Chapter 5 Unexpected Kidnapping
Chapter 5 Unexpected Kidnapping
Chapter 5 Unexpected Kidnapping
"I know you're good, Sienna," Mom's voice was as cheerful as ever, "I'm so glad you care so much about Val, you are sisters after all."
"Don't worry, dear. Val will live with her husband in New York until she graduates from college."
Hearing Mom's assurances, I breathed a sigh of relief.
This arrangement was perfect.
I mean, marriage is about freedom, and Valentina wasn't being restrained just because she got married.
The taxi slowly stopped in front of the villa, and I got out, searching for the keys in my purse while still talking to Mom, "I'll discuss it with Dad."
"I'm looking forward to your visit, Sienna," Mom almost squealed with excitement, her voice rising a couple of decibels, "I'll have your favorite cream crepes and iced coffee ready."
Mom hung up quickly. She didn't seem worried at all that Dad might refuse to attend the wedding.
I frowned slightly, unlocking the front door. The house was silent; Dad wasn't home?
I hung my purse on the rack, kicked off my high heels, and walked barefoot into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of mineral water from the fridge and chugging half of it.
The cold refreshment jolted my brain, finally cooling the lingering heat of passion. I exhaled a chilly breath and made my way upstairs.
"Dad?" I knocked on the study door on the second floor, "Are you home?"
The door was tightly shut, no response. Gambling again?
I felt a mix of anger and the helpless irritation of failed persuasions. Dad was a seasoned gambler, terribly unlucky and addicted.
The year Dad took up gambling, his company went bankrupt, and the little savings we had were used to pay off his gambling debts. We had many fights about it, all ending abruptly with Dad slamming doors.
Perhaps I should be grateful that at his worst, he only stole my tuition money, and not took out high- interest loans.
But damn it, I was at my limit; when would he realize that gambling would never make him rich, it was a bottomless pit.
I was so fed up.
I picked up my phone to call him, trying to keep my tone calm and not start yelling. I needed to talk sensibly with him and then tell him about Valentina's wedding.
No matter how unfit he was, he was still mine and Valentina's father.
But the phone just rang unanswered until it disconnected, anger rushing to my head.
"Dammit!" I threw the phone onto the bed. I was sure he was at a gambling table, shouting bets at the dealer. Gamblers' voices were as loud as thunder, easily drowning out any disturbances.
I rubbed my temples, feeling a sudden surge of physical discomfort.
I couldn't help but curse. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, suppressing the multitude of swear words rising in my throat, pulled out pajamas from the wardrobe, and rushed into the bathroom to turn on the shower. I wanted to clean myself inside out.
My legs were weak, my breaths quick and shallow, and suddenly Antonio's menacing figure flashed in my mind-the deep purple veins on his thick flesh moving rhythmically...
A shiver ran through the depths of my womb, releasing a clear fluid as I groaned softly amidst the pattering of the shower. My face was burning hot and I kept thinking about using my finger...
What the hell was I doing!? This was so shameful!
I turned the shower to its coldest setting, letting the icy water wash over my flushed cheeks, reminding myself that the wild night was over, and I had been reborn.
I shouldn't dwell on that random encounter, and since Antonio was just a hooker who took my money, I shouldn't have any further entanglements with him.
I needed to return to my normal life and say goodbye to Nico and Livia. Thinking of them still filled my chest with discomfort.
I turned off the shower, quickly dried off, and changed into pajamas, my hair still damp as I returned to my room.
I pulled out my planner, reviewing my schedule for the next six months.
My studies in Milan were nearly complete, and aside from preparing my thesis and graduation project, I'd have plenty of free time. My initial plan was to use my part-time job earnings for a trip to Seattle with Nico, but now that plan was erased from my planner.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
Livia's birthday was in two weeks; I could cancel the birthday cake I had ordered early, along with the spa day and Michelin restaurant reservations...
I watched as each plan was crossed off, my nose tingling, tears swirling in my eyes, feeling both foolish and sentimental.
Forget them, Sienna.
Life must go on, those scoundrels aren't worth a moment of my time.
As I filled my planner with new stuff-attending Valentina's wedding, traveling, shopping, and finding a job-my schedule looked full again, and my spirits lifted.
Without the burden of paying for Nico's travel expenses, I would have a more generous budget to visit more cities and see the sights I loved. It might actually be a good thing!
I yawned, tidied up a bit, and crawled into bed, ready for a short nap.
This nap was deeply refreshing, clearing away all the fatigue and weakness. After waking up, I quickly freshened up and picked out a comfortable, loose cotton T-shirt and light blue jeans.
As I zipped up my jeans and fastened the metal button, my phone vibrated on the pillow, alerting me to a new email.
Could it be Dad responding to my missed call?
I picked up the phone and checked my inbox. Nico?
"There's something you left here, Sienna."
I scrolled down.
Attached was a photo of Nico, holding a nude-colored bra, his half-face buried in it, displaying a lovestruck obsession.
That bra was mine!
My stomach churned, nausea overwhelming me.
I had never seen this disgusting side of Nico before.
As I was about to retch from disgust, my phone vibrated again with another email from Nico, this time sending a hotel address and a room number.
"Waiting for you here."
Go to hell!
If I had a baseball bat right now, I would smash Nico's head in!
I cursed as I blocked and deleted Nico's email, then logged into FB and Instagram to erase everything about him.
What a disgusting man, scum, vile! What a piece of trash!
A perfectly good day ruined by a disgusting man, I cursed under my breath, grabbed my purse, and prepared to leave the house.
The house was quiet, only my footsteps on the stairs audible; Dad still hadn't come home and wasn't answering his phone.
I decided to forget about him for now and went to pick up my camera from the repair shop.
Just as I stepped out the front door, a black van sped toward me, screeching to a halt right in front of me, and two burly men got out.
They came at me!
Instinctively, I turned to run, but they were faster, grabbing my arms from both sides and dragging me toward the van.
"Help... mmm..."