Chapter 6 Take My Punishment Here

Alessandro clamped his hand brutally around Lucia's waist. He did it with so much force that it felt as if he wanted to crush her bones. He lifted her off the ground and slammed her against the wall mercilessly. His other hand slid along the inside of her thigh. There was no sense of intimacy in his movement, only punishment and domination. Lucia's whole body jolted involuntarily. Her pale face became flushed in an instant. "No, Alessandro… Not here…" she begged through tears. Her palms were braced helplessly against the wall in a futile attempt to create distance. But his weight pressed harder against her. She cried, "Please, not in front of her…" "In front of her? You dare mention her?" he hissed, rage swirling in his eyes like a storm. "Since you enjoy being in this room so much, let her watch how you perform your duties as a toy." A sharp ripping sound followed. Lucia felt a chill below her waist. The thin lace fabric had been torn from her body and tossed onto the carpet roughly. Her eyes widened in terror, and she instinctively wanted to curl her body inwards. However, he forced her legs apart. "No—" Her scream broke off midway, disrupted by the sudden pain that shot through her. Alessandro thrust into her, not caring if her body was ready or not. The tearing ache made Lucia's vision blur. Her fingernails dug deep grooves in the wallpaper. She was forced to look at the photos on the wall. Tears clouded her sight. The portraits of Elena seemed to sway. Her gentle smile twisted into something eerie. It seemed as though she was silently judging the humiliation unfolding beneath her. Every impact behind her carried a vicious release. Alessandro hated the woman bearing his fury. He hated the face that resembled Elena's. Above all, he hated the witty glint in her eyes earlier that afternoon. She was so vivid and alive that it almost had him fooled for a second that his Elena had returned. But she was not Elena. She was just a substitute. How dare she delude him for that brief moment? How dare she enter the sanctuary meant only for him and Elena? "Speak!" he snarled while driving himself into her even more forcefully. "What are you? Tell me what you are!" Lucia was so overwhelmed with pain that she could hardly speak. Tears mixed with sweat and dripped from her chin. "I'm… Lucia…" she whimpered brokenly, clinging to the final shred of her dignity. "Wrong!" Alessandro roared. His hand closed around her throat, and his grip gradually tightened. The lack of air made Lucia panic. She opened her mouth wide to gasp for air, but all she managed to do was produce choked, garbled sobs. He whispered coldly against her ear, "Punishment time." As his words fell, he resumed without mercy. Lucia felt like her soul was wrenched away from her body. After a long time, Alessandro finally let out a suppressed groan and released all of his pent-up desires inside her. He didn't withdraw immediately. Instead, his chest rose and fell rapidly as he leaned against her. But now, the burning warmth on Lucia's back no longer stirred even the faintest reaction in her. Finally, he pulled away indifferently. With nothing supporting her, Lucia slid down the wall and collapsed onto the carpet. Pain coursed through her, and the sticky discomfort between her thighs made her feel nauseous. Alessandro buttoned his shirt with calm, deliberate movements. Still facing away from her, he reached up and touched one of Elena's photos with a soft, reverent stroke. The tenderness in that gesture contrasted grotesquely with the violence he had inflicted moments before. Lucia watched him silently. No matter what she did, and no matter how desperately she tried to exist as herself, she would always be a substitute in his eyes. Whenever she displayed even the faintest trace of individuality, he crushed it without mercy. When Alessandro was done adjusting his clothes, he looked down at her. His gaze swept over her tear-streaked face and bruised, exposed skin. There wasn't even one trace of pity in his icy stare. "Clean yourself up!" he barked at her before walking out. The heavy slam of the door made the photos on the wall shake slightly. Lucia braced herself against the ground and sat up. Every movement was accompanied by a tearing sensation. She picked up the torn lace underwear from the floor and clenched it in her fist. Lifting her head, she looked once more at the countless Elenas in the room. In every photo, she smiled so sweetly and innocently. "You win. He's yours… He always has been," Lucia whispered hoarsely and almost inaudibly. Her heart felt hollow. Whatever sorrow or bitterness that had once existed in there had been silenced and turned into nothingness. Lucia took a long breath and stood up, enduring the ache. She threw the torn underwear into the trash and smoothed her skirt stoically to cover up the mess on her body. If she couldn't be his lover or even someone worthy of respect, then she would be the perfect, soulless substitute he wanted her to be.