I feel myself floating of a cloud of bliss. Content with the quiet and nothingness. But just as quickly as it appears, its ripped away from me, and my eyes snap open. My breathing is ragged and harsh, and I'm soaked in sweat, as if I've been having a nightmare.

More like living one.

I don't remember falling asleep though. Thankfully I'm still on the couch and haven't moved anyone, but I'm still stuck in this place. Still alone, still yet to realise the severity of the situation I have somehow found myself.

I yawn, stretching my arms out and sitting up on the couch. The room is once again dark, and the curtains have been closed, which means someone has been inside her while I was asleep. My whole body freezes, terrified at the aspect of being so vulnerable, anyone able to do anything to me.

It's horrifying.

There is no light which comes from beneath the curtains, which means it must be night time. I glance at the analogue clock on Matteo's bedside table. 10:21.

I've been asleep a few hours.

That means he's probably back...

I turn towards the door where I see his intimidating figure loom. He's like a ghost, so silent, and he blends into his surroundings so well.

I leap further back onto the couch, making a strange sound in the process. He just scared the shit out of me.

"Didn't your parents ever tell you it's rude to stare?" I spit in his direction.

He laughs and takes a few large strides towards me. I stand from the couch in response and begin backing towards the curtains and window.

"I'm not staring, I'm observing." He says.

"That's the same thing." I retort, though my voice is fairly weak. I don't exactly want to acquire another one of his mystery punishments. Maybe he'll even forget about them.

"Can I not stare at what is mine?" He asks, with a creeping smile forming across his beautiful lips. Shadows dance along his beautifully carved face, and the darkness gives him another layer which feeds his overall terrifyingly handsome physique.

He still wears his classic black suit, and leather shoes. He looks like he just came from a business meeting.

"I'm not yours, psycho. I will never be yours, not in a million years."

"We'll see about that." He murmurs, as he continues to approach me.

"Why did you kidnap me?" I ask.

"Because my patience was waning, and I couldn't stand another minute knowing that other men were looking at you."

I scoff. "You cannot control who looks at me by stealing me away from the world. It's not for you to judge who gets to look at me or not!"

He takes agonisingly slow steps towards me, and I match him, until my back hits the curtains and window. "But i have. You are confined to this house, where only I can look at you. Only I can touch you." He's so close now. Raising a hand, he strokes my cheek. His hands are calloused and rough, yet my body reacts in the most awful way, heating at such a small action.

I turn my head away, not wanting to look at his stupid face.

"Sei così bella e sei tutta mia. Mia Mia." (You are so beautiful and you are all mine. My Mia.) He purrs, his warm breath caressing my skin.

I hate how I'm reacting to him. I want to scream and run away, yet I'm frozen in place. For the first time in my life, I'm in a completely unpredictable situation, and I'm terrified. I've lived always knowing that my Dad has been watching over me, whether it be he himself, or his men, I've always been inches away from safety.

But now?

I'm in the lion's den, and I am the lamb.

"Please let me go." I whisper. I feel so weak, so utterly helpless.

"Never going to happen." He whispers back.

And with that, he steps back, finally giving me room to breath. I let my shoulders fall.

"You must be starving. There is food waiting down stairs. We mustn't let it get cold." He states, though it's definitely a threat coming from his mouth.

Eat with me, or there'll be a punishment.

I nod, and he begins to head towards the door. I follow a distance behind him.

Knocking on the door, it unlocks and opens, revealing the same guard who had taken me to this room earlier. I notice that he doesn't look directly at me, but rather down, at my feet.

"...only i can look at you." His words ring through my head, burning my memories.

I shuffle out of the room, and follow him down the same hall I had tried to escape from. Now I have more time to look, I notice just how modern and sheek, this place is. It's like an artwork in itself, with many varying levels, and a large cut out in the centre of the house, looking out onto a square garden. Just like me, it's a prisoner to this house, confined by four walls.

After many twists and turns we reach a dining room. A long wooden table is filled with foods of all sorts. Roast chicken and vegetables, Thai, curry and cakes of all sorts. It's an assault to all my senses, but not in a bad way, as it awakens the hunger within me, and I stare with drool coming from my mouth.

I hear him chuckle as he takes a seat at the head, and motions for me to sit next to him.

I hesitantly comply.

I'm surprised to see that he has provided me with silver cutlery, though not a knife, only a fork. Of course.

"Take anything and everything you like." He says staring at me intently, those dark eyes fixed on every minuscule movement I make. Despite this, I begin reaching for food, piling it on top of my plate. Roast potatoes and butter chicken. Pulled pork and a garden salad.

I begin to eat, not caring that he still watches me closely. Who knows the next time I'll get to eat. I need to make the most of it, so I can conserve my energy for escaping.

"You are so beautiful." Matteo says mindlessly, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

I ignore him and take a bite of the butter chicken. It's mild, but very flavoursome. The chicken melts in my mouth and I can't help but let out a moan. Though, I instantly regret it as I notice the sinister smirk on his face.

"It's good, is it not?"

I glare at him, and give a quick nod.

"This is how your life can be from now on, if you just accept that you now belong to me." He says.

I swallow my mouthful of food and tense. "I would rather starve then let any man think they own me." I snarl. "I will die, before I let you even think for one second that you own even a hair on my head."

Suddenly Matteo is up from his chair, and he violently slams his hands down on the table, making me jerk back. The platters of food clatter. It's like there was a mini earthquake.

"You are mine!" He roars. "I will do whatever it takes to make you know that. Whether it means I lock you up in a prison and throw away the key."

Footsteps come rushing into the dining room, and I turn to see multiple men--guards I suppose, flanking one another. Each of their hands rest on things within their jackets. Which i can only guess are guns. What else would they be?

He waves them off and stalks towards me, standing behind my chair. I try to turn my head to look behind me, at him, but his hands move to the sides of my face, stopping me.

"I can give you the world Mia. I am no fool. I know that love takes time, and I will give you as much as it takes. But you are mine." He says so calmly, as if he didn't just have some outburst right in front of me.

I feel his breath on my neck as he begins leaning down to my level. Placing his hand on the table in front of us, and his other arm resting on my shoulder. I feel his lips brush up against my exposed skin, taunting and teasing me.

I can't breathe with him this close. I want to run away. I'm repulsed.

I squirm under his arms and decide to place my eyes on the silver fork in front of me, hoping that it will take my mind off of everything that is happening.

"Please don't." I whisper.

But my words mean nothing to him. "Relax, Mia. I would never hurt you." He coos.

I feel him begin to kiss me, starting from my shoulder and slowly heading towards my neck. I whimper, wanting him off of me. I can't do this. I thought I could be tough, and fight back. But now I realise, I'm just a scared girl who was never preparing for the real world.

This is the real world.

My eyes don't move from the fork, and suddenly, i'm struck with the most brilliant and stupid idea ever.

Without thinking more of it, I reach for the fork, and plunge it into his hand with such force, I feel it dig into the wooden table.

Matteo yells, and I feel him pull away from me.

Once again the guards come running in, and just as I try to slip out from underneath Matteo, I watch in horror as his free hand reaches for the fork and yanks it from his hand with ease.

I gag as I watch the blood spill from the wound.

I feel the familiar feeling of Matteo's breath on my neck as he whispers into my ear. "You're in big trouble now, principessa."

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