Page 38 of Bound in Obsession
“Come on,” I try again, softer. “It’s just us. You can at least sit.”
“I’m fine standing, Miss.”
I sigh and I take a big bite of the sandwich and chew slowly, watching him.
“Suit yourself,” I mutter. “You don’t have to act all stiff with me, you know. You can loosen up a little.”
He doesn’t respond. Not even a twitch.
I try again anyway. “So… how long have you worked for Nico?”
Nothing.
“When did you start? Were you born into this life or did you choose it?”
Still nothing.
I ask a few more questions, about his family, if he has siblings, what he does for fun, but it’s like talking to a brick wall.Eventually I give up and eat the rest of my sandwich in silence, washing it down with the cold lemonade.
I turn my gaze to the large kitchen window. The view is stunning. Rolling green lawns stretch out under the afternoon sun, bordered by tall and perfectly trimmed hedges.
In the distance, I can see the thick forest that surrounds the estate like a natural wall. It looks peaceful. Almost beautiful. If I didn’t know it was all part of my prison, I might have appreciated it more.
When I finish eating, I look up at Daniel with my best pleading expression.
“Can I stay down here a little while longer? Please? I really don’t want to be locked in that room again. Maybe I could walk around the grounds? Just get some fresh air?”
Daniel’s face remains blank. “Unfortunately, I can’t allow that. I can’t take you outside the house without the boss’s approval.”
I give him my best puppy eyes. “Daniel…”
“I’m sorry, Miss. I can’t.”
I huff loudly and push my chair back. He accompanies me upstairs in silence, then locks me back inside my bedroom like clockwork.
I try to nap, but the second I close my eyes, all I see is Nico, his hands on my waist, the sharp sting of his palm on my ass, his breath against my ear. My body heats up all over again. I toss and turn for almost an hour before giving up.
I head out to the balcony instead.
The afternoon sun feels warm on my skin as I sink into one of the cushioned lounge chairs. A gentle breeze brushes over me, carrying the sweet scent of flowers from the garden below. I close my eyes for a moment and just breathe.
Looking down at the beautiful garden, I wonder who tends it. The flowers are so carefully arranged, so vibrant. Daniela would have loved this place. She always loved flowers.
When we were younger, she used to spend hours in our late mother’s garden, tending to the roses and lavender with care. But Papa destroyed that too, just like he destroys everything we’ve ever loved. One day he had the entire garden ripped out and paved over, then banned Daniela from any kind of gardening. “Flowers are a waste of time,” he’d said. “You have more important things to do.”
He’s never cared about our happiness. Only about what benefits him.
I pull my knees tighter to my chest and stare down at the beautiful garden, but my mind drifts far away from the flowers.
Our life has always been so empty of love.
The only person who ever truly loved us was Mama. She tried so hard to shield us, to give us whatever affection she had left after Papa drained her dry. He broke her slowly, year after year, until she was just a hollow shell smiling for appearances. She was miserable until the day she took her last breath. And after she died, it was only me and my sisters against the world.
Papa has never seen us as daughters, only as leverage. He never failed to remind us how disappointed he was that he only had girls.
“I must have done something terrible in my past life to be cursed with five useless daughters,” he’d say.
He always told us we had to make ourselves useful. That’s why he’s been marrying us off like prized cattle. To strengthen his empire. He started with Rosalia, then was ready to hand Sienna over to Andrea Gallo without a second thought.
