"I don't need a babysitter, do you think I'm going to try and escape when i can barely walk a straight line?" I spit, venom lacing my tone.

Dante stares at me with an unimpressed look. Thankfully i had managed to leave the cellar before anyone had caught me, but unfortunately, the first person i had run into was Dante. And now he's trailing me as I walk around the house.

Of course i'm looking for an escape route for when Matteo goes to Japan, but there's no way I'm going to say that to Dante. "Look, i don't want to be here as much as you, but Matteo has told me to watch over you, so that's what i'm going to do."

I huff and roll my eyes. "So what, are you going to make my meals and tuck me into bed?" I say mockingly.

"If that's what you want." He replies, raising his eyebrow cheekily.

"You're horrible." I say as I head towards the kitchen.

"Oh, don't be that way Mia, I know how much you were fawning over me when we first met."

I swear if i have to spend the whole day with him, my brain is going to explode. How dare he say that. Thank god I'm facing away from him to hide the blush that is creeping over my cheeks.

Okay, i can't deny that he is attractive, I'd have to be blind not to notice, but that doesn't mean that i'm falling head over heels for him, it doesn't automatically mean that i wan't to have sex with him.

"Fuck you." I snarl. "When i get out of here, i will make sure you're put in prison just like Matteo."

Dante's playful expression doesn't disappear, yet in fact grows. He seems amused by my statement, which makes me want to choke him even more.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Do you really think that you'd be able to arrest Matteo?" Dante says while his face grows a bright red as he tries to contain his laughter. "Matteo own the fucking police, if you ever do manage to escape, then it wont be for long."

A weight presses down on my chest as I listen to his words. That can't be true, sure Matteo is powerful, but he can't be that powerful, can he? If he is, how will I ever escape? I'd have to leave the country...

Surely Dad would be able to do something, there's no way that Matteo is more powerful than my father... I hope.

Dante seems to notice the sudden fall of my face. "Don't worry, Matteo will treat you right. He may kill people, but he isn't a bad person."

I glare up at Dante, not even bothering to name all the awful things he's done to me. I don't think I'll ever be able to overcome the horrors I experienced down in the cellar. It was all one hellish nightmare that blurred into one. Half of it I can barely differentiate dreams from reality.

I shudder as I recall the horrid memory. Dante doesn't seem to notice though.

I grab chips from the pantry and get a glass of water, then make my way towards the lounge room where I'll at least be able to watch TV to entertain myself, as well as distract my fears when Matteo returns.

But just as I enter the entry way that branches into the lounge room, my eyes find themselves planted upon a heavily pregnant woman and a large muscular man. The man had his hands on her belly and smiled down at her as she told him something.

I begin to take steps backwards into the kitchen, but I don't get very far as I bump into Dane who stands behind me.

"Ahhhh, Alistair, Hailey, I'm so glad you could join us!" Dante exclaims as he nudges me towards the pair, and I reluctantly oblige.

The lady turns towards me and her smiles wavers as her eyes meet mine. The man however barely even looks at me, and seems to gravitate closer towards the woman who i suspect is his wife.

"Oh it's no problem, we are living in the same house after all!" The lady laughs and small dimples appear on her cheeks. Her hair is long and blonde, pinned packed into a loose ponytail. Her eyes are a piercing green, so vibrant that I wonder if she's wearing contact.

She looks worn out and tired, but I guess any woman would be as heavily pregnant as her... It looks like she's about to burst!

"And I've been wanting to meet the famous Mia for a while now!" She smiles as she heads over towards me, her husband--Alistair reluctantly letting go of her. "My name is Hailey, and Matteo has told me all about you! You should see his face light up when he mentions your name!"

Hailey grabs my hands on her own, which are so soft and warm, but also fragile. I feel as though if I were to squeeze them too hard, they would break.

My skin prickles at the mention of Matteo... It sounds like he talks about me often.

"You should've seen how worried he was when you were unwell..." Hailey says muttering to herself, trailing on into nothingness.

"It's nice to meet you too." I mumble, unsure of what else i should say considering the circumstances of our meeting.

I wonder if she knows that I've been kidnapped. Clearly Matteo doesn't refrain from discussing me, though yet again I doubt he would openly tell people that he kidnapped a girl.

"I would love to get to know you, Mia." She smiles at me. "C'mon, let's have some girl talk." And before I can protest, Hailey pulls at my wrist towards the lounge room, plonking the both of us down on the couch.

"Hailey, call me if you need anything. I'll be working in my office, okay?" Alistair says as he peeks around the corner, waiting expectantly for Hailey to answer.

"Yes, yes." She says, waving him off with her hands. "Also, please tell Dante to back off while we have our conversation, I don't think that what we are talking about needs to be repeated back to Matteo."

I watch as Alistair nods his head and heads back towards the entryway, mumbling something to Dante. And from what i can tell, it seems that he has managed to back off as he doesn't enter the room.

I place my glass and chips on the coffee table before Hailey takes my hands once again in her own.

"Now that we are finally alone." Hailey says as she grips my hands tighter. Her face has now turned solemn and her emerald green eyes look directly into mine.

"I'm going to do everything I can to help you Mia."

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