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“I knew you would be all right. You’re one hell of a fighter, and your baby will be nothing less than that.” Antonio said, as he pulled me into his arms. I felt his relief as he held me, and a few tears escaped my eyes at how much they all cared.
Then it was Antonio’s turn to receive the deadly look from Damiano when he kissed the top of my head. It had us all chuckling at his reaction, but it was one of the few times where Damiano would allow it because of their worry.
“Let’s get you home.” Damiano held my hand as we made our way out.
“Actually, there’s something I need to do before we go home.” I told them.
I walked down the underground tunnel with Damiano close beside me, and the others followed closely behind. I had been here before, but this time, it was different.
The place was heavily secured with armed men stationed everywhere to ensure no outsiders could get in or out. They were on high alert, ready for any threat.
They nodded in respect as we passed them before we reached the familiar door that had borne witness to the unimaginable.
The Chamber of Torture.
Taking a deep breath to prepare myself before Damiano opened the door.
Gaetano was chained to the wall, suspended from his wrists, slumped forward. Blood dripped from his face onto the ground. He had been brutally beaten, and if it wasn’t because I could hear his breathing, I might have thought he was dead.
Damiano stood by the door with his arms crossed, leaning against it. This was something I had to do, something that would give me closure.
I dragged a chair and positioned it in front of Gaetano, making sure to keep some distance even though his arms and legs were chained.
He lifted his head to look at me, and a wicked smile crept onto his lips, revealing his blood-stained teeth before he let out a low, mocking laugh. I watched him calmly, allowing him to laugh because he knew his life was over after this, and there was no escape.
“So, you win again, Althaia.” His voice dripped with venom as he spat out my name. I remained unfazed, maintaining a straight face as I felt nothing for him. He didn’t deserve any sympathy.
“I just want to know why.” I told him. I needed to understand why he had pretended to be a loving father who wanted to protect me when he was the one I needed protection from.
“You took someone in who wasn’t yours and treated him like your own. But as for me? You didn’t even try. You were all I knew, and I loved you as my father more than anything.” I couldn’t shove the hurt away from my voice. The way he treated his stepson Carlos hurt me deeply, more than I wanted to admit.
Gaetano stared at me, trying to adjust his position to find some comfort, but the way he was hanging made me doubt he could.
“When I received the news that I was going to be a father, I was ecstatic. I was so thrilled that I didn’t even care that it was going to be a girl.” He chuckled, and I rolled my eyes.
My mother was right. It was such a male-chauvinist world.
“At some point during her pregnancy, I received an anonymous tip that she had been unfaithful. I dismissed it, knowing that people play dirty games to tear you apart. She barely left the house; how was she supposed to? When you were born, and I held you in my arms for the first time, something didn’t feel right, but I ignored it. They say you feel different when you have a newborn in your life.” He continued to chuckle as if reminiscing about the good old days.
“As you grew older, I still didn’t feel anything towards you. I tried, but it just didn’t feel right. It was as if you weren’t mine. I thought maybe that note was playing tricks on me. I even had a hard time calling you by your name.” Gaetano confessed.
It now dawned on me why he always insisted on calling me ‘figlia,’ and rarely used my name.
“I kept dismissing it until I received news from my doctor. I am incapable of having children.” Gaetano locked eyes with me as he spoke.
“It wasn’t something that happened out of the blue. I was informed about my issues when I was a young boy, but I didn’t think much of it, and it slipped my mind over the years until my doctor reminded me and had it confirmed once again. That note had been lingering in the back of my mind, and that’s when I finally had a DNA test. Even with the results in my hand, I couldn’t believe it. Then I received another envelope containing pictures of her with him!” He hissed with his eyes filled with rage.
I remained unfazed by his fury as I listened to everything. It made me wonder if it was Alexei’s mother who sent him those tips.
“I was going to kill you both on the spot. But I couldn’t. A wife is a man’s honor. She made a joke out of me, and I couldn’t risk word getting out that my wife was being a slut and spreading her legs for the Russians.”
This time, it was me boiling with rage at him insulting my mother.
“Althaia, stand up for a second.” Damiano gently took my hand.
Damiano snatched the chair and brought it crashing down with brutal force onto Gaetano’s head. The wooden chair shattered into splinters as he relentlessly smashed it against Gaetano’s head, over and over again.
“Be careful. Don’t overexert yourself.” I said with concern, afraid he could hurt himself if he continued to bash Gaetano with the chair.
