- Alice

“Did you take my money?!” she gasped, horrified, but that only seemed to make her mother and sister even more arrogant.

“You have to agree that you were the only one stupid enough to hide cash, little sister.” Amber laughed.

“I only did it so you guys wouldn’t convince Dad to clean out my accounts again, like you did before!” Alice started to raise her voice, but Kendra quickly cut her off.

“You forget how merciful I have been to you since you were born, especially in the last four years. I could have thrown you out of this house for being a slut who doesn't even know who got her pregnant, but did I? No! Did I let you continue here, creating a bastard and dirtying our family name, charging only a symbolic amount of rent so that you could learn your lesson? Yes! The money you had in that can? It were nothing more than compensation for the 23 long years I raised you, receiving nothing in return but disappointment and ingratitude. But once again, Alice, I will be kind and give you a choice.” Even though Alice was looking at the ground, completely astonished, she was still able to tell that her mother was approaching, because of the sound of high heels “You can stop trying to be a problem for attention and accept becoming Massimo's wife... Or you can stay here and suffer all the punishments I still have to inflict on a stubborn child like you.” Kendra finally stopped by her side, muttering that last part against her ear.

“How… How could you do something like that?” Alice tried to count the tremor in her voice and the tears accumulating “I... I'm your daughter too, you know?”

“I’ll tell your father to finish the papers.” That was all Kendra replied, with contempt in her tone “You better in his office early tomorrow morning to sign them so we can send them back to Massimo. And give it to me.” She roughly snatched the candy bag from Alice's hands “You brat stole an apple from the kitchen this morning. Thank her that your debt has increased this month.”

Unable to even react, Alice stayed exactly where she was, frozen in the middle of the living room, while Kendra began to walk away towards the stairs, but not before Amber also passed by her sister, with a clear smile in her tone of voice.

"Don't worry. Hopefully, he'll remember me a little when he looks at you and won't be so hard on you and my niece. Or, who knows, Massimo will do the opposite, knowing him... Anyway, congratulations on the wedding, sister.” She leaned on Alice's shoulder "I hope you can attend my and Casey's wedding soon, too." Amber laughed softly, seeming to find the whole thing very funny, finally starting to walk in the same direction as Kendra had left.

Alice, however, remained there. Maybe for a few seconds or many hours. She couldn't say. In fact, the only thing that made her know she was crying was when, between her bleary eyes, she could see several drops of water beginning to wet the perfectly polished floor. And, as if finally all the remaining strength in her body had abandoned her, she fell to her knees on the floor, scattering the bouquet's petals across the floor, holding her own head in her hands, while that suffocating despair in her chest seemed to be spreading like poison in her veins.

All her money, her only prospect for the future, all her hopes of giving Millicent a better future... Has all gone, with nothing she could do about it.

What... What could she do, now?

“Mommy?” A sweet, little voice brought her out of her terrified thoughts and, at the same moment that Alice looked up to find the little girl hiding behind one of the furniture nearby, she quickly began to wipe her face.

“Hey, honey.” She smiled at her daughter, clearing her throat to hide the crying in her voice “Sorry, mommy's really late for our movie night, isn't she? I'm very sorry. I promise I will make it up to you…”

“Why are you crying?” Millicent asked, running towards Alice, her big dark green eyes full of concern “Did Grandma say something that made you sad again?”

“No, my love. I’m just… Tired.” Alice sniffed, keeping a smile on her face “Yes, that's just it. Today was... A very tiring day.” a sob of sadness threatened to escape, but she swallowed it down, not wanting her baby to have a terrible day too, just because her heart was broken “But, what are we doing here? You want to watch Beauty and the Beast again, don't you? Come on, we have to take a shower and have dinner before that...” Alice stood up, picking up her daughter, although clearly Millie wasn't convinced by her word.

“Will Casey watch with us today?” she asked, placing her little hands on Alice’s face with a worried expression, almost as if she already knew something was wrong.

"No, dear. Nowadays, Casey and Mommy... We are no longer special friends. I’ll explain this more to you later, okay?”

“So he won’t marry you one day?” Millie asked, disappointed “But he's still going to look for a new house with us, isn't he?”

“No, Millie... He won't...” Alice bit her lip almost to the point of bleeding, refusing to cry “And... About our new house...”

“When we move, can I get a pony?” her daughter’s face lit up with an adorable smile that only made her heart hurt even more “Oh, and a fruit bowl in the room, too? I promise I will always eat everything! I asked one of the girls in the kitchen for an apple today, but she didn't give it to me. She said they couldn't waste food on someone like me. But I didn't want to eat just one piece and then throw it in the trash. I pinky promise.” Millie lamented.

“I... I know so, my angel.” Alice had to close her eyes to compose herself for a moment and be able to smile again “I was thinking... Is there a place where we can live in a farm with lots of horses and eat as many apples as you want. What do you think about that?”

“Horses?” Millie repeated, delighted “And where is it? Can we go there now?!”

“In two days, we will be able to. And, there will also be a man that mommy can marry, just like you always wanted.” Alice tried to sound excited, but her daughter obviously managed to see right through her.

“But does he like you? And do you like him?” Millie tilted her head to the side and, if the circumstances were different, Alice might have even laughed at how complicated those two questions were and impossible to answer with just a yes or no.

“He is... A friend of your great-grandfather. And I... I trust him to have a home where we can both live well.” It was all she could respond, although her heart was tight as if she wanted to disappear “In return, we both just need to be... Silent. You see, he's sick now and needs to rest as much as possible. So, what do you say? Would you be happy if we moved in with him... For a while?”

“Would you be happy, mommy?” Millie asked innocently, and, to hide her reaction, Alice hugged her to her chest.

“Of course, honey. As long as you can have a better life than the one we have here... Nothing could make me happier.”

- Alice

“This farm is still as… Rustic and old-fashioned as I remember.” Kendra grunted, as if she wanted to use much less gentle words, as the Dawseys' limousine parked in front of the steps leading to the front door of Massimo's country estate "Now, what are the rules?" she raised an eyebrow, staring at Alice and Millicent with pure disdain.

“We don’t meddle in anything. Don't create any problems... And don't bother Massimo.” Alice repeated everything her mother had been repeating in her ears since that terrible night, two days ago.

“And this girl? Did you teach her too?” she pointed at Millie, causing Alice to hold her even closer in her lap “I don't want to hear a single word in high society about the Dawseys putting a messy brat in the house of a Bianchi who killed his patience until he got even more sick..."

“Millie would never do that!” Alice growled “Then stop right now!”

“Who do you think you are, to talk to me like that...?” Kendra was clearly ready to start a fight when a hand appeared in front of her face.

“Take it easy on the girl, Kendra. Alice is reacting much better than you would if you were about to live with a man like Massimo.” Roger Orwell, the man who Alice had long ago realized that it didn't matter if she called him father or not, said, as always with his eyes glazed over the screen of his smartphone “And, you, Alice, don't worry. He'll probably treat you badly for a few days, but then he won't even be able to get out of bed. Just be a good wife and wait until he dies. It shouldn't take long...”

“Thanks... I guess.” She sighed, although not for a second did Roger look up to her.

“You are too nice to her. That’s why she ended up like this.” Her mother grunted “Oh, finally someone seems to have noticed we're here. Staying in a car for so long waiting, on a hot day like this... What do you think you're doing standing there? Get out of the limo and get your things out of the trunk quickly! The last thing I want is for Massimo to realize we’ve arrived and come over here and ask about Amber.”

"Good luck darling." Roger spoke the moment Alice opened the door, still glued to his smartphone “We are proud of you. Not every woman would accept being with a paraplegic man who will require as much care from you than a child...”

In a hurry, Alice got out of the limousine quickly, not wanting Millie to continue there, listening to that kind of nonsense. However, once she found herself in front of that gigantic mansion, ancient and imposing like a medieval fort, Alice couldn't help but hesitate for a moment, overcome by memories of all the times Massimo had told her about that place. So many times she had dreamed of going there, even if it was on a day when he was only bringing Amber, and she would be the nosy older sister who was disturbing the couple...

And, now, there she was. Officially his wife, but not knowing how to feel about it.

“Hello.” An extremely friendly female voice caught her attention and, just then, Alice noticed an old lady standing there next to them, with her gray hair tied up in a bun, an apron covering her almost from top to bottom and a huge smile on her face “You must be Alice... And this must be Millicent, right?” She tilted her head to try and meet Millie’s gaze, but all Alice’s daughter did was hide further in her arms, embarrassed “Oh, what an adorable little angel! It's so good to have children again in this place, after so many years...” the woman sighed, with a mix of joy and melancholy “But, oh, you two must be tired from the trip here. Come on, let me introduce you both to the mansion... I mean, some parts of it. My name is Thea, by the way.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Thea.” Alice smiled sadly, knowing that kind housekeeper probably didn't even know that Massimo had already told Alice a little about her, a long, long time ago “I'm just going to get my suitcase and we can go.”

“Oh, don’t worry, honey. I'll ask someone to bring your luggage to the mansion..." Thea was in mid-sentence, until the sight of the huge trunk completely empty, after Alice took out her single suitcase, seemed to make the housekeeper at a loss for words "Only that?"

“Uh... Millie and I didn't want to bring too many things. Here is just what is necessary.” Alice lied “Now, please, let's go in. Millicent is eager to see everything, isn't she, dear? Why don't you take Hoppy out of your backpack? I'm sure he must want to see his new home, too.” She encouraged her little one, finally getting Millie to lift her face from her shoulder and, even if hesitantly, take her small school bag off her back and take the cute stuffed bunny out of it.

“Oh, she looks like…” the housekeeper’s eyes widened for a moment, making Alice’s entire body freeze as she realized that she seemed to be seeing someone else in Millicent’s face “Actually, forget it. It must be my imagination. I'm just so happy to have a little one to brighten up this gloomy mansion again... And your bunny is so adorable.” Thea praised “Would your little friend like a cookie? Or a piece of cake?”

“Uh... Yeah...” Millie nodded shyly, hugging her stuffed animal tight “Me and Hoppy really wanted to see the horses, too.”

“Of course! Once you're all settled in, I'll take you to all the stables we have here. So, let's hurry, so that you can rest and do this as quickly as possible.” Thea smiled, starting to climb the stairs to the mansion while the limo took Alice's parents far, far away, without even a last wave of goodbye.

“Mommy, I’m not tired.” Millie murmured “Can we see the horses now?”

“No, honey. The people who work in the stables must be there now. We don't want to disturb them, do we? Besides, we still need to eat the snack Thea offered us...” Finally, she took a step across the threshold of the huge front door and, immediately, her breath was stolen “Oh... It's so much bigger than I imagined..." Alice looked up, at the ceiling meters and more meters from the floor, and then at all the equally large windows, but completely covered by thick curtains, which did not allow even a single ray of natural light to enter "And a lot darker, too.”

“These are... Orders from the boss.” Thea sighed sadly “But I guarantee we keep the lights on inside very well at all times.”

“I... I didn't mean to...” Alice tried to explain herself, but Thea had already walked over to one of the tables nearby, taking something out of a drawer.

“Here. The boss asked me to deliver these papers for you to sign as soon as you two arrived.” She spread a thick sheaf of papers in front of Alice, and, quickly scanning the lines, there was no doubt what it was: a prenuptial agreement. Or postnuptial, perhaps, since Kendra had said the marriage papers were already duly notarized.

“Of course.” Alice sighed, placing Millie's suitcase on the floor gently “Stay here for a moment, honey. I’ll just sort this out and we can continue seeing the house.” Accepting the pen that Thea had held out, she began writing her name for pages and pages, while the housekeeper sighed.

“I know you might not think so, but... All of us who still work here are happy that you married Massimo... I mean, the boss. He is going through a delicate moment right now, but, who knows, the presence of a wife and a child as adorable as your daughter could be good for his health.” Thea smiled hopefully.

“His health condition... Is it that bad?” Alice hesitated, with her heart sinking.

“That’s a topic I don’t think the boss would want me to share.” The old lady hesitated “But... I'm sure he would be touched if he knew you were worried about him.”

“Massimo spent a lot of time at my house years ago. I guess you could say that, for a while, we almost became... Friends.” Alice bit her lip “Despite everything that happened between him and my sister, and how strange this situation must seem to you... I really care about him.” She admitted, as she finally put her name on the last blank line between the documents.

“That's sweet of you, but... I don't think it would do much good if you questioned the boss about that kind of thing.” As gentle as Thea's words were, Alice immediately understood that it was a warning and not just simple advice.

“Of course. The last thing I want is to meddle in his affairs.” She stated, handing the prenup back to Thea “Now, honey, let's go...” Alice looked down, but found nothing but the dark floor, with no sign of her daughter.

- Alice

“Millie? Millie?!” Alice panting, looking around nervously but unable to find anything “Millicent!”

“Oh, God... Don't worry, she couldn't have gone far or left the house. A little girl like her wouldn't even reach the doorknob...” Thea also started spinning around, trying to find Millie “Uh... Listen. You look down here and I'll go up and look up there. I'm sure we'll find her in no time, okay?”

“Yes, thank you.” Alice nodded, knowing that she shouldn't be so worried, since, as big as that mansion was, Millie had limited places to hide, but still... "I'll look here and, if I don't find her, I'll come up to help you...”

“Uh... Maybe it's better not to...” Thea shook her head, as if that were a bad idea “That wing is... Anyway, I'll let you know if I find her, I promise. But I'm sure she must be around here... I’ll be back in a moment.” The housekeeper didn't seem willing to explain much more, as she just turned and walked up the stairs much more quickly than Alice expected from someone her age.

“Alright...” Alice muttered to herself, walking through the huge entrance room of the mansion, until a whistle sound caught her attention, exactly like the one Hoppy the bunny made when he was squeezed “Millie?” she called, looking up at the stairs, which ended at a fork that led to two hallways “Millie?” Even though she knew she shouldn't, Alice found herself climbing some of the steps, again hearing the whistle, this time coming from further away, but undoubtedly in the same direction in which Thea had gone “Millie! You shouldn't have left Mommy's side! Millie, are you listening? We can't cause problems for Thea...” she continued calling, until she found herself on the second floor of the mansion, facing a long gloomy hallway, also with all the curtains closed “Millie. You know you can't leave Mommy's side, especially in places where we don't know anyone....”

As she spoke, Alice began to walk around the place, not finding much other than some decorations, very old paintings of members of the Bianchi family on the walls and countless locked doors that she knocked on a few times, just to make sure that Millie wasn't there. With each corner of the hallway she needed to turn, Alice became more and more worried, not knowing where Millie could be or if she could meet someone from Massimo's mansion who wasn't as welcoming as Thea...

Until finally, she found her, standing in front of one of the doors that made her look even smaller than Millie was, holding Hoppy in one arm as she jumped to try and reach the doorknob with her free hand.

“Millie!” Alice called, running to pick her up “Millie, why did you leave Mommy?”

“Sorry, mommy, I... I just wanted to find a horse or a pony, I swear.” Her daughter pouted guiltily “This house is so big... They must have a room for the horses too, right? I heard a noise and thought maybe that could be one of them. I just wanted to say hi...”

“Oh, Millie…” Alice sighed “Don't ever do that again. We don’t know where we might end up…”

Her sentence was interrupted when the door in front of them was suddenly opened, startling them both. And, when Alice saw a pair of dark green eyes shining in the darkness, her heart stopped and her stomach twisted.

“What are you two doing here?” the figure growled, but as threatening as he sounded, Alice could only hug her daughter tighter, trying to hide Millie's face as a single word escaped her mouth.

"Massimo."

“I asked…” Massimo growled, and in the next instant, he pushed his wheelchair forward, stepping out of the shadows of the room “What do you think you're doing here? I left clear orders for Thea to forbid you from coming to my wing of the mansion!”

For a few seconds, Alice just stood in shock, watching what that man, the same man who had inhabited her thoughts for years, had transformed into. His hair, previously always cut short, was longer, with waves that almost fell in his eyes. There was a thick beard hiding most of the features of his face and, what had once been clear, cunning green eyes, now seemed to have been covered by shadows, as well as hatred and resentment. Unlike most times she had seen him, he wasn't wearing a suit, but rather loose nightwear. He was definitely thinner and paler, with deep dark circles under his eyes.

And, of course, he was sitting in that wheelchair, gripping the armrest so tightly that she could see every single nerve and vein in his perfectly shaped arms.

“What are you looking at?!” he growled, making her and Millie shiver in fright again.

“We... We're sorry, Massimo.” Alice finally found her voice “Millie was excited to see the house and... We ended up stopping here. It’s… It’s good to see you again, anyway.”

"Good?" he sneered, with a grimace that couldn't be called a smile in any other universe “You think it's good to see me like this?”

“No... That's not what I said...”

“I'm sure you must be very happy to have married the Bianchi's failure after your sister rejected me, right?” the way his eyes flashed with anger disturbed her deeply “Are you happy to be the wife of an unable?! Or did they promise you that I would die soon, so you wouldn't have to bear this humiliation for a long time, just like Amber didn't want to...?”

“Stop it, Massimo!” she pleaded “I know the circumstances of this marriage weren’t the best, but that doesn’t mean I….”

“You Dawseys must feel so charitable, don’t you? Sending a woman to me as if they were doing me a favor. As if I were an old dog that needed someone to put a bone in its mouth...” he gritted his teeth, before looking up into those green eyes that had been part of her dreams for so long, but now seemed capable of causing nightmares at anyone “But now, Alice, you are my wife, do you understand? I joined the Dawseys' surname to mine as everyone always wanted me to do and I won't let that be undone! You belong to Me! And, whether I'm in this wheelchair or in a hospital, you'll still be mine, because that's what those fucking pieces of paper say!”

“Enough, Massimo!” she raised her voice, disturbed “How can you say that kind of thing with a child around?”

For the first time, he looked at Millicent's cowering, frightened figure. Gradually, his eyes narrowed, making Alice think that he was ready to continue screaming, regardless of whether there was a little girl there or not. However, in the end, all he did was raise his finger in their direction, not even needing to look up to face her, since he was tall enough to reach almost Alice's height even while sitting in the wheelchair.

“That’s the only warning I’m going to give you…!” he growled “Stay out of my way and don't you dare disturb me or disobey me! Neither you nor this girl! You understood? I won't be merciful if you ignore my orders and sneak into my wing again! You understood?"