Time froze. The air seemed to thicken, and my thoughts tumbled over each other as his words sank in. After the pain, darkness, and the fear, he wanted to talk to me? I froze until his voice cut through my thoughts once more.
“Alessia,” he said, his tone almost coaxing. “He loves you.”
The words scraped at my heart. I turned to face him. “He sure does,” I said, the bitterness stinging my words. “Only a person who loves you can put you through this, right?” I let out a hollow laugh. “He loves me. And you know, I love him too.”
I turned to leave, but he knew what to say to stop me.
“Your father said you’ll listen to me.”
Papa?My thoughts spun. My parents finally noticed I was gone.
“Some people attacked them, but Marco helped them. They’re okay.”
His words were a lifeline, but I didn’t know how to feel anymore. Despite everything, I cared about my parents. Their safety mattered to me. But I was too tangled in this mess to know who I could trust.
“Who are you?”
He ignored me as he pulled out his phone. “Your father wanted you to listen to this.”
My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to ask if they were okay, but I couldn’t bring myself to trust anyone anymore. Through the static of my fear, I heard my papa’s voice.
“Alessia, baby, I’m so sorry. I know you’re going through a lot, but listen, we will find you.” His voice broke with a tremor I had never heard before, and my heart clenched. “If you’re listening to this, it means you’ve met Salvatore.” He exhaled deeply, his words heavy with unspoken fear. “Listen to him, and do what he says.”
The recording ended, leaving only a haunting silence in its wake. I was stunned, the truth crashing over me like a wave.
I missed them. I missed my parents more than I could bear. And in the same breath, the weight of the truth settled over me. This nightmare wasn’t just my own anymore.
“You didn’t think Marco wasn’t doing anything to get you out of here, did you?” The man’s voice drew me back to the present. “So, can we talk now?”
I couldn’t answer. His words struck me, stirring chaos in my mind. But I knew one thing: nothing was what it seemed, and I was already too far in.
“I’m Salvatore, but you can call me Salva.”
Chapter Eleven
Alessia
I stayed with Salva becausemy parents were my last hope. I didn’t trust Marco, but I trusted my parents. Hearing my papa’s voice, though recorded, gave me new strength. It reignited something deep inside me, a flicker of hope I desperately needed.
“I want to talk to my father,” I said, the words coming out as a demand. He had to let me talk to him or my mother.
Salva didn’t respond. Instead, his fingers tapped against the screen of his phone, and my heart raced. Was I about to speak to Papa? The thought both terrified and exhilarated me.
“Why not?” Salva didn’t seem to care about my emotional desperation. “You’ll make it quick. Your boss might come looking for you.”
The phone rang. As the seconds stretched into eternity, I lostmyself in the sound of it. Each ring made my heart beat faster. Once the call connected, I grabbed the phone.
“Papa?” I sobbed into the receiver, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. “Hello, Papa?”
“Baby?” His voice cracked, the rawness of it enough to shatter me. “Are you okay? Listen to me, we will get you out of there. Just hold on.”
“Papa, I—” I started, but before I could finish, the call ended. My panic swelled, and I stared at the dead screen in disbelief. “What happened? Why can’t I talk to him? I should have talked to him.”
“Damn phone.” Salva cursed under his breath. “It died. I forgot to charge it.”
“No,” I whispered. “I need to talk to them. Is my mother okay? Please, tell me she’s safe—”
“Hey, calm down.” Salva’s voice had a hint of something almost reassuring. “Listen, it won’t take long for someone to come looking for you. We should talk.”