Page 50 of Unspoken Ties

Chapter twenty-five

Liria

Hugo and I strolled through the mall, surrounded by the chatter of shoppers and the twinkling lights of storefront displays. Luciana and Ettore, my usual shopping companions, were busy with other commitments today, so I was shopping with my bodyguard.

Ever since I broke the news to Ettore about my pregnancy, my body seemed to have a mind of its own, bloating and expanding at an alarming rate. None of my clothes fit and I had a muffin top over every pair of pants I tried to wear.

The two of us walked out of a department store, bags full of clothing in hand.

“I have to use the restroom,” I announced, my face flushing with embarrassment. Hugo, always stoic and composed, simply nodded. We found the nearest restroom, and I passed him my shopping bags to hold.

I walked down the hallway and pushed open the bathroom door. Once inside the privacy of the bathroom stall, I fought back tears. Being pregnant was supposed to be a beautiful experience,a celebration of life, but all I felt was heavy, emotional, and nauseous.

As I finished using the bathroom, I slowly made my way to the sink. My reflection in the mirror stared back at me with a sense of detachment, almost like a stranger’s. The harsh light above illuminated every detail on my face, from the faintest freckle to the hollows under my eyes. A wave of realization washed over me, reminding me that time had passed and I was no longer the same person I once was.

I shook my head and tried pushing the melancholy thoughts out of my head. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

The events unfolded rapidly, leaving me with no time to react. As I pushed open the heavy bathroom door, a pair of hands grabbed my waist and muffled my screams with a rough palm. I was yanked into an adjacent stairwell, hidden in the shadows and easily missed from the hallway. The grip on my waist was strong and unyielding, pulling me further into the unknown as panic flooded through my body. Trying to catch my breath, I strained to see who had taken hold of me, but their face remained shrouded in darkness. My heart raced as I struggled against their hold, desperately trying to break free from this sudden and mysterious capture.

Suddenly, the grip on my waist loosened, and I was flung harshly into the back of a vehicle. I slid along the back seat and ended up face down in a man’s lap.

“Hello, Hilaria,” a very familiar voice said.

This time, my nausea wasn’t from morning sickness. The voice was a man who I thought left my life.

“D-Dillon?” I stuttered out, my heart pounding against my chest. I lifted my head to look up at him, squinting in the dim light that barely filtered through the tinted windows of the van.

“Surprised?” Dillon asked, the arrogant smirk clear in his voice. He brushed a few strands of hair from my face, and I reached up to smack them away.

The corner of his lip turned down. “I see spending time with that horrid man has changed you. You would have never done such a thing before.”

“I didn’t realize it, but I wasn’t satisfied with who I was,” I said, pushing myself off his lap. “Let me out.” I yanked on the door handle, but it was locked shut.

“You’re not going anywhere,dear,” he snapped his fingers at the man in the front seat. “Drive.”

The van rumbled to life beneath us and I felt my stomach lurch unpleasantly as we pulled away from the curb. I pressed my palm against the window, the cold glass biting against my skin.

“Help!” I yelled, hoping someone outside would hear me, although it was near impossible. The windows were blacked out, and I’d bet they made the car as soundproof as possible.

Dillon laughed at my desperate attempts for help. “Call all you want, Hilaria. No one will hear you.”

The cold clasp of terror gripped my heart as I pressed myself further into the seat, away from Dillon. He was right, and that terrified me more than anything else.

I had no idea where he was taking me, but the drive felt endless. Eventually, we drove out of the city and ended up in a gated community, where only the most elite live.

“Welcome to your new home,” Dillon said dryly, as the van crawled up the well-paved driveway of an imposing mansion - a fortress really, with its high walls and security cameras dotted around the perimeter.

“I don’t want your home,” I spat back. “Take me back.”

“You were promised to me. I don’t give a shit if your father is dead; the contract will still be fulfilled.”

“Contract…?” I said quietly as my already fast-beating heart fell to the pit of my stomach.

“Your father wanted political power; I wanted to be part of his businesses. Tch,” he looked down at me. “Forget about it. It’s not something a woman should be concerned about.”

He yanked me out of the car by my arm and dragged me towards the entrance. “Now, we’ll just have to deal with that husband of yours.”

“Et-Ettore?”

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