Chapter 5 CHAPTER 04
Dante Valentini
Why is this happening to me? What did I do to deserve this daily hell? The tightness in my chest feels suffocating. I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm myself, until I find the strength to stand. My knees ache after spending so long kneeling, forcing me to limp slightly when I take my first steps.
I lower my eyes to the soup spilled across the floor. My mother said I won't get any food today, but my father ordered me to eat it. I don't know which of their orders I'm supposed to obey. My stomach clenches. If I eat, I might get beaten for disobeying my mother. If I don't, I might get beaten for disobeying my father. In the end, I do what I always do when I don't know which choice will hurt less: I make no choice at all.
I pick up the bowl and carry it to the sink. My stomach growls, begging for even the smallest scrap of food, but I know perfectly well that if I eat anything without my parents' permission, the punishment will be infinitely worse. I approach the table to collect the dirty dishes when a loud crash from the living room makes me stop. It sounds like someone has broken down the door. I freeze for a second, startled. Then I slowly approach the opening between the kitchen and the living room and peek out to see what's happening, keeping part of my body hidden behind the wall.
My eyes widen. My parents are kneeling on the living room floor, surrounded by several men dressed in dark suits. All of them are armed, and some of their guns are pointed directly at my parents' heads. One of the men, who appears to be leading the group, takes a step forward.
“The payment on your two-million-euro debt was due last week,” he says coldly.
“W-We still don't have the full amount!” my father replies desperately.
One of the men standing beside him delivers a vicious punch to his face. The impact is so powerful that my father falls sideways, and before he can react, the man grabs him by the hair and slams his forehead against the floor.
“No! Please! Have mercy!” my mother screams, crying. “We'll pay! We promise we'll pay!”
The man who mentioned the debt approaches her. He punches her in the face and grabs her by the hair, yanking her head back and forcing her to look up.
“Where is my boss's money?” he demands. “Should I start removing your organs right now to cover the interest?”
My mother begins crying in utter desperation, sobbing so hard she can't answer. My father, still on the floor, turns his bloodied face toward the kitchen. His eyes meet mine. A shiver runs through my entire body. Something changes in his expression. The desperation is still there, but now there's something else. Something dark and cruel that makes my stomach sink before I even understand why.
“Him!”
My father points a trembling finger in my direction.
“He can be the payment for your bosses! He's young, a virgin, and obedient! You can sell him at the auction!”
My heart races. Every armed man in the living room turns to look at me, and I freeze completely under their stares. They examine me as if I'm a piece of meat being put up for sale.
My own parents are offering me as payment for a debt.
The man in charge of collecting the debt releases my mother and slowly walks toward the kitchen entrance. He stops in front of me and looks me up and down with a calculating gaze.
“Come on, boy,” he says, extending his hand. “Don't make me use force. I know you won't like it.”
A chill runs through my body. I look around desperately, searching for an escape route I know doesn't exist. There are too many of them; they're armed, and they're completely blocking the entrance to the house. Tears begin streaming down my cheeks again.
I have nowhere to go. There's no way for me to escape. I lower my head. The man grips my arm firmly and begins dragging me outside. That house has always been a living hell for me, but when the cold night air hits my face, I realize I'm being taken to another one. And this one might be the worst of all. I'm shoved into the back seat of a car, and I immediately curl up in the corner, wrapping my arms around myself.
Where are they taking me? What are they going to do to me when we get there? The car starts moving, and panic tightens around my chest as I watch the darkness pass by the window. If I was beaten for practically nothing in my own home, I don't even want to imagine what might be waiting for me at the hands of dangerous, armed men.
Maybe they'll torture me. Maybe they'll sell me like some ordinary object. Maybe they'll simply kill me when I'm no longer useful for anything. My hands tremble against my body. My parents really did hand me over. Without hesitation. I mean... who am I trying to fool?
They never cared about me. If they'd had even the slightest concern for me, they wouldn't have done everything they've done since I was four years old. I've spent my entire life obeying, serving, and getting beaten, and yet some stupid part of me kept hoping that one day they might change.
Now I don't have to wait anymore.
The car stops. My body trembles, and I lift my head to look out the window. Outside, an enormous, imposing mansion fills my view. The door beside me suddenly opens, making me recoil against the seat. The man who brought me here stares at me coldly.
