Chapter 102 Gone
GIOVANNI’S POV
I left her room but couldn't shake the image of her lying there looking so small. My hand still felt warm from touching hers.
What the hell am I doing?
I paced my room for an hour before giving up and heading downstairs.
If I couldn't rest, I might as well do something productive.
The kitchen was quiet, the servants having retired for the evening. I flipped on the lights and started pulling ingredients from the refrigerator.
I was halfway through dicing tomatoes when Enzo appeared in the doorway, watching me closely, a small frown on his face.
"Don’t tell me you’re cooking for her?”
I rolled my eyes. "Shut up," I muttered, focusing on the cutting board?
"First letting her back to her room, now this." He leaned against the doorframe. "You're really working hard to get her to forgive you. huh?"
My jaw clenched tightly. "I said shut up, Enzo."
But he just snorted. "What's next? Flowers? A heartfelt apology? Maybe a-"
"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" I snapped, pointing the knife at him. "I haven’t seen Jasmine in a while.”
His smile faded slightly. "About that. Jasmine's still pissed at me about the whole 'locking her friend in a dungeon' thing. Says she's not going to see me until I 'show some humanity.'"
He made air quotes. "So I'll probably be alone for a while."
Good. That meant I wouldn't be alone with Arya.
The thought of sitting across from her, trying to make small talk while she flinched every time I moved was horrifying.
"You could join us," I said, trying to sound casual. "For dinner. Here."
Enzo raised an eyebrow. "Us? You mean you and Arya?"
"It would be less awkward with three people."
“Ah." Understanding dawned on his face. "You're nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
"You're totally nervous." He huffed. "But I wouldn’t blame you. After what you did to her, I would be very nervous.”
I glared at him. "Enzo, I swear to God-"
"Fine, fine." He held up his hands. "I'll try to smooth things over with Jasmine. Maybe we can both join you.”
He left before I could respond, and I returned to cooking with perhaps more force than necessary.
When he came back twenty minutes later, I had the pasta ready and was starting on a simple salad.
"So?" I asked without looking up. "Is Jasmine coming?"
"Working on it." He grabbed an olive from the bowl I was preparing. "But seriously, Gio. What's your plan here??
I set down the knife, my jaw clenching. "I don't know what my plan is, alright? I just…"
I stopped, struggling for words. "Maybe I should try to be less harsh on her.”
"Or maybe you need to get rid of the guilt eating you alive," Enzo said quietly.
The words hit too close to home. "Maybe both."
"You really hurt her. After what you told me you did, I’m going to be honest with you.” His tone was serious now. "A nice dinner isn't going to fix that."
"I know that." My hands fisted on the counter. "But I have to start somewhere."
Enzo studied me for a long moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'll be there. But Gio? Be careful, you’re apologizing for your wrong not reconciling.”
He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “She’s still the enemy, remember?”
Of course. How could I forget? My fingers clenched tightly as I nodded.
He walked away, and I was left alone with the half-prepared meal and a heavy heart.
An hour later, I was back in my room, staring at my reflection in the mirror and trying to figure out how to apologize.
"I'm sorry for what I did" sounded too simple.
"I was drunk and angry" sounded like an excuse.
"I never meant to hurt you" was a blatant lie. I had meant to hurt her.
In fact, I wanted her to feel even a fraction of the pain I was feeling.
"Fuck," I muttered, running a hand through my hair.
A knock at the door interrupted my spiral.
"Mr. De Santis?" Claire, I had called her to arrange the dining room, called. "Everything is prepared already.
It was showtime.
I made my way downstairs, checking that everything was perfect.
"Claire," I called. "Can you bring Arya down?"
"Yes, sir." She headed upstairs.
I stood there, my hands shoved in my pockets, trying to calm the anxiety churning in my gut
This was ridiculous. I faced down different battles and even fought head on with rival factions.
Why was I so nervous about having dinner with one girl?
‘Because you looked into her eyes and told her you wished she was dead.’ A voice in my head whispered and I sighed.
“Gio?" Enzo appeared from the hallway. "I forgot my phone upstairs.”
I frowned. "You forgot your phone?" I almost laughed. "You never forget your phone."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm getting old." He started toward the stairs. "I'll be right back-"
Claire screamed, rushing downstairs with her arms flailing in the air. "She's gone! Mr. De Santis, she's gone!"
"What?" I shot to my feet, frowning. "What do you mean she's gone?"
"Her room…” Claire was shaking. "I went there to call for her but she's nowhere to be found."
I shoved past her, running up the stairs into Arya's room.
The bed was made, and the bathroom was empty. I checked the closet, under the bed, anywhere she could be hiding but she wasn't there.
"The windows," Enzo said from behind me. "Check the windows."
But they were still barred.
"Then how the fuck did she leave?" I growled, spinning around.
Enzo shook his head. “I don't… I don't know, Giovanni.”
"No," I breathed. "No, no, no!" I looked around wildly, trying to understand.
Claire shakily stepped forward, wringing her fingers together. "I unlocked the door, Mr. De Santis.”
She said quietly from the doorway, Maria was standing beside her. "After her bath. I thought… I thought she deserved that small kindness."
I stared at her. "You let her escape."
"I didn't know she would-" She stammered, already trembling.
Something inside me snapped. I grabbed the lamp from the nightstand and hurled it across the room.
It shattered against the wall in an explosion of glass and ceramic.
"GIO!" Enzo grabbed my arm, but I shook him off.
I overturned the dresser and punched the mirror. My knuckles split open, blood dripping onto the floor, but I didn't care.
"FIND HER!" I roared, my voice breaking. "I don't care if you have to tear down the entire fucking city! I don't care if you have to knock on every door, search every building! FIND HER!"
Enzo bobbed his head and rushed out of the room, but I couldn't move. When he returned, I was still standing there.
"We'll find her," he said quietly. "Gio, we'll find her. She can't have gotten far."
My fingers curled into a fist and I gritted my teeth together. “I was trying… fuck, I was trying to make it easy on her and she fucking took off?”
Enzo didn't respond, but I wasn't waiting for one either. I walked towards the end, the last place I saw her and anger burned in my chest.
“I'll find her and when I do,” my lips curved into a twisted smile. “Those legs of hers will be put to better use and I'll make sure she never thinks of running again.”
Just you wait, Arya. Just wait until I find you.