Cee woke up early the next morning, still dressed in her ballgown. The light, cold winter sun, streaming through the window had woken her up. Grimacing silently, she pulled herself up, her head spinning a little - maybe she had drunk more champagne than she'd realised; she headed to the bathroom.

Her eyes were swollen, puffy and red, even though she'd forced herself not to cry. Almost being assassinated, or coerced into espionage, was exhausting apparently; her entire body ached. She washed her face with water, scrubbing at her skin as if she could tear it off, as if she could remove the shadow of fear that seemed to always lie just below the surface.

Dressing in a daze, Cee pulled on a dress - a yellow one - from the cupboard; yellow was her favourite colour, and Caterina's favourite colour too. It wouldn't hurt to have a little extra confidence today - she'd made a promise to Flo that she'd visit Dean, and she had to deliver.

She slipped out of the room long before Anna arrived with breakfast. It was barely light outside, but that meant barely anyone was around to send her back to her room. Cee snuck down the corridors, tiptoeing down the stairs and darting towards the garden. She had promised Stefano blankets; she was going to deliver.

Cee ran across the lawn, ignoring the cold air; it was almost refreshing, this early, with the clean, crisp breeze and the dew-stained grass. She pulled open the stiff door of her greenhouse, ducking inside to scoop up the blankets she'd managed to obtain (through Luca), before running straight back to the medical wing, hoping that no one had seen her dash across the lawn.

Just as she snuck back inside, she glanced up; a curtain twitched, in one of the windows, but no one yelled out to stop her.

Cee tiptoed through the twisting corridors, towards the medical wing; there were two men, blocking her way, right in front of the entrance. Taking a deep breath, Cee drew herself up to her full height and continued.

"Good morning," Cee said brightly, to the two armed men, standing outside the medical wing. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

"Miss," one began, exchanging a smirk with the other. "You know you're not allowed in."

"Oh, don't worry about all that," Cee waved her free hand dismissively, "I've sorted everything out with Mr Romano." She touched a hand to the violet gemstone around her neck. "We've come to an agreement."

She was gambling for time here. Maybe her bluff would fall through. The necklace was a sign of protection from the Romanos to others, but perhaps it didn't mean much to the insiders of the Romano family.

The men paused, losing their smirks and looking at each other uncertainly. "Our orders haven't changed, Miss," the one on the left said. Cee blinked, acting surprised.

"There's obviously been a mix-up. I don't want to bother him about something so...trivial. You understand, of course." Cee forced her tone to be polite, pleading rather than terrified. Before they could reply, she beamed. "Excellent! After all, I am volunteering to provide care to his men." She pushed past them without another word.

Her heart raced in her chest as she waited for them to come marching down the corridor after her, but no one called her name and no one stopped her.

A nurse, flipping the pages of a clipboard, walked along the corridor.

"Excuse me!" Cee called. The nurse stopped, looking up. "Oh, it's you, Robin. How are you?"

"Good, thank you, Miss." She nodded her head respectfully. "Can I help you?"

"I'm looking for Dean? Flo's brother?" Robin nodded, pointing down the corridor.

"I didn't think you'd come back, Miss. Room Four."

"You're so kind," Cee beamed, liquid energy racing through her veins. "Could I meet you in, say, half an hour's time?" The nurse blinked.

"Of course, Miss. May I know what for?"

"Don't worry about it, Robin, please don't let me distract you!" Cee was already striding down the corridor, picking up speed.

The nurse watched her go, blinking, thinking about how she was going to tell the others that the ghost girl had finally found some energy.

---

"Good morning!" Cee sang, waltzing into the room, putting on a brave face for the three men she'd come to like.

"What do you want?" Anton asked impatiently as Stefano stared. The former hadn't shaved in a while; the rugged look suited him, aged him from a young twenty year old to a man, while his twin looked the same.

"Miss Fiero- "

"Please, call me Cee." She grinned at Stefano, who looked like he'd seen a ghost. "And hello, Anton, I'm here to read to Dean."

"How's your hand?" Stefano asked cautiously, an unreadable expression flashing across his face.

"I'm absolutely fine, no worries at all." She had an ugly scar across her right palm. "Sorry for not visiting in a while, I had a slight...disagreement." She shook her head, ignoring any thoughts of the Romano Don. "I have extra blankets!"

Cee distributed the blankets, noting the boys' quiet mood. "Is everything okay?" Anton turned away, facing the wall, refusing a blanket; she fought back a sigh. She knew he didn't particularly like her, but she was getting frustrated with the lack of reason behind it.

"Anton?"

"We thought you'd been killed." Cee blinked, turning back to Stefano - who'd changed the topic to grab her attention.

"Killed for what? I'm just a hostage."

"Being a spy." Stefano's voice was quiet. Cee almost laughed.

"I'm not a spy," she said finally. "I hadn't seen this world for four years until I came here. I lost touch with my family for the last year of that."

"Boss told us," Anton said. His bandages had been removed. His glassy eyes stared straight ahead, unseeing. "Told us that your family tried to cross him. Sent you instead of a girl." Cee stopped for a second, her mind spinning. Niccolò genuinely believed she was here to spy on him.

"My sister. Caterina," Cee said eventually, drawing up a chair to sit by Dean. "She's five. I came in her place."

"To steal secrets from our family," Stefano spat, finally facing her. "To betray us." Cee glared Stefano down coldly. Neither of them had ever seen her truly angry before. It wasn't that she was intimidating; it was the concept that Stefano had crossed a line that had previously been invisible.

"Listen," Cee spoke, her tone measured, calm. "I am six months away from completing my training as a nurse. Once my time here as a prisoner is up, you may discuss my imaginary espionage freely. I want to go home, to my crappy apartment on the Third Block on North Street. I'm miserable, I'm lonely and I'm fucking scared. My friend, Flo, is being held hostage in exchange for my co-operation.

"I have been threatened with guns and with knives, neither of which I have had to see for four years. It was either me or my little sister. In a few weeks, I will leave and I will never see your faces again. Now, I have a promise to keep, to Flo." Cee glared at each of the twins individually. "To read to her brother."

They didn't bother her again. They didn't say a word.

---

Cee sat patiently, waiting for someone to join her. The other nurses were whispering to each other, each one refusing to be the one that associated with the Fiero. Forcing herself not to look at them, she stared straight ahead, focusing on the noticeboard that had all of the shifts pinned up to it.

Finally, a doctor arrived, taking one look at the nurses and scoffing, heading over to her chair by Room 4.

"Miss Fiero." His voice wasn't unkind, but it wasn't particularly welcoming; Cee looked up. "This is a medical wing." Cee nodded, her palms sweating; he reminded her of her father - terrifying, and in control.

"I know that, sir," she said respectfully, trying not to avoid his eye - avoiding someone's eye showed fear and submission. A good nurse wouldn't back down if she was sure of her medical knowledge.

"While Robin has told me about your volunteering work, which is very kind, we just can't have you here." He gave her a stern look. "We're busy, saving lives." Cee nodded enthusiastically, trying to ignore his pointed comment.

"I know, sir, and I want to help. I'm nearly fully-qualified as a nurse, Dr - er - " she glanced down at his name badge, "Dr Jordan, I only have six months left of training, I can help." He shook his head, standing up.

"Miss Fiero, I can't make an exception, even for a...guest." He looked her up and down, judging every aspect of her, from her long nails to her dress. He didn't seem to like what he saw. "You are not qualified. These are lives at stake." Dr Jordan watched as her face fell, ignoring the pang of guilt he felt. He would not risk anyone's life to help a child play doctor. "I am sorry."

"I understand, Dr Jordan. Is there any other way I could help?" Cee took one look at the irritated look on his face. "Not medically," she clarified hurriedly, "I meant - more volunteering, or- or any administrative work."

Dr Jordan sighed, giving her another once over. "This is my medical wing, Miss Fiero."

"Please, call me Cee." She clasped her hands together, praying that he gave her a chance, any chance. He took no notice.

"I cannot give you a job, even if I wanted to, Miss Fiero. I am still an employee of the Romano family." He offered her an apologetic smile. "But I am happy to allow you to visit and talk to my patients, whenever you want. It will do them some good, to see a kind face."

"Oh, grazie," she exclaimed, almost jumping up in excitement. "You are so kind!" Dr Jordan felt his stone heart melt a little. She would be popular, especially with the men, as long as they did not know her blood.

"Any trouble at all and you're out," he warned, keeping up his stony appearance.

"You won't even know I'm here," Cee grinned, "thank you."

---

"And now I can visit - whenever I want!" Cee exclaimed to Luca, perched on the wooden bench top that ran along the edge of her greenhouse. He was dressed more casually than usual, leaning against the glass in chinos and a soft jumper; he was every bit the typical rich Romano.

"But no job?"

"No job," she frowned, chewing her bottom lip, "but that doesn't matter. I have something to do." Luca rubbed his chin: an indication that he was thinking. "I can escape my room more - Anna always forgets to lock my door." He sighed.

"I'm sorry my cousin treats you like a prisoner." Cee looked at him for a second, watching the guilty look behind his eyes - but she shrugged.

"He treats me like a spy," Cee brushed it off. "My father would do the same." She dragged her fingers along the rough edge of the wooden bench, thinking about her family for a brief second before she could stop herself. Did they miss her? Did her parents regret sending her?

"I don't believe you're a spy," Luca looked up, his eyes wide. "How could you be?"

"It makes sense," she mumbled. "Why else would my family deliberately not tell yours that they were sending another daughter, old enough to understand the information she was surrounded with, hoping she'd take advantage of her prime position?"

Luca considered her for a moment. "Well," he said, after deliberating, "I don't think you're spying on us." Cee looked up from her lap, smiling sarcastically.

"Gee," she murmured, "thanks."

"And to celebrate your non-spy status," he grinned, "perhaps you would like to have dinner outside your room for once. With me."

"She can't." Cee's head snapped to the door, her eyes narrowing. She hadn't heard him silently appear like a deadly predator, didn't realise the door had been ajar.

"Mr Romano," she blinked, a scowl forming suddenly. Luca jumped to his feet. Something about Niccolò Romano was so overwhelming that his very presence felt like an order; his reputation, his character - his dark aura - entered the room before he did. Cee always forgot how muscular he was; he blocked out the daylight, his broad shoulders too wide for him to fit through the door head-on.

"Sir." The boss's eyes flickered to his cousin's momentarily.

"Miss Fiero is dining with me, tonight, Luca." Mr Romano ran his eyes over the content of the greenhouse, catching on the blanket draped over the crates and the heart-shaped pillow that Cee had taken from her room.

"Yes, sir." Luca bowed his head, refusing to look Cee or his cousin in the eye.

"Unless she would rather decline my invitation." His words were a barely veiled threat on Flo. Cee knew it. She stared at Romano, glaring right into his cold eyes; she refused to be scared of him - she refused. She hated how her heart was racing, how her palms were clammy - she hated being this terrified by just one man.

"I wouldn't miss it." Cee kept her words clipped and short.

"We will be leaving here at 7.30." Her eyes widened slightly. "I suggest that you stay close to me in the restaurant, for your...protection."

"Okay." He looked good. He wasn't glaring at her, for once, merely staring. He was made of sharp, strong angles and lines, cutting an impressive figure out of stone; he looked almost too impressive to fit through the small doorway to her lowly sanctuary, especially with his height.

As Cee watched him, he watched her in return. She looked so fragile, her feet swinging off the floor by a metre, her body slightly too skinny; her wide eyes were narrowed at him. They were polar opposites.

He took in a breath, his muscular chest expanding noticeably, as if he were about to say something. Cee leaned in unconsciously.

"Wear something nice," he said simply, his eyes emotionless as he turned away.