His Caged Bird | Dark Romance

Devil's Clutch

Ivy's POV

I woke up to a sense of dread, my heart racing with anticipation. Today was the day we'd face the police, and I was determined to stand up against Lorenzo's terror. But as I entered the living room, the tense atmosphere hit me like a punch to the gut. Papa, Mama, and Tristan sat with somber faces, their eyes red-rimmed from lack of sleep. I felt a lump form in my throat as I approached them.

Mama forced a smile, wiping away her tears. "We should go now," Papa said, his voice firm but laced with concern. Tristan nodded, but Papa's next words sent a chill down my spine: "No, Tristan, you stay with your mama. We can't trust Lorenzo; he might harm her when we're not around."

As we drove to the police station, my mind raced with doubts. My subconscious taunted me, echoing the words I'd tried to silence: "You're so stupid, Ivy. You can't see the real intentions of him." Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away, not wanting Papa to notice.

When we arrived at the station, Papa's reassuring words did little to calm my nerves. As we approached the chief's desk, Papa's voice was firm: "Sir, I want to file a complaint against someone." The chief's expression turned guarded, his eyes darting towards us with a flicker of fear. "Who is the person?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Papa's response sent a shiver down my spine: "Lorenzo Cortes." The chief's eyes widened, and he glanced around the room as if searching for an escape. I couldn't understand why he seemed so afraid. As Papa recounted the events, and I showed the chief the menacing messages, he listened with a mixture of unease and...defensiveness?

"Why are you defending him?" I blurted out, my anger and frustration boiling over. The chief's eyes snapped towards me, a hint of warning in his gaze. "I'm just doing my job, miss," he said, his voice laced with an unspoken warning. I felt a chill run down my spine. Something was very wrong.

He seems nervous, fidgety, and avoids eye contact. When my dad explains our situation, the chief listens intently, but his responses seem... off. He keeps saying things like "Let's not jump to conclusions" and "We need to consider all sides of the story".

I exchange a confused glance with my dad. This isn't what we expected. The chief is supposed to be on our side, helping us protect ourselves from Lorenzo's threats.

And then, it hits me. The chief is being indirect, trying not to say anything that might upset Lorenzo. I realize, with a sinking feeling, that Lorenzo must have gotten to him already.

The chief confirms my suspicions when he says, "I'm sure Mr. Lorenzo is a respectable businessman, and I'm sure he wouldn't want any... misunderstandings."

My heart sinks. We've been silenced, and Lorenzo has won again. The chief is too afraid to help us, and we're left to face Lorenzo's wrath alone.

"D-Dad, I don't understand," I stammered, my voice trembling with fear. "The chief seems to be... defending Lorenzo."

Papa's expression turned from calm to concerned. "What do you mean, sweetie?"

I glanced around the room nervously, my eyes darting towards the chief, who seemed to be avoiding eye contact. "H-He keeps saying things like 'Let's not jump to conclusions' and 'We need to consider all sides of the story'. It's like... like he's trying to protect Lorenzo!"

Papa's face darkened with frustration. "That's ridiculous! We came here for help, not to be stonewalled."

I leaned in, my voice barely above a whisper. "D-Dad, I think... I think Lorenzo must have called the chief this morning and told him to... to back off..."

Papa's eyes widened, and he stood up, his voice firm. "That's it, I've had enough! We're going to get to the bottom of this!"

The chief's face turned pale, and he began to stutter. "Ah, Steve, please understand... I'm just trying to..."