The Slave of Pleasure
Capítulo 105

Rachel Feeling my heart pounding and my hands shaking, I stared at my phone screen, trying to process what it meant to receive a message from Vincenzo. I didn't know if I should open it or ignore it. Amidst the confusion and the weight of my emotions, I decided to put my phone on mute so as not to wake Nancy, who was sleeping peacefully next to me, breathing deeply. She seemed so serene, so far removed from all this storm.

I walked around the room, my heart beating so loudly that it seemed to echo through the silence of the house. I tried to remain calm, but with each step I felt as if I was being enveloped by a hurricane of uncertainty and repressed emotions. Why was Vincenzo texting me now? After everything, after the emptiness, he appeared again, almost like a ghost coming back to haunt me.

Each step in the room seemed to intensify my confusion. Walking seemed to be the only way to contain my anxiety while I weighed each possibility. "What if it's something important? What if he really needs me?" These questions echoed, making me more restless. And yet, a part of me was reluctant. I didn't want to fall back into that abyss of uncertainty.

But curiosity, and perhaps an uncontrollable hope, got the better of me. Finally, with bated breath, I opened the message.

"I'm going to bring Veronica to justice once and for all. I just needed to get you out of Italy before I do that. When this is over, you can come back to me."

It was like an electric shock went through my body. I stared at those words, trying to absorb their meaning. Vincenzo... backtracking, wanting to settle the score with Veronica? And what did he mean by "you can come back to me"? I ran my hand over my face, trying to calm myself, but everything seemed even more confusing. Vincenzo had calculated every step to get me out of the picture before confronting Veronica. Was that his intention? Should I feel protected or manipulated? I couldn't decide.

As soon as I tried to open the message again to read each word calmly, Vincenzo's number disappeared from my screen. The messages disappeared as if they had never existed, and a chill ran down my spine. I stared at my phone in disbelief, feeling as if I had been pulled back into a reality I had sworn to leave behind. It was like a never-ending game, where I could never know what his next move would be. Vincenzo had always been unpredictable, but now everything seemed more complex, and the weight of what he intended to do left me with an even more crushing sense of helplessness. I paced the room, now with even more urgency. My thoughts were jumbled together, questions came and went without answers. Why was he sending me this message now? Why take me out of Italy, only to call me back later? Was he really trying to protect me, or was this all just another plan of his, a manipulation disguised as concern? The silence of the house was a contrast to the whirlwind of emotions inside me. I wanted to wake Nancy, tell her everything, ask her what to do, but at the same time I knew that wouldn't solve anything. Vincenzo had dropped that bomb on me and disappeared, as usual. I was back to where he controlled the narrative, and all I could do was react.

I sat up in bed, staring at my phone, as if I expected it to magically bring back the messages. I needed proof, something to show that this communication wasn't just the result of a dream or an illusion created by longing. But his number was still missing, as if I had never received it.

I looked at Nancy, who was still sleeping soundly, oblivious to my drama. She seemed so peaceful, and a part of me envied that. Nancy didn't know the depth of the relationship I had with Vincenzo, the intensity of everything he represented in my life. To her, he was just a person I was trying to forget, a chapter in my life that needed to be closed.

But to me, he was so much more. It was an invisible bond that never seemed to break, no matter how hard I tried. Even when I was ready to move on, he always found a way to pull me back. Vincenzo was that kind of person-a vortex, an overwhelming presence that both drew me in and confused me.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my thoughts, but the weight of the message remained there, like a stone. "Is he really going to confront Veronica?" I thought, my mind racing. Vincenzo and Veronica had a history that I could never fully understand. It was a dark territory, full of resentment, rivalry, and secrets.

I knew he was a complicated man, with secrets and plans that he never fully shared. But the way he talked about "taking me back" struck a chord with me in an unexpected way. It was as if he assumed I still belonged to him, as if there was an emotional debt that I had never repaid. s could take it away.

I felt a tear run down my face. I didn't know if it was sadness, confusion or simply tiredness. So many things went through my mind as I tried to understand if this message was a last cry for help or a disguised goodbye.

I remembered all the times I was by Vincenzo's side, how he always managed to awaken feelings in me that I didn't know I had. But at the same time, I remembered all the times he left me in the dark, made me feel like a piece in a bigger game. He always knew how to use the right words and gestures to maintain control, and somehow I always fell.

The anguish of not being able to talk to him or get any confirmation consumed me. "Is he okay? Does Veronica represent a real danger to him? Or was this a ploy of his to keep me close, even from afar?"

The night was advancing, and each minute that passed made me feel more isolated. I wanted to run, to do something, but I felt stuck, without direction. Vincenzo had always been a strong, almost implacable presence, and now that he had left me with this mystery, it felt like he still controlled a part of me.

I wanted to hate him. I wanted to be strong enough to ignore his words and move on, but the reality was that he still had a power over me that I didn't know how to break. Maybe I would never be able to forget Vincenzo, nor fully understand his role in my life.

I took a deep breath and finally lay down, hugging the pillow as if it could ease the pain in my chest. Vincenzo had the power to make me feel safe and vulnerable at the same time, and this duality left me exhausted. I just wanted peace, I wanted a life where he would no longer appear to throw me off balance.

As the first rays of sunlight began to appear through the window, I was exhausted, but I knew that I would hardly be able to sleep. Vincenzo had left another mark on my soul, another question mark that I would have to carry.

I lay down, trying to replace some solace in the idea that perhaps time would heal this wound. But I knew deep down that as long as Vincenzo was present, even if only in my memory, the peace I so desired would always be out of reach.