♥ Special Chapter ♥

Thiago Martini

Monday.

I bite my lip and back up quickly, driving away from the mansion. There's nothing more I can do now that she's entered the place. I look at my cell phone, seeing that she's stopped.

'' Damn it! '' I hit the steering wheel violently. '' Who is this bastard? Why can't I find out anything about him?

I try to find out more about him on my cell phone, but I can't find anything. It annoys me to no end. It's as if he's hiding something very important, but what? Who is he?

I keep looking for information, even on the black market, but nothing. Not a single piece of information. Suddenly, I'm startled when my car window is smashed.

'' What the fuck? '' My words die as I see a gun pointed in my face.

'' Get out of the car. '' I feel a shiver run through my body as I hear the tone of voice.

It was the security guard who had bowed to Isabella.

"Right. "I get out of the car with my hands up.

He gives me a scary look. A very tall guy approaches us.

'' Is that the guy? '' He asks, looking at me.

'' Yes, Saulo. That son of a bitch was following our lady. "He growls, irritated.

Our lady? What do you mean?

Saulo approaches me and grabs my neck, surprising me with the act.

''You've signed your death warrant by following our lady. I'm sure our Lord will love to hear that. "He smiles mischievously.

I try to let go, but his grip is too strong.

'' A-A-Alessio... You must stay away from my Isabella. '' I say with difficulty.

I feel my blood freeze as I see their expressions change for the worse. Saulo slams my head hard against the car, making me dizzy.

"Don't you ever dare call our lord by his name!" he growls angrily. '' And how dare you say our lady's name, you son of a bitch!

The pain in my head is intense, but the anger I feel is even greater. The idea that Isabella is involved with someone so powerful is disconcerting, but I won't give up.

''You have no idea who you're dealing with. ''I try to sound threatening, but my voice trembles.

Saulo laughs with a humorless sound as he squeezes my neck even tighter.

''Ah, actually, it's you who have no idea who you're dealing with. Your life ended the moment you followed our lady. But rest assured, when our Lord allows us to torture you, you'll cry. We will put an end to your arrogance. '' He spoke in such a cold tone that I felt a shiver run down my spine.

I try to let go, but I'm running out of air. He didn't like my attitude and slammed my head against the car again.

''We're going to investigate you; we want to know why you're following our lady. I hope you haven't done anything wrong with her, because if you have, your torture is going to take a long time.

I was about to reply, but he punched me in the stomach so hard that everything went black.

*******

I wake up in a dark place with a throbbing pain in my head and stomach. I'm tied to a chair, my hands tied behind my back. Likewise, I try to move, but the pain is too intense.

'' Ah, you're awake. '' Saulo's cold voice echoes through the room. '' I hope you're comfortable.

'' Where am I? '' My voice comes out weak but full of anger.

''You're in a place where no one can hear you. '' Saulo approaches with a cruel smile on his lips. ''Now, at this moment, my friend is investigating everything about you. Do you know what I found out?

'' Fuck you. '' I spit at him, even though I know it will only make my situation worse.

He laughs humorlessly and picks up a sharp knife, holding it close to my face.

'' Thiago, our lady's ex-boyfriend. A son of a bitch who cheated on her with her own cousin. My lady is lucky to have found our lord. She's going to be very happy. "I growl angrily.

"Isabella is mine! I'll kill that bastard for laying a hand on her! '' He punches me hard in the face, and I taste metallic blood.

'' Shut your fucking mouth! '' He cuts my cheek, making me bite my lips hard. '' You're going to die, and our lady will forget you ever existed.

The pain is unbearable, but the anger I feel is greater. I try to free myself from the restraints, but it's no use.

''Do you think you can scare someone like me? ''I challenge, even though I can feel the blood running down my face.

''I don't need to scare you. I just need to break you. "He whispers, his voice full of malice.

He continues with the blows and cuts, each more painful than the last. With every second, my anger grows. Alessio will pay for this. He stole Isabella from me, and now his henchmen think they can kill me without consequences.

'' Isabella... is mine... '' I whisper between my teeth, my vision starting to blur.

''You don't learn, do you? ''Saulo laughs short and cruelly before striking another blow. ''Our lady belongs to our lord. And you? You're just a worm who dared to interfere.

My strength begins to drain, but my determination remains. Alessio and his henchmen may hurt me, but they will never break my spirit. I will survive this. I will find a way out of here. And when I do, I'm going to make every single one of them pay. Isabella will come back to me, no matter what I have to do.

Suddenly, the door is opened by a man.

''That's enough, Saulo. ''I looked at the man who came in. ''He needs to be alive and very well looked after.

Saulo looked at him, clearly annoyed.

''What do you mean, Dante? That bastard deserves to die. '' Saulo replied, letting go of my hair.

''Yes, I know that. ''Dante stared at me with hatred. ''But our lord will want to torture him himself. That worm will suffer for everything he's done to our lady.

'' What do you mean? '' Saul approached him.

''I can't tell you, because it's something intimate about our lady that this bastard has stolen. '' I looked at him coldly.

''Have you seen the photos? You son of a bitch! "Dante approached me and kicked me in the face so hard that I felt a tooth fall out.

'' Shut up, you son of a bitch! I'll tell our lord to take care of him, Saulo. Don't kill him. '' He left, leaving me alone with this bastard.

''You're going to be the person with the greatest privilege. ''He laughed and looked at me. ''You'll be tortured at the hands of our Lord. I can't kill you, but for what you've done, I pray that my Lord has mercy on you.

Saul watches me, the cruel smile never leaving his face. He moves closer, picking up the knife again, and this time he draws a line along my arm, the burning pain making me grit my teeth.

''You know, Thiago, I've seen a lot of arrogant men like you pass through here. ''He speaks calmly, almost as if he's talking about the weather. ''They all think they're untouchable and that nothing can bring them down. Until they meet our Lord.

'' Go to hell. '' I muttered, struggling to keep my composure despite the excruciating pain.

''Ah, but it's you who's going to hell, Thiago. '' Saulo continued to cut slowly, each movement precise and calculated to cause maximum torment. ''And our Lord will be the devil who welcomes you.

My vision began to blur again, blood dripping from the deep cuts. I tried to concentrate, to look for a way out, anything that would give me a chance. But every attempt to escape was met with more pain and more blows, until finally I was left powerless.

'' I hope you're comfortable. '' Saulo said, wiping off the bloody knife. ''Because this is just the introduction. When our master arrives, that's when the real fun begins.

He walked over to the table and came back with a bandage, pressing it against my arm to stop the bleeding.

"I'll send someone to look after you," he said firmly.

He walks away, leaving me alone in the darkness. The sound of the door locking echos in the room. I try to think of Isabella and how I need to find her and protect her. But the pain is overwhelming, and the darkness begins to envelop me. She's mine; she must be being deceived by this man. My Isabella.

'' Isabella... '' I whisper before losing consciousness.