you shoot, tesoro. Otherwise, you just end up making a fool out of yourself and call for more punishment.” I was frozen and tears spilled down my numb face as he leaned back to look at me again. “Don't fucking move. Don't make a sound. Don't even breathe. And don't you dare beg me or you're dead, capisci? You’ve really done it this time, but I'll remind you who you’re fucking dealing with.”
He picked up the phone from the floor, dialing what I supposed was the same number. His eyes held mine as he spoke, uttering Trisha's name multiple times and telling them to proceed with the agreed schedule. Alessandro intended to kill my stepmother from the very beginning. The illusion of choice was nothing but a game. He saw the tears in my eyes, he saw my desperation and pleading, but didn't give a damn. His face was a cold, merciless mask as he ordered Trisha's murder.
Then, he ended the call and came to stand above me. I was a sobbing mess on the floor, but that didn't stir any mercy in him when he reached for me again. I tried to scoot away, but he pulled me right back.
“I'm not done with you, Olivia,” he said calmly.
“Get away from me, you monster!” I shrieked in helpless misery and anger.
“Oh, you haven't seen the monster in me yet, tesoro, but you're about to have a quick introduction,” he threatened as he lifted me in his arms and threw me on the bed.
While I struggled to escape him, he pressed his arm against my back and held me in place. Then, he withdrew something out of the drawer.
Handcuffs? My muscles jumped from beneath my skin,, and I panicked, trying to evade him in any way I could. When that fell through, I pleaded with him despite his warning it would get me killed. But nothing helped. He made me lie on my stomach and then he handcuffed me to the bed. Up until that moment, he was cold and controlled. Now he looked mad, furious, but also strangely emotional. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn his eyes glistened with unshed tears. He took off his belt, and my heartbeat faltered. “A-Alessandro...”
“Not a fucking word.” His voice was heavy with something I would almost describe as pain. “I don't want to listen.”
Then, he struck me with his belt and I screamed from severe pain. I was sure the leather split my skin open. I didn't know how many times he repeated the act, but eventually, I stopped screaming and just took the punishment. The entire time, I sobbed into the pillow, crying out softly whenever the belt connected with the burning flesh on my back. Slowly, my mind escaped into a distant stupor where there was no pain and nothing held any importance. I wasn't aware of the moment it stopped. All I knew was that, after a while, there were no more blows. When I lifted my head, Alessandro was crouching on the floor, spent and with his head in his hands. He was shaking.
After a few moments, he rose to his feet and met my gaze. His eyes were red and swollen as though he’d been crying. He cast a glance at my back and winced.
“Alessandro,” I called to him in a small, broken voice.
He knelt down next to the bed and removed a lock of hair from my puffy face. He looked torn and broken.
“This is not how I wanted it to be between us, tesoro,” he whispered, as if the words hurt him.
Disregarding the burning agony on my back, I pleaded with him yet again. “It's not too late,” I choked out. “If you spare Trisha—”
“It's done,” he muttered. “She's dead.”
I whimpered softly and fresh tears rolled down my face. “No. May,” I stammered, wondering what was going to happen to my little sister now that she was left in the care of a selfish, drunk gambler. And the knowledge it was all my fault tore me apart. None of this would have happened if I had just listened to my instincts and pretended Lorenzo Moretti's offer never existed.
Alessandro stared at me with an empty expression.
“Alessandro…please, let me go,” I implored helplessly, hoping against hope.
But Alessandro's expression darkened again and I realized it was the wrong thing to say—the worst thing to say. In a moment of absolute fury, he snatched my hand and pulled my wedding ring off my finger, placing it in