Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57287 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
He leaned forward, close enough that I caught another wave of that intoxicating cologne. "You could be more than that, Pearl. Much more."
"What do you mean?"
"That's enough questions for now." His tone carried a finality that made me shiver. Not from fear—from something else entirely. "Though if you run out of reading material, we do have quite an extensive family library. First editions of classics, some rare romance collections..."
My eyes lit up before I could stop myself. "Can I see it?" The words tumbled out eagerly before I caught myself, lowering my head. Of course I couldn't—I was a captive, not a guest.
A low chuckle made me look up. "If you behave... maybe." His eyes gleamed with something that looked almost like amusement. "It's not like you're going anywhere, with all our guards and security systems. Those electronic locks are quite... thorough."
I watched him rise, his movements fluid and controlled like a predator's. At the door, he paused, glancing back at me. "Enjoy your breakfast. The twins seem very invested in your comfort."
There was something in his voice—possessiveness maybe?—that made my cheeks warm. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving me alone with my cooling coffee and racing thoughts.
I drifted to the window, watching waves crash against the shore below. Could I run? The thought came automatically, like breathing. The guard rotation, the blind spots in the security cameras, the staff patterns—my mind was already mapping it all out. Giuliano had mentioned over breakfast how close we were to Providence. Just thirty-five minutes on the main roads.
I could go to Ella. She was my only real friend, the only one who might help without asking questions. But with no money, no car... And Vittorio had frozen my accounts the second I'd vanished. Going to Mills Creek would only put her in danger.
I pressed my forehead against the cool glass. The guards below looked like toy soldiers from up here, pacing their precise patterns. Another prison, just like my tower in Providence. The thought of going back there made my stomach clench. No. Whatever this place was, whatever game the twins were playing, it wasn't that suffocating hell.
Maybe that was the most dangerous thing of all—this illusion of freedom. This taste of what life could be.
For now, I needed to stay here. Figure out my next move. Build up resources. Maybe even understand what these men really wanted. The compound was safe enough, at least until I had a real plan.
My mind drifted to those snake tattoos I kept glimpsing. The way they all tensed when their father was mentioned, that flash of something dark in their eyes. Giuliano's casual power, Nico's quiet intensity... There were so many layers here, so many secrets.
Heat pooled low in my belly as I caught myself tracing the window's cool surface, lost in thoughts of them. Of all the questions I shouldn't want to ask, all the answers I shouldn't crave to know.
And I wondered if I'd already crossed a line I couldn't uncross.
9
PEARL
I'd always believed books were the closest thing to magic we had in this world.
Standing at my window, watching the morning light stream through the library's massive windows, I could feel that old familiar pull. Three floors of books, just waiting to be discovered.
The library had been teasing me for days. From where I stood, I could see endless shelves through the tall windows, offering glimpses of what was inside. Sometimes I'd spot Giuliano there in the evenings, his dark head bent over documents at a massive desk. Once, I even caught him just reading, looking more relaxed than I'd ever seen him in the soft light.
I was halfway through The Secret History—completely absorbed in Tartt's dark academia world—when he appeared for his morning check. The corner of his mouth twitched when he spotted me curled in the window seat, clutching one of the books he'd brought.
"Let me guess," he said from the doorway, his voice holding an unexpected hint of teasing. "You want to see the library."
"Is it that obvious?" I set the book aside, trying not to look too eager. Like I hadn't been rehearsing this conversation in my head for days.
"Considering I've caught you staring at it every time I pass by..." His eyes held amusement. "Though I have to wonder—if I let you in there, are you going to try something stupid?"
"Please. Like I'd risk damaging any of those books in an escape attempt." I rolled my eyes. "I'm not that desperate."
He actually laughed—a warm, rich sound that made my stomach flip. "Come on then. But if you start quoting Romeo and Juliet, I'm locking you back in here."
"More of a Macbeth girl, actually," I muttered, following him into the hallway. His shoulders shook slightly with suppressed laughter.
He led me through the compound's winding corridors, past massive windows overlooking the coast. Every few steps, the guards we passed straightened imperceptibly. I tried to memorize the route—right at the formal dining room, through an atrium filled with morning light, down a hallway lined with oil paintings of stern-faced men who had to be previous Barbieris.