Adrian
Everyone’s gaze was fixed on me, waiting for the apology.
My chances were already slim if not distraught.
My eyes sank, and after carefully counting the loss, I tightened my fist.
But there was no way I’d apologize to Nikolai.
Forcing my feet forward, I lowered my head and muttered to Gabriel,
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not the one who is offended, Adrian.
Why apologize to me?”
“Because you had to witness this, and it’s Isabelle who I’ve greatly disappointed.”
There was a pregnant silence, one that only caused my body to freeze in position.
My eyes were lowered to the ground, not until Leonardo’s voice thundered in the hallway-
“What about Mr.
Nikolai?
Isn’t he the one you’ve offended?”
I scoffed and looked at him, “If Nikolai agrees that he is offended, then he should ask for an apology.”
“Oh…” Gabriel had a sly smile on his face.
“I wonder if Nikolai was offended?”
Nikolai walked closer, in hand with Isabelle and without sparing me a glance, he muttered.
“Adrian will be disciplined, and this engagement is over.”
His words sent a wave of worry through my body.
He wasted no time, he walked through the door as though he knew leaving without an explanation was the greatest punishment for me.
And it was.
Gabriel and Liliana followed him without accepting the apology.
“He finally did it Leonardo, I told you he was good for nothing.” Vivian seemed to have enjoyed every bit of it.
I turned to walk away, hoping Leonardo would stop me, but he was quiet, and it only made me wary.
Standing on the terrace, I noticed the guests leaving after the Mancini’s left.
What is an engagement party without the couple?
It didn’t take about thirty minutes, everyone left.
The cake wasn’t even touched and the main course hadn’t even been served.
It was a disaster.
But yet, I could only think of Franklyn and how he knew about clubpink.
There was only one person that must have gone through hell and crooks to find out about me.
Nikolai.
I’ve got reasons to doubt him.
Now that the engagement seemed to be a matter of no future, I might as well come up with how to find my killer.
Suddenly, Leonardo turned his gaze at me, he was standing in the garden.
His frown, the disgust in his eyes as he kept looking only told me one thing-
There was no escaping his wrath.
One, two, three, a knock came on the door.
And when I opened, Peter was standing right outside.
“Adrian, your father wants you downstairs.”
I took a deep breath.
“You should have been patient, by the weekend you would have been married and moved into the Mancini’s.”
“To be what?
Controlled again?
Treading carefully, constantly watching my every step just to avoid another trap?”
A glimpse of everything I’ve been through for the past seven years since my mother’s death made my body quiver.
For a moment, nothing mattered, only my tears, and the pain of the bullet burning through my chest on that cold attempted assassination night, four months ago.
“Don’t you want to find the killer?” Peter asked wryly.
Of course I wanted to.
But just this moment, I wondered what my life would have been like, if Leonardo never came to the hospital.
I wiped the tears threatening to stain my cheeks.
Without further conversation, I went downstairs.
Leonardo crossed his legs, sipping from iced cube whiskey on the glass around his thumbs.
“What did I tell you?”
He asked, but there was no point in answering, so I remained quiet.
“I wonder who’s been feeding you ideas.
Even moving in with the family was such a difficult task for you.
Since you’ve ruined the engagement, you are practically useless to me.”
“Would you let him become a helper?
I need someone to order around.” Vivian was extremely excited.
“Kneel!” He muttered but I stood staring into his eyes.
Leonardo was frustrated.
He threw his glass at me, and it crashed into my head, the glasses scattering on the floor.
When the blood dripped down my face, I didn’t move an inch.
Leonardo’s fury escalated and he stood up yelling, “Bend him to his knees.”
Peter and another guard held my arms and whipped my legs with a rod causing me to fall on my knees.
I clenched my teeth, choking back the moans clawing at my throat.
Leonardo wanted to see me wail in pain, but I wouldn’t give him the pleasure. Find the original chapter at g.com.
“Drag him outside.”
They wasted no time.
It was drizzling, and the weather was cold.
I had just the white sleeves on, and the pants Nikolai had bought.
When the rain showered down, the blood dripping on my face stained my body.
Suddenly, Leonardo walked out with a huge rod with iron spikes.
He raised it up, whipping against my back like I was some hard wood.
The spikes pierced into my skin, and blood mixed with the rain.
“He will remain here until we get feedback from Mancini’s.” He walked back inside.
The rain didn’t stop, it got heavier by the minutes.
When it was pitch black, the thunder and lightning was my only source of light.
The storm hurled down icy shards from the sky, each one cutting into me like another punishment.
It caused my body to become feverish.
I tried not to lose my balance, neither did I let my hands support my knees.
By past midnight, I could no longer feel my legs.
It was as though the blood vessels were blocked.
When morning came, the storm had stopped, but the cold that came after could send even a perfectly healthy person to the hospital.
My body was wounded, and even my lips were shaking.
When it was past nine in the morning, the door opened and Vivian walked to where I was with a smile on her face.
I bet she slept well.
“Hmm, too bad, the Mancini’s called.
Your father requests that you come to his study.”
I tried standing, but I fell on the floor.
Peter rushed to me, and he helped me to the study.
When Leonardo saw me, scoffed, “You have another chance, the wedding will take place as planned.
If you mess up this time, you will pay with your life.”
“Peter, lock him up in his room, and make sure he doesn’t get anything to eat until the wedding.”
“The wedding is still three days away.”
“Exactly, three days of no food wouldn’t kill him.
I want him to remember this moment, so next time he thinks of doing something foolish, he will think twice.”
Peter couldn’t argue further.
He helped me to my room and immediately I entered, I asked him to leave.
The door shut, and the sound of it being locked filled my ears.
I tried to walk further, but I lost my balance and fell to the ground.
Darkness immediately took over.