Chapter 87

Chapter 87
L A N A

"You made it with forty seconds to spare..." I hear Fernanda's voice, making me turn in her direction, watching as she stands with a woman close to her, holding onto a tablet. 

"Good, we have a tight schedule." He says before she makes her way over to me. "Begin." She orders, and before I can even respond, hands descend on me. I am tugged away to the vanity table, where I would take a seat, just as the women now begin to work on my hair and makeup. It all happens at once, too quickly for me to even process what's happening to me. My robe is whisked away, clothes I didn't consent to are placed on my skin: brushes, sprays and powders whip through the air so quickly, I feel like I am standing at the centre of a storm.

I don't have the energy to fight them or resist. I let them turn me like a doll that they've been instructed to dress as my mind drifts off into somewhere far, some place I can actually feel safe. 

At some point, someone pulls the zipper of a dress, and I feel cold silk running along my skin. It's calming, despite the circumstances, and as I look back in the mirror, I am completely stunned by what I see.

It's a long, black gown. And not just black, but midnight black. Mysterious, seductive and the complete opposite of the dress I had arrived in. My hair is styled in fluffy, bouncy curls, and I've got on heavy makeup; a sultry, smoky eye and a bold ombre red lip. It's like I'm a completely different person, one that would fit perfectly into Ezio's world...

"Hm. This will do." Fernanda says once the stylists step away from me, not even bothering to look back at me. It's like they're all just trained robots, brought here to do their jobs and leave right after.

Before I can even take the time to gather myself after I've gotten my personal space back, Fernanda takes a close step towards me, and that's when I feel it, a cold pressure against the base of my spine... 

A gun...

My stomach drops sharply, and I freeze in an instant, my gaze meeting Fernanda's terrifyingly calm one in the mirror's reflection.

"Listen carefully," Fernanda begins, her voice low and professional. "When we walk through those halls, you do not speak unless spoken to. You do not ask questions, you don't make a sound. If Don Ezio calls for you, you go to him immediately. And if you cause a scene..." She begins, pressing the gun harder this time, making my breath hitch in fear as my heart thumps in my chest.

"You won't survive it." Her voice is plain and simple, and I gulp inaudibly as I look her in the eye, fearing what she might do to me.

"Nod if you understand." Is what she asks me, and I immediately nod my head in response, blinking lightly as I try my best to calm myself and not let the fear get a hold of me.

"Good." She lets out, her tone changing entirely as she finally pulls the gun away, allowing me to exhale deeply and watch as she begins making her way towards the door.

"Now, let's go." She says, just as she opens the door and motions for me to walk. As the door opens, distant jazz music floods into the room, leading me to believe that the party must've already started. I blink a few times, trying to get over the fear of what might happen to me, but it never truly leaves. My heels click against the tiles as I make my way forward and through the hallway, just as Fernanda follows after me.

The closer we get to the sound, the harder my heart thumps in my chest. I can now hear everything clearly, and the party has indeed started. 

"Heads up, you're not allowed to look terrified." She whispers to me.

That's ridiculous, because I am terrified, to the point where my body is physically trembling, how am I supposed to hide that? But still, this woman just threatened to kill me, so I have no choice but to obey.

The music grows louder, a slow, sultry sound that fills the air, and despite the circumstances, it's something I enjoy, so it helps to put me at ease.

We turn a corner, and that's when I see them, Ezio's guests. Men dressed in expensive suits and women clinging to their arms, dressed in the most beautiful of dresses. But that's not what catches my eye. It's what is at the front of the room... or rather, who...

A line of women. About a dozen of them, all of them dressed in different coloured gowns, cut in the same seductive shape. All of them are silent, with the same hollowed-out expression that I'm sure has taken root on my face as well...

And they look just as terrified as me.

"Ah, there she is..." I suddenly hear a voice say, one I recognise immediately. It sends a chill rolling down my spine as I slowly turn to face the man who just spoke...

Ezio Benedetti himself. 

He is smiling back at me, a short glass of golden liquor in his hand as he carefully makes his way over to me.

"Look at you..." He says to me, and that's when I feel Fernanda nudge me towards Ezio, just as I gasp and begin making my way towards him. 

The music suddenly quiets down, and the murmuring around the room grows silent, every single person now turning their attention towards us.

He finally reaches me, towering over me despite the heels I have on, his eyes scanning every inch of my body as a possessive smile grazes his lips.

"You look brilliant..." He says before he reaches for my chin and grazes a finger over it lightly. That's when he suddenly grabs hold of me, placing a hand firmly around my waist and pulling me onto his chest, just as I gasp and look up at him fearfully.

"Come, everyone is waiting for us." He says to me, leading me forward to the front of the room. My legs move without my permission, as if the sound of his voice can pull strings under my skin, and I have absolutely no choice in the matter.

But before I can take another step, a commotion erupts at the front of the room...