Chapter 67 Drowning
ARYA’S POV
The men stopped at a door near the end of the corridor. One of them knocked, the door opened, and they disappeared inside.
I crept closer, pressing myself against the wall, trying to hear what was being said inside.
Male voices, speaking Italian too rapid for me to catch. I did hear something about shipments then name I didn't recognize.
And then clearly, I heard. "De Santis."
My blood ran cold. "They're talking about you," I breathed.
"Get out of there," Giovanni said immediately. "Now, Arya. That's an order."
But before I could move, the door opened.
A man stepped out, he was wearing a mask decorated with intricate silver serpents.
He looked right at me.
"Well," he said in perfect English, a smile curling his lips. "What do we have here? A little lost bird?"
I froze, my mind racing for an excuse. "I… I was looking for the bathroom," I stammered.
"The bathroom," he repeated, his tone suggesting he didn't believe me for a second. "But this doesn’t look like the bathroom.”
I smiled wryly, and tried to act sheepish. "I got turned around. These masks make it hard to see."
He studied me for a long moment, and I could feel other men emerging from the room behind him, surrounding me in the narrow corridor.
"Run," Giovanni's voice said urgently in my ear. "Scream if you have to but get out of there now."
But my feet wouldn't move. I was trapped between the wall and six men whose body language screamed danger.
The man with the serpent mask stepped closer, and I caught a glimpse of his eyes behind the silver.
They were the eyes of someone who'd killed before and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
"I really was just looking for the bathroom," I said, forcing my voice to stay embarrassed.
But neither of them said anything and I too a shaky step backward.
"Arya, listen to me very carefully," Enzo's voice joined Giovanni's in my ear, urgent in a way I had never heard him before. "The boss is on his way to you, but you need to leave right now. Do you understand? Right now."
But I was frozen, my legs suddenly forgot how to move.
"She's wearing an earpiece," a voice said from somewhere behind me.
My blood ran cold. I spun to find a shorter man in a raven mask had somehow circled around, close enough to see the tiny device nestled in my ear. My hand flew up instinctively to cover it, but it was too late.
"Well, well," the serpent-masked man said, and his voice shifted. "It seems we have ourselves a little spy. I wonder who's listening on the other end? Who are you working for, bella?"
"Run!" Enzo’s voice was almost a shout now. "Arya, RUN!"
I shoved past the raven-masked man with all my strength and bolted down the corridor. Behind me, I heard multiple voices calling out, and footsteps pounding after me.
"After her! Don't let her reach the ballroom!"
My heels clicked frantically against the marble floor. The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly in front of me, doors and artwork blurring past as I ran.
My dress kept tangling around my legs, threatening to trip me with every step.
I took the left turn so fast I nearly slid on the polished floor, my hand reaching out to catch myself against the wall. Behind me, the footsteps were getting closer.
How many were chasing me? Four? Five? More?
"Faster, Arya!" Giovanni's voice was closer now, breathless like he was running too. "I'm coming to you. Just keep moving!"
A hand grabbed the back of my dress. I felt the fabric tear as I yanked forward, managing to break free.
I kicked off my heels without slowing down, the cold marble shocking against my bare feet but now easier to run on.
Another turn, and suddenly a massive man in a wolf mask lunged for me with arms like tree trunks.
I remembered Giovanni's training, the way he had taught me to use an opponent's size against them. I ducked low under his reaching arms and drove my shoulder into his stomach.
I ran past the stumbling wolf-masked man, my lungs burning, and my feet slapping against the cold floor. The sounds of the party were getting closer and I knew I was almost safe.
But then more footsteps echoed from a side corridor. Two more men appeared, cutting off my direct path to the ballroom. I skidded to a stop, trapped between them and my pursuers behind me.
I darted right, but one of the new arrivals was fast. His fingers caught my torn dress, yanking me backward. I spun, bringing my elbow up hard into what I hoped was his face.
I felt the impact, heard a grunt of pain, and wrenched free, leaving a piece of my dress in his grip.
"She fights!" one of them called out, almost amused. "The little bird has claws!"
I ignored them, focused only on running. My breath was coming in ragged gasps now. How long had I been running? A minute? Two? It felt like hours.
The corridor opened up ahead. I burst through a doorway and had made it to the edge of the ballroom.
Relief flooded through me, so intense I almost stumbled. I was safe.
I just needed to get into the crowd, find Luca, and get the hell out of here.
"Sofia!"
Alessandro appeared in front of me, his face lighting up with that charming smile. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you. Where did you disappear to? I wanted to introduce you to-"
He stopped, taking in my my torn dress, my missing shoes, and the way I was breathing like I had run a marathon.
"What happened?" His smile faded, replaced by concern. "Are you alright?"
"I… I'm…" I glanced back the way I'd come, searching for my pursuers.
And there they were. They were spread out across the corridor entrance, blocking any retreat and the way they were looking at me made my blood run cold.
"I have to go," I said to Alessandro, my voice shaking.
He frowned immediately. "What? Sofia, wait…"
But I was already moving, pushing past him into the ballroom. The crowd was thick here withcouples dancing, groups talking, and waiters circulating with champagne.
I wove between them frantically, trying to put distance between myself and the men.
"Arya, where are you?" Giovanni's voice was tight with controlled panic. "I'm in the ballroom. Where are you?"
"I don't know," I whispered, scanning the crowd for any sign of him. "There are so many people here!"
A hand grabbed my arm. I spun, hoping it was Giovanni or Luca.
It was the serpent-masked man.
"Did you really think you could run from us, piccola spia?" His grip was iron-strong on my arm. "In our own territory?"
I tried to wrench away, but he held firm. Around us, people were starting to notice the commotion.
"Let go of me," I said loudly, hoping to draw attention, to make a scene.
"I don't think so." He started pulling me toward the back of the ballroom. “Don’t mind her! She’s just a little tipsy!”
He forcefully pushed me towards a secluded area, and I could see the guests slowly fading away.
"Giovanni!" I called out, abandoning any pretense of cover. "GIOVANNI!"
"Shut up," the serpent man snarled, his other hand coming up to cover my mouth.
I bit down hard and he cursed, releasing my mouth, and I screamed again. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"
His fist connected with my cheek, snapping my head to the side and filling my mouth with the copper taste of blood.
In my daze, the serpent man dragged me toward the exit, and now the other four had caught up, surrounding us.
We burst through the exit doors into the cool night air. I was still struggling, but there were too many of them and my head was still spinning from the hit.
"Where do you think you're going, stronzetta?" one of them taunted as they dragged me down steps, across a terrace, toward a large, ornamental pool.
"Please," I gasped as they hauled me closer to the water's edge. "Please, I can't swim!"
"Then you shouldn't have been spying, should you?" the serpent man said.
"Such a pretty thing," one of them said, reaching for my mask. "Let's see who you really are."
The raven-masked man grabbed my hair, yanking my head back so hard tears sprang to my eyes. "Who sent you? Was it De Santis? Rossi? Tell us and maybe we'll let you go."
My heart was pounding so fast now. "I don't…I don't know what you're talking about!"
The slap came without warning. His palm cracked across my face with enough force to split my lip and I tasted blood again.
"Don't lie to us, puttana." He leaned close, eyeing me. “Maybe a dip in the water will bring the truth out of you.”
Before I could respond, they grabbed me, lifting me despite my struggling. I kicked out, connected with someone's shin, but they were too strong.
For one weightless moment, I saw the stars above and the masked faces watching me fall.
Then I hit the water, the force driving the air from my lungs in a gasp that filled my mouth with chlorinated water.
My torn dress immediately became a death trap, the heavy, waterlogged fabric wrapping around my legs like chains, ans pulling me deeper.
I kicked frantically, managed to break the surface for just a second. Long enough to gasp "Help!" before I went under again.
This time I couldn't find the surface.
I kicked harder as my hands clawed at the water uselessly. The dress kept tangling around my legs no matter how I fought.
I can't swim. I'm going to drown.
My chest was burning now, a fire spreading through my lungs and through the water, I could see the pool lights, distorted and wavering.
I opened my mouth without meaning to and water rushed in, filling my lungs with liquid fire.
My vision was darkening at the edges, black spots dancing across my sight.
Somewhere far above, I thought I heard shouting. But it didn't matter.
I'm sorry, I thought, to everyone I'd never see again. Marco. Christabel. My parents.
Giovanni.
The darkness was almost complete peaceful now and my body went limp, the water cradled me as I sank.
Until finally, there was nothing but darkness.
One word for this chapter because I’m UNWELL 👇