CHAPTER 24: THE MISSING GODFATHER I sat by the large window in Salem's ward room as I recounted the last interaction that Dashiell and I had. After I heard what he said, I was angry, sad, and I wanted to slap the shit out of him the next time I saw him, but he never came. Minutes turned into hours, hours turned into days, and today marked the ninth day since I last saw Dashiell. During his absence, I went through the five stages of grief back and forth, and at the end of the day, everything rounded up to resentment. 'Why would he do this to me?' was the only question that kept repeating in my head as I replayed the event of that night. Why did he hate me so much that he would watch happily as the only joy in my life was dying slowly? Why Dashiell? My heart kept shattering as I would wait till midnight at the hospital reception, waiting for Dashiell to come and see my son who had been admitted into the facility for over a week, but I was forced to mend my heart back every time the
CHAPTER 25: ESCAPE PLANI tied my hair in a sleek updo as I entered the car that Soñar had prepared for me to take to the restaurant that he had prepared for us.I walked into the beautiful and dimly lit space to find Soñar grinning viciously at me. Dashiell's warnings about Soñar rang into my head more than ever as I took a seat next to him. "You look ravishing," Soñar complimented as he stared at my exposed breasts and lap. He bent over to place soft kisses on my breasts, before meeting my eyes. "You are my future wife. We can do whatever we want," he reminded, leading me to nod and force a smile.I had my plans for tonight, and I just had to bear with this slob before executing them. In my purse, I hid sedatives which I would spill into his drink before stealing his phone and using it to find Dashiell's real phone number which I was going to use to track the location of his estate."Let's eat," he proposed and waved to the waiters. "What do you want, darling?" He asked me, placin
CHAPTER 26: MOTHER'S RINGAs the gates to Dashiell's vast estate swung open, I looked in awe at the long and beautiful path before me, leading me to also notice the castle-like chateau in the distance.The five-minute journey along the path felt like a breeze away from the torment of the present, as I couldn't remove my gaze from how beautifully constructed the estate was.The trees were perfectly shaped and spaced to line across the paths, their leaves rustling in the breeze as Gotham sped past them. But, as we reached the tall and vast building, he brought the car to a halt, leading the abrupt stop to push me out of my deep reverie.Gotham stepped outside to open the door for me. "He is waiting for you in his study. It's the third room to your left," he said."Aren't you coming?" I asked in horror as he gave me a clear description for no reason.He shook his head, "He only asked me to pick you up and leave. There's no one else here except him,""Why?" I asked, confusion written all
CHAPTER 27: VIVICA BLACKWOODWarning: This chapter contains the mention of blood and a graphic murder. At the break of dawn, I immediately left Dashiell's estate for the hospital to see Salem. My thoughts drifted off to what happened last night as I settled in the back seat of Dashiell's jeep which was going to be driven by Gotham.I raised the diamond ring on my finger to meet my eyes, and a hum escaped through my lips as I scanned what Dashiell referred to as, "Mother's ring" He wasn't the same after he saw the ring on my finger, and I also wanted to know why the ring could never be taken off once it was on. All through last night, I tried to remove the ring but it wouldn't budge, and I even tried to cut it open with a plier that I saw on Dashiell's desk, but to no avail.My eyes darted over to scan the back of Gotham's head, and as if he was watching me all this while, he met my eyes through the mirror in between the driver and passenger's seats. I thrust the hand that housed
CHAPTER 28: ADIEU TRAITOR"Are you sure you don't want me to follow you?" Gotham asked with a concerned expression on his face while closing the door to the passenger seat for me to get out.I shook my head to say no, and tightened my grasp on my thick brown coat to protect me from the weather, as I wore a pair of loose pants, sneakers, and a cropped T-shirt.I started to walk away silently but Gotham pulled me back, "You are going to make me lose my job. Mr Blackwood asked me never to let you out of my sight," he scoldedI turned to face him with a blank expression on my face, my voice laced with emptiness and tiredness, "And where is your Mr Blackwood now?" I asked and closed the gap between us. "Where was your Mr Blackwood when my son was getting murdered? He promised to protect me," I added, my voice shaky at that last sentence.Tears gathered in the corner of my eye, but I quickly cleaned it up, "I have nothing to lose now. And, if you think about it properly, I am doing this to
CHAPTER 29: I PLEDGE MY LOYALTY TO YOU I lay stiffly on the bed in one of the rooms in Dashiell's chateau, which had a purple interior, as he readied the bathroom for me to have a hot bath. I clutched onto his suit firmly as my thoughts drifted off to what it would be like to stay in his strong arms forever. When he held me, and I was nestled in his embrace, it felt like I was intoxicated with love. Was it love? Would it be a crime if I called it that?I didn't know, it was just that…I felt something that I had never felt before. My heart was beating faster than an African talking drum, and my head felt fuzzy as his mysteriousness almost set my organs ablaze.Did any of what he does to me mean anything? Just then, his footsteps drew me out of my deep reverie, "The bathroom is ready," he said and paused. I could feel his eyes wander over my body. "My room is opposite this one if you need anything," he said, but still stood there."What is it?" I asked, my mouth heavy.I heard him
CHAPTER 30: YZMAAs I grasped the gun firmly, I felt Dashiell's hands slip under mine, his hard abs pressing against my elbow. His wrists slowly moved to cradle mine as he guided my hands to stay firm before my eyes. I felt his fingers wrap around my wrists, his thumbs brushing against my pulse as he leaned to whisper in my ear. "Be still," he scolded, his voice low and sexy. "Aim," he rasped, his lips moving away from my ear to fan hot minty breath on my neck. I shifted at the slightest hint of pleasure that he was giving me, and I think he noticed, but he didn't move away. "Go!" He commanded, and I pulled the trigger. I almost leaped for joy when the bullet hit the bullseye, leading Dashiell to fold his arms and scan my excited expression. "Not bad for your third try," he commended. "Thanks, Master," I joked, nudging him with a wide smile. He slapped my hands away, his brows furrowed, "I told you not to call me that." "It's so cool! I'd literally die if anyone called me maste
CHAPTER 31: FOGA PERICOLOSO (DANGEROUS FERVOR)ATTENTION: This chapter contains a dual POV of the main charactersZAHRA'S POV I settled on one of the lounge chairs in my apartment building's balcony, reading issues about celebrity scandals on my tablet. Just then, I heard footsteps coming towards me, stirring me up from where I had my head buried.It was Gotham, dressed in his usual attire, an all black suit with his wavy curled hair."What now? I asked the staff situated outside not to disturb me or allow anyone in," I snapped with a slight hint of distaste."Sorry," he answered, his head bowed slightly.I folded my arms across my chest and shrugged, "It's been three days since Dashiell left for Italy. Any news from him? He hasn't been responding to any of my calls or messages," He shook his head to say no, "He hasn't contacted me too, but I'll try to reach him on your behalf," he paused and continued. "There's someone on the ground floor who wants to buy an apartment on the first