Everything was a blur. Flashbacks flashed through his mind where he was running, constantly looking back. He tripped and the next thing that took a bit of force in his memories was the sting in his head from a hard blow. As he fell, he remembered saying goodbye to those he loved.When he began to become aware of the events, the first thing he noticed was that his body was immobilized. His arms and legs were tied and dead to his will. Someone immediately removed the cloth bag that covered his head. It took him a few minutes to adjust his vision to the light; it seemed like he had a lighthouse right in front of him.-Good morning. –He heard a voice. He had spent a lot of time investigating and meddling in the Tonali's life to know that it was Brahim.He was standing very close to Michael while Ciro was a little further back, glaring at him. And around him were five men dressed in black. The detective noticed that they were in the house he had bought
After leaving Michael's house, Ciro, with disgust making his blood boil, was about to arrive home, however, he was not ready to face his wife. What would he say to her? How would she react? This last question was what scared him the most. He had never reacted violently to her, not even the first time of her infidelity, but he was not sure he could handle it as well now. This time he felt like his soul was being squeezed and all he wanted was to destroy something with his fists, until he saw them bleeding and raw, and his anger flowing out through his wounds, they had to be huge openings. He stopped at a pole dance without being completely aware of what he was doing. His mind was only focused on revenge, as it could not be otherwise considering what he did. He sat at one of the tables to watch the women dressed in lingerie dance on the pole. He ordered a bottle of rum that he intended to drink
Bethany's bare feet touched the green grass, damp from the sprinklers the gardener had put up earlier.The iron gate was right in front of her, and it looked farther away than usual. Only by crossing those bars would she achieve freedom, or at least the beginning of it. She began to walk slowly, almost on tiptoe, being as stealthy as she could. It was early in the morning so Ciro was sleeping, if she didn't escape now, then there wouldn't be another one. She quickened her pace, feeling very slow, but the bars were getting further and further away.-Bethany! - She heard her captor's fierce scream from inside the house. Ciro had woken up. It didn't matter anymore to be stealthy. Her fast walk changed into a run for her life.She ran as fast as she could, but she still couldn't close the distance to the iron gate. And if her suffering wasn't enough, the dogs came out of their den straight towards her. She understood that they weren't there to keep her company but t
Ciro was tying his tie with great effort, making mistakes over and over again until he lost his patience. He was not used to tying it himself, usually Bethany helped him, who did it in a flash. But this time he couldn't go to her or he would ruin what he had in mind. Surrendered to frustration, he left the knot badly tied and the tie crooked, thinking that it looked better than he thought, and even if it didn't, he wouldn't waste any more time on it. That ridiculous accessory had taken up a lot of his time, more than he spent on any other piece of his suit. Suddenly, a ringing sounded that wasn't his cell phone. It took him a while to realize that it was the small android he had confiscated from the detective. He walked over to the nightstand next to his bed and pulled the noisy device out of the top drawer where he had kept it. "Unknown" was written on the identifier, it was a number that wasn't regi
Sand Wedge club hit the small white ball which rolled into the hole. The firstborn strutted about his achievement and shouted claims as he got ready for the next shot. Brahim was absorbed in his reality, not even realizing that Ciro was about to steal his turn. He watched intently towards the balcony of the main room. Bethany was standing there, returning his stalking gaze. With the cool breeze of the wind ethereally stirring her reddish hair. In the last few days, Ciro had become a kind of guardian angel who watched over Bethany day and night from the temptations of “Lucifer.” That distant glance was the first contact that reunited the well-matched lovers after several weeks of ignorance. Brahim had wished to have the opportunity to talk to her, although he didn’t know very well what he would say to her. That last conversation they had had left him with a lot to th
The relationship between Ciro and Brahim was clearly fractured. They rarely spoke to each other and the few moments they shared were filled with tension. There was a thin streak of hostility between them, just waiting to explode. Brahim tapped his golf club against his SDR sneakers , glancing at his brother, who until now had been acting rationally, if a little distant.-How are things going with Bethany? - She asked, throwing Ciro off balance. He preferred to concentrate on his shot so as to stop himself from giving her a murderous look."You mean how they walk after having rolled around with you?" he said hostilely, lamenting his bad shot that left the victory on a silver platter for Brahim.-No. I mean about the private detective. -Ciro ignored him. He didn't want to tell him anything about his wife. Brahim stood in front of his brother and continued: -I've looked at the inform
A little over four months later, Bethany Carter woke up from a coma in a dull, cold hospital bed in the glamorous city of Florence, Italy. With no memory of who she was, retrograde amnesia was her diagnosis. Dr. Vitto, a man who, despite his advanced age, did not succumb to the deterioration of old age, passed a soft light through her eyes, finishing the routine examination.-Very well, Miss Carter. Everything seems to be in order, but that is something that only you could confirm for me. Tell me, have you noticed anything wrong recently? - Asked the doctor."No, not at all," Bethany replied, sitting on the bed, wearing a hospital gown. She was a pale-skinned woman with reddish hair that fell just below her shoulders.-Perfect. - Vitto exclaimed sympathetically, standing in a corner. -Mr. Tonali is waiting to see you. Would you like me to allow him to enter? - He asked. Bethany twisted the sheet nervously. In the last week the only contact she had had was with her doctor and some nurse
In the middle of the night, Bethany was tossing and turning in bed, out of respect, Ciro left the master bedroom for her alone, while he moved into a guest room. The woman was attacked by what seemed to be nightmares. A pair of black orbs that looked at her in a solemn darkness and hands that squeezed her thin neck. She struggled to survive, although she was slowly losing consciousness. Finally, she woke up startled when in her nightmares she fell to the floor.She sat up, breathing heavily, looking around. She turned on the lamp on the side table, recognizing the room she was in. Her memory was still ineffective, and it was disturbing. She stepped onto the floor, barefoot, and approached the door, opened it, and poked her head out; everything seemed to be in order: it was quiet and dark, normal considering the late hour of the night. She went back into the room and locked the door, also the one to the balcony. She went back to bed and fell asleep more peacefully.As dawn came, the su
The relationship between Ciro and Brahim was clearly fractured. They rarely spoke to each other and the few moments they shared were filled with tension. There was a thin streak of hostility between them, just waiting to explode. Brahim tapped his golf club against his SDR sneakers , glancing at his brother, who until now had been acting rationally, if a little distant.-How are things going with Bethany? - She asked, throwing Ciro off balance. He preferred to concentrate on his shot so as to stop himself from giving her a murderous look."You mean how they walk after having rolled around with you?" he said hostilely, lamenting his bad shot that left the victory on a silver platter for Brahim.-No. I mean about the private detective. -Ciro ignored him. He didn't want to tell him anything about his wife. Brahim stood in front of his brother and continued: -I've looked at the inform
Sand Wedge club hit the small white ball which rolled into the hole. The firstborn strutted about his achievement and shouted claims as he got ready for the next shot. Brahim was absorbed in his reality, not even realizing that Ciro was about to steal his turn. He watched intently towards the balcony of the main room. Bethany was standing there, returning his stalking gaze. With the cool breeze of the wind ethereally stirring her reddish hair. In the last few days, Ciro had become a kind of guardian angel who watched over Bethany day and night from the temptations of “Lucifer.” That distant glance was the first contact that reunited the well-matched lovers after several weeks of ignorance. Brahim had wished to have the opportunity to talk to her, although he didn’t know very well what he would say to her. That last conversation they had had left him with a lot to th
Ciro was tying his tie with great effort, making mistakes over and over again until he lost his patience. He was not used to tying it himself, usually Bethany helped him, who did it in a flash. But this time he couldn't go to her or he would ruin what he had in mind. Surrendered to frustration, he left the knot badly tied and the tie crooked, thinking that it looked better than he thought, and even if it didn't, he wouldn't waste any more time on it. That ridiculous accessory had taken up a lot of his time, more than he spent on any other piece of his suit. Suddenly, a ringing sounded that wasn't his cell phone. It took him a while to realize that it was the small android he had confiscated from the detective. He walked over to the nightstand next to his bed and pulled the noisy device out of the top drawer where he had kept it. "Unknown" was written on the identifier, it was a number that wasn't regi
Bethany's bare feet touched the green grass, damp from the sprinklers the gardener had put up earlier.The iron gate was right in front of her, and it looked farther away than usual. Only by crossing those bars would she achieve freedom, or at least the beginning of it. She began to walk slowly, almost on tiptoe, being as stealthy as she could. It was early in the morning so Ciro was sleeping, if she didn't escape now, then there wouldn't be another one. She quickened her pace, feeling very slow, but the bars were getting further and further away.-Bethany! - She heard her captor's fierce scream from inside the house. Ciro had woken up. It didn't matter anymore to be stealthy. Her fast walk changed into a run for her life.She ran as fast as she could, but she still couldn't close the distance to the iron gate. And if her suffering wasn't enough, the dogs came out of their den straight towards her. She understood that they weren't there to keep her company but t
After leaving Michael's house, Ciro, with disgust making his blood boil, was about to arrive home, however, he was not ready to face his wife. What would he say to her? How would she react? This last question was what scared him the most. He had never reacted violently to her, not even the first time of her infidelity, but he was not sure he could handle it as well now. This time he felt like his soul was being squeezed and all he wanted was to destroy something with his fists, until he saw them bleeding and raw, and his anger flowing out through his wounds, they had to be huge openings. He stopped at a pole dance without being completely aware of what he was doing. His mind was only focused on revenge, as it could not be otherwise considering what he did. He sat at one of the tables to watch the women dressed in lingerie dance on the pole. He ordered a bottle of rum that he intended to drink
Everything was a blur. Flashbacks flashed through his mind where he was running, constantly looking back. He tripped and the next thing that took a bit of force in his memories was the sting in his head from a hard blow. As he fell, he remembered saying goodbye to those he loved.When he began to become aware of the events, the first thing he noticed was that his body was immobilized. His arms and legs were tied and dead to his will. Someone immediately removed the cloth bag that covered his head. It took him a few minutes to adjust his vision to the light; it seemed like he had a lighthouse right in front of him.-Good morning. –He heard a voice. He had spent a lot of time investigating and meddling in the Tonali's life to know that it was Brahim.He was standing very close to Michael while Ciro was a little further back, glaring at him. And around him were five men dressed in black. The detective noticed that they were in the house he had bought
Bethany had been craving a latte, so she decided to go down from the bedroom to the kitchen. Ciro had left for some time, somewhere she didn't know, and he still hadn't arrived.He entered the kitchen, which was completely empty. The maids had already left for their respective homes when they finished their work shift. He prepared his drink very slowly, not wanting the rush to spoil its good taste. Latte coffee was his favorite. Its flavor brought back family memories that stirred his nostalgic sense. He drank it out of a kind of masochism.She made a face of disgust when she saw Brahim entering, thinking she was alone. The man leaned his right shoulder against the edge of the entrance and prepared to look at her with seductive airs. Seeing that Bethany was not fazed by his eagerness, he took the initiative to approach her and moved one of her locks of hair away from her face."What do you think you're doing?" She asked as if it were the strangest thing anyone had ever done to her."W
Brahim was more focused on the rearview mirrors of the car than on the road. That mysterious figure behind the tree put him on alert. In their position, they could be police officers or enemies from other mafias, whatever it was, it was bad.- Answer me: why were you in that square? - Brahim asked Bethany, very seriously."What does it matter?" was the bland answer that made him furious. He slammed his hand on the dashboard of the car, stealing all of his companion's attention.-Damn it! Answer the question. -He looked at her with his eyes burning with anger.-I was waiting for nightfall so that when I got home, Ciro would already be asleep. - She lied skillfully. Brahim didn't care about Derek's life, nor did he care what she did or didn't do.-Well, you've caught the attention of some unwanted people. - Brahim said, moderating his tone of voice. Bethany followed his curious gaze to the rearview mirror to see an insignificant taxi following them.-Who do you think it is?"I don't kno
When Bethany arrived at the Tonali mansion, she found Ciro feeding the dogs. The Italian didn't notice his wife's arrival until he had already parked. In the past he would have approached her to greet her with a big hug, now he limited himself to spreading a sad smile without stopping his work. Bethany got out of the vehicle slowly, looking suspiciously at Ciro, thinking about what she had talked about with Brahim. Her stomach turned with disgust at the thought that the guy who had presented himself as an angel when she was in the hospital was actually a monster.- Where were you? - Ciro managed to ask before his wife disappeared into the house. It was not a possessive question but an attempt to start a conversation.- Walking. - He summed up, not wanting to get into a web of lies that could easily go wrong. Bethany continued into the house, and Ciro finished his work. He followed her into the ma