Chapter 4: she fainted

Elena's POV

It's been three months since I moved to Italy, and for the first time, I had my freedom. My baby bump was already showing, but you wouldn't have known. I had rented an apartment with the money Capella gave me, and I felt so grateful. I changed my hair and my name to Meriam, and I worked at a cafe in the town of Italy with good pay. I made no friends because I had trust issues.

"Shit, shit, I'm late for work today!" I cursed as I searched everywhere for my house keys. I had never been that late to work. Locking my door, I ran downstairs to look for a bus. "Good morning, Aunty," I greeted my old neighbor, who had been nothing but kind to me since I got here.

"Wait, why are you running?" She asked, but I couldn't answer properly because I needed to hurry.

"See you in the evening; I'm late," I told her as I ran away.

I rushed onto the bus, already running behind schedule. I was supposed to start my shift at the Café 15 minutes ago, and my manager was going to kill me. I quickly swiped my pass and made my way to the back, my heart racing with every step. “I should have woken up earlier today,” I murmured. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but my mind was racing with all the things that could go wrong today. I just hoped my manager was in a good mood...but I wasn't counting on it.

Immediately I entered the cafe, I spotted my manager's gaze, and I already knew I was in trouble, "Sir, I'm sorry; I won't be late next time," I begged my manager while he scolded me for my lateness.

He was skeptical for a moment, looking at me so angrily, "Okay, fine! I've heard you; I'm going to let you off for today because you've never been late before." I sighed a deep breath of relief.

"Thank you, sir," I said, as I went to the back to change into our uniform. My manager told me to go serve the new customers who had just arrived. Today has been super busy with customers and I couldn't feel my legs anymore.

Bringing out my paper, I got to the table without minding to look at their faces. "Good morning, gentlemen; what can I offer you?" I asked while holding my pen and paper ready to write.

"I'll have an espresso, two, then one black coffee for my friend here."

"Okay, I'll be right back." Giving their orders, my gaze met him, and I clutched the tray tightly, my palms slick with sweat. Panic set in, my heart racing like a wild animal, threatening to burst out of my chest. I yearned to scream and flee, but my legs were rooted to the spot, paralyzed with fear. "He's back," I whispered, my voice trembling like a leaf, and everything went black.

"My head aches..." The pungent smell of drugs and the steady beeping of machines assaulted my senses, and memories of what happened came flooding back. I panicked, "Oh God, he's found me!" I panted, my heart racing, and the memories of my past flashed before my eyes like a horror movie.

I struggled to get up and run, but my legs felt like stone, and I stumbled. That was when I saw him standing in the corner of the room, watching me with an unreadable expression, and I felt a chill run down my spine. I clenched my chest, trying to control my panicked self, tears streaming down my face like a river.

"Hey, calm down," he said, his voice low and gentle, but it sent shivers down my spine.

Despite my dry throat, I screamed, "You bastard! I'm not going with you! Leave me the fuck alone, Marcus!" I threw things at him, desperate to keep him at bay, and my voice echoed off the walls.

Then, the doctor busted in, responding to my desperate screams. "Doctor, please help me! He's a monster! He wants to take me away!" I pleaded, my voice shaking, my whole life depended on his responses. But before he could explain, Marcus approached me, and I felt a wave of terror washed over me. "Don't come near me!" I warned, holding up my hand, palm facing him, to keep him at bay, and my eyes blazing with fear.

"Okay, but you need to calm down!" He said softly, but his words felt like a trap.

"No, you want to hurt me!" I faced the doctor, "Please help me! Don't leave me alone with this monster...." I begged, my voice cracked with emotion, and my body trembled with fear. But before I could finish, I felt a needle injected into my arm, and everything went dark.

I struggled to open my eyes, but the light in the room was too much to bear. I felt so weakened and drained, my throat parched. "Water," I croaked, I raised my hands to signal for help, hoping someone was there with me.

"Here, take the water, and please calm down. Let me explain things to you. I'm not who you think I am," he said, his voice laced with desperation.

I hesitated, then took the water. The doctor entered, "Miss Meriam, please calm down. You're going to harm your baby. Mr. Giovanni is here to help you, not harm you."

I tried correcting him, "Giovanni? Doctor, he's lying to you. His name is not Giovanni. He's Marcus, and he's a liar and a player. He made me kill my parents."

The doctor urged me to calm down, "Take a deep breath, okay? Let me get you some medications."

After he had left, the man approached me again. I pleaded, tears streaming down my face, "Please, just leave me alone. Don't hurt me, please." I screamed, my voice hoarse, "Why are you sounding so calm and gentle? Stop with the act, Marcus! Stop making me look mad!" I whispered, exhausted.

He raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable, "As he said, I'm not Marcus. I'm Giovanni. I won't harm you. Please calm down, for your baby's sake."

I covered my stomach with my hands, protective of my child. "You dare not come close to my baby."

He offered to drop me home or call an Uber, but I refused, knowing he was trying to manipulate me. The doctor returned, "Take this medication and rest. You've been stressing the baby."

“Thank you doctor” feeling grateful. I was discharged from the hospital after taking my medications. I ordered a ride with my phone and the driver arrived quickly, I was relieved to be heading home. My mind was racing. "Am I dreaming? This can't be happening. I need to run away from this place before he comes for me." Fear consumed me.

The next day, I had a doctor's appointment. As I dressed up, my phone beeped. "It's Giovanni, coming to pick you up for your appointment. Don't ask me how I got your number; I always have ways." I was shocked and uneasy.

"No, you need to stay out of my business and life." But he was already downstairs, waiting for me.

I tried to escape downstairs, but he caught up to me and ordered me to get in the car. "No, I'm not going with you! You can't tell me what to do," I said, determined to challenge him.

"You need to get in the car, and I've told you countless times, I'm not Marcus!" He looked at me with a sincere expression, and for a moment, I wondered if he was telling the truth. The Marcus I knew would never be this gentle with me.

"I said no, I'm not coming," I insisted, trying to sound braver than I felt. But before I could react, he scooped me up like a bag of potatoes and carried me to the car.

"Put me down, you asshole!" I shouted, struggling to break free. He ignored my protests and instructed his driver to take us to the hospital.

"This is illegal, you know!" I exclaimed, trying to sound panicked and brave at the same time. Fear could be seen right in my eyes, so I tried fighting him off.

"Don't bother, amore," he smirked, looking arrogant and confident. "I'm the system here. And screaming won't help you, so just keep calm while we go to your appointment today."

His driver drove us to the hospital. We walked in, and instead of waiting, he dragged me to the doctor's office. "What are you doing? We have to wait for our turn.”

He smirked, "Don't bother; I own the hospital."The doctor greeted him, as we entered the office. I felt mixed emotions - fear, anxiety, and confusion.

The doctor instructed me to lie down on the bed in his office, and as he poured a chilling gel onto my stomach to proceed with the scan, I felt a sudden shiver run down my spine. The gel was icy cold, and I couldn’t help but flinch as it touched my skin, sending waves of goosebumps all over my body. For a minute I lay there, trying to compose myself, as the doctor began the examination. I saw my baby on the screen. I felt emotional and started crying. "Your baby is fine and healthy, but..." The doctor trailed off, and I panicked.

Giovanni held my hands, and surprisingly, I felt calm. "Calm down, amore; let him finish."

The doctor laughed, "No, dear, I just wanted to say you're carrying twins. Look at the screen; the bigger one is covering the other, so you can't see the other baby."

I sobbed, "Oh my God! This is good news, doctor; thank you." I held onto Giovanni's hands tightly.

"Congratulations, amore," he smiled.

The doctor gave me tissues to wipe the gel off my tummy and prescribed medication, telling me to rest. As we left the hospital, I couldn't help but wonder who this man was and why he was helping me. But I was never letting my guard down.