Chapter 3 A Desperate Escape

Bella awoke to the sound of heavy rainfall and loud thunderstorms. The wind caused the raindrops to sway, splashing water on her as they moved. She realized it was already late and couldn't believe she had slept for so long.

Quickly, she got out of bed and attempted to close the windows. However, her actions were halted when she noticed her father, Mr. Marino, arguing with two burly men armed with guns outside the mansion's main entrance.

"Father!" Bella called out, waving her hands in the air with a smile on her face, hoping he would see her. He was the only person she wanted to see at that moment, as she had been thinking about him.

Her joy quickly turned to sorrow as she witnessed one of the burly men kick her father, causing him to fall to the wet floor. The other man began hitting him with a stick.

"Father!" Bella screamed, her face filled with sorrow and tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Let go of him, please!" she pleaded, but soon realized her voice was drowned out by the heavy rainfall and thunderstorm.

Desperate to save her father, Bella rushed to her bedroom door and started banging on it, hoping that Old Lady Amato or anyone passing by would open the door and let her out.

"Please, open the door! My father needs help," she pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Go back, young lady. Old Lady Amato instructed us not to allow you to leave the room without her permission," one of the burly men guarding her room responded.

"Then bring her here, please. I need to talk to her," Bella said, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

"We advise you to stop causing any more disturbance and go back to sleep," one of the men sternly cautioned.

"Just a moment, please. Let me speak to my father. I'm begging you," Bella continued to plead, sitting on the floor with her head against the door, tears rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably.

The burly men guarding her room door further paid no attention to her, which only made Bella even sadder. Her heart ached as she ran back to the window, seeing her father wincing in pain on the cold, wet floor.

The men outside continued to assault Mr. Marino and eventually forced him out of the mansion.

"I'll surely get revenge on those lowlifes," Bella swore bitterly, but she couldn't get the thought of her father out of her mind.

Her father had just been mercilessly beaten and thrown out of the mansion, covered in bruises, and all she could do was stay there without taking any action.

"No! I can't just sit and watch like this. I have to see if father is okay. I have to escape from this prison of a room," Bella muttered in sadness and despair.

She scanned the room, searching for a rope or anything that could help her climb down the window, but there was nothing in sight.

It seemed Old Lady Amato had ordered the maids to remove anything dangerous or potentially useful for her escape.

Bella's eyes soon landed on the big wardrobe beside the giant mirror. She approached it, hoping to find something helpful. She opened it and found different colors of beautiful, expensive gowns made of fluffy materials.

Without a second thought or appreciation for their value, Bella began taking the gowns down and sat on the floor, tying them together into a tight knot.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally finished, creating a long rope by tying together clothes of different colors and textures. She secured one end to the queen-sized bed leg and threw the excess out the window.

Carefully, she started climbing down the rope, taking each step with caution as a slip could be fatal.

Eventually, she reached the end of the rope and found herself outside the room.

The heavy rain continued to pour, accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning.

The mansion was filled with guards, making her mission of escaping even more challenging. However, Bella refused to give up and did her best to hide whenever she spotted a guard.

Her long black hair and gown were drenched, weighing heavily on her body.

She moved slowly under the rain, trying to avoid being noticed by the guards until her feet took her to the back of the mansion, where there were no guards in sight.

Knowing she couldn't pass through the gate, she realized climbing the fence was her only option. She searched for a ladder but found none.

"How am I supposed to climb this tall fence?" she thought, looking up at it with a sad and frustrated expression.

"Do you need any help?" a cold voice from behind asked. Bella turned to see a figure standing there, but it was too dark to see his face as the back of the mansion had no bulb.

"I'm trapped," she muttered to herself, gripping her gown tightly until her knuckles turned white.

"I asked if you need help," the voice repeated. Bella felt fear and remained silent, contemplating how she could escape from the stranger blocking her path.

"Grab her!" the voice ordered. Two more burly men stepped forward in an instant and seized Bella by her arms.

It became apparent that the stranger wasn't alone, as two other guards were waiting behind him. Their immediate compliance indicated that he must be a significant figure.

"Let go of me!" Bella yelled as the guards pulled her. The stranger walked ahead of them as they entered the mansion.

Everywhere in the mansion was illuminated by light bulbs, allowing faces to be recognized, except for the man who stood with his back facing Bella.

"My lord, we've been searching for her all over the house," Old Lady Amato said, rushing from an inner room with the two maids following behind her. They stopped before the man, bowing their heads.

"Get her some clothes to change into and bring her to my room when she's done," the man ordered before promptly leaving, leaving Bella, Old Lady Amato, and the two guards in the living room.

"Who is he? Why is everyone obeying him?" Bella wondered, but her thoughts were interrupted by a hard slap on her right ear from Old Lady Amato.

"How dare you?" yelled Old Lady Amato, her gaze filled with hatred.

"I...you..." Bella stuttered, as she held back her tears and swallowed hard.

"Grab her," ordered Old Lady Amato sternly. The two maids complied and seized Bella by her arm and forcefully dragged her with them to a nearby room.

In the room, Bella's wet clothes were replaced with a beautiful red gown, her hair blow-dried and decorated with different hair accessories, and the maids applied light makeup to her face.

Bella's heart ached as she realized her mission to see her father had failed, and she was now trapped in this prison-like room once again.

After Bella had been dolled up once again, the maids proceeded by dragging her by her arm, following Old Lady Amato out of the room. They soon stopped in front of another golden door which was opened by Old Lady Amato, and Bella was pushed in after which the door was locked from behind.

The room was decorated with golden furniture. Every corner of the room screamed luxury as Bella scanned around until her eyes fell on two men.

One of the men dressed in a black suit stood beside a big table while the other also dressed in an armless vest and black trousers stood beside him, armed with a gun. The man in a suit had a cigar in his hand, puffing out smoke from it. He had a striking appearance. His dark hair was slicked back with meticulous precision. His body was a work of art in itself, sculpted from years of rigorous training and discipline. He stood tall and proud, with broad shoulders that spoke of strength, and toned muscles that rippled beneath his tailored suits. Tattoos snaked up his arms and across his chest, each one a testament to his past and the battles he had fought and won. His dark, piercing eyes spoke of intelligence and cunning, while his smirk held a hint of danger.

'How can someone be this handsome?' Bella thought to herself as her gaze remained fixed on the man face.

"Why did you try to escape?" The man suddenly asked cutting Bella off her train of thoughts. He continued to puff smoke out of his cigar. His voice, whom Bella recognized instantly, was the man who captured her back into the mansion.

"And who are you?" Bella asked now with a serious expression.

"I'm Bernardi Lorenzo."