Isla~I stood frozen in front of the door. The door to Dante's bedroom. Our bedroom.My fingers hovered just above the knob, trembling as though the metal itself would burn me. I hated this feeling. I hated being afraid and uncertain. And yet, I couldn't deny it; fear was exactly what curled tightly in my chest right now.Dante was alive.After a week and two days in the ICU, after flatlining twice, after so much bloodloss and chaos, I had watched him slip away before my eyes. I had screamed until my throat gave out. Cried until my body trembled with exhaustion. Held his hand even after he stopped squeezing back.But he made it.He was back, breathing. He was awake. Alive.He had pulled through for both me and our child. And naturally, I should be as happy as I should be grateful.But why did walking through this door feel so hard? Why did it feel so heavy in my chest I closed my eyes. The memory of that night flooded me like a tidal wave.The way the bullets had ripped through the a
Isla~I stood frozen in front of the door. The door to Dante's bedroom. Our bedroom.My fingers hovered just above the knob, trembling as though the metal itself would burn me. I hated this feeling. I hated being afraid and uncertain. And yet, I couldn't deny it; fear was exactly what curled tightly in my chest right now.Dante was alive.After a week and two days in the ICU, after flatlining twice, after so much bloodloss and chaos, I had watched him slip away before my eyes. I had screamed until my throat gave out. Cried until my body trembled with exhaustion. Held his hand even after he stopped squeezing back.But he made it.He was back, breathing. He was awake. Alive.He had pulled through for both me and our child. And naturally, I should be as happy as I should be grateful.But why did walking through this door feel so hard? Why did it feel so heavy in my chest I closed my eyes. The memory of that night flooded me like a tidal wave.The way the bullets had ripped through the a
Isla~The air crackled with tension.Gunfire exploded outside, rattling through the walls like a violent drumbeat. Men shouted over one another, some barking orders, others screaming in agony. Somewhere in the chaos, metal clanged against concrete, followed by a sharp, guttural cry. It was a warzone out there.And yet, I was oddly calm.Jake, however, was the one unraveling.He paced the room like a caged animal, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Beads of sweat glistened on his temple, his jaw twitching every few seconds like he was biting down the urge to scream.I sat where I had been for hours, handcuffed to a cold, metal chair. My wrists still ached, raw from the earlier struggle. But I didn't move, I didn't flinch. Not even when the ground trembled from an explosion outside.Because the longer Jake panicked, the more I knew what was coming.I knew who was coming.Dante.Jake lunged for the walkie-talkie on the table. "Status report!" he barked into it, his voice r
[A/N: Hello beautiful readers! Just in case you haven't noticed, this book is slowly coming to an end as I have other works to commence. I however would like to use this opportunity to appreciate all my loyal readers, who followed this story from the very beginning till this point. Really, I appreciate y'all. You've made this writing journey a really wonderful one for me.]Isla~The cuffs bit into my wrists again as I shifted in the chair, a defiant glint in my eyes as I stared down the bastard seated across from me.Jake. Smug, composed, legs crossed like this was just a friendly reunion. And behind him, like some deranged scarecrow, stood the woman from earlier; Veronica. Her arms were folded, but her stance screamed readiness. Like if I so much as blinked wrong, she would put a bullet in me.I yanked at the cuffs once more, metal scraping metal. "You're wasting your time." I spat, my voice sharp with loathing. "Dante's not coming. You are delusional if you think he would ever
Dante~"Where the fuck is she?!" I roared, my voice thundering through the hall and slamming into every gilded wall and marbled surface like a wrecking ball.Chandeliers trembled, glasses tipped over and heads turned."Where is my wife?!"I didn't wait for an answer. I couldn't. My blood was boiling, and my vision had narrowed into a tunnel of blind fury. I shoved the nearest man in a suit, knocking him to the ground like a sack of flour."She went to the funking bathroom twenty minutes ago!" I yelled, grabbing another startled guest by the collar. "Now she's gone! My wife and my child are gone!"Gasps rippled through the room, followed by the shuffling of feet and murmured confusion. Some faces turned away. Others watched with wide, uncertain eyes. No one dared to move closer.No one, except the poor bastard who thought putting a hand on my shoulder might calm me down.Big mistake.I whirled around and cracked my fist against his jaw. He dropped like a stone."Stay the fuck away from
Isla ~The night stretched longer than I had initially imagined.Santiago pulled Dante from one circle to the other as they indulged in various discussions that were of little to no interest to me.A couple of formal introductions here and there, forced pleasantries and smiles that I only seemed to be getting better at.Dante however looked like he was genuinely having a great time. And watching him was like a parent watching their child interact with other children of the same age. It was really...something, even though my feet were killing me in these heels.And I was already feeling the need to visit the bathroom yet again...for the umpteenth time.Another waiter offered me some glasses of champagne and before I could even get a chance to decline, Dante reached out to take a glass.I arched an eyebrow at him but alas! He couldn't see it due to the silly mask on my face. He however seemed to understand my look, letting off a shrugged."What? I'm drinking for both of you." He said,