CAMILLA
I hadn't seen Dante for some days now and I couldn't be happier about it.
My heart burned with fierce hatred for him. Previously, I had thought he was a good person that I could trust, now I realized that he was just like any other mafia leader, ruthless and wicked.
I spent all my time with Maria who had already warmed up to me.
Right now, we were playing a game of chess. I was beating her and she wasn't too happy about it.
"ughhh" she yelled in frustration as I beat her again.
"Come on, you almost beat me this time" I told her.
"How are you so good at this game?" she asked me.
I went sober as I reminisced on past events.
"My father thought me, he was very good at it"
Maria reached out and held my hands.
"It will get better with time, I promise"
I smiled at her in response.
A knock sounded on the door. I and Maria looked at the door.
"Who could that be?" I asked.
"I will go check the door" she replied.
She stood up and walked to the door to open it. She opened the door and Dante walked inside.
I stood up immediately I saw him. What did he want now? Or did he want to punish me again.
He turned to Maria, "Can you excuse us? He asked.
I looked at her with pleading eyes beseeching eyes begging her not to leave me with him.
She shook her head slightly at me before nodding her head and leaving the room.
We were alone in the room now.
"How are you doing?" he asked me.
"I am fine" I replied.
"Sit down please" he told me.
I sat down wondering if he was bipolar, because I didn't understand how someone could switch behaviors so quickly.
He sat down on a chair opposite me.
"So tell me about yourself, what do you like doing for fun? What are your hobbies?" he asked me.
I was becoming more confused as the time passed.
"Uhm I love reading books, watching movies, I love shopping for new clothes, I also love designing new clothes for myself as well. Oh, I also love horses and cats too. I used to have a cat" I rambled on.
"Really what happened to it?" he asked me.
"I gave it to my brother when he escaped from the house"
"why didn't you escape with your brother?" he asked me.
"Only one of us could escape from the house, I had to distract the guards so he could leave, and there is no way I was going to escape and leave him"
"Would you want me to find him for you?" he asked me.
I looked at him in surprise. "Would you do that for me?" I asked.
"Yes, I would. I would put word out, my brother Valerie can find anybody regardless of where they have hidden themselves, should I tell him to find him?"
I looked at him, confusion muddled my mind. Why was he doing this?
"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" I asked him.
He hesitated and then he shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe I just want to do a good deed" he replied.
"So you don't want anything in return from me?" I asked him.
He looked at me, "What can you give me?" he asked.
He was right, what did I possibly have to offer him.
"My body?" I asked.
He smiled, "Camilla, I already told you, I won't touch you until you beg me for it" he said, a lazy smile on his face.
I glared at him, "That will never happen" I said vehemently.
He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Tut Tut, never say never princess."
I refused to acknowledge the warm feeling that ran through me at his nickname. I was supposed to hate him, not feel giddy that he called me princess.
"So what's your brother's name?" he asked me.
"Luciano" I replied.
"Do you have a picture?"
"No, everything was destroyed by my uncle"
"don't worry, Valerio will get a picture somehow"
"Thanks a lot Dante" I told him.
"You are welcome" he stood up to leave and for some reason I was sorry to see him go.
"Are you leaving?" I asked him.
"Yes, I should let you get back to whatever you were doing" he said.
"OK, see you later" I said.
He smiled at me, "You will definitely see me around Camilla" he told me.
He walked out of the room and Maria came back inside.
She sat down by my side.
"Are you okay? He didn't do anything to hurt you right?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No, he was very nice to me"
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes, he asked me about what I liked and even offered to find my younger brother"
She gave a sigh of relief. "You see, I told you that the boss is a good person, didn't I?"
"Yes you did, can we go back to the chess game?" I asked.
"Nah! We are playing something else, I can't keep losing to you" she said with a pout on her face.
I laughed and allowed her to switch to a card game and this time I graciously allowed her win.
The next day…..
I had just finished eating breakfast with Maria when one of Dante's men came by to tell me that Dante had granted me permission to leave my room. I could roam around the house all I wanted but I couldn't leave the house.
I was happy to hear this, I was beginning to get claustrophobic from being cooped up in the room.
Maria took me on a tour round the house and introduced me to the rest of the household staff which included Mrs Brown, the chef and Rita and Tina, the housemaids.
When I saw Dante's library, I immediately fell in love with it.
I could already envision myself, staying there and reading myself to a stupor.
I spun around the room happily. "I could marry this room" I told Maria.
She chuckled at me. "I am guessing I can leave you here to read"
"Yes, yes, I am definitely staying here" I told her.
"Don't go outside the house Camilla. The boss has given you a little freedom, don't abuse it."
"I promise I won't" I assured her.
She left and I took a book and sank into one of the chairs to read.
I was so engrossed in the book that I hardly took notice that the time had passed.
I skipped lunch and didn't even know it was time for dinner.
Apart from regular bathroom breaks and taking water, I did nothing else but read.
"I am suddenly regretting letting you into my library." I heard Dante say.
I looked up from my book to see that he was standing close to me, looking down at me with bemused eyes.
"What time is it?" I asked him.
"Almost seven pm" he replied.
"What!" I sat up in shock.
"Did you even have lunch?" he asked.
"no, I got carried away"
He stretched out his hand to me.
"Come, have dinner with me" he said.
I dropped my book and took his hand.
He led me out of the library and led me to the dining room.
"Thank you for letting me out of the room" I told him.
He looked at me with another dazzling smile. "It's the right thing to do" he said.
We entered the dining room and he pulled out a chair for me and sat down by me.
The food was already served on the table.
He helped me dish out my food.
"Thanks" I said.
He smiled at me again and kept quiet.
We shared a quiet meal together and he escorted me back to my room.
"But I want to go back to the library" I whined.
"Don't worry, you will have all the time to go to the library tomorrow princess" he told me.
"But I will be bored" I told him.
He tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
"Good night Camilla" he told me.
I reluctantly entered the room and immediately screamed on seeing a new addition to my room. It was a TV.
It was probably silly to be excited over a TV but I was happy.
I could watch all of my regular TV shows, I had missed.
I smiled to myself as I settled down into my bed to watch TV.
I was fully aware that I was falling into a toxic pattern with Dante. He hadn't even apologized for locking me in the isolation room.
I was supposed to be mad at him but a simple smile and bribery had turned me putty in his hands. I was back to being a silly teenager girl who had a crush on him.
I groaned as I buried my face in my hands. I was so screwed!