Dante POV:

"Come in" I called.

"What is it, Dante?" Alessandro asked me.

"I need to speak with Ella" I replied, eyes never leaving the papers that were in front of me.

"I'll go get her" he said, leaving. A few minutes later Alessandro comes running in.

"She isn't in your room" he said, panting, out of breath.

"What?" I shouted, standing up.

"She isn't there; did she ask to leave?" he asked.

"No, she didn't, I left her asleep there this morning" I replied, running toward the door and Alessandro followed.

"Could it be Marco?" he asked.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions just yet, she might be somewhere around here. But then if it is Marco, I'll fucking kill him" I said.

"I'll get every man to look for her" Alessandro said, running off in the other direction.

I ran into my sister's room.

"What the hell? Do you not know how to knock?" she shouted.

"Ella's missing, do you know where she is?" I asked.

"Ella's missing? I don't know, I haven't seen her today. Is it Marco? If it is, you better make him pay!" she shouted.

"Yeah, but right now let's just check if she's anywhere in the mansion" I said.

"Okay, I'll help you look for her" she said, running out with me.

"I'll check the main lounge, you check the outside" she said, running off.

I quickly ran outside to the backyard, I searched everywhere but I couldn't find her anywhere. This is when I started to worry, I knew that if Marco got her, she's in real danger.

"Have you found her?" I asked, one of the men searching.

"No, no one has yet. But I'm sure we'll find her" he replied.

"Yeah, I hope so" I said, walking away.

After half an hour searching for her, I sent everyone to the main lounge for a meeting. I could hear whispering about where Ella could be, such as "Did Marco get her?" "Could she have escaped?"

I quickly silenced everyone, "Silenzio!" my voice echoed through the room, and everyone stopped talking and faced me. (Silence)

"We all know that Ella is missing, though we do not know if it is Marco's doing, but if it is he's going to wish he was never born for kidnapping my fiancé" I said, raising my voice.

"Have we searched everywhere though?" my sister asked.

"Did we?" I asked Alessandro, who is standing on my right side.

"Yes. But we didn't check the garden, but no one is allowed there, so I don't think she would go there" Alessandro replied.

"We're taking no chances. I'll go look for her there, everyone else stay here" I said.

"But Dante, you can't go out there; your past" he said.

"Yes, but I need to make sure that we're certain that she isn't in there" I said, walking off to the garden.

I made my way to the garden, I haven't been in this place ever since my mother left, we used to go out here every day, I was only four when she left. We used to come out here every day to hide from my father, and she would hold me in her arms, singing to me with her angelic voice, which I can barely remember what it sounds now, before father would find out and come down here and punish mother for it, he would hit her until she bled. I was forced to watch him beat her, he would say that it was to make me stronger, to make me able to kill people in the future without showing emotion, to them dying.

"Ella!" I called out, hoping for a response. But no one did respond, so I went farther into the garden.

"ELLA!" I called out again, yet this time raising my voice in anger. I was hoping she would respond so I don't have to make Marco wish he were never born.

I called out once last time, giving up, "ELLA!" I screamed this time. No response. I started making my way back inside, now realizing that Marco could actually have her.

"Dante!" she called. I quickly turned around.

"Ella?" I said, with wide eyes.

"Why are you screaming?" she asked, as if she didn't know that we were looking for her for half an hour now.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, with a raise in my voice, making her flinch.

"What?" she asked, with fear in her eyes.

"Let me make this clear with you, you are allowed everywhere this huge mansion, but if you step in here again, you won't see the end of it!" I yelled.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know" she said, with eyes ever so innocent.

"What are you even doing here?" I asked, walking towards her.

"I was bored and wanted to explore the place a bit more, and then I saw a huge gate that led me to this beautiful garden" she replied, holding out a flower, indicating for me to take it.

"Is that for me?" I asked. She nods.

I take the rose but instead of keeping it, I move closer towards her, grabbing her forearm, and placed the rose in her hair.

"No, it's for you" she said, pouting.

"It looks better on you, now let's go back" I said.

"Okay" she said, letting her self-free from my grip and running back inside and I followed right behind her.

Ella POV:



I ran back in, with Dante following me. I don't know why he doesn't allow me out in the garden though. Maybe I'll ask him later. I walk in the main lounge to see everyone standing there in silence. Suddenly Camilla runs up to me and pulls me into a tight hug. I pull back after a second of being in her embrace.



"Wait, what's going on?" I asked, with a confused look. Why did everyone look surprised to see me walk in.



"Dante?" I asked, turning around to face him.



"We all thought you went missing, because we couldn't find you" he replied.



"Why would you think I was missing?" I asked.



"Because we looked for you for half an hour, without finding you until I found you in the garden" Dante replied.



"But no one is allowed there and if they are, you'd punish them" a man said.



"P-punish?" I stuttered, taking a step back from Dante.



"I would never punish you or hurt you in any way" Dante said.



"You should see how worried Dante was about you" Camilla said abruptly.



"What?" I asked.



"It was so cute, he was so protective over you, and he was going to kill whoever took you from him" Camilla said. I look at Dante, as my cheeks flushed red.



"I was worried, because of Marco's promise, nothing more, nothing less. Now come on I need to talk to you about something important Ella" he said, taking his hand in mine and walking off.