A Gift?

“What did you say?” Riccardo asked, his eyes flicking toward her as he drove.

“Nothing,” Annabelle mumbled, still fuming from their argument earlier.

Riccardo didn’t seem to care about her mood, though. His tone was steady as he continued. “After your classes every day, you should come straight to the clan,” he instructed, like it wasn’t up for discussion. Because it wasn't.

Annabelle turned to him, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “And what if I don’t?” she challenged, raising an eyebrow. “What are you going to do?”

Riccardo smirked, that irritating look flashing across his face. He shrugged, eyes back on the road but lips curled in amusement. “Well, you don’t wanna know,” he said simply, the hint of a threat hanging in the air.

Annabelle’s mouth shut tight, her jaw clenching. She knew better than to push him further. For now. She pressed her back against the seat and turned her head, focusing on the window. The silence between them was thick, but she let it be, watching as they drove past rows of houses. Some of the streets were familiar, others not so much.

She wished she wasn’t here, stuck in this car with him, stuck in this mess that had somehow become her life. Her thoughts swirled, frustration mixing with confusion. She hadn’t asked for any of this. But yet, she found herself in all of these and there was currently no way out.

Suddenly, something clicked in her mind. “I couldn’t find my phone in my luggage,” Annabelle said, her voice cutting through the silence.

Riccardo glanced at her briefly, his tone nonchalant as he responded, “Yeah. I took it.”

Her stomach dropped. He took it? Did that mean he went through her things? Her cheeks flushed red at the thought. If he’d opened her bag, he would have seen her underwear, her bras, everything. Her face burned, the embarrassment creeping up her neck.

“Did you open my bag?” she asked, her voice laced with both curiosity and nerves.

Riccardo shook his head, eyes still fixed on the road. “Nope. The phone was at the side, not inside where your clothes are,” he said casually.

Annabelle exhaled in relief. “Good,” she muttered, more to herself than to him. She hadn’t liked the idea of him digging through her personal things. At least he hadn’t gone that far.

But she wasn’t done yet. She shifted in her seat, eyeing him carefully before asking, “When am I going to get it back?” There was a bit of hope in her voice, though she wasn’t sure if she should have it.

Riccardo gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable. “Very soon,” he said, not offering any more than that. His focus seemed completely on the road ahead, like this conversation wasn’t as important as she thought it was.

Annabelle sighed, feeling like she wasn’t getting anywhere with him. She pressed her lips together, holding back the many questions she wanted to throw at him. What did he really want from her? Why did he keep making these decisions for her like she had no choice in the matter?

As they continued driving in silence, Riccardo suddenly reached into his pocket. Annabelle watched as he pulled something out. It was small and shiny, glinting in the bright morning sun.

He stretched his hand toward her, holding out what looked like a necklace. The silver chain dangled from his fingers, the pendant swinging slightly as he offered it to her.

Annabelle blinked, surprised. “What’s this?” she asked, slowly reaching out to take the necklace from him. Her fingers brushed against the cool metal as she held it up in front of her, examining it.

Riccardo didn’t say anything right away. He just glanced at her again, then back to the road. His grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, but his voice remained calm. “Something you should wear,” he said.

Annabelle looked at the necklace more closely. It wasn’t just any necklace. The pendant looked unique, like it wasn’t meant to be just a pretty accessory. There was something about it that made her wonder what Riccardo’s true intentions were.

She wasn’t sure if she liked the idea of wearing something he gave her, especially when she didn’t fully understand why he was giving it to her in the first place. But part of her was curious. Was there a reason he wanted her to have it?

“I don’t understand,” she admitted, her voice soft.

Riccardo’s smirk was back, though his eyes stayed on the road. “You will,” he said, sounding like he knew more than he was letting on.

Annabelle’s fingers tightened around the necklace. There was so much she didn’t know about him, about this entire situation. And yet, here she was, being pulled deeper into his world, whether she wanted to be part of it or not.

She stared out the window again, clutching the necklace in her hand. The houses blurred together as they passed, but her thoughts were too jumbled to focus on any of it. Instead, her mind kept drifting back to Riccardo’s words, the necklace, the strange hold he seemed to have over her life now.

Minutes passed before Riccardo spoke again. “I’ll send someone to pick you up after school,” he said, his tone firm, like it was a decision that had already been made.

Annabelle gave a small nod, not trusting her voice to argue with him. She knew it wouldn’t change anything. Riccardo did whatever he wanted, and nothing she said seemed to matter.

Silence filled the car once more, but it was different this time. Annabelle’s mind was racing, filled with too many questions, too many thoughts about what was going to happen next.

She glanced down at the necklace in her hand, still unsure what to think of it. Would wearing it mean something? Was it just a gift, or did it hold some kind of meaning she didn’t know about?

She sighed quietly, tucking the necklace into her pocket for now. Maybe later, when she was alone, she’d figure out what to do with it.

For now, all she could do was wait and see what Riccardo’s next move would be. The uncertainty gnawed at her, but one thing was clear: she was no longer in control of her own life. Not while Riccardo was around.

Just then, he pulled the car to a stop in front of a beautiful school building.

"Get down." He instructed.

Annabelle did as he said. She stood in front of his car, waiting for him to get down too.

"What? Aren't you going in?" Riccardo asked, sliding down the car windows.

"Me? Alone?" Annabelle asked, stunned for a moment.

"Yes, go to the Rectors office." He said, already closing up the windows.

Annabelle scoffed and walked away from his car. She didn't have time to argue with him. Right now, she had a class to catch up with.

She took in a deep breath, then began walking towards the school's gate.