Page 90 of Gamble with Me
Entering the elevator in the Starlight building, I checked my appearance in the mirror. Everything was in its place. Not one hair stuck out. My face was calm, and my breathing was even.
Who could say that I had just committed a mass murder?
-42-
Valeria
No matter how hard I tried, sleep didn’t come. My body hurt. Every position was painful, and to complete this physical disaster, my mental state worsened.
Chester’s furious face danced before my eyes like a scary ghost haunting me. Every move of my arm or leg reminded me of the belt marking my skin.
I couldn’t rest, fell into nothingness, and forgot what happened. The scene was on repeat in my head, making me feel hopeless and desperate for an escape from a loveless marriage with a psychopath.
At least Zara was safe. Chester didn’t show up at his mother’s house. Exactly as I assumed, he stayed with his friends, losing money he should have used to provide for his family.
Bitter tears streamed down my cheeks when I lay in bed, which I shared with my husband for years. Nothing could ease the ache in my chest. The physical pain was unpleasant, but eventually, it would pass. Yet, the memories of these dreadful times would remain. They would forever remind me of the failure of my marriage.
The unanswered questions tortured me for hours. Was I a bad wife? Did I deserve this? Why didn’t I notice it sooner? Could I have prevented it?
The sobs almost tore me apart. I felt unexplainable guilt for my situation and Chester’s unforgivable behavior. Maybe if I hadn’t started an affair, this would never have happened. Perhaps I shouldn’t have accepted the proposition to work for Zhumagulovs.That way, my obsession with Zyon wouldn’t have blossomed, and I would have lived in blissful ignorance of Chester’s extracurricular activities.
However, I knew it wasn’t possible. The moment I opened my eyes to accept his crimes against our family, our marriage was done. With or without the involvement of my stalker, I wanted to leave Chester and start over as a free woman.
Exhaling heavily, I got up from the bed and dragged myself into the bathroom. My energy was at its lowest level. I couldn’t think. Even breathing was challenging. I was drained, crushed by my stupid decision to return to Chester after I found the courage to leave him.
It was the most idiotic thing I could ever do. If Zyon was my stalker, he would’ve taken care of him. If I confronted him sooner, he would’ve protected me. Everything I did was stupid and illogical.
Instead of keeping myself and Zara safe, I chose to live with the tyrant who did nothing but hurt us. Rather than ask for help from the most powerful person I knew, I proudly wanted to fight my battles. And where did it get me?
I looked at my beaten face in the mirror, closing my eyes and hoping not to see the sad reality. It was my fault I ended up like this because I returned to Chester. It was punishment for a ridiculous and naive decision. He forced me to live under his roof, and I knew that if I didn’t leave, he would kill me one day.
Splashing cold water on my face, I shivered. The bruise looked terrible and would be hard to cover, but I already had a picture of my makeup and costume for the party in my mind.
The decision had been made. I was prepared to ask Zyon for help whether he was or wasn’t my stalker. I didn’t have a choice. I had to escape Chester, which couldn’t happen without help.
Hoping to direct my thoughts elsewhere, I walked into the quiet, dark living room and plopped on the couch. I flirted with the idea of texting my stalker’s phone or calling Zyon, but eventually, I discarded it. I wasn’t in the right state of mind to explain anything, and he couldn’t see me like this. It was best to let my mind rest and prepare for tomorrow’s conversation.
I curled into a ball in the corner of the sofa and turned on the television. At first, I couldn’t comprehend what was going on because my brain was exhausted. But when the explosion occurred on the screen, and the reporter claimed it happened in Manhattan, I sat up.
The titles were shocking, announcing the deaths of twelve influential people. The massive fire demolished the building of a construction company and damaged the surrounding areas. The dark cloud of heavy smoke rose to the sky while the drone with the camera showed the place of destruction from all sides.
Employees of the company gave interviews, saying it came out of nowhere. The alarm went off, and they were rushed out of the building. No one knew why twelve shareholders stayed inside. According to the information, they were burned alive on the highest floor.
I stared wide-eyed at the screen, trying to remember where I saw the company name: Trojan Construction Inc.
I was sure I had come across that name somewhere, but I couldn’t recall where. The reporter continued to talk about the tragedy that affected twelve wealthy families while I fried my brain to cooperate.
But it was pointless. I was too tired and didn’t understand why it was so important. I took the remote control, attempting to turn off the TV, when the reporter mentioned the company’s biggest project.
The Starlight building, belonging to Zyon Zhumagulov, was the most impressive and famous construction they produced. My heart missed a beat when I instantly realized where I saw the name.
The papers at work listed it. Zyon paid enormous amounts of money for the projects Trojan Construction worked on.
My paranoia swiftly spiked to the highest level, and my brain finally woke up. But I didn’t have the answers to the questions arising with that knowledge.
The explosion could be a tragic accident that took the lives of twelve people, or it could be much worse.
I glanced blankly at the screen that showed the same information repeatedly, thinking where I could find out more. The curiosity was killing me, and my chest tightened with fear that Zyon had sent a dozen people into hell.
