"If I get kidnapped again, I will surely act as a captor is supposed to behave, Sir!" 

"Ah!!" 

Persephone shrieked as a splash of water jolted her out of the dream. When was the last time she saw Santiago in her dreams? She didn't know. All she knew was that it had been forever. 

She looked up to see a tall and masked man standing before her with a bucket in his hands. He was staring at her in frustration as if she was in the wrong and he hadn't just thrown cold water on her. 

But only if she had the luxury to complain...

She looked around to find herself in a place that most probably resembled hell. If hell was a real place, it must look like this room. She was lying on a dirty and...now wet mattress. 

'Oh, I'm kidnapped. Lord, finally heard me.' 

Persephone was so desperate to not marry Nico that she didn't find getting kidnapped a worse option than getting married to a man she at least knew a little about. 

"Well, the water was really cold," Persephone said, looking at the masked man and she could swear that he grinned under his mask. 

"Aye, princess. It's not the first thing you say to your kidnappers," Nash said, amused. He didn't know Alessandro's daughter was one interesting thing. 

"Pardon me, I don't have much experience as it's my first time getting kidnapped," Persephone said sarcastically. "If I get kidnapped again, I will surely act as a captor is supposed to behave, Sir!" 

'Shut up, Percy. Captives aren't allowed to be sarcastic to their captives.' 

Nash suddenly laughed. "Oh, Little Captive, you think you will leave this den alive? I must appreciate your will for life if not anything." 

'Appreciate her will for life? Of course, you should. If not for this life, would I have sacrificed all that I have done until this date?' 

 All of a sudden, Persephone heard the sound of incoming footsteps, and true to her assumption, several more masked men entered the place, the first masked man just called 'den.' 

'Seemed like he wasn't the only one. Then again, a single man can't kidnap Alessandro Marino's daughter from the church where she was supposed to be married.' 

"The Marino Princess is awake, Villain," Nash said as Santiago, who was standing behind the other four men, came forward. 

Persephone counted five men in total. She didn't know where she was held and what they wanted from her. But she would most certainly tell that they weren't here to kill her as abducting a Marino woman from her own wedding was akin to committing suicide and someone wouldn't take such a step just to kill her. 

She wasn't bluffing. Her father took his honor very seriously. She couldn't even fathom the punishment that he had chosen for her captors. Of course, she knew that her father Alessandro Marino wouldn't let her die at the hands of these masked men. No matter how much of a bad daughter she had been. 

Even if her father didn't come to save her, she would get herself out of this hellhole. 

Lord knew how scared she was for her life because there was anything Persephone gave a damn about-- it was her life. She wouldn't spend more than two decades with Marinos only to run away from them in vain. She wanted a life for her and running away was the only option. But who knew that she would get caught at the end moment. Years had passed since that episode and yet, she didn't have abandoned the hope to find her life again. And she would be damned if she let these kidnappers kill her. 

Even if she was shaking like a dry leaf in fear, she wouldn't show it on her face. If anything her Papa had taught her and she would appreciate-- it would be being brave even when she knew she was dying.

"Persephone Marino, " A deep and husky voice called out her name. She glanced to find a tall and well-built man who appeared to be the alpha of the pack. "What a waste of such a good name!" 

"You!" Persephone forgot about her initial fear and stood up to pierce her nails into his face. 

Before Persephone could succeed in her attack, Santiago caught her by both of her wrists and threw her on the dirty floor with a loud 'thud'. 

"Ouch!" Persephone grimaced in pain. She looked at him with teary yet fearless eyes.

'Don't cry, Percy. Remember that you can't cry. If you do, you will give them a reason to use your weakness against you. Be strong. You have always been strong. You have been through worse than a kidnapping. A beautiful life outside is waiting for you. Just hold on...' 

"I wonder for how long you'll keep this facade of bravery," Santiago spoke as he looked at her in disgust and… perhaps, interest too.

"Don't make assumptions because you don't know me," Persephone said, her eyes boring into his. 

"Absolutely, I don't know you," Santiago spoke in a low, muddled accent that was American, Italian, and another one she didn't know of, all in one." But I know your kind. The kind dirty Marinos are." 

Persephone bit her tongue to hold back a retort. She was arguing with herself not to talk back because she could sense that he was dangerous. All of a sudden, realization dawned upon her that she was in a worse situation than she gave it the credit for. 

She was kidnapped and she didn't know if she would leave this place alive.