Luca stopped and glanced hard at Sophia. "Why? I thought you were dying to show yourself to them, to confront them, huh?"
"No, no, please..." Sophia cried, shaking her head. "Don't take me back to them, please..."
"Then why did you come out?" he gritted his teeth angrily. "Were you looking for a way to escape?"
She didn't reply, only hoping he wouldn't still take her to those traitors.
"Get back into the kitchen, quickly!"He let go of her hand, watching as she dashed out of his sight.
Seconds, Luca returned to the party hall, his expression dark and brooding. He scanned the room and quickly spotted Marco and Ariana talking with Gianna.
Luca's eyes narrowed as he approached Marco and Ariana. "You're still here?"
Ariana looked up. "We were just talking with Miss Armani, nothing more."
Luca didn't care about their casual conversation. "Since Sophia DeLuca isn't here, you might as well leave. You're not welcome here. In fact, you're making the other guests uncomfortable. You're not part of any Mafia in New York City."
Marco cleared his throat awkwardly. "Does Mr. Moreno really not know where Sophia might be? She's a traitor and must be punished."
Luca's expression remained stony. "You've overstayed your welcome. You must leave right now."
There was a tense silence before Marco and Ariana exchanged a glance. They nodded in unison, a silent agreement passing between them.
"Thank you for the hospitality," Marco said, although it sounded insincere. Ariana's eyes lingered on Luca for a moment longer, as if searching for something in his face.
Luca watched them as they made their way to the exit, his body tense until they were out of sight.
"What was that all about?" Gianna asked, crossing her arms over her midriff.
"They're overstepping their boundaries," Luca said darkly."And soon they'll get what's coming to them."
"Luca, you should have just given that girl to them and saved yourself all the drama."
"I'll do no such thing," Luca snapped. "She's mine... mine to do as I please." He glared at her before walking past her.
"Just great!" Gianna muttered to herself. She didn't like it at all. Why did he find it so hard to give up Sophia to them? She decided she would have to pay closer attention to the interactions between Luca and Sophia from now on.
Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Sophia was washing countless dishes, courtesy of Carla. She had been furious at Sophia for disobeying her orders and promised severe punishment later.
"There you are. What the hell happened out there?" Kim approached with a worried look. "I told you not to go near that bastard Greg."
"I'm fine… I just..." Sophia was still too flustered to speak. She could only think of Marco and Ariana.
Kim moved closer, her eyes wandering cautiously around. "There was a lady and a man who came to the party, and I overheard them asking the boss about you. You're Sophia DeLuca, right?"
Sophia's eyes snapped to her. "You... did... what did they say?"
"They were saying something about you being a traitor and that you escaped."
Sophia's fingers began to tremble visibly, but she held on. "What did Luca say?"
"He assured them that he didn't know your whereabouts. Who are they?"
"What's going on over there?" Carla's voice interrupted. "Kim, get out of there and get to work quickly."
"Yes, ma'am." Kim nodded before whispering to Sophia, "We'll talk later."
Sophia had been dreading this moment, knowing that Marco and Ariana would eventually catch up to her. The fear of what they might do and the shame of her current state overwhelmed her. She had to find a way to escape.
Several long minutes, which felt like hours, passed before she finally finished the dishes. She was drying them when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.
Startled, she quickly turned. A flicker of recognition crossed her face, though she couldn't quite place where she knew the girl from. The girl was wearing a maid's outfit, but Sophia hadn't seen her around before.
"It is really you!" the girl squealed. "I saw you arguing with that bastard Greg, and I wanted to be sure."
"Wait, can you please remind me where I know you from?" Sophia asked, still confused.
"From the cage," the girl whispered. "I was the one you were talking to before you got taken."
"Oh my goodness," Sophia gasped, holding her mouth. "It is really you. I'm so glad you're fine."
"I have to go now; that jerk Diego will come looking for me soon," the girl said, handing her a piece of paper. "That's my number. Just call so we can catch up."
"But I…"
"Meg," she interrupted. "My name is Meg. See you." She waved before dashing out of the kitchen. A few seconds later, true to her words, Diego entered the kitchen, looking around anxiously before leaving.
Sophia let out a deep breath before glancing at the paper. She had wanted to tell Meg that she didn't have a phone. She hid the paper inside her blouse, thinking she might somehow find a way to contact Meg.
.
.
.
.
The party had finally ended, and the hall was cleaned and arranged. Exhausted, Sophia made her way to her room to take a shower. She shivered as the cold water hit her skin but endured it; it was that or remaining dirty.
After her shower, she pulled on one of the ugly sweaters and pants Carla had given her. She was just about to settle into bed when Carla barged in.
"Up you go!" Carla ordered in a harsh tone, but Sophia remained in bed.
"Why? I just had one of the most stressful days of my life. Don't I deserve a minute of rest?" Sophia protested, her voice weary.
"I told you there would be swift retribution for disobeying the boss. Now come along and don't keep him waiting, or you'll make it worse," Carla snapped.
Sophia's heart began thudding heavily. What was he planning to do to her now? She had barely recovered from the last punishment with the poker iron. She stood up from the bed on shaky legs before nervously following Carla out of the room.