Taken By The Mafia Lord

Arianna curled up on the bed, lost in her thoughts. With her all alone, she finally took off the mask she had been wearing in Leon's company. She didn't want to bother her host, nor would Luca let her rest if he knew that she was worrying over Marcel. He had told her uncountable times that Marcel was fine and he would come back for her. However, now that she was all alone, it was too lonely.

"Fine, he'd come back for her," Arianna recited to herself as she turned, facing the ceiling and staring at it. This place was not an exile. Marcel didn't give her off to his much friendlier acquaintance, Leon, unlike Big Joe in the past. This was all for her safety. He was hiding her from his father, Daniel. Arianna told herself as she slept off.

And just like that, Arianna slept off and had a dream. In that dream, she was in a world without shape and form, it was darkness all around and she couldn't see in it. But that was until Marcel appeared, and he came along with the light. It was just the both of them in a bright space and they were dancing all by themselves.

Arianna could feel it; she was happy. Right there in his arms, she was safe and protected and nothing else mattered. But that was until the darkness came again, covering them with its thick shadows. However, in that darkness, there was a spotlight illuminating both of them, hence they could see properly and hold onto each other's hands. They weren't letting go.

Suddenly, a third spotlight appeared out of nowhere and had a red light, illuminating a face with a malevolent smile that was all too familiar to her. It was the face of the man that had tried to kill her in the garden and the reason all of this was happening, it was Daniel. Arianna gulped nervously, but she held onto Marcel's hands tightly, she wasn't going to let go.

However, Daniel held onto Marcel's arm and began to pull him, trying to separate the both of them. Arianna stubbornly held on, that big bully wasn't going to take Marcel from her. But then, a fourth spotlight appeared and to her horror, it was Elijah. It was the Elijah she fully remembered, with the face paint and that electric blue eyes.

"God, no," She whispered with a dread right as he grabbed her arm and began to pull her away as well.

"No!" Marcel screamed, tightening his grip on her, but then, a fourth spotlight appeared and it was Clara. She had a bitchy smirk at the corner of her lips and without an ounce of compassion, she pulled at Marcel.

Then again, a sixth spotlight appeared on Arianna's side and she saw a strange woman, but like Elijah, she couldn't see her face except for green eyes that looked identical to hers. Arianna didn't get the chance to think about it because the woman grabbed onto her arm, saying with so much hatred and conviction in her tone,

"You must get away from him!"

And just like that, spotlights began to pop up one after the other until an uncountable number of people were pulling at her arm and trying to separate her from Marcel. Arianna tried her best to hold on to him but there were just so many of them opposing their union. Their hands were already slipping and both of them were now holding onto just one finger.

Unfortunately, the pull from both sides was too much, and like in slow motion, she saw as that particular finger slipped free and she and Marcel broke apart,

"No!"

Arianna's eyes snapped open and she woke with a sharp gasp, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. What the hell? Rubbing her palm down her sweaty face, she wondered about the dream. It was as weird as fuck.

Looking out the large window, Arianna found out that she had slept till nighttime. Well, that wasn't surprising, she has been stressed lately nor has she been able to sleep well after Daniel attacked her. Marcel didn't even know it, but she was traumatized by that incident. Arianna just didn't want to bother him, Marcel was going through a lot. She can handle herself.

Standing to her feet, Arianna walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on her face since she still felt jittery from the dream. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and one thing was right, the fear in there was real. Perhaps, she should call Marcel after she is done, after all, it was night time and there should be news already.

Arianna couldn't keep procrastinating anymore, she had to find out what happened. If Marcel married Clara in the end, then she would talk to him and figure things out with him. Yes, she would do just that, Arianna decided when she heard a noise in her room.

Her attention moved to the door while her brows furrowed together. Who got into her room? Was it Luca? Is he done with Leon already? Arianna couldn't help but smile at what she did. Wait a minute, was he here to check up on her or inform her about Marcel? It was about damn time.

Without a second time, Arianna ran out of the bathroom, expecting to find Luca in her room with the good news, but when she arrived, there was nothing. Huh? That was weird. By chance, did he leave when he didn't find her here? But knowing Luca, he would have caused a ruckus already if he suspected that she was missing.

Arianna looked at the floor and saw the cause of the noise earlier. It was the thick collection of interesting stories Leon had gotten her earlier in case she got bored. Both the stool she had placed it on and the books had fallen to the ground as if someone knocked into them by mistake.

Almost immediately, Arianna's gaze shifted to the window, only to see that it was opened and the curtain was fluttering with the cool night breeze which was strange - she didn't leave the window open. Her survival instinct kicked in and at that moment, Arianna knew that she wasn't alone.

Someone was in here with her.