2
A violent surge of hope arose within me. Was Dad finally going to release me now? Does he finally believe me? But his next words killed all my hope.
"I've had enough of her screams. Finish her off. No one kills my son and goes scot-free."
My shoulders slumped and my body gave up.
The pain doubled as something sharp pierced through the flesh beneath my ribs… Another blow struck my head, and tiny black dots clouded my vision.
The last thing I saw through the haze and all the ringing in my ears was Lucas and Vanessa kissing passionately.
The torture, combined with my family's rejection and Lucas's betrayal, was all too much.
It was all too much to handle. My heart finally stopped, and everything went black.
~~~
Did I die? Is this how being dead feels? Everything felt numb and still.
Too quiet… Too suffocating…
At least I don't have to prove myself as a worthy mafia princess to Dad anymore. Vanessa would finally be rid of me. Mom can finally love her biological daughter freely without feeling guilty about me.
And Nathan, oh Nathan, my beloved big brother. If destiny were to offer me a second chance, I'd make them all pay. I'll make them regret touching my brother… my only real family.
~~~
Wait…
What is that sound?
Is that beeping sounds?
How long have I been dead? Is this the afterlife?
Voices sounded near me, voices I didn't recognise.
"My dear wife, I know it's hard to believe, but she doesn't have the scar; she's not our Isabelle," a man's voice said.
"I know," a woman's low voice said. It sounded as if she were crying. "But look at her; she's the spitting image of our Isabelle. After she disappeared 2 weeks ago, all efforts to locate her have proven futile. If she is not my Isa, tell me, why did the universe make our men come across her? Does this mean something happened to our Isa? Why can't we find her?"
"I also don't know why she came to us, but haven't you wondered who did this to her? It's a miracle she's still alive. Poor girl, she must have suffered," the man said.
"That's what scares me. What if Isa is also suffering like this somewhere?" The woman asked in a hoarse voice. "Do you think she blames us? If we hadn't asked her to accept the marriage alliance with the Knights, she would still be here with us," she continued.
"Please, Estelle, it's not good for your health to keep overthinking and putting yourself under such stress. The men are still searching for her. I promise, I'll return her to you soon. Just stop blaming yourself, alright?" The man coaxed the woman in a gentle voice.
I tried to pry my eyes open, but an unbearable pain tore through me, causing me to wince.
Everywhere hurt… And this didn't sound like the afterlife.
I finally opened my eyes with much difficulty and found myself lying on a bed… Am I in a hospital?
The beeping sounds from earlier came from the monitors that were connected to me.
An elegant-looking woman who looked like someone in her late thirties and a stern-looking middle-aged man stood by the window.
They must be the people I had heard talking.
"You're awake?" A voice said, close to me, and my eyes turned in the direction of the voice.
I found myself looking into the eyes of a woman in a doctor's coat.
I realised I didn't know any of the faces before me.
"Where am I?" I tried to ask, my eyes darting around warily, but nothing came out.
"Don't be scared. You're in safe hands. I don't think you can speak right now. It seems you were choked very badly," she explained slowly, her gaze filled with pity.
Her palms pressed around my neck and chest as if to examine me, but I froze as the memories returned with a vengeance.
I began to thrash wildly on the bed.
It was as if everything was happening all over again: the collar choking my neck, the pain from yanking my nails, and the shock from the electric chair.
Everything returned with full force.
"Calm down."
"No one is going to hurt you."
"You're safe."
"Mr. Quinn, please help me hold her down. Rita, get the sedatives… Hurry!"
The doctor's voice sounded faraway, and I could see the woman and the man from earlier approaching me. The man held me down.
The woman's face was filled with concern as she stared down at me, but try as I might, I couldn't calm down.
"Aaahhhh… Noooo… Please…" The high-pitched cries of a woman echoed in the room as another woman who looked like a health worker drew something into a syringe and injected my arm, while the others were trying to hold me down.
That was when I realised… The cries came from me.
The broken woman who was screaming her lungs out was me.
~~~
Today, I woke up to an empty room—alone. Which was surprising.
I didn't know how long it was, but I've been slipping in and out of consciousness.
The pain wasn't as unbearable as the first time, but it was still there.
It was negligible.
Many times, I've felt someone tending to me, checking up on my wounds and cleaning me up.
Most times I'll pry my eyes open, only to find myself staring into the gentle eyes of the woman from before. From the nitbits I heard in my slumber, her name was 'Estelle'.
"I-Isa, you're awake. My little princess, can you hear me? No, sorry about that. Did I frighten you?" She had mumbled in a daze the second time I regained consciousness.
"You look so much alike." I just stared at her, tongue-tied, until the darkness claimed me again.
The third time I woke up, it was to another conversation between the matriarch, Estelle, and the patriarch.
"You can forget about sending her away. She stays. Dr. Noelle says she keeps getting better," Estelle said. It sounded like they were having an argument about me.
"I didn't say I'm sending her away, but she has her own family. What if they're searching for their daughter's whereabouts just like us? I just want us to do the right thing by reporting to the authorities," the patriarch explained.
"No! Let's wait for her to regain consciousness first. I'm sure there's something wrong somewhere," Estelle insisted.
Not wanting them to continue arguing over me, I drew their attention towards me.
"Umm… Hello… Can I get some water?" I called out hoarsely.
Estelle practically pounced on me.
"Oh child, you're finally awake? You're safe… Mummy would protect you, ok?" she said gently, her eyes filled with so much affection.
She later helped me drink some water, which helped to soothe my parched throat.
"Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Should I call the doctor?" She had asked, looking worried.
Again, I kept staring at her in a daze as I took in the genuine concern in her eyes.
Was it possible for a total stranger to show me such kindness?
I had mulled over the question over and over again in my mind until my brain turned fuzzy from overthinking and the darkness took me again.
Today is my fourth time of regaining consciousness, and from the whispers of the servants and Estelle, I learnt about the identities of my saviours.
I was in the Quinn family mansion, and they had found me beneath a cliff near their vacation home, which was in the woods out of town.
Apparently, they had a daughter who looked just like me, and she had run away from home because of an arranged marriage.
Since I woke up alone without anyone in sight, I decided to find out more about this mansion.
~~~~
After struggling to get out of bed, I approached the window to take a look.
I had just stood there for three seconds when I retreated behind the curtains. A guard turned to look in my direction; it was as if he felt my gaze.
The number of guards surrounding the mansion and how vast the landscape looked from the little I had seen just now already told me the Quinns weren't small fries.
Their guards walked around with that mechanical demeanour of trained soldiers; they weren't like the thugs in the Swan household.
They seemed to be very rich too, far richer and more powerful than the Swan family.
The sheets on the bed, the decorations, and the large fountains shimmering under the sunset were a dead giveaway. They came from old money… No, an old mafia family.
Even their maids acted like professional hotel staff.
Unfortunately, because I didn't have any interest in the mafia world, I hardly remembered any information about them.
So far, they haven't shown any displeasure at my being in their mansion, but I couldn't keep staying here.
It won't be long before they find out about my identity and my past, and they'll kick me to the curb.
No matter what happens, I'll escape tonight. I won't wait for them to cast me out, or worse, hand me over to the Swans.