Chapter 3

Diya

I have been living a lie all my life, and he deceived me. He was a devil, pretending to be good all this time. He must have enjoyed toying with me and laughed behind my back. It was all a façade. I never suspected what he was doing when he said he was going to work. He was a monster who pretended to pray and be good. He even slept soundly next to me while he killed people with no remorse. I had married the devil and now I was carrying his child.

I felt sick, and I wanted to die. My heart felt stiff from everything that I had witnessed. I was on the train toilet where I had stayed for the past half an hour because every time I thought of my husband; I felt sick. His smile had turned from the sweetest to sinister in my head. His once hearty laugh had become vile in my head. I looked down at the huge rock on my finger as I shed silent tears in the small space I had curbed myself in.

“LIAR,” I whisper cried as I turned on my seat again, feeling sick.

Before I went back to my seat, I washed my hands and face. My eyes looked puffy and my lips were quivering, so I had some looks from other passengers. I sat and leaned on the window as a fresh set of tears threatened to slip. I took an audible sigh as I stared at nothing as my thoughts were still running wild.

Was I rational about leaving him? I said in light and in darkness. I don’t think I will ever go back to Ace. I can’t bring myself to be in the same room as him anymore.

“Tickets.”

My head sprung up as the conductor shouted. I shakingly reached for my ticket and pressed in my perfectly manicured hands. I hated I had shouted at poor Ben so he could give me all his money in his wallet for this ticket. I had left home without a clue that everything was going to change, with no need for a wallet. My right hand unconsciously went to my stomach as I took a deep breath.

The conductor passed by and checked my ticket before he proceeded to the next person. The train was not full for a Tuesday night as there were a lot of empty seats and I was glad to have a seat row all to myself. I slid my ticket back in my pocket and went back to staring outside the window. The train was taking me back home, which was going to take a night’s trip to get there. Sleeping was going to be hard, not because it was uncomfortable, but because I couldn’t bring myself to sleep.

I was left to wonder who my husband was because I was too stupid not to see through the mask he had portrayed in front of me. His grandfather had resigned and made him CEO of Torane Enterprises as a wedding gift on top of the biggest casino he owned. He was five years older than me and his parents had died in a plane crash. His family was not large, but I always found it strange that we never went to family gatherings. A few attended the wedding, and he had mentioned they never got along, so I let it slide because the person who mattered to him was his grandfather and they were close.

I wonder if he knew his favorite grandson was a murderer. He had been nothing but welcoming with me and he has treated me extra special, which always made Ace complain because his attention was always directed at me. A sadness washed over me because I was running away with his great-grandson in my womb. He was never shy to talk about his expectations and how a baby from us would make his life complete. They have bragged about who would spoil the little one a lot of times that I was regretting running away.

Maybe I should have gone to his house and stayed there instead of running. I shook my head. It was too late to go back now anyway because I couldn’t turn the train around. Being at the Cathedral might do some good for me. I had to be firm with my decision. Before I made any more decisions, I needed to process. I never expected to be running away from the person I had trusted with my life and love. I needed to stop thinking about him because it hurt. My husband and only love was a murderer.

I shook my head, wiping a tear as I closed my eyes. I listened to the sound of the train move as a distraction.

*****

Ace

I had chased everyone out of the house and filled Filip in and told him to come straight away. My hair was unruly from pulling and running my hand through it. I was contemplating killing Ben for being an aide to my wife’s running away. Carrie was next on my list for being reckless and incompetent.

I was pacing back and forth in the house before I noticed the table setting. I walked over and pulled the cloth, shattering everything that was on the table. The pull only made everything worse, and I was furious and certain. Someone was going to die if I didn't see her soon.

“Hey,” Filip’s voice was calm, “What can I do?”

“What took you so long?” I snapped.

It had been less than ten minutes since we spoke. I had checked because I kept checking my phone every second. I knew he had another errand and because he was in the chopper; he came sooner than if he was driving.

“I came as soon as I could,” he brushed off my comment. “How the hell did she see us tonight?”

“You can thank your fuck buddy Carrie,” I glared at him. “I’m going to kill her,” I gritted my teeth.

“Easy there, Ace,” he remarked, “Don’t be rash. We can get her back.”

“How?” I spoke through my teeth, fisting my hands.

“The train will be there tomorrow so we can fly there and wait for her to get to the church.”

“NO,” I shouted, “I need that train stopped. Make it happen.”

“You are powerful, but even you can’t stop a train so you can get her back,” he patted my shoulder.

I saw red from his comment, but he was the only one who could talk back to me like this.

“I don’t have time for your snarky comments,” I growled, glaring at him.

“You will get her back,” he added.

If she will have me. I honestly don’t think she would want to look at me. She must hate me, and now she was on a train, getting as far away from me as possible. She was out in the open and the right target for my enemies to take her and deal with her the way I had dealt with them. The thought of someone hitting or strangling her.

God, what of our baby? I was getting sick as I rushed to the bar to calm my nerves with a burning drink.

“How soon can we leave?” I asked.

“Depends. Do you want to leave with the helicopter or jet?” he looked at me as he pulled out his phone.

“Jet,”

“We should be in the air in thirty minutes,”

I knew with the chopper we would be in the air by now, but I wanted her to be comfortable when we came back. She was pregnant and would need enough space to rest on our way back.

Would I drag her back if she refuses to come back? What if everything makes her lose the baby due to stress? Maybe it would be better if she stayed with the sisters? NO. They might have harmony, but the baby was mine too, and I deserved to be with her every step of the way. That child is my heir with Torane blood, that means a lot.

“Diya is pregnant,” I confessed to Filip.

“How did you figure that out?” he asked, walking to the bar.

“This,” I pulled out the baby clothing from my pocket.

“Best dad ever, huh?” he grinned. “Congrats, man. This is great news.”

“Yeah,” I gulped the last of my drink slamming the glass down, “It would be great news if she was here with me,” I could feel the crack in the way my voice sounded, “not going in the opposite direction.”

“Come on, let’s go get your wife,” he smiled at me.

“What if she doesn’t want me? Her leaving means she doesn’t want to be with me anymore, don’t you think?”

“You are no fun when you brood. Cheer up, dad,” Filip looked at me with a twinkle in his eyes, “I think she is confused and needs time.” His smile never wavered. I think Diya’s talk of hope was rubbing off on him.

“Confused?” I arched my brow. “She saw me kill someone.”

“And you will kill some more again,” he shrugged, “The point is, she knows now.”

“Sometimes the way you look at things is beyond me.” I shake my head. “I have kept this part of my life from her for this reason.”

“Your fault for marrying a church girl,” he smirked.

“I couldn’t help falling in love with her.” I defended myself.

“I know, she does you good,” he recognized. “Let’s go get the wife home,” he grinned.

I nodded as I looked at the little clothing and smiled. I would do anything for Diya and would chase her to the ends of the earth so I could see her again. She was my life and this place would be nothing without her. I wasn’t ready, but my feet moved because the news about the baby made me the happiest man alive. She is the only one who deserves to be my wife and the mother of my children.

Children? A voice echoed in my head.

I was already thinking of over one child with no knowledge of what her decision was going to be. For the sake of our unborn child, I hoped she would come back to us. To me. I was going to fix this. No matter the cost.