Page 5 of Merciless King

I glance at Elysse, who is looking down at her plate, her shoulders hunched. This isn't the life I imagined for myself. I used to be strong, independent, and full of dreams. But that Piper is long gone, buried beneath the weight of Gabriel's cruelty and my own fear. I can hardly remember the carefree girl who fell in love with Elio, the boy who promised me the world.

Why am I thinking of him again? It must be because I’m back in Chicago.

A surge of anger at Gabriel rises within me, but it's quickly extinguished by the overwhelming sense of dread. I know better than to challenge Gabriel's temper. The last time I stood up to him, he shoved me against the wall, his hands wrapped around my throat. I can't risk Elysse witnessing that again, can't bear the thought of her being afraid of her own father.

Elysse looks up at me, her dark eyes filled with confusion and concern. I force a smile, hoping to reassure her, but the ache in my heart is too heavy to hide.

I watch in silence as Gabriel finishes his breakfast and stands up, his chair scraping against the hardwood floor. The tense atmosphere in the room is palpable, and I can feel Elysse's eyes on me, searching for reassurance.

"I'm heading to the office," Gabriel says gruffly, grabbing his briefcase.

“Have a good day.” I say it by rote. It no longer has any feeling behind it.

As soon as the front door slams shut, Elysse jumps down from her chair and hurries to me for a hug. I tell myself she wants reassurance, but I can’t help but think she’s the one feeling like she needs to reassure me. God, what sort of damage am I doing to her psyche?

“Why is he always so mad?”

I blink back tears, feeling a surge of gratitude for my daughter's kindness and a deep well of guilt for exposing her to this toxic environment.

“Some people are just grumpy in the morning.” More guilt builds at defending him. “Everything's going to be okay."

The lie tastes bitter on my tongue, but I can't bear to shatter Elysse's innocent belief that everything will work out. The truth is, I'm trapped, and Gabriel has made it clear that if I try to leave, he'll hurt Elysse. The thought of my daughter being in danger is the only thing that keeps me from running.

After a few moments, I pull back and give Elysse a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's get you to school."

As we walk hand in hand through the quiet streets, I reflect on how different my life is here now compared to when I was a child growing up. I grew up in a modest neighborhood. Bookish and studious, I earned a scholarship to a private academy that should have set me up to attend a prestigious university. Just because I tended to mind my own business and have my head in the books, some thought I was shy or timid, but when provoked, I had no problem speaking my mind. That part of me didn’t die until Gabriel.

Memories of those carefree days flood my mind, and I can't help but think of Elio. The way he used to look at me, the way he made me feel… it all seems like a lifetime ago. I can’t forget the sweet innocence of love we had, and yet, the anger and resentment for sending me away are too strong to ignore.

Living in England wasn’t so bad. I had free healthcare, and my mother helped me with my pregnancy and early years with Elysse. I’d been able to take university courses and eventually get my degree. My life was moving on. I never overcame my resentment toward Elio, but now I recognize how young we were. Too young to make promises.

When Gabriel entered my life, he seemed like the perfect man. Polite. Smart. Successful. He said and did all the right things, including saying he wanted to be Elysse’s father. Less than six months after marrying, his true colors were revealed. It started with him encouraging me to quit my job teaching. Then it was alienating me from my parents. Irritation turned to anger. Anger turned to violence. The last four years have been a nightmare, one I can’t seem to escape.

When we reach Elysse's school, I kneel down and pull her into a tight hug. "I love you, sweetheart. Have a wonderful day, okay?"

Elysse nods, her eyes shining with a mixture of excitement and concern. "I love you too, Mommy. Don't be sad."

I watch as she scurries into the building, my heart heavy with the weight of how much I’m hurting her.

Taking a deep breath, I turn and head toward the bank, determined to keep up the façade of normalcy. Gabriel keeps me on a tight budget, so I only withdraw the money I’m allowed for groceries. As I step out of the bank, I walk into a wall of man.

“Excuse—” My heart nearly stops when I see a familiar face. Elio D'Amato. A rush of emotions floods through me—anger, hurt, and an involuntary flicker of love that I thought I had long buried.

Elio's dark eyes meet mine, and when recognition forms in them, a warm smile spreads across his face. "Piper. Wow… you’re here. You look great.”

The compliment stings, reminding me of the carefree girl I used to be, the one who had fallen so deeply in love with him. Memories of our past come rushing back, and with them, bitterness and pain. It was because of him, him and his parents, that my family was pushed out of town, although it wasn’t a hardship for my father to take D’Amato money. I never understood why Elio was so sweet, making promises one night, and the next day supporting his family’s effort to send me away. The only answer is that he didn't want the baby… Elysse.

There’s a moment when I look at him and see a way out. But I dismiss that notion. I know who he is, what he does. Chances are he treats his women worse than Gabriel treats me.

“I guess you never thought you’d see me again,” I say bitterly.

Elio's brow furrows slightly. “Why would you say?—”

“I don’t have time for this.” I cut him off, my voice dripping with venom. "Just do us all a favor and drop dead, will you?"

Without waiting for a response, I turn and hurry away, my heart aching, betraying the anger I want to feel.

As I walk, my mind is a chaotic storm of emotions. After all these years, after everything that's happened, a part of me still yearns for his touch, his kiss, the way he used to look at me. The promise he made to love me forever. It's a shameful, agonizing truth that I've buried so deeply, I'd almost convinced myself it wasn't there.

---