Chapter 4

Isabella sat in silence, staring out of the small window in her room, lost in thought. She had been trying to make sense of her situation for days now, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped in a nightmare.

Leonardo's men had been coming to visit her every day, offering her food and clothing. She got to have a conversation with her regular attendee but she couldn't bring herself to confide in them. She wanted to tell them how scared she was and how she missed her family and school.

She knew that they all worked for Leonardo and it would be stupid of her to think of confiding in them because all said would be sent straight to Leonardo and she didn't want to look like a scared little cat waiting for her Daddy to rescue her. She was already keeping a strong face and didn't want him to think otherwise.

But as days turned into weeks her regular attendee stopped coming, and Leonardo came instead. She wasn't comfortable with his visits at first but she had no choice but to get used to the dreaded monster everyone feared. After a few times of visits, Isabella began to see glimpses of goodness in Leonardo that she never thought possible before.

He would sometimes stay longer than usual listening to all her blabbing though he never spoke a word. But it was nice having someone to listen to her. He would let her play games and watch movies in Ipad depending on his mood for the day. He knew she was innocent, what's the need to make her suffer for something she might not be aware of?

One day, as Leonardo sat beside her on the cot, she mustered up the courage to ask him a question that had been on her mind for some time.

“Why did you choose to kidnap me, Leonardo?” Isabella asked, her eyes trained on his face.

Leonardo's expression remained stoic, but Isabella could sense a hint of sadness in his eyes.

“I did what I had to do,” he replied, avoiding her gaze.

“But why me? Why not someone else? I have a brother, he would have been a better choice.” Isabella pressed.

Leonardo let out a deep sigh before speaking. “Your father is a bad man Isabella, and a very tricky one. Even if I chose to kidnap him which I could, he might choose to die rather than agree to my request. He has many business dealings in this city, many of which I have control over but he got greedy. Taking you was the only way to get his attention and make him negotiate with me. As for your brother, I have other plans for him.” Leonardo avoided her gaze, he knew he couldn't tell her the main reason she was locked up here.

Isabella frowned, feeling a sense of betrayal wash over her. She couldn't believe that her father's business dealings had led to her kidnapping. She wondered what other secrets her family was hiding.

As if reading her thoughts, Leonardo spoke again. “Your father is not an innocent man, Isabella. He's done things that would surprise you. He deserves nothing that comes to him. He hadn't only offended me but also members of the gang. He would have been smart about it, but I guess he was busy being greedy instead of covering up his tracks.”

Isabella remained quiet, not sure what to say. She couldn't fathom what her father had done to warrant such a violent retaliation, but she couldn't bring herself to believe that he was guilty of nothing. She only knew him as a businessman, though they had armed men in her house but her father always told her it was for protection, now she understood why her father always told her about the Mafia.

“Is my father a Mafia?” Isabella asked innocently

Leonardo shook his head “You are too beautiful to be a dumb baby girl.”

Leonardo sighed as if sensing her turmoil. “I know this is hard for you, Isabella. But please believe me when I say that I have no intention of hurting you as long as your father behaves. You're a beautiful woman, inside and out, I value your life but I still value my gang and business. If I had to choose I would pick my business a hundred times before thinking about you, Isabella”. He knew it was a lie. He would pick her first before any other person.

Isabella felt her heart sink at his words, unsure of what to make of them. She didn't know how to feel about Leonardo's sudden change in demeanor. He would be nice for a minute and then switch back to his wicked side, but she knew that she couldn't let down her guard yet because falling for his niceness was dumb and she remembered her father's words "Mafias don't feel love except you are a worthy tool."

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and Isabella began to feel like she was living in a state of limbo. She had no idea how long she had been held captive, no idea what was happening on the outside, and no idea what would happen to her in the future.

But one day, when Leonardo came to visit, he had a different expression on his face. He looked agitated as if something was bothering him, and Isabella couldn't help but feel uneasy.

“What's wrong, Leonardo?” Isabella asked, her voice laced with concern.

Leonardo hesitated for a moment before speaking. “It's your father, Isabella. He's not responding to my demands. I've given him ample time to agree with me, but he's not budging!”

Isabella felt a lump form in her throat as she listened to Leonardo's words. She knew that her father wouldn't give in easily, but she had hoped that he would be able to find some way to rescue her.

“What does that mean for me?” Isabella asked, fearing the worst.

Leonardo looked at her intently before speaking. “It means that we may have to come up with a new plan, Isabella. One that involves you playing a more active role in negotiations or I could just send him a video of me cutting off your limbs then maybe he would know how serious I am!”

Isabella's heart raced at his words, she was too scared to talk, wondering what kind of role he had in mind for her. She knew that things were about to get even more complicated and dangerous than ever before.