Page 56 of The Mafia King's Reign
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Valentina
Four weeks in the Vitale compound, and I've learned three things:
First, Rosa sees everything but says nothing.
Second, the library is the only place the cameras don't reach.
And third, Salvatore Vitale is far more complicated than the monster I thought he was.
I haven't seen Salvatore in almost a week. Rosa says he's recovering, but I think he's avoiding me. I should be glad I have this time to myself.
I’m glad.
Mostly.
I try not to think about the way my hand felt on his thigh. The way his trembling stopped under my touch. The way he looked at me afterward like I'd done something no one else had ever dared to do.
I hadn't meant to comfort him, but caring comes naturally for me. A trait I could have done without that night.
But somewhere between the blood and the fear and the raw vulnerability on his face, something shifted. Something I'm not ready to examine.
So I don't. I throw myself into routine instead.
It’s been four weeks now since I signed my life away. Four weeks of learning the rhythms of this gilded cage, of watching guards rotate shifts, every entrance and exit I can find, memorizing which hallways lead where.
If I can’t beat him with strength, I will beat him with patience.
Mornings are predictable now. Rosa arrives at eight with breakfast, always too much food, always beautifully arranged, always delivered with that same serene composure that makes me want to scream. She updates me on the day's schedule, as if I have anywhere to be, asks if I need anything, as if I could ask for my freedom, and leaves me to eat alone in my beautiful prison.
“Rosa,” I say softly, before she heads toward the door. “How long have you worked for the Vitales?”
She pauses with the coffee pot in her hand. “Long enough.”
“That’s not an answer.”
I study her face. The lines around her mouth. The steady eyes. The way she moves like she owns her place in this house.
“Were you here before Salvatore?”
She thinks about whether or not to answer but then, to my surprise, she does.
“Yes.”
“Did you… know my grandfather?”
Her mouth tightens slightly.
“Yes.”
I have so many questions.
“Is that all?”
Well… I guess that’s all I’m going to get, so no need to push.
“Yes ma’am, thank you.”
