A/N: 4th update in a day- yeah this is my hyperactivity and impulsivity showing. 

《Selena Arabella Calos》

I blink against the sunlight streaming through the windows, pull the covers over my head and groan. Who doesn't put curtains in a room?

"What time is it?" I ask when I feel the bed sink down beside me.

"Eight-thirty," Daniel replies making me sit up and look at him in shock.

"I slept for eight hours?" I ask him, incredulous.

"Hmm." He pulls me into his arms. "It seems that getting you off had another advantage as well- I have never seem you sleep so peacefully."

My cheeks flush in embarrassment at his comment and I bury my face in his chest making him chuckle.

"I hate you," I mutter as he runs his hand up and down my hair.

His lips brush my ear. "You didn't seem to share the same sentiments last night when you agreed to marry me or when you were begging me to-."

"Okay! I get it," I say before he can finish, my cheeks warm up even more. He laughs again. "I need to go home and get changed, I have to be at work soon," I say before he can continue teasing me.

"No, you don't," Daniel says and I look up at him. He doesn't look nearly half as amused as he was a second ago. 

"Yes, I do. I have a lot of meetings today and I'm already late."

"I talked to your parents and we agreed that considering the events of last night, you should not go to work for some days."

"My parents agreed to that?" I ask him and he nods. Are they okay? They never let me off of work even when I am really sick. Daniel must have said something to them to make them agree. "I still need my clothes."

"You are wearing clothes right now."

"I don't think that wearing your shirt is the appropriate attire."

"For what? You're not stepping out of this room."

I blink. "What do you mean?"

Daniel sighs in exasperation, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "You are going to stay in this room for as long as we are here."

"Why?"

"Because I fucking said so," he snaps at me, getting up from bed. Why in the world is he suddenly so angry? His mercurial temperament is honestly so exhausting sometimes.

I narrow my eyes at him. "And do you think that just because you told me to do something, I'll listen?"

He gives me a dark look. "Step out of this room, Selena, I fucking dare you."

I grit my teeth in anger and get up from bed, walking towards the door. I just takes a few steps before Daniel grabs my arm and throws me back onto the bed. When I try to get up, he climbs on top of me pinning my arms to my side.

"What?" I practically scream at him and his eyes flash with anger. 

"You will learn to obey me, one way or another," he says, his voice harsh and cold but quiet. I try to break free from his hold, but I'm not strong enough to do so.

"I'm a human not a dog," I retort and a muscle in his jaw ticks. He loosens his grip on me and I try to get up, but before I can, he slips his shirt off of me. I stare at him wide-eyed as he moves away from me.

"Do you still want to go out?" He asks me, mockingly.

I grit my teeth, staying quiet. Of course, I don't. I am practically naked.

He turns on his heels and walks out of the room, leaving me fuming.

Who does he think he is?

A second later, I hear the click of the door looking.

What the hell?

I get up, pick up the glass from the side table and hurl it at the door. I scream, letting all the anger and frustration out as the glass shatters against the door.

-

586.

I hit my lamp against the window again.

587.

I take a deep breath and hit the lamp against the window again. I sigh as it finally breaks. The lamp not the window.

God-bloody-dammit.

At least it lasted longer than the previous one. I throw the lamp aside and eye the last lamp left I'm the room. I have already wasted two lamps on the window. The bullet proof window. I know this is a mafia safehouse, but why in the world does it need bulletproof windows? Who in the world would be idiotic enough to try and break into this place?

My eyes shift to the door when I hear it open. Aulina, the housekeeper, comes into the room with her cleaning supplies and sighs when she looks at the mess.

"At least think about my old age before making all this mess, bambina," Aulina chides, locking the room behind her.

"I'm sorry," I say, genuinely feeling guilty. I did not think about her while planning my escape. "I'll help you clean."

"No. You are very fragile because you have not been eating properly, I don't want you to get hurt."

"I wish Daniel cared about that," I mutter and Aulina narrows her eyes at me.

"How can you think he does not care when he comes to your room everyday to force feed you? I have never known a don to act that way or be so kind, even to their beloved."

"He's keeping me locked in here," I say in my defense.

"For your protection, child!" She says in exasperation.

"I feel like I'm being held captive!" I shout. "I feel like I'm back..."

My voice breaks and I turn away from her as my eyes start to water. I feel like I'm back I'm that place. Even though nothing has happened to me here, I can't help but feel that way. They locked me in a room for almost a month, not allowing me to see the outside world. Even though this room is a lot bigger and luxurious and has a window, I can't get out of it. I hate feeling trapped.

"Did you tell Ace how you feel?" Aulina asks me, her voice suddenly soft.

"He should already know." He was there with me, how can he not know how locking me up is affecting me?

"Relationships do not work if you do not communicate with each other, bambina."

"Go tell that to him."

"I cannot do that. He is the don, there is only so much I can say to him without getting in trouble."

I sit on the window sill and rest my warm cheek against the cool window. I trace the raindrop running down the window with my hand. I love the rain as much as I love sunny weather. I love walking and dancing in the rain- it makes me feel like a kid again. I feel even more trapped every time I watch it rain outside, knowing I can't enjoy it as I want to.

"Ace told me to give this to you," Aulina says after she is done cleaning the room. I turn to see her holding out a white shirt for me.

"Is he not coming today?" I ask her, taking the shirt from her. Daniel brings me a new shirt of his to wear everyday when he visits at night for dinner.

"He will be late today. He is... occupied."

My mouth turns sour upon hearing his word. When Aulina says Daniel is occupied, he is mostly killing or torturing people.

"I see," I reply shortly, taking the shirt from her.

Aulina runs her hand through her hair, fixing the Bobby pin that's handing down the side.

Bobby pin. Oh my Lord. Bobby pin. Why did I not think about that before?

"Aulina, can I ask you for something?" I ask her, trying not to sound suspicious.

She smiles at me. "Anything, bambina."

"Can I have a few Bobby pins?"

She raises her eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm bored and I want to try a new hairstyle but I can't do it without the pins."

She smiles at me again, not suspecting anything and I almost sigh in relief. "Of course. Let me go and get them."

-

Rafael taught me and Alessandro the art of picking locks using Bobby pins when we were fourteen. Alessandro and I wanted to go to a concert but our parents did not allow us to and locked us in my father's office so we would not be able to sneak out. But they made a mistake when they left Rafael as our chaperon. Instead of keeping us in the room, he taught us how to break out of one using Bobby pins- which he always kept in his pockets as a backup.

As I sit kneel in front of the door, I recall his words.

"Just because someone tell you to do something, you don't do it. If someone locks you up, you don't just accept it- you escape. No one has the right to lock you up- not unless you do dumb shit and deserve to be locked up. Picking a lock is an art and there are many ways to do it, but the most convenient way is using Bobby pins, because chances are you will always have them. If you don't, learn to always keep them with you- they have many purposes other than pinning up your hair. You can pick a lock with them, defend yourself with them and even kill someone with them if you know how to."

I take one Bobby pin and remove the rounded tip from the straight side using my finger nails, before pulling it apart and straightening it. I, then, put the straight end of the bobby pin about a centimeter into the keyhole and apply some pressure so that the end of the pin bends into a hook.

Sighing in relief that I got it right the first time, I put the hooked Bobby pin on the ground and pick up another one, insert the closed end an inch into the keyhole and apply some pressure on the bobby pin until I bend it 90° so it makes an L shape.

"The next step is one of the most important ones, fuck it up and you won't get out of the room. If you do not apply enough pressure, the lock will not open and if you apply too much pressure...well it will just make it so much harder to open the lock. I suggest start with minimum pressure in the direction the lock opens and increasing the pressure ever so slightly until you feel the lock move slightly or hear a small click."

Using the L-shaped Bobby pin, I apply slight tension in the direction the lock opens until I a small click from the lock.

"Now comes maybe the hardest part- determining binding order and setting the pins according to the binding order. Using your hooked Bobby pin, lift each pin slightly. The pin that will be the hardest to lift is your first binding pin. Lift that pin under there is a slight rotation then repeat for the other pins."

I follow Rafael's directions until the plug has fully rotated. I grin as I open the door and step outside without thinking.

Which I realise was a big mistake as soon as I see Stefan walking through the corridor. His head whips around to look at me and I stand in front of the door as still as possible, wishing I had the power to be invisible.

"How-" He says, incredulous, then shakes his head. "You are n-"

"Please," I whisper in desperation. I need to somehow convince him let me out of here but I know I can't. I need to lie to him as much as I wish I did not- after all he got shot trying to protect me and Daniel, he deserves better. "Don't lock me back in or tell Daniel. I needed to get out- I felt so trapped. I promise I won't go out of the house."

Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar.

Stefan stares at me for a moment then turns his head and starts walking. "I was never here."

I sigh in relief. Thank God.

I look up and down the corridor to make sure no one else is coming before I start running in the direction I remember the front door to be in.

-

I duck into a corridor when I reach the entrance, hiding from the group of people standing and talking there. Why are they standing there? There are hundreds of other places in this house where they can talk and yet they chose the one place I can escape from.

I sigh after a few minutes, realising that they are not going to move any time soon and start walking down the corridor I hid in. Almost every room, apart from the room at the end of the corridor, has its door closed. I cautiously walk to the room and peak into the room.

Oh my Lord. It's a bloodbath inside- there are three people on the floor looking pale and lifeless. And a fourth one tied to a chair who almost looks that way. Standing beside him is Leopoldo, Daniel's grandfather. I put my hand on my mouth to make sure I don't make a sound. Who are these people? What did they do to deserve to die? Did they even do anything or are they innocent? I would not be surprised if they were innocent.

"I expected Alessi's men to last longer than this," Leopoldo says, disappointed evident in his voice.

Alessi. Antonio Alessi. It cannot be a coincidence that Leopoldo just said his surname- especially after Daniel told me to kill him if I ever saw him again. Who in the world is Antonio Alessi? Is he in the mafia too? He might be if these are indeed his "men".

"Or maybe I'm just that good," Daniel says and I take a sharp breath. Oh my Lord. Daniel did this. I have known who he is for a while now but for some reason my mind is having difficulty actually believing that he did this. And he sounds so casual- like he's talking about a game instead of killing people.

Leopoldo's eyes narrow in the direction I'm assuming Daniel is. "Or-"

"Can you both please stop fighting for five minutes?" Someone, who I am pretty sure is Bianca, interrupts Leopoldo. "You are giving me a headache."

"We would not be here if Ace had not slept with the Russo girl," Leopoldo retorts.

My eyes widen at his comment. What does all this have to do her? I know who she is. Daniel has told me a lot about her. She's his best friend and his ex-partner. She's the girl I saw him with when we met at the café.

"The Russo girl's name is Stella," Daniel snaps. "And I slept with her long before she was Alessi's wife."

I blink in surprise. Daniel's ex is Antonio Alessi's wife. God, it makes more sense now. He talked to me to get to Daniel, because he does not like that Daniel had a relationship with his wife. And when Daniel did not go after him at the gala... it must be him. He must be the one who attacked us that night.

"We have not found Marcello yet and now we have Alessi to deal with too," Leopoldo says.

"Marcello is my problem. I am not using any of your men to find him so why the fuck do you care?"

"When he came after my heir, he became my problem." The man tied to a chair groans before Daniel can reply and Leopoldo rolls his eyes. "Now that we have established he has nothing else to offer, why are you not putting him out of his misery?"

Daniel walks towards the man and my eyes widen when I see him. His hands and clothes are covered with blood but he doesn't look the least bit bothered. "I was not sure how I wanted to put him to die."

"Have you decided yet?" Leopoldo asks, sounding bored.

Daniel glances at his grandfather, as he pulls put his gun from the waistband of his pants. "Yes," he says as he puts a bullet through the tied man's head.

I cover my mouth tighter so I don't scream. Oh my Lord. Oh my Lord. He just killed another person. And he doesn't seem to care that he did.

"When is Alessi going to stop with this idiocy? He knows he cannot win a war against us, so why is he bothering?" Bianca asks in exasperation. I did not expect this from her- to stand and watch as her family kills people. She's a doctor for heaven's sake. Her job is saving people, not killing them.

"Pride," Daniel replies. "He does not like that someone took what he wanted to claim as his."

"That is just dumb."

"Is it?" Leopoldo asks Bianca. "Do you think Ace would do any different?"

Bianca stays quiet. So does Daniel.

My eyes start to water. I've known who he is for such a long time so why am I crying about it now?

"That's besides the point," Daniel says. "Alessi is going to give up soon. If he does not-"

I look up to see the reason for Daniel stopping only to find him staring at me- wide-eyed as if he can't believe I'm standing here. Of course he cannot, he locked me in a bloody room.

My heart hammers in my chest as my eyes widen. I back away from the door and run down the corridor, turning in the direction opposite the main door at the end of it. I can hear running behind me and I don't have to look to know who it is. Daniel.

I can hear his footsteps getting close to me so I turn and quickly dash into a room.

It's a library. Who has a library on the ground floor? Libraries are supposed to be on the first or second floors.

I shake my head, trying to focus my thoughts on getting away from Daniel as I run through the room and hide behind the shelf furthest from the door.

I hear the library door open and the sound of heavy breathing.

"I know you are here, Selena," Daniel says but I remain quiet. I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to see him. I don't even want to be close to him right now. "For fucks sake, Selena, stop being so childish and come here. Right now!"

I stay frozen in my position. A few moments later, he rounds the corner and looks at me. For the first few seconds he looks worried but soon his eyes harden and he glares at me.

"How the fuck did you get out of the room?" He growls, taking a step closer to me. I look around, having no where to run to, and with my back already against the wall I can't put more distance between us either. "Answer the fucking question."

I take a deep breath. "Bobby pins."

A look of surprise crosses his face before he goes back to looking angry. "Where did you learn that?"

"Raf." His glare intensifies as he takes another step closer. "Don't!" I shout at him.

"Don't what?"

"Don't come close to me!" The closer he gets the more blood I can see on him- and I'm pretty sure none of it is his.

"You did not listen to me, so why should I listen to you?" He closes the distance between us. "Why did you leave your room, especially when I told you otherwise multiple times?"

I consider lying to him. To tell him that it's because he has no right to lock me up. But I can't. I need to listen to Aulina.

"I felt trapped there," I say, my voice breaking and a new tears start running down my face.

Daniel's face softens when he realises what I mean. "I did not even think- Jesus, Selena, why didn't you tell me before?"

"I thought you wouldn't care," I admit and he flinches as if I just hit him.

"I love you. Of course I would have cared," he says, bringing his hand to my face but I slap it away.

"You can't touch me when you are covered in someone's blood," I spit out, my voice sounding harsh even to my own ears. I should not have said it like that.

Daniel pulls his hand away like he's been shocked and stares at me impassively. "You've known who I am for a long time, so why do you suddenly look angry about it? Like it is some secret I have been hiding from you?"

I am not angry. I'm just shocked. I've never seen you kill someone before. I just need a bit of time to accept what I saw.

"Knowing someone is a murder and seeing them in action are two very different things," I say, instantly regretting the words but I cannot stop myself: "I can now see why Lucien Marcello choose you. You are exactly like him."

Daniel's jaw clenches. I should not have said that. I was wrong to say that. Daniel does not deserve to be compared to Lucien after everything Daniel has been through.

"I could say the same," Daniel spits out, his eyes blazing.

I blink. "What do you mean?"

"I had heard you were a whore- I never thought it was true, but seeing as how you are roaming these halls, almost naked, I guess-"

I grit my teeth and I raise my hand with all the intentions of slapping him, but he grabs my hand and pulls me closer to himself.

"I have given you the freedom to do a lot of things, sweetheart, slapping me is not one of them," Daniel growls at me.

"Let go of my hand."

"No."

Both of us glare at each other in silence- neither willing to back down first. I should be the one to back down first because I started our fight, I provoked him and as sorry as I feel for that, I did not deserve what he called me.

Daniel's eyes shift to my lips for less than a second but its enough to change something between us. It's enough for all the anger between us to be replaced by lust. 

"Let go of my hand," I repeat, breathlessly, but this time my voice is different- quieter and  unconvincing. 

He looks into my eyes again, leans in and brushes my lips with his. "No."

I close my eyes, not wanting to look at the expression on his face because I know I am going to give in if I do. I should not be attracted to him right now. I should not want to kiss him right now. Not minutes after he called me a whore. Not when he is covered in Lord knows how many peoples blood.

Before I can think about it anymore, his lips are on mine and I temporarily forget everything.

-

A/N

I was so excited to write the part about picking locks. As weird as it may seem, I learned how to pick locks as a part of a course in university. So I had a project (for Mechanics, the only good physics course I ever took in uni), in which we had to pick a random everyday object and describe how it works (in terms of physics). I choose locks and that's how I learned how to pick locks.

Other than that this was a lowkey sad chapter.

Still hope you enjoyed x