19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

-Alison-

To my astonishment, both Louis and I promptly received medical attention, though not extensive. Pain relief was not provided, and we were both confined to the same room, with Louis tied to the bed and myself to a chair. Assurances were given that our injuries would heal, and Louis, conscious and speaking, appeared to be on the path to recovery.

However, his gaze remained fixed on me, a silent but intense glare that I chose to ignore, directing my attention instead to the doors ahead. Despite our circumstances, his parents had not yet visited. Only a doctor had been granted entry to the heavily guarded room, and he had since departed.

"Stop staring at me," I finally snapped, turning to face him.

He offered no response, his gaze unwavering, prompting me to return his stare with equal intensity. We maintained this silent standoff until the sound of approaching footsteps disrupted the tense atmosphere. The doors swung open, revealing an older couple entering, followed by the brothers I had encountered previously.

Louis shifted his gaze to his parents, meeting their disapproving looks before they turned their attention to me.

"You must be Alison," the man said, breaking the silence.

I remained silent.

"Dominic," he introduced himself. "You've already had the pleasure of meeting my youngest son."

He gestured toward Louis, and I shot a glare at the man on the bed. "Sure, let's call it a pleasure," I replied dryly.

Dominic chuckled slightly, then proceeded further into the room toward me. His sons and wife gravitated toward Louis, who appeared uneasy about being in their presence. It was evident that an old feud still lingered between them.

"So, Alison," Dominic began, "is the state of your face thanks to my son?"

"And what if it was?" I countered.

"Just say yes or no."

"And if I say maybe?"

He smiled. "You certainly have your husband's sense of humor."

"Actually, I'm funnier," I asserted.

"Answer," Dominic demanded, dropping the pretense of civility.

"He didn't like that I helped his daughter escape," I snapped.

"I see."

Dominic turned to glance over his shoulder at his eldest son. The brother reached out, gripping Louis's collar before delivering a series of blows to his face. I let out a shocked gasp, staring in disbelief at the scene before meeting Dominic's gaze.

"How many times did he hit you?" Dominic inquired.

"Um… I don't remember," I whispered.

"Could you move afterward?"

"Not really."

Dominic nodded to his oldest son, and then he didn't hold back on Louis, delivering repeated blows. His other brothers joined in, throwing a few punches themselves, though I doubted it had anything to do with me. Only when Dominic instructed them to stop did they cease, leaving me staring up at him in disbelief. I glanced at Louis, who lay on the bed, coughing, blood streaming from multiple wounds on his face.

"There, now you're even," Dominic declared.

"Am I supposed to thank you?" I whispered.

"I didn't raise my sons to be wife-beaters, or wife-murderers, for that matter," he clarified with a smile, causing a nervous gulp to escape me.

"Well, I'm not his wife."

"He certainly treated you as if you were," he remarked, eyeing my ruined attire. Dominic reached out, touching the broken strap. "Did he do more than just beat you?"

I glanced away, not wanting to discuss it. Thankfully, they had intervened before things escalated further, but the disgust still lingered within me.

"If you'd like, I can arrange for a full checkup for you," Dominic offered.

"And why would you want to do that?" I asked.

"I have nothing against you, Alison. It's Jared I have a problem with now."

"If you have a problem with Jared, you have a problem with me."

"Very loyal indeed."

"Yes, your son thought the same thing, which is why he wanted me close," I retorted.

"We're aware of Mila's transgression."

"But you didn't care," I countered.

"If he hadn't been so violent with her, he could have made her happy. Mila's decision stemmed from her fear of my son, and in that regard, I failed her," Dominic explained, revealing his own interpretation of familial loyalty. But I shook my head.

"Don't pretend you considered her family. I know why she mattered to you," I retorted.

"Oh?"

"And why you desire Julia, but you'll never have her. For once, I hope Jared chooses someone other than me. She deserves a chance at a good life!" I exclaimed.

"We can provide that," Dominic interjected.

"You'll do the same thing as your son—keep her in a gilded cage. But a cage remains a cage!" I shouted. "She's just a little girl! She's even undersized for her age, a clear sign she hasn't been properly cared for. She's lost her mother, her father, and been treated like an animal in that room. I don't believe for a second that you'll truly care for her. She's just a means to an end for your family."

"That's not true," Dominic countered. "We liked Mila. She was a kind woman, and though Julia isn't our blood, I consider her family. The least we can do for Mila is look after her daughter, and we will."

"You'll never get your hands on her. She'd suffer here," I declared, turning away from Dominic.

"And if we don't get Julia, I'm sure you know what will happen to you. You only hold value as long as Jared is willing to go to extreme lengths for you. But if he chooses Julia over you, I'll send your pretty head to him, just as he promised to send me parts of all my sons," Dominic informed me, his voice taking on a more menacing tone, sending shivers down my spine, though I fought not to show any fear.

"Do you hear me?" he inquired.

"I hear you, but I can't control Jared."

"That's where you're wrong. He's also loyal to you and absolutely obsessed. Everyone knows your twisted dynamic. Over the years, others have tried to get close to you, and the lengths Jared has gone to in order to protect you—what he did to all the wolves before marrying you—everyone still talks about it, fearing to cross him."

"Yet your son was foolish enough to defy him," I spat.

"You're correct. I do find him foolish for doing so. He let me down long ago when he couldn't satisfy his wife," Dominic said, surprising me with his candor, but it was evident he held deep respect for his own spouse. Clearly, it was a quality he had hoped to instill in all his sons. Yet he had only succeeded with four out of five.

"Then why didn't you help Jared?"

"We did. We struck a deal. Julia for you."

"What?" I inquired, incredulous.

"We helped Jared get inside, and in return, he would bring us Julia," Dominic informed me.

"Why didn't you retrieve her yourselves if you could infiltrate?"

"Because my son has been dangling her life over us, threatening to kill her like her mother. We didn't want to risk it."

"Because she's not yet an adult," I taunted. "You just need her alive until she turns 18."

"21, in fact."

"What?" I questioned.

"The will stipulates she can't inherit until she's 21," Dominic revealed.

I felt a surge of confusion, then realization dawned. "Mila wanted to give her a longer life."

"As long as she's with us, Julia will be safe."

"Said the crocodile to the rabbit," I mocked.

"No, we will take care of her and provide her with a proper life—education, a family, other children to play with—a home."

"Yeah? Is that what you call it when people only want one thing from you?"

"So what if we want something in return? That's what family does for you," he stated.

I shook my head. "That girl deserves genuine love. From a parent. A real life. She isn't a weapon or a credit card," I snapped.

"She is our family. We decide what's best for her. She doesn't need you to determine that, Alison."

I glared at him, then huffed and turned away.

"I want you to talk to Jared," he said.

"What?" I asked, perplexed, as Dominic pulled out his phone.

"Talk to him. Ask him to exchange Julia for you."

"No."

"Alison, the man would move mountains for you if he could. Just tell him to bring Julia," he urged. "Then we release you the moment we have her."

"Yeah, I believe that," I spat.

Dominic pushed his phone closer to me, but I looked away, refusing to speak. Dominic sighed.

"Maybe another night here with Louis might change your mind," he suggested. "We'll come back in the morning to discuss it."

Dominic stowed away his phone, then gestured for his family to follow him. I watched them depart before turning to look at Louis. He was still bleeding and unconscious on the bed, but he was breathing. I wondered for how much longer. Despite Dominic's rhetoric about loyalty and family, it was clear he harbored a deep disdain for Louis. Would he even survive until morning?