Escape

POV: Elena

I slam the door to my room and all I can see is the blood dripping from Eloisa's cut.

I know I didn't push her with the intention of hurting her, but it still happened and I couldn't even apologize. I stood there frozen.

My hands tremble at the sight of the blood. I smell rust and look down at my hands and feel as if they've been stained with the hot liquid.

I run to the bathroom and wash my hands, scrubbing them until they're raw and the feeling of blood between them disappears.

I turn off the water, slide across the bathroom floor and hug my knees.

I stare at the wall in front of me in silence. I count my heartbeats as I calm down and try to breathe as slowly as possible.

My mind fights against my attempts to calm myself.

I can hear Silas' scream as he dies right in front of me, I feel his blood on my hands and he begs for help, even though there's nothing I can do.

It was my fault.I should have never told anyone what was going on in that house. He would never have tried to save me.

I grab my hair and pull hard enough to hurt my scalp. I do this a few more times until I can replace my thoughts with pain.

I get up from the floor and walk over to my bed, I'm about to lie down when a knock sounds. I quickly fix my clothes and hair, not wanting any of them to feel sorry for me.

"Come in," my voice is low and irritated.

Leonardo appears to my surprise and I give him a wry smile.

"I thought we wouldn't get in each other's way," I say sarcastically. "Have you ever missed me so much?"

He smiles and I smile back.

"As lovely as your presence is, I came to get your electronics," he says and my smile disappears.

I give him a cold look and stand up to hand over my things.

"Lorenzo's anger will pass," he says calmly and I look into his eyes.

"I don't care, he can go to hell," I say irritably and open the door. "If you're done, I want to rest."

He smiles and turns to leave.

"I know fear when I see Elena," he says and leaves.

I close the door and lock it.

I have to get out of this house. These people are too close, they want to know too much, and I'm not willing to bond.

I'm not willing to love or let anyone in, the mess that I am is my problem and these so-called brothers are seeing more than they need to.

So that's it. I'm leaving this house today.

I make a plan and pack a backpack with the clothes and toiletries I might need until I get a job.

I grab an envelope with the little money I managed to save in three years and the documents I need to survive in this country.

I finish packing everything at lunchtime, a maid brings a tray of food and I happily eat, not knowing when I'll eat again.

When she comes back to pick up the tray, I put my plan into action.

No one will come to see me until dinner time, and I take advantage of that. I leave my room silently and go to the kitchen, which is already empty.

I pass by the window and see Luca, Sandro and Eloisa in the pool having fun. I have no idea where the others are and I don't have time to check.

I walk silently to the entrance that I discover is the garage.

When I enter, my jaw simply drops. What do my brothers do for a living?

The garage is full of luxury cars that I'm sure could buy a small country with their combined value.

I see a beautiful black motorcycle and decide it will be my getaway vehicle. I look for the key on the dashboard and find it along with the remote control for the gate.

I get on the bike and start the engine, which sends adrenaline rushing through my veins.

I put on my helmet and backpack. There is no turning back.

I speed out of the garage and open the entrance gate with the remote control attached to the key. I enter the highway five minutes after leaving my brothers' property, accelerating, enjoying the empty road and the feeling of the wind on my skin.

The city appears half an hour later, the place is beautiful.

I slow down as I enter the city, pedaling through a few streets until I find a bus station. I buy a train ticket for eight o'clock at night, great, in four hours.

I get back on the motorcycle and decide to go for a ride. I go to an ice cream shop, where I leave the bike, in case there is a tracker.

I buy an ice cream and sit down to enjoy the view. I see families shopping at nearby stores or going to the park across the street.

They seem happy, but do you know that everything gets worse later?

I try to spend as much time there as possible and when I have only an hour left of my journey, I head to the bus station.

I don't have a phone, so I use my excellent memory to find my way. It takes me forty minutes to get there and when I enter the terminal I'm freezing.

Great idea, Elena. She didn't have the intelligence to get a coat.

I hand my ticket to the lady at the counter who doesn't even look at my face to ask for permission from my guardians.

I go through the turnstile and sit next to an elderly lady who smiles at me warmly.

"Where are your parents, dear?" she asks me as soon as I sit down.

My instinct is to tell her to mind her own business, but she's just a kind old lady.

"They're dead, car accident," I say looking down at my hands.

"I'm sorry," she replies and I smile warmly.

"It doesn't bother me anymore," I say sincerely and she looks at me in surprise.

"Not every family is perfect, little one," she whispers. "I have two children who don't even care about me," her voice is sad.

"I'm sorry," I say this time.

The train arrives, interrupting our conversation. I help her put her things in the carriage and then board.

"If you need to talk, my name is Paola Ricci," she says and I nod.

"I'm Elena Valentini," I say and she looks at me in shock and smiles.

"Your eyes look familiar," she says, then turns and goes to find her seat.

I sit in my seat and the train pulls away towards the city where I intend to start my life over. I hug my backpack and rest my head on the window.

I don't know when I fell asleep, but when I wake up, we are stopped in the middle of the tracks and I hear some passengers complaining.

One of the inspectors passes by me and I stop him to find out what's going on.

"We are ordered to wait here for a few minutes, and you will resume your journey shortly," he says, but he doesn't tell me exactly what I want to know.

I sigh and lean my head against the window again. My stomach is aching with hunger and I won't be able to eat until the next town.

I doze off again, exhaustion completely consuming me. I even dream and when I wake up from a nightmare someone soothes me so I can go back to sleep.

Wait. Someone who?

I tense when a hand gently strokes my hair. I realize that the train has started moving again and that someone is touching me.

"You got enough sleep, Sorella," Lorenzo's voice is cold and in that moment I know my escape plan is ruined.

I open my eyes and see Leonardo and Vicente sitting in the seats in front of me, both with irritation and amusement playing in their eyes. Lorenzo is right next to me with my head resting on his shoulder.

I pull away from him and he gives me an icy smile. I'm dead.