Fiona after being thrown in a cramped storeroom sat in a corner eating the raw pizza base with the expired sauce, Tears running down her face. Bradley was guarding the storeroom from outside killing any possibility of escape.
"Bradley! Bradley! Quit slacking off asshole! get to work it's your turn to prepare the pizza now!" Ordered Corteo in a bold voice.
"Nah dawg! There is no way I can leave this sweetheart alone, what if she escapes? Bradley said while giving a suspicious expression.
"I'll watch over the storeroom,"Corteo declared, his voice steady and resolute.
Bradley, with relief in his voice replies "Alright, I'll handle things in the kitchen".
Corteo feels sympathy towards the poor lady and feels the need to help her. He tries to strike a conversation from behind the wall.
"Hey," he began gently, "I know this must be frightening for you." His voice carried a comforting tone, an attempt to bridge the gap between their disparate positions.
The woman, visibly distressed and wary, met his gaze with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Corteo sensed her unease and sought to dispel it. "I'm Corteo," he introduced himself softly. "I am not here to harm you, I promise. I just want to understand your motive."
As they conversed, Corteo listened intently, offering a patient ear to her story. He encouraged her to speak, not with the intent to interrogate, but to comprehend. With each exchanged word, he noticed the fear slowly melting away, replaced by a hesitant willingness to open up.
"We're not so different, you and I," Corteo remarked, aiming to build a connection. "Sometimes, we find ourselves tangled in situations beyond our control."
"Why did you throw that stone in the morning and how did you know about our identities?" Corteo tried to interrogate.
The woman's confession unravelled a huge secret, her voice carrying a mix of remorse and desperation as she spoke. "I just needed some money to feed myself," she admitted softly, her gaze averted. "I thought if I got your attention, maybe I could grab some ransom in exchange of your secret".
"I was lying there, drunk and oblivious, behind the table where you were discussing your plan on assassinating king Emmanuel's wife" she further added.
Corteo's surprise was inevitable. "But why were you there?" he probed further, trying to piece together the puzzle.
She sighed, her voice tinged with regret. "I was heavily drunk, had no other place to go. It was just a spot to rest," she confessed, her vulnerability laid bare.
"Um, can I get a pizza, please?" she asked in a soft, almost timid voice, her words tinged with a childlike innocence, despite the weight of the situation.
Understanding her basic need, Corteo nodded empathetically at the woman's request. With a reassuring smile, he left momentarily and returned with a freshly made pizza, a simple yet heartfelt gesture to address her hunger.
Approaching the storeroom, Corteo gently slid the pizza through the partially opened gate, ensuring it reached her. "Here you go," he murmured softly, a faint warmth in his voice. "I hope this helps."
Angelo, standing at the end of the corridor, observed the interaction between Corteo and the woman, a devilish smirk creeping onto his lips. His eyes held a hint of intrigue as he processed the unfolding scene, probably cooking mischievous methods to manipulate the lady for her use.
Bradley approached, his intent clear. "I'll take over guarding the gate now," he offered.
Corteo, however, shook his head gently, his resolve unwavering. "I'll manage this myself," he responded firmly.
"Fucking tyrant!" Bradley exclaimed and made his way towards his room upstairs.
"Hey... You can call me Fiona if you want." woman said with a softness in her voice.
Corteo, slightly taken aback: "Fiona?"
"Yeah, it's a silly nickname, but I like it." Fiona replies.
The next morning, Corteo was sitting outside the gate, looking disoriented and fatigued from a restless night. Angelo hurriedly approached, his expression filled with urgency. "Corteo, wake up! The woman, she's gone!"
Corteo, still groggy and trying to process the information, blinked in confusion. Before he could comprehend the situation, Bradley interjected, frustration evident in his voice. "This is why I insisted on guarding last night! The storeroom door isn't secure! You are fucking stupid!"
The sudden revelation threw Corteo into a state of shock. His mind raced, trying to grasp the severity of the situation.
"What the fuck!" Corteo shouted, his eyes all red due to the alcohol.
Amidst the chaos and concern following the woman's escape, a note was discovered near the storeroom. Bradley hesitantly picked it up, his heart pounding with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. As he unfolded the paper, a brief message greeted his eyes: "Thanks for the pizza! 🙂 - Fiona."
A small smiley face adorned the note, accompanied by a heart symbol, indicating a gesture of gratitude. At the very corner, the name "Fiona" was scribbled, leaving everyone staring at the note in a mix of surprise and bewilderment.
The atmosphere was tense as accusations began to surface. Bradley, visibly angered, pointed an accusatory finger at Corteo. "You didn't need to drink last night! You let her escape on purpose!"
Before the situation escalated further, Angelo intervened swiftly. "Enough!" he commanded, his tone cutting through the tension like a knife. "We have to focus on finding her, not placing blame."
There's no need to search for her. I trust her; she won't divulge anything," Corteo stated with conviction.
Angelo with anger on his face stated, "We can't just hire someone to find her without any information or a picture. It's a dead end for now."
Bradley, visibly frustrated by the turn of events, sighed heavily. He clenched his fists in frustration, the tension evident in his posture. forcefully punch against the wall.
"Ouch!" Bradley groaned.