Chapter 101 SLIVER OF HOPE.
\~~~RAINA.
I couldn't sit still. My leg shook under the thin blanket, the muscle twitching like it had a mind of its own. The phone felt heavy in my hand and was slick with sweat from my palm.
I had dialed the number three times already, each ring dragging on forever. Finally, it connected and I sat up straight, my back pressing against the cold headboard, and let out a long exhale.
"Finally!"
"What's wrong, my darling?" My mother's voice floated through the speaker, soft and worried, like she was already bracing for bad news.
"We are busted," I announced, the words tumbling out sharp and fast. My heart pounded in my chest, echoing in my ears.
"What? What do we..." Her voice trailed off, confused.
"What do you mean by you're busted?" My father's voice cut in, deeper and rougher.
Guess the call was on speaker. Of course it was.
They always did that when things got serious.
"Me? I am saying we! Us! Me, father, mother, we are busted! Luciano knows. I told you I didn't want to do this!"
The room spun a little. I gripped the phone tighter, my knuckles turning white. All those months pretending to be Talia, smiling through the lies, hiding who I really was, had finally crashed down.
"Raina, calm down and..."
"I don't understand what you're saying, Raina," my father interrupted again, his tone flat, like he was talking to a child throwing a tantrum.
My brows pulled together, and a blank chuckle escaped my lips. It sounded hollow even to me. "Are you teasing me?"
"What do you mean by being busted?"
I leaned forward, my voice rising. "Luciano knows I am not Talia! He knows! He knows I am Raina. First of all, get me out of here. I am scared of staying another night here. Get me out of this house while we plan further. He knows I am not Talia and only God knows how long this will take before he kills me. Get me out of here. I can't stay here any longer so..."
The words poured out, frantic and desperate. I could picture them in the cozy living room, probably sipping tea, acting like nothing was wrong.
But everything was wrong. My life was unraveling, and they had pushed me into this mess.
"Breathe out, Raina. Why will he think you're Talia in the first place? Did you take your sister's place? How so? Where is Talia? What did you do to her?"
My father's sudden question hit me like a slap. I froze, my mouth hanging open. The phone slipped a little in my hand. What? Did he just...?
"W... what are you... saying?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. The air in the room felt thick, and suffocating.
"That... is how easy we can pour all of this on your head, so stay put, and don't say anything!" He snapped, his words like knives. Then the line went dead.
Wait...
Wait…
Wait, did my father just... just dump the whole blame on me?
No, that couldn't be true. Never. My parents wouldn't abandon me like that. They loved me. They had to. I was their daughter, not some pawn to sacrifice. My hands trembled as I raised the phone and started to redial. But it rang once, then nothing.
It was switched off.
Fuck!
They were going to do that to me? Throw me under the bus to save their own skins? I stared at the screen, willing it to light up again.
Tears burned in my eyes, but I blinked them back. No. They wouldn't. It had to be a mistake, a way to scare me into staying quiet. Yeah, that was it.
Just then, I heard the creaking sound of the door. My heart jumped into my throat. Footsteps echoed in the hallway outside my bedroom. Panic surged through me and I hurtled to the nightstand, yanking open the drawer.
My fingers closed around the handle of the knife I had stolen from the kitchen earlier that day. It was small, but sharp, the kind used for slicing vegetables.
I had hidden it there after my meal, just in case.
I shoved it into my pocket, the cold metal pressing against my thigh. Then I stepped back toward the bed, waiting, my breath coming in short bursts. Then, the door swung open slowly.
"What?" Luciano entered, his eyes locking onto mine immediately. He stared at me suspiciously, his broad shoulders filling the doorway. He looked tired, but alert, like a predator sensing something off.
"Have you agreed to my demands?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. My hand hovered near my pocket, my fingers itching to grab the knife.
"No way you are asking me this right when I entered." He closed the door behind him with a soft click, his gaze never leaving my face.
"Just answer me and..." I dipped my hand into my pocket, feeling the knife's handle. It grounded me, gave me a sliver of power in this nightmare.
"Have you agreed to divorce me?" I pressed, stepping closer despite the fear twisting in my gut.
"Raina, remove your hand from your pocket, right now."
Damn. Of course, he always knew something was up. His voice was low, and commanding, the kind that made people obey without thinking.
But I wasn't just anyone. Not anymore.
God, I was losing my mind, and was imagining his smiling face while he killed me every minute.
"Now, Raina."