CHAPTER 22: HOW INSENSITIVE!ZAHRA'S POVIt was 7 pm when I stumbled up from my sleep with my head feeling groggy as I heard a knock on the door."Who is it?" I asked, but there was no answer, and so I went to open it.It was one of the maids who was just hired, Mallory. She looked at me with a tired expression and bowed a little, "Ma'am, there's someone at the reception asking for you. He said his name is Soñar from Sicily," My curiosity was piqued as I heard who it was. Hm, Dashiell's cousin was here so soon. I waved Mallory off and immediately went to get dressed, at least to leave a good impression on this Sonar person.I was sure he was going to be very different from Dashiell, but not too different from his other bubbly family members like Micheal, Aunt Maggie, and the others.I finally settled for a short pink skirt and a white off-the-shoulder cropped top. The skirt was so short that if I bent over a little to pink something, I would be exposing my bum, but I was a fan of sho
CHAPTER 23: FANTASY The candles in the room started to get lit one by one, followed by the chill breeze that blew rose fragrance into the room. I lay on my rose filled bed and started to delve into the sweet comfort it gave me.Before long, a man emerged from the silky curtains in my bedroom, I recognized him as Micheal, the one who took me home from Aunt Maggie's party. Then, out of nowhere, Soñar appeared from behind him and began to stride toward where I lay.I sat upright, my mouth almost drooling from seeing them shirtless. I could feel the way my eyes bore into the thick lines that formed abs on their stomach, how the lines dissected into one another, and the hardness that I could feel inside of me even as they seemed far from where I lay was thrilling.As I looked on, from the corner of my vision, I could see Dashiell emerge from a makeshift door. He was shirtless, but he had a towel wrapped around his waist to cover his private parts. Just as the towel was about to fall, I
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 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