"This is not going to work. Alessio said quietly" He was consuming his morning coffee, his brother was working on his laptop.

"What's not going to work?" Emilio promoted him to speak up with impatience.

"Rosario's strategy of keeping her here against her will"

"Any other brilliant observation?" Emilio asked. He was incapable of sounding anything else than stern so a person who doesn't know him wouldn't catch the hint of irony hidden in his voice.

"There's a ketchup stain on your shirt" Alessio replied stoically.

Emilio cursed under his breath. He hated dirt. But for now, he decided to ignore it and focus on his younger brother who clearly had some issues

"I think we can deal with her hating us but it's not just that. I hate hurting her morel

"It brings me no pleasure to keep my own sister hostage," Emilio said, his voice emotionless. "But Rosario is never going to accept letting her go"

Alessio shrugged his shoulders wordlessly. It seems like they were stuck.

***

The next day, in the morning Emilio knocked on her doors. Stress on knocked because yesterday he didn't. What a nice change. Sofia suspected what was the reason for that change. He knew.

She wasn't surprised, Felice told her this would happen. He said at their first session: everything between us stays confidential unless I believe you're at risk of hurting yourself. And now that she openly admitted in front of him that she did try to kill herself. He had to inform her family. She also believed it has to do with the fact that for a few more months she's a minor and he couldn't legally withhold that information from them.

"I brought you some food in case you don't want to eat downstairs," he said in a gruff voice.

Despite the fact that he was saying something nice he still managed to make his voice sound harsh, which was interesting.

But unfortunately, Sofia's mood worsened since yesterday.

"Mhm, thanks" she confirmed incoherently and didn't make any move to get out of bed.

"Would you mind if I eat here too?" He asked politely.

"No I don't," she said simply, she was "happy" he wasn't dragging her out of the bed by force. Although happy was a bad word to use... she was just content.

He sat on the chair next to the desk. He probably stayed to watch her eat. Well, though luck.

"You're not eating" he stated the fact.

She sat down and slowly started consuming scrambled eggs. She decided to eat because not eating would require motivation to fight them which she didn't have.

"If you would like to eat something else-"

"No, it's good" she interrupted him while taking a bite of her breakfast.

"Why can't I go out at night, you're worried I will escape at night or something?" She muttered. "I told Rosario I wouldn't"

"We just don't know you enough to trust you right now," he said bluntly. Ouch. He was right though.

"Okay, " Sofia said frustrated "Let's assume for a second that I would try to escape. I can try to run off in daylight as well" she replied with frustration.

"You're more than welcome to try if we need to update our security system I would like to know that"

"You're not even a bit worried that I would succeed?" Sofia asked taken aback by his calmness.

"No, even if you would leave this house for a few minutes I would find you, or Alessio would. We have this town memorized, we have people around the city who would tell us where you are"

"Keeping me here hostage will only make me hate you, just let me go back to them, please," she said quietly, she stopped eating and looked at half-finished scrambled eggs on her plate. She was done.

"We can't do that" Emilio responded, soon after seeing that he was not welcome he left her room. Before he left he turned to face her one more time "I'm sorry"

She didn't respond.

***

"This can't go on like this" Emilio started. "She barely eats, refuses to leave the room, you want her to have classes today? She hasn't moved from bed for hours," Emilio said to his older brother who was in the middle of sorting out the company's documents.

"She will get a grip eventually" Rosario raised his gaze from the documents when he heard Emilio leaving. "Where are you going?"

"To the club. I will get drunk and fuck someone you always do when something is wrong," Emilio said, the first time using a disrespectful voice towards his older brother.

And indeed that was what Rosario was doing when he felt something annoying was happening but the situation with Sofia couldn't classify as annoying. It was... unbearable.

"At least order her a drink first, remember about being a gentleman" Rosario openly mocked his reaction and Emilio rolled his eyes before shutting the door behind himself.

***

Rosario decided he will go to check on Sofia now that both Rosario and Alessio were out of the house. He didn't find her in her room and instantly got alarmed. Should he hire someone who will watch over her? Is this how that's supposed to-

"What are you doing?" He asked calmly. But he was nothing but calm.

She was in the kitchen, trying to pick a lock to the compartment where they started to keep the knives. It was locked for a reason.

The pin fell out of her hand.

"Nothing," she said a bit too quickly, without looking at him.

"Go upstairs then"

Rosario called one of his security team members and instructed him to watch Sofia more closely.

He needed to think.

No, he needed to make a call. Right now.

***

What call is Rosario making?