The Duke's Masked Wife

"Mario," Alessandra called as she entered the quiet kitchen.

Now that breakfast was practically over there was hardly anyone in the kitchen until it was time to wash the dishes used.

"Alessandra? This is new. You've never come to me at this time of day and last I heard, you were being punished. Did everyone else leave?" Mario asked, surprised to see her casually walking around.

"Today is a special day for a change as I got engaged to the Duke," Alessandra couldn't wait to share the special news with Mario. "You should have been there to witness everyone's facial expression."

"I can imagine. I am shocked though I kind of expected it. Wait a minute," Mario looked around for a chair to make Alessandra comfortable enough to tell him what happened. If only he could have been a fly on the wall to see Kate's face out of everyone's. "There we go."

"I love that you are extra kind when there is gossip about my family involved," Alessandra sat down on the chair he found.

"I don't know why you still refer to them as your family. The Duke will be your family now. Screw these heartless people," Mario said as he took his own seat. If he was in Alessandra's position, he would have let the Duke just kill them.

"I am not married to Edgar yet and at the end of the day, they are still my family. Even if I don't like them. I'm going to be here with them for two more days and then I'll be going to live with the Duke-"

"What!" Mario's eyes went wide. He wasn't expecting Alessandra to be leaving so soon. "See this is why I don't like Edgar. He's stealing away the only Barrett I like."

"I told you to come with me. I can ask him to pay off your debt. Both of us should leave this place," said Alessandra. Mario was her only friend here, so it was only right that she helped him leave this place with her.

Mario shook his head, turning down the offer once again. "I'm going to work off my debt myself. You just need to worry about yourself and enjoy your new luxury life. Now tell me, how did they react?"

"Kate looked so distraught. She whined like a little child and stormed off but then came back to apologize. I didn't forgive her so easily. Right now she is supposed to dig a hole with her bare hands."

"We both know Kate probably has someone digging that hole for her since you are here with me but I like what you're doing. Make sure you mess with her mother too," Mario hated Katrina more than anything in this world.

"I have a couple of things in mind but first, breakfast, please. I ordered Katrina to bring me food but it was-"

"That was for you? She dropped those eggs on the floor and then put them back on the plate. Please tell me you didn't eat any of it because these floors are not clean," Mario wanted to throw up just from thinking about it.

Alessandra had a clear flashback of her tasting the eggs. "I did eat a tiny bite of it. As bad as that was, it is not the first time she has ever done something to my food. I remember she sent me a plate of nothing but leftovers from their plates to eat. I've experienced every kind of torture here."

Mario sat up to cook something for Alessandra. "That is why you must never fall for their tricks and be kind to them. Make their lives hell or I shall never speak to you ever again. Torture the hell out of Kate and Katrina."

"I plan to but-"

"No but's, Alessandra," Mario stopped her right in her tracks. She was always too kind for her own good.

"Mario, the person I have the biggest issue with is neither Kate nor Katrina. It is with my father. He's the one who should have protected me from his second wife and everyone else who looks at me with disgust because of rumors. He never did anything to help me."

Alessandra could not get over her father looking her in the eye without any shame and saying it was not possible for Edgar to fall in love with her at first sight. How could anyone love her when her father didn't?

"I have waited so long for my father to come to comfort me and not once had he ever come to me. It was always Katrina or Kate with a smile on their face before they made my life hell. My father only cares about his money and reputation. I will take what he loves so that he knows what it means to have nothing," Alessandra stated.

"I feel the need to hug you, Alessandra but you are now an engaged woman. You're all grown up now, destroying people and shit." Mario understood why her main issue was with her father. Had the baron put his foot down, his wife and daughter wouldn't have the opportunity to mess with Alessandra.

"It's still going to be fun to make Katrina and Kate lose their minds," Alessandra had a lot planned for them already. Everything they did to her would be handed back to them.

"This house will finally be interesting. The food is going to take a minute. Are you going to wait here or go somewhere else? You are practically the lady of the house with the Duke as your knight in shining armor," the words felt strange to Mario when he said them out loud.

"I will get a book to read. As much as I enjoy being able to walk around freely this house is honestly draining and there is nothing to do. I'll be back," Alessandra sat up to get a book from her bedroom. She also wanted to check on what Kate had done so far.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Alessandra muttered as she had not made it far away from the kitchen before running into Kate. "Kate, are you done already?"

"Obviously. Look at my hands," Kate showed the dirty gloves she wore when she had started to dig. "We should be even with this."

"Kate, I can hardly count how many things you have done to me for us to be even. This is a start for you to make amends with me. Do not think I have forgiven you just because you dug a hole," Alessandra said.

"Why? I'm trying to be nice to you, Alessandra. We are sisters and it's about time we start acting like it. You're about to be a married woman. Stop acting like a child."

"I know you, Kate. I know the real you and I won't fall for this illusion you and father are creating like you are trying to be nice to me. Save your breath and energy," Alessandra saw right through Kate the moment she apologized.

"I do not know what you are talking about. Why don't you go outside to see where your little dead animal is buried? It was more fun than I expected," Kate grinned, tempted to tell Alessandra what she had done. "Excuse me, I have to go back to my room to clean up. You should really clean your bedroom, Alessandra. It stinks."

Alessandra grabbed Kate's arm preventing her from leaving. "What did you do Kate?"

"Do not touch me, Alessandra. I am being nice right now," Kate shoved Alessandra's hand away. "If you knew me well, you would know not to play with me. As I said, I am going to my room to get cleaned up. Are you going to stand here or check on my hard work?"

"You," Alessandra clenched her fists, tempted to slap Kate but held herself back. She did not want to resort to violence like Kate always did.

Instead, she left to go to outside to see what Kate had done. Her father was stupid to think Kate could play nice with anyone. Kate had no idea what it meant to be nice.

Alessandra prayed Kate had not disrespected the kitten further after she had already killed it. Coming across the hallway leading down to her room or to go outside, Alessandra found her door ajar meaning someone had been in it.

She made the decision to check on her bedroom first. Alessandra cautiously walked up to the door and slowly pushed it all the way open but found nothing out of place at first glance.

The box with the kitten was gone which meant Kate took it. Alessandra knew there had to be either something wrong with her bedroom or where the kitten was buried based on how happy Kate was.

Alessandra continued to look around her bedroom still finding it to be as she left it. Her canvas was as she left them, her bed still looked made up, her books were neat, and the only scent in the room was due to the kitten.

"Did she rip up my clothes again?" Alessandra went up to the closet and opened it to see if Kate had destroyed her clothes again. "No," she instantly knew what was missing as soon as she opened the closet doors.

Her mother's dress was front and center in her closet after she had been thinking of getting married recently. It was one of the few things she had that belonged to her mother.

Alessandra did not know whether to laugh or cry about the situation but one thing for sure, she regretted not slapping Kate when they were face to face. Alessandra felt the need to break something to release the anger she felt but instead of doing so, she decided to take that anger out on Kate.

Alessandra dragged her feet to her window where the barn was in perfect view.