Prisioner In Your Arms

Bruno said, getting up from the armchair where he had been sitting. Perhaps it was the strength of the liquor that allowed him to react. He looked out the window, and Nicole was still out on the terrace. He approached her and embraced her, and they stood there, silently holding each other.

They were interrupted by Mara and René, who arrived shortly after. Nicole’s parents also arrived, and they all gathered in the living room, simply looking at each other.

“What can we do? I feel like I’m wasting time here. I’m leaving for Italy right now. I didn’t want to leave Nicole; I wanted to be by her side throughout the process. Leandro offered to search for him so that I could stay with her. Knowing that Santi was no longer in Sergio’s hands gave me some peace of mind, but now my son’s life is once again in the hands of that monster,” Bruno said.

“We’re deeply sorry for what happened to Deborah,” Noah said. Despite having abandoned Bruno, she was still his mother.

Bruno responded with a nod. He didn’t know why Deborah’s death hurt him. She had never shown the slightest bit of affection for him, at the very least.

“I’ll make a call to have the jet ready. I’ll leave as soon as they notify me that I can board,” Bruno said with infinite sadness. It pained him to leave Nicole; he wanted to be by her side and protect her.

“I’m going with you. I refuse to stay here in this uncertainty, and I’m not asking if I can do it; I’m telling you that I will go,” Nicole said, on the verge of tears. She knew that she might not return from this trip.

“No way, I won’t put you at risk.”

“If I don’t go with you, I’ll take a commercial flight. It’s up to you.”

“Absolutely not, Nicole. It’s too dangerous, and I won’t allow it.”

“And what will you do to stop me? Lock me up, perhaps?” Bruno was hurt by her words. He lowered his head and fell silent, feeling ashamed as he remembered the past.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

“I’ll go upstairs to pack the luggage,” he said.

Sara, Rina, and Emma followed her to help. Her belly was truly large now.

“We’ll go with you,” René insisted. He wouldn’t allow them to go alone.

“Me too,” added Dante.

“No, I appreciate it, brother, but you must stay by your wife and daughter. We can’t risk all of us falling into the hands of that heartless man. This way, you can stay vigilant and search for us if anything happens,” Bruno explained.

Dante felt saddened, but his brother was right. Deep down, Sophie was relieved that he wouldn’t take that risk.

“We’ll go too. We won’t leave our daughter alone. This way, Emma can stay with Nicole while we search for Santi,” Noah said.

“We’ll go too. Our place is by your side, supporting you,” Gío added.

Bruno was grateful to have such a family. He knew that René, Noah, and Gío had been searching for Santi. They had hired several investigators, though without any results.

“I truly appreciate your support. Without you, I would have gone insane,” Bruno expressed.

“We’ll go get our luggage, son. We’ll see you at the hangar in an hour and a half,” René said.

The others said the same, and when Emma and Rina came downstairs, they quickly left to be on time.

“My dear, I would like to go with you,” Sara said.

“No, nana, I appreciate it, but I want you to support Sophie. She’ll be nervous if she’s left alone. Dante will have to be at the office,” Nicole replied.

“Alright, I’ll do it, but promise me you’ll take care of yourself.”

“I promise.” Nicole hugged Sara. She was like a mother to her, always there when she needed her. She knew that if Sara accompanied her, she wouldn’t be able to do whatever Sergio asked of her, as Sara wouldn’t leave her alone for a single moment.

“Let’s go. Our parents will meet us at the hangar.”

Nicole could tell from his tone of voice that he was upset, and he had every right to be. She should be resting due to her advanced pregnancy. Dante and Sophie approached them.

“Little one, take good care of yourself. You know I love you like the sister I never had. Please stay in touch,” Dante said.

“I will, don’t worry. And in case anything happens, I ask that you take care of my son and try to ensure he grows up always connected to Danna.”

“Hey, sister-in-law, don’t say that. It sounds like you’re bidding farewell for good. Let’s stay positive and hope they catch Sergio soon.”

“I hope so too, that man should be behind bars soon.”

“It would be better if he were dead soon,” Bruno said, clenching his fists. Nicole’s farewell to Sophie had made him uneasy. Did she have a sense that something would happen to her? A terrible chill ran down his spine at the thought.

“Brother, take care of yourselves, keep me informed at all times, because if you don’t, you’ll find me without nails and without a single hair when you arrive.”

They couldn’t help but laugh at Dante’s remark. Shortly after, the couple headed towards the airport. They didn’t speak on the way. Nicole chose to remain silent because she knew he was still upset.

When they arrived at the hangar, the others were already there. They boarded the plane, and for a while, everyone remained silent, lost in their thoughts.

They didn’t know if they would find Santi. He had been in the hands of his captors for too long. The boy must have suffered severe psychological damage by now. Nicole got up and sat next to Bruno, who had been keeping his distance.

“I know you’re upset, and I truly apologize, but I couldn’t stay behind and be far away from you. I’m pregnant, but that doesn’t mean I’m useless.”

“I understand your point of view, Nicole, but please understand me too. We have already lost one child, and another one is kidnapped. It’s only natural that I want to protect the one you carry in your womb. If only you had listened to me and not insisted on going to the office, our daughter would be with us.”

Nicole froze upon hearing his words. What he said indicated that he had been blaming her all this time, and the worst part was that she still couldn’t remember anything about it. Sophie had told her about what had happened and what Alizza had done. So why was Bruno still insisting on blaming her? She remained silent, got up, and sat far away from him.

He reflected on what he had done. Now, he got up and sat beside her.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I said, but if something were to happen to you or our baby, I wouldn’t be able to bear it.” He took her hand and planted a tender kiss on it. She kissed him at that moment, wanting to imprint the taste of his kisses in her memory. She felt like her chest would explode at any moment.

She wanted to tell him what was happening, but she was afraid. Sergio was capable of carrying out his threat and sending her son in pieces.

Bruno could sense her sadness, and he knew it was normal for her to feel that way, but something inside him told him that something else was going on.

“Nicole, you know you can tell me anything. If something is happening, please let me know.” Nicole became very nervous and tried to hide it.

“There’s nothing more than what you already know. Knowing that our son is in the hands of a deranged man and that we haven’t been able to do anything is driving me crazy.”

“I know, and I understand. I feel the same way, but my heart tells me there’s something more.”

“You’re being paranoid, believe me, I am too, but I’m trying to control myself.”

Bruno remained silent. Perhaps that was it. After everything they had been through, he was seeing things that weren’t there.

Upon arriving in Milan, Leandro greeted them at the airport. As soon as they got off the plane, he approached Nicole and greeted her warmly.

“You look beautiful. Seeing you like this reminded me of when you were pregnant with Santi.”

Nicole only gave him a smile. She didn’t remember those moments. For her, it was as if it were the first time she was pregnant.

Bruno called Leandro.

“Nicole insisted on coming. I couldn’t make her understand that she needs to take care of herself because our baby is still a month and a half away from being born.”

“She can be quite stubborn when she sets her mind to it. Don’t worry, there’s enough surveillance at the house. It’s better for us to stay together, as it will be more difficult for him to attack us. I know he will do it sooner or later. I know my father well. Perhaps he’s keeping an eye on us at this very moment.”

“Forgive me for what I’m about to say, but your father is a son of a b***h.”

“Believe it or not, I know.”

They got into the waiting vans and headed towards Leandro’s house.

Upon arrival, Nicole felt that the place was familiar.

“Have I been here before?” she asked Leandro.

“No, it must be because it’s decorated in the same style as the house in Naples. The design is even similar.”

“Did I visit your house in Naples?”

She asked, intrigued.

“That’s where we lived for a few years,” Leandro replied.

Nicole remained silent. In the living room, she noticed a photograph placed in a small frame on a piece of furniture. There she was, Leandro embracing her with one arm, while holding Santi with the other. The three of them were smiling, and they looked happy. Bruno approached her as she stood in front of that photograph. Seeing the image saddened him; he didn’t have a photo like that with them. It was a picture of a family.

“Someday, you’ll remember,” Leandro said, his voice filled with sadness. “During that time, we were very happy.”

Nicole contemplated the photo, and a feeling of longing and nostalgia washed over her.

“I think that if they’re siblings, they’ll always be a family,” she mused.

No matter how hard Bruno tried, he couldn’t control his bad temper. It bothered him to see that she was happy with Leandro, while he didn’t know if he would ever experience that happiness. There always seemed to be something preventing it.