Chapter 43
For 3 days, I had been watching Miranda from the shadows, studying her every move, waiting for the right time to strike. She knew I was alive. She was looking for me. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t reach me. Darius had made sure of that.
Under his protection, I was untouchable.
Still, I wasn’t naïve. Miranda was dangerous. She wasn’t the type to back down just because I had returned. If anything, my presence only made her more desperate, more ruthless. But desperation led to mistakes, and she had made plenty.
So I waited. I let her believe she had everything under control. And when the perfect moment arrived, I took it.
THE WEDDING DAYS
The grandest wedding of the year. Miranda and Rafael De Luca. A match made in hell.
The world watched in admiration, enchanted by the illusion of a fairytale. The media covered every detail, calling it the union of two powerful families, a love story written in gold. But I knew better.N
There was nothing beautiful about it. Nothing real.
And Miranda?
She wasn’t going to make it to the altar.
****
Miranda slipped into the back seat of the luxury car, her silk white gown flowing elegantly around her.
She checked her reflection in the mirror, adjusting her veil, a smug smile tugging at her lips. She thought she had won. That everything she had ever wanted was finally within her grasp.
If only she knew.
“Drive quickly. I don’t want to be late for my big day,” she ordered.§
I kept my head down, my cap pulled low, sunglasses covering my eyes. My voice was lower than usual, steady and controlled. “Of course, ma’am.
The car moved smoothly, pulling out of the driveway. At first, Miranda was too distracted to notice anything unusual. She was too caught up in her own excitement, too busy imagining the moment she would walk down the aisle, basking in the attention and envy of everyone around her.§
But ten minutes later, her brows furrowed.§
Her gaze flickered to the window, watching the streets pass by. Something wasn’t right.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her tone sharp with irritation.}]
I didn’t respond.§
She leaned forward, her annoyance growing. “I asked you a question. This isn’t the way to the venue, bastard!”
I didn’t react. I simply reached up and pulled off my cap, then removed my sunglasses, revealing my face in the rearview mirror.”
And that’s the moment she realized…
Miranda’s breath hitched.
The blood drained from her face, her eyes widening in sheer disbelief. For a moment, she couldn’t even speak. She just stared at me through; the mirror, her lips parting slightly, but no words came out.
“Y–you…”
Her voice was barely above a whisper, laced with shock.
I tilted my head slightly, meeting her gaze with a slow, deliberate smile. “Surprised to see me alive?”
She blinked rapidly, her hands curling into fists. Her gaze darted to the doors, fingers twitching as she subtly tested the locks. She was calculating. Planning. But she had no way out.!!
I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “Oh, don’t bother. You’re not going anywhere.“}
Her breathing quickened. I could see the panic setting in, the realization that she wasn’t in control anymore.
Before she could reach for her phone or scream for help, I moved swiftly, pulling out the small gun I had hidden beneath my jacket. But instead of a bullet, I pulled the trigger on something else.
A tranquilizer dart shot straight into her neck.
Her eyes widened in horror. She tried to fight it, but it was useless. Her body swayed, her hands weakly clawing at the dart, but the drug worked fast.
“You bitch” she slurred, her movements slowing, her eyelids growing heavier. A second later, she went limp, her head lolling to the side.
Texhaled slowly, gripping the steering wheel as I studied her unconscious form through the mirror.
My lips curled into a satisfied smile.
*Sweet dreams, Miranda.”
***
The car was parked inside an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by nothing but darkness and silence. In the back seat, Miranda stirred. A faint groan slipped past her lips as she slowly regained consciousness. Her head tolled to the side before her eyelids fluttered open, unfocused at first, but then–pure rage
She thrashed against the restraints the rones dinning into her wrists and ankles as she struggled to free herself &
She thrashed against the restraints, the ropes digging into her wrists and ankles as she struggled to free herself.”
“You crazy bitch!” she screeched, her voice echoing through the warehouse. “Untie me right now!“}
I leaned back against the driver’s seat, arms crossed, watching her with mild amusement. The sight of her helpless and furious should have been enough, but the way she squirmed, cursing under her breath, made it even better.}
Then, I laughed. A slow, cruel sound that sent a flicker of uncertainty across her face.”
“Funny, isn’t it?” I mused, tilting my head. “How you thought I was dead… but now, here I am.”
Miranda’s face twisted in fury. She yanked at the ropes, her nails digging into her palms. “Let me go, you psycho!“}
I exhaled dramatically, pretending to think it over. “Hmm… No.“>
She let out a frustrated growl, “Once I get out of this, I’ll kill you with my own hands!“}
I smirked. “Try me.“}
Something dark flickered in her gaze. The raw, violent hatred was still there, but now, there was something else–calculation. The gears in her head were turning. And then, as if she had just realized something, she slowly smiled.}
“I’ll make you a deal,” she said, her tone shifting. The anger was gone, replaced by something smooth and deliberate. “Give me my freedom… and I’ll give you Penelope.”
My breath caught.
The name sent a jolt through me, cold and sharp. My fingers clenched involuntarily, my nails digging into my palms as the walls of the warehous
warehouse suddenly felt like they were closing in.
I turned my head toward her, slowly, my chest rising with shallow, measured breaths. “What did you just say?“>
Miranda’s smirk widened. She had me now, and she knew it.
“I said, I’ll give you Penelope,” she repeated, her words laced with sickening satisfaction. “The child you failed to save years ago? She’s alive. And she’s mine now.”
Something inside me snapped.
