Page 31 of Forbidden Fruit

With that ominous declaration, Father strode out stiffly, the door slamming deafeningly loud behind him.

I flinched at the sound, the finality of it echoing through the heavy silence left in his wake. Sinking into a chair, I dropped my head into my hands, finally letting the tears fall now that I was alone.

Enzo approached me and I looked at him, his expression was stoic but I could see the lingering anger and concern in his eyes as he looked me over.

"Hey," he said gently, coming to kneel before me. "Let me see."

I raised my head, allowing Enzo to examine the bruise on my cheek with a feather-light touch. His jaw tightened but he said nothing about it.

Instead he asked, "Do you need anything?"

I shook my head, then hesitated. "Enzo, I'm so sorry for dragging you into this mess," I whispered. "Father had no right to hit you."

Enzo dismissed my apology with a wave of his hand. "I've endured far worse than that. Don't worry about me."

He smoothed a lock of hair back from my face. "Get some rest, okay?" With a final comforting squeeze of my hand, Enzo stood and left to give me space to recover.

I watched him go, heart aching with love and gratitude for my selfless brother. Enzo continued shouldering my burdens without complaint or judgment. I did not deserve his steadfast loyalty in the face of my reckless choices.

Alone again, I finally allowed the tears to fall. Father's parting words promised swift, severe consequences for my continued rebellion. But I refused to bend. Betraying Leonardo was unthinkable, no matter the torture I faced.

Exhausted, I crawled into bed, steeling myself for whatever new torments tomorrow brought under "house arrest." Father meant to break me by any means at his disposal.

But even fire at its most extreme would not force me to relinquish my beloved Leonardo...

Hours passed and it was past midnight, I couldn’t sleep at all… I couldn’t stop thinking of the things that have happened in such a small amount of time

A soft knock at my door jolted me from my thoughts. Before I could respond, the door cracked open. I stiffened, expecting to see one of the guards Father promised to post outside my room.

Instead, Enzo slipped quietly inside, closing the door behind him. My shoulders relaxed slightly seeing my brother rather than another sentry meant to keep me prisoner.

"Hey," Enzo said, leaning against the door with his arms crossed. "About what happened with Father earlier…"

I glanced away, remnants of anger and hurt still simmering inside me.

Enzo sighed heavily. "Look, Father only wants what's best for you. But keeping you locked up like his little princess, and react like that when you want to get some freedom isn't the way."

I looked up, surprised by Enzo's unexpectedly sympathetic tone. He walked over and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Things are going to change around here," Enzo said, his voice taking on a grave tone. "Starting with you getting out of this room tonight."

I stared at him in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? Father has guards stationed outside my door, you know that."

Enzo paced the room, radiating an unfamiliar anxious energy. "Which is why we need to move quickly, before they return to their posts."

He grasped my wrist firmly. "No more questions. Just follow me and keep quiet."

As he led me towards the bedroom door, I dug my heels in. My anxiety was spiraling.

"Enzo, stop!" I pleaded. "Just tell me what's happening. You're scaring me."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "There's no time to explain it all. But you're in danger if you stay here."

From below, angry voices echoed up the stairwell, growing louder. Enzo's head snapped towards the sound, eyes widening.

"Damn it, they weren't supposed to be back yet." He ran a hand roughly through his hair before turning back to me.

"New plan. Out the window, now" he ordered, hustling me hastily towards the glass panes. Confused and overwhelmed, I balked.

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