Chapter 193: Was Dario coming for me?

Chapter 193: Was Dario coming for me?
Aurora

“And just to confirm his worst suspicions…” She exhaled, her eyes closing briefly. “I got you kidnapped.”

I withdrew. Was I shocked? Or maybe I didn’t get it.

But…could she be serious?

“Well, I guess we’re both in trouble,” I muttered, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Eleanora huffed a weak laugh, but it died as quickly as it came, leaving the room in silence again.

I leaned my head back against the wall, the cold seeping into my scalp. Trouble. That’s an understatement.

My wrists ached where the ropes bit into my skin. My thoughts felt scattered, like puzzle pieces that wouldn’t fit together. Leonardo’s probably losing his mind right now. Mad? Definitely. Furious? Maybe. And when he finally sees me… will he even want to?

“You think he’ll be that mad?” I asked after a while, the words coming out quieter than I intended.

“Oh, he will be mad all right,” Eleanora said without hesitation. She paused, her lips pressing into a thin line. For a second, guilt flashed in her eyes, and I almost regretted asking. Then she added, “But he does love you—very much—so I guess it’ll only last for a couple of minutes before he wants you by his side again. Besides, I’m the one who’s going to face his wrath.”

“That’s if we ever get out of here,” I said, half a laugh, half a sigh.

“True.” Eleanora gave a small shrug, the rope around her shoulders shifting with the movement.

I closed my eyes for a moment, forcing myself to think through the haze. Options. There has to be a way out of this. Leonardo will be looking for me—but will he know where to start? A sudden thought hit me. “Wait… my car. Where’s my car? Maybe Leonardo can track it.”

Eleanora shook her head, a humorless smile tugging at her lips. “Nope. Dario already thought of that. He made me leave it at the park. Besides, we’re not even in Rome right now.”

I frowned, my jaw tightening. “I think I’m starting to hate you again.”

“But… why did I even trust you at first?”

“That’s okay,” she said softly. “I deserve it.”

The words hung between us, heavy and suffocating. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to hold back the storm of emotions threatening to break free. She betrayed me. She’s the reason I’m here. And yet… she’s tied up right next to me, just as powerless.

It serves her right.

How am I even sure this was not part of the betrayal

Hmm, I don’t think so. She was also betrayed by the same person she had been trying to help.

I looked at her, narrowing my eyes as if I could pierce through. Still wondering if I was right.

After a long stretch of silence, I finally asked, “What does… what does Dario want with me?”

Eleanora stilled. Her gaze dropped to the floor, and for a few seconds, the only sound in the room was our uneven breathing.

“He wants to have you as his own,” she said finally, her voice low, “but first, blackmail Leonardo into handing everything in his name over to him. The same thing goes with our father.”

“And you helped him?”

A sharp laugh escaped me, bitter and disbelieving. “He knows that’s not going to work, right?”

“Well…” Eleanora’s voice trailed off, her gaze darting anywhere but me.

I straightened slightly, my eyes narrowing. “Well?”

Eleanora hesitated, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard. “Dario… he’s planning to film you,” she finally said, each word clipped like it hurt to speak. “While he… physically tortures you and does things to you. He wants to send it to Leonardo—use it as leverage. And if Leonardo still doesn’t agree, then… then he might…” Her voice cracked. “He might kill you. Because he knows you’ll fight back and not let him have you. He knows you won’t let him win. Or might just find a way to make you submit to him.”

The blood drained from my face, leaving me cold and clammy. For a second, I couldn’t breathe. Film me… send it to Leonardo?

“You knew this?” My voice was barely a whisper, trembling. “You knew this and you still brought me here?”

“No!” Eleanora’s head snapped up, desperation flashing in her eyes. “Aurora, I swear, I didn’t know. I just found out a few minutes ago, when I was down the hall. I overheard Dario talking on the phone.”

Her words swam in my head, refusing to make sense. My throat felt tight, my heart hammering so hard it hurt. Fear spread through me like wildfire, licking at every nerve.

Eleanora’s gaze softened, filling with something that almost looked like guilt. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for this to happen… I never thought it would go this far.”

I turned away, pressing my forehead against the wall, letting the rough surface ground me. He’s going to… and Leonardo…

We fell into silence, a heavy, suffocating kind. The only sound was the dull hum of something mechanical beyond the walls and the rasp of our breathing. I couldn’t tell how long we stayed like that, both of us lost in our thoughts. Time didn’t exist here.

Hours blurred into days—or maybe just one endless stretch of darkness. We were fed scraps, shoved through the gap under the door, barely enough to keep the hunger pangs from turning into nausea. The air grew stale, and sleep came in fractured pieces, each one filled with the echo of Dario’s voice in my mind.

Then, one faithful… day? Night? I couldn’t tell anymore.

A sound cut through the silence—a distant clatter, followed by hurried footsteps.

My eyes snapped open, wide and alert. Eleanora’s head turned toward the door at the same time. Our gazes met, fear flashing bright between us like a signal.

We didn’t speak, didn’t move—just listened as the noises in the hallway grew louder.

My heart skipped.

Oh God. Was Dario coming for me now?