Chapter: "Empire"
"Yes, yes it is, Aleksander," I admit.
I do not move away from the haze that he causes so early and deep in me. I don't even understand why it is generated, it is annoying, I feel sick and insane looking at it this way.
After a while I get hungry, I prefer not to tell him, his mood is so indecipherable and unstable that I am afraid to ask whether or not we will go to eat.
It is he, I suppose hungry too, that brings the matter up.
We ended up going to an Italian restaurant, one of the most important in the city. It is a very large Italian restaurant, with a terrace, beautiful decoration, where you can still have lunch, dinner or just have a drink. Italian gastronomy is delicious. I am not resisting. The food is typical of a pizzeria (pastas, pizzas), even so they also have more refined dishes or with some elegant touches, for example a Spanish gazpacho, which we obviously tried.
The waiter who served us, not only brought that, our order consisted of: pasta, gazpachos, lasagna, meat with cheese and potatoes and "caesar" salad. Everything was exquisite. The star drink is a red Russian tap beer, I don't order one for myself, I don't usually drink alcohol, so I drink juice.
Everything is apparently normal. Eating in an attractive restaurant, giving myself a treat, the enjoyment of the view, the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere. But the perfection that encompasses the moment will vanish at any moment, I will once again be the same prisoner in a luxurious room that has witnessed my darkest days. The person in charge is in front, wiping his corner with his napkin, placing his eyes on me, the empire that oppresses me.
He beckons to the man in uniform, in question the waiter approaches us. Aleksander leaves him the tip on the table, he picks it up. Then he cancels the account and we get out of there.
It's time to go back, and I don't want to. Outside I stay a step behind him, the idea of running with all my strength crosses my mind, getting lost in the sea of people in the city, the terror of failing, that it is in vain and of looking for a huge problem stops me.
The wolf turns around and beckons to me, he wants me next to him, making sure that I won't escape, that I don't have a single chance to free myself. With just one glance, he has sentenced it.
I am once again tied to his sturdy arm, an obligatory hitch that adds misery and takes away freedom.
"Not even if it happens to you, Lunita," he whispers, he knows he intended to flee.
Moron.
"Will we go home?" I ask off.
"Yes, was it not enough?" You should be grateful, you are privileged, believe me.
Privilege? This cannot be considered that way. He's a jerk. But it is true that this is unconventional. It is not what a kidnapper normally does, and what he does is the strangest thing knowing how dangerous it is.
He opens the door of the car for me, he does not pretend to be a gentleman, just to make sure I board the sports car. I get in, it's not like I'm going to run away at this point. As he walks around the car, I look at the gun on the dash, maybe it's loaded. I shake my head, dismissing the intention. I've already assessed what might happen if I pointed that gun at him. I won't get anything.
I put my seat belt on, he does the same. We immediately get going. A melody plays on the radio, the song fills the space that we have condemned to silence on his part and mine. We do not speak, silent it goes all the way. A sporadic, surprise and comforting outing in the midst of this storm is now part of the past.
Those damn gates that are being moved crumble the broken illusion, miles from the city I fall back into the same jail. Again I will be captive, again I will say goodbye to much of the natural light. I get out of the car, discouraged.
He catches up with me, walks alongside me, without my looking I roll my eyes. When I enter the mansion, still below, I come across an unfamiliar face. From the joviality and the resemblance, I think he is Aleksander's brother. He watches me trying to figure out who the hell I am, the boy is handsome, a blond with blue eyes, I dare say that his genes are maternal. He is tall and thin, you can tell that he is in the crucial stage of development, I endorse him when I remember that Alena told me about him, who is seventeen years old, as Grace.
"* Kto ty?" He asks a question, I don't understand.
- * Chto ty zdes 'delayesh'? –Asks the older of the two Russians, behind me, taking me by the shoulders possessively -. * Ona drug, by russki ne govorit.
I'm still in the air, lost in a maze of words.
-Oh, I understand. Hi, my name is Dominic, "he says, waving in my language.
He doesn't shake my hand, but he gives me a sweet smile. I already realize that he is far from being like the wolf.
—Dominic, what a beautiful name, I'm Luna.
-Moon? - Question surprised, I nod nervous, what's a joke about my name? -. He is so cute and cuddly, just like you.
A third clears his throat.
"Enough, Luna is tired, isn't she?" - She poses herself to the front putting the clear limit to her brother.
"Yes, my pleasure Dominic, with permission."
Alena comes out to meet me and guards me to the room. On the way up I see myself again, they both talk. Alena gives me the go-ahead for my outfit. She assures that it fits me perfectly.
So what?
"How was everything?" She, she wants to know.
"Well, it wasn't bad."
She makes a face, she sighs.
- She gives me pleasure, from what I have seen you already know Dominic - she continues.
Sometimes I don't understand her, one day she is taciturn, the next she wants to extend the conversation. I do not want to talk.
I just shake my head.
"Leave me alone," I ask, walking into the room.
She understands, because she doesn't even go in. I only hear when she locks the door and leaves.
I take off all my clothes, go to the bathroom and take a shower. As in Cinderella, the magic is over, I have returned to being the same fallen bird. After bathing I go to bed, I don't pretend to fall asleep, and it happens. Without realizing it I give up to rest.
...
Knock knock ... Knock knock ...
I open my eyes, who is knocking on the door? Nobody does it, anyone comes and goes when she wants without asking permission. So it's rare to hear that tapping.
I blink, yawn, and stretch my limbs. How much have I slept? Safe hours.
I get up, I can't even look out the window and find out if it's dark or if it's morning. I have it strictly forbidden.
"Luna, are you there?" —She says, still sleepy I try to find the owner of that voice.
How could it open? The door is secured. Also I only wear a nightgown.
"Dominic?"
"Right, good morning, Aleksander tells you to come down for breakfast," she reports, I can't measure the degree of perplexity.
It just doesn't enter my head that they are inviting me to eat with them. But I remember there is Dominic, so he will keep up the charade, all to make him believe that I am a friend, not the captive he takes advantage of when he wants.
In other words, the young man is not aware of us Millers.
«—Luna, something is changing in the young Konstantinov ... I see it, I perceive it, in my forties I have come across men similar to Aleksander, who seem impenetrable and indestructible, however their armor falls off and you realize that there is a human side to them.
… And you realize that there is a human side to them.
… A human side… »
Is Aleksander seriously human and not the only beast I know?
"I… No, I'm not ready, I have to change," I say hesitantly.
"Well, don't delay or the food will get cold."
-Yes! -Is the only that i can say.
Her steps move away.
On the other hand, how is it that I was able to sleep so much?
I turn around, suddenly the door is open, I wince in my place.
- * Dobroye utro Luna
"Elena." I put a palm to my chest, I was startled.
"You look like a ghost," she smiles, bringing something in her hands, which she holds out to me, adding, "Konstantinov wants you to join him for breakfast." The dress has been chosen by himself.
"Do you know why he does it?" He's not like that, what is he playing at? I hurl down hard.
Denies.
"I can't tell you, I guess since his brother has looked at you, he doesn't want him to know the real reason you're here," he sighs loudly. But it's just my opinion, maybe he really wants you to join him.
"It's not a credible motive."
"Hurry up, put it on," he urged my nod. I'll wait for you, Luna.
Seat.
It's a blue dress that shows my breasts a bit due to the cleavage, but doesn't even border on vulgarity, and it fits my waist perfectly. I have recovered my physiognomy, there is no trace of the corpse appearance that I had months ago. I still have the hairstyle that Verónika did, it is a little crooked, so I take it off leaving my hair completely loose.
...
The dining room has a serious, cold, luxurious look like the rest of the mansion. It looks so much like its owner, it has the same impact on me, I feel chills all over my body; I move uncomfortably under the attention of the two of them.
"Good morning, Luna." I hope you have rested enough - greets the wolf, just keeps the lie.
Moron.
I go along with him, I don't want to, and I don't dare to expose him because I know him. If I do, there will be consequences.
I don't think I'm sharing the table with that pair.
I salute politely, I sit two chairs away from Aleksander, on the same side Dominic is on.
"I don't know how my brother didn't introduce us earlier." Are you visiting Russia? He asks.
He has started the interrogation and I don't know what to do.
If she knew that I'm kidnapped. I do not understand how he does not know, after all he knows the other atrocities caused by his little brother, that damned unhappy man.
"Dominic," she calls him in a loud, reprimanding voice. No more questions, let's eat in silence.
I take the first bite to my mouth, the food is varied, I serve myself what I recognize from my country. Toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. Actually my appetite has been taken away, I barely eat.
Suddenly a mobile starts ringing