Revenge Of Domenico Santoro

Chapter 4. The Verge Of Ruin

After a long moment of lovemaking on the couch, Ravenna lay on Carlos’s chest as she traced a tattoo on his skin.

"Like it?" Carlos asked as he rubbed her hair.

"It's..." she started and pressed her lips. She didn't know how to describe the tattoo on his chest. It looked like a serpent curling around the stalk of a flower.

"Phenomenal," Ravenna finally said. "What inspired it?" She asked, raising her head to meet his gaze.

"Just... a random drawing," Carlos shrugged. He knew this conversation wasn't what Ravenna wanted. Despite the satisfying hours of lovemaking, the tension remained, with many unresolved matters.

"Don't blame yourself," Carlos said.

"For what?" Ravenna feigned innocence.

Carlos sighed and sat up, Ravenna watching him. "You..."

"I don't want to talk about him," she said, blinking.

Carlos let out an incredulous chuckle. "Why?" He questioned, but she didn't reply immediately. "One moment, you're all angry about him being in jail, and now you're..."

"I've thought about it," Ravenna cut in as Carlos raised his brow. "Oh..." he said, sounding surprised.

"Truly, I don't deserve him. He's better off without me," she said. Carlos watched her for a moment, then gestured for her to come closer. She snuggled up to him.

"This is better," she murmured. "It's been hell since I was with Damian."

"Forget him. He's in the past now. We are the future. Both of us," Carlos said.

The words sank into Ravenna's mind. There was no turning back. She had abandoned him, failed him, even cheated. It was time she realized they weren't meant for each other, no matter how they tried.

Later that evening, Ravenna returned home and found her father alone in the living room, wearing a grim expression. He pretended not to notice her enter, and her heart twinged with pain. This man might be difficult, but she loved him deeply.

"Dad," she began slowly.

"You went to him, huh? You think I wouldn't find out?" Lucian asked.

"You're not angry at me, are you?" Ravenna asked as Lucian shook his head.

"You'll never learn. Not everyone is meant to be. You and Damian are a mistake. You don't match at all!" Lucian said.

"I understand," Ravenna replied, surprising Lucian with her response. He had expected her to be as fiery as earlier, but this was a different Ravenna.

"What?" He asked, shocked.

Ravenna walked over and sat beside him, resting her head on his shoulder. "You've always been right. We aren't meant for each other, or we wouldn't be suffering like this."

"Oh, sweetheart..." Lucian began in a calmer tone.

"It wasn't my fault he was born poor. It was his bad luck," she added, as Lucian patted her head.

"Carlos's dad has taken care of everything, the charges. And about Damian..."

"Don't let him out," she interrupted, widening Lucian's eyes in shock. "Keep him in there as long as possible," she stated.

A satisfied smile formed on Lucian's lips. "So, you're with Carlos now?"

"I'm on the winning team," Ravenna replied, giving Lucian the answer he wanted.

********

It has been two months since Damian has been locked in the prison, and one month and two weeks since his wife visited him last. With no contact with an outsider or any family apart from the Kings, Damian wasn't sure where his fate lay. But he was sure of one thing: he was alone and in hell. He winced as a mouse nibbled on one of his toes. As he tried to move, the harsh realization that he was in solitary confinement hit him. The walls cramped him, with minimal sunlight entering the tight space. The harsh reality of his life dawned on him again.

As he stood, he tried not to let his body touch the wall due to the numerous wounds on his body. This act would only heighten the pain he was feeling. He dipped his hands into his pants and brought out his wedding ring, the only thing he had managed to hide from the solitary officers while in prison. He rubbed it, recollecting sweet memories with Ravenna. This was the reason for his sanity all this while, notwithstanding the pain he was going through.

The door to the cell creaked open, and Damian's heart skipped a beat. He knew what was to come next as terror befell him anew. “Out!” The harsh voice of the warden cut into the darkness. “Please,” Damian begged as he stared into the man’s face, looking for any sign of sympathy, but the man offered none. “I didn’t do anything. All of this is just a set up by Mr. Kings. Please, I beg you,” he pleaded.

“Take him out!” The warden instructed two other officers as they dragged him roughly to a room that Damian was forced to become familiar with. “Take his clothes off and tie him up,” the warden said as they tied his hands to a rope that was hung up.

“Please… I beg you. I don’t know anything. Please…” Damian continued chanting, but all fell on deaf ears. The warden settled on a chair before him as Damian watched him helplessly, recognizing the glint in his eyes. It was as if it got brighter every time he brought him out like this to torture him.

“It’s just a statement, Damian,” he started in a calmer tone. “Just say you did it, and all your problems will be over,” the warden completed.

“But I didn’t do it. I truly didn’t do it,” Damian said frantically. He wasn’t sure why he had been tortured for days to give a statement when Mr. Kings had clearly promised him that he would be out in a few days.

“Mr. Kings…”

“Enough with Mr. Kings! He doesn’t care a bit about you!” The warden spat out angrily, and shock from the shout went down his spine.

“Ravenna… Let me talk to Ravenna then,” Damian asked quickly, as if scared to lose the warden’s attention.

“You mean that sissy that came that day?” The warden chuckled.

“Yeah. The one with the red hair,” Damian said quickly, as the warden and the other men beside him burst into laughter.

“The one that's getting married to the judge’s son?” The warden asked mockingly.

“What? No… Ravenna is my wife. She would…” Damian's heartbeat quickened as he paused, as if realizing something.

“He figured!” The warden mocked as they laughed again.

“Get me the whip,” the warden said to the boys, and they handed him a long whip.

“Aren’t you going to start talking?” The warden stood and approached Damian, who was oblivious to his presence, as he reeled from the shock of what he just heard – the possibility of what he said being true.

Splat! Splat! Splat! The harsh object landed on Damian’s skin again and again, without him making a sound, but beads of sweat formed on his head. The pain from the wounds wasn't close to the pain he felt in his heart. The Kings had betrayed him. They wanted him to confess. He closed his eyes as the pain seeped through him. Even Ravenna…

“You won’t give a statement, yeah!” The warden's voice rang in his head, but that was the least of what he thought.

“Stop this instant!” A commanding voice shouted, and for some reason Damian felt it was okay for him to faint. Lack of food for a few days and harsh beatings daily were enough for him to lose consciousness.