My head was spinning. All I could think about was the man who snuck into the Fimbar mansion, and my mind was presenting me with images of Helena Fimbar dead, or really scarred for life.I had glanced at Jacopo Nicolo multiple times, contemplating whether or not I should tell him what I saw. Each time I would open my lips to speak, the words would get stuck in my throat and form a painful lump, preventing me from speaking my mind.The tension in the car was tense as ever, contributing to my fear of telling Jacopo Nicolo what I witnessed.The drive lasted for another hour before the car started slowing down.I looked out the window and saw that we were pulling up into the parking lot of a small bar. Connor was once again waiting for Jacopo in his car, and the second we arrived, he hopped out of the car.Jacopo opened the door and hopped out, and together, the two walked into the bar.Once again, he left with the driver, and he started drumming his fingers against the steering wheel, an
Jacopo Nicolo...The investigation was not kind to us. Cane and I had an interesting talk with the Fimbars. Before entering the mansion, Cane and I discussed that we would have a conversation with the mother and father separately in different rooms before we would pay Helena Fimabr a visit.I spoke to the mother, Piper Fimabr, and every cell in my body was annoyed with her to the point that I almost reached for my gun.I'd asked her a simple and straight forward question that required a simple and straightforward answer. But she would take her sweet time fabricating stories I didn't need or even asked for.I'd asked her when was the last time she had seen her son Alex Fimbar, and the old woman would start ger answer by blaming her daughter-in-law."My son has been quite stressed lately. That worthless wife of his has been sucking the life out of him. Ever since he married her a few weeks ago, he has been miserable. I know he barely sleeps at night with her in his bed. She doesn't
I drove around the nearby places as slowly as I could, casting looks towards the streets to see if I could find her walking around.Throughout the entire search, I was wondering as to why that woman would run away. If her main purpose was to build a trap on the web, then why did she need to run away?I wondered if maybe it was because she needed time to meet up with someone, but that didn't make much sense, since I surprised her by taking her out of the apartment when she least expected it.I tried to make sense of it, but nothing seemed to come to mind.The search lasted about an hour before I received a call from Cane.I answered the phone, feeling unease, and hoped that he would find her, since I obviously couldn't."Tell me you found her." I called out the second I pressed the phone against my scarred ear."Worried about your wife, I see..." He commented, the mockery ringing in his voice."Cane!" I hissed, moving my car to the side to park."Yes..." He finally replied. "I found h
Ezabella Viper...My ears were ringing, my guts twisting, and my entire body shivering. I was having a hard time comprehending what happened in the last few hours. From waking up to Ella Smith's phone call to Jacopo Nicolo taking me out of his apartment, from witnessing a thief sneaking into the Fimbar's mansion to almost getting sold... Everything was too much.All I wanted was a warm... no, a scorching hot shower, and then get a long sleep. All I wanted to do was forget that everything happened, but I still couldn't stop myself from remembering.I recalled hiding behind the dumpster, the little shadow it cast, hiding me from the outside world. I remember watching the people walking by without noticing me. I remember how low need felt and how scared I was.I recalled watching the time go by and the day darken. It truly terrified me. I thought I was lost forever. It might have been a silly thought for an adult, but it still didn't stop me from feeling a gut twisting nerve.I
I ended up dragging myself to the deserted living room to have some rest, and the second I'd slid under the warm covers and my head rested against the fluffy pillow, I was immediately lights out.Despite getting the long sleep I was desperate for, I did not get the rest that my body and mind needed.I'd slept through a horrible nightmare, my mind forcing me to see a fusion of what happened over a year ago and what could have happened the previous day.I'd startled away three times throughout the night, desperate to run away from the nightmare. But then, I would fall right back on my pillow and sleep, only to continue the nightmare I had stopped.I knew the sun had risen when I heard movements in the apartment, mostly in the open kitchen. I gave the elevator doors my back, pretending to still be asleep so I wouldn't be interrogated by him again.Tucking my hands under my head, I closed my eyes and followed the sound of his soft footsteps as he walked about.I heard the door of the frid
I stood in front of the open fridge, looking at the items as I did the day before. Except, the eggs were double the numbers they were the previous day.It made me wonder when Jacopo had restocked. There were a lot more fruit than there were before as well, including avocados, oranges, grapes, and more watermelon, strawberries, and apples.I didn't want to eat strawberries again, craving actual food that wasn't sweet. I wondered if he would be mad if I took an egg or two... or maybe three.I reached in, deciding to heck with it. I was having some eggs.I took three eggs out, along with a bottom of sparkling water, and closed the fridge.I walked back to the counter where I had left my phone. I tapped the screen with the tip of my pinky finger, checking if there was any notification I had not noticed. It was about thirty minutes since I called Ella to tell her about what I had seen, and I was hoping she would call me right away after she found out what happened to Helena Fimbar. But the
I stood behind the drapes, once again looking down at the outside world. I was trying my best to pass the time, boredom once again, making me feel low.I'd venture deeper into my suitcases, but I was not strong enough to remember my past.I was in the midst of trying to talk myself into sleeping when I heard my phone ring.I pulled the drapes away and entered the living room, darkness instantly swallowing it whole when the drapes fell back in place.I slowly made my way to the open kitchen and reached for my phone. I grew wary at the sight of Ella's name and phone number flashing on the screen of my phone.I answered the call before I pressed the phone to my left ear."Hello?" I called out."Ezabella, hi. I'm sorry I didn't call earlier..." Ella Smith commented."It's okay. Did you hear anything about the Fimabrs?" I asked, too eager to know if Helena Fimbar was okay and if my stupidity hadn't cost her her life."I did. Helena is fine, and so are the rest of the Fimbars." She replied.
I say awkwardly in the passenger seat of the car, my shoulder firmly pressed against the door, my eyes planted on the window.It came to me as a surprise when Jacopo told me that he would drive me to the Smith Mansion himself. Although I was surprised, I was not about to look at a gift horse in the mouth. It didn't take me a full five minutes to change out of my clothes and tie my knotted hair into a messy bun. I slipped my white flats on and left the walk-in closet with a final cast on the only sock I had that was torn when I ran on them with no shoes on.Jacopo was waiting for me in front of the elevator, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes looking into the distance, calculating whatever equations he had in his head. Despite looking like he was deep in thoughts, he noticed me limping over to him out of the corner of his right eye, and put the codes into the panel to call the elevator up.My initial plan was to sit in the back seat of the car, as far away from Jacopo as poss
Three days.Ezabella Viper has not left her room for three days. I felt lost. That night, the night we went to the Smith mansion for the dinner party, had been a disaster on both of our ends.My night was ruined by the things some of the members of the web thought about my wife and by the bet Elijah and Dante set on me taking Dante's offer or not.Ezabella's night was ruined by someone sending a video of her torture to the group chat of the women of the web.That's right. Ella Smith told me everything in great detail about what happened that night in the living room while I was in the home office of Elijah Smith. Someone had the nerves to do that to my wife, to send a video of her torture for everyone to see.Ella said she had tried to delete the video since she was the creator of the group chat, but that unknown number kept sending the video back over and over again until she was forced to delete the group chapf in whole. She said she had taken a screenshot of the number before she
Jacopo Nicolo...I stood outside the door, my eyes still thrown into Cilvia's bedroom, silently listening to the conversation they were having.From the looks on the remaining women in the living room with Ella, I knew something bad must have happened. I just didn't know it was this bad, bad enough for Cilvia to speak to Ezabella this way and force her to hold her hand even when I hadn't held her hand yet.They were talking about a video just seconds ago. What Video?I had several burning questions I needed to ask, and I wasn't sure how I was going to ask them.Suddenly, I was no longer upset with Ezabella for departing from Ella and running off alone. At least the crazy woman was keeping her company.Their conversation seemed to end with Cilvia confessing about her baby sister's murder, even though she failed to mention that she was the one who murdered her own sister, using the same poison I had tried to make Ezabella drink on the night of our wedding.I stepped closer to the do
I limped out of the living room, not knowing where I was going to go and hiding before I broke down into pieces."To the stairs." A woman's voice came from behind me, and I glanced over my left shoulder to see that it was Cilvia."Go up the stairs." She said again, nodding towards the stairs.I turned towards the stairs and limped forward, hearing Cilvia's heels echo after me.I climbed up, tears burning my eyes and a huge lump stuffed in my throat.My own scream was ringing in my ears as I climbed the stairs, pain radiating from my knee up to my hip, making my limp ten times worse."Turn left." Cilvia ordered once I reached the top of the stairs, still closely following me from being but giving me enough space to breathe.I followed her directions, hoping she would lead me to a place that wouldn't have any witnesses to see me break down after what had just happened.Cilvia continued to lead me around until I reached the door. All the while, my cheeks were flooded with tears, and my
Ezabella Viper...The dinner was nice, not the tense silence but the delicious food.It was nice to enjoy a meal even though I felt awkward sitting with so many strangers. Call me delusional, but I felt like I was being watched by some of them, as if they were predators trying to figure out the weakness of their prey, who happened to be an injured prey who can't even defend herself from the majority of them.I silently enjoyed the dinner presented in front of me until Dante stood up and walked away, calling for the rest of the members of the web.I wasn't sure if I should stop eating, since a lot of them were gone, or if I should just silently continue to enjoy my meal.I finally glanced around the dining table and saw that the women were still eating their dinner, so I continued to do so until someone said we had had enough, or until my belly was too full for me to even move.The first month of marriage had taught me not to take food for granted, so I was determined to clean my
I let out a sigh."I'm working on it." I replied, and the two men looked at me as if I had suddenly frowned three extra heads right before their eyes."Wait?" Elijah said, forgetting the fact that he passed just seconds ago. "What do you mean you're working on it? Are you accepting his offer?" He asked.I remained silent, and that was enough for both of them to understand that it was a yes."Well, I'll be damned. I never thought you would easily cave in." Dante said, leaning back in his seat.I stupidly felt insulted at that."I will fulfill my end of the bargain, and after that, you will never even consider me for an alliance with another party." I commented, and Dante nodded his head."Of course. All you have to do is wait until the child is born, and then you are free." He confirmed.Heaviness weighed in my body, as if someone had cut me open, filled my insides with cobblestones, and threw me down to sink into a deep, bottomless ocean.Admitting what I had planned to do out loud fe
I was the last to enter Elijah Smith's home office, the familiarity making my skin crawl.Elijah was sitting behind his desk as he would when the meetings were at his house, Dante taking another seat at the side, while the rest stood around.There were a few people who I was more familiar with than the rest, including Elijah and Dante, Harvey, who is Dante's shadow, and Cane, who always stands with his back pressed against the bookshelf, his eyes looking left and right as if they were surveillance cameras.I looked at the empty chair left across from Elijah and I reached up to gently tug at my collar, remembering how I was sitting in it over a year ago, fresh burn wounds all over my body, when Dante suggested the marriage to Ezabella Viper."Now that we are all here, there are a few things we need to discuss..." Dante commented, looking at each and every single one of us."To begin on a lighter note, it has come to my attention that we are currently dealing with another opponent who c
Jacopo Nicolo...The scene was quiet and awkward. The only noise that filled the room was that of metal utensils clinking against plates as everyone focused their attention on the plates in front of them.I glanced around the table, taking note of everyone present and everyone missing from the so-called dinner party. There were a few empty seats, which was weird, considering there would usually be extra seats pushed in to fit everyone in. Missing the meeting for the last month was not the smartest decision I have ever made since I joined the Web, especially seeing how different the vibe of the group was.There was more tension than I remembered, and I wondered why.I glanced towards Elijah first, seeing how he was more focused on his food and his wife, who was sitting on the chair next to him, than on the tension in the room. I glanced at Dante next, and I wanted to roll my eyes at how unbothered he looked, enjoying his dinner like no other person sitting around the dining table.My
Jacopo knocked on the door of my room exactly an hour and a half after he had left me to rest. I was in the middle of a deep sleep when he came to get me, successfully waking me up with excitement at the memory of where he said we were going."I'll wait for you in the living room." He'd commented, once again looking bothered at the sight of my room before he closed the door and walked away.I got up and took a super quick hot shower, washing the sweat of the exciting evening away, before quickly drying myself and limping towards the walk-in closet. I found the bags Jacopo left in there and aimed for the one I was sure contained the long, purple dress.I put my underwear on before slipping into the fitting dress, already feeling better about myself than I had in the last year while glancing at my reflection in the mirror.I slid my feet into the purple flats we got to match my dress, my cheeks once again heating up at the memory of how gentle the man I married turned out to be.I grab
I saw in the passenger seat of the car, comfort humming between us. The items we purchased were in the backseat of the car.It would be an understatement to say that I genuinely had fun. From shopping for books to the last store we walked in to get me a bag. It was nothing like I expected it to be.Jacopo didn't leave my side even once, even when he himself was having an internal battle with people's gazes.It brought us closer to each other in some sort of way.I let out a soft sigh of content, already imagining the next week I would spend curled up with a book. Bye-bye, boredom."Do you like the things you got?" Jacopo asked, breaking the silence."I do." I replied with a nod, remembering how he had helped me put the purple flats on, the way he responded with such gentle words pushed by an even gentler voice.I glanced at him, feeling an odd flutter in my chest.The moment was broken when his phone rang, splitting the silence in the car.Jacopo answered the phone, putting it on a l