The Slave of Pleasure
Chapter 96

Rachel

Vincenzo was still panting, beads of sweat running down his face.

He couldn't take his eyes off the fallen shooter in front of him, who was still spewing insults in different languages, a ferocity in his eyes that seemed more like a silent warning, a veiled threat.

Vincenzo kept his expression impassive, but his clenched fists betrayed the self-control he was struggling to maintain.

For a moment, Vincenzo looked at me. I knew that look said much more than words. It was as if he wanted to reassure me that this was under control-even though I knew that perhaps even he himself didn't believe that completely. Before I could say anything, he turned his attention back to the butler, his deep, firm voice echoing through the mansion's entrance.

"Call the police. He'll be arrested," Vincenzo said, in a tone that left no room for questioning. The shooter let out a hoarse laugh, which reverberated through the room, full of contempt. "Coward!" He spat the word in a tone full of hatred. "You're a traitor, Vincenzo, and she... she won't let it end like this." His eyes shone with a cold, bitter fury. It sent shivers down my spine. Who was this "she"? I didn't need many clues to know that Veronica was probably behind all of this. At that moment, the butler returned with a clean, warm towel, which he offered to Vincenzo. He took it, rubbing his hands slowly, almost as if he were trying to get rid of something much deeper than sweat and dirt. With each stroke of the towel, he seemed to be trying to remove traces of a story that he still carried, marked on his skin and in his soul. The tension was almost palpable, a heavy silence dominating the room. Vincenzo then turned to the security guards, his voice sharp. "Keep him exactly where he is. If he tries to escape, shoot him. Without hesitation." The security guards nodded, rigid and disciplined, while the shooter continued to stare at him, sneering, as if he were daring Vincenzo to do more than just give orders. The adrenaline in my body was so high that I could barely move my feet. I wanted to scream, I wanted to beg for it to end, but my voice seemed stuck in my throat. Deep down, I knew that nothing I said would change what was happening there. My heart was hammering in my chest, a mixture of fear and bewilderment consuming me. Suddenly, I felt a strong pressure on my arm. Vincenzo was holding me firmly, almost in a hurry, without saying a single word. Before I could react, he pulled me into the mansion, his strides long and determined. His hand remained firm on my arm, and as much as I tried to process everything, my mind was in a whirlwind. I didn't know what wait

now.

As soon as we entered the hall, the silence around us seemed overwhelming. Every employee, every security guard - everyone watched us with a mixture of respect and fear. The air seemed charged, heavy, as if even the walls were witnessing that silent conflict that seemed to overflow from Vincenzo's emotions.

When he finally stopped, he released my arm with an abruptness that almost made me lose my balance. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the moment. His eyes, now fixed on mine, reflected an intensity that left me speechless. "Rachel," he began, but his voice was hoarse, almost as if he were holding back. I stared at him, trying to decipher what was going on in his mind. Still unsure of what to say, I nodded, waiting for him to continue. It was as if, for a brief moment, a layer of all the masks he wore had fallen away, revealing a vulnerability I hadn't imagined he had. The tension in the air was almost tangible. I wanted to say something, to break the silence that enveloped us, but the words seemed to escape me. And then, as if he were gathering all the strength he had left, he spoke, his tone bitter. As I stood there, each second that passed seemed to weigh more heavily. Vincenzo, already a few steps ahead, paused. I noticed how hesitant he seemed, perhaps for the first time. I felt my heart beat faster as he slowly turned around, his intense gaze fixed on me. me.

"Rachel... do you really want to know what all this means?" His words, barely above a whisper, echoed in the empty room, filling the silence like a weighty question. He wasn't just asking for the sake of asking. There was a seriousness in his tone that made me shiver.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my feet and calm the turmoil building inside me. "I do, Vincenzo," I said, my voice coming out firmer than I expected. "I need to understand what I'm getting myself into, who you really are... and what this means for us."

He kept his gaze fixed on me, and for a brief moment, something passed over his face-an emotion he tried to hide, but which unfurled for a fraction of an instant. second. It was almost a mix of regret and something else, a shadow of pain that he couldn't quite hide.

"Okay, Rachel.” He paused, his jaw firm. "But understand one thing... I can't promise you'll like what you replace out."

These words echoed inside me, each syllable sounding like a warning, but now I was determined. It didn't matter what he said or what it might mean for us.

"You don't understand, Rachel. This isn't just about... Veronica. There's so much more to it than you can imagine." He rubbed his temples, as if trying to push away an uncomfortable thought. "You... You don't know what these people are capable of."

That statement seemed to come from a deep place, from an old wound that he carried silently. I looked at him, trying to decipher the nuances of his expression. Doubt and fear mixed within me, but somehow I knew he wasn't trying to scare me for nothing. But before I could respond, the door opened with a soft creak, and the butler appeared, his posture as calm as ever, though there was a subtle tension on his face. He addressed Vincenzo with respect. "The police are on their way, sir," he announced, and the mere sound of his voice seemed to bring Vincenzo back to reality. "Thank you," Vincenzo replied, his tone low, almost whispered, but with a firmness that indicated his resolve. He turned to me one last time, his gaze intense, as if he wanted to tell me something that could not be expressed in words. I was still breathless, trying to process everything that had happened. The physical confrontation, the hatred in the shooter's eyes, the cryptic words about a "she" who would not let it end. Every detail felt like a piece of a larger, darker puzzle that I was now a part of, whether I wanted to be or not. When he finally walked away, the emptiness I felt was almost painful. He walked out the door, followed closely by the security guards, while I stood there, alone, trying to understand what it all meant.