THIRD POV“I told you she couldn’t be trusted,” Bianchi said, spreading a set of photographs across Vincent’s desk.“Take a look at this. That rat had the guts to do this right under our noses.” Bianchi pointed at a picture of Bella and Santiago in the school garden, his voice thick with disgust.“I just want to drag her here and get the truth out of her. What made her think she could betray us and still live comfortably with us? Look at her. So many different meetups, who knows how far she’s gone in executing whatever dirty plan that bastard hatched.” Bianchi seethed, his fingers curling into fists.Vincent didn’t say a word as he went through the pictures. His face was pulled into a deep scowl, his mind reeling. To say he was angry would be an understatement.There was nothing he hated more than betrayal. And the next thing was Santiago. He despised him, and everything that was connected to him. But he forced himself to think rationally, flipping through the images with a cold, calc
VINCENTSantiago chuckled, the sound low and mocking as he stirred his soup slowly. His indifference only fueled my rage.“You always did enjoy being dramatic Vincent,” he mused, lifting the spoon to his lips. “Tell me, did you rehearse that little entrance, or does your anger just make you naturally a comedian?”I slammed my fist against the table, rattling his bowl and making a few people glance our way. He didn’t even flinch. If anything, he looked mildly entertained.“Don’t test me, Santiago.” My voice was filled with warning. “You think you can use that bastard as a shield? That you can hide behind that flimsy excuse of a father and walk away unscathed?” I leaned in, my voice a low snarl. “You don’t get to slip away this time, I know your fucking plans and I suggest you drop it.”Santiago sighed as if I were an annoying child rather than a man ready to rip his throat out. He dabbed the corner of his mouth with a napkin before meeting my glare with a smirk.“And what exactly do yo
VINCENTSomething felt off.Bella had been talking nonstop since I started eating, filling the silence with rants and complaints about being stuck in the house. It wasn’t unusual, Bella loved to talk but there was something too deliberate about it. Like she was keeping me distracted.I eyed her suspiciously as she sighed dramatically. “I’m honestly tired of always being stuck in this house. I need to go outside, make friends, go to parties, and just do everything a college student should do.”I stabbed a piece of pancake with my fork. “I can take you out.” My tone was casual, dismissive.Bella snorted. “So I can end up getting kidnapped again? No, thank you.”She’s joking with me? I reminded myself. It’s Bella. She jokes about everything. Maybe she wanted to go back when we were comfortable just talking about everything while eating.“It’s not funny.” She gave me a pointed look. “I nearly died because you wanted to party. I wonder what would happen the next time you took me anywhere.”
VINCENT“Don! Wake up!”I felt hands gripping my shoulders, shaking me with a force that rattled my bones. A groan slipped past my lips as I weakly swatted them away.“Don! Vincent!”The voice cut through my drowsiness like a blade. It was familiar, urgent.“Bianchi?” I cracked one eye open, my vision blurring before slowly sharpening to the sight of my right-hand man hovering over me.My head pounded like a drum, heavy and sluggish as if my brain had been stuffed with cotton. I felt like I’d been hit by a truck.“If you weren’t breathing, I would’ve assumed you were dead,” Bianchi muttered, scanning me with wary eyes. “What the hell happened?”I yawned, stretching out my stiff limbs before dragging myself up to rest against the headboard. “What are you doing here?” My voice came out rough, hoarse.“I’ve been calling your phone for hours no answer. I asked the guards if you’d stepped out, and they said you hadn’t left your room all day.”I frowned. “All day? Stop being dramatic, Bianc
THIRD POVSantiago’s jaw was clenched so tight it felt like it might snap. His fists curled at his sides as he paced the length of his office, his mind spiraling with anger. Vincent had stood right in his own home, his own territory, and dared to threaten him like he was nothing more than a disgusting street rat. The audacity of it burned in his chest like wildfire.The door to his office swung open, and he halted mid-step. His head snapped toward the intruder with a deep scowl on his face.Nathan stepped in, bowing slightly before straightening. “Boss,” he said, his voice calm despite the tension thick in the air. “What are you going to do now that Vincent knows about your plan to use Bella? He didn’t even seem fazed when he found out she went through his phone. It makes me wonder if there was anything valuable in there to begin with. What’s our next move?”Santiago’s frown deepened. Nathan had just voiced the very thoughts gnawing at his mind, but if there was one thing Santiago pri
BELLAThe driver dropped me off at school, but the sinking feeling in my stomach still wouldn’t go away. I let out a slow breath, adjusting my bag on my shoulder as I quickened my pace through the gates.I needed to meet Santiago fast.Before I could get far, someone grabbed my arm. I flinched my pulse spiking, only to exhale in relief when I turned and saw Carmen.“Bella. Where is your head? I’ve been calling your name since you stepped through the gates,” she said, eyes narrowing in concern.“Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.She didn’t look convinced. “Are you okay? You look a bit lost.”I groaned internally. Of course, she’d notice. Carmen was too perceptive for her good. And now I had to find a way out of this conversation without hurting her feelings.“I’m fine, Carmen, but I’m kind of in a hurry. Can we meet up in class?” I forced a smile, hoping she wouldn’t push.Her brow furrowed. “Where are you going? Classes start soon.”I gently pulled
VINCENTIt had been a whole week, and I still couldn’t get Bella out of my head.She had been distant since the night I ignored her, and for the life of me, I couldn’t understand why.It wasn’t just avoidance. She refused to look at me. She hadn’t gone to school, barely ate, and spent every damn day locked in her room like the world outside didn’t exist.The last time I tried to approach her, it ended in disaster. She acted like I was invisible like my presence didn’t even register. The only time she reacted was when I reached out to touch her.She flinched. Hard.Like my touch was revolting. Like I was something she needed to get away from.I had walked out of her room that day, shaken in a way I couldn’t explain. But I hadn’t stopped trying.I made sure the maids prepared her favorite meals. Stocked the kitchen with her favorite snacks. Left little gestures to remind her that I was still there.She barely touched any of it.I didn’t know exactly what depression looked like, but what
VINCENT“Vincent!”The front door slammed open, and Bella’s excited voice rang through the house.“Vincent!”I barely had time to register the sound of her rushing footsteps before she appeared in the living room, practically bouncing with excitement.“I’m right here, Princess. You don’t have to scream my ears off,” I said lazily from my place on the couch.She didn’t care.With a bright grin, she launched herself onto the couch beside me, her energy filling the entire room.“Dramatic much?” I smirked, setting my phone aside. “Welcome back.”“You won’t believe what happened in school today!” she blurted out, eyes shining.I chuckled. It had been a week since she’d fully come back to being her usual, talkative self since things had gone back to normal. And honestly? I had missed this.“Stop staring and guess!” Bella nudged me, her expectant gaze locked onto mine.“You know I’m terrible at guessing,” I said, shaking my head. “Just tell me.”She huffed dramatically. “Fine, old man.”I sh
BELLABianchi led me to the mansion, and the moment I stepped inside, a tight knot twisted in my chest. My eyes instinctively searched the living room, half-expecting to see Vincent lounging on the couch, flipping through documents with that quiet focus he always wore. But he wasn’t there. The room was still.Bianchi came to a halt, turning just slightly as if he were making sure I followed. I wanted so badly to ask him where Vincent was, to break the heavy silence between us, but I couldn’t. He’d already warned me. He’d made it painfully clear that he couldn’t stand the sight of me.And honestly, I couldn’t blame him. His hatred was earned. I destroyed the one person who meant the world to both of us. I broke Vincent. I broke us.Even now, knowing I deserved every bit of Bianchi’s loathing, it still burned. It burned that I couldn’t say I’m sorry. That I couldn’t explain or try to make it right. I’d shattered Vincent’s trust and wounded him in the most unforgivable way. And what did
VINCENT“You can’t seriously be considering this, right?” Bianchi’s voice cut through the silence like a blade, his eyes locked on mine with a mixture of disbelief and fury.I let out a long, weary sigh, dragging a hand down my face. I was tired, tired of thinking, tired of feeling, tired of the war inside my head.“You have got to be kidding me,” he snapped, stepping closer. “After everything that’s happened, after what she did, you really believe that child is yours? She’s been working with Santiago. Santiago!” he exclaimed.“How the hell can you be sure they haven’t been screwing behind your back the entire time?”His words were sharp, like shards of glass, cutting through my thoughts with brutal precision.“She’s a liar,” he continued, voice rising with frustration. “You know that. Even if she is pregnant, that doesn’t make it your problem. Just because you slept with her doesn’t make you the damn father.”I stared at the floor, jaw clenched. Every word he said echoed the fears I
BELLAA searing cold shock slammed into my chest and I gasped, the scream catching in my throat as the freezing water drenched me in an instant. My body jerked forward, but the ropes bit deeper into my wrists and ankles, holding me firm against the wooden chair. My heart was beating rapidly, my breath coming in sharp pants, teeth chattering before I could even open my eyes.“What the hell!” I rasped, voice hoarse and shaking. Water clung to my lashes, and when I blinked it away, Santiago stood there calmly staring at me, like he hadn’t just dumped a bucket of ice water on me like I was some prisoner of war.His dark eyes flicked over me, with annoyance in them. “Time to wake up, Bella.”I glared at him, hatred burning in every part of my body. “You could’ve just said my name.”He crouched in front of me, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You don’t get comfort anymore. You lost that privilege the second you allowed Vincent to find out our plan. You failed and now you will spend the r
VINCENT“You cannot be fucking serious,” Bianchi growled, pacing furiously across my office.“This is madness! And I swear to God, I won’t let you take one goddamn step out of this house, over my dead body!” he ranted, voice sharp and wild. “I’m not about to stand here and watch you throw your life away for some pathetic betrayer.”I sat back, silently watching him storm across the room, my fingers pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. His yelling unnerved me but I let him speak. I always had. Bianchi had earned the right to say whatever the hell he wanted, even if every word right now felt like a knife.He turned back to me, eyes blazing. “Do you even realize what would’ve happened if we hadn’t caught onto her little scheme? She would’ve handed you over to Santiago like a lamb to slaughter! She would’ve let you die, and not lost a single fucking tear over it.”His voice cracked slightly, thick with rage and something else, something that almost sounded like fear.“She doesn’
BELLAI opened my eyes slowly, blinking against the thick, suffocating darkness. Pain shot through my skull like a bolt of lightning and I gasped, my whole head throbbing as if it were on fire.A broken whimper escaped me as I tried to lift my hand to touch it but nothing happened.I yanked harder and that was when I realized that I was bound.Panic bloomed, fast and wild, as my heart slammed against my chest. I twisted, feeling the ropes digging into my wrists and ankles. My feet were trapped too, and when I tried to scream, it came out in a pathetic, muffled sound.Something rough and tight gagged my mouth, sealing any cry for help in my throat.I was completely trapped.My breaths came out ragged and shallow, as the reality of my situation sank in. That bastard Santiago had tied me down like an animal.The air around me was foul. The stench clawed at my nose, the disgusting smell of rot and something metallic. It made my stomach twist violently, and I had to choke back the urge to
BELLAI gasped as the men’s bodies hit the ground.Blood pooled beneath them, thick and dark, and my stomach twisted violently. I tore my gaze away, but the image had already burned itself into my mind.When I turned, it felt like the earth itself tilted beneath me.Vincent stood there, eyes blazing with such fury it was as if he could kill me with a look alone.He did this.He killed them.My blood ran cold. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.Why was he here?Had he found out? Had my secret finally been exposed?His entire body screamed bloody murder. There was no mercy written on his face, only a terrifying promise that he wouldn’t spare me.But how? How did he know?Did he follow me?Why today, of all days?Vincent hadn’t kept tabs on me for a long time. He had let me go so why did he follow me today of all days?The closer he came, the closer death seemed to creep up behind me.Santiago wasn’t faring any better. Even though he masked it well, I could feel the crackling tension, the
VINCENTMy eyes were glued to her every movement and every smile. I watched from the confines of my car window like I was on the outside of a world I used to belong to. My fists curled tight in my lap, nails digging into my palms as I watched her laugh like nothing ever happened. Like she didn’t leave a storm behind.There she was, chatting away in the cafeteria, carefree and unbothered, while I sat there drowning in anger and betrayal. I wanted to march in there and shake the truth out of her. To make her see the mess she created.Why?Was I not enough?Was my kindness not enough?Did I commit a crime by helping her?What did I do to deserve this betrayal?How do you look someone in the eye and feed them lies with the same lips that once said thank you?What stung the most wasn’t just the betrayal, it was the performance. The way she played me like I was just some pawn in a game she was playing with Santiago. And worst of all? I let her.“Don.”Bianchi’s voice pulled me from the spir
BELLA“What is happening?” I muttered into the darkness, my voice barely a whisper against the quiet hum of the night.“I thought we were past this… why is he still avoiding me?” My fingers gripped the edge of the blanket tighter as I stared up at the ceiling. “It’s like he doesn’t even want to see me anymore, and it’s not making sense. We were just on a date yesterday so what the hell changed?”There was no one to answer, no voice to ease the storm in my mind. I’d been lying here for over an hour, tossing, and turning, hoping sleep would come and wash him out of my thoughts but it was no use. Vincent was everywhere.His face. His voice. The way he looked at me like I was more than just another girl passing through his world.We were happy on that date. I remember the way his eyes lingered on me, the way he smiled genuinely, like the world wasn’t such a cruel place anymore.And then, just like that, everything shifted. Since that night, he’s been distant. Like I’m some stranger who me
VINCENT“Good morning, Don. Hope you had a pleasant night,” Bianchi said, and I gave him an annoyed look.“What is it this time around?” I asked, drained. I just wanted some time alone to think.“Someone’s grumpy,” Bianchi grinned, and I rolled my eyes.“Last night I hacked into her phone, and it’s amusing how she foolishly left everything there. She didn’t even bother to delete their messages,” Bianchi said, and I sighed as I looked up at him.“I’m actually surprised you didn’t call me because I already sent it to you,” he added, glancing at my phone that sat untouched on the desk. I hadn’t looked at it since last night.I wasn’t in the mood to deal with anything. My heart felt heavy, and there was still that lingering anger and irritation. Notifications kept popping up, but I ignored them. I was afraid of what I might do if I gave in to the rage, afraid of how far I’d go, especially when the person who hurt me was probably out there lounging without a care in the world.“I was too b