<b>Chapter </b><b>97 </b>
BELLA
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His hand was sweaty in mine as we ran, and it was slipping away from mine. <b>I </b>screamed at him to hold on. To never let go. He shouldn’t dare. If he did, I would kill him myself.
But he reassured me that he wasn’t letting go no matter what. He was going to always hold on, and that was all the reassurance I needed. It made me know it was all worth it. I was throwing my life away from him, my inheritance, and my future, so the least he could do was hold on.
We were almost there. Just a little more, and we would be free. Just a little more. You could do this, Be.
But then a gunshot went off, and his hand slipped away from mine. I halted, my eyes going wide <b>as </b>I turned and there…
He was sprawled on the ground, a gaping wound in his stomach, his unseeing eyes staring up at the dark sky.
“No!” I screamed, crashing to my knees and crawling to him, my body shaking. It suddenly started raining, and I held my lover’s lifeless body in my arms, screaming, begging, cursing. “You promised! You bastardo! You fucking promise you wouldn’t let go of my hand!”
I heard a rustle and my head snapped up to see a gun between my eyes. They pulled the trigger and the sound of the gun went off.
I jolted awake, panting, soaked in sweat. I ced my hand on my chest as if it would calm my racing heart. It was beating so fast, I was afraid I would have a heart attack.
I couldn’t stop shaking, and all I could see and feel was the blood. How it soaked into my clothes, and it felt like it was seeping into me. It was raining, but still the blood didn’t wash away. It clung to me, as if saying this was all my fault.
I was awake, and yet I was <b>still </b>living in that nightmare.
A door opened and I finally snapped out of it, jumping to my feet and my room came into view.
Gianna stood by the door, her emotionless eyes fixed on me.
“Another nightmare?<b>” </b>she asked, and even more her expression was lifeless, her voice was still soft.
I nodded, sitting at the edge of the bed, pushing my hair away from my face,
She said nothing, just moved to the coffee table, and walked to me with a ss of water. I took it from her, drinking everyst drop.
“Your father wants you at his ce by ten,” she said as soon as I was done.
I sighed. “Can’t you give me a minute to pull my shit together?”
Her expression didn’t change. “You’re Bedonna fannelli. You don’t need a minute. Get your shit together
now.”
I scoffed. That <b>was </b>Gianna’s way of offeringfort.
“Be ready and out in an hour,” she said, already moving to the door. “And get rid of that.”
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I turned, and sleeping on my bed was a man. What the fuck? I clearly told this bastardo to be gone before morning.
“Hey.” I pushed him with my leg, and he groaned, slowly opening his eyes. “Get out.”
“Hey, babe,” he muttered, still half asleep, moving and wrapping his hand around my waist.
I groaned, fisting his hair and raising his head to look at me. He was fully awake but he was still smiling like an idiot.
“Get. Out,” I snarled into his face, that familiar feeling of rage that I tried so hard to suppress showing its ugly face<b>. </b>I couldn’t snap, not now, not ever. Because once I did, there was no going back. “Leave, before I get my bodyguards to throw you out.”
The smile was gone from his face, and he was immediately on his feet, picking up his clothes and racing out of the room. I sighed, flopping down on my bed.
This was why I always wanted them to leave at night. It made things less awkward for the two of us.
My eyes slowly closed and there was nothing more I wanted to do than just sleep a little more, but I had to have breakfast with dear old Dad, and if it wasn’t out in an hour, Gianna would drag me out by the hair.
<b>*** </b>
“Did my father say what he wants?” I asked as I stepped into the car, fully dressed, my makeup and hair done. My mask was back on.
“No,” Gianna answered, sitting beside me and the driver started the car.
I sighed, massaging my temple. Fuck, I was still hungover.
“I don’t want to see that woman,” <b>I </b>grumbled.
“You can’t avoid them forever.”
“I’m not avoiding my father. I can’t, even though sometimes I want to. It’s that fucking bitch I don’t want to
<b>see</b><b>.</b>”
“Ignore her like you always had. I’ve seen the way it gets on her nerves. She craves attention, don’t give it to
her,”
In a sh, our car was rolling into my father’spound. And as we walked to the front door, my father was the first face to greet me.
“La mia bambina!” he eximed, dropping his walking stick, and wrapping his arms around me. I could tell
<b>9:19 </b>Mon, Sep 15 <b>d </b>
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he wanted to pick me up, but his leg wouldn’t let him. That made my chest tight.
<b>61 </b>
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“Papa,” I whispered, rubbing my face on his chest, my eyes burning, all my worries melting away, and I felt like a little girl again, running to my father’s arms when I got injured. “I’ve missed you, Papa.”
He stroked my hair. “And yet, you don’te see me.”
<b>I </b>squeezed my eyes shut. “Perdonami.” (Forgive me.)
We both know why I stoppeding, but we never talk about it.
“Come,” he said, taking his stick from Gianna. “Let’s have breakfast and you’ll tell me all you’ve been up to.”
Oh, Papa, you didn’t want to know.
We walked hand in hand to the dining room, Papa already telling me how he’s been and the update at the
And that was when she stepped out. Like me, her mask was also on. She was smiling sweetly, but poison was dripping from it. Her eyes were soft, but it was filled with evil.
“Hello, Bedonna,” she purred, her voice making my insides turn sour.
This breakfast was already ruined.
<b>AD </b>