Lahat ng Kabanata ng Lethal Business: The Mafia's love game : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

XavierMy stomach tied on knots when I realized I could lose her forever, that could not happen. We drove around at least four times, there was no sign of her. My mind wondered with all sorts of possibilities. What if he had taken her, what if Arturo got to her first. Ariana Morales was my weakness, she was my Achilles heel. There was no way I was letting her go, she made me so susceptible and so ducking vulnerable. Ariana was gone, she had escaped.How could she? After everything I'd done for her. Everything I'd given her. I was panicking, blinded my rage. How dare she betray me? Leave me? I slammed my fist into the wall of my office. The sound echoed through the mansion.My mind reeled.Where could she be? Who helped her?I'll find her, no matter what. I'll make her pay. For leaving me. For rejecting me.My phone buzzed. My anger boiled over.Lorenzo walked into the office. He stood quietly in a corner. Even though he wouldn't admit it, he was worried sick about her too. But he

Ariana The floors were cold. I paced, my footsteps echoed off the cold walls. The darkness suffocated me, making it hard to breathe.This was the room where Xavier had held me captive. Where he'd stripped me of my freedom. Where he'd claimed ownership over me. My mind went blank a couple of times, trying to escape from this prison. I couldn't shake the feeling of being trapped.The shadows seemed to writhe around me, alive. I stumbled, my hand outstretched in front of me.The darkness was absolute.No light penetrated through the room, no sound filtered in from outside. I was alone. I couldn't tell morning from night. There was no way to escape.I've screamed, cried, faked a crisis, all to no avail. By the fourth crisis, I knew there was no such thing as Prince Charming. I had lost all hope. No one was going to save me. The voices had quiet for a while, maybe due to exhaustion, or something worse. When did my life become this? A sliver of light sliced through the darkness everyday.

Xavier As I gazed down at Ariana, sleeping peacefully on my chest, I realized this was a first for me. I couldn't reach the last time I had woken up with a woman in my arms. Intimacy wasn't something I allowed. Women were pawns, tools to be used and discarded. But Ariana... she was different.Her tiny heart beat against mine was soothing. I felt an overwhelming urge to protect her, to shield her from harm with my life. For the first time, I understood what it meant to truly care for someone. To want to cherish and safeguard them, not just possess them. Ariana's presence in my life had shattered my defenses, exposing a capacity for love I never knew I had. For the first time in years, I slept all through the night. The girl was like some sort of charm. I wrapped my arms tighter around her, savoring the warmth of her body, the softness of her breath against my skin. A sense of peace washed over me, unfamiliar yet intoxicating. I buried my face in her hair, inhaling the sweet scent of

ArianaThe silence of the night was broken by the sound of the front door opening. I stirred, my eyes fluttering open to find Xavier standing in the entrance, his gaze locked onto me. I had fallen asleep on the couch, determined to be the first thing he saw when he returned.Xavier's expression seemed to soften as he took in the sight of me. He nodded to his Lorenzo and Mateo, and they exited the living area, leaving us alone."Ariana," he said, his deep voice low and husky sent tickles to my senses. I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "Welcome back Lucky."Xavier approached me, "You waited up for me?" he asked with a hint of surprise.I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I couldn't sleep."His gaze lingered on me, "You look tired," he said, his voice gentle.I felt a flutter in my chest at his concern, his moved closer to me. "I'm fine."Xavier nodded, “Are you sure? This place is kind of cold.”I rolled my eyes at him, “Yes, I'm sure.”Xavier's movements were swift and

ArianaMy knees didn't leave my chest the whole night. I rocked back and forth like a child. A dead body! My mind betrayed me more than once, flashing back to the gruesome scene. The reality of my situation had sunk in. Xavier was a monster, and I was trapped. My thoughts swirled, horror and disgust swirling in my stomach. This place felt like chamber of unspeakable crimes. Xavier stood in front of that man's body like he was irrelevant. They talked, had a full conversation after taking a man's life. His hands were covered in blood.The victim's vacant eyes still haunted me, chilling me to the bone. How could I have been so blind? Xavier's charming facade hid a monster. How could I believe him when he said he'd let them go? Now I'm surrounded by Mateo and Lorenzo's grave faces, I felt trapped in a living nightmare. There was no way I could avoid them in their own damn house. He is a murderer! And nothing makes what he did right. There's no justification. I wiped away my tears wit