Chapter 6
I woke up slowly. My head throbbed, but when I just opened my eyes, the first sight I saw made my blood seem to freeze in place!!
The man who had just fired a shot without a nanosecond of hesitation was now in my bedroom, Staring at me calmly.
I gasped, shuffling hurriedly to the edge of the bed. My back hit the headboard. Terror covered me from head to toe!
“Miss Scarlett, Ive fetched you a cup of hot tea. Can you please drink it to calm down?
The tension was broken by Elena speaking up, suddenly causing me to swivel my head. The woman held a china cup of soothing–scented tea, and laid it on the little table
But I couldn’t stop watching that man
He was standing there, with both hands in his pants pockets, looking at me as if I were something interesting or dangerous.
And then, all of a sudden, he laughed a little bit
“Is it cuz you saw me do somethin‘ out by the east mansion and you fainted?”
I could only nod slowly. My lips were trembling.
The fellow approached me lumberingly and sat down on the bed. I jerked to the opposite side of the bed, almost rolling out of it. “W–who are you? Don’t come near me I said, my voice shaking.S
He looked quickly at Elena as though seeking an answer.
Elena smirked and chuckled, then responded evenly
“Miss Scarlett… he’s Mr. Vincent Moretti. Your future husband,”
My eyes widened. My breath caught.
The man who had coldly killed someone in front of my eyes was my future husband.
Vincent curled a smirk.
“Nice to meet you properly, Miss Scarlett” he said.
I bowed my head, my amazement and agitation concealed in my breast.!!
“What sort of man am I being mamed to? I may be rid of Nolan, but what’s the use of this freedom if I find myself stuck in another world, this time because of a cruel, cold–hearted man like him?” my thoughts regedi
This was not the start of happiness. Thus began the nightmare! Vincent looked at me for a moment, then raised his hand slowly.
“Elena, leave us. I want to have a one–on–one talk with my future wife.
Elena paused to study me there, as though to confirm that I was all right. But after seeing the unyielding glint in Vincent’s eyes, she reluctantly nodded and curtsied
“Yes, Mr. Vincent. I’ll be just outside if something else is required.”
With the door closing and the room silent again, I swallowed hard, I sat there on the bed, attempting to settle the rapid beating of my heart. Vincent stared at me silently and didn’t respond for several seconds.!
He then moved to the little chair next to the bed, keeping his distance so I wouldn’t be more afraid.
“You really do seem scared,” he said gently, already sounding less worked–up than a moment before. There had been nothing of laughter
or taunt in it.
“I’m sorry our first meeting left you traumatized.
I curled my lip, not sure what to say. But beneath the sharpness of his expression there was a glimmer of guilt. Or perhaps something more complicated.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen anything like that. It was just horrible to me,” I offered tentatively.
Vincent reclined against the chair, and for a moment looked up at the ceiling before locking his eyes with mine. In my world, mercy kills you faster than a bullet”
I frowned, confused.
“Your world? What do you mean, what world?
He looked at me deeply.
A world where power is everything. A world that doesn’t let weakness grow. A world that had been bequeathed to me since I was a teenager.
He took a steadying breath, then went silent for a moment.
“I’m Vincent Moretti. Son of Charles Moretti. And now I’m walking the same path of my father’s as a mafia.”
That was the only word that came out of his mouth without any struggle.
nd out.”
“I won’t hide it from you. “Everyone who enters this house is going to know, or they are going to find
I said nothing as Vincent’s hand lightly lifted up the tea cup and gave it to me.!!
“Would you drink it warm? It’ll help calm you.”}
I just nodded like a good girl and downed it
Vincent’s eyes landed on me but his face was unreadable
3:54 PM ď ď
“Scarlett, you’re part of an arrangement that has to do with your family’s name and mine. You find yourself here for a reason. Since three years ago I’ve known who you were. ”
I chewed on my lip and began to process what he had just handed me.
“But don’t worry, I don’t want to hurt you. I just want you to know right out the gate, I don’t play both sides. I’m ruthless to my enemies. But I can act as a protector for the one who’s standing next to me.”
“So… are you afraid of me still, Scarlett?”
Then he gave a faint smile.
I didn’t answer. But Vincent got up and left me in the room by myself, pensive.
Once Vincent left, taking that nearly palpable vibe of him he always seemed to leave lingering in the air around me with him, I just sat on the bed in silence. Still staring at the tightly shut door.
Then my phone buzzed softly on the nightstand. The phone call I had been ignoring since I had entered this house.
Message alerts by the dozens. And all on account of one name I had banished from my life long ago.
Nolan.
I scrolled down the screen 30 missed calls.
At last, I received a message with a photograph of an outdoor wedding. A garden with an open sky, flowers and plants. The venue I would tell him I used to chat with.
The dream that was once my place.
The next was the photo of a set of diamond
My body is shaking coldly.
Welry with an almost perfect design.
The final photo was of an ultrasound. The tiny black–and–white photograph I tossed out the car window when I left Nolan. A photo of our baby, who never had the chance to live entirely in my womb, but lived in my heart completely.
My fingers shook with fear as I opened up the attached message that came with the three images.
[Scarlett, come back to me. I’ll make our dream wedding happen right now. In that garden. With everything you want. Wasn’t the plan to get mamed in the dress you designed? I’ve already bought that jewelry for you.ll
Honey, let’s raise our baby together. We can start from scratch. This time, I won’t let you down.]!
My eyes began to burn. My breath caught.
But it was all too late 8
That dream wedding was no longer mine to have. And that baby was lost already.
And I was not the same Scarlett who once forgave.
I threw my phone onto the bed, choosing to close my eyes while holding the tightness inside my
my chest.
