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The servant gave me a hesitant look before disappearing back into the kitchen.
“Don't look so surprised,” my father said. I realized that I was staring, slack-jawed, in the direction that the servant had disappeared to, and I turned back to face him. “They all work for me. They won't do anything unless I say so.”
“How could you hit me like that? I’m your daughter.”
“Precisely. If your mother had done more of that when you were a child, perhaps you wouldn't have grown up to be such a petulant young woman.”
“I think it's time for me to go. I'm going to call Enzo and see if I can have a car sent for me.”
“You're not going anywhere. Not until I say so.”
“I believe you've missed the part of my childhood where you have any say over what I do.”
“You will do what I say and not just because I’m your father but because you are under the roof of one of the most powerful dons in all of Italy. You will do what I say because you are in my territory. If you don't want to act like my daughter then I will treat you like any other person under my roof and on my property. You do as I say or suffer the consequences.”
I couldn't believe how much he had changed in the blink of an eye. He was a totally different person.
“Well then, you said that I could call Enzo when we were done with breakfast and I'm done with breakfast so, I’d like to call him now.”
“Fine. Go back up to your room. You can call him there while I get some work done. But we will meet for lunch at one.”
I didn't bother arguing about lunch arrangements and instead went up to the guest room where I had stayed the night before.
Once I was back in the guest room I locked the door behind me, needing to feel some sense of security and control, even though I was sure that my father had keys. At least it would slow him down. I found my phone and quickly pressed Enzo's name to call him. I waited impatiently as the phone rang and rang. There was no answer, and eventually his phone went to voicemail. I didn't bother leaving a message. I would try to call back a few minutes later.
My father had said that the guys left me here to be safe, but I was starting to feel like I wasn't safe under his roof either.
I paced around the room for a few minutes until I was finally overcome with the desperate need to talk to Enzo and called again but I found myself at his voicemail again.
“Hey Enzo, it's me. I don't know what's going on that you guys had to leave and handle but I really don't want to stay here anymore. My father...” tears sprung to my eyes at the memory of him back handing me, shattering all my preconceptions about who he was and how things were going to be since I had finally found my father. “He—he isn't like I thought he was. I don't feel safe here. I really want to go home.” My voice cracked and I cleared my throat to try to control my tone. I’m going to call and arrange for a car, but I just wanted to call and let you know myself. I just hope you're okay.”
I ended the call and dialed the number for a car service. After telling them where to pick me up, I took a deep breath and tried to steel my nerves to go tell my father that I was leaving.
I walked downstairs and found one of the servants as she passed.
“Good day,signora. May I help you with something?” I remembered my father calling her Luna the night before. She had seemed nice and was the one who had escorted Enzo and the others to their rooms.
“Luna, right?” I asked and waited for her confirming nod before continuing. “I'm looking for my father.”
“He's in his office and asked not to be disturbed.”
“Oh, okay.” She started to walk away but I stopped her. “One more thing, if you don't mind.”
“Of course not.”
“You are the one that took the guys to the rooms yesterday, correct?”
“Sì, signora.”
“Did you see them this morning? Or even late last night after that? Did you hear anything happening?”
“I couldn't say,signora.” There was something in the way she looked when she said that she couldn't say, it wasn't that she didn't know but that she actually wasn't allowed to say. That made me more suspicious.
“Luna, I know you work for my father but if you know something, anything, please tell me. I promise he won't know that you told me. I just need to know.”
Luna hesitated, glancing around the hall to make sure that no one was within earshot. Her eyes landed on my swollen, throbbing cheek that I was sure was red if not already starting to turn purple. She took a deep breath and set her shoulders before leaning in closer to me.
“You are engaged to signore Lorenzo,sì?”
