𝓗𝓲𝓼 𝑅𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛

!PART 2!

Page 46.

Kailani could feel her heart pounding in her chest as the car rolled to a stop in front of the grand mansion. The world outside the window was vast, open—so different from the tiny room where she had spent the last three months, hidden away in the deep isolation Salvatore had forced upon her. The mansion loomed before her, an imposing structure that seemed to breathe with the weight of history and secrets. Her pulse quickened as she took in the scale of it. Everything about this place screamed power.

Salvatore sat next to her in the back seat, unmoving, silent as always. His presence was as heavy as the mansion itself. She could feel his eyes on her even though his face remained hidden behind the black mask. He didn’t speak, but his touch was constant. His fingers absently played with a loose strand of her hair, a gesture that felt possessive, almost petting her as if to remind her she belonged to him. His other hand rested on her knee, his thumb moving in slow, deliberate circles. Even when he wasn’t saying anything, his body was always speaking for him—claiming her.

The door opened, and Salvatore stepped out first, his towering frame casting a long shadow on the ground. He held out his hand to her, not with gentleness, but with expectation. She took it, her fingers trembling slightly as he helped her out of the car. His grip on her waist was firm, possessive. It felt as though he was trying to anchor her to him, as if she might float away without his touch.

Kailani tried to steady her breath as they made their way to the front doors. The mansion was suffocating in its grandeur—marble steps, towering columns, and windows that seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky. She had seen luxurious homes before, but this…this was different. There was something about the way the air felt here, something darker beneath the beauty.

As they entered, the staff was already lined up in the grand foyer. Bodyguards, maids, assistants—they all stood in neat rows, heads bowed, waiting for the Don’s arrival. When they saw Salvatore, they immediately knelt, their eyes cast downward in reverence.

Kailani felt a cold shiver run through her as she followed Salvatore’s lead. She wasn’t used to this kind of reception. The sheer number of people intimidated her, and their unwavering deference to Salvatore was unsettling. She could feel their eyes on her, though they never lifted their heads high enough to meet her gaze.

“Donna,” one of the maids whispered in awe as Kailani passed, her voice hushed as if speaking to a saint. “She’s even more beautiful than I imagined.”

Another maid, standing just beside her, chimed in. “The Don has good taste. She looks like a painting, doesn’t she?”

Kailani’s cheeks flushed, and she instinctively lowered her head, feeling uncomfortable under their fawning praise. Salvatore’s hand moved from her waist to the small of her back, guiding her deeper into the mansion. His touch was gentle, but it was a reminder—a silent command for her to keep walking, to stay by his side. Always.

“Welcome back, Donna,” one of the older maids said softly, stepping forward. She was older, with silver strands woven through her dark hair. Her expression was kind, but her eyes—her eyes were sharp. They lingered on Kailani just a moment too long.

“You should leave while you can,” the woman’s voice drifted after her, almost a whisper, but the words hung heavily in the air. “He will never let you go. It only gets worse.”

Kailani’s steps faltered for a moment, her pulse spiking as paranoia set in. What did she mean? She glanced around, suddenly hyperaware of the silent eyes watching her from all sides, the vastness of the mansion closing in on her like a trap. Was there really no escape?

She felt a cold sweat break out across her skin, and her breath quickened as her mind spiraled. But Salvatore’s touch, firm and unyielding, was still there, pulling her back into the present. His fingers trailed up to the nape of her neck, brushing through her hair before settling back down at her waist. He was always touching her, like a leash wrapped around her body, keeping her tethered to him.

As they moved through the mansion, Kailani tried to focus on her surroundings. The halls were grand, decorated with rich paintings, tapestries, and expensive sculptures. Everything screamed wealth and power, but there was an underlying darkness to it all. It felt like a prison, no matter how beautiful. The air was too thick, too quiet, like the mansion itself was watching her, waiting for something to happen.

One of the maids, a younger girl, approached hesitantly, her hands wringing together as she bowed her head. “I’ll show you around, Donna,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a tremor in her words, a clear nervousness. She didn’t dare look up at Salvatore, keeping her gaze firmly planted on the floor.

Kailani glanced up at Salvatore, unsure if she should go with the girl. His eyes met hers, dark and unreadable behind the mask, but his hand remained at her waist, almost as if to reassure her. With a slight nod from him, she followed the maid.

The girl led her through the mansion, pointing out rooms as they walked—an opulent dining room, a library with floor-to-ceiling shelves, rooms filled with lavish furniture that looked like they belonged in a museum. But there was something in the maid’s silence, something in the way her eyes darted nervously toward the corners of the mansion, that made Kailani uneasy.

They reached a long corridor, and Kailani noticed the girl’s hands trembling slightly. She opened her mouth to ask a question, but the maid beat her to it.

“Do you—do you like it here, Donna?” the maid asked, her voice strained, like she was forcing the words out. Her eyes flicked up to Kailani for just a second before darting back to the floor.

Kailani hesitated. Did she like it here? How could she? She had been kept captive, isolated for months, and now she was being thrust into this strange new reality. The mansion, the people…it all felt wrong, like she was walking through a dream that could turn into a nightmare at any moment.

“I…” Kailani began, unsure of what to say. “It’s... it’s different.”

The maid nodded quickly, almost too quickly, as if she was afraid of saying the wrong thing. “Yes, different,” she repeated. “But you’re safe here. The Don…he keeps us all safe.”

There was something in the way she said it, something forced. Kailani’s paranoia spiked again. Was this girl afraid of Salvatore? Was everyone? Kailani had seen his cruelty, his obsessive need for control, but she hadn’t been around others long enough to see how they reacted to him. She glanced around the empty corridor, suddenly feeling like they were being watched.

The maid must have noticed her unease because she added quickly, “He’s... he’s not like others. You know that, don’t you?”

Kailani swallowed hard, her throat dry. She did know. She had learned that from the moment he had taken her. He was possessive, controlling, dangerous. And yet…he was the only constant in her life now. She didn’t know how to live without him anymore.

The girl fidgeted with the hem of her apron, casting a glance behind her as if expecting someone to appear. “If you need anything, Donna, anything at all…you can ask. But…” Her voice dropped to a whisper, barely audible. “You should be careful. He doesn’t like it when—”

Her sentence was cut short by a sudden movement at the end of the hall. Salvatore. His figure appeared silently, looming in the doorway. He didn’t say a word, but his eyes spoke volumes as they bore into the maid, his gaze hard and unforgiving.

The girl immediately bowed her head, trembling as she muttered, “Excuse me, Donna.” She hurried away, her footsteps barely making a sound on the marble floor, but the tension in the air was palpable.

Kailani stood frozen for a moment, her eyes meeting Salvatore’s. His hand lifted again, almost absentmindedly, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. The touch was gentle, but it sent a shiver down her spine. He was always there, always touching her, reminding her of his power over her.

He didn’t say anything as he moved closer, his fingers slipping back down to her waist, pulling her against him. The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words. Kailani’s mind raced with the maid’s warning, the strange tension in the mansion, the weight of her own growing paranoia.

But Salvatore’s presence, his constant, overwhelming presence, kept her tethered to him. His hand slid down her back, lingering there as if r remind her: she was his. And there was no escape