LOGINELENA "Elena…”The voice was faint. Deep. Raspy. Vince. My heart ached anew and I itched to get closer to the voice. To him. To cry my heart out and beg him never to leave. To tell him I'm sorry. But the harder I stretched my hand to him, the more he was out of touch. “Elena…” I felt a hand hovering over mine. And a shadow cast above me. Faint background voices joined in, destroying my beautiful illusion of Vince. My eyes slowly opened, taking in the blurry, white ceilings. The voices whispered more, all at once, making it kinda hard to grab a thing. I took a deep breath, blinking until my vision cleared. The smell. The ceiling. The ambiance. I knew exactly where I was. “Luna Elena. Are you alright?” Dr. Drake asked, hovering over me. He had a cautious gaze and a pitiful stare. I took a few seconds and then the agony in my heart set in. “Where's Vince?” I whispered to him, holding his hand pleadingly while tears rolled down the corners of my eyes. “I need to see him…”“Luna
ELENA “Could it be stress?” Dr. Drake asked, going around his table and settling on his seat. “Maybe you're just stressed and it's taking its toll on you?”“I don't know,” I said with a sigh. “I just feel dizzy and out of it. And sometimes I get this banging headache.”“Hmm.” He smiled and made a show of going through some files on his table. “Is there a chance you're pregnant?”“Wh-what?!” I was gobsmacked. Dr. Drake had a sneaky smile and expertly avoided my gaze. “You’re having sex, ain't you?” He continued with his pretty sensitive questions. Still avoiding my gaze. Still with that smile. It looked like he damn well was trying to leave me a flustered mess. And God, it was working. “I…I…don't need to answer that.”He laughed, finally looking at me. “Why not? It's a harmless question?”Yeah, so damn harmless. And yet, I'm so discolored with all shades of red right now. “Well, you're not…you're not my therapist so you don't get to ask me such personal questions.”“Luna Elena, pl
VINCE Dying would be a better choice right now. An easier and less painful one. Rather than staying alive and feeling every fucking shade of pain I never knew existed. I wasn't even sure what part of my body hurt more. Was it my swollen eyes that dripped blood in intervals? Or my bleeding ankle that made walking almost impossible and fucking excruciating? Or my aching chest? Or the burning sensation crushing my heart into bits?The pain already pierced into my soul, shattered my resolve, and left me at its mercy. I could almost feel my soul leaving me.Before now, I'd conjure up images and moments with Elena in my head. They sheltered me from the pain. Kept my mind distracted and at peace. Endless fantasies of getting reunited with her had me in one piece. Until I found out in the most painful way that she already moved on with Trent. It was at that moment that I gave up. Lost my will to fight and let the pain come in and eat me up. What's the point of struggling to stay alive when
ELENA “Leonardo?” Father's brows furrowed. “What did he do to Trent?”“I don't really know how it happened. But Leonardo came by the house and they argued a lot. Trent had the men throw him out of the house. And followed him outside the main gate, still cursing him out. And the next thing I heard was screams…”Aunt Vanessa was caught up in her sobs, and Mother had to hug her again. I was both sad and confused. The story was unfinished. “Screams? Why?” Father urged softly.“Leonardo ran him over with his car!” Aunt Vanessa wailed. Father and I exchanged shocked looks. What?“I don't understand why he'd do that to my son. To Vince's son. I thought he was best friends with Vince. How could he hurt our baby like that?” Aunt Vanessa said between her wails. “That's because he's a pathetic sellout who doesn't value friendships. He sold Vince off to the rogues and now he's after Vince's son. That man…” Father gritted his teeth. “Did he really?" Aunt Vanessa asked wide-eyed. "Trent menti
ELENA The echoing silence was my background noise as I paced the terrace. I haven't been as worried and distressed as I was today. Agonized too. Vince's men were finally getting deployed tomorrow to go save him. Trent finally gave the order. It's great and all, but the fact that enough time has passed already leaves me intensely agonized. They must have hurt him a lot already. They hate him so much, so there's no doubt they've spent a week torturing him. My heart breaks for him, in more ways than one. I don't wanna imagine what agony they've put him through and what mess he's gonna look like now. Then again, it doesn't matter. I just pray they get to save him and bring him back to us…to me. Putting a claim on Vince was an audacious move. My thoughts at the moment were scandalous and inappropriate. But as much as I can't say them out loud, deep down, I wanna think it's safe enough to say them within myself. To bluntly admit…I'm the one that Vince loves. I'm the one he belongs
VINCE “Hey!” One of the rogue guards roared from outside. “Get up and eat the damn food!”Getting up was impossible. I couldn't. My legs have been badly bruised with all the chains and gruesome tortures. I had an excruciating black eye on the right eye and the left was slightly swollen. There was a bleeding bruise on my arm. My clothes have been ripped apart, so they're barely keeping me from the harsh coldness of the bare floor. I'm in hell. Literally. There was no sugarcoating or downplaying the agony I was feeling right now. They want me to eat? My lips are slightly swollen from all those punches! How the hell can I even stomach food when my body has been so badly destroyed?Breathing was getting harder with each second. Forcing air through my nostrils was hard work. I'd give up breathing if it didn't mean dying. “Hey!” The door opened and two men came inside. “You don't wanna eat? Then don't! You're coming with us!”I grunted as they roughly dragged me off the ground and took







