Monster in Disguise

28. Catalina

Catalina

M y hands tighten over the unopened envelope. Enzo had sent one of his men to deliver it to me. It had taken less time than I'd imagined, less than a week.

But now I face the biggest decision. Open it and find out the truth, or discard it, forget about the entire thing, and trust my husband. It doesn't help that Marcello and I are closer than ever. Last night he'd gotten one of his night terrors, and I'd comforted him throughout the night as he'd shared some things about his monster of a father.

So many pieces just don't fit in this story, and it's making me more confused than ever. With a sigh, I put the envelope in a drawer.

I'll do it later.

Maybe I'm afraid of what I'm going to find out... I shake my head, telling myself there's only one likely outcome, and that is a negative result.

Pushing it out of my mind, I leave my room and head downstairs. The girls are in the drawing room as usual, playing a game. Even though there is a five-year difference between them, Claudia and Venezia have quickly become best friends. Sisi is present too, sitting in the far corner of the room, book in hand.

"So you've decided to join civilization again?" I joke as I take a seat next to her.

Sisi looks up at me, a guilty smile playing on her lips.

"I know I haven't been around much. I've been trying to find myself." She sighs. "It's weird being free to do whatever I want for the first time."

"I know what you mean. But tell me, does that include a certain Guerra boy?" She lowers her head, and I can spot a blush. So that's how it is.

"We're friends. I think we understand each other. Tell me about you and Marcello." She turns towards me, changing the subject.

"We're good," I confess. "More than good. He's wonderful." Sisi's eyes widen for a second before she bursts out laughing.

I frown, not understanding her outburst.

"So I'm wonderful." Marcello's amused voice echoes from behind me. I whip my head around, and there he is, smirking.

"You shouldn't eavesdrop," I raise an eyebrow at him.

"How can I not when I hear gems like this?" His lips curl up. "Lina, can I see you for a moment?" I nod, and he takes me back to the room.

In the center of the bed is a big white rectangular box.

"What's this?"

"Open it."

I lift the top off to reveal a white dress – a wedding dress.

"What... What is this for?" I stammer as I unfold the dress. I'm shocked as I stare at the most beautiful dress I've ever seen.

"I've been working on a little something for you. I know you didn't get your fairytale wedding, and I'd like to remedy that." His expression is hopeful, and my chest tightens with emotion.

How could I have even entertained the thought that this man could be capable of anything as heinous as what I experienced that night? How could I have even suspected him?

"I have no words," I say, my eyes moving from the dress to the wonderful man in front of me.

"Come on, try it on," he urges me, and I gladly accept.

The dress is a dream come to life. With a bodice that hugs my curves and ends in a delicate v, and a full skirt that flares out in true princess fashion, it's everything I could have ever wanted. As I spin in front of the mirror, watching the skirts swish and sway around me, I can't help but feel like a fairytale princess.

"It's perfect," I exclaim to Marcello, who stands behind me with a proud smile on his face. He steps closer and places his hands on my waist, drawing me even closer to him. "You look absolutely breathtaking, Lina." His lips graze over my forehead before trailing down to my ear. "And you're all mine."

"Yes," I whisper, feeling my heart race at his closeness. "All yours."

But then he reaches under the bed and pulls out another box. My eyes widen as he opens it to reveal a pair of stunning white satin pumps adorned with glittering embellishments.

"Wow," I breathe out in awe.

Taking one foot in his hand, Marcello gently slides on the first shoe, leaving a trail of kisses along my ankle and calf as he does so. He repeats the same motion with the other foot, and when he finally steps back to admire his work, I can't believe how lucky I am to have him by my side.

"Come see for yourself," he says, gesturing towards the wall-length mirror. As I approach it, I can't help but feel like Cinderella admiring her glass slippers for the first time. This truly is a fairytale moment, and I never want it to end.

Marcello comes and embraces me from behind, laying his head on my shoulder.

"This is what I see when I look at you. Something so ethereal sometimes I find it hard to believe you're real."

"Marcello," I whisper in awe. Looking at myself in the mirror, wearing this stunning gown, I can't help but see myself through his eyes. And I feel beautiful. "Thank you."

"I love you, Lina." He comes around, cupping my face in his palms for a kiss.

"I love you too," I reply, and I instantly feel guilty about what I've been keeping from him.

He's probably going to be so disappointed in me for even contemplating that it might be true. But I have to tell him. I owe it to him.

"I need to tell you something." I take a step back. His eyebrows furrow in question, so I let the words flow out of my mouth before I lose the courage. "A couple of weeks ago I received an anonymous note. After that, more notes started coming in, almost daily. Until I got a message on my computer."

"What did it say? Lina, you should have told me earlier. It might be the same person who's been harassing you before."

My eyes lower to the ground as I begin to speak, the heaviness weighing down on my chest. "The notes were about Claudia's father," I say, my voice barely audible. "And the last message...it said that you're Claudia's father." My words hang in the air, thick with tension and disbelief. I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself. "It's absolutely insane, I know that now. I'm so sorry I didn't come to you before." I finally look up at him, hoping he won't hold it against me for keeping this information from him.

But Marcello's face is drained of all color. He takes a step back, his expression stricken and his movements slow and deliberate.

"Marcello?" I call out to him, my heart racing with fear. His reaction is so immediate and intense that I can feel it reverberating through my body.

He shakes his head ever so slowly, his eyes wide with horror. I watch as his features contort with shock and pain, unable to comprehend what's happening.

"It's not true, is it?" I ask, desperation creeping into my voice. But instead of denying it, he pales even more at my question, making my heart drop to my stomach.

Surely, no...

"Marcello, tell me it's not true," I plead, but all he does is continue shaking his head. No words come out of his mouth, leaving me feeling helpless and scared.

Why isn't he saying anything? Why is he not denying it?

"Marcello..." My voice trails off as realization dawns on me. No...it can't be true... He keeps retreating until his back hits the mirror behind him. But still, he remains silent.

My breathing becomes erratic as panic swells in my chest. Why is he not saying anything? Why is he not denying it? The silence is deafening, and all I can do is stand there, frozen in shock and disbelief.

My desperate plea hangs in the air, my voice cracking with emotion. But he remains unresponsive, a stone statue in front of me. I can't take it anymore. My hand trembles as I reach for the drawer, pulling out the envelope that holds the truth.

"Lina..."

I can feel myself trembling, but I continue on, tearing through the paper until the results are staring back at me.

99.9% match.

I slowly raise my eyes to meet his. There's a glimmer of recognition in his gaze, but it quickly disappears as he falls to his knees and crawls towards me. He grabs my hands, forcing me to look down at him.

"Lina, please, listen to me. I'm so sorry..." His words fade into a buzzing in my ears as the reality sinks in.

Marcello is Claudia's father.

That means... A sob catches in my throat as the implications become clear as daylight.

Marcello was the man who raped me.

I look down at him and no longer see the man I thought I knew. Instead, all I see is the man with amber eyes who stole everything from me.

A wave of revulsion and anger washes over me, and I flinch at his touch, pushing him away.

"You..." My voice is barely a whisper as I struggle to find the right words. "You raped me." The tears are falling freely now, hot and stinging against my cheeks. "You tortured and raped me." The pain is suffocating, overwhelming every inch of my being.

It hurts.

With a sharp slap, I knock his hands aside and take a step back.

"You raped me," The words come out like a wounded animal's growl, filled with heartbreak and disappointment that threaten to consume me.

"Lina, please," he croaks, his face ravaged with agony. "I can explain, please. I love you more than anything."

A hysterical laugh escapes my lips, the mere idea of his love for me seeming ludicrous.

"You say you love me, but you've caused me the worst pain I've ever experienced. How can that be love?" I yell, watching as he shrinks back from my outburst. My entire body is trembling with anger and betrayal.

"I can't... I can't do this." My voice cracks as tears begin to well up in my eyes. "You knew how much I suffered, and you never once thought to tell me the truth?"

"No." His whisper is barely audible, but it cuts through me like a knife. "I did everything for you, I swear." With each word, it feels like he's twisting the blade deeper into my heart.

"For me?" I choke out, unable to comprehend his reasoning. "You raped me for me? I'm sorry if I find that hard to believe."

"Please, just listen to me, Lina. It's not like you think."

"Stop! Just... stop." I struggle to control my emotions, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. "This paternity test proves that you're Claudia's biological father. How can it not be like that?"

I turn away from him, ready to leave and never look back. But suddenly, he grabs onto my waist and pulls me towards him.

"Please. I love you, Lina," he pleads, but every time he says those words more pain reverberates inside of me.

Was it all a lie?

My voice is laced with outrage as I spit out the words, "What kind of monster are you?" I watch as his expression shifts from shock to hurt, but my anger doesn't dissipate. "If this is how you love someone, then I don't want to know what happens when you hate them."

He starts to speak, but I interrupt him. "I lived with this pain for ten years, Marcello. Ten years. And you think a simple apology will make it all disappear?"

His eyes plead with me, begging for forgiveness. "Please don't leave me. I was wrong not to tell you, but I'll do anything for you to believe me."

"Anything?" I turn away slightly, contemplating his words.

"Anything," he nods, tears streaming down his face and staining his cheeks.

My resolve starts to waver as he pulls me closer, his grip tightening on my arms. "I never want to see you in front of me for as long as I live."

"Anything but that. I can't live without you, Lina." His hands are tangled in the delicate tulle of my dress and he's pulling me towards him, desperation evident in his actions.

"Let go of me," I say through gritted teeth, trying to break free from his hold. But he only clings tighter.

In a moment of fury and fear, I shove him with all my strength. He stumbles backward and hits the mirror behind him, causing it to shatter into pieces. Shards of glass rain down around him as he falls to the ground. His eyes widen in shock as he lies still amidst the broken fragments.

I rush towards him, my first instinct to help him despite everything. But then I stop myself, remembering the pain he has caused me. Blood trickles down his face from a small cut above his eye, mixing with his tears. There must be other cuts from the broken mirror, as blood stains the previously pristine carpet beneath him.

"I-I'm sorry," he stammers, reaching out a hand towards me. But I can't bring myself to help him. My hands tremble with anger and hurt as I stare at the man who has betrayed me. "Let me go." My voice is barely above a whisper, but it carries all the weight of my emotions.

But I can't.

With a heavy heart, I turn to leave. His grasp on my dress is quick and strong, his bloody hands leaving irreparable stains on the once pure white fabric. I look down at him, and my shattered heart breaks even further, just like the mirror that lies in pieces on the floor.

Because no matter how much I despise him, I cannot deny that deep down, there is still love for him within me. It is a cruel paradox; the hate will always overshadow the love as long as I live. And so, with one last ounce of strength, I push him away and tear at the dress he clings to so desperately. The sound of ripping fabric echoes in the air.

Without looking back, I turn and run.