Chapter 4
Elena's POV
In two days, I'll be going to the Morettis. To the Bellamys. And Dante will be marrying Vivian.
I'm packing in my room, moving slowly. There's not much to pack, just a few clothes. I just want to avoid her, avoid everyone in this house.
Around three in the afternoon, a commotion breaks out outside the manor.
I walk to the window and see several men carrying a stretcher inside. The person on it is Vivian.
I rush downstairs.
In the hall, Dante's standing to the side, face dark.
"Boss, Miss Ross was recognized by the Morettis downtown." One of his men kneels on the ground, voice shaking. "By the time we got there..."
Vivian's lying on the stretcher, dried blood still on her face, arm wrapped in bandages. She's crying. "It hurts so much... They said it's not over..."
Dante's fists are clenched tight, veins bulging on his forehead. But there's nothing he can do. The Morettis aren't someone he can cross.
After a few seconds of silence, he turns to look at me. Opens his mouth, then closes it again.
I look at Vivian on the stretcher, confused. This life I agreed to go, so why did they still beat her?
But I understand quickly. As long as I'm in this house for even one more day, her trouble won't stop. She'll never behave, and he'll always protect her.
Better to end it now than drag it out.
I take a deep breath. "Send me to the Morettis today."
Everyone freezes.
Dante stares at me in shock. "You..."
"Isn't that what we agreed?" I cut him off. "She got beaten this badly, which means they're still angry. The sooner I go, the sooner she'll be safe."
He stares at me for a few seconds, then finally says, "Alright. I'll have someone arrange it."
No thanks. No guilt.
He turns to his men. "Get the car ready. Take her in an hour."
I turn and go upstairs.
"Elena..." he calls out.
I stop but don't turn around.
He's quiet for a few seconds. "Be careful."
The Moretti family manor is on the outskirts.
They take me to the basement. Dark and damp, the air thick with mold and blood.
Several large men surround me with whips, eyes cold.
Whips keep coming down on my back. Burning pain spreads through my whole body.
Then they dump ice water on me. Bucket after bucket poured over my head, soaking my clothes, so cold I'm shaking all over.
"Kneel."
Broken glass covers the floor.
I kneel down. My knees press into the glass and blood seeps out quickly.
The leader crouches down, smirking at me. "We looked into you. You love your brother so much, and what happened?"
"He sent you here as a scapegoat for that woman. You know what he's doing right now?"
"He's busy planning his wedding! Giant LED screens, citywide countdown, so romantic!"
"To him, you mean nothing compared to her."
"You gave him a kidney, and he used you and threw you away like garbage."
Every word is like a knife. Worse than the physical pain.
All night long, I curl up in the corner. No one comes. No one cares.
The next morning, they drag me out and dump me on the steps outside the manor entrance.
"If your 'good brother' hadn't begged a little, we would've killed you already." The leader looks down at me. "Wait here. Maybe after his wedding he'll come get you."
I don't wait.
I push myself up and limp away.
I don't know where I'm going.
People on the street see me and move away. I'm covered in wounds, my hair everywhere, like a beggar.
I think about everything in the past. The good parts, the painful parts.
Tears blur my vision.
My phone rings. It's Dante.
Rings once, then again. Finally I answer.
"Why didn't you pick up? I called so many times!" His voice carries blame. "How are you? They didn't do anything to you, right?"
Without waiting for my answer, he keeps going. "Just stay there and wait for me. I'll come get you after the wedding today. Don't worry, we'll still be siblings. I'll still take care of you. You hear me? Don't go anywhere."
Then he hangs up. Sounds like he's in a hurry.
I look at the phone, walk to a trash can, and throw it in.
I keep walking. When I pass through downtown, I see that giant LED screen.
"2 Hours Until the Ashford Family Wedding of the Century"
On the screen are photos of Dante and Vivian, both smiling so brightly.
People around me are talking. "Heard the wedding cost millions!" "The bride's dress was custom made in Paris!" "There's a citywide broadcast tonight!"
I stand in the crowd, looking up at that screen.
He looks so happy.
And I'm covered in wounds, standing on the street.
It's all over.
Just then, a black car stops in front of me.
The door opens and a man in a suit steps out, respectful. "Excuse me, are you Miss Elena?"
I freeze.
"I'm Mr. Bellamy's assistant. It's your wedding day. I'm here to pick you up. Please get in."
His tone is gentle. There's even a trace of sympathy in his eyes.
I turn around and look at the screen one last time.
In two hours, Dante will marry Vivian.
And I'm going to a completely unfamiliar place to marry someone I've never met.
But so what? At least there won't be any more of this pain.
I nod and get in the car.
Inside it's warm. The seats are soft.
The assistant hands me a blanket. I take it, and in that moment, all the pain and exhaustion rush over me at once.
My vision starts to blur.
In the last second before I pass out, I glance back through the window. The place that used to be my home.
Goodbye to the home I thought would last forever.
Goodbye to the hopeless love I held onto for two lifetimes.
Goodbye, Dante.
From now on, I'll never look back.
I'll never love you again.
