Page 50 of Plus-Size Bratva Possession
“Adriana,” I said, the name burning my throat. “Her name was Adriana. We were engaged three years ago. She was carrying my child, and your fucking brothers killed her in cold blood.”
Chapter 17 - Elena
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. He had a woman he loved once. She was carrying his child. My brothers…they killed her.
Every instinct within me urged to call him a liar, to ask how he could stoop so low as to make up such a horrific story, but I stayed shut. Somewhere in my mind, I knew he couldn’t.
He couldn’t have created and murdered a woman all to convince me he wasn’t anything like my brothers.
My mind scrambled to refute what he was saying. I was certain there had to be some other explanation that would make sense of this nightmare. Because it had to be a lie. It had to be.
I could no longer hold myself back, knowing I was being cruel. But what was he saying? My brothers killed a pregnant woman? Impossible.
My entire body was trembling with shock. Gastone was now watching me with worry, as though I might collapse. I hated letting him believe I was convinced of what he said.
“You…You….it can’t be!” I spat, finding my voice, unable to hold back anymore.
Gastone's face twisted with pain, with anger.
“You think I'd make this up?” his voice trembled.Trembled.“You think I'd invent a dead fiancée and unborn child just to win an argument?”
“No!” I said instantly, shaking my head. “Of course not!”
“Then what?” he roared. “What the hell am I lying about?”
I crossed my arms over my chest to hide how badly I was shaking. “My brothers aren't murderers. They would never kill an innocent woman, let alone a pregnant one.”
“Here,” he said, thrusting the phone at me after an entire minute of scrolling through it.
I hesitated, then took it from him. I saw an old photo of Gastone with his arm wrapped around a dark-haired woman. They were smiling at the camera, arm in arm, looking utterly in love.
“That's Adriana,” he said quietly, watching me. “We met at a charity gala. She worked in fashion.”
“Why are you showing me this?” I asked, my hands trembling as I clutched the phone and stared down at this beautiful woman who was once the love of Gastone’s life. Without meaning to, I felt tears well in my eyes. To know she once existed, and now didn’t, I couldn’t digest it.
“Because I need you to know. To see she had no enemies.”
I swiped to the next photo, one of Gastone and Adriana at the beach, laughing as waves crashed behind them. The next one was of the two of them bundled up in winter coats, snowflakes caught in her long hair. The next was Gastone kissing her cheek as she held up her hand to display an engagement ring.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I…I’m sorry,” my voice shook. I couldn’t tear my gaze away. How could anyone have killed someone so innocent? So beautiful? So alive. The world didn’t feel fair.
“She was the one who convinced me I could have a different life,” he continued, his voice rough with emotion. “We were going to leave after the baby was born and run off toanother country. We were thinking Indonesia. She always loved the beach.”
“Oh, Gastone,” I murmured, looking up at him for a brief moment. That anguish in his face, I wanted nothing more in that moment to take it away. No matter how many times I said it, it didn’t seem enough. With my spare hand, I reached out and gave him a squeeze. He laced his fingers through mine, squeezed back. I hadn’t forgiven him for what I’d seen or the lies he told about my brothers, but I couldn’t bear to not comfort him.
I kept swiping, my hands trembling as the photos told their story. They had such a life. There were more memories than I knew what to do with. Pictures of them doing up a nursery for a child, photos of her baby bump, of them being goofy and funny and so alive and full of love.
I felt sad. Sadder than ever, trying to comprehend the loss Gastone faced. Sad for the whole situation, but even then, I had to fight for my family. This was too cruel a thing for my brothers to have done.
“It could have been anyone,” I whispered, trying to maintain my brother's dignity. “You have enemies everywhere, right?”
“Keep going,” he said grimly.
“I…I can’t,” I said, shaking my head. Looking at these photos made me sad.
“Swipe forward,” he growled with insistence, and I felt a chill down my spine.
I swiped, fearing what might come next.
