Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 80550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80550 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
In fact, she tried to kill me over her imprisonment, and I don’t blame her. I would have killed me too if I were locked in this house with a monster like me.
I clear my throat. “Are you okay back there?”
She doesn’t respond, but after a while, she softly nods.
I smile at her. “I won’t let anyone touch you ever again. I promise.”
I drive through the gates of my property, and her eyes slide over the fence as if she’s registering the moment that she’s turned into a prisoner once more.
A pang hits me in the stomach worse than any bullet ever has.
I try to focus on driving toward my mansion, but it’s hard when I can feel her incessant gaze on me. I know what I did, but I’m not going to go back on my vow or my quest for revenge. I made her my wife, and I will carry that burden until the end of time.
I park my car in the garage in front of my house and exit the vehicle, then pull out my phone and dial a number.
“Leticia, contact the garage for me. I need them to fix my car as soon as possible,” I say.
“Of course, sir, right away.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you find Stella?”
“Yes. I’m bringing her in.”
I end the conversation and tuck the phone back into my pocket, then walk over to her side and open the door. I hold out my hand, but she just looks at me like she still doesn’t know how to trust me.
“Please,” I ask.
Her smile tips up, just briefly, but I notice.
Finally, she takes my hand.
“I’m glad you decided to come back inside,” I say.
“I liked hearing you say please,” she says.
My brow wriggles. “I can say it more often if it means you’ll stop trying to escape … or kill me.”
She rolls her eyes and rubs her lips together to hide her grin.
I take her back inside, where the staff immediately hounds her.
“Oh my God, you’re back,” Sarah says, immediately running up to hug Stella tightly, who seems extremely overwhelmed. “I was so worried about you.”
“I…” she stutters.
“Let me take you to your room, miss,” Sarah says. “Come on.” Sarah grabs her hand and guides her up the stairs.
“Be gentle with her. She’s been through a lot,” I say.
Sarah nods. “I will, sir. Don’t worry about us. I have this.”
I watch as they go upstairs, but Stella’s legs are still quivering from shock.
Am I doing the right thing by leaving her alone with Sarah? What can a man like me even do in this situation? Those fuckers were about to do the most unspeakable things to her. How could she ever trust any man again?
Besides, I’m the cause of all her misery, and the reason she ended up in their car in the first place.
I breathe out a sigh and run my fingers through my hair, groaning out loud. Every decision up until now has been so damn easy. All my life, I’ve only had to worry about continuing the business, the legacy. But then my mother was murdered, and my fixation moved to that bastard Lucio.
But now Stella is involved too. And I can’t shake this damn confusion about what to do with her, along with the emotional turmoil in my heart, making me question every one of my decisions.
I waltz into my study, grab the bottle of scotch in the corner, and pour myself a much-needed glass, which I chug down in one go. It does nothing to quell the burning rage fueled from deep within.
Something’s different about me. My desire for revenge is slowly molding into something else, something more unpredictable, uncontrollable…
A type of yearning.
Stella
I shiver from head to toe, the adrenaline still rushing through my veins, as Sarah guides me into my room and locks the door behind her. She gently brings me to the guest bed, sets me down, and smiles at me before going into the bathroom to grab a soft towel and a small bucket of water.
She dips the towel into the bucket and gently dabs it onto my face, cleaning off the dirt and blood of the men Matteo blew to smithereens. Their insides must be all over my bathrobe.
Suddenly, everything begins to itch, and I stand and tear off the bathrobe until I’m completely naked.
“Well, okay then,” Sarah mutters. “You want me to grab you a new one?”
“Get rid of it. Please,” I beg.
“Sure, no problem at all. We have plenty more,” she says, still smiling so sickly sweet it makes me nauseous. Then she walks off toward the closet, while I look around the room.
God. I can’t believe I’m back here in this place I tried so desperately to escape from.
Damn this beautiful prison.
I look at my hands, which are still shaking from the ordeal, and I sink onto the floor, bawling my eyes out.