Captured by the King

Chapter 8- Breaking the silence

The house felt still, almost unnervingly quiet, as the sun began to set behind the horizon. I sat in my room, watching the orange and pink hues fade into deeper shades of purple. It had been like this for days—Lorenzo busy with his business dealings, the house feeling too large and empty for just the two of us. The distance between us had grown since the incident with Giovanni's men, and I wasn't sure how to bridge it.

I needed to do something. Anything. Sitting around was driving me crazy, and I was tired of feeling useless. I thought about sneaking out—just for a walk—but the idea of Lorenzo's reaction when he found out made me stop. Instead, I decided to head downstairs, hoping the movement would help me clear my head.

As I wandered into the kitchen, I found Lorenzo standing by the counter, staring out the window. His back was to me, but I could tell from the tension in his shoulders that something was wrong. He hadn't spoken much since that night, and the coldness that had crept into our interactions lingered in the air like an unspoken threat.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself before speaking. "Lorenzo?"

He didn't turn around. "What is it, Lilia?"

His tone was distant, clipped, as if he was already bracing himself for whatever conversation was about to unfold. I hated that. I hated that he'd become so closed off.

"I want to help," I blurted out, the words escaping me before I had time to think them through.

Lorenzo finally turned, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me. "Help with what?"

"Everything," I said, folding my arms across my chest. "With whatever it is that you're dealing with. I'm tired of being left in the dark, tired of feeling like I'm just some burden you have to protect."

He let out a harsh breath, rubbing a hand across his face. "You don't understand, Lilia. This isn't something you can just jump into. It's dangerous."

"I know that," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "But I can't keep pretending that everything's fine. I'm not a kid anymore. I need to know what's going on."

Lorenzo's eyes flashed with frustration, and for a moment, I thought he might just shut me down, the way he always did. But then he surprised me.

"Fine," he said, his voice quieter now. "You want to know what's going on? Giovanni's been pushing. Harder than ever before. He's not just after our business—he's after control. He's trying to undermine everything I've built, and you got caught in the crossfire because you're my weakness."

I blinked, taken aback by his bluntness. "Your weakness?"

"You, Lilia," Lorenzo said, his gaze sharp. "You're the one thing he knows he can use against me. That's why I've been keeping you out of it, why I don't tell you things. The more you know, the more dangerous it gets for you."

I felt my chest tighten, but I refused to back down. "So what, I'm supposed to just sit here and wait for something to happen? That's not a solution, Lorenzo. It's just postponing the inevitable."

He shook his head, his jaw clenched. "You don't get it. I've been doing everything I can to keep you safe, but this life... it doesn't care about what you want. It will swallow you whole if you let it."

I stepped closer, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "Then teach me. Show me how to survive in it. I don't want to be kept in a bubble, pretending that everything's okay when I know it's not. I can handle it, Lorenzo."

For a long moment, he just stared at me, as if weighing his options. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and resigned. "If I start bringing you in, there's no going back. You'll see things you can't unsee. You'll have to make choices you're not ready for."

I met his gaze, determination hardening inside me. "I'm ready. I can handle it."

Lorenzo's expression darkened, but there was a flicker of something else there too—something like acceptance. He turned away from the window, walking toward the kitchen table and sitting down. I followed, sitting across from him as the tension between us shifted, something unspoken passing between us.

"Alright," he said after a long pause. "If you want to be involved, there are rules. You don't act without my approval. You don't go behind my back. And you always, always listen to me. Understand?"

I nodded, my heart racing. "I understand."

For the first time in weeks, I felt like I wasn't just a bystander in my own life. I didn't know exactly what I was getting into, but I wasn't going to sit on the sidelines anymore. Whatever was coming, I would face it head-on—with Lorenzo by my side or not.

The silence stretched between us as Lorenzo studied me, his gaze searching for something. Maybe he was looking for fear, or maybe doubt. But I wouldn't give him either.

"Tomorrow," he said finally, his voice firm, "we start."

I didn't know what that meant exactly, but I nodded, feeling a strange sense of relief wash over me. Lorenzo stood up, his face still guarded, but there was something different in his posture. Maybe he was realizing that keeping me out of everything hadn't worked. Maybe he saw that, for once, I could be an ally instead of a liability.

As he left the room, I sat there for a moment, staring at the empty chair in front of me. Tomorrow. Tomorrow everything would change.