Eliane's POV
I didn't know what to say. My mind went blank, and the guilt weighed heavily on my conscience.
Lying to him always left me feeling so guilty, and it seemed like I couldn't escape it.
The last time I lied, it was like a wall had been built between us. We lived in the same apartment, yet it felt like we were miles apart.
Waking up to find him sleeping on the couch, avoiding me, was the worst feeling. It was as if I had lost him, even though he was right there.
I tried apologizing, over and over again, but he continued to ignore me. The silence between us was unbearable. It hurt more than any breakup I had experienced before.
And then, my thoughts drifted to Danté. His world was filled with secrets.
The late nights, the bloodstained shirts, and the mysterious phone calls... it all started to make sense.
"Elle?" I heard his voice again and I snapped from zoning out.
"Sorry, I almost forgot your question." I see him stare at me with a weird facial expression.
I felt like my actions made him question himself about me, 'cause I've never been this way for a long time.
"It was a bracelet, one which belonged to my grandma." I smiled at him.
"That's so nice of her." I nodded while smiling.
I finished eating and headed back to the room clearing any traces I'd left behind.
___
I stepped on the gas pedal and drove quickly from the house after eating breakfast with Alex.
I stopped him from taking me to work today because that's not where I'd plan on going and I can't tell him that.
(Phone dials and the person picks on the first ring.)
"Eliane, I was about to call you." Mr. Bennett cut me.
"Yeah sure." I gave a slight chuckle.
"I heard the amazing thing you guys did yesterday, and I'll say once again, I'm very proud of you."
"Thank you so much Sir… Actually, I called to inform you that I can't make it to work today." I risked my life saying this.
I knew it was a stupid idea to call him before missing a day at work. He hates ABSENTEEISM, and he complains to us every day.
I mean if you don't like it, at least give us a day off, that would work. But no one has the guts to tell him the literal truth.
"What?" His surprised tone lingering in my head.
I should've skipped and explained to him later only if I'd thought of this earlier.
"Of course… you can. I was planning on giving you a day off today." I heard him chuckle
Why does he always do this? He only plans to do something after you've made mention of it.
"Really? I mean sure."
"Have a good day." He hangs up.
I drove to the well known company in New York, the SEF company. He was the CEO of it, that's what I thought.
The familiar building stood right in front of me, and fear gripped me.
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was a bad idea to go there alone after finding out the kind of person he was.
But then, I thought it was reasonable to do so.
As I entered the building, I noticed that he had completely renovated the place. "Three years, huh?" I murmured to myself.
Taking a few steps forward, I came face to face with a handsome young man, Enzo, who was Danté's personal assistant. "Hey," he greeted me, moving towards my direction.
"It's really been a while since I saw you," I replied, forcing a fake smile, wondering why he was acting oblivious to our breakup.
Enzo smiled again and said, "I asked Danté about you, but he never gave a proper reason as to why you stopped coming here."
"A proper reason? Enzo, we broke up three years ago, what do you mean?" I responded, noticing the shock on his face.
"You guys broke up?... THREE YEARS AGO?" he exclaimed in surprise.
"Yeah, didn't Danté tell you?" I asked, confused.
He shook his head. "What happened?"
"It's a long story... Well, I've come to meet him. Where is he?" I inquired.
"He's in his office, but now is not the right time... he's having a meeting," Enzo explained.
"You know the work I do, there's no time to be wasted here, Enzo," I stated firmly, walking past him towards Danté's office.
With my heart pounding like a wild drum, I burst into Danté's office, ready to confront him.
The air was thick with tension, and I could feel the weight of secrets hanging in the atmosphere.
Suddenly, figures emerged from the shadows, their presence sending a chill down my spine, their muscular forms and intricate tattoos speaking volumes about their allegiance to him.
I locked eyes with Danté, his piercing gray eyes gaze capturing my every thought and emotion.
This familiar face… masculine body adorned with a tapestry of tattoos. His chiseled jawline that's always sharper than blade.
He's the epitome of hotness. With his tall and muscular frame, he stands up.
His dark, tousled hair falls effortlessly over his forehead, giving him a mysterious and irresistible look.
"Eliane, bellissima." His voice is low and smooth as he says my name, his smile gentle but sinister.
Or maybe I'm just imagining the malice in his expression, based on what I know about him now.
"I thought I had failed...the promise I made to you... 'I would chase you till the end of the world'..." He recites the words with a hint of nostalgia.
He always had a way with words, a knack for quoting poetry and literature. It used to make me swoon, but now it makes me sick.
"I never expected to see you again so soon." He smiles wider.
"I know what you do, Danté... I know what you did to my father." I spit out the truth, hoping to see him flinch.
But he only raises his eyebrows in mock surprise, his eyes wide and innocent.
"Danté, you killed my father." The words are heavy and bitter in my mouth.