Chapter 3
The car ride felt like a never-ending journey.
My hands trembled in my lap, and my throat turned dry.
I sat in the backseat between two of his men, who discussed me as if I weren't present. I was traumatized to know how they were planning to use me before ending my life, only if their boss hadn't intervened.
Somehow, even if I managed to escape Matteo, these men would not leave me. And what if Matteo himself handed me to these hungry wolves?
No!
I shook my head.
He would never do this to me.
'He also trusted you when you betrayed him, and now he is going to take revenge on you,' my inner voice shouted at me.
The windows were tinted black, preventing me from seeing where we were going. I wasn’t blindfolded, maybe because Matteo already knew I wouldn’t dare jump from a moving vehicle with a torn foot and bruised body.
Slowly, the car came to a halt, and the men pulled me out of the car as if I were not a human and could get hurt.
My soul shivered and my stomach twisted when I saw a huge mansion in front of me. Men with rifles guarded the tall stone walls surrounding the mansion.
I know this place!
God, I know this place!
One of the men pushed me forward and forced me to walk. I had to bite back my cry as the pain shot up from my injured foot. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me in pain.
Walking through the grand front doors, we entered a dimly lit hallway. Just like before, the place reeked of power. Even when no one was around, I could still feel my eyes.
My heart stopped when I saw a huge painting of a family. My gaze was fixed on young Matteo, who was nothing like the cold and ruthless man he had become today.
'No one but you is responsible for it,' my inner voice shouted again.
“Keep moving,” one of the men barked.
I stumbled forward slightly as they led me up a grand staircase before finally pushing me inside and leaving me alone.
The room was quite large and cold. My eyebrows drew together in confusion because the room was far too lavish for a prisoner.
I flinched when they shut the door behind me with a loud click.
I planned to whirl around and open the door anyhow, but I could only manage half a turn when my body froze and my heart came to my throat.
Matteo Russo.
There he was! In the same room as mine... sitting on the couch as if this were his kingdom, and I was just another prize dragged back to his throne.
His arms rested on the backrest, his legs were crossed, and one of his eyebrows lifted as his sharp eyes swept over me from head to toe before settling on my face. His gaze lingered on my face longer than I liked.
“Welcome home, Sera,” he said in a low, smooth, and cruel voice.
I swallowed hard and staggered a step back. My back hit the locked door.
If only I had some magical power to disappear.
“I’m not—” I started, but the look in his eyes silenced me.
I swallowed the rest of the words out of fear.
“Come here,” he commanded.
My feet didn’t move from their place. He waited for a moment before tilting his head slightly and dangerously narrowing his eyes at me.
“Don’t make me repeat myself.”
I hesitated for a second before slowly stepping forward. There is no way out of this place without convincing him that I am not Sera. So if I wanted to go out, then I would have to listen to him and follow his commands for now.
He gestured toward the opposite couch. “Sit.”
I sat down stiffly on the edge. The gaze that once comforted me now made me feel uncomfortable and anxious.
He watched me for a long moment before dropping his gaze to the crystal decanter and matching glasses on the table between us.
“Pour me a drink,” he ordered.
I blinked. “What?”
“You heard me.” His tone was even, but his eyes—God, those eyes—burned as if they saw everything. “If you’re going to pretend you don’t know me, at least pretend well.”
I needed to end this as soon as possible. My fingers trembled as I reached forward. I poured the liquid into a glass, my hands shaking so badly that I nearly spilled it.
He stretched out his hand, and I handed him the glass. Intentionally, he brushed his fingers against mine and acted innocent.
His lips curled slightly as he looked down at his drink.
"You still remember the exact amount of ice, water, and whiskey I prefer. Interesting," he chuckled.
I swallowed hard.
“I... I just poured the drink the same way I do for my boyfriend.”
The moment the word "boyfriend" left my mouth, his body stilled. His shoulders stiffened, and his grip on the glass became so tight that his knuckles turned white.
"Boyfriend, huh?" He repeated in an icy voice, "Of course, six years is a long time, and a woman like you... always had a habit of landing on her back when it suited her, didn’t you?”
My fists curled, and my jaw clenched. How dare he! He knew exactly where to strike.
“But don't worry; you won’t be needing any boyfriends here. From now on, the only man in your life will be me,” he announced. “And I don’t share what’s mine.”
A shiver ran down my spine. No one knows this better than I do, but I didn't let that show on my face.
"I am not the same girl!" I stated firmly, looking directly into his eyes.
"No," he agreed coldly, "you are filthier now."
Abruptly, I left my seat and stood up.
"It's enough!" I shouted. "I have already told you I am not the one you think I am... I am..."
"Sit down," Matteo cut me off in his calm and dangerous voice.
I was surprised he hadn't lost his temper yet, but in another second, he proved me wrong.
"I said, SIT DOWN!" he shouted. "It will be enough when I say it's enough. Understood? Now take your seat before I change my mind and lock you here forever."
Slowly and reluctantly, I once again sat on the edge of the couch.
"Now, you want to prove you are not my Sera, right?" He slowly rose to his feet and swirled the drink in his hand.
I nodded.
"Then, play a game with me."
He walked toward me, and I leaned back. I swallowed hard when he walked around and stood behind me. The hair on my nape stood up in high alert.
"My Sera had a mole beside her right nipple, which was my favorite. The rule of the game is simple: if I can't find the mole there, you are free to go."
My eyes widened in horror. I wasn't expecting it. The next second, I felt his hot breath fanning my shoulder as he whispered in my ear,
"Strip."