Free Slave

CHAPTER 2

Lorenzo barely said a word to Valeria as they were both chauffeur driven to his private villa.

When they arrived, he came out the car and walked into the villa completely ignoring Valeria's existence.

"Have her things taken to the guest room". He ordered one of the maids and walked up the stairs to his room without sparing a single glance behind.

Immediately the door to his room closed behind him, he unbottoned his white shirt completely and ran a hair through his jet black hair.

"What madness". He muttered under his breath as he paced back and forth. How had he allowed his father get to him and talk him into this predicament? But then again, his father was Antonio De Luca after all...the ruthless Patriarch.

The Romano's thought the wedding was a seal of peace to the war between them. "How optimistic", Lorenzo thought to himself and scoffed. He ruffled his hair once more and ran a hand over his face. He was losing his mind with a burning passion for justice.

But he knew he couldn't lose his mind if he were to carry out his plans, so he had better get to work before he lost it all. And before everything came crashing down.

Lorenzo got out of his suit and after a cold shower, he put on another and walked out of his room to his private office.

...

In the guest room, Valeria gazed out the window, her eyes tracing the manicured lawns, flowers and ornate fountains of Lorenzo's luxurious villa. Something about it felt so familiar.

"Free Slave". She chuckled bitterly. The oxymoron spilling out effortlessly.

She looked around her room, feeling the opulence suffocate her. It was a reminder of the gilded cage she willingly entered as the obedient daughter she always was.

She closed her eyes thinking back to childhood, when freedom and encagement were unknown to her before her dreams were shattered.

*...*

"You paint pretty well, Val". Her teacher had said to her every time during the art classes she took.

"I wanna be a painter". Valeria had said with an innocent and optimistic smile that showed all her pearly white teeth. "I'll paint my family portrait one day and papa will be so proud of me".

"Why don't you take this painting and show it to him?".

"He'll love it".

But the reverse was the case.

"What is this?". Dante Romano had asked, his knuckles turning white as his grip on the painting frame tightened.

"A painting papa, I..."

"I know what it is young lady, wasting your time doing silly things like painting again?"

"I want...to be a..a painter...". She choked as tears filled her eyes.

The instant crash of the painting frame onto the tiled floor was enough interruption for a scared younger Valeria, as the dam broke free.

*...*

A knock on the door jolted her back from the one memory that shattered her into a million pieces. A pang of sadness struck her like it did that faithful evening after school.

"You did make it clear father, that duty and survival were paramount, not happiness or love". She muttered in a disembodied whisper with a sad smile. Her duty to her family was meant to be her top priority, not her will...but her father's will was sovereign.

The knock came again and she walked to the door and opened it, her heart beating frantically. When she saw who it was, she relaxed.

"Your dinner has been served ma'am". The maid who had brought her luggage upstairs said with a rehearsed smile.

"Isn't Lorenzo...I mean, Mr. De Luca having dinner?". Valeria wondered why she even cared. Did she want to have dinner with him?

"He is ma'am but he doesn't eat with anyone except...". Her voice trailed and she pressed her lip in a thin line.

"Please could you have dinner arranged for whenever he is ready?"

"Ma'am...". The maid started, her face reflecting a hint of sadness and...pity? Guess the maid hadn't rehearsed the act of masking facial expressions then. Good!

How pleasant! All Valeria needed was a stranger to have pity on her and Lorenzo's distant behaviour didn't help either. He'd barely spoken to her since their arrival, instead going about his affairs as though he were still a bachelor.

"Just have it arranged, I'll be down in a minute". Valeria said giving her own rehearsed smile. The smile she practiced in the mirror for too long it became her own normal.

The maid walked away and Valeria's smile faded as she closed to door and walked back to the window. She hugged herself and ran a hand up and down her arm as though it would soothe the chill within her.

Mrs. Valeria De Luca.

She shuddered at the thought. She was getting entangled in a complicated web of thoughts.

Meanwhile, a man stood in the shadows quite a distance from the villa, binoculars trained on Valeria who was standing by the window.

Back inside, as Valeria was lost in thought, she sensed a presence outside. She would've sworn she saw the bushes moving but a knock distracted her. Before she could answer, a short and legally blonde girl walked in. Valeria took in her armless leather leopard print jumpsuit which ultimately revealed her arm tattoo.

"You're beautiful". The girl stated and walked straight to Valeria's bed, sat on it and swung one leg on the other.

Valeria stood dumbfounded. 'Who the hell are you?' was the question within her that was itching to be yelled. But she was just too stunned at the girl's boldness to even speak.

Who was she?

"You must be wondering who I am". The twirled her platinum blonde hair with a finger. "Any guesses?".

And a mind reader too.

She was bold and could read minds.

Well, not literally of course.

Valeria gave her a once over, she was short in height probably 4'5

Valeria's eyes moved to the girl's hair, platinum blonde.

Then her eyes, blue green eyes like a mix of sapphire and emerald.

And the tattoos...Valeria scanned the girls arms. A dragon tattoo, inked in red and black.

Alessandra De Luca AKA Wild card as Valeria's brother, Angelo described her.

"Alessandra"

The girl pressed her lip into a thin line and shook her head with her eyes closed. "Mm-mm, Sasha". She stated simply and opened her eyes. "Call me Sasha. It has a nice ring to it don't you think?"

Valeria stared back outside at the bushes that had moved. She shook her head with a small smile. She must've been going crazy because first, it was the revolving thin lights she mistook to a sniper scope and now, this.

"Right". Valeria replied more to her thoughts than to Sasha.

"Well...". Sasha said getting up. "I have a party to attend". She went to the vanity and stared into the mirror, swiping more red lipstick onto her lips. She macked her lips as Valeria stared at her.

Valeria wished she were that courageous. How did it feel to be this free? To get to do whatever you wanted in life.

Sasha turned to Valeria with hands akimbo.

"Don't tell Enzo I'm out".

Enzo?

Without waiting for Valeria's reply, Sasha sashayed to the door.

"Please have dinner with him so he doesn't feel lonely without me".

And with that, Sasha was out of the door. Valeria had just stood staring at the closed door tongue tied. 'Cats got your tongue, Valeria?' she shook her head with a smile.

Valeria thought that Sasha couldn't be any more different from Lorenzo...Enzo as Sasha had called him. They had nothing in common but then again, they were different individuals just like she, Marco and Angelo were.

Taking Sasha's suggestion to have dinner with Lorenzo, Valeria made her way downstairs to confront him about his distant behaviour.

Valeria's unease lingered as she stood in front of his door pondering on what to do.

How to knock...

What to say...

Finally, she closed her eyes and knocked, staring behind her at the men standing guard at specific places in the living room.

"Come in". The words dripped of irritation as Valeria opened the door and walked in. Lorenzo did not even spare her a glance. He was deeply focused on the ton of files and paperwork on his mahogany desk.

"What do you want?". Now he sounded impatient.

"To have dinner with you". 

"I don't have my meals with anyone".

"But you do with...". Her voice trailed and she folded her lips. She almost told on Sasha.

Lorenzo finally looked at her with squinted eyes, "...with who?".

Valeria was silent.

"Who told you that?". He asked, piercing blue eyes boring into hers even from the distance between them.

Valeria thought she would put the maid in trouble so she shook her head. She knew she needed to think fast before the matter escalated. Her silence made him go back to his paperwork.

"We're married now but you're distant". Valeria said in a barely audible voice. Her father had warned her to be mindful whenever she spoke to Lorenzo, so this was the best she could do.

"Would you rather we consummate the marriage?".

"No!". She yelled. It was very curt and straight forward and she felt embarrassed. "No". She said it gently this time around, taking pleasure in the patterns on the ceramic floor tiles.

"Worry not". He said and she jerked her head up to stare at him. He was still engrossed in work. "I don't want to consummate the marriage either. It was void from the start so not consummating it won't matter".

Valeria felt her face flush. She hadn't spoken about this kind of thing before, especially not with a man.

"We're married, but we live separate lives," Lorenzo said, his voice detached. "You're free, Valeria Romano." 

Valeria almost scoffed. But was she? Was she really free as he claimed she was? 

Freedom was a far cry from her reality, just like love.

"You may leave".

As she turned to leave, Lorenzo's phone rang. He answered, and after seconds of silence, Valeria heard him ask.

"Who is this?" 

Valeria turned back, her curiosity piqued. Lorenzo's eyes met hers, and for a moment, Valeria thought she saw a flicker of something – a warning, perhaps, or a message.