She is the one by Asheslove (book recommendations for young adults txt) 📕

'So you do money laundering in name of funds and children, and smuggling business hiding behind taking advantage of it because it's legal'.

'Yes, but it's not all we do, half of this money from our sources goes to charity or orphanages for homeless children' he told.

'You do charity using illegal black money, how low of you people. What you want those children to become, end up being criminals like you' I mocked.

'We do this because we don't want them to end up like us Elena. World is very cruel.' Leo told with serious expressions.

'Not more than yours Leo. Those children are better without the charity from you criminals'.

'Homeless children won't care from where this money is coming Elena or whether it's black or white, or from illegal sources, it's fine to them because all they care for is getting food of two times and place to sleep instead of roaming on streets. This world is more cruel than ours or from whatever you have seen. Trust me you didn't seen even half of the cruelty this world hold Elena. 

We were disturbed when we heard one of the man saying

'Quindi, e lei quella giusta per te' looking at me.

'Lei e l'unica' Nicolas replied smiling.

All of them looked at me with smiles and I looked away averting my gaze from them.

'She looks like one' I heard one of them saying and they all chuckled loudly. After their discussion was over Nicolas held my hand and walked further meeting and greeting few more.

I stayed with Nicolas listening him talking with other partners. Instead of Italian and English I watched him talking other different languages. I am leaving with him from four months but I don't have any idea how many languages he knows or speaks. Sometimes his way of living and rich status surprises me, thinking how much power he really holds between his people and the world he lives in. He rules it himself living a life of king fascinates me but terrifies me to my core when I even thought about the time I'll manage to leave him. It was much better before when I don't know about him and who he really is, at least my mind won't have any type of fear but now after finding about him it really scares me. I left the idea of escaping him far behind when he brought me back.

After them I saw an old black man walk to us with small white beard and short white hairs and a young fellow at his side. 

After listening to their talk I came to know that the name of old man is Amadu and he's leader of all criminal and mafia organizations in Angola. Leaving Nicolas talking with him and his son I excused myself from them and walk in a small open area little away from the crowd with open sky.

I sat there and my eyes teared up. I miss my past life, my work, my family every single day since he kidnapped me but today I miss them more terribly thinking about the beautiful time we would be spending together on Thanksgiving if I wouldn't be here and my life would be normal just like it was four months ago.

I can't escape Nicolas, leaving him is the only option left with me with the hope to get away from him and all this mess I am in but I don't know how that will happen and with all this now the developing feelings in me are confusing me because of his change in behavior which is keeping a side of me in conflict. 

'What are you doing here in cold?’

'This is what I am asking myself every single day, what am I doing here?' I whispered softly in a low voice to myself.

I turned my head and saw Leo leaned on the wall across me. I was sure he must have heard what I said.

He came over and sat beside me.

'What happened? Why you suddenly left and came here, is everything fine' he asked in a soft tone.

'I am fine Leo' I replied without looking at him with tears floating in my eyes which were fixed at the sky.

'You are looking dejected Elena, you are sad today it's clearly visible on your face. Does something happen between you two?'

I kept looking at the sky and a tear roll down my face.

'Elena, look if something is wrong you can tell me. Nicolas is trying...

'Does that matter Leo?' I gritted turning my head at him looking straight in his eyes.

'Does his trying, does his changing matters. Will that erase all what he did with me, all the torture he put me through, does it change the fact that he's still my captor who has my family. You asked I am sad?'

'Yes, I am sad Leo. I am missing my family and my life terribly but does it matters whether I remain happy or sad. Does any of these matters' I whispered while tears flow from my eyes intensively down to my face.

'None of these matters Leo' saying this I strained my gaze back at the sky.

'Today's Thanksgiving and I am supposed to be celebrating it with my family. My grandparents would come at ours. Dad and grandpa would watch Thanksgiving parade together forcing me to sit with them and watch it hearing their never ending talk until grandma comes and saves me from them.

At evening Julie's parents and other few neighbors came at ours with pumpkin pies to wish us. Our parents talk about future of their children while I would have gone with Julie and our other town friends at church. We lighten candles in front of Jesus Christ making wishes and thanking for giving us blissful life.

Since everyone's life is busy in building carriers, or in studies getting graduate and most of us town friends used to stay out so on festivals it's like gathering to all our friends who studied together at school so after church we all went to our favorite spot where we used to spend our school days together. We lay on the grass looking at the night sky and these twinkling stars' I murmured pointing at sky.

'Everybody shares their stories how life is going out of the town, we talk about each other relationships, about the beautiful and amazing time we spend at high school together skipping the classes hanging out. We teased each other remembering that time, pulling each other leg and cracking stupid jokes or mimicking everyone.