Mafia Darling

16 | The Dunce (Marco)

Three days pass after the kidnapping fiasco before I gather enough courage to try and talk to Ella. I lounge around on the first floor, watching the staircase to the basement and the maid's quarters like a hawk. Over the span of the entire day, each of the maids passes through at least twice...except for Ella.

An uneasy feeling grows in my stomach as I walk to dinner. I don't eat with everyone, as usual, and instead watch and listen for signs of distress or issues. The maids are lined up on the wall where they always are, coming over when beckoned...except for Ella.

Is she sick?

As I'm going up to my room, I pass Luca in the hallway. "Hey," I say casually. "Where's the new maid?"

Luca raises an eyebrow. "Gone? She's been gone."

My heart drops. "What do you mean, gone?"

Luca shrugs. "She left."

I want to punch him for his nonchalance. The violent rage that courses through me is horrifying; Luca is a dear friend, and he hasn't done anything worthy of this rage. I feel this because of how much I care for Ella, and the thought that I can care so much for a person...

God, it's terrifying.

I find Bella in the kitchen. She's reheating my dinner, like she always does, to bring it up when I inevitably call for it. She notices me standing there and beckoning her over, but she takes her sweet time. By the time she gets close enough for a conversation, I'm bursting at the seams.

"Where's Ella?" I demand.

"No idea. I went to sleep when she was already asleep, and when I woke up, she was gone. So was all her stuff."

"So she just left?"

"Seems like it."

My hands clench. "Where did she go?"

She raises an eyebrow. "Did you not hear a fucking word I said? I have no idea. She just...left."

"And you helped her, didn't you?" I hiss.

Anger flashes across Bella's face. "She went to sleep." Bella takes one step toward me. "I went to sleep." Another step. "When I woke up..." Another step, and she's right in my face. "She was gone."

We glare at each other.

"What's it matter to you, anyway?" she snaps. "It's been two days. Everyone gossiped about it on the first day, and you're just noticing it now? What kind of lover boy dunce are you?"

Her words are acidic yet hollow. She whirls around and goes back to her work stiffly, handling the plates with an emotion I don't think I've ever seen on her.

I take a deep breath and unclench my hands. I shouldn't have waited this long to talk to Ella. Did she think, after the kidnapping, I wouldn't care how she was doing? Is she okay? Does she have bruises from Niklas's family? Did she leave for somewhere safe, or is she out there all alone?

For the first time in a long time, I'm genuinely worried for someone. I hate this feeling, and I'll do anything to make it go away.

I need to find her.