“That is what I want for the two of you. Armand, I don’t have to tell you my child means everything to me.” Pa spoke to Armand but he was looking at me. He looked at me as he said those words. He focused on me, aimed the words at me then switched his focus to Armand. “Jia means everything to me. She is everything to me and the greatest gift I will give to you to take care of. We have spoken a few times about this union and it’s time to speak about it together as one. The three of us, especially in light of what is happening. The danger that lurks.”
“I agree.” Armand nodded.
“So the grand plan is this… In ten days you leave for Italy. You will leave for Italy and you are not to return until I give the all clear. No matter how long that may be. You must not return. Jia, I have arranged for you to further your art studies at the Accademia delle Belle Arti Florence. You will join late but you are enrolled. That is my gift to you for your artistic abilities. I however do not expect it to interfere with your upcoming wedding and duties as a wife. I have set the wedding to take place in a month’s time. We will join you in Italy for the occasion. After that, Armand and I will discuss the portions of the business I want him to have control over. ”
Going to the Belle Arti Florence had been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. I should have been over the moon to hear I was finally getting the chance my heart had dreamed of for so long.
The rest of that plan however killed it, it killed it and the dream too.
I’d willed the tears away all evening. It worked because there was nothing left of me, no tears left to cry. They were all gone.
“My thanks to you Giovanni. I can’t thank you enough. It’s perfect.” Armand raised his glass of wine and gave Pa a curt nod. “We all get everything we ever wanted.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Pa joined in and raised his glass too. He looked to me, his eyes beckoning me to raise my glass too.
I did not.
* * *
Armand took me home.
There was no point in arguing or protesting that I didn’t want him to take me home or be anywhere near me.
I just had to accept it.
And accept it when he walked inside the house and followed me up to my bedroom.
But… that was as far as my acceptance went.
He looked at me with raw sexual desire that made me sick.
We’d driven in silence on the way here.
The sound was the car engine and car itself as it drove down the road, now the silence of tension surrounded us.
I stood by my bed looking at him and he was just by the door frame.
“You really can’t stand it can you?” he asked. A menacing expression washed over his face.
“What part?” I countered.
“You tell me baby. I don’t know what riles you up more. The part about going to Europe with me or being my little slut.” He chuckled and stepped closer.
How quickly he’d changed and showed his true colors.
“I can’t stand any part of it,” I answered standing a little taller.
“You will like it, every part of it. You will. I told you weeks ago you’ll come back to me. I told you you’d be mine again and look how the tables turned in my favor.” The smile inched up his face and made his dark eyes look like coal. Like heated coal that had turned black before burning on a fire.
“Have they though? This is how you got me back? Not asking for forgiveness because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants.”
“Love your smart mouth baby. My dick will soon be in your mouth.”
Bile rose in my throat and I could have thrown up. The acid churned my stomach and weakened me.
“You had to get me back by going through my father. That was how you did it. Like tying me up to beat me, neither is real.”
He stepped closer and I backed away.
