Eliane's POV
I raced to Mia's place, burning to spill everything and my plans.
"Hey girlfriend." She greeted me with a radiant smile. "Come in."
We cozied up in our usual spot, savoring our favorite drinks and chatting about life.
Mia was familiar with my past relationships, but there was one person I had never uttered: Danté.
I exhaled and resolved to open up about my saga with him.
"Mia, I need to talk to you about something. It's something I've never mentioned before, and it's been gnawing at me."
"Of course, Eliane. You know you can always trust me. What's going on?" Mia inquired, baffled.
I gazed into her eyes, feeling ashamed for concealing it.
"Well, there's someone from my past that I've never told you about. Danté, and we used to be in a relationship a while back."
"Who's Danté?"
"The CEO of the SEF company."
"Wow, I had no idea! Why didn't you tell me before?"
She seemed to be happy but I knew for sure the face she'll give when I'm done telling her everything.
"It's a painful chapter in my life that I thought I had moved on from."
"Recently, I uncovered a lot of things about him and Mia. Trust me, right now I wish I never existed."
"Elle, you're freaking me out, what exact-
"He killed my father." I blurted out.
"What?"
Suddenly, tears flooded my eyes and I couldn't control it.
I told Mia how Danté and I had been together years ago, and how things ended in a way I never anticipated.
I explained how I had kept it a secret because it was a painful chapter in my life that I thought I had moved on from.
Mia listened attentively, her eyes filled with concern and empathy. She reassured me that she was there for me, no matter what.
She promised to support me and help me in any way she could. It was a relief to have such a caring friend by my side.
"I understand. Just know that I'm here for you, no matter what. We'll face this together, okay?"
"Thank you, Mia. Your support means the world to me. I couldn't ask for a better friend."
"You don't have to ask, Eliane. That's what friends are for. We'll get through this, and I promise to be there every step of the way."
She hugged me tightly and it felt really good.
"So what now?" She pulled away from the hug.
"I can't let him go scot-free, I have a plan."
"Oww, I love it when you have plans, I love it when you take revenge, girl I love the inner demons in you, they remind me of when we were in high school." She chuckled.
"Watch me expose him, and his criminal empire to the whole world." I chuckled evilly.
"Does Alex know about this-"
"I'm planning on telling him, but you should know it's not going to be easy. I'll wait for the right time." I gave a warm smile and she did the same.
"I should probably get going Mia." I said and with that she accompanied me to my car.
Mia and I met in high school. We were both in the same drama club and we hit it off right away.
We shared a love for acting, singing, and making people laugh. We became inseparable and we've been best friends ever since. She's like a sister to me.
I drove back home and to my surprise, Alex didn't come hugging me like he always does.
He was usually waiting for me at the door, eager to embrace me and kiss me. But today, the house was silent and empty. I entered the house, looking for him but I didn't see him.
I searched the kitchen, where he often cooked for me, the balcony, where we watched the sunset together, and basically everywhere but he wasn't there.
Exhausted from a day of pain and memories, I headed back to the room to change into something comfy.
I resolved that maybe he was going to get things from the grocery so, there's no need to worry.
I opened the door and my heart skipped a beat. It was Alex. Sitting behind my laptop and staring at me with a cold and angry look.
I knew he'd figured out what I was trying to hide from him. He had found out about
Danté.
"Let me explain, Ally." I said with a bit of pain in my tone.
"Who is he?" He asked coldly.
"He's... he's my ex-boyfriend."
I saw his eyes flash with anger and disappointment.
"So you lied to me, Elle. You said the box was from your mom, but it was from him. Or about him. Or whatever." He said, shutting his eyes.
I knew how he felt. I knew how much I had hurt him. Everything must have seemed clear to him now,why I had acted so strangely after receiving the package.
"No, no, you don't understand. He didn't send it to me. Someone else did. I swear, Ally, please believe me." I pleaded, tears streaming down my face.
"How can I trust you, Elle? How can I know you're not lying to me again?" He sighed.
"Did you go to work today?" He asked in a low voice.
I didn't answer. I couldn't. He knew the truth. He hated me. And he had every right to. He deserved better than me.
"I thought so." He said and got up from his seat. He walked past me to the door.
"Ally, wait! Let me explain everything." I cried.
"He killed my father and I didn't even know. He's the leader of the Italian Mafia. I'm going to expose him, Ally. I'm going to prove to you that I have nothing to do with him."
He paused at the door, his back turned to me.
"Don't do anything stupid, Elle. Don't risk your life for me." He said and left the house. He didn't come back that night.
I collapsed on the floor, sobbing and cursing myself for everything that had happened.