Alessandro assured me the men were there for our protection, but I was reluctant to trust him. A small part of me wanted to believe he was truthful and he would grant me a divorce after this trip because we were too far gone to mend the damage. But that other part sensed there might be danger and hidden ulterior motives behind Alessandro's sudden gesture to take me on a long overdue honeymoon. The presence of those four menacing strangers certainly didn't put my mind at ease, and the fact Alessandro kept me in the dark about our exact destination only deepened my fears.
There was one positive aspect to this trip. I discovered I enjoyed flying. I had never been on a plane before, and broke out in a cold sweat when we took off. But the initial apprehension slowly turned to interest, and then admiration. While Alessandro sat next to me and smothered me with constant attention, I stole glances outside the window and enjoyed the beautiful view. The bright clouds appeared to be within the reach of my hand, and the miraculous sight helped distract my mind from constant thoughts about May.
“Have you ever been to Italy, cara?” Alessandro asked, demanding my attention.
I looked at him and shook my head. “I've never been on a plane.”
“So, I never took you outside the country?”
“I think we already had this discussion,” I reminded him. “You rarely took me anywhere.”
He smiled mysteriously and changed the subject. “How do you like flying? You don't seem frightened.”
“No, I'm not frightened,” I replied, gazing back out at the amazing view. “More like fascinated.”
“We'll do it more often, then,” he said, still smiling.
“What?” I blinked at him. “Go to Italy?”
“Not just Italy.” He caressed my cheek. “I'll take you wherever you want to go, Olivia. You just have to say the word.”
He was doing it again. He was trying to work his charms on me and make me fall under his spell. “That's okay, Alessandro,” I said emotionlessly with a tilt of my chin. “I don't think I'll turn into a keen traveler overnight.” I gazed outside the window once again and focused on the clouds. I tried to keep my distance from Alessandro, but he had other plans.
“Olivia...” he called my name again.
“Hmm?” I kept my eyes glued on the clear blue sky.
“Tell me about your life before we got married,” he requested.
I sighed and slowly turned to face him.
“There is not much to say.” I paused as a waiter appeared and handed over a scotch to Alessandro before politely nodding and leaving us. “I was just an average seventeen year old girl. Nothing exciting ever happened.” Except for that time when I met you....
“But I'm interested nevertheless,” Alessandro insisted, taking a sip of the strong liquid. “I know you worked at Mangiare. What did you do in your free time?”
I didn't have a clue why he asked all these strange questions, but the information was trivial at best, so I chose to answer without holding back. “I took care of my little sister,” I said simply.
“I suppose you also went to school?” he asked.
A sharp pang lanced through my chest. “I have, but I never graduated,” I revealed.
He cocked his head to one side. “Why? What happened?”
I looked straight into his eyes and frowned. “You happened.”
He didn't comment on my remark. Just took another sip before probing further. “Any hobbies?”
I smiled with melancholy. “I used to draw sketches of people.”
His eyes went distant for a moment as though reliving a memory. “But not anymore?”
“No. Not anymore,” I confirmed, my voice deadpan. “I kind of grew out of it when I got married to you.”
Alessandro gazed into my eyes for a few long moments. His persistent scrutiny made me uncomfortable. “Do you miss that life?” he asked softly.
“Sometimes.” I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I miss having something to do. I would like to go back to work.”
“Cara, I'm not going to lie to you. That’s going to be difficult,” he warned, rejecting the idea without hesitation.
Suddenly, the rebellious nature within me bubbled to the surface. Alessandro said he wanted to be a different man. But how far was he willing to go to keep that promise? Whatever his plan was, I had no intention of being a passive bystander in it. I wanted him to know it would take much more than one trip to Italy and a bit of sweet-talking to pacify me, or make me forget the monster