Chapter 40 - The One In Red Dress

Warning: Uncomfortable content ahead...

Persephone saw her reflection in the oversized mirror standing in front of her. Right now she was standing in Giselle's walk in closet, wearing an outrageous red colored dress.

One would say she was exaggerating when she said that she was wearing an outrageous dress. Let her tell you what she was wearing; it was an Egyptian styled belly dancer dress. Yes, you guessed it right. The type of dress you see belly dancers shaking their perfectly flexible booty. Same silted skirt with a shimmering belt and a little almost-transparent-blouse. When she said little, it literally meant little, which was barely hiding her nipples. 

If Alessandro Marino saw her rocking this slutery dress, he would pluck out the eyes of every man who had made the grave sin of watching his daughter in something this much inappropriate. 

"Do you memorize the dance steps I taught you?" Giselle appeared wearing the same kind of dress. This woman could look beautiful even in something made up of a sack. 

"Giselle, I'm not as flexible as you," Persephone scoffed. She adjusted the mask on her face that came with the dress. It was metallic but was looking gorgeous on her now tanned delicate face. 

"Let's get it over with!" Giselle said and took her hands to leave the room. 

They had to leave it now or later. So, why not now? 

____

"What kind of place is this?" Persephone asked, too horrified. There were around ten more women dressed like them. The place where they were standing now completely resembled the place where models get ready during a fashion show. One could see the same level of enthusiasm in their eyes. The same kind of buzzing energy. She was too bewildered. Too fascinated. And oddly too horrified. 

"You will see in the next five minutes," Giselle said while tightening her hold on Persephone's hand. She hadn't realized that she was clutching her hand too tightly due to nervousness. She was feeling as if she was about to commit a crime. She might not be committing a crime but she damn well was going to break a rule. A rule which would surely get her in trouble. 

"You are nervous, Gis," Persephone said to her with a smile. Although her smile was hidden behind the mask, Giselle could feel it through her sparkling eyes. 

"Promise me one thing," Giselle whispered, her hands still clutching Persephone's. Looking at the sudden change in energy backstage, she could tell that the time had come. And there was no going back now. "No matter what you see inside. Do not react. Keep dancing. Five minutes. Remember if you can't bear to stay there. Wait for at least five minutes before coming back. Again, do not react, Persephone. If you lose control, you will get caught. And if you get caught…. You don't want to fathom the consequences." 

"Giselle!"

"Giselle!"

"Giselle," Persephone whispered a little louder this time. She shook Giselle's trembling body and murmured,"You are shaking, Gis. If you don't want to do it, we can go back. We don't have to do this. Let's go back." 

Yes, they should go back. Persephone doesn't want to see all this. She could know all later. When she was ready….

"3…"

"2…"

"1…" 

And just like this, the door to the pandora opened. Even if they wanted to back out now, they just couldn't. 

"We can do this," Persephone said and Giselle nodded. They were the last one to enter the grand door. 

The first thing that Persephone noticed just as she entered behind Giselle was a certain blue eyed man sitting on a lounge chair in a regal posture, very similar to Alessandro Marino… No, he was not her father. He was different. She could just feel it. As the scene in the room became clearer, a man who was probably in his fifties became visible to her. He was sitting beside Villain, grinning at everyone. 

But what was he grinning at? 

Seconds later, she took the position, she had her answer. 

Her eyes moved to Giselle's who was staring right back at her. Pleading her to keep dancing. Not to give a reaction. Not to create a scene. So, she did what she was supposed to do there.

She chose to do this, didn't she? 

Giselle was right. She should have just lived the beautiful fantasy that Villain had given to her as pity. 

Shell shocked, Persephone kept on dancing and taking in everything that was happening in front of her eyes. 

Several voluptuous women dressed in nothing but diamond LED bras, thongs and high heels kneeled in front of the old man. Some showing their barely covered spilling boobs. Some teasing him. Some trying to openly seduce him. 

This was far from what Persephone had expected. Never had she ever fathomed to be involved in such a sick activity. 

What hurted her the most wasn't these screwed up or sick activities but the owner of this island. 

The man she was currently sleeping with. 

Her damned captor. 

Suddenly, some women sauntered before Villain, shamelessly seducing him. And he did nothing to stop them. Instead, he just sat there keeping his eyes fixed on the old man. 

Something snapped inside her. She had an overwhelming urge to pull out their hair and threw these horrendous and shameless sluts out of the room. But she had forgotten that she had disguised as one today. 

A signal from Villain, and the women moved into action.

Persephone might be dancing in sync with all those dancers, but her gaze couldn't be removed from his face. He was sitting there between naked women so unfazed that she had a dire urge to shake him and ask him what had she done to get hurt by him in the worst way? Then again, what rights did she have to ask him questions when she had brought this on herself? 

As if it wasn't a torture already, someone flocked near the old man, touching him at the most preposterous places one could think touching a man of your father's age but only one woman stayed by Villain. She ran her hand seductively over his chest trailing to his chiseled jaw. The flash of her fucking LED bra was flashing on his gorgeous face. 

She didn't stop and neither did he stop her. 

Her movements grew unbrazen every passing second. 

As she was about to undo his shirt buttons, she felt a tug on her hand clearing telling her to fuck off. 

It was clear to the woman that she had wasted her efforts on him. 

When Persephone's eyes were fixed on Villain's face, someone else was eyeing her body with a great appreciation and affection. He was no one else but Bennett Hudson. 

Leaning to Santiago's side, he said, "You arranged the show so that I could choose which one I want, right?"

Santiago's diplomatic smile did not waver. "Of course." 

"Then, I chose the one in the red belly dress at the corner," Bennett Husdon said, much to Santiago's greatest shock. 

He didn't need to remove bee fucking mask to recognise her. He could recognize her anywhere. With any disguise on. For fuck sake, he had learnt all the curves and edges of her body. From the way she smelled to the way she breathed was etched in his mind like that tattoo drawn on her chest. 

And the next lines that Bennett spoke just flipped his world upside down. 

"I want her, Mr. Vitello. The one in the red dress. Any price I'm willing to pay you. I just want her." 

____________

Sneak Peak for locked chapters.

___________

"Oh my God!! You are a monster," Persephone shouted, pushing him away from her. She couldn't believe what she just saw. "I trusted you! Dammit! You broke my trust. Never in my wildest dream had I ever fathomed that this would be the reality of this island! How could you do this to me! You were just playing with my emotions! Don't you feel any shame?!"

Persephone's eyes turned red. Tears were uncontrollably shedding down her cheeks. She was devastated. Another betrayal. Another heartbreak.

"I never claimed to be a hero, Persephone. I told you the first day I saw you that I will break you," Santiago said indifferently. "Look what I have done to you. I have broken you, Persephone Marino. I did what I told you. I never asked for your trust. You bestowed it on me as a charity."

______

"What are you doing here Killian?"

"Babysitting your ass, Santiago. What crawled up to your ass that you think fucking Marino's daughter was a good idea?"

"Get out. Don't preach, Kill. I'm not in the mood to hear your criticisms." 

"Tell me, Santiago, do you have any kind of feelings for her? If, by any chance, you have developed any, get rid of them or…"

"Or what Killian?"

"Or I will kill here with my own hands. Because our mission is more important than any Persephone, especially one which is not your real Persephone. Can't you see she is Marino's daughter, not the one you were looking for?"

"Touch her and see what I do to you."

"You are making a mistake, Santiago."

"I don't care." 

_____ 

Persephone looked back one last time before bidding goodbye. 'Told you, Villain. No one can keep me here against my wishes. I'm running away. Catch me if you can." 

____

"Sir!"

"What happened?"Santiago asked quickly. 

"Miss Persephone ran away." 

____

Nicolas sprinted as he received the news he had been waiting for weeks. 

"Don Marino! We found Persephone. She is on a Island in Europe." 

____

"War. Get ready for the war," Alesandro ordered his soldiers. "Russians have infiltrated our territories. A war is on the way!!"

____

"I have decided what my last wish would be?" Persephone whispered as she glanced at Villain. His face was covered in a mask and a few meters away Alesandro Marino was standing with his son Salvatore, Nicolas and Lorenzo. 

They will be exchanging Persephone for Lorenzo today. It was also Persephone's last day with Villain. 

"What?" Villain asked her. 

"Would you fulfill my wish, Villain?" Persephone asked him hopefully. 

"Have I ever gone back on my words?"

"No," She smiled. "So, my wish is --- Tell me your real name, Villain."

Santiago hesitated before saying,"Santiago Vitello." 

_____

Hello, My dear readers, we are going premium meaning the next chapters will be locked. I hope you guys will keep on supporting me and locked or paid chapters won't dissuade your enthusiasm for the next chapters. 

The above are the sneak peaks for the next few chapters. 

I wanted to make one thing clear to you guys-- the island volume or Persephone's time with Santiago as his captive will be finalized in the first hundred chapters. The real love story will start after Persephone will be back in New York which will be volume 2. 

I know you guys think Santiago is an asshole and he really is one. He is not some glorified Villain but a real one. I don't regret writing an anti-hero or a villain.

Are you guys ready to see to what extent he will be ready to go for his Persephone? Let's join me in this journey and check out Santiago's and Persephone's love story. 

I love you guys a lot.. Thank you for your constant support. ❤