Hopelessly Believing

Chapter 9 - Accidental Kiss

Astoria's Pov

I was shocked to hear those words from his mouth. A sensation of shock ran through my spine but then i got some flashbacks 

"Sei Davvero bella , mio caro "

(You are really beautiful my darling )

He said as he hugged me and whispered in my ear.

"A-Anch'io ti amo" i said while looking into his blue eyes and a fake smile. He could never guess if i'm fake smiling or is it my real smile. Though i forgot how it really feels like smiling since i met him.

he looked into my eyes and smiled but then his smile vanished and he glared at me.

"If you love me then why would you let Pietro go ? " he tilted his head and his glare pierced through my soul.

"W-What ? I didn't let him go " I tried to act calm or else he would abuse me again.

"Don't lie to me mi amore. I know you let him go. I checked the cameras too "

From the inside i was panicking but i need to keep my calm or else my plan wouldn't work,"What are you saying ? and wait Pietro ran away ? how did he ? " I tried acting dumb and acted like i didn't knew anything about Pietro running away.

"DON'T ACT DUMB NOW, I KNOW YOU HELPED HIM IN RUNNING AWAY FROM HERE " He shouted at me and i flinched. I knew what was coming now.

"I guess you need some punishment again" he said while gritting his teeth. He grabbed my arm and took me to his basement. I know what it feels like being there, it's all dark and they make you starve until you're on the verge of dying and like a cherry on the cake they beat you mercilessly and all of that is commanded by the person who is currently dragging me there, Rydian, my cruel boyfriend.

He opened the door of the basement and threw me on the floor of a prison in there while i begged him to not do this to me, just like i begged when he killed my Grandma in front of my eyes.

"You fucking bitch, just shut up or i  wouldn't hesitate to kill you just like i did to Arabella"  He said the last part while smirking.

Arabella was the name of my Grandma. He killed her mercilessly like he killed all the others.

just then he signaled his 2 men and they came up to me hanging me up by my wrists to a chain. Then he came up to me with a metal rod and it was the same one he used it on my grandma before killing her and then he hit me with it , not once but a plethora of times.

He hit me again and again until i felt my eyelids becoming heavy and i blacked out

*********

 I felt a lump in my throat and i had tears in my eyes. I looked down so that Ashford wouldn't see me or else he would ask questions which I'm still not ready to answer. Just then there was a knock on my cabin door and Ashford went back to sit on the chair. I mumbled come in and Clair came in to remind about the meeting. I nodded and she went back. I took the file which was needed and went in the meeting room while Ashford followed me.

"Hello Miss Eleonora. Oh ! Hello Mr.Ermington " Mr. Desmond said whilst taking his hand out from his pocket for a handshake.

"Hello Mr. Desmond " I said whilst replying to his handshake and Ashford did the same.

"Shall we begin now ?" I asked him and he nodded.

The meeting was quite boring but the project idea Mr.Desmond had was brilliant, i agreed to it and signed all the papers that i had to. I attended a few more meetings until it was 7 and i decided to head off to home.