Chapter 7

• Allecra
• We have arrived home, walking closely hand in hand to her room and I say goodbye to her, then I go to rest in mine. As soon as I close the door, I start taking off my clothes. I want to take a long shower and rest. I feel exhausted from everything that has happened today, so that's what I do. Twenty minutes later, I am already drying my hair and removing the remnants of makeup. I have always liked looking at myself in the mirror, but what I see reflected there now surprises me. The bruise near my lip looks even uglier and the red mark on my cheek from my father's slaps remains the same. I just want them to disappear already. Seeing them there depresses me.
• I take a deep breath and walk to my closet, grabbing a cotton nightgown. I choose a simple and very comfortable one that reaches above my knees. I put on some lace panties. Yes, I have a weakness for lace, I can't help it. I climb onto my bed to lie on my side and close my eyes with a tranquility that I haven't felt in a long time, which makes me smile as I drift off to sleep.
• The days pass by normally. Yesterday, I received a dress as an engagement gift from my future husband. When I opened it, I didn't like it at all. It was more like something for a prostitute, with a deep neckline. I know I like necklines and sometimes even things that are a bit short, but that, that was just too vulgar. I stored it at the back of my closet. I don't think I'll ever wear it, to be honest. Bellarosa kept insisting on the same thing, so I had to give in and accept the darn wedding dress as a gift. We went to a very well-known designer, she assured me. I don't know anything about that because it's not like I go to use their services frequently. I buy what I like online and that's it. I don't complicate or stress myself with those things.
• Like I'm doing now.
• Honestly, I have no idea who this designer could be. We are already in her boutique, "Fashion Caro Boutique." I must admit that it is elegant and simple at the same time. If you ask me, I imagined something more ostentatious. I don't know why some designers like to do that with their stores. Although the walls are a pearly bone white color, the furniture is a velvet beige sand color, the floor is wooden, I would dare say it's parquet. I'm not an expert in designs and decorations, but I do know a few things. There are beautiful hanging crystal lamps in golden tones that give perfect lighting to the place. I like the full-length mirror and the fitting room, and next to the sofa is a table with small appetizers and champagne, to be more precise, it's a Louis Roederer Brut. But none of this brings me any happiness. I agreed because my friend doesn't know what I will have to endure every day until I can escape from him.
• The designer, a beautiful woman around 45 years old, tall and very elegant in appearance, with intense red hair, perfect makeup, and impeccable nails, approaches my friend and gives her a big hug. It seems they are very close. Then she turns to me and looks me up and down, offering her hand in greeting, which I take so as not to be rude. After that, she gives me a forced smile.
• "Hello, my name is Carlota. It's a pleasure to have you here. I never thought I would see Giulia Castagna's daughter in my boutique. Your mother is beloved by the tabloids. But you must know that very well, right? She is also a great fashion icon in this city, everyone loves her. Oh, I did it again! I apologize once again. I'm saying things that you must already know very well, being her daughter. But I can't help but wonder, why isn't she accompanying you in this important moment?" She tries to sound casual, but fails. It's clear as day that she is dying to know the reason why my perfect mother is not here with me today.
• Could it be because she must be rolling around with some lover of hers or letting herself be kissed on the feet by the flatterers surrounding her?, I respond ironically in my mind.
• But instead, I put on a fake smile on my face before responding to the nosy fake witch.
• "She is a very sought-after person, as you yourself just pointed out, but I want you to know that even though it breaks her heart not to be here with me today, she knows that I understand perfectly. I don't want to be rude to you. But do you think we can start with the dress samples? We are very behind schedule and still have a lot to do, and there are only 3 days left until my wedding. I would appreciate it from the bottom of my heart if you do your job instead of asking things that are none of your business, Carlota." I say all this with a fake sugary voice, but speaking very seriously. She shouldn't ask things that are not her concern."
• Thankfully, she realizes her big mistake, of having spoken too much, so she quickly gets to work, showing me a variety of dresses from the simplest to the most elegant, none of which seem suitable to wear on the day I will unite my life with that arrogant man I will have as a husband.
• I swear if I could, I would show up in a black dress, so he knows I have no intentions of showing off for him, nor do I plan to seduce him as he claimed that day. Ugh!
• Until I see it... it's perfect, I like the ivory white color of the fabric, its round neck, the lace appliques that give it such a delicate and elegant look, long sleeves with flower"shaped stains, low neckline with a sheer mesh covering most of the abdomen, no train but very wide at the bottom, giving me freedom to move."
• "This is the one, I know it!" It looks like it's out of a fairy tale, it's beautiful.
• It accentuates my curves, with it I don't need to wear a bra, as for the underwear, I will wear matching thong and thigh-high stockings, made of a material that won't show under my dress, Bellarosa's suggestion.
• I almost think she wants me to seduce this guy, she believes anyone is better than Rafaelo, I don't know if I should argue that, but I think maybe she's right in the end to think that anyone is better than Rafaelo.
• I must not forget that the dress is only for appearances, I can already imagine if the tabloids find out that the eldest daughter of the Cavour family is getting married below expectations, what rumors would start circulating.
• That I am pregnant and my family doesn't want anyone to see my bulging abdomen.
• That my family is bankrupt.
• That my husband is an old man with a lot of money and paid a good sum for me.
• And many other senseless things.
• We pay and move on to do the rest that is pending, like my sister's clothes, my shoes, my makeup, and hair.
• The wedding is on Saturday, although I would prefer to be somewhere else and not with him, like in another country, and still feel that it's not enough.
• Three hours later...
• I am in my bed, very exhausted, my legs are very sore from so much walking.
• The shopping bags are stacked on the floor near my wardrobe, the wedding dress is hanging inside my wardrobe, that reminds me that almost all my things have been packed, some of my things and Isabella's have already been sent to the Riina's house without my father suspecting anything, as nothing related to me is of interest to him now, in fact, I think he is counting the days for me to finally leave his house.
• The things I am going to take to my husband's house are simple and unimportant, I can leave them behind if necessary, although I think I will make that pig spend on buying me clothes just to leave them all the day I leave his house.
• I rejoice in that thought and many others, where they all have the same ending.
• I continue to ponder what else I can do to make Dante have a hard time, when I hear someone knocking on my door, with all the exhaustion in the world, I get up and walk towards it to see who is on the other side so they can leave and let me rest, I need it so much.
• I open the door and I am very surprised, it is none other than Rafaelo, very handsome as always, casually leaning on the frame of my door.
• He smiled at me, asking, "Did you get lost by any chance? Because I've never seen you around here before. What do you want?" He stays silent, looking me up and down. I can't say I'm dressed poorly, but I chose to wear a long dress open on both sides from the ankles to the thighs, sneakers that match well, my hair is loose, and I didn't bother with makeup because I was going to sweat a lot and that would be a real disaster. But what I did do was put on designer glasses that could very well disguise the lack of the same.
• He closes the gap between us and makes me step back without saying a word, he had never done this before, coming to my room to find me.
• "Why now?" I am very surprised and speechless, I think after all I must have fallen asleep and this is a dream, yes, it must be that, this is not real.
• He gently raises his hand and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, well, my silly theory just went out the window, this is happening.
• He gives me a cold and calculating look, I'm not sure exactly what he's thinking, for him to look at me that way.
• Who is this Rafaelo that I am seeing? The whole situation gives me a bad feeling, it makes me cautious and want to keep a little distance from him, I move away a bit not knowing exactly what I can do to get out of here, I don't like being alone with him at all.
• But he gently closes the door and locks it, hearing that little click sets off an alarm in my head, this is definitely not going to end well, if someone finds us here, alone.
• I don't even want to imagine what my father is capable of doing to me, because he will surely not think that he came to see me of his own free will, but that I brought him here.
• "Rafaelo, what are you doing? Why are you locking the door? You shouldn't be seen here, can you imagine if my father misunderstands this, I assure you it won't end well for me, now imagine if Dante himself hears about it..." I say with a confidence I don't have when in reality, I am so scared.
• "You know Allecra, I've always liked you since the first time I saw you when we were kids, I was so stupid because not only did I wait for you to be an adult, I thought your father was going to give me your hand in marriage, I had no idea that the day we went to Morello's, it was to talk about our engagement, how silly, right? I thought I would get all of your territory for myself, but no, the idiot wanted to mess with Dante, so stupid!" he says with so much anger, that I find it hard to believe that the person in front of me is Rafaelo, the boy I have loved all my life, this is his true face, I had never heard him speak like this before, much less seen him so angry, he is angrier than that time we went to the Morello mansion.
• "Well, this is... yes, I too, but you know how my father is, if you don't do what he says, you end up buried in a common grave or in some remote place in the forest, it's not like I can contradict him." I say somewhat jokingly to make him relax a bit and abandon any silly idea he has in his head, one where we both end up badly.
• Now I have a deal with Dante, one that ensures the future of Isabella and her well-being, I can't lose it, for anything in the world, even if the man I have loved for so many years has decided to confess that he wanted me for himself, it is too late to do anything for us.
• "Yes, that's right, but that's why I must have a taste of you before you belong to that complete idiot. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way, you decide Allecra, my love!" As he says this, he starts unbuttoning his shirt button by button.
• Perhaps under other circumstances, this would be my fantasy come true, but now it only causes me complete terror that I have never experienced before in my life. What does he mean by "taste"?
• I don't think he means to force me to have relations. Right?
• I walk determinedly towards the door, trying to avoid him as I pass, but he prevents me by grabbing my arms tightly with both hands and pushing me roughly onto the bed.
• I quickly recover from what he just did to me and try to get up so as not to be at his mercy, but I think I was too slow, because he is already on top of me, pinning my wrists together above my head.
• I struggle with all I have but it's useless, he has a strong grip on me and his body is very heavy, I can't move him an inch, no matter how hard I fight.
• I try to reason with him. "Rafaelo, don't do this, please, I couldn't bear it if father kills you or if Dante does something much worse to you, Listen to me, let me go, I won't tell anyone about this, I swear!"I try to sound calm although I probably failed.
• "No, if he wants you, he'll have you like this...proven before me! So that idiot won't threaten me anymore, I've always been by your side, I was very patient, then he comes telling me I should stay away from you, I don't care if he's one of the most dangerous in London, no one tells me what to do!" he's so blinded by anger, that I prefer to keep silent so as not to anger him further, he grabs my wrists with one hand and uses the other to explore under my dress.
• I squirm trying to get away from his touch as much as I can, but it's inevitable.
• "Stay still, Allecra, or I'll have to hit you like your father does when he wants to teach you a lesson!"he says it so calmly that it gives me chills, I see him put his hand in his pocket and take out a very thin rope, with that he ties my hands to the headboard of the bed.
• This is when I decide to scream and risk someone finding us, rather than silently endure what he wants to do to me, but it seems he anticipates it, because he covers my mouth very tightly.
• He takes out a handkerchief, ties it tightly over my mouth, hurting me, apparently he has come prepared for everything.
• He tears my dress using the openings on the sides of my thighs, leaving it in tatters, exploring my body at his whim.
• He is not gentle at all, he is very rough, he squeezes my breasts so hard that it hurts, I let out a groan of pain that seems to excite him more, when in reality it has the opposite effect on me.
• I watch helplessly as he unbuckles his belt and unzips his pants, freeing himself to show me how excited he is.
• Oh dear Jesus, someone come and rescue me, some man of my father, I prefer his blows to this, I don't want this, I try to kick him but fail, which earns me a slap from him.
• "I'm not that stupid, you know! I don't plan on fucking your pussy but what I will do is fuck your ass. Do you know why, Love? I know you'll like it so much, that you'll come back to me when I say so, just this once I'll leave that unpleasant task to that idiot Morello to take your virginity, I don't care about that. Do you want to know why you'll come when I call you? You'll like the answer, because if you don't I can always use Isabella as your replacement." he says with such a sinister voice, that I have never heard even from father.
• I can't help but cry and scream in frustration, although my screams are muffled by the handkerchief, I can't stop, I scream until my throat feels raw but no one comes, I bet he planned it so well that it worked out perfectly.
• He roughly turns me over so that my body is now face down and tears off my underwear, he forces me to kneel, giving me a hard slap on the buttocks and a blow to my ribs, since I refused to obey when he gave the order.
• He simply fucks me as he pleases, I can't help but scream and moan in pain all the time, it's indescribable, I felt like I was being torn in two, adding that he grabbed my hair so hard while penetrating me in a brutal way, I could only pray for it to end soon, he was very clever not to leave any marks on my body, at least not a visible but one that I will never be able to erase from myself. Despite everything, he is too cowardly to face the consequences of his actions.
• Here, while I cry and lament, I swear to God that I will kill him, very slowly and painfully.
• The bastard will know before taking his last breath that it was me who sent him to the afterlife.
• Once he was done with what he wanted to do, he would release me, kiss me, make me promises and call me by my name. I know what awaits me if I don't want to obey.
• Time passes but for me it's as if it has frozen, it's been an hour since he left me broken and numb in my bed, my tears don't stop, it's as if I can only lie here waiting for death to come for me, to be free from this suffering.
• After what seemed like an eternity, I am still alive, nothing and no one came to free me from this pain, that's why I forced my body to get up, I went and got into the shower only to end up curled up on the floor, it seems that after lying here for a few hours I have no more tears to shed, now only a coldness has taken over my whole body, if I continue like this everyone will take what they want from me, I can't allow it anymore.
• How will I protect Isabella if I can't even protect myself? No more, today was the last day they use and trample on me, I swear!
• I get up from the floor, dry myself off and throw myself on my bed as I am, I don't bother to get dressed, I just hope Isabella never has to see me like this, I wouldn't know what to say to her.
• I close my eyes and get lost in exhaustion, in the pain of my body, until I fall asleep, I just hope this time I am lucky enough to never wake up.