Chapter 26

Days passed and they still had me locked up in this room. The only time someone came in here was to give me food.

Lately I couldn't keep anything down. I know that there was something wrong with me, but at the same time I was scared to know what was wrong.

I was scared and alone, and if it was what I thought it was then I don't think I could do this by myself. He wasn't here. I was alone.

If I was pregnant, could I really take care of a baby all by myself?

At the same time, I had nightmares of that day, the day when I saw his body unmoving on the ground. That was one of the worst days of my life.

I lost the only man that I ever truly felt something for, my parents found me and were keeping me a prisoner and to top it all off I was almost raped... by my brother.

That sick son of a bitch. All of them were crazy and I wanted nothing to do with them.

I had been planning my escape for these past few days. I just hope that I would be able to get out alive.

I was now sitting on the bed waiting for the man who always brought my food to me. I had a nice surprise for him.

Looking at the clock I counted down the seconds till he would be here.

3... 2...1

The door handle rattled as the person behind it opened the door. In he walked. He walked to me to place the plate on the bedside table.

"Where is the lamp that was here?" he asked just a I brought the lamp from behind me and hit him in the head with full force.

He fell on the floor with a thud. He wasn't moving so I checked to see if he was alive. I checked his pulse and saw that he was still alive, so I hurried out of the room.

I was walking down the hallway cautiously trying not to get caught when I heard shouting from a room a few feet ahead. Tiptoeing quietly to the door I stopped for a second when I heard what they were talking about.

"He's not dead and he's threatening to take our daughter from us. We can use this to our advantage and create a trap for when he comes for her. This is the perfect opportunity to take him out. I'm sure that if he had known that Masha was our daughter, he would have used her to get to us" I heard a familiar male voice say.

"We could use Masha to lure him here. We know that he cares for her and the only reason why you wanted her here was to use her to get to him" a feminine voice replied.

"What are we going to do with her after we've gotten what we wanted?" the same voice asked.

"We're going to use her as payment for the debt we owe the French. I'm sure Victor would be more than happy to have her" the male voice answered.

At hearing that, I took a step back from the door.

They were planning to sell me, their own daughter. So that's why they were looking for me so that they could settle their scores.

I can't believe that I thought that Emilio was a monster, when the real monsters were behind that door, plotting to sell their own daughter.

Or at least that's what they say I am to them.

I've never had a family apart from the woman that raised me, that I have now learnt wasn't my mother. Honestly, I think that if she hadn't kidnapped me, I would have turned out to be monsters just like them and for that I am forever grateful.

I guess I have been kidnapped all my life. I don't know who I am.

Was I Layla or Masha?

I had no idea.

My life was just a huge mess. Every corner I turn it seems like there is always something bad waiting for me. When would it end? When would I be free?

He was alive. I was so happy to hear that.

I needed to warn him somehow. If only I could get my hands on a phone. Emilio had forced me to memorize his number for the operation in Italy and I still remember it.

Phone, phone, phone.

Where could I find a phone?

Aha. The man that I knocked out might have a phone on him.

I had memorized the path that I took to get to this spot and just retraced my steps back to the room I was in. I went over to his still unconscious body and searched him for a phone.

I found a phone and a gun. I had only held a gun once for a few seconds when Emilio forced me to hold his. Taking up the gun with shaky hands, I hid it under the pillow.

I went to the bathroom to make the call. The phone was unlocked.

Which idiot leaves their phone unlock?

Apparently, the idiot out there.

Focusing on the matter at hand I dialed the number and waited for someone to answer the call.

"Please pick up" I whispered impatiently.

It went straight to voicemail so I tried again.

"Hello" I heard that familiar gruff voice that I missed so much that I couldn't help but let a few tears escape.

"Hi" I said in a shaky voice.

"Layla?"

"It's me" I said as the tears kept on flowing down my cheeks.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he rushed out.

"I'm fine, but I need to warn you. I don't have much time. If you come for me, then you'll be walking into a trap"

"Sweetheart I don't care. How are you holding up?"

"You have to listen to me. I don't want you to get hurt" I said in a serious tone.

"I'm coming for you. I won't let anything happen to you"

"But-"

"No buts" he cut me off.

"Did you know?" I asked, not saying exactly what I was talking about.

"No. I just found out"

Just then a loud bang was heard in the bedroom.

"I have to go" I rushed out and hung up the phone before he had a chance to answer.

I rushed out to the bedroom to the see the man now awake stumbling about.

"Fuck. What happened?" he asked rubbing his head.

"You slipped and hit your head" I replied innocently.

"Why is there a broken lamp on the floor?" he asked.

Oh, right the lamp.

"When you were falling, you hit the lamp and cause it to fall" I lied.

"I did?" he asked confused.

I nodded frantically.

"Have you seen my phone?"

"Nope" I lied again.

He made his way towards the door as I sighed in relief. Well, that was close.

I relaxed on the bed as I thought about what just happened. Reaching in my back pocket, I took out the phone. I put the phone on silent and put it under my pillow just as the door flew open.

What now?

"We need to talk?" Boris, my so-called father said.

"We want you to help us take down our enemy, the same man that has kept you prisoner for months. And don't think that you have a choice in the matter. You will do this willingly or with force, that's really up to you" he continued.

I spit in his face as a reply.

"Ok, the hard way it is then. Take her to the room" he ordered as two men came inside and grabbed me.

I kicked and screamed trying to break free.

"Let me go. Let me go" I shouted still struggling against their hold.

I was literally dragged into a room with a huge screen covering one wall. I was set in a chair to sit directly in front of the screen. I was going to make a move to get up, when I felt something cold against the side of my forehead.

I froze in place, afraid to even move a limb as I trembled in fear.

"One wrong move and I blow your brains out" one of the men in the room said.

I gulped in fear as I sat stiff as a board looking ahead. The screen lit up and I saw Emilio. I wanted to cry in relief at the sight of seeing him.

He looked at me indifferently as I sat quietly just staring at him.

"Emilio, it's good to see you again" Boris said clapping his hands.

"I told you that if you stole from me, I would get you back. You have to understand. She's family, I had to get back what was mine" he continued Emilio gave him a murderous glare, still not saying anything until he opened his mouth and said something I wasn't expecting.

"You can keep her for all I care. Do what you please" he said and then the screen went black.

He did not just say that. So did I imagine the call that I made in the bathroom. Was I talking to someone else?

His eyes looked so cold as he stares at me with a bored look on his face.

He didn't care.

He was going to leave me here, with these monsters.