A Penny For Your Tears

Forty

"Belissima." Luca spoke softly from behind me, placing his hand gently on my shoulder. I paid him no heed, instead continuing to stare out the window, a tear escaping my eye. "Everyone has left, it's time to go home." I sobbed at his words, burying my head deep into my hands. Body vibrating as I cried, unable to bear the pain of losing my parents.

"I can't go home, I don't have a home." I weeped, the task of breathing becoming increasingly difficult.

"Hey, hey, piccola." Luca crouched down beside me, wrapping his arms around me as he brought me into his embrace and held my head against his chest. Rocking me and back forth, trying to comfort me and it worked. Soon my cries turned into soft whimpers, eyes closed as I focused on the rhythm of his beating heart. "I know you are hurt right now, I know the pain seems like it will never end, I know it seems now like you've lost everything but you have me, you will always have me. I love you and from now own, my home is your home, my things is your things and my heart is your heart." He whispered, running a soothing hand through my hair. I allowed him to pick me up and carry me towards his car. Matteo was the one driving while Lorenzo sat in the passenger seat, for once in his life not looking at me with disdain. My head was leaning against the window, eyes moving back and forth as I watched the passing scenery. The thought of my parent sitting like this, happy, moments before it all came to an end, made me sick. Tears trickled down my cheek and I made no effort to stop them. The funeral had been small just a few of my parents' friends and work friends. My mother's family had been notified of the accident but we had never been close to them so I wasn't surprised that they were a no show, but it still shocked me because she was still, essentially, their family. The only family I had on my father's side were my grandparents but they were unable to come due to my grandfather getting a knee surgery. It didn't matter now anyway, they were dead, cruelly taken away from me without any warning. I hadn't noticed that we had arrived at Luca's mansion until my door was abruptly opened by Lorenzo, and since I was leaning on the window, the sudden loss of support caused me to fall out the car and on to the hard gravel that decorated the front of the mansion. I winced at the impact and from the corner of my I saw Matteo push Lorenzo angrily while Luca sent him a menacing glare before moving to help me. The mansion loomed over me grimly, as if taunting me, foreshadowing the horrors and torture I would soon endure at the hands of the man who I loved and was supposed to love me.

"Are you hungry?" Luca asked me as he guided me towards the house with a gentle hand on the small of my back. I wasn't hungry, in fact I wasn't anything, I just wanted to be alone.

"I want to be alone." I whispered, voice hoarse from crying.

"Yes," Luca nodded, "We can do that." I wanted to roll my eyes at the sound of 'we' because apparently he didn't know what alone meant, nonetheless, I allowed him to bring me to his room. He sat me down on the bed and helped me take of my shoes, planting a small kiss on my forehead as he told me to lie down. "I'll be right back." He whispered.

I pulled the duvet closer to my chest, eyes closed as tears continued to fall, the source of my pain seeming endless and I hoped that my eyes would close and never open again. Soon, I felt the bed dip as Luca got in next to me, he wrapped an arm around my waist as he pulled me closer to him.

"Everything is going to be ok, piccola, everything will be ok." He soothed gently, kissing my shoulder with so much love and care that I couldn't help but smile softly. I believed him, I foolishly believed that everything would be ok, but, I'd soon grow to learn that he was only a wolf in sheep's clothing. Danger waiting to unfold.

I sat up abruptly in bed, clothes clinging to my body due to sweat and moisture. Was this what things had come to? Was I so lonely and deprived of love that I was reminiscing and clinging on to the good memories I had with Luca? I glanced at my clock, it was eight in the morning, I might as well get up now and have a shower. It had been weeks, almost a month, since Amsterdam and I hadn't heard from anyone. Not Adam, not Aaliyah and definitely not from Elias. I hadn't seen them either. Even Jonathon and Amelia kept their distance from me, I didn't know if it was from disgust, pity or anger, either way it made me feel terrible so not too long ago, I just told them to take some time off. My grandparents were on holiday anyway, oblivious to the drama I was going through, so their services weren't actually necessary.

As for Luca, I hadn't heard a thing from him or anyone who could be associated to him which made all of this so much worse as it felt like all this had happened for nothing.If only I had told the truth before or even chosen to stay in my hotel room instead of going to the damned party, none of this would have happened. I stepped into the shower, not even flinching at the impact of the hot water against my fragile skin that was now littered with scars from the blisters that had been formed due to my numerous hot showers. I had been having them a lot lately, them being the only thing I felt in a day, the only thing that reminded that I was still human and able to feel pain. My days were spent in a catatonic state, lying in my bed as I stroked Arie's fur, mind occupied with playing different scenarios which could have lead to a different outcome. I only got up to feed Arie or let him out and sometimes to eat, although I could go two or three days without eating. After about twenty minutes, I got out the shower, avoiding look at the mirror because I knew I looked miserable and I didn't need the reminder.

As soon as I had finished putting on my shirt and was about to get in to bed again, the door bell rang and I frowned, looking at the dog in confusion.

"Who could that be?" I asked it as if it could answer, carefully I made my way to the door, expecting a post man or something. I opened the door and was met with the menacing exterior of a gun, the hollowness of the barrel staring back at me, taunting me with the fact that in just a split second it could take away my life. I was expecting to meet the cold, dark eyes of Luca Barletta but to my astonishment, I was met with the piercing blue ones of Alexia Riley.

"A-Alexia?" I stammered, taking a small step back as I put my hands up in defense.

"Don't you dare say a fucking word." She spat venomously and at that moment I knew the best thing for me was to remain quiet and hope that she would calm down before she got the chance to use that gun, although would it really be that bad if she did? She'd be doing everyone a favour. In all honesty, I should have seen this coming, Alexia had always believed I was an imposter and now she was proven right. "How fucking could you?" She spoke angrily, pointing the gun further towards me, hand on the trigger ready to shoot. My heart beat profusely in my chest and I opened and closed my mouth not knowing what to say without getting myself shot.

"I-"

"No! You don't get to defend yourself, Olivia, you don't get to defend yourself because neither did Elias' parents before they were brutally murdered, neither did all those girls who were bought and sold by the likes of your boyfriend. You don't get to defend yourself because you're a lying, manipulative monster!" By now her gun was no longer pointed towards me but stayed firmly in her hand as she voiced her opinion of me.

"Alexia!" I exclaimed, she could be angry but she didn't have the right to assume I was anything like Luca. I was a bad person but I'd be damned if anyone compared me to that devil. "I did wrong by Elias, I did wrong by all of you, I won't deny that. I should have told you all from the beginning, but, you don't know what it's like for every moment of your life to be a living nightmare, for your body to be beaten and abused on a daily basis without remorse or mercy. You don't know what it's like to be seen as nothing but an object and I hope you never will. When I was finally free, I knew I could never go back there no matter what it costed me and I thought not telling you guys was a part of that sacrifice but now I know I was wrong." I was breathing heavily by the end of my speech, heart constricting with pain and all I wanted to do was go back in and never come out again. Alexia was silent,the deadly weapon still held in a hand that was trembling with so much anger, it was a miracle I was still alive. She didn't say anything, choosing instead to turn around and walk towards her car. Just as she was leaving the compound, Adam drove in and rushed out of his car towards me.

"Are you ok? Alexia, she was just so angry and a-"

"It's fine, I'm fine. She just left." I whispered, eyes blurry with tears and mind trying to understand what on earth had just happened.

"Olivia, Liv, hey, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." Adam said, voice cracking with emotion as he pulled me into his embrace, his hand gripping on to my head as if he were afraid he'd lose me. I cried softly into his shoulder, not realizing how much I needed this, how much I needed someone.

"Everything is going to be ok, Liv, everything will be ok." He whispered soothingly and I believed him.

A/N: Perhaps my worst chapter but it's just a filler for the drama that's to come. Don't forget to vote and comment and damn, only ten more chapters to go. I can't wait for you guys to see the ending and see what your reactions are going to be like. Not my best chapter but I promise it gets better!