The Slave of Pleasure
Chapter 97

Rachel The weight of the words hung in the air. It was as if an invisible rope was breaking between us, and with each passing second, I felt that rope unraveling, thread by thread, with no chance of being tied again. I knew that this decision could change everything, but at that moment, keeping myself safe was the only thing that made sense. As much as I wanted to believe that I could stay and that somehow this could all be resolved, my voice, until then fragile, needed to protect me. "For no other reason, Vincenzo," I began firmly, "would I break the contract we made." I felt a pang of sadness as the words fell, each syllable carrying the reality I was about to face. "But this is no longer a matter of discomfort... now it is a matter of survival."

I looked at him, waiting for a reaction, a sign that he understood what I was trying to say, but Vincenzo remained still, the shadows on his face hiding any clear emotion. His presence felt like a barrier I couldn't cross, and his expression held something I couldn't read-maybe disbelief, maybe resignation.

I took a deep breath and continued, my voice taking on a strange calm that seemed to come from someone else. "I've seen, discovered, and experienced too much to ignore what all this really means."

Before I could hesitate, the next words came out with a firmness that surprised even me. "I'm going home, Vincenzo. I need to go back to where I know I'm safe. I need to go back to live with my mother." He looked at me, and something in his eyes seemed to harden. Time seemed to stand still between us as I waited for a reaction, but he remained silent, each second that passed increasing the distance between us.

Vincenzo raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression wary and unreadable. "Go home?" he repeated, and his voice carried a weight that seemed to cover all the tension in the room. For a moment, a flame of anger seemed to shine in his eyes, but he quickly controlled it. My breath caught, but I gathered the strength to answer. "That's it," I said, my voice low but resolute. "Regardless of what you say or do... I need to leave." With that, I started walking towards the stairs, towards the room where I kept my things. Each step I took seemed harder than the last, every inch of distance between us becoming an invisible barrier. I was willing to follow through with my decision, and I knew he couldn't stop me. However, before I could climb the first step, I felt a shadow move in front of me. Vincenzo was there, blocking my path, his gaze firm and uncompromising. I felt my heart race, but I maintained my posture, waiting for him to give me space to pass. There was nothing to say, my decision was made, but Vincenzo seemed to read something in my eyes that challenged him. "You... shouldn't stop me," I began, trying to make him understand that my choice was final. But before I could finish the sentence, he interrupted me, his voice low and controlled, but with a weight I had never heard before.

"Alfredo," Vincenzo ordered, turning his head toward the butler, who was watching the scene in silence at the end of the hallway. "Help Miss Rachel with her bags."

My gaze returned to him, shocked. I hadn't expected him to simply allow me to leave without resistance. It was as if he had already accepted something I was still processing. I tried to make sense of the expression on his face, but he looked away without another word and headed toward the front door, where the police lights were already flashing in the entrance.

I watched his figure walk away, each step firm and purposeful, and something inside me seemed to shatter. Vincenzo, the man I thought I knew, the man I believed kept secrets in a way that would never directly affect my life, was now a presence that caused me fear and uncertainty. I forced myself to move forward, to pass through that empty room that seemed to echo the tension of all the intense moments we had shared there. Alfredo, the butler, approached me with a serious but respectful look. He only gave a brief nod, as if he was already accustomed to scenes like this. Without a word, he walked ahead of me while I followed him, and together we went up to my room. The atmosphere was heavy with silence, and the weight of what had just happened seemed to oppress my thoughts. When we reached my room, Alfredo opened the door and came in, starting to organize my things with the efficiency and discretion that he always demonstrated. As I watched, the whirlwind of emotions inside me began to intensify. My mind was flooded with memories of every moment that had happened. We had been together, of all the times I felt there was something more behind that man, something I still didn't fully understand.

I wondered how we got to this point, how it could all fall apart so quickly. I let my mind wander to all the times I thought I could trust him, that I could feel safe by his side. But now, it all seemed to have been an illusion, a false security built on secrets and mysteries that I had never been able to unravel.

When Alfredo finished packing my bags, he turned to me, his expression calm and serene. He seemed understanding, perhaps even sympathetic, but I couldn't replace the strength to respond to his gaze. "Thank you, Alfredo," I murmured, trying to show some gratitude, even though my voice was shaky and almost inaudible.

He just nodded, a slight smile touching his lips before leaving the room in silence, leaving me alone with my emotions. I looked around the space that had been my temporary home, at all the little details that made up that environment. Every object, every corner, seemed to carry a memory, a mark of the days I had spent there. It was strange to think that, in such a short time, that place had become so familiar to me. And now, I was about to abandon it, to leave everything behind. My mind returned to the moment when Vincenzo gave that calm and firm order, asking Alfredo to help me with my bags. What I feared most, what frightened me most, was the way he seemed to accept my decision without resistance. Vincenzo was a man who always faced difficulties head on, who never let anyone control his actions. Yet, there he was, accepting my departure without even a word of opposition.

Did he care less than I thought? Did he really believe that this was the best solution for both of us? Or, even worse, was he relieved to see me go, to finally be free of a burden he didn't want to carry?

These questions hammered at my mind as I picked up my suitcase, feeling the weight of each one as if they were the very fragments of my broken heart. I walked towards the door, each step heavier than the last, but determined to move forward.

As I left the room, my footsteps echoed through the empty hallways of the mansion, and each echo seemed to amplify the loneliness and emptiness I felt inside me. I walked down the stairs slowly, my hands tightly gripping the handles of the suitcase, and my gaze fixed on the floor, avoiding at all costs the place where Vincenzo had been. He was no longer there, but his presence seemed to permeate the room, like a reminder of what I was leaving behind.

As I reached the front door, I felt a wave of emotions flood through me, a mixture of sadness, regret and even a hint of anger. All I wanted was for things to be different, for him to have been honest with me from the beginning, for me to be able to truly trust him. But reality was harsh and unforgiving, and I couldn't ignore the danger signs that surrounded me.

With every step I took, the distance between us grew, and the certainty that this was the right decision began to solidify within me.