Chapter 93 The plan
ARYA’S POV
It was already a month since Giovanni’s absence. Every day was monotonous and it already lost meaning to me.
Being trapped in this suffocating darkness of my prison was doing things to my mind and body.
I had been feeling sick for days now, it was persistent nausea that hit me in waves, especially in the mornings.
And I was exhausted despite doing nothing but lying around. To make things worse, my period was two days late.
‘It's just stress,’ I told myself for the hundredth time, pressing my hand against my still-flat stomach.
But a small, terrified voice in the back of my mind whispered. ‘What if it's not?’
The key turned in the lock, and I looked up to see Claire entering with my lunch tray. She still wouldn't meet my eyes, but at least, she stayed behind until I finished my food.
"Claire," I said quietly. "I need to ask you something."
She paused, her hand tightening on the tray.
"I need... feminine products." The words came out stiff. "Can you… can I be able to get them?"
I couldn't say I needed a pregnancy test because the alternative that I might be carrying Giovanni's child while locked in this room, hated and accused was too terrifying to voice aloud.
Claire finally looked at me, and I saw something soften in her expression. "Okay. I'll... I'll arrange it."
"Thank you," I whispered.
She lingered at the door, her mouth opening like she wanted to say something.
But then footsteps echoed in the hallway, and she quickly left, closing the door behind her.
An hour later, Enzo appeared with two guards flanking him.
"Get up," he said curtly. "You're coming with us."
I blinked, disoriented. "What?"
"Claire put in a request for supplies you need. I'm allowing you to go to the store under supervision." His tone made it clear this was a concession he was forced to make.
"I..." I swallowed tightly and nodded. "Thank you."
He huffed. "Don't thank me. Just get dressed and don't try anything stupid."
They left me alone to change. I pulled on sweatpants and a baggy hoodie and I caught my reflection in the small mirror above the dresser and barely recognized myself.
I had hollow eyes, pale skin and hair that hadn't been properly washed in days. I looked like a ghost.
Maybe I was one.
The guards were on me the moment I stepped out of the room. One on each side, and they were close enough that I could feel their body heat.
The estate looked different in daylight or maybe I was different. Everything seemed colder, and the staff we passed quickly looked away, unwilling to meet my eyes.
In the car, the guards sat on either side of me, boxing me in. I stared out the window at the passing city, feeling the walls close in despite the open space.
"Can you give me some space?" I asked quietly when we reached the pharmacy. "Please?"
"No," the guard on my left said flatly. "Boss's orders. We don't let you out of our sight."
So they followed me through the aisles, their presence making my skin crawl. Other shoppers stared but I ignored them.
I grabbed a box of pads first, then casually added other items to my basket.
And then, my heart pounding so hard I thought they might hear it, I slipped two pregnancy tests into the basket, tucking them under the other items.
At the counter, the cashier began ringing up my items. When she reached the pregnancy tests, she glanced at me, then at the guards looming behind me.
"Are you okay, honey?" she asked softly. "Do you need help?"
The concern in her voice almost broke me. I wanted to scream yes.
Yes, I was terrified and alone and possibly pregnant with the child of a man who now hated me.
But the guards shifted behind me, and I felt the weight of their attention.
"I'm fine," I said, forcing a smile that felt like it might crack my face. "Thank you."
She didn't look convinced, but she bagged my items and handed them over. "Take care of yourself."
I smiled tightly. Outside, the guards were ushering me back toward the car when the fire alarm suddenly blared through the shopping center.
People started streaming out of stores, and the guards tensed, one of them speaking rapidly into his earpiece while the other scanned the crowd.
That's when I felt a hand on my arm, pulling me sideways into the chaos.
"Arya. Don't scream." Marco hissed.
My heart stopped as pulled me behind a pillar, he looked so much different than the last time I saw him.
There was even a scar underneath his eyes that wasn’t there before and a faint stubble dotted his chin.
I frowned. "What are you doing?"
"Listen carefully," he cut me off hastily. "By ten PM tonight, I'm getting you out of there. Be ready."
I blinked. "What? Don't do anything stupid, you dont understand-“
"I understand everything." His grip tightened. "And I'm going to fix it. Just trust me.”
"Marco, wait!"
But he was already disappearing into the crowd, while I stood frozen, my mind reeling.
The guards found me seconds later, roughly grabbing my arms.
"What the hell were you doing?" one of them barked. "We told you to stay close!"
"I… I got pushed when the alarm rang.” I muttered but they didn't care about my excuses.
They dragged me back to the car, and as we drove back to the estate, I stared at my reflection in the window, Marco's words echoing in my head.
What the hell did he think he was doing? Did he really think I would just go with him after what he did to me?
Did he think I was still the naive girl who met him at that café one month ago?
I pressed my hand against my stomach, feeling the pregnancy tests in my bag like they weighed a thousand pounds.
I had until ten pm to decide what the hell I was going to do.