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
CHAPTER 32: CHECKMATEZAHRA'S POV"Miss Zahra?" I heard Adela call, jolting me out of my deep reverie. "Yeah?" She smiled softly, "I just paid in full. I'll be moving in as soon as the moving company brings my things-" "Hold on." I cut her off from what she was about to say, "You're moving in now?" She forced a smile and placed her palm on my hand, "Yeah? Any problem? I have already paid for the apartment," I shook my head and swallowed thickly, "No…it's…ugh nevermind," I replied and started to leave for my room when I remembered the Bow and Arrow tattoo. I turned to face her with a smile, "I noticed the tattoo on your neck. It's a lovely tattoo, and I was hoping that you could show me where you had yours done. I want to get a tattoo of my a gun and knife," She crossed her legs over each other and smirked, "Oh- I didn't get the tattoo around here. I just moved to Los Angeles from Seattle," "Really?" I asked, sitting back down. "What do you do?" She chuckled and eyed me, "You
Chapter 94: I'll Miss Tomorrow, Even When It Passes.Zahra's POV *Two Weeks Later*It had been two weeks since I learned to start walking again. Each day, every step came with its own pain—my muscles that felt too heavy, my balance that took forever to make my feet firm on the ground, and my lower abdomen that would ache every time Dashiell took me for a walk in the evenings, his arms on the small of my back, holding on to me like he knew how hard I would fall if he left me. Luckily, I managed to push through it all, ignoring the aches, until my body finally began to remember what it felt like to be able to do things on your own. Now, as I stood here in my bedroom, I could hardly believe that after all I had been through... I was still alive. After many near-death experiences and so many years of living in sadness, loneliness, and pain, I was still alive.I took a deep breath, smoothing my hands over the soft silk of the dress Siobhan had chosen for me—a dark green gown that shone
Chapter 93: Where It EndsZahra's POV*Three Months Later*I lay wrapped in a shroud, everywhere in total silence. I couldn't hear a thing, but I could see the blinding white light from a torn part of the shroud. Suddenly, a familiar, soft, and rhythmic beeping filled my ears, and in that instant everything went blank.Where was I? And why was everywhere so dark?I tried to stand up, but it felt like I was chained through the shroud. Through the torn part of the piece of cloth, I could see a speck of light trying to pierce through the darkness. As the light began to grow, I started to feel my body again, though every limb felt heavy, as though I had been asleep for a century.The light began to illuminate the whole place, swallowing the darkness that there once was, and I felt myself being broken free from the chains."Where am I? Where's Dashiell?" I tried to scream, but it only came out as a whisper.I struggled to open my eyes, blinking against the brightness. My head began to hur
Chapter 92: ALL OR NOTHINGDashiell's POVI stood outside Zahra's hospital room, watching her fragile figure on the bed, monitors beeping rhythmically, her skin even more pale than the white sheets that covered her. With every second that I stood there watching her, I was reminded of how close I had come to losing her because of Carolyn.I should have never let her come with me to Italy.My thoughts drifted back to when I got signals from Zahra's chip on my phone. Then, at the same time, Gotham called me that Carolyn's car started speeding unusually, and he started to move at their pace, but they started driving through long, narrow, and unknown roads. Then he lost them.How dare you, Aunt Carolyn?I was so close to losing my beloved because of your hatred for her. And, even if you didn't like her, what about me? Do you not care for me? Your own nephew?I sighed as I recalled getting to the scene where the signal was coming from, and we couldn't pass that area because of the car that
Chapter 91: ONE LAST TIMEWhere I came from, the world was a spiral of dull colors and muffled sounds. Pain shot through every part of my body, sharp and unwilling to leave. I could feel the warmth of blood still trickling down my forehead, sticky against my skin, and the metallic taste of it in my mouth."Am I alive?" I whispered as I forced my eyes open, squinting against the blinding afternoon light filtering through the trees.A voice echoed in the distance, but I couldn't tell who it was as it was very faint. I blinked multiple times, struggling to focus and understand what I was doing here. The car. Carolyn. The crash. I remember jumping out of it, trying to save myself, and now... where was I?With great effort, I tried to push myself up, my hands trembling beneath me as I leaned against a rough tree trunk. The dizziness was becoming toooverwhelming, and my body felt like my bones had turned into hammers, and they were hitting my body from inside out. "That's if you make it o
Chapter 90: Zahra's DeathZahra's POVThe next morning, I found myself reluctantly getting ready for Carolyn's tour. I'd chosen a hot pink bodycon dress that stopped around my ankle, paired with a pair of stiletto heels, and my hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. In case we stopped by a restaurant because I barely ate at the Thanksgiving dinner.At the beginning of the dinner, it felt mostly... peaceful, and I thought Siobhan lied to me about them being overly problematic. Until the fights broke out between Marcello and Isabelle. They tossed plates at each other, broke glasses, and yelled around. And, before I could manage to sneak out of the hall, one of Dashiell's cousins, Jana, caught me by the arm and pulled me aside with four of her friends and began to ask what Dashiell saw in me that he didn't see in other girls.I rolled my eyes as I brushed those thoughts off, stepping into the car that Carolyn had arranged for our use, but when I got closer, I noticed it was empty. I lo
Chapter 89: Carolyn's OutingDashiell's POVSitting at the head of the table, I watched my family members meet my gaze, the room silent as they waited for what I was going to say next.Domenico sat beside me, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and constantly glancing at me. I leaned over, lowering my voice just enough to be heard by him alone. "I trust you know why you are here. You are going to die, Uncle." I murmured, my voice firm. Domenico's face tensed, but he gave a small nod and looked away.Once everyone was settled, I rose to my feet, raising my glass. "Thank you all for coming to the annual Thanksgiving celebration," I began, my voice steady. "I am grateful for all your roles in making sure that our legacy grows and remains unified in purpose. We all have our duties as members of the Blackwood family. And, even if you are not of Ottoman descent, you will always be a part of us." I paused, allowing my little speech to sink into their brains. "Tonight, I'm pleased to share a n
CHAPTER 88: ONLY MY LOVE MATTERSZahra's POVDashiell pushed me back onto the bed, moving to kneel between my legs as his hands gently spread my thighs apart."You don't want to see my surprise? I'm offended." I joked, propping myself up with my elbow.He chuckled softly, pressing his lips against one thigh before looking up at me. "Would you be mad at me if I told you I had already seen it?" I gasped playfully, biting my lips as his tongue started to trail up my thigh. "But..." he continued, "I want to see you wear it. Maybe somewhere other than this filthy palace." he said, leaning down, his tongue flicking on my core through my panties."Mhm..." I moaned, curling my toes, which were pointed at the ceiling. He looked up, his gaze meeting mine. "Like that, love?" he asked, his voice low. He leaned down again, not waiting for a reply, his hands tugging on the sides of my panties before taking it gently and pulling it down my legs."So beautiful..." he mumbled, trailing his fingers
CHAPTER 87: ARRIVING AT THE PALACEZahra's POV"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be landing in Italy in forty minutes." The pilot said, his voice crackling over the speakers.Finally.My gaze shifted across the jet cabin to where Maya lay silently on Adela's lap, watching an episode of her favorite anime, InuYasha. Adela watched it with her, her hands massaging her scalp.It's been a week since Maya was found unconscious in Oregon. She was still at the hospital with Adela when we started packing for the Thanksgiving Celebration, but because she didn't want to miss it, she begged Dashiell to convince Adela not to stay behind with her, that she also wanted to see what the Thanksgiving Celebration was like. Dashiell agreed, but only on the condition that we took a doctor with us.I looked toward a different cabin, and eyed the doctor who was munching on a large sized burrito and eating ice cream while watching something on her laptop. She noticed me watching her and eyed me with a frown on h
CHAPTER 86: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SONDashiell's POVThe chill in the Oregon air seeped into my coat the moment I stepped out of the car with Zahra next to me. I felt her fingers brush against mine, as we walked through the hospital entrance. Inside, the sharp smell of antiseptic filled my nose. My jaw tightened as I spotted Blazer standing in front of a ward, waiting with a sloppy expression on his face."They are working to stabilize her," Blazer said as we came closer, keeping his voice low. "She's still unconscious. They aren't sure when she'll come around."I gave a small nod, and without saying anything, followed him down the long corridor that led to Maya's ward. "Liam's father called me earlier," he added, his voice barely audible. "He was the one who told us where to find Maya. He said Liam sent him a video of Maya chained up and bruised. The man was practically raving and rambling about unrelated things before we could get the location out of him."I let out a low hum. "So what