Page 56 of Bastian

“Please, stop. Please stop. That’s all you’re good for, princess,” Andrew mocks. “This is necessary. But, since we’re in a hurry, I’ll finish up here real quick.” He stabbed Noelia three more times, once more in each thigh, and then stepped back to admire his handiwork, while I screamed like a wounded animal, not being able to hold it back.

With each stab, I felt it down to my soul.

Guilt clawed at me, suffocating me.

Stay quiet, Arianna, and no one will hurt you.

Don’t fight it. It’s a man’s world.

The voices in my head repeat it until they drown the screams of agony coming from both Noelia and me.

Then the next thing I knew, I was standing up. My hair was wrenched back so hard that I saw stars. It felt as if it was being ripped from my scalp. It burns, but nothing compares to the pain that the innocent woman was going through because of me. The pain was evident in her posture, as well as her sad eyes when she managed to open them.

Oh, God.

The blood.

It’s all over her.

“I’ve had enough of your screams, Arianna. Toughen the fuck up.” With that, my father leaves the shadows and raises his fist then slams it down so hard against my face that my vision blurs. Blackness started to dot the edges of my vision, and the next thing I knew, I was dead to the world.

* * *

A knock on my office door brings me back to the present and away from the gruesome memories of the past.

“Shit.” I breathe out.

Why is it that every ugly memory from my past that I tried so hard to suppress comes back to haunt me now? I haven’t had a single good night’s sleep in weeks, but now that a certain tyrant is back in my life, most of the progress I’ve made has gone to hell. I’m not even blaming him fully for it. I take responsibility for it since I am the one who decided to fuck with him, and now he’s fucking with me without even trying.

Turning my head towards the glass doors, I see the intruder. Speaking of the devil.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I mutter, hating that my heart is racing like a lunatic. “Get out.” Nope. I rise from my seat the moment I watch Sebastian open the door and enter my office without being invited. Looking past him, I watch a squad of men dressed in black guarding the door while my traitorous employees gather around talking amongst themselves, and some take out their phones, most likely recording their president or snapping pictures.

“Miss me?” Sebastian asks while closing the door with his hip because both hands are busy holding onto a brown bag while the other holds a carton tray with two coffees.

“I miss you as much as a healthy person would miss gonorrhea.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I give him an ugly look that causes his mouth to twitch in response.

He chuckles before he says, “You kill me.” Then he touches his heart, smiling like a fool.

A gorgeous fool.

Ugh.

“And yet, you’re still breathing. Why are you here?” Taking a seat, I have half a mind to call security on his ass, but I know better than to do that because: 1. In this country, the president can do as he wishes and go where he pleases without little to no consequence. It’s a losing battle to believe that he will listen to me and leave at his own will. 2. I know my security will feel uncomfortable asking their president to leave the headquarters. Besides, I’m sure most of them would rather lose their job than go through with the order.

“I missed you, and I wanted to see your beautiful face.” He stands in front of one of my office chairs with a brilliant smile on his stupid perfect face. “And… I brought you coffee.” He places the two coffees on top of my desk and drops the brown bag next. “And treats. I know how much you love these.”

Looking down at the bag, I tell him.“Like I would drink or eat anything you brought me. It could be poisoned.” I frown while leaning forward in my seat.

“You think I would poison you? Come on, darling. Let us be honest here. If anyone were to poison someone, it would be you.”

That is true.

The only reason I haven’t given it much thought it’s because of Ellaiza. She surely would suffer if her father were to be murdered. On the other hand, kids are resilient, and she’s still young…

You can’t kill the man…

I can if I want to.

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