Kissed by danger

Chapter.3:Anger and bruises

I returned to my husband's villa just as the sun was setting, and the sky turned a shade of purple.

The air was thick with silence, like everything had come to a standstill and even time had stopped moving.

I felt a burden pressing down on me; every breath was a struggle, as if I were carrying the weight of the entire world.

"I couldn’t stop thinking about my mom lying in that hospital bed. She looked so small and tired.

It left me feeling completely drained mentally, like all my energy had been sucked out.

Then, out of nowhere, a car caught my eye and pulled me out of my thoughts.

It was parked near a corner.

The car's shiny black paint gleamed in the light.

I found myself staring at it; I could not remember where or when I had seen the car. The design of the car seemed familiar.

That looks like Ryan’s car.

It still feels unreal to think of him as my husband.

I haven’t fully wrapped my head around it yet, especially with everything that happened leading up to our marriage.

My heart stopped beating as a flood of emotions overwhelmed me.

It had been days since he vanished without a word, leaving me with unanswered questions.

The silence felt heavy, especially given the importance of the occasion: our wedding day.

I had expected him to be there, but he wasn't.

He did not even return home the night of our wedding.

The silence that followed was deafening: no phone calls, no messages, no explanations or apologies. Just an unsettling stillness that left me wondering what the issue was.

As I entered, Rosie welcomed me with a warm and comforting smile, instantly making me feel at ease.

She was our new maid, but she made me feel like I had known her forever.

Her mid-fifties showed in the gentle lines on her face, but her eyes shone with kindness and warmth.

She had this calming presence, like a warm cup of tea on a chilly day.

The subtle smell of cinnamon that clung to her was the perfect complement, wrapping everything in a sense of quiet comfort.

She greeted me at the door with a soft smile as usual, her hands reaching out to take my bag with a kind of quiet grace.

“Welcome, ma,” she said warmly. “How was your day?”

I hesitated for a moment, the weight of everything still pressing on my shoulders.

I managed a tired but polite smile.

“It was… long,”

I replied, trying not to make the exhaustion noticeable in my voice.

She studied my face for a while, her expression shifting from cheerful to concerned.

“You look pale,” she said gently.

“I made some warm milk for you. I thought it might help.”

That small gesture from her made me feel grateful, or maybe it was just the comfort of being cared for by someone that I missed.

“That’s really sweet of you,”

I said, my voice softening. “You can take it upstairs.”

As I walked up the stairs, I paused for a second, questions forming in my head.

I didn’t want to assume anything, but I needed to know.

“Is Ryan back?”

I asked, keeping my tone light, almost casual, though underneath it, there was a quiet tension.

I tried to act like I didn't care, but deep down I did.

She nodded in confirmation, but something flickered in her eyes. Something I could not understand.

I climbed the stairs slowly, each step heavier than the last. My heart pounded in my chest.

I hadn’t dared enter Ryan’s room before. He insisted on separate rooms before the wedding, with no explanation or warmth.

I approached his door and knocked gently.

There was complete silence.

I knocked once more.

Nothing.

I stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do next. After a brief hesitation, I slowly pushed the door open, the creak of the hinges breaking the silence.

The room was dim, the curtains drawn tight. It smelled of old wood and something sharp, like metal and secrets. I stepped inside, unsure whether I was trespassing in my own home.

“Ryan?” I called softly.

Yet, there was no answer.

My attention was then drawn to a tiny box on the shelf. Delicate and ornate, it appeared ancient, carved with symbols I did not recognize. I moved closer with curiosity.

Just as I was about to lift the lid...

The room's light shone bright.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I turned around quickly, terrified, my heart pounding against my chest.

The voice was very cold.

Ryan stood in the doorway, half of his face covered in plaster dressing. His eyes were wild, burning with something I couldn’t name.

I gasped and took a step back, I was shocked at his appearance and wondered what must have happened to him.

My elbow accidentally knocked the box from the shelf. It landed on the floor with a loud clang, and two bloody bullets rolled out.

It appeared to have already been used and was pulled from someone's skin.

My breath caught in the air.

"I didn’t mean to..." I stammered and bent down to pick it up quickly.

Before I could touch it, his hand gripped my wrist so hard.

Pain shot through my arm like fire.

“Don’t touch it,” he growled.

He pushed me hard, and I fell backward. I lost my balance and bumped into the corner of a cabinet.

My head slammed into the edge, and I felt like I had been punched in the brain.

The pain was sharp and sudden, and I could feel something warm and wet running down my neck.

It was blood, and it felt warm as it ran down my skin. The pain throbbed, and I could feel a bump developing on my head.

I reached back to touch it, and my fingers were sticky. My vision blurred, but I saw him kneel and pick up the scattered items with trembling hands.

He looked possessed.

"Sophia," he growled, his voice trembling with fury, "are you out of your damn mind? Either you’ve got a death wish, or you’re too stupid to see how close you are to getting yourself killed."

The words were laced with anger, his tone sharp and biting, like a verbal slap.

He said my name with a hiss, conveying frustration and anger, as if he could not believe I dared to enter his room, let alone go through his belongings.

I tried standing up, but my legs felt weak.

"I am sorry," I said softly.

“Sorry?” He stepped closer. “Do you think that word means anything to me?”

I backed away until my spine hit the wall. His presence was suffocating. I raised my hands to shield my face from his blows.

He grabbed my jaw, fingers digging into my skin.

The pain was so intense that I could not even scream.

Then he pushed me again.

I collapsed against the wall, breathless.

My body felt like it didn’t belong to me anymore.

I scrambled to my feet and dashed out of his room, down the corridor, and into my room, where I locked the door and collapsed to the floor.

Tears streamed down my face. My wrist hurt so badly that my head pounded.

I crawled to the mirror and looked at myself.

I looked like a wreck, with blood all over my body.

Then I heard footsteps approaching.

Slow and heavy.

Then a heavy bang on my door like someone was going to break it.

“Sophia!!!”

Ryan's voice came through the door, sharp and chilling. “We need to talk. Now.”