"Okay, now I am super curious. What the hell is that thing?"

Adrian stopped typing on the rectangular mini TV looking like phone and pointed it. "You mean this?"

"Yes! That!"

"It's a phone." He deadpanned. "I didn't knew that you would be so dumb."

I punched his arm. "Of course I know that it is a phone, but where are the keys? The buttons? You know that abc, def and stuff."

Adrian's eyes widened in shock. "Oh mio Dio, you are kidding me, right?"

I frowned. "What? I don't understand."

"You have never had a phone before in your life?" He asked.

I chuckled. "Of course I did. It was small, very cute looking, blue in colour with buttons and a small screen."

Adrian kept eyeing at me in disgust.

I frowned again. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

He sighed loudly and firmly placed his hands on my shoulders, his baby blue eyes staring deep into my pale brown eyes.

"Signorina Amelia Jones, you are an outdated woman just like your outdated phone." I have no idea what this man is saying. "The technology you are talking about is old. Probably eight or nine years old."

"Are you telling me that there is no worm eating apples game?!" I gasped in shock.

"What game?" He asked.

"The one where the worm keeps growing in a box after eating apples. I loved that game!"

Adrian laughed. "No, no. Amy, that game is still there and so is PlayStation and Tic tac toe."

"Then what's the use of making it all big screened, touchy and keypad-less?" I cringed to myself.

"Come on, I'll show you." Adrian handed me the device. I took in all the six sides of the phone, saw the earphone and charging holes, two cameras on the back and one on front and found that one of the two thin sides had a button so I pressed it and gasped again when the screen glowed. Adrian laughed at my reaction.

Seven years in this hell house and I sure missed a lot of good things. No phones. No computers and especially no TV for the housekeepers. Just work, eat, sleep and repeat.

"Fratello, you were supposed to work and not teach her how to make calls to her famiglia." The Agostini son grumbled in annoyance as he stacked a few papers placed on his desk and leaned back on his chair, giving me a bored look. "And you, little girl, are supposed to be in your room."

"Aw, so you finally decided to speak up after three hours of silence?" I cooed in fake enthusiasm. "Weren't you the one who said that I don't follow orders? Besides, I have been cooped up in that room for days, sleeping and eating."

And gazing out of the balcony in night, I wanted to add.

He shook his head in resentment and continued doing whatever he is doing.

"Fratello, don't worry. I won't let her dial anything." Adrian assured him. "I'm just explaining the things she doesn't know about the generation she belongs to, the generation we belong to."

"Hmm, I wonder whose fault is that?" I thought out loud earning a short laugh from Adrian. "The women working in the mansion have no means of entertainment. The only entertainment I have had here is stealing the knives I used to cut the bars of my poor window."

The Agostini son grunted in response, but kept his eyes on the paper he was reading.

It has been a few days since that monster shot me and I survived. I have been doing nothing since then. Sleeping, eating the food Rylie delivers me and simply staring out at the grounds during nighttime. Let's ignore the part where the Agostini son is always present on the balcony beside mine and we don't speak anything till I don't go back in and sleep.

Even though I do remember the capo saying that Rylie is at my beck and call, she is my friend and I don't want to use her as my personal maid. She only stops by my temporary room to deliver my meals and medicines, dress up my half healed wound with bandages and to spend time with me whenever she gets a break between her duties.

And when Rylie is not there to accompany me, I have Adrian who does try to visit me every evening and spends some time with me. Aren't I the most luckiest girl in the world? Having only two people in this mansion who actually care about me?

I don't even want to talk about Louisa. It's like that old woman has vanished from my life ever since the capo shot me. She met me once I woke up and that's it. Ever since I have been staying beside capo's room, that woman has either been avoiding me or stopped caring about me and hasn't paid a visit.

Whatever. I have got to learn about this new technology enhancement shit.

"Welcome to Youtube, Amy. Here you'll find your source of passing the time by watching cute little kitty videos." Adrian cooed and pinched my cheeks.

I slapped his hand. "I know what YouTube is, you idiot. I'm not that outdated."

"Oh," He muttered. "That's good to hear. Then let's move on to Google maps and music or you know what that is?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I know what they are and what they do, but what I don't know is how to use them in this mini TV looking like phone."

"Fine. I'll teach you when you'll get your own phone, but I don't think that is going to happen anytime soon, isn't that right brother?" He said nonchalantly and grinned at his brother who continued to ignore us.

I laughed. "We'll see about that. When I'll go back to my family and get my own phone, I'll send you a text on...what was that again? Instant gram?"

"Instagram, baby. It's Instagram." Adrian said smoothly.

"Whatever. I have got bigger issues here." I huffed, looking down at my injured leg. We were in capo's office which is not coincidentally also in this floor. Adrian and I were sitting on the couch in the corner of the room with my leg supported on the chair while the capo did his work.

Suddenly, we heard the door knock faintly and Rylie entered, her dirty blonde hair tied up in a pony, her eyes down on the floor as we were trained to do so and holding a tray having two cups of coffee and a few plates of snacks along with my medicine.

I saw her keeping a cup and a plate in capo's table who was engrossed in his papers and didn't even acknowledge her presence.

"Hi Rylie!" I chirped.

Her eyes lifted up and she gave me a smile when she saw me. Then her eyes met with the man who was sitting beside me and her face paled in horror.

The tray slipped from her hands, fell on the floor with a crashing sound and she screamed, her mouth wide open for us to see and my blood turned to ice when I saw a half cut tongue which was all black behind the beautiful smile she just gave me.

I stood up and quickly limped to her side, not bothering about the searing pain in my legs. "Rylie! Rylie! Look at me. What happened?"

She kept screaming. Tears were now rolling down her face and she was trembling in fear. I searched her apron pockets to find her notepad and pen and handed it over to her.

Much to my shock, she threw them away and pointed an accusing, shaky finger to a person behind me.

Then she faced me and motioned her mouth with the other hand. "Ahhmeeya. My...oongge..."

My head started spinning as I realised what she was trying to talk about.

"My oongge...he...he cuuk my oonnge! He cuuk my oongge!"

I was raging in anger and my nails were digging in my palm as my eyes followed to the direction she had pointed at.

And when those baby blue eyes met mine, all hell unleashed in me.

*****

Adrian was bleeding.

And so were my knuckles.

Rylie was crying hysterically and she had spooned herself in my arms as an effort to shield herself.

Leonardo Agostini was still engrossed in his paperwork, very much oblivious to the violence and screams that had taken place in front of him.

"You...you said that you were different." I panted heavily. "I should have guessed how different you actually were."

"I was d-drunk." Adrian replied gruffly and touched his blood dripping cheek.

I smashed everything I could find near me on him. Tray, plates, his hot coffee, my crutches, his phone and punched the daylights out of him but he didn't fight back.

"You are no different from the others." I whispered hoarsely and rubbed her back, hoping she would calm down. "I thought I could trust you."

"Y-You still can and I am sorry. So, so sorry." He apologized.

"Save it!" I gritted. "For some time, I had actually forgotten that all men in this house are monsters."

"I...I thought I killed you, signorina Rylie." Her grip around my body tightened as she sobbed. "I remember your screams, your blood and the knife, but to force you to do things? I am really sorry about that."

I scoffed. "Saying sorry won't grow back her tongue now, will it? I have an idea. Why don't I get drunk and cut off the part you forced her to suck?"

"That was years ago, Amy."

"Don't call me that, Adrian Agostini. You are not different. You are just like your brother." My eyes went to the man who is still focused on the papers, ignoring us. "He cut off the freedom to live my life and you, cut off the freedom of speech from an innocent girl."

"Believe me, Amelia, I'm not like those men—"

"Of course you're not." I agreed. "You're worse."

"I SAID I'M SORRY!" Rylie cries became louder. "I haven't had a drink since that night. That was eight and a half years ago."

It all makes sense now. The rules of a housekeeper. Even if Rylie might have served Adrian many times throughout her stay here, she never had taken a look of his face. We were told not to look straight into the eyes of the men living in the mansion.

I broke that rule when I landed on the Agostini son and Rylie did the same now when she saw Adrian sitting beside me.

"That doesn't matter anymore." I growled. "It is the plain simple truth."

I can't believe I made Rylie drink soup made by the man who took away half of her taste buds.

"And you?" I asked the capo. "Aren't you going to do something about this?"

He ignored me.

"Expected that." I scoffed. "If it were me then you would have shot me again."

I looked down at my leg and saw blood dripping out of it. Great, my stitches broke off and it hurts like shit.

"You men really are monsters." I declared, "Don't think about showing me your face again, signore Agostini. Meeting you was a mistake, scratch that, a blessing because now I know that monsters come in all forms."

I winced as I got up from the floor in the support of one leg. Rylie stood up with me and helped me walk. Her brown doe eyes were bloodshot, her face had become red and she was still trembling, but thankfully she had stopped crying.

"Amelia, Rylie, please no. Don't do that!"

I didn't listen to him and limped out of the room with Rylie.

"R-Rylie, listen to me." I whispered hoarsely in her ear. She was staring into space. "I want you to run back to our room, lock the door and don't let anybody enter inside except Louisa. Make sure you eat something and do not go to sleep with an empty stomach. Take a day off or two if you need it."

"Whaa...whaa aboo you?" She hiccupped.

"I have to go to the doctor again. Get myself treated. I'll see you later."

"Amelia! Rylie!" I heard Adrian shout from behind.

"Now. Run." I whispered and she ran away to the stairs and away from my eyesight.

"Rylie! Amelia!"

I pushed Adrian back and punched him square on the jaw again.

"What part of 'don't show me your face again' you do not understand?!" I shouted. "You've done enough damage!"

He rubbed his jaw. "Amelia, let me explain! I didn't mean to—"

"This a goddamn tongue! The strongest organ in a person's body and you just cut it out as if it is a piece of cake! You're a sick man, Adrian." I spat. "You're not even a man."

Adrian panted heavily and wiped his cheek again.

"I can't believe I actually let my guard down for you." I whispered in disbelief and felt something heavy tugging in my chest. "I actually believed that you were different."

"I am!"

"Yes, you are." I said sarcastically. "You don't drink anymore and kill people's voices."

"I don't!" He shouted back. "You hear me, I don't! I don't go harming people like my brother and my padre because I don't want to. But that was just one night, one mistake. I got heavily drunk and—"

"One mistake and that killed an innocent girl's voice!" I gritted, "I have to go to the doctor so just leave me alone."

Adrian looked down and his eyes widened in worry. "Amelia, your leg..."

"I know." I whispered and gulped painfully. "I'll be fine. Go back to your so-called little brother and stop caring about me. I never asked for it."

"Amelia, at least let me help you reach the infirmary." Adrian begged and I shook my head in response. "It will be a painful walk for you."

"No." My eyes stung with unshed tears as the pain in my leg increased. "Why do you even care about me?"

Adrian sighed loudly, ran his fingers on his hair and gripped it frustration. "I...I like you, okay? You're like a little sister I never had before. You stand up for yourself which is something nobody has done in this house for decades."

My face remained blank. "I don't care, signore. I made a mistake of believing you. I don't trust you or your words. Stay away from my roommate and if I find you anywhere near her, I won't hesitate to cut off the anatomy you had forced her to suck."

"A-And what about you? You don't want to see me too?" He asked desperately.

"Si." I answered. "Whatever friendship or anything we had is over. I can't trust anybody in this mansion except myself."

"Amelia, please. There has to be a way." He begged. "I don't want to lose you."

"Sorry Adrian, but there is—" I paused when something huge struck my mind. Something very, very, very huge and brilliant.

"You really want to win me back?" I asked warily.

"Yes, and signorina Rylie's forgiveness too. I really am sorry about everything. That night still haunts me."

I raised a perfect eyebrow. "And you would do anything to earn that?"

"Yes, anything." He confirmed, his face showing signs of relief.

I looked around us and mentally sighed when I didn't find anybody near us then took two painful steps towards him and whispered,

"Then help me reunite with my family."

Author's note:

Ah! It feel so good when you finally enter the real escaping part of this story. 😋

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