His Light, Her Darkness

Chapter 46: The Daring Escape Pt. 3

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I whisper before Dante yanks on my arm, pulling me into the elevator, not allowing me the chance to object.

He presses one of the buttons instantly, though I'm unable to see which one as he blocks the way, and we both wait anxiously in silence until the door finally shuts. "Are you Katerina's spy?" I question.

I would never have thought Dante would go against Matteo, not in a million years. His loyalty appeared to be unbreakable... So why is he working against him, and with Matteo's sister of all people?

"Yes." Dante replies curtly as the elevator begins its descent.

"Why?" I query.

"It doesn't matter." He responds gruffly.

Something does not seem right. Surely Dante did not betray Matteo, I just can't wrap my head around it.

"Yes it does... If you betrayed Matteo, how am I supposed to trust you?"

Dante clenches his jaw and begins to crack his knuckles. "I didn't betray Matteo. My loyalty still lies with him."

"It doesn't appear that way." I laugh, turning towards him, trying to read to see if what he's saying is the truth.

"I never agreed with Matteo; taking you from your life. It was never my intention for him to bring you into our world. I'm the reason that you two were introduced in the first place, therefore I feel responsible for you, and what Matteo has done to you."

I bite the inside of my mouth. It had never occurred to me that Dante was also the reason that I was here. I had just assumed that Matteo was the reason that Dante had offered me the job interview in the first place. I hadn't actually thought that much into it at all.

"So that's why you're helping me escape? Because you feel guilty?"

"Yes." Dante confirms. "After I found out he had put you down in the cellar, I realised that I couldn't turn a blind eye. I... I am a bad person, I can't deny that, but I just couldn't stand by while you were wasting away upstairs."

I don't know what to say, or what to feel. Am I supposed to be grateful that he is helping me? Because I'm not. Not if he was part of the reason I am here in the first place.

Though, I'm relieved that he realises that what Matteo is doing is wrong. Does this mean that Matteo is maybe not as ad as he seems? Could he feel remorse towards the things he has done to me? Is that why he asked for my forgiveness?

Is that why I didn't hesitate to kiss him back?

Because a part of me believes that he is good? That he can be good?

Matteo asked for my forgiveness, and while I didn't explicitly give it to him... I never said I didn't forgive, only that I would never forget.

Do I forgive him? Will I ever? He tortured and kidnapped me, and yet... I kissed him. I kissed him, and as much as it is supposed to be wrong, as much as I should be repulsed. I am not. I don't feel anything. It was just a kiss... A kiss is a kiss, it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't have to mean anything.

And I shouldn't feel any guiltier about drugging him because we kissed. He was the one who kissed me in the first place, what did he expect?

I can only imagine how he will react in the morning when he discovers that I'm gone.

"So now what?" I ask. "You're going to take me to Katerina's, and then leave? Go back to Matteo, console him, help him look for me?"

Dante nods his head. "I'll do everything I can to help Matteo. He is my closest friend."