Page 142 of Monster in Disguise

A FEW DAYS LATER

As I slowly wake from my slumber, a dull ache lingers in my ribs. I groan and stretch, trying to find a more comfortable position. My hand instinctively reaches out for the silky scarf next to me, still warm from Catalina's presence.

Breathing in her delicate scent, I am lost in dreams of her until an urgent knocking on my bedroom door shatters the peaceful moment.

"Tuo padre ti sta chiamando," a soldier yells from outside. When my father calls, I have no choice but to answer.

Reluctantly, I fold the scarf that Catalina had left behind and place it in a safe spot before getting dressed and leaving my room. The soldier informs me that my father has a surprise waiting for me in the basement.

I can't help but feel anxious at the thought of what kind of surprise awaits me down there, especially after the last beating I received.

Trying to keep a cool demeanor, I make my way down the stairs and into the basement. As I open the door, I am greeted by darkness, making me blink several times to adjust my eyes.

"Marcello, just who I was looking for," Father's cheerful voice echoes through the dark space, his enthusiasm contrasting with his usually stoic nature.

"Father," I reply with a forced smile as he beckons me further into the basement.

"Come, come. Let me show you what I got you."

Confused by his words, I furrow my brow. My father has never once given me anything before.

"What you got me?" I ask hesitantly as we reach another door deeper within the basement.

"Consider this a gift for your years of service." He opens the door and gestures for me to step inside.

I take a tentative step forward and stop, my eyes widening in disbelief. The scene before me is real, not just some twisted nightmare playing tricks on my mind.

The table, usually reserved for inflicting pain and suffering, now holds a new captive. Her wrists and ankles are shackled at each end, her body stretched out in the shape of a human X. Her torn dress barely covers her body, revealing a mass of bloody skin and wounds, fresh crimson liquid still seeping from her battered form.

Catalina.

My heart sinks as I realize who the victim is. Before I can even process what has happened, Father speaks up.

"What do you think? Do you like my gift?" He glances at Catalina with an air of satisfaction. "It wasn't easy to obtain her, but I know how much she means to you."

My blood boils as he continues to gloat about how they abducted her from her own home. My fists clench at my sides, anger coursing through every part of my being. But then he points to something on her back, and I feel bile rise in my throat.

Father's cruel handiwork is etched into her flesh—an M encased by a large C. The raw edges show that it was done without mercy or hesitation.

Catalina...

Tears well up in my eyes as I take in the sight before me. What horrors has she endured at their hands?

"What is this?" I choke out, struggling to keep my voice steady.

"A gift for the Chimera," he sneers, admiring his work with perverse pleasure. "I thought it was quite fitting."

Fury consumes me as I look at Catalina's broken body, strapped to that table like some kind of sacrifice. I wantnothing more than to unleash all my pain and rage onto those responsible for this unspeakable act. My hands shake with the urge to take their lives, to avenge Catalina and make them pay for what they have done to her.

My voice falters as I try to keep calm in front of my father. I can't let him see how much this conversation is affecting me.

"You think I haven't heard the rumors about your obsession with this girl? You haven't exactly been discreet," Father scoffs, his eyes leering over Catalina's figure.

I clench my jaw, struggling to keep my composure. I won't solve anything by lashing out at him now. More soldiers will come and restrain me before I can even make a move.

"I'm right, aren't I? She's the reason you've been neglecting your duties." His words feel like daggers piercing my skin.

A moan escapes Catalina's lips, and I close my eyes in shame. This is everything I feared and more.

---