbled upon the lingerie section. My eyes widened in shock as it dawned on me. Whoever had selected my wardrobe had also chosen my undergarments. A flush rose to my cheeks as I pictured the image in my head.

I immediately pushed the undergarments into the closet and shut the doors close. Oh God.

Surviving in the D’Introno mansion wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, especially when Leonardo didn’t even act like he had kept some captive in his home or like I even existed. I had expected him to torture me or deprive me of food but to my surprise he kept feeding me and making sure I had all the comforts of a normal life…well except my freedom of course. I decided to ignore him, the same way he was ignoring me but I got incredibly sick of it and then I had no option than to confront him about it.

“I don’t remember saying you could come in.” Leonardo’s voice dripped with nonchalance as I walked into the dark room. I had spotted him walking into this same room earlier so I decided to follow him so we could talk. And now….seconds later, I could see a figure towering over me with a pair of brown eyes glaring down at me. “What are you doing here?” He rumbled.

My throat bobbed with a hard swallow and I felt my heart drop to my stomach as I felt his body heat against my skin. I hadn’t expected him to be standing right at the door or for the room to be this dark…and why did it feel like he was hiding something? Like he didn’t want me to see what was inside the room?

“I want to talk to you about something important.” I spoke, keeping my cool.

“Well I hear you talking right now but it doesn’t sound important.” He sidestepped me heading outside the room. A part of me wanted to head deeper inside the room to see what he was hiding but that part of me also knew it would only take him half of a second to catch me. Maybe some other time.

“We need to talk about….this whole prison thing going on here.” I quickened my pace so I could catch up with him as he exited the room. “I don’t get why you’re keeping me trapped here…” I pressed on when he didn’t say anything. “…you’re not treating me like a slave or using me or doing anything to me for that ma….” My voice caught in my throat when he stopped in his tracks before slowly turning to face me.

I found myself backing away as he moved closer with a half intrigued half impressed look on his face. “What’s wrong?” He asked, eyeing me with fascination. “Do you want me to do something to you?”

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