The drive home felt like a blur. My hands rested in my lap, trembling slightly, but I didn't dare move. I couldn't bring myself to look at Bruno. My mind replayed the events of the night, the image of that man tied to the chair, bloodied and bruised, etched into my thoughts like a nightmare I couldn't escape.
By the time we pulled into the long driveway of the mansion, I had become eerily quiet, the storm of emotions roiling inside me locked behind a wall of numbness.
My heart still raced, but my face remained calm. The sprawling Alfonzo estate loomed before us, the lights of the grand house casting long shadows across the grounds.
I opened the door and stepped out, my body moving automatically as if on autopilot. The cool night air hit me like a slap, but even that couldn't shake the feeling of suffocation that had been building inside me.
I headed straight for the entrance, my heels clicking against the stone path. The massive double doors swung open as I approached, and I stepped inside, the warmth of the house doing little to break the ice that had settled in my veins.
As I made my way toward the stairs, I heard the soft creak of footsteps descending from the upper floor. I looked up to see Sofia walking down. Her sharp eyes flicked between me and Bruno, curiosity lighting up her expression.
"Well, well," Sofia drawled, her lips curling into a smirk. "Out for a little night drive, were we?"
I kept walking, my gaze fixed on the top of the staircase. I didn't have the energy to deal with Sofia's games right now.
All I wanted was to retreat to my room, to lock the door behind me and drown out the world. But as I passed her, Sofia's gaze followed me, and I could feel her watching, waiting for a reaction.
When I didn't respond, her smirk widened.
"Not in the mood to chat tonight, Maria? Did big bad Bruno scare you?"
I kept walking, my pace steady even though her words sliced through me like a blade.
"Come on," she continued, her voice filled with sarcasm. "I'm sure it wasn't that bad. You've been through worse, haven't you?"
I reached the first step of the staircase, my hand gripping the banister as I prepared to walk up, but Sofia's voice followed me like a shadow.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
I felt a sharp pang in my chest, the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on me. My hand tightened on the banister as I forced myself to keep walking. I had to keep moving. I couldn't let her get under my skin, not when I was already so raw, so close to breaking.
But just as I took another step, Sofia moved, her hand reaching out to grab my arm.
"Hey, I'm talking to you—"
Before she could touch me, Bruno's voice cut through the air like a whip.
"Sofia. Stop."
Sofia froze, her hand dropping back to her side as she turned to look at him. Bruno stood at the foot of the stairs, his eyes cold and unreadable, but there was a warning in his tone that made even Sofia pause.
"Let her go," he said, his voice low and commanding.
Sofia's lips twitched into a smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Oh, protective now, are we?"
I took the opportunity to slip away, climbing the stairs as quickly as I could without running. My heart pounded in my chest, a mix of relief and fear surging through me.
I didn't stop until I reached my room. Once inside, I closed the door softly, leaning against it as I exhaled a shaky breath. I pressed my hands to my face, trying to calm the tremor in my fingers.
Downstairs, I knew that Bruno and Sofia weren't done. They never were.
I pushed away from the door and moved to the window, staring out into the night. The stars were faint, barely visible through the clouds that had begun to roll in. It felt fitting—like even the universe was reflecting the uncertainty that now consumed my life.
I barely registered the sound of footsteps approaching from the hallway until they stopped right outside my door. For a moment, I thought it might be Sofia, ready to hurl more barbs in my direction, but then I heard the door to the TV room creak open.
Bruno.
I stepped away from the window and crept closer to the door, pressing my ear against the wood to catch their conversation.
I didn't want to eavesdrop, but something inside me, some instinct, told me that whatever they were about to discuss concerned me.
"I wasn't trying to start something," I heard Sofia say, her voice casual but with an edge of annoyance.
Bruno's reply was quieter, more measured, but I could still make out his words.
"Leave her alone, Sofia. She's been through enough."
Sofia let out a harsh laugh.
"Enough? She's been here for what—seconds? And already you're acting like she's fragile glass?"
"She doesn't need your sarcasm," Bruno snapped, his patience clearly wearing thin.
"And you don't need her," Sofia shot back. "At least, not the way you think."
There was a brief pause, and I could almost picture Bruno's stony expression, his jaw clenched in frustration.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked, his voice dangerously calm.
Sofia's footsteps moved across the room, and I heard the sound of a chair scraping against the floor.
"What's your plan, Bruno? To keep her locked up here forever? To force her into submission?"
Bruno didn't answer immediately, and my heart skipped a beat. I leaned closer to the door, straining to hear every word.
"I don't know," he finally said, his voice lower than before.
There was a long silence, the weight of his admission hanging in the air like a heavy cloud. Sofia was the first to break it, her voice quieter but still laced with sarcasm.
"You don't know," she repeated, almost to herself. "Well, that's comforting."
Another pause, then the soft sound of fabric shifting as she stood from her chair.
"I don't care what you do with her, Bruno. Keep her, have fun with her, send her away—I couldn't care less."
I heard her footsteps moving toward the door, and I scrambled back from the door, retreating to the window before they could catch me listening.
"But know this," Sofia's voice rang out, sharper now, more pointed. "If I sense that she's even the slightest bit of a threat to this family—to you or me—I will make sure she suffers."
My breath caught in my throat, the chill in her voice sending shivers down my spine.
"And I won't let anyone stop me. Not even you."
The door creaked open, and I heard her heels click against the floor as she walked out, her presence leaving the air charged with menace.
I stood frozen in place, staring out into the night but seeing nothing. The weight of her threat pressed down on me like a vice, suffocating in its intensity.
Bruno hadn't said anything. He hadn't defended me, hadn't refuted her words.
And that silence spoke louder than any answer he could have given.