⋆⁺₊⋆☽ | Verity’s POV | ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
The man who claimed he loved me kept me imprisoned for three years in a villa on one of his private islands. I had no human contact save for the housekeepers who were all female—no other man but him was allowed near me.
When I first arrived, I tried to learn anything about him. All I could gather from the maids’ hushed whispers was that he led a mafia gang. Their fear of even speaking his name confirmed it and finally, the despair sank in—There was no way out from the grasp of such a powerful man.
Valentino visited every few days, trying to win me over with gifts and moonlit dinners. I refused it all and it vexed him deeply.
His obsession ran deep. Valentino found for himself a woman who looked like me to cope with my rejection. The same fiery red hair and honey eyes I had was present in her.
This woman, Aella, was the spitting image of me in the pictures Valentino shared. She could have very well been my twin, and I could not imagine how much he paid to find my copy, one who smiled and laughed, and seemed alive unlike me. But it did not matter. Such a thing couldn’t make me jealous as I imagined was his goal. I had lost my emotions a long time ago.
It was a Thursday evening when Aella stormed into the garden with her clique. I was confused when I heard their loud, nasally voice all the way from afar.
“Didn’t Mr. Consani say this villa is private and no one but him is allowed here? I don’t think this is a good idea, Aella.”
“It’s true. I heard he dug a man’s eyes out and broke his hands because he snuck a peek inside.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Aella bit out in response. “How can anyone sneak in here? It’s an island and that’s just a rumor. I must find out what it is he’s hiding…” She trailed off as she sighted me when they finally reached the garden.
“Who the hell are you?”
“You shouldn’t be here.” I warned quietly. “Leave before my husband gets back. Quickly—”
I could not finish speaking because the sound of a sharp slap rang out. My entire head was thrown to the side and pain spread across my flesh and jaw. I could not help but remember that fateful day when I had done the same to him.
“Your husband? How dare you, you wretched slut!” Aella screamed. She grabbed at my hair and started pulling, dragging me so hard pain rang through my skull, but not once did I retaliate or try to resist.
“You thought you could fool everyone, didn’t you?” Aella spat, words laced with contempt. “Getting plastic surgery to look like me? Sneaking into our private property? And for what? To try and steal Valentino?”
I said nothing. There was no point in fighting back. I had truly become a soulless husk because I could not find fear or anger in me to even react, and this infuriated Aella even more.
“Valentino is in love with me. Do you understand?! Using cheap tricks to try and replace me. I’ll make you regret the day you were born!”
“I didn’t choose this,” I whispered hoarsely. “I am Valentino’s real wife. I am telling you, you should get out of here before—”
“Valentino would never look twice at a pathetic, desperate whore like you. We’re going to deal with you today.” One of the girls said, cutting me off, and the others cheered.
Her words were a death sentence, spoken with chilling certainty. But Aella didn’t act so fast. Her confident demeanor faltered in the wake of my last spoken words, claws digging into my shoulder where she still held me tight. “What did you say? You’re Valentino’s real wife?”
“Yes,” I replied urgently. They had to understand before it was too late. “You’re just my replacement because I refused him. If he knows you’re hurting me, he won’t spare your life.”
Silence descended in the room at my chilling revelation, the sheer weight of it sinking in to all of them. But it wasn’t enough, because Aella’s confused futures contorted once more into rage.
“Liar!” She snarled. “Victor! Enzo!”
Two hefty, muscled men I didn’t see before entered the living room, tall enough that their heads were nearly touching the ceiling. I furrowed my brows in confusion.
“Yes, mistress?”
“Cut off her tongue.”
