The Marcello's empire Lost bride

Chapter 1

Raya's POV 

"How'd you think that bitch would feel if she found out about us?" I slowed my steps at the sound of the voice from a distance.

"How else do you think? She's going to be shattered, and she's going to wail her eyes out," another replied, and I stilled. The familiarity of the voices made my heart thump harder.

No. It can’t be. I told myself, my feet glued to the floor. The ache in my chest began as a faint throb, intensifying with every passing second.

I dragged my feet closer to the bedroom, each step heavier than the last. My hand trembled as I held it out gingerly to the doorknob. A cold sweat formed at the base of my neck, and my breath hitched as dread coiled in my stomach.

I felt my breath seize at the sight before me. My best friend Kelly and my boyfriend, Mark—of four years—were on our bed, naked.

My knees threatened to give way. Our bed. The one where we shared dreams of the future, late-night whispers, and promises that now felt like lies. My nails dug into the doorframe as I stared.

"I can't wait to see the shock on her face when you jilt her on your wedding day for me," Kelly said, snuggling closer to his bare chest.

The words pierced through me like shards of glass.

"I know, right? It'll be none less like the way she was when her father died," he said, and they both let out a hearty laugh.

The room seemed to close in on me. The walls blurred, and their laughter became a hollow echo in my ears. My chest burned each beat of my heart a painful reminder of their betrayal.

I moved to push the door open and tripped on the doormat, falling into the room.

"Fuck! What the hell is that?" Kelly yelled, startled by my entrance.

"Nothing serious, baby, just a joke," Mark said, slipping down from the bed.

"Y—you… How long have you been doing this?" I asked, my voice breaking as I stared at them, tears brimming in my eyes. My throat felt tight like it was closing in on itself.

Kelly smirked, draping a towel over her chest as she walked toward me. "Oh, sweetheart, it's so bad you found out earlier. Would have been better if you found out at the altar. That too… stranded." Her words felt like poison, seeping into my veins.

"Mark is my boyfriend, and we were supposed to get married this fucking week!" I yelled, feeling my throat burn as I stared at them in utter disbelief. My legs wobbled as the weight of it all pressed down on me.

"And you, Mark! We have our wedding. We are supposed to fucking get married, and you're cheating on me with—Kelly?"

I wanted to scream, to throw every piece of furniture in the room, but all I could do was stand there, rooted in place.

"Well, too bad now, you found out earlier than I wanted you to," Max said, his eyes glinting with evil as he knelt in front of me.

"Get out now Raya," He said and I shook my head.

"What more do you want bitch! Steal my boyfriend? Leave!" Kelly yelled, pulling my hair.

"Ahh," A guttural scream escaped from my lips as she dragged me out.

"You cannot possibly cancel the wedding Max, you—you cannot do that,"

"Shut the stupid fuck up Raya, how do you want me to get married to you, you've no fuckin family, your father's dead and you're just a stupid orphan who's supposed to be long dead!" He said, making me still.

"You really don't mean that d—do you?" I asked, my voice breaking. My stomach twisted painfully as I stared at them dumbfounded.

"You should leave now or..."

"Or what? You're going to kill me? Of course, you can, what more can I expect from two cheaters," I said, my heart wrenching as I stared at them.

The pain that soared through my body was so great that it almost brought me to my knees again. Every fuckin breath of air I suck in hurts and I could feel my throat burning from the screams and tears I was keeping within.

"It's useless arguing with this bum Mark, get out Raya," Kelly said, holding Mark's hand in hers.

"So we're really doing this yeah? We really are? And you have the fuckin guts to think you could go away scot-free without any consequence?!"I screamed, but they paid no attention and instead, I watched Mark change into a pair of shorts, kissing Kelley's forehead before he moved to drag me out of the room.

"Stop dragging me! This is my house as well Mark, we fuckin bought this house together, if anyone should leave, that bitch should be the one who leaves..."

Marks stinging palms on my face made me shudder for a moment, my knees almost buckling to the ground. I stood still for a moment as I stared at him with red, tears-filled eyes.

"This is not the Mark I knew..."I managed to mutter before Kelly walked to us, taking my hands from his, she tore another slap into my face.

"We should end this trash now Mark, she's just a pest and I cannot bear having her around," Kelly said, dragging me to the balcony.

"It's fine Kelly, we can just throw her out and make sure she never steps foot into this house again," Mark said, earning a stern look from Kelly.

"Don't tell me you still have feelings for her? Join me in this now or..."

"I'll join," he said without hesitance and I watched with strained dark eyes and hollow cheeks.

"Here then," She said, handing my hands to him.

"P—please, you both cannot do this to me, please..." I begged, with tears flowing endlessly down my face.

Mark dragged me by my hair to the balcony, both of them staring at the empty street.

"It's a good thing there's no security camera around here," Kelly said, earning a wry smile from Mark.

"We'll throw her down and when they ask, you tell them she slipped from the balcony and lost her balance, okay?" She said, and I watched with anguish my most trusted people plan perfectly my death.

Mark nodded, ignoring my desperate pleas to be freed. 

"Mark, please, no!" I screamed, my voice raw with desperation as Mark dragged me closer. My feet scraped against the cold tiles, and I clawed at his wrist, but his grip was like iron, piercing into my wrist.

Kelly leaned casually against the railing, her wicked smile twisting her features. "Do it already, Mark. She's just dead weight now."

"Mark, please!" I sobbed, grabbing onto the balcony rail with both hands as he tried to force me over the edge. The cool metal bit into my palms, and I clung to it with every ounce of strength I had left. I couldn't afford to die like this, I still had a lot of things to do...

"Let go!" Kelly snarled, slapping my face with stinging force. My head snapped to the side, but my grip held firm. The street below spun in my vision, the height dizzying.

"You can’t do this! You can’t! P—please..." I begged, tears streaming down my face. My nails dug into the rail as I fought for my life.

Mark let out an impatient growl. "She’s stronger than she looks." He grabbed my fingers, one by one, and began prying them loose. Pain shot through my hands as I screamed, my nails cracking as I struggled to hold on.

"Just end this!" Kelly snapped, grabbing my wrist and yanking it with all her strength. My fingers tore free from the rail, leaving raw, bleeding scrapes as I tumbled backward.

The fall was endless and immediate all at once. The wind howled in my ears, and my vision blurred with tears. I hit the hood of a car with a sickening thud, the metal crumpling beneath my weight. Pain exploded in my body, and my head slammed against the windshield.

Everything went quiet. Blood trickled down my face, warm and sticky, pooling beneath me as my vision dimmed.