"Have a drink with me." I blurt out, surprising myself as well as Matteo as I make my way to the kitchen from the elevator.

The ride back to the penthouse had been... Awkward, to say the least. I had attempted to make small talk, to ease us into drinks once we returned home, but Matteo wasn't having it. He would reply with closed answers, and would barely even look at me.

It was odd. Normally he was jumping at the chance to speak to me, and for the first time I was actually speaking to him, due to my own free will.

Something got to him at that party. And I have a feeling it had something to do with his sister, Katerina.

"I'd rather not." Matteo says bluntly, his face a mask of stone. His hands fiddle with his tie as he begins to undo it.

I bite my tongue. I can't take no for an answer. And I certainly can't allow him to just go back to his room and do whatever, with risk of him hearing me leave. I have to give him this drug. I just can't afford for this escape to fail.

"Just one drink." I persist as I reach into the cupboard for two wine glasses.

Placing them onto the kitchen island, I stare glimpse back up towards Matteo who's watching me intently.

"You're underage." He says. I cock my head to the side, confused as to what he's saying. His mouth finally falls into a lazy smirk. "You're not twenty one. You can't drink."

He kidnapped me, drugged me, and flew me to another country against my will, and now he's telling me that I can't drink because I'm underage?

I scoff, but hide it before he notices. "I'm Australian." I state. "I started drinking well before the legal age over there, which is eighteen for your information, I think it's fine if I have a glass of red wine."

Matteo slides the tie from his neck and takes a few steps towards me. "Alright, I suppose it's alright, considering you're under my supervision." He grins.

I hope this drug takes effect real quick. I don't know how long I can hold a conversation with this man without wanting to slap him in the face.

I give him a devious smirk. "It's settled then, you're having a drink with me."

"How can I say no to the most beautiful person in the world."

I turn to get the bottle of red wine, and roll my eyes when he can't see. "You already did." I say.

"True, but I am saying yes now, no?"

"I guess." I mumble.

Turning back around to him, I notice he's waiting for me to pour the wine. Shit. I completely forgot I have to actually put the drug in the drink. "Why don't you go get changed while I pour our drinks, and find some snacks." I suggest.

Matteo's eyes widen in surprise. "What, so you can poison my drink?" He questions sternly.

I freeze in place. How did he know? There's no way he could've known. Unless Katerina was actually a spy for him, and told him about everything... But there wouldn't have been any time, I was with him from the moment we left the party.

"I'm kidding." He laughs.

I think I just died five times over.

"I'll get changed." He says, before leaving me to regain my composure and finally breathe. This man is definitely a handful.

I watch as his door shuts behind him, before quickly jumping into action. Taking the bag from my bra, I drop the capsule into my hand and untwist it, emptying the contents into his glass. I begin pouring the blood-red liquid into the cup and watch as the white powder is enveloped by it.

I take out some cheese and crackers and put them onto a wooden board, and then bring everything to the coffee table opposite the couch. I'm careful to remember which glass is mine, and which glass is Matteo's.

I stand up and look down, making sure everything is in place. Before I can register, two arms snake around my waist, and my body instantly turns rigid. What is he doing? I feel his warm breath on the nape of my neck, sending shivers through my body.

"You smell so good." He mumbles.

I feel him all over me, I feel his skin against mine, and it leaves a burning sensation behind. I can't do this, I can't.

"Matteo..." I begin to pry his hands from my waist. "I-"

Within a split second, his hands disappear from my body and I feel the cold once again, but I welcome it openly. "I'm sorry." Matteo says promptly. "I shouldn't have done that."

From the corner of my eye, I see him move to the other end of the couch, taking a seat in front of his glass--Thankfully the right one.

I take my seat, about a metre away from him, and reach for my glass. We sit in silence for a minute or so, before I watch tentatively as Matteo finally picks up his glass and takes a sip.

"Did you enjoy the ball?" Matteo asks me, breaking the silence, as he takes another sip from his glass.

"Ah, yeah it was alright I guess." I say.

"Alright?" Matteo snorts. "It was horrid." He says, looking ahead of him.

Finally something we can agree on. It was an extremely painful night, one that I would definitely not like to repeat any time soon. Though I can't say it was all bad as it provided me with the opportunity of escape, by Matteo's very own blood.

"Those gatherings are always the same. The same people, the same conversations. I absolutely hate attending them." Matteo says, placing his hand to his forehead.

"Then why do you go?" I ask.

Matteo whips his head to me, as if he forgot I were there. "Because I need to give a good impression." He states simply.

"And who exactly are you trying to impress?"

"My father mainly." Matteo sighs, once again looking away from me, and taking a few large gulps from his glass. Every sip he takes is another weight off my shoulders.

"Your father?" I press. It seems that family is a sensitive topic around him, and maybe that'll speed up his drinking.

As I suspected, Matteo takes another large drink. "My father is a very conceited individual. His pride is himself and his achievements--His children not included." He states.

It sounds like his family might be a bit dysfunctional. Should I really be prying into this? It's none of my business, and maybe things will stay less complicated, the less I know about Matteo and his life.

"I'm sorry." I say.

Matteo laughs. "I don't need your pity. I learnt a long time ago, that waiting for something is a waste of time."

"Then why are you still trying to impress him?"

"Your talkative tonight." Matteo states as he looks back at me. I purse my lips, and look down into my glass. I need to stop asking questions, I'm not helping myself at all.

Yet, some part of me wants to find a reason behind why Matteo is the way he is. I want to be able to blame something or someone for the terrible person that he is, so maybe i don't have to hate one individual so much.

Matteo is a bad person, I know that. But he is a person nonetheless, and...

"I don't know." He says. "I think some part of me will always want to impress him, no matter what he's done to me in the past. He is and will always be my father." Matteo takes another drink, almost finishing his glass.

"Hmmm," is all I say in response.

"What about you and your father?" Matteo questions out of the blue.

My father? My eyes widen, and he seems to notice. "Don't worry, I won't interrogate you on who he is tonight." Matteo says.

I nod my head slowly and look out the large window that looks out onto the wondrous city. The dark night sky is illuminated by the bright light, creating hues of vibrant colours in the clouds, kind of like the northern lights.

I struggle to find any words to describe my father and I's relationship. Now that I think of it, we barely have a proper father daughter relationship. I know nothing of how my father is around others, I've only ever seen him interact with Mum and I. I only know one half of who my father is.

"My father and I are close." I say, though I don't sound very confident.

"Do you not try to impress your father when you can?" Matteo asks, one of his brows slightly raised as he waits for my response.

"I do." I say. Of course I do. As a kid I would constantly be applying myself one hundred percent to whatever I did, just so that I would have something to tell my Dad when I spoke to him next, so that he would be proud of me. I guess that's why I apply myself so much in languages.

"Looks like we have something in common." Matteo says. He raises his almost empty glass towards me. "Lets cheers to that."

I raise my glass and we cheers, our glasses clinking together. Matteo genuinely smiles, and I find that I do too. I don't know why though. It's probably just the excitement of escaping.

Matteo takes the last sip of his glass, and stands, heading towards the kitchen, returning with the bottle of wine.

He refills my glass before his, and then takes his seat once more, however now I notice that he's much closer to me than he was before. "Mia..." Matteo begins. "I-I want to apologise."

I suck in a breath.

"I know that taking you was wrong. I understand that now. I have no excuse, and when you feel ill, I-I was beside myself. I couldn't bear knowing that I was the cause of your pain--That I am the cause of your pain." Matteo places his glass on the coffee table.

"After what you said in the car--" He pauses and looks away from me. "I know that asking this of you is selfish, and I know that you must hate me, but... Will you ever be able to forgive me?"

Oh god.

"Matteo, I... I can forgive, but I can never forget." I whisper.

Why is he saying this? Why does he want me to forgive him? Can I forgive him?

I don't know.

"I understand." He says.

Matteo stares at me, his eyes piercing my soul. I feel like he can completely read my mind. Does he know what I'm planning?

I suddenly feel very hot.

"Will you forgive me for this?" He asks.

"For-" Before I have time to finish my sentence, Matteo's lips press against mine.

I feel myself go rigid.

He's gentle and doesn't try to force for entrance, but his lips burn against me. I feel his hand reach for behind my head, and he holds me as if I were porcelain.

I shouldn't be doing this. I need to break this up right now.

But I don't.

Instead, I cup his face and kiss back.

I allow him entrance into my mouth, and I feel his tongue graze against mine. He tastes like the red wine, like an evening in front of the fire. He no longer burns against me, however his warmth is still present. It's comforting, It's-

Matteo breaks it off, and we both take in breaths of air.

For a few moments, we sit there wondering if that actually happened.

Did I really just do that?

I feel heat rise in my cheeks. I'm so ashamed. How could I do this to myself... I'm betraying everything I stand for.

Matteo yawns and I'm brought back to this awful reality. I just kissed Matteo, right before I'm going to escape.

"I--You should go to bed." I say, not looking up at Matteo. I stare down at my fingers, too scared to look at him.

"There's something I have to tell you-" Matteo starts, but I cut him off.

"Please leave."

"I'll tell you in the morning." He whispers before leaving for his room without another word.

What have I done?

***

One o'clock rolls around too slow.

I changed into some tracksuit pants and a sweater, and packed a small bag with the money I stole from Dante and some green tea mochi. Matteo hadn't come out from his room, so I can only hope the drug is doing its job, and that he's in a deep sleep.

I've been waiting on the couch for almost an hour now, staring at my watch, waiting for it to hit one.

Thoughts of the kiss have been floating through my head relentlessly, and the bitter silence hasn't helped in clearing them away.

Thankfully as I look down at my watch, I notice that It's twelve fifty-nine.

One minute.

One minute until I'm finally free... It seems like a dream, I can't believe it.

Just as the clock hits one, the elevator dings and the door opens, the lights spilling into the dark interior of the penthouse.

I jump up and hurry towards it, my eyes glancing back down the hall to Matteo's room.

Thankfully I don't see him hurrying out to stop me, so I relax slightly, despite my still pumping adrenaline.

"Mia?" A deep voice questions from the inside of the elevator.

I turn to meet a very familiar face ahead of me.

Holy fuck.

"Dante?"

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