Chapter 1 Chapter one
The blissful morning sun was spilling through the white curtains. Casting a very beautiful golden light across the terra cotta of the farmhouse. A beautiful and decades worth.
It was the kind of morning that Lydia felt more alive in. Lydia slowly opened her eyes and sat up. Her hair messy and all over the place. Scratching her head Lydia heard someone walk up the stairs. She knew who it was. A smile fell on her and her brown eyes glowing.
"Can I come in Lydia?" Marthia, one of the housekeepers asked.
"Come in, Marthia." Lydia muttered as the door open and a young lady walked in with freshly done laundry.
"You look like a mess this morning." Marthia muttered, walking around the room and Lydia chuckled.
"I had a great sleep. Mostly because I had a great dinner. I am still so tireddddd." She moaned messing with her hair. Slowly getting up making her way towards the bathroom.
"Get ready soon. Breakfast is ready." Marthia said, walking out.
Lydia glanced at her mirror. Her face so much like her late mother. She had the same eyes, same curls, uncontrollable and a same smile. Letting out a large breath she muttered.
"Let's just start this day."
Within no time, Lydia walked down the stairs of the old house. It was quiet, too quiet.
"Noona." Lydia called out. Barefoot in the hallway. There was a great scent of lavender and bread everywhere as she walked to the kitchen. And there Lydia found her grandmother. With tea in front of her, and her grandmother give a small smile.
She looked troubled.
"Buongiorno, Lydia."
"Morning. What happened? Is everything okay? Were is Papa?" Lydia asked, looking around.
"He left early." Noona said, her smile feeding.
"Early? He didn't tell me anything. We always go to the shop together and we were supposed to check the new land." She said, confused. her Noona hesitated.
"I don't know Lydia. I haven't heard from him since the morning. He said he had to meet someone." Noona explained. Something was feeling off for Lydia.
Her Nonna never met her eyes. But confused Lydia though about it.
There were a lot of distributors here in the village. But Lydia couldn't help but think that there was only one person her father went to talk to, Arthur Romero. A very powerful man, very dangerous.
He had recently come to this village to take care of his father's business. His name made a lot of people fear him, even her own father. And since the Romero men came to this village, things had become strange.
"I will check the shop. I'm sure he's there." Lydia said, grabbing the car keys.
"Maybe you should stay at home Lydia. Give your father sometime." Her Nonna said, worry in her voice.
"Nonna, I need to go look for him. He mind need me." She said. As always stubborn, never listened to anyone but only her heart. But her Nonna stared at her longer as she left. A small tear leaving her eyes.
The drive into Montepulciano stretched a little longer than necessary. The window was lowered and wind teased her curses. Something was off, she could feel it in her stomach.
Within no time Lydia was right in front of "Emilia wines". Named after her mother. The shutters were closed and the doors locked. Immediately Lydia got out and knocked on the door.
"Papa.." She called, but nothing.
However, from behind her, she could hear whispers. Lydia turned to see shopkeepers across looking at her direction. A woman whispering.
"Have you seen my Papa today? Did he say where he is going" She screamed at them.
"No cara. Anthony just said he had business to take care of." The women said.
It was very cryptic and her father was never cryptic. Something was wrong.
"Vine yard." Lydia whispered getting back into the car. She immediately drove right into the property. People going about their work, nothing seemed out of ordinary.
"Papa" She screamed rushing into the stone house, quickly running into the kitchen and then living room and finally, his office. Small hint of his scent was here, but he was gone.
Lines forming on her forehead, wondering if her father was alive or---- not. The outside world was normal but her inside world was cracking. Looking around the place trying to find some thing, there Lydia saw a letter on the desk.
Cream paper and her name written on it. With shaking hand she opened it, feeling strange in her gut.
"My dear, Lydia.
If you are reading this, I have already failed you and for that, I am sorry.
I thought I could fix it all. Thought I could protect you from my mistakes but I cannot.
I am ashamed, not because I'm afraid of dying but because I know what this will cost you. And I gave them the only thing left of value. Your mother will never forgive me and neither will I forgive myself.
They will come Lydia and they will come for you. And they won't stop until they find you. But I need you to be strong and survive this.
Someday, I hope you forgive me Lydia. I never wanted this life for you, I only wanted you to be safe.
Ti Voglio Bene, Papa.
"Huh." Lydia gasped, the paper slipping from her.
"Papa." She whispered. Her eyes blurring and burning.
What has he done? Who is coming after her?
She stumbled out of the house. Her legs badly shaking. She had to get back to her grandmother, maybe she knew something, maybe she had a plan.
Getting the car out of the property, she didn't notice there was a black SUV following her from the gates of her property. She drove with a purpose, thinking only of her father when her eyes landed on a second SUV driving behind her.
This made her gut feel a certain way. Both identical, both shadowing her. She looked in the mirror and stomach dropped, panic exploding as a 4th and 5th car came from the side. Her gut screamed at her to just drive and she went faster, only to see them gain in on her, with speed.
"What the hell?" She muttered, making a large turn through the olive trees. She was reckless but she didn't care. The cars behind, their engines were screaming.
Lydia turned around completely to see the cars were rushing to her, too close and she was scared. And she turned around, going a bit faster. She could see her village getting closer, when suddenly a SUV came from right in front of her and she didn't see it.
It came faster and blocked her.
"Ahhh.." Lydia screamed, her eyes closed as she slammed on the break. The world spun on her and so did her car. Suddenly the car wheel came out and the car slipped out of control.
Now flipping all around. It was once, twice. The glass everywhere and metal screaming. She was getting hit and bruised everywhere. Lydia thought this was it. She wouldn't ever get to see her father, her Noona, or her mother's grave.
The world was ending for her.
...
And suddenly the car stopped, everything went quiet. Lydia didn't know when that happened, but the car landed upside down and smoke everywhere. Lydia tried moving, but the smoke made it impossible for her to see.
The driver's side door creaked open and a hand reached for her.
"NO... DON'T TOUCH ME." Lydia screamed, kicking hard, hitting the man right on his face, while another man pulled her by the leg. Lydia was fighting back, but it was of no use. Because she felt a needle sting right to her neck and she knew it was over.
And everything went black.
____________________________________________________________________
The sack over her head made it impossible for Lydia to tell exactly where she was. Time was stretching into something very ugly and shapeless and even her hands were bound behind her.
The worst of all, she was already in pain because of the accident. Lydia had hit her hand to the steering wheel. She felt as if she was in this SUV for hours, even day.
The men around her silent, professional and merciless.
"Is Mr. Arthur Romero inside?" One guard asked and suddenly Lydia's stomach fell. Not this man, not this monster.
There were multiple stories she had heard about Arthur Romero. How his silence was much difficult. Powerful and killed people without leaving the trace. He was a different sort of monster.
His family, each and every one had blood in their hands. He came from a family with the deadliest crimes in Europe. And now, she was being delivered to him, like a payment.
Just like her father had said to her in the letter.
The car suddenly stopped and the head sack pulled from her head roughly. She adjusted her eyes multiple times and there she saw, this big estate. Acres and acres of land.
A stone wall and iron gates. And there stood a mansion made completely out of marble. They were orange and white trees around. This was all too perfect and still it made her feel out of place.
One guard pushed her forward. She stumbled but refused to cry out, even though she was in pain. Lydia wouldn't give them that kind of satisfaction.
She walked into one of the towers, as the mass of door opened. The corridor stretching forever and a smell of cold stone came through.
This felt like power.
Everything was polished, but everything looked empty. The men took her towards a different corridor and stop right outside double doors. One guards knocked.
"Come in." A different voice came, very low, very deep and harsh. Something shifted in her stomach.
The doors opened and a guard pushed her in and shut the doors behind her. There she was, alone in the room with HIM.
Arthur Romero. Standing by the window, facing his garden. Dressed in all black. Some kind of sharpness radiating around him, something unmovable.
Slowly, the large man turned around and her breath was caught. He was tall, devastating, his eye sharp. He had no expression but still intimidating.
He was scaring her. There was silence and darkness around him.
"You must be Lydia Merchant." He said with a very low voice and she swallowed hard. His eyes dark, hate in them.
"Why did you bring me here? And where is my father?" She asked. Arthur said nothing.
He moved away from the window, walking towards her, slow and deliberate. Lydia though, she straightened her spine.
He was taller, bigger. Five times bigger than her and she felt so small.
"You're wasting your time. You brought me here to threaten me and use my father. But I will not let that happen. You cannot..."
"You talk too much." He said, shutting her up.
"I do not tolerate noises in my house. I like my peace." He said, viciously harsh. She was stunned.
"Where is my father?" She asked, losing her mind.
"You already know about your father's debt?" he asked and she stayed very quiet. Her eyes blinked a little.
Lydia had already remember the millions of blood money that her father had taken. But he promised her that he would return it back. But she couldn't help but believe it was too late.
"Where is my father?"
"I think the letter was very convincing. He left you here, with me. As he promised." He said like it was nothing and it worked to make her feel as if she was nothing.
"Your father just gave you to me, gave you away." He said, stepping closer and she stepped back. Wanting to breathe. But there was some kind of suffocation as he was stepping closer.
"Why didn't your men just kill me?" She asked.
"You should wish I had." He said, only making her flinch. But she didn't look away. Her eyes going red, she stopped herself from crying.
"You brought me here to torment me?"
"No." He said almost immediately, in his thick voice and another step closer.
"I brought you here for an offer."
"An offer?" She said confused. Lines forming on her forehead. He was practically looking down at her, breathing on her as her breath got heavy and eyes wide open.
"I brought your here to marry me Lydia. That's my bargain." He said being loud and clear and she froze.
"Marry you?" She asked, stunned. Her heart dropped.
"Your father offered us collateral and I accepted his offer. And now." He whispered, looking her dead in her eyes.
"You belong to me." He muttered, sinister.
"You think this makes any of it legal. You think I will say yes to you?" She asked, tearing up.
"You do not need to say anything." He said, lowering his voice. Their faces almost close to each other. She started to shake her head with a bitter laugh.
"You are insane." She whispered, and there was a smirk on him.
"You think I'll wear a dress, walk down to you like I am your little doll?" She asked.
He smirked.
"I do not need a doll. I need a partner who is obedient to me. I need my wife close to me." His voice whispered in a sinister way.
Her stomach dropped almost immediately. She was shaking.
"This--this is not right." She whispered as he cornered her. No space in between them. His presence alone felt like a hand on her throat.
"I could have taken your father's head. But having his family here, his daughter that he gave away, seems right to me." His whispers harsh on her.
"You are not doing this for the money, are you?. You're doing this because you can, because you are a monster and hurting people make this feel bigger and better." She said screaming at him. And for the first time something slipped in Arthur.
"Well... I am a monster and now you will know more about this monster. And your father is still with me. Killing him will not be hard." He said, immediately bringing her all the pain and anger and fear.
And she slapped him hard on his face.
She teared up, he did not move, he did not blink. But the doors open behind her.
"Take her to her room, get her ready. The weddings in a few hours." He said.
"I will never be yours." She screamed at him, her hand burning but he said nothing. His men rushed in, pulling her away from there. While she was screaming her lungs out.
Arthur slowly turned around, walking back to his desk, picking up file with her father's name on it, and where he was kept.
"I will never be yours" Where her words but Arthur was a man that loved a challenge. Immediately his eyes landed on a photograph with Lydia and her entire family. She was smiling, happy in her life.
Something in him shifted, he didn't understand what it was, but immediately Arthur pushed the photo away, going back to his work. This wedding