Chapter 2

With every strength left and cries from the pains of fresh wounds, she managed to finally stand up. He had forced her to take a quick hurtful shower, which she did.

“Uncle Franco, why are you packing my clothes?” She asked after having walked out of the shower to a sight of the slightly older man placing a few of her stuff in a small travel bag.

“You have to leave now, Rissa,” he whispered, making her look around curiously as she wondered why he was even whispering.

She couldn’t leave. This was her home, or a place she called home, and she was proud of it.

Though there was no happiness here for her, she at least wanted to be near her father, hopelessly hoping one day he would look at her with pride in his silver-grey eyes.

“I can’t,” Larissa said through a sob as tears started clouding her vision again, making Franco turn around to look at her in disbelief. He was very sure that he wasn’t going to take any excuses from her.

He zipped the bag containing all he thought she would need in the meantime; he wasn’t sure if she would love to return to Sicily after everything, but he just packed in case she does someday.

He stood up from his squatting position and moved over to the bed, sitting next to her fragile body on the bed, then held her hand, making her look up at his face that held no emotion as always.

“Daughter, neither do I want you to leave, but you have to.

Dante is planning to sell you in marriage, and it would hurt me to know that I couldn’t save you earlier. Do this for me, Larissa,” he trailed off with plead that almost tore her heart into pieces.

She knew a bit of the information except the part about marriage. But to be honest, she wasn’t surprised at all.

It was hard to believe that her father was so eager to sell her off, is that how much he despised her?

Even after many years of hope, she now knew that he would never acknowledge her or treat her once as his own blood.

It hurt so damn much, but she now knew that she had to let go and move on from this kind of life. Maybe, just maybe, there was an adventure out there waiting for her. 

She couldn’t get married now; it was far too wrong, even in her ears.

She still had a modeling carrier to chase, something that she always dreamed of being, and in order to reach that, she had to convince her father to drop the marriage proposal and let her follow her dreams but deep down in her heart, she knew he would never even listen or agree.

She pulled her hand out of Franco’s, and with much effort, she managed to stand up on her two feet, walking over to her wardrobe safes, exactly where she kept most of her valuables.

She wanted to squat down to their level, but Franco beat her to it, not allowing her to hurt herself any further.

“Tell me what you need and I will get it for you,” he said calmly, squatting down once more, and she nodded his way before pointing to a certain safe.

His brown orbs fell on a beautiful pink frame that held a family picture of a young girl with light piggy tails with Maria and Dante, too. He stared at it as a few memories came his way before he pushed all that aside, not wanting to show Larissa his sadness.

He showed her the photograph, and she nodded in a ‘yes’ gesture.

“I’m ready,” Larissa whispered, feeling a rush of excitement hit her as he placed it in her already packed bag.

The fact that she had agreed to leave this place made his heart warm with happiness. Yes, they were going to miss her, but her being far away from Dante was better than missing her.

He lifted the black bag from the floor and walked over to where she stood, his hand wrapping around her shoulder and pulling her into a hug, careful enough not to hurt her. 

He surely understood why he was ready to do this, but what if this was the last day he might see her again? Truly he was going to miss her so much. He always treated Larissa as the daughter he never had, and this girl will always own half of his heart.

“Come on,” he said, pulling away and staring into her grey eyes that held a hint of faded blue. She raised herself on her tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. “I’m going to miss you, old man,” she whispered, and he couldn’t help a light smile that formed on his lips.

With that, they tiptoed downstairs, silently making sure not to hurt her or be heard at all by her father’s men or her father himself.

It was already dark. Most of the lights were switched off, but the security lights outside illuminated through the windows, not making it hard for them to see their way out.

When they arrived in the garage that was connected to the kitchen, she could still feel all her body parts throbbing while her head felt light and kept spinning, but right now, all she cared about was to get out of there without being caught.

“Get in,” Franco’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts, making her look at him.

He had the door of a black SUV open for her; thus, she didn’t wait for any more orders from him before getting in, and he closed it behind her.

She looked outside its window as he got into the driver’s side.

She hoped no one had seen them.

“Do me a favor and get down,” he whispered, readjusting the rearview in order to get a perfect view of her from where she sat.

With his request, she nodded. She had no words left except slight sobs and memories of the sixteen years she had spent with her father flashing through her mind as she squatted down in the space in between seats.

She made sure not to be seen as she got out of view, laying low; lucky enough, it was already night and dark, so it would be hard for anyone to notice her. 

She closed her eyes due to the intense pain, and neither would her squatting position give any relief or space to breathe.

As the car started moving, so did her thoughts. She finally had to leave a place she had always called home.

A place she had lived all her life and a house that held so many memories of Maria Natalie Lana Conzalato. 

Franco drove toward the black gold gates, and sweat broke out on his forehead, yet he had to look normal in order for any of Dante’s men not to get suspicious at all.

The chances of getting caught made him nervous, but he had decided to dismiss these thoughts and mainly focus on getting her out of Dante’s house.

“Where to Franco, huh?” Gallo asked mockingly as he leaned over the car window to get a clear view of Franco.

“I thought of checking out the new ladies and the casino we just opened.” Franco clearly was pleased that even his voice wasn’t giving away a thing.

He leaned over in his seat and looked over at Gallo, who shook his head in disbelief.

“Now that’s the Franco I know,” he replied and adjusted himself before opening the gates automatically.

Franco was proud of himself that now he managed to get through the gates of the Conzalato mansion without being caught. After hitting the road, he asked Rissa to sit up.

Larissa looked back at her father’s mansion as her fingers laid on the glassy window as if it was there and she was touching it.

All the memories of happiness and sadness may be she had thought about this in her sad state. She should have thought much more, but now it was late.

She knew this was the best, and she shouldn’t regret anything at all.

A tear slipped out of her left eye, and she leaned back, closing her eyes.

‘Goodbye, father,’ she whispered mentally to herself.

All her life, she had no choices, but now she hoped her one choice wouldn’t backfire.