Revenge Of Domenico Santoro

Chapter 3. Abandoned

Ravenna traced the strokes of scars on his belly as Damian winced. Some were still fresh, and others old. “Who did this to you?” Ravenna asked through gritted teeth, her eyes fixed on his stomach.

“Ravenna….” Damian called calmly, aware of her anger. He needed to calm her down or she might do something drastic.

“Those bastards….” she seethed and rushed towards the door, but Damian blocked her path.

“Ravenna, please calm down,” Damian begged, his gaze fixed on her bloodshot eyes.

“Calm down?” She chuckled incredulously. “They are treating you like a wild animal!” She shouted, tears streaming down her face. “Why? Why were you trying to hide it from me?”

“Because I knew you'd react like this. I didn't want to see you hurt, Ravenna. It hurts me,” Damian said in frustration.

Ravenna shook her head. “It’s my fault,” she muttered bitterly. “I let Dad do this to you.”

“No, it’s not your fault. They just don't like me in here,” Damian defended Lucian once again.

“Why do you keep defending Dad? Are you so obsessed with pleasing him?” She fired angrily, but Damian remained silent. He bowed his head slowly and sighed.

“I’ll get you out of here,” Ravenna declared firmly. “Even if it’s the last thing I do.” She turned and within moments, Damian found himself alone in the warden’s office, feeling lonely and confused.

Meanwhile, Ravenna left the precinct in a fit of anger and drove straight to her father’s company. As she moved through the building, everyone she encountered cleared a path for her; they were all too familiar with her wrath and didn't want to provoke her anger.

“What the hell did you tell them to do to Damian!” Ravenna stormed into her father’s office, paying no attention to the man seated across from him.

“Ah, here she comes. Speaking of the devil,” Lucian stood up, a broad smile on his face. He walked toward his daughter and positioned her in front of the man he was conversing with.

“Carlos, meet my daughter, Ravenna,” he introduced with a smile, ignoring his daughter's furious glare.

“Hi, Ravenna,” Carlos greeted in a deep, pretentious voice that she despised.

“You haven’t answered my question,” she snapped, turning her anger towards her father.

Lucian sighed. “Who are you talking about?” he asked, visibly annoyed.

“I can’t believe this. He's in jail in your place, and as if that’s not enough, you instructed them to beat him up! What did Damian ever do to you? Why do you hate him so much?”

Lucian chuckled, pouring himself a drink from the whiskey on the table. He took a sip and looked up at his daughter. “I don’t hate him, sweetheart. It's just his bad luck to be married to you. You two were never meant to be,” Lucian sarcastically explained.

“That's not for you to decide!” Ravenna shot back as Lucian's expression turned stern. “Behave yourself, young woman! I have a guest, one who's here for you too!” he snapped.

Ravenna chuckled and eyed him, her gaze then shifting to Carlos. He was a handsome man, tall, muscular, and with an attractive face, but she couldn't care less.

“What's your plan this time?” she questioned, her eyes fixed on her father.

"Why do you always think I'm planning something?" Lucian asked, pretending to look hurt.

"Because you're shrewd! It's not Damian's fault that he's a pauper!" Ravenna fired angrily, panting. Her determined gaze met her dad's.

"Aren't you the same as me?" Lucian asked after a moment of silence.

"What?" Ravenna asked, confused.

"If you love him so much like you claim, go to the station and tell them the whole truth... the truth about the embezzlement." Lucian challenged.

"You didn't do it. Why would I do that?"

Lucian burst into laughter and stared at his daughter with amusement in his eyes. "Like father, like daughter," he drawled. "Don't give me that crap about you believing I didn't do it." Lucian approached her, counting his steps. "You know what daddy is capable of, sweetheart." He said as Ravenna's hand tightened into a fist.

"Don't push your luck," Ravenna warned.

"Oh... I already did," Lucian said with a sly smile. "But you won't do anything. You're daddy's girl. And you'll always be."

"Arghhhh!" Ravenna shouted angrily and dashed out of the office.

"I'll go after her," Carlos said to Lucian, who nodded, his face carrying a grim expression. This wasn't enjoyable for him. Seeing his precious daughter like this. But at least, he got something in return: that good-for-nothing was in jail, and he would end him there.

Meanwhile, Ravenna was about to open the car door in a fit of rage when Carlos's hand stopped hers. "You can't drive in this condition," he said, almost pleading.

"Don't tell me what to do, stranger!" She fired angrily.

"Please..." He said again in a calmer tone. Ravenna paused, staring at him. She looked down at his hand on hers. For some reason, it soothed her.

"Fine." She hissed and walked over to the passenger's side, facing her head away from the driver's seat.

As Carlos entered, he didn't say anything. He just drove away, and a few minutes later, they found themselves in a beach house.

It was as if Ravenna had been numb throughout the whole journey, her thoughts clouded with Damian and how pitiful he is.

"We're here," Carlos said as Ravenna snapped out of her thoughts.

"What the hell is this place?" Ravenna asked as she got out of the car, still wondering why she allowed him to drive her in the first place.

"It's my beach house. Here in Italy," Carlos said with a smile that Ravenna didn't welcome.

"I didn't ask you to bring me here," Ravenna said, shocked she was having a conversation with him. What the heck!

He smiled and walked over to her, held her hand, and led her towards the building. Tall swaying palm trees framed the house with a fountain in its courtyard. Even in the afternoon, it gave off a soothing aura that unexpectedly calmed Ravenna.

"I'll get you something to drink," he said as they finally entered.

Ravenna watched as he walked away. One minute she was arguing with her father over Damian's issue, and the next, she's here with the man her father wants to pair her with. And for some reason, she felt calm.

"Here, water," he placed it on a small table beside the couch she sat on.

"Water? Really?"

"You're angry. You need to be calm first," Carlos said with a smile, a smile she found unusually attractive.

"You and Dad's plan won't work. I love Damian," she said.

"What plan?" Carlos raised a brow and sat beside her, watching her intently.

Ravenna scoffed and stood up. "I can't do this with you right now."

"Why didn't you answer?" Carlos asked as she stopped in her tracks, turning to look at his intense gaze.

"The question your dad asked earlier. Why didn't you answer?" He stood up and approached her as Ravenna swallowed.

"It's none of your business."

Carlos's lips curved into a sly smile. "Poor Damian." He sighed in pretend pity. "He thinks his wife loves him a lot, but she's just like her father, who threw him in jail." He said as Ravenna slapped him.

Carlos held his face and stared dangerously at her, but what she did next stunned him. She drew him to herself and locked their lips in a passionate kiss.