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Rafaele's laugh is cold and devoid of any warmth or compassion. "You think it's that simple? This man has betrayed me, stolen from me. He must pay the price. “Alvize,” he turns. “Grab her,” he kicks me on my lower back from where Alvize holds me on the ground, and I grovel again, pleading.
“No, no, Rafaele, please,” I beg as Alvize frags me by my arms to the other side of the room, my legs stretched out before me.
“You’re thieves. The both of you,” Rafaele spits on my father as he lifts him up and holds his limp body against the wall.
I gasp, my heart clenching at the accusation. "No, she had nothing to do with this!" papa insists, his frail voice shaking with fear. "She didn't even know about the diamond until now! I…I’m the one who stole. Not us."
Rafaele snaps, his icy gaze shifting to me. "Do you really expect me to believe your father? The two of you have always been thick as thieves – quite literally, it seems."
Desperation wells up within me as I stare into those merciless eyes, searching for some shred of understanding. "Please, Rafaele," I beg, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions. "You have to believe me. I had no part in this. My father acted alone, but only to save my life. Wouldn’t you do that for your daughter?"
For a moment, the room falls silent, and I can practically feel the weight of Rafaele's scrutiny as he assesses my words. Then, just as I'm about to crumble beneath the intensity of his gaze, he lets out a low, humorless chuckle.
"Very well," he says, his voice smooth and cold as ice. "I'll take your word for it – for now. But know this: if I ever find out that you lied to me, there will be hell to pay.”
Before I can say another word, Rafaele turns back to my father. My heart hammers in my chest, threatening to burst from the sheer terror and helplessness I feel as Rafaele's fists continue to rain down on my father.
The sickening sound of bones crunching and Papa’s agonized cries fill the room, each one landing like a blow to my own body. The metallic scent of blood hangs heavy in the air, suffocating me, drowning any hope that might still linger.
"Please, stop, Rafaele!" I scream, my voice raw with desperation. "You have the diamond. Isn't that enough?"
But Rafaele doesn't even pause, his rage a relentless storm engulfing everything in its path. The ferocity of his attack only intensifies, the thuds of his fists connecting with my father's head.
"Rafaele! Enough! You're going to kill him!" The guttural growls of the bull mastiffs drown out my screams.
As if sensing my thoughts, Alvize tightens his grip on me, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. "Stay back, Romola," he warns, his voice cold and emotionless. "This is not your fight."
I struggle against his hold, my body writhing and twisting, but it's useless. I'm powerless, forced to watch as the man who raised me is beaten to within an inch of his life.
And then, to my horror, Rafaele grabs my father’s hand and, one by one, breaks three fingers.
I can't bear the sound of his bones snapping, the anguished cries that echo through the room. I try to cover my ears, but it is no use. The pain in my chest mirrors the pain my father is enduring, and I feel my heart simply breaking.
"Please, stop!" I scream, my voice hoarse and desperate. “Please,” I gasp for air. I wonder if I know any word other than please. I beg and beg, and beg, and forget to do anything but beg.
“Why?” Rafaele turns momentarily and gives me a dirty, evil grin. “The games just begun, darling.”
Then, to my horror, he punches my father on his nose, breaking it.
I close my eyes as Papa begins to choke on his blood.
"Franco," Rafaele commands, finally relenting, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Take this pathetic excuse for a man to the other room."
My eyes fill with tears as Franco roughly grabs my father's limp body. "Rafaele, I beg of you," I choke out, my voice barely a whisper. "Don't do this. He's given you what you wanted. I’ll do anything for you spare him… anything."
"Shut the fuck up with the groveling!" Alvize snaps at me, his voice laced with irritation.
My heart feels like it's being ripped from my chest as Franco drags my father into the other room, his battered and broken body like a ragdoll’s, barely recognizable as the strong, loving man who raised me.
Rafaele follows and waits for Franco to lead Papa in first. As Papa’s about to be dragged across the threshold, our eyes lock for a fleeting moment, filled with a silent exchange of love and pain that speaks louder than any words ever could.
"Papa, I love you," I whisper one last time, my voice cracking with grief, desperation, and fear. But the door slams shut, separating us forever.
"Rafaele, please!" My last plea goes unanswered as the door slams shut behind Franco and my father. I'm left standing there, held captive in the arms of a man who cares nothing for my pain or the life of the man I love more than anything else in this world.
From behind the closed door, I hear my father's desperate whimpers: "No, nooo..." The sound is gut-wrenching, and I can feel the blood draining from my face as the reality of the situation hits me. My body tenses, bracing for what comes next.
And then, a sharp crack pierces the air. A gunshot. My knees buckle beneath me, unable to support the weight of the anguish and devastation that now consume me. Alvize holds me up.
