When I heard a commotion outside the bedroom, I was jolted awake. I scanned my surroundings and realized that I was still in the same locked bedroom. Fear immediately emanates from me, knowing that I am still in a dreaded place. I'm not sure how much longer I've been asleep. Despite my circumstances, I do not really even know how I ended up falling asleep. The more I hear the voices shouting outside, the more I become frightened and terrified. I was about to get off the bed to try to check if I could somewhat understand the shouting that is happening outside when several shots being fired can be overheard before I can move. And I have frozen with fear again. I was having a difficult time breathing because my heart was thumping so furiously and fiercely that I had to clutch my chest to help me stabilize my breathing. Is Elliot already here? Is he with someone? Is he here already to rescue me? What's the connection with the shots being fired? Is he perfectly alright? My thoughts are pl
"Elliot," I can't help but whimper once more. I have a lot on my mind but can't say anything about everything at this time. I'm ashamed of myself. I'm mortified by what I said to Elliot previously. "Did any of them touch you, Ari? Are you hurt?" He asked as he tenderly pulled me up and guided me over to the bed. All I can do is just shake my head when he inquired. "Please talk to me, baby. I need to know if you're completely fine. Ari, I'm here; you don't have to be frightened any longer. I promised you that I would protect and save you. I'm sure you are well aware now that I won't let anything harmful happen to you." I wept on his chest because I could not really face him. "El, Elliot, I'm sorry." I have quite a lot of things I would really like to ask him for forgiveness for, but I'm not sure where to begin. I know my words will never be enough for the pain I have inflicted on him. "Let’s not talk about that right now, Ari. You need to rest. Come on, it's better that I bring you
When I regained consciousness after the sleep I didn't realize I had been engulfed in, the surroundings were laden with a strong masculine fragrance. And in the midst of all of this, I feel that I am safe. When I opened my eyes, I looked at both sides and realized I was lying on a king-sized bed in a different room. A room that I feel so strongly connected with. I closed my eyes once more, trying to recall what had happened and where Matt was in all of this. Elliot has already rescued me, so I know I'm safe. And this room does not give me the same chills as the one I was in before it. This room feels like Elliot's, so comforting despite the very manly appearance. Thinking about Elliot made my mind a jumbled mess. The last thing I remember was wanting to start a conversation with him, but he stopped me and urged me to relax. The next thing I knew, I was overwhelmed with exhaustion and weariness. I can't help but wonder if Matt is worrying about me as I lie in bed with my eyes closed.
"I'm at a loss for words now, Ari. I really don't know what to say to make you feel better. I have no words except that I'm sorry for hurting you. As much as I want to, I don't have any explanations or excuses anymore. I apologize for all I did, but I did everything that I did because I cared about you so deeply. And everything I've told you is true. Ariella, my feelings for you are genuine. Even if you don't trust a single word I say, believe the feelings I've expressed truthfully, since I'll never lie to you about how I really feel. I can lie about everything else, but not how much you mean to me." My tears are flowing again as he said this. I honestly regret inflicting him pain with my statements and my actions. I never once doubted the genuineness of his feelings for me. What I hated was his actions in showing that love. But now I understand where he is coming from. He just wants to safeguard me from all harm. And if I could take back all the hurtful words that I said, if there
"You! It really is you! I cannot believe this. You! You're that woman! I know you!" I simply cannot stop myself from becoming outraged and agitated when I saw her. And no matter how much effort I strive to remain composed and collected for Elliot, I absolutely can't. Seeing her again brings back so many memories for me. I've been plagued with painful recollections of what she did to me. I will always see her as the one who tries to sabotage my relationship with Matt, even though I know Elliot has a part in that too. I decided to move away from Elliot and inched closer to the woman, who was still smiling at me despite the rage that I was showing her. "What are you doing here? Why are you here?" I started shouting, clenching my fists tightly in an attempt to alleviate my debilitating impulses. "Why is she here?" I exclaimed once more, directing my attention to Elliot this time. "Hey, Ari, baby, calm down." Elliot said as his arms wrapped around my waist, trying his best to constrain me
"What?!" "What is the truth about her relationship with Matt, Elliot? And why does it have to be her out of all the women you could fall for? You've hurt me tremendously before, and now your actions are hurting me over and over again." A beaming smile suddenly appeared on his face as he realized something from the words that I had spoken. He slowly approached me and decided to embrace me without uttering anything. And I was frozen in my place because of that action from him that I never expected. He doesn't say anything, yet that hug is full of emotions. All of the unstated sentiments and feelings are conveyed through the hug. And I simply can not help but reciprocate. I do have a lot of things to say to him, but at this moment, the silence speaks for everything between us. "Why do you always have to cast and pass judgement on me, Ari? Why do you have to continually see the worst in me and my words?" I couldn't say anything. What else should I say in response? I inevitably judge h
I've been staying at Elliot's home for more than a week now. I was glad that he did not force me again to go home to my family. That discussion ended when he told me everything he knew about Matt. And after that day, when I almost scratched her gorgeous face, I never saw Chloe again. And I was relieved that she never returned. Despite Elliot's explanations, I am still not interested in meeting her or seeing her again. I would rather not see her because, regardless of the fact that she is a farce, I still regard her as a threat, not to my relationship with Matt but rather to Elliot and me. And once again, I realized how messed up I am with my contradictory emotions. I am unfair, and I know that very well. Why do I always put a lot of pressure on Elliot to tell me the truth about everything when it's always me who is not really forthright about my feelings? Why do I always expect him to be honest with me at all times when I can't even be honest with myself? In my heart, I know I can'
"You're talking in circles yet again, hon. Tell me about the issue you want to discuss." He heaved out a heavy sigh. "Um, I, Elliot, I-" He caressed my arms and shook his head. "Hey, Ari, why are you hesitating at all? What's the problem? You can tell me anything without feeling uneasy and anxious because it's just me. You know, you're free to just be by yourself in front of me. I won't judge you, and you know that." My heart started to beat faster than usual. I'm not sure whether this is the right time and place, but I felt compelled to tell him everything I'd been holding back for so long. I know he won't judge me, but I don't want him to assume that I'm on the rebound again. But, I still think that now seems to be the perfect moment to tell him everything. And it doesn't matter to me if he doesn't return my feelings; what's important is that I told him. I just wanted to be honest with him this time. There are also still a lot of things I really have to take care of, including w
Finally, the story has come to an end. Apologies, as it took longer than I had expected because of a lot of circumstances and my busy schedule. This is not perfect as well, and I know that, but I really want to thank you all so much for the support and for giving this book a chance. I deeply appreciate all the readers and followers who are supporting my stories in GN. Please support and keep reading my other stories in GN: English: (On-going) The Dragster's Mafia Heiress The Runaways' Second Chance Mate Taglish: The Invisible Love of Billionaire (completed) Married to the Runaway Bride (completed) Falling for the Replacement Mistress (On-going) The Rise of the Fallen Ex-Wife (On-going) Entangled to the Hidden Mafia (On-going)
Two men could be seen discreetly bickering over something in the stillness of the night. And although what was happening was visible to the rest of the men on the ground with them, they all chose not to interfere at this moment. They know better than to meddle with something that is not their concern. No one can genuinely understand what the verbal hubbub that is occurring between the two is all about as well. But whatever it is, it begins to appear to be about something big and important for the two to face off on the grounds just like that. The two men exchanged dirty, mean looks as they awaited each other's next move. And it also seemed as if they were about to each draw their firearms and end this ordeal between them, but both of them subsequently changed their minds and thought better of their situation. It really shouldn't reach such an extent once more. They now behave more calmly and rationally with each other than they used to in the past as a result of the changes in their
The wedding ceremony is happening in a blur for both of them. They are just too focused on each other all the time, as they are both holding each other's hands. The couple is so overjoyed about everything that is happening that they were smiling all throughout. And why wouldn't they? They are getting married! "Now that you can, Elliot, you may now recite your vows." The priest directed him. Elliot wasn't accustomed to these situations, of course. He's never been kind to express how he really feels, especially about love topics, and most of all not in front of other people. Kyle and Brit are the only people who could possibly know everything about what his heart desires. Nevertheless, today, he is willing to voice his opinion openly about Ariella and take away all his inhibitions because he wants Ari to understand how important she is to him. Before actually beginning to say his vows, he even took a deep breath to compose himself. "Hey, you know how hard this is for me, Ari, sweetie.
As I stood beside Kyle, my heartbeat was thumping frantically in my chest. I am anxious and excited, and I can tell that every person in the hall is feeling the same way as I am. This is where it all ends now. This is the culmination of everything that we've worked so hard to achieve. Today is a very special day for me and Ari, and everyone present here today is going to celebrate this momentous occasion with us. And I've honestly been eagerly awaiting this moment as well for a very long time now. But, in addition to that, I am currently experiencing a wide range of emotions. And for the very first time in my life, I can feel my hands and legs trembling at the same time at just the thought of Ariella Gregory. A distinct kind of nervousness is what I am starting to experience because, even though I'm anxious as I stand here with my best man, my excitement for what today will bring outweighs my nervousness by a long shot. Today is my most anticipated day. I'm going to get married tod
"There may still be time for you to make up your mind and change the decisions that you made, so are you sure that this is exactly what you intended to be doing?" Markus is acting like an a-hole as usual at this moment. "Sure, everything else with the villains of your lives is done and over with, but are you absolutely able to say that you wanted to marry him, that douche? Just tell me, Ariella, and I am willing to save you from this misery that you are about to get yourself into." I scowled at him as I crossed my arms in front of my chest to just let him know that he was not in the least amusing me and that I was beginning to get upset and clearly annoyed with him. "Markus, are you done grating on my nerves? If you are, can you shut the hell up now?" "What the heck, pumpkin? Why are you being so rude and surly? I'm merely trying to provide some clarity to your muddled and disorganized thinking. And I just want to let you know there is still enough time to back out." "Shut the heck
"It’s alright, dear. It's actually a very sweet gesture from you. And it just shows how much you really love my daughter." "I really do love her." He said proudly. Ari is too pleased, and she can feel the butterflies in her stomach again just hearing Elliot's words of affection for her in front of her mother. "And I love him too, so much, mom." She said proudly as well, then turning her attention to her fiance she said. "And yeah, I'm actually making your breakfast, but I thought that something must have happened because you kept calling and shouting my name that I have to see you. Are you seriously missing me all that much?" He replied confidently, "I certainly do." Then he lowers his voice and whispers to Ari, "Let's go back up into our room and I'll show you how much I miss you and how much I love you." "I like that." Ari answered grinning. She then turned to face her mother asking her, "Mom, will you be an angel and take over in the kitchen? Elliot and I just need to discuss s
Elliot immediately woke up from his sleep when he dreamed about Ariella not being beside him. He tried to reach for her but was surprised to find out that she was really no longer lying next to him. "Ari!" He exclaimed in an instant. He's been so protective of her since the recent incident that the prospect of losing her again fills him with dread. He has lost her so many times in the past that he will not allow it to happen again. He jumped out of bed and briskly walked into the bathroom to look for her. "Baby?" He called out to her again but still got no response. He then tried looking for her in the walk-in closet, but still, she was nowhere to be seen. "Baby, where are you?" He says to himself. Instantly, he began to feel uneasy. How could she have gone anywhere without him? Did she abandon him? But why? What did he do to merit that from her? He tried reaching out to her all the time, but Ari is still finding it hard to get through the events of last time, and as he and Ethan d
It is extremely simple to fool this young man who thinks so highly of himself, and as Mattias nods his head in agreement with Lucio, the elderly man feels he has done an outstanding job. With that being said, he has to leave immediately before Mattias poses a lot of questions that he wouldn't be able to answer. After concluding his report, he said, "With all of that information revealed to you, I will put it to rest at that for the time being." He then grabbed the money and, having to put it in his bag, rose up from his seat and proceeded to go. "I need to leave right now because I have somewhere I need to be. Call me if your big boss has another assignment for me." He declared, turning to leave without waiting for Mattias to respond. "The Allisters—what's up with them then?" The moment Mattias posed that query, Lucio halted in his tracks. "What? What about the Allisters?" "Isn't it that you told me you have information concerning both Gregory and Allister?" Mattias inquired as he
Lucio was so excited about this meet-up that he greeted Mattias as soon as he came through the door, saying, "Mattias, it's been quite some time since I last heard from you. What surprises do you have in store for me now? Did the boss seem to like everything that I had to say about the Gregory and Allister families? I need details about what went through with your plans." The most recent incidents involving the Wilsons, Gregorys, and Allisters are still unknown to Lucio. He still doesn't know that Mattias and his men have been captured and are under direct orders from Elliot, nor does he know that Matthew is already dead. He made the decision to maintain a low profile after receiving numerous threats from an anonymous gang, and since he doesn't have anyone to back him up solidly, he decided to stay put and keep silent for a little while. And now he's overjoyed that Mattias has summoned him. He may not have information now, but Mattias won't know that, so it will be easy money for