Chapter 4 My Damiano

MAEVE

"You have a choice, Ma'am. Either you watch them die or follow us."

My heart was already pounding hard against my chest. "That is not a choice. You are not giving me any choice."

I looked at the people around me inside the restaurant. They were already terrified. Some were still on their knees, while others stared at the guns in the men's hands without daring to move. If I decided not to follow them, they would all be dead. My fingers tightened around the ring hanging around my neck. Ya Allah, please guard your daughter.

"I will follow you," I said as I stood up from the restaurant floor where I had just been sitting. My legs felt weak, and for a moment, I wasn't sure they would carry me.

"Wise choice, Ma'am," he said.

I stared at him. What did he mean by wise choice? I was not given a choice here. They had already made the choice for me. All I had to do was follow the order. I wondered what the boss wanted to discuss with me. Maybe he only wanted to ask me something about the picture. It was better for us to talk about it, and then I should be on my way home.

I took one step forward. Just then, I felt a hit behind my neck. Pain shot through my head. My body jerked.

"What—"

Before I could finish the word, the room began spinning. My vision was blurred. I reached out, trying to hold on to something, but my fingers caught nothing. Hell broke loose as I started to feel dizzy. My eyes shut down. The last thing I remembered was a hand grabbing me.

---

Where am I?

I looked around me. Everywhere was dark. I blinked several times, but nothing changed. There was no source of light anywhere. The room was so dark, so dark.

I slowly moved my hands across the floor beneath me. Cold. My breathing became faster. As memories rushed back to me, I remembered how I was hit at the back of my head. My hand immediately went to the back of my neck. I winced. The place still hurt.

Fear gripped me. They lied to me. They just said I would talk to their boss, and here I am. I looked around the room again. How long have I been here? What did I do wrong? I did not offend anybody. I deleted that post in their front, then what could have caused all this?

Where is my bag? I looked where I sat. Nothing. My bag was not there.

I swallowed hard. For how long have I been unconscious? I don't even know the time. How long have I been here?

My eyes filled with tears. Will they kill me? My Athair and Máthair will be worried about me. Ya Allah, this is not what I asked for. I don't want them to be worried about me. I want them to enjoy such a beautiful life, not to stress them.

A tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly used the back of my hand to clean it. Another tear followed. They are old already. They can't take this. This is too much.

I looked around the room again. Nothing. No window. No light. No one.

Then my eyes landed on the door. It was a bit open. I stared at it. As I stood up from where I sat, I stopped. Wait. The door is not locked.

I slowly walked towards it. My bare feet moved carefully across the cold floor as I approached the door. I looked at it for a few seconds before reaching for the handle. My fingers wrapped around it. I hesitated. Then I pushed it. The door opened.

I opened my mouth in surprise. The door is not locked? Wait. Why don't they lock the door? Are they waiting for me to escape and catch me again?

I looked into the darkness outside. No one. No movement. Nothing.

No, Maeve. If you run now, they can't catch you. They won't even see you, one of my thoughts said.

I took a small step forward. But what if this is a trap? I stopped. It has to be a trap. I stepped away from the door and began pacing around the dark room. My eyes moved everywhere.

Then I saw it. A CCTV camera was fixed above me. I stared at it. The small red light was on. My stomach tightened.

I moved to the right. The CCTV red light rotated towards where I moved. I moved to the left. It did the same. My eyes widened. Someone was watching me.

Maeve, this is not time to play. You are in danger, and you are still playing, aren't you supposed to find a way to escape? You don't even know where you are and you are playing.

I looked at the camera again. My heart was beating faster.

Just then, my stomach talked as it rumbled. I looked down at it. Am I hungry? How can I be hungry in this situation? I placed my hand over my stomach. It rumbled again. I sighed and went back to sit in the place I had just stood up from.

If there is CCTV here, that means someone must be watching. I looked directly at the camera.

"Please, if I may ask, what time is it and what is today's date?" I asked.

Silence.

I waited. Will they answer me? I lowered my head. What right do I have to ask them questions? I don't even think they will answer me. What right did I have to ask them questions? I am a prisoner here who doesn't know what she did wrong.

I waited again. Then a voice suddenly came from a speaker.

"Today is Wednesday, and the time is 9 a.m."

My eyes widened. I knew that voice. It was the voice of the man that threatened me with a gun.

"Thank you," I said.

I stared at the camera. But wait. Today is Wednesday? My heart skipped. That means I have been here for the past two days. I have been unconscious for two days? How is that possible?

I brought my hands to my face. My parents would have gone to the police station and reported me missing. I told my mom I would be back to eat her delicious food, but I did not return.

My chest tightened. My dad has hypertension. How will he take this? My brother... I froze. No. No, this has nothing to do with my brother, right? He is a Mafia, but none of us gets involved with him. We all go against his work, and he promised not to get us involved in any of his affairs.

I looked down at my hands. I hope it is not his rival. I know nothing about all this, so why would I suffer my brother's sin?

Tears rushed down my eyes again. He wouldn't do this to me. He had promised me we were safe.

Just then, I started to feel dizzy. This time, it was because of hunger. I pressed my hand against my stomach.

"Please, I'm hungry. Can I get something to eat?"

My voice sounded weak. The back of my neck started to pain me, the place that guy hit me. I rubbed it gently.

Please, no, Maeve. You can't pass out here again. I'm really hungry.

I tried to keep my eyes open. But everything slowly became blurry. The room began to spin. Then I heard a voice.

"Lady... Lady..."

I blinked. A small beam of light appeared in front of me. I stared at it. So I am dead? I'm finally dead? My eyes widened. Ya Allah, I never wanted to die now. I never lived, I never got married. Why would you call me home now?

The light became brighter.

"Lady, if you can hear me, stand up and eat."

I recognized the voice. It was that man's voice, the one who kidnapped me.

I quickly stood up. My eyes slowly adjusted to the light. He was standing there. And in front of me, he had put some fruit and a bottle of water.

The first thing I reached out to was the water. I grabbed the bottle and gulped everything down at once. The water rushed down my dry throat. I'm really thirsty.

"Take it easy, lady. Don't choke yourself," the man said.

I slowed down. I looked at him. His voice sounded Italian. I reached for the fruit.

Before I could say anything, another voice came from behind the man in front of me.

"We still have a long way to go, Maeve. Eat and gain your strength because the game is about to begin."

My hand stopped. My eyes slowly lifted. The voice sounded familiar. Very familiar. As if I had known that voice all my life. But it was dark. I couldn't see that person.

I stared into the darkness as footsteps slowly approached. One step. Then another. My heart began to pound.

As he walked towards me, my heart skipped. How did he know my name?

Just then, the man in front of me stepped back. My eyes followed him. The darkness slowly revealed the man standing behind him.

My breath caught. I knew that face. I knew those eyes. I knew that voice.

It was Damiano.

My Damiano.

I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I could only stare at him. The boy I had loved. The boy I had prayed to see again. The boy I thought I would never meet again. He was standing right in front of me.

But why? Was he the one who kidnapped me? And why would he kidnap me?