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124: What They Want
Last Updated:
2025-02-08 23:49:10
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 125: The Breaking Point
Alejandro’s POVThe second the voice crackled through my phone, every muscle in my body went rigid.“Alejandro,” Mia’s voice purred through the line. “So nice of you to pick up. I was starting to think you didn’t care about your wife.”“Who the real fuck are you?” My voice came out deadly quiet, low and controlled, but the rage beneath it was a live wire, sparking and ready to ignite."Your wife screams beautifully." Her words dripped with satisfaction. "Want to hear?"My jaw locked, teeth grinding so hard I thought they might crack. “Mia,” I said her name like a curse. “If you touch her—”“Oh, I’ve already touched her,” she interrupted, her tone mocking. “And let me tell you, she’s not as strong as you think. A few slaps, and she’s already begging.”A sharp crack echoed through the phone, followed by Estella’s cry—raw, pained, and fucking gut-wrenching. It hit me like a bullet to the chest, and I nearly doubled over. My free hand clenched into a fist, nails digging into my palm hard
Last Updated : 2025-02-09Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 126: The Message
Alejandro’s POVRaúl was already on his laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard, trying to track their location. My eyes were locked on the screen, my muscles coiled so tightly it felt like my own skin was suffocating me.“Anything?”Raúl didn’t look up. “They’ve already wiped it.” He kept typing, checking signal reroutes. His jaw ticked. “They knew exactly what they were doing. The call bounced through multiple servers. It’s fucking useless.”I clenched my jaw so hard I thought my teeth might crack.They had covered all their tracks.They had planned this perfectly.My knuckles ached from how hard my fists were clenched.Everyone in the room stood frozen, waiting for me to explode. They knew. They all knew they had failed. Failed to protect her. Failed to see the threat right under our noses.The door burst open and Rodriguez, the chief perimeter guards, stumbled in. His face was ash-white, hands trembling. Good. They should be all be fucking terrified. They’d failed. And I wasn’t k
Last Updated : 2025-02-09Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 127: Buried Alive
Estella’s POV I wake up choking on dirt.The first thing I registered was the weight pressing against my chest, my arms, my legs. I tried to move, but the pressure pinned me down. I couldn’t breathe. My lungs screamed for air but every time I try to inhale, dust fills my mouth, my nose, my lungs.My mind struggled to catch up.Why couldn’t I move? Why couldn’t I breathe?Then it hit me.I was underground.A violent panic shot through my body, sending me into a frenzy. I thrashed, my fingers clawing at the dirt, but it was like fighting against an avalanche. The more I struggled, the tighter it closed around me, the weight pressing harder.My heart slammed against my ribs.I was buried alive.I opened my mouth to scream, but the earth poured in, filling my throat, choking me. I coughed violently, pain ripping through my shoulders.Think, Estella. Think.I forced myself to stop thrashing, to stay still long enough to figure out what the hell had happened.Hours EarlierThe phone call w
Last Updated : 2025-02-10Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 128: The Devil's Den
Alejandro The text came at dawn. An address and two words: Come alone."I don’t know but this is suicide." Enrique's knuckles were white on the dashboard as I gunned the engine down the private road. Ancient oak trees created tunnels of shadow, perfect for an ambush. Perfect for making bodies disappear.The mansion loomed ahead – a crumbling Victorian monstrosity. Paint peeling. Windows like dead eyes. The kind of place nightmares called home.My hands wouldn't stop shaking on the wheel.They could take my money. My company. My fucking soul. I’d trade it all to get her back.It wasn't even a choice."Something doesn't feel right." Enrique scanned the grounds. No guards. No security. Just three cars parked out front like this was a fucking dinner party.I checked my gun. "Stay out of sight."“Boss—”“Stay back,” I muttered. “I go in alone.”Enrique grabbed my arm. “If you die in there, she dies too.”I wrenched my arm away. “Then keep your ass alive and do what you do best.”Without a
Last Updated : 2025-02-11Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 129: The Hunt
Alejandro Blood dripped from her wounded arm, soaking the floor beneath her, but she didn’t seem to give a fuck.She tilted her head back, that sick, twisted grin still stretching her lips. “Kill me,” she rasped. “Go on, do it.”I pressed the barrel of my gun against her temple. She wasn’t even flinching.Her eyes were wild and unhinged. There was no sight of fear in her eyes.“I don’t care about dying,” she whispered, her breath coming out in sharp, pained gasps. “You think you’re scaring me? I’m not scared. I’ll go straight to hell and meet my brother. Benjamin is waiting for me.” Her grin widened, her body trembling from blood loss. “ But you? You’ll be miserable. Till you die. Because you’ll never—” she choked on a laugh—“you’ll never know where she is.”My jaw locked.She wanted this. She wanted me to put a bullet between her eyes and take the satisfaction of knowing I’d never find Estella.I’m not letting that happen.I shifted the gun, grabbed her injured arm, and dug my thumb
Last Updated : 2025-02-11Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 130: Unearthed
Alejandro I dropped to my knees.The dirty ground was cold and rough beneath my hands, but I could barely feel it. My fingers were dug deep into it, clawing at the earth, tearing through it like a madman.She’s under here.Estella is under here.That thought alone sent a violent, suffocating panic through my chest.I scraped at the soil, my nails splitting, my knuckles raw and bleeding within seconds. Dirt flew everywhere, landing in my hair, covering my arms. I needed to get to her now. Each second feels like a lifetime. Each handful of soil could be the difference between life and death.Her life. Her death."ESTELLA!" My voice breaks. "HOLD ON, BABY! I’M COMING!"I heard nothing. Not even a whimper.A thick, icy terror gripped my throat. The edges of my vision blurred as the world spun around me.I couldn’t hear her. I couldn’t feel her.No, no, no, no—“FUCK!” My roar shattered the night as I dug harder and faster, but the dirt kept caving in around my hands, swallowing her deep
Last Updated : 2025-02-12Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 131: Aftermath
"Call Raúl." I don't look away from Estella. "Now."Enrique fumbles for his phone. "What about—""Get Mia out of here." The bitch is still tied up where he left her, bleeding but conscious. "Before the cops show. I'm not done with her yet."If she thinks I’m handing her over to the police. Then she’s wrong.Before Enrique dials, I lock eyes with him. “I’m not done with her yet.”I could here sirens wailing in the distance.Fuck.The paramedics must have called 911 when they got Enrique's radio for medical backup.The first ambulance team approaches cautiously. "We need to—""Help her first. Please."The ride to the hospital is a blur of screaming sirens, beeping monitors and orders I could barely understand. Estella's vitals keep dropping.Then the monitor flatlines. Her body convulses, her lips parting slightly, her head lolling to the side."No." The word tears from my throat as they start CPR. "NO!"Someone tries to pull me back. I fight them."Sir, please you need to step ba—"Th
Last Updated : 2025-02-12Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 132: Escaping Charges
It has been three days already. Three days of watching machines breathe for my wife. She is put in a medically induced coma by the doctors to help her body recover from the oxygen deprivation – being buried alive for hours had pushed her system to its limits. That, combined with blood loss from the gunshot wound and the trauma of being drugged...I just need her to wake up. The hospital room is too fucking quiet except for the occasional beeping machines. I sit beside her now holding her hand. At least her color is better now. Not that ghostly grey from when we dug her out. That’s something.My phone buzzes. I don’t want to move or look away from her. But I have to.It was a text from Tom Lynch, he is leading my counsel. They're ready for us at the station.About fucking time. Let them try to pin this on me. The detectives are still sniffing around Helena’s death. I press a soft kiss to Estella’s fingers. "I'll be back, baby." My voice is rough from lack of sleep. "Keep fighting."
Last Updated : 2025-02-13
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 149: A Life Erased
"Female, late twenties to early thirties, severe trauma, possible internal injuries." The paramedic's voice cut through the activity of Ospedale San Giovanni's emergency department. "Pregnant, approximately six weeks. Found at sea, suspected plane crash survivor."Dr. Isabella Rossetti's hands moved with practiced efficiency as they transferred the unconscious woman from the rescue boat's stretcher. "Core temperature?""Stabilized during the transport. But she's been unconscious since retrieval.""Any form of ID?""Nothing." The paramedic handed over a sodden envelope. "Just this. The fisherman's wife who found her insisted we save it."Isabella tucked the envelope into her coat pocket, focusing on her patient. The woman's face was a map of bruises and lacerations, dark hair matted with salt and blood. But beneath the injuries, there was a striking beauty that even trauma couldn't hide."Get her to CT," Isabella ordered. "I want a full trauma workup. And page Dr. Marino from obstetri
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 148: The Survivor
Third Person Pov(Day of Crash)The fishing boat struggled against the increasingly violent waves, Paolo's weathered hands white-knuckled on the wheel. In the distance, the silhouette of Porto Manarola emerged through the mist."Her fever's rising, Paolo!" Maria pressed another blanket against the unconscious woman, whose breathing had grown erratic. The stranger's skin burned despite her sodden clothes, concerning Maria deeply.A wave crashed over the bow, drenching them. The young woman moaned, her head thrashing weakly from side to side, her eyelids fluttered, revealing disoriented eyes that couldn't seem to focus."Almost there," Maria soothed, though she doubted the stranger could hear her. "Just hold on, child."As they approached the harbor, figures appeared on the dock—word had spread through their little village. Paolo leaned on the horn, three sharp blasts that carried their urgency across the water."Sofia!" Paolo shouted to the harbor master's wife as they drew close enough
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 147: Washed Ashore
Third Person POV"Paolo, you're going to scare away all the fish with your complaining!" Maria Ricci swatted her husband's arm, her weathered hand connecting with surprising force for a woman in her sixties.Paolo Ricci scowled, adjusting his faded cap against the morning sun. "Woman, I've been fishing these waters for fifty years. I know what I'm talking about." He gestured toward the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. "Storm's coming. We should head back.""We just got here!" Maria protested, reaching for another piece of bait. "The nets are barely wet."Their small fishing boat rocked gently on the Mediterranean waves, five miles off the coast of their village, Porto Manarola. They'd been married for forty-six years, and every morning for the last twenty—since Paolo's retirement—they'd taken this boat out together."The nets are empty again." Paolo spat over the side of the weathered fishing boat, his leathery face creased with frustration. "Third day this week. Something's wron
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 146: No More Hope
Alejandro Three hours later, we're back at the field office. Marco's in surgery, his chances are slim to none. Claudia is in interrogation, and from what I can see through the one-way glass, she’s breaking. Mascara streaks down her tear-streaked face as she sobs her way through her confession to Rivera.I don’t feel satisfaction.I don’t feel anything.Rivera leans in. “It was Marco’s plan, wasn’t it?”Claudia nods frantically. “Yes—yes, all of it. He was obsessed with destroying her and getting revenge on Alejandro.”Rivera pushes harder. “The plane. Tell me all you know about the plane.”Claudia swipes at her wet cheeks, inhaling shakily. “It was Torres—he’s the one who actually did the work. The navigation system, the fail-safe, everything. It was meant to go down over the ocean.”"And Estella De Luca?"Claudia's face crumples and her breath stutters. "We need to know," Rivera's voice carries through the speakers, "was there any possibility of survival?"Claudia hesitates, then
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 145: The Truth Comes Out
---The private airfield glows under spotlights. Federal vehicles surround the perimeter. No chances of escape this time."They're still here," Calloway confirms, lowering binoculars. "The jet is on the tarmac. Two subjects moving equipment."I strain to see through the darkness. "Claudia and Marco?""Looks like it.” Calloway confirms. “They've got no idea we're here."Rivera stands nearby, giving the final instructions to the tactical team. “We want them alive. They might be our only chance to find out what really happened to Mrs. De Luca.”I check my own weapon. No one comments on a civilian being armed. The Bureau has long since given up trying to contain me. Some battles aren't worth fighting."Ready?" Rivera asks.I nod. I am beyond ready.The moment we move, the airfield erupts.Engines roar as tactical vehicles tear across the tarmac. Spotlights blind. Megaphones blare out commands.“FBI! HANDS IN THE AIR!”Claudia stops mid-step at the base of the jet’s stairs, her hands shoot
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 144: The Interrogation
The motel is a shithole on the edge of town, the kind of place where people come to disappear—sometimes permanently. Yellow crime scene tape flutters in the night breeze, barely keeping the stench of rot and drug inside. Local cops mill around, throwing irritated glances at the federal agents invading their territory.I push past them all. Nobody tries to stop me.The room stinks of cheap whiskey and death. Carlos Ramos lies sprawled on the bed, a gaping hole where the back of his head used to be, blood splattered against the peeling wallpaper. The gun is still clutched in his stiff fingers."Don't touch anything," Rivera warns, too late.I'm already moving, scanning the room. "Where's the note?"A detective points to a plastic evidence bag on the nightstand. Inside, a cheap hotel notepad with three words scrawled in shaky handwriting:I’m sorry, Carlos.I snatch the bag, turning it over in my hands. The ink is smudged, the strokes uneven. Writing under duress. Fear.“Sorry for what?”
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 143: A Lead
The church is packed. Black designer suits and dresses. Photographers lining the street. I ignore them all, striding through the doors in jeans and a rumpled shirt, a month's worth of beard on my face.The service has already started. A priest drones on about loss and heaven. Empty words over an empty casket.Every head turns when I walk in. Whispers ripple through the crowd. The great Alejandro De Luca, finally broken.I don't give a fuck what they think."Mr. De Luca," the male agent says, extending his hand. I ignore it. He cleared his throat “ I am Agent Calloway and this is my partner Agent Rivera.”"You're taking a chunk of my time. Talk."They exchange glances. "We should discuss this privately."I push past them to a small building outside the church. They follow, closing the door behind them."We have reason to believe Marco Valdez was involved in sabotaging your wife's plane," Calloway says.My blood runs cold, then hot. "Tell me something I don't already know.""We found of
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 142: The Fall of Alejandro de Luca
Alejandro One Month LaterI slam my fist into the wall, pain shooting up my arm. I welcome it. Anything to feel something other than this fucking hole in my chest.The TV drones on in the background, some society reporter standing outside the church where they're burying a goddamn empty casket. _"...the tragic death of Estella De Luca has shocked the business world. Sources close to the family say her husband, billionaire Alejandro De Luca, is too overcome with grief to attend today's service..."_I grab the remote and hurl it at the screen. Glass shatters, sparks fly. The sudden silence is almost worse.Someone knocks. I ignore it.The door opens anyway. Raúl. "Boss," he says quietly, stepping over broken furniture. My office looks like a war zone. "The funeral's starting. People are asking where you are."I don't turn to face him. My eyes remain fixed on the city skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows. Somewhere out there, she's alive. I feel it in my fucking bones."Let them
Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 141: The Fall
EstellaThe private jet climbs higher into the sky, each mile taking me further from him, stretching the distance between us. Between me and the only man I have ever truly loved.I press my forehead against the cool window, watching as everything disappears beneath the clouds. Somewhere down there, I know he’s still standing on that airstrip, watching this plane carry his heart away. I wonder if he regrets it. If he wants to take it all back.My fingers trace the edge of his letter, still sealed. I couldn’t bring myself to open it yet."Ms De Luca?" The flight attendant appears with a gentle smile. "Would you like some water? We have about four hours until we reach the Amalfi Coast."Four hours. In four hours, I'll be in a foreign country, alone except for the two security men Alejandro insisted on sending with me. They sit several rows ahead."No, thank you." My voice sounds strange to my own ears.The cabin is quiet except for the hum of the engine. A middle aged businessman types o
