rhythm. He smirked, glancing at the diamond necklace around my neck. “So, you don't think money can solve problems?”
“No,” I muttered. “Not all of them.”
“Why not?” His eyes sprang back to mine.
I gulped. “Because money can't buy happiness.”
Alessandro snickered and shook his head. “It’s funny you of all people should think that way, tesoro,” he pointed out in a pleasant tone. “Wasn’t it the lack of money that got you into serious trouble with that dangerous trafficking cartel? I don’t think I have to remind you how many men would have had to share your bed before that debt was repaid.”
I let out a harsh breath and squinted at him in utter shock. Alessandro had never been so blunt about it before. Ever since that day when he told me he wouldn’t let me leave his mansion, the matter of how I ended up there was never brought up again. He gazed at me intently as though he expected a reply or at least some kind of confirmation of his words.
“Alessandro, scusami puoi venire un attimo da me?” An old man called from the salon, requesting his presence.
Alessandro bit out a quick reply without taking his eyes away from mine.
“Go to bed, Olivia,” he instructed. “You don't look so well.”
Then, he disappeared back into the salon and I followed after him, happy to oblige with his order. I preferred loneliness to mingling with cold-blooded killers on any given day. On my way out, I caught Lorenzo Moretti's stare, and the blood drained from my face.
Olivia, forget you ever talked to this man.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The Past (3 years prior)
Common sense told me Lorenzo Moretti's proposal was too good to be true, and some hidden, ulterior motives drove him to approach me. But then, Alessandro came into my room after the reception and coerced me into having sex, only to leave me alone to cry myself to sleep. When it happened the next night and the next, the dread of the possible consequences and the resolution not to trust Lorenzo weakened. I couldn't continue living without a sense of purpose, and there was a scary thought forming in my mind. What if I never get another chance? What if this is the one and only time God decided to answer my prayers and show me a way out? I kept thinking about Lorenzo's request. Whenever I closed my eyes and imagined his touch on my skin, I shuddered and my mind rejected the idea of being intimate with him. But it was only one night. One more night of pain and then I would see May. But what if it was a lie and he had no intention of helping me?
The same thought process bombarded my head over and over again. I decided to take the risk, then rejected the idea completely and once again returned to thinking. This continued until the day Alessandro went on his business trip—just like Lorenzo had said he would. Suddenly, the opportunity for escape became real. It was still unimaginable I could simply step into a car and disappear from Alessandro's estate—never to be seen again. Perhaps there wouldn't even be a car. Perhaps, it was only a joke and Lorenzo laughed at this very moment because I waited for an escape that wouldn't come.
About an hour before the car should arrive, I got a call from Alessandro. This was nothing unusual. He called every single evening when he was away travelling, but he never once took me with him. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He asked the same things he always asked. He wanted to know if I ate, when I was going to bed and what I was doing. I answered his questions, but asked him nothing in return. Nevertheless. he talked about where he was and when he would be back. In the end, he wanted to know if I missed him. It was a standard question, and I gave him a standard answer, because I knew that was what he wanted to hear. The phone call ended and I strolled to the window.
As I gazed outside, I was half-afraid the car wouldn't show up and half-afraid that it would. Either way, I tried to stay calm and prepare myself for any possible outcome. The time ticked away, and I still wasn't sure I was brave enough to take this chance. Despite my doubts, I got dressed and made myself ready for departure. I wore a classic black dress with high heels. Striving