I push him aside as I walk off.
 
 Chapter Thirteen
 
 Alyssa
 
 “I’ll do it. I’ll kill Antonio,” I had replied to Giovanni. My mind had played our interaction back over and over as I made my way back to Antonio’s house.
 
 He turned to me, bemused.
 
 “I thought it would take a bit more of a push, even a bit of threat, but it looks like we are more alike than I thought,” he said.
 
 I turn to him with an annoyed look, because if I could kill him too, I would. He and Antonio are both the authors of my pain as far as I am concerned, and if I could rip them both to shreds at once, I would do that with a smile on my face.
 
 He smiles as if he knows my thoughts.
 
 “Don’t look at me like that; you disgust me as well,” he smiles and leans forward. “But it’s the mutual dislike that makes us a great team,” he says.
 
 I look away.
 
 “How do I get back to the mansion?” I ask.
 
 He exclaims in reply, “Aren’t you a bit too eager about this mission? Antonio will kill you without hesitation if he finds out that you’re plotting behind his back,” he says.
 
 I look down at the ring on my finger. I have been tied down like an animal against my will, and my body used to satisfy the cravings of a madman, and now I am being used as a ploy for vengeance.
 
 I am doing a lot of things, but I am not living. I look back at him and repeat my question.
 
 He smiles.
 
 “I have a person on the inside who will ensure you return safely. As long as you play your part to perfection, you’ll be safe.”
 
 “How do I do that?” I ask.
 
 He grins. “You know what the most effective lies are?”
 
 I shake my head as the cold wind hits my face.
 
 “They are the lies that are hidden underneath a bit of truth,” he answers, placing his hand on my shoulder.
 
 “When you go back, your beloved husband will ask you some questions: who you’ve been with, why you ran off, and so on. You’ll have to answer truthfully.”
 
 “What?” I ask.
 
 “When he asks who you’ve been with? You have to answer truthfully,” he repeats.
 
 I shove his hands away.
 
 “Have you lost your mind?” I snap.
 
 He grins. “Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you.”
 
 “And how are you so certain?” I shoot back.
 
 “Because if he wanted to kill you, he would have done that instead of recording a stupid video,” Giovanni answers shortly.
 
 Cold chills run down my spine at the thought.
 
 “Don’t worry, Alyssa, follow my lead, and you’ll be safe,” he says.