"Madame?" Anastasia could hear the faint voice calling. Her eyelids fluttered slowly, trying to open, but it felt like a struggle. Her whole body felt tired, weak and unable to move.
Her lips were trembling, and she could feel the droplets of sweat on her skin, yet she was cold. When she finally managed to open her eyes, Raquel was standing there, beside the bed, staring at her with pity.
Anastasia tried to sit up, the throbbing ache all over her body couldn't let her. She winced, closing her eyes again.
"Raquel," she whispered, barely audible. Raquel settled on the bed beside her and took her hand.
"You're unwell, the doctor is here to check your health," Raquel told her.
She opened her eyes again and that's when she saw the doctor standing on the other side of the bed.
A man in his fifties, with glasses lifted on the bridge of his nose.
"Hola, Madame," the doctor greeted. She shut her eyes closed again as the doctor examined her.
He took permission to draw blood for some tests. "You have a fever, and you're fatigued and malnourished, you haven't been eating?" The doctor said, placing his tools back into the box. Anastasia didn't respond.
"Urhm, she hasn't eaten probably for a few days," Raquel responded. The doctor nodded.
"Well, she has to eat, take enough rest and take these medicines." He gave Raquel the bottle of pills. "I will run some tests to be safe."
"Gracias doctor," Raquel said after the doctor. She turned back to Anastasia, whose eyes were now open and staring back at her. "I will go bring you food," Raquel said, standing up to leave.
"Raquel" Anastasia called, her voice low. Raquel turned, anticipation itching her features. "Yes, Madame, do you want something?"
Anastasia winced as she shifted out of the pillow and rested her head on the board. "Can I..." She paused, her throat bobbed as she swallowed.
"Can I make use of your cellphone?" Raquel didn't respond, she just stared at her like a ghost, no expression.
"I will make you tea as well. It will help with the fever," she walked out of the bedroom. Anastasia knew what it was.
The fear of Matteo, the unspoken rule that she wasn't allowed to communicate with anyone back home.
He was ruthless, and they all feared him... and she did too.
Especially after he held her like that, staring into her eyes as he slowly snatched air from her lungs.
She was terrified of him, but she was trying not to admit it, because fear kills quicker than Matteo does and, no matter what, she needed to reach Lori and get out of the hell zone.
Raquel returned with a trolley of food, fruit bowl and all she thought she needed to get her to forget about the cellphone request.
She helped Anastasia sit up on the bed board and first served her the hot tea.
"This will stop the shivering," she said. Anastasia sipped quietly, ate as much as she could.
She had been neglecting her health since the whole facade of being Matteo's trophy wife. When she was done eating, Raquel gave her the pills and tucked her back into bed. As she was about to leave, Anastasia held her hand.
"Raquel, please," she whispered. Raquel looked at her, smiled politely.
"Do you need anything else, Madame?" She asked.
Anastasia nodded, let go of her hand and watched her ride the trolley out of the bedroom. She sighed, turned to stare outside at the terrace. Tears threatened, her heart heavy, but she was trying hard to hold everything together. Matteo wanted to break her, and she wasn't going to let him.
~~
ANTONIO SALVADOR'S PENTHOUSE
Antonio was in the hot tub in the balcony. His body soaked in the water, his head rested on the headrest as he scrolled through his phone.
He was scrolling through Anastasia's Instagram page, staring at her pictures lustfully.
He stopped, zoomed in on a picture. Anastasia in a red bikini under the sun by a poolside. He smirked, studied her like art that should be his.
"Matteo doesn't deserve any of this," he said. Rafa, one of his men who stood by watching him, chuckled. He thought about the kiss, about touching every part of her.
He stood up, stepped out of the tub, and took a tower from Rafa. He walked to the glass balustrade, stared at the city and ocean ahead before looking at the picture again.
"Everything he owns will eventually belong to me," his lips curved into a frown. "Territories, allies, money, respect..." He snickered. "Even his women always find their way to me."
He smirked at the image of Matteo's rage when he pulled Anastasia away from him at the party.
That dark fury he liked to see everytime he succeeded in infuriating Matteo. The thought of doing it all over again intoxicated him.
Anastasia was a gorgeous woman, even more she was Matteo's little wife.
What else would make him more furious than his enemy claiming his woman? Again.
Only that this time it was his wife, a woman with his name. He had already sent her roses and beautiful lingerie.
He knew they wouldn't get to her, but they were definitely going to have Matteo riled up. "She's going to be mine," he said.
"Boss, that woman is Matteo's entire ego," Rafa replied. "Better. I love breaking that man's ego.
Mariela walked in wearing one of Antonio's shirts.
"You're brooding again. Let me guess... Matteo."
She moved to Antonio, touched his shoulder and placed a kiss on his lips. He barely glanced at her, she was one of the women he didn't mind sharing with Matteo back then.
His eyes were glued to the phone screen staring at Anastasia's picture. Mariela looked at the phone, she took it from him and stared at the picture.
A frown formed on her face.
"Matteo's wife?" She scoffed. "She has that empty-headed college-girl look. The ones who think being pretty is a personality. Pathetic."
Antonio snatched the phone from her.
"That girl does more with one look than you ever did in Matteo's bed. Or mine." He walked away from her to the table and took the glass of whiskey.
She was fuming with anger and jealousy, but he didn't care or pay her any attention.
"Oh, I get it. You want what he touched first. Same old story."
Antonio didn't flinch, he didn't even look her way. After a while, he set the glass down with a soft thud, and glanced at her.
"That girl doesn't compete with you. You were barely a flicker, and Matteo never even noticed." He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a whisper that cut sharper than any insult.
Mariela opened her mouth, but he didn't wait for her. He turned and walked into the room, leaving her burning with humiliation.
~~
After dinner and her evening dose of medicine, Anastasia drifted into a short nap. She was feeling better than that morning, Raquel had been taking care of her, and she was thankful to not have seen even a glimpse of Matteo.
But that gratefulness was short-lived. She shifted on the bed as she slowly woke up. She was still feeling a bit uncomfortable from lying down all day.
Her eyes slowly opened and met Matteo's. She flinched.
He was sitting on the bed watching her like she was his favorite prey, or that's what she thought.
Matteo was genuinely concerned for her. She moved, tried to get away from him, but her body still slightly ached.
He simply locked eyes with her, unmoving. Then he placed his hand on her thigh, her whole body stilled.