"Miss Fiero? May I have permission to enter?" Knock knock. No reply. "Miss Fiero?" Flo stood in front of the guest bedroom, her tray growing heavier in her arms with every second; she glanced up at the ceiling impatiently before knocking again, carefully balancing the breakfast on one arm.

She watched as the door finally opened, just a crack. Cee's eyes darted around behind Flo, checking the corridor was empty before letting her in; she noticed immediately something was wrong.

"Come in, Flo." Flo saw the pale, nervous look on her face.

"Are you ill, Miss?" she asked immediately, frowning. "I can bring you medicine- "

"No, no, Flo, I'm okay. Thank you." Cee smiled at Flo. "Just a little...flustered." Flo set down the tray of food by the window seat and turned, wiping her hands on her apron. Working for Miss Fiero was easier work than most; she was politer, nicer, than most of Mr Romano's other guests. Miss Fiero was small, soft - breakable - she didn't belong in the Romano House.

"I heard you had a meeting," Flo said carefully, "Are the negotiations not going in your favour?" Cee looked up, her mouth open. Then she closed it, unable to speak.

"Miss Fiero," Flo tried again, "was he cruel to you?" Cee nodded once, sharply. Then shook her head. "Oh, I don't know, Flo, I'm just so scared of him. I want to go home." To Flo's horror, tears were welling up in Cee's eyes.

"Oh no, Miss, please don't cry, please," she pleaded, rushing to take Cee's arm, "please, Miss, quiet now, if Mr Romano hears about this, he'll kill me." At that, Cee felt tears run down her face. "No, no, Miss, not literally - Miss, he rarely hits women - oh gosh -"

Cee sank to the floor, silently letting the tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," she breathed to Flo, "I can't stop." Flo pulled tissues out of her apron pockets, dabbing hurriedly at Miss Fiero's cheeks, like an older sister would. Cee leant into Flo's shoulder, feeling the girl wrap her arms around her shaking frame. "Miss Cee."

Cee was usually a loud crier; god forbid anyone that saw her watching The Notebook, but now, she just didn't have the energy. The girl that she saw in the vanity each morning was paler, thinner, more dull than the girl she had been the day before. Her neatly trimmed nails, ready for medical practicals or dissections, were growing out, chipping unevenly. Even her hair didn't have the same soft wave to it anymore.

"Now, come on," Flo said softly, when the tears had mostly dried up. "Let's get you into bed, and I'll get you a mug of hot chocolate." Cee nodded meekly, her cheeks flushed, lashes wet. Usually she would care about letting some stranger see her cry - but god knows Flo was the closest thing she had to a friend. She'd got Luca hurt already.

Perhaps he wouldn't want to see her when she was allowed out of her room again.

"Bless you, Flo," she whispered guiltily, flinging her arms around Flo's neck, "I don't know if I'd survive it here without you."

"You're strong," Flo mumbled, helping the poor girl into the child's bed. "You don't need me, but I'm here anyway." Flo hesitated for just a second. "If you ever wake up in the night, in a state, just head to the kitchen. Ask for me. I'll always get up, Miss. You seem awfully lonely."

"I'm scared." Cee hesitated. She didn't like feeling weak, but she just wasn't the same as the rest of her family; she couldn't be this strong, badass woman who enjoyed violence and thrived on neglect. She was soft. "I'm scared for my family, for Luca, for my sister. Loneliness is manageable. I'm just...scared." Flo was kind to her. Flo would understand. "I only came to protect my little sister. I'm not part of this business." Flo gave her a soft smile.

"I know that, Cee. You can tell these things, once you've been around it long enough." Flo realised her own informalities - but she doubted Camilla would rat her out for it. The poor girl just looked like she needed a hug and a hot chocolate - and a friend.

"Have you been around it long enough, Flo?" Cee watched her nervously, scared of overstepping her boundaries.

"Mr Romano's father saved my mother's life, Miss. I owe the Romanos my life. I will work for them until the day I die." Flo shrugged, but she sounded so proud, so regal. "They'll protect me."

"Is your family here too?" Flo nodded.

"Yes, ma'am, my mother lives in the cottages in the grounds, and my brother was training to be one of Romano's men. He's very brave, very good." She smiled at Cee. "He'd like you, Miss. I think everyone would like you. You're not like the rest of the Romano's guests." Cee flushed, looking away and toying with the tiara-patterned bed sheets.

"I don't belong here, Flo."

"I know, Miss. You'll be out of here, some day. And until then, I'll be here."

"Did you say your brother was training to be...well, y'know?" Cee couldn't help asking. Flo frowned, very slightly. "Well, he went and got himself blown up, Miss." Her eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry, Flo, I didn't realise -"

"That's alright, Miss." Flo smiled. "I go to read to him everyday, in the medical wing." Cee breathed a sigh of relief. "Just a lot of broken bones, Miss. A lot of burns, too."

"Poor thing," Cee murmured, chewing her lip.

"Stupid thing," Flo muttered, making Cee smile.

"Could I visit him after I see Luca?" Flo glanced up sharply. "I used to volunteer at - at my local hospital, to read and talk to patients - if you'd like -" Cee stammered to explain.

"That'd be nice, Miss Cee," Flo replied, a smile spreading across her face. Flo seemed wiser than her years, but in reality, Cee knew she could only be slightly older than herself. Such a young girl, forever indebted to a family that would only ever blow up her brother and cause her pain. "He likes the classics, you see, those would be great, Miss."

Cee planned to meet Flo's brother, Dean, just after seeing Luca - if he even wanted to see her.

"He won't be able to talk back to you though, Miss. Lungs are very damaged from smoke." Flo hesitated. "I can give you about two hours."

"That's alright - I'll be doing the talking, anyway, if I'm reading."

"I'll let the nurses know."

---

Luca looked awful. He was sitting at the edge of a his desk, a bandage taped to his nose, bruises swelling across his face, distorting his jaw. Cee fought back a gasp, heading into his office with a nod of thanks to Flo.

"You look awful," she told him quietly, her voice cracking slightly. Luca looked up, his bruised cheeks lifting into a smile.

"You're so kind, Miss Fiero." The room smelled like antiseptic, and the tangy, metallic aftertaste of blood.

"I'm so sorry," she apologised immediately, "I did this to you." Luca chuckled to himself.

"You couldn't hurt a fly, Cee, I'm fine."

"I'm serious, I want to apologise." She tried to look intimidating, but Luca gave her an amused look. "You don't have to apologise for my cousin." He shrugged. "Besides, nothing's broken." He paused. "Well, just my nose." Cee's hands flew to her mouth.

While her father had been strict, he never allowed such permanent injuries to happen in the name of discipline: it could leave a man weak for months.

"Are you crying?" Luca looked so horrified and scared that for a second, Cee giggled through her tears. She sniffed. "No."

"Why are you crying?" He sounded so alarmed that Cee gave a short laugh again, wiping her eyes.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I think I'm scared." Luca looked at her questioningly. "I'm not used to this...this world. I've been out of it for so long, and now - well, now it's all a bit too much at once."

"What do you mean?" She pulled up a chair beside Luca's desk and looked down at her lap.

"Well, I hadn't seen my family before last week for four years."

"Four years!"

"Four years," she nodded, repeating his exclamation. "I left the family."

"Why would you do that?"

"I'm not a real Fiero." Seeing Luca's incredulous look, she amended herself. "I'm not adopted, not anything like that, I just don't enjoy this - this life. I'm training to be a nurse." She smiled to herself. "I have my own flat, and I have a year left of training."

"I don't understand." Cee wore a smile tinged with sadness.

"My family didn't either. It just isn't my lifestyle. I don't enjoy the violence, the competition. The money," she added as an afterthought. "It scares me." She hesitated. "Your cousin scares me."

"Mr Romano scares everyone," Luca murmured, shifting against his chair. "Including me."

"Do you need anything?" Cee changed the subject, her shoulders hunching uncomfortably at the mention of the Romano boss. "Water? Tea? A book?" Luca laughed.

"You really aren't part of this world, are you?" Seeing her confused expression, he tried to explain. "I still have a job to do, bella, a broken nose is nothing." Cee scowled at him.

"That's not right."

"It's life. Besides, I thought you only would have a couple of hours of freedom." Cee's eyes darted to the clock, mounted on the sterile white wall. Ten minutes had passed already.

"An hour," she amended, "I have to stay with you, though."

"Nonsense," Luca batted away her resolve. "Go do something a little more fun - and if you have time, go outside. Go through the East wing, to the glass door at the very end. Tell them I said you could."

---

Cee wound her way through the various corridors and living rooms, each of them abandoned but spotless, lined with velvet and marble. Her breath quickened as she headed towards the end of the wing, almost excited, almost nervous.

She crossed the polished floor quickly, hurrying now, towards the glass door. As she reached for the handle, cold metal touched the back of her head. She froze.

"You are not permitted to be here." The voice was smooth. The gun pressed against her skin a little harder, nudging her head forward. Cee forgot to breathe.

"Mr- Mr Romano said I could," Cee whispered, her lungs imploding, her ribs crushing inwards. She could die. One wrong move, and she died. The woman paused.

"Apologies, Miss Fiero." The gun was retracted, disappearing without a trace. "No disrespect was meant." Cee glanced at the woman, her heart kicking into overdrive. The woman was so impassive, like the surface of a mirror; not a single emotion flickered across her eyes. She was a robot. "Do you accept my apology?" The woman's hair was slicked back, almost shining in the light; every part of her immaculate. Cee nodded shakily.

The woman bowed her head respectfully. "Allow me, Miss Fiero." She opened the glass door, her blazer swinging slightly with her movement, and Cee could see the gun, tightly strapped to the woman's waist, waiting.

Perhaps guns were part of the uniform; just as mandatory as the black skirt and regulation white blouse.

"Thank you," Cee found herself stammering, pressing a palm to her chest as though she could soothe her heart with her own touch.

The woman closed the door behind Cee. She was alone, finally, and outside. Free. The fresh air tasted so cold, so sweet; the headache that had sent shooting pains down Cee's neck finally vanished, the suffocating tension dropped. She followed a stone path, taking her time to wander through the neatly cut garden, not a blade of grass out of place.

Luca had thought this would bring her comfort. He was so right. Cee couldn't even remember where the fear of being locked up came from. Maybe it was from the nightmares of her father's business meetings, kept secret from the children until she accidentally walked in on a dead body, or maybe it was from the time when the Fiero House was under attack, and her bodyguard had locked her in a cupboard for an hour.

Cee shook her head. It would all be over soon. She could return to her flat. Finish her training. Become a new person.

The stone path had led her to the rolling lawn: a sea of endless greenery, all perfect, all...fake. Cee scanned the garden, feeling closer to peace than she had done since leaving her home back in the city.

Something drew her gaze. A greenhouse, tucked away underneath the border of impressive, towering evergreens. It looked so out of place, a blot on the landscape, hidden in the shadows. Like me, Cee thought to herself, stumbling down the sloping grass towards it. She tried the door.

Stiff, but not locked.

It wasn't beautiful inside, it wasn't some mysterious hidden paradise. It was a simple greenhouse, with soil scattered on the floor, cobwebs hidden in the corners. Small. Simple. Peaceful. Almost empty. A few pots of (what looked like) daisies lined the benches.

Cee picked up a broom from the corner, sweeping away the thin lining of dirt and dust from the floor. From here, she could almost pretend the Romano house wasn't looming behind her. She lifted a couple of wooden crates, stacking them against the wall to create more space. They seemed like the type of thing that farmers' markets sold tomatoes in, just simple and minimal.

Cee moved the daisy plants to the end of the bench closest to the door, where the most light would reach, sweeping a hand along the bench to remove the dirt. She nodded to herself. A blanket, here and there, to make the crates more comfortable to sit on, and a few more plants; it could pass for the biology greenhouse, back at the university.

Being in the medical program, she'd spent a lot of time at the biology department; the greenhouse was used on occasion to store plants as they matured, and offered a perfect peaceful retreat for Cee to catch up on some reading, when she needed to be alone.

She headed back towards the Romano House, feeling the wave of nervousness wash over her. It wasn't the house itself that made her shake: it was the people themselves. Or rather, person.

---

Cee wore her blue dress to visit hospitals. She always dressed a little more smartly for the patients; her effort made them smile, at her local hospital. But then, Cee thought, that was mostly filled with old people who hadn't seen anyone but nurses for three months. She bundled her hair on top of her head in two buns, the way Caterina always loved and began her first few steps of freedom.

She only got lost once on the way down to the medical wing.

A nurse was waiting for her, armed with books.

"Hi, Miss - er -"

"It's just Robin, Miss Fiero," she bobbed her head, "please, this way." The nurse scuttled along, turning into the first room; the room Cee had looked into on her tour with Luca. The medical wing was spotless, even the air tasted faintly of lemon and bleach.

"Second bed from the end, Miss Fiero. I have to lock you in, Miss. Protocol." Cee bit her lip, nodding, trying to ignore the tension in her shoulders.

"Thank you, Robin, I really appreciate this." The nurse whisked her inside without another word, hurrying off. Cee walked along the rows of beds, self-consciously listening to the faint tap-tapping of her shoes against the white floor.

A chair sat, waiting for her, by the bed. Dean's legs were casted, his arms bandaged, but his face was oddly undamaged. He slept peacefully, his eyelids unmoving, his breathing controlled by a machine tubed down his oesophagus.

"Hi, Dean," Cee murmured softly, touching her fingertips to the back of his unbandaged left hand. He didn't stir. "Your sister, Flo, sent me," she told him, readjusting his bed sheets, tucking them in around him. No response.

"They didn't tell you?" Cee turned around sharply, almost falling off her chair with shock. The man lying next to Dean was relatively unharmed. Except the bloodied stump of his left arm, stopping just below his elbow.

"Tell me what?" Cee asked curiously, hugging to book to her chest self-consciously as he eyed her cautiously.

"Dean's in a coma." Cee breathed slowly for a second, before shrugging it off. "Well, that's alright. There are studies showing that many people in comas can hear." The man snorted, turning his head away to end the conversation.

"Like I was saying," Cee turned back to the man's lifeless body, "my name is Cee and I'm going to be visiting you from now on." She paused. "I hope that's okay." She turned the book that Robin had handed to her over in her hands. "Flo mentioned you liked classics, and the only books I've got today are Pride and Prejudice and The Catcher in the Rye, but I never liked the latter, so I've got a bit of Austen for you today.

"You might have read it before, but even if you haven't, it's one of my favourites - I really have read it far too many times. It doesn't get boring." Cee opened up the book, flicking to the beginning of the first chapter. "'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune...'"