Precious Cargo
1242 Words
The blood drained from my face, my pulse pounding in my ears. “Then what?” I shot back, my voice trembling evidently. “A swamp? There must be swamps around here somewhere, right?”
For a moment, the corner of his mouth twitched in what might have been amusement, but his tone remained as cold as ever. “That would be efficient. Let the wildlife take care of things. But no, that’s not the plan either.”
I couldn’t contain the frustration rising within me any longer. The words burst out before I could stop them. “Then what is the plan? Are you ever going to tell me, or do I have to stay in the dark until the bitter end?”
He remained annoyingly calm and his reply laced with an air of condescension. “A few days on your own, and you still haven’t learned patience.”
“Patience?” I snapped, my voice rising. “A few days on my own, wondering if I was going to die? If you were going to abandon me? Forgive me for being a little on edge!”
He glanced at me, just briefly, before his eyes returned to the road. “You can stop worrying. I’m taking you home.”
The words didn’t register at first. “Home?” I echoed, the disbelief clear in my voice.
“Yes.” His tone was clipped, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Home. The word felt foreign, misplaced. For the past few days, I’d imagined countless scenarios and none of them ending with him taking me back. What exactly was he thinking ? “To where?” I asked cautiously.
“To Italy,” he answered . “My home. Where we belong now.”
Italy? A knot of confusion tightened in my chest. “I don’t understand. Why there?”
“Because it’s where I’m from,” he replied, his voice firm and devoid of emotion. “It’s where I belong. And since you’re my wife, it’s where you belong too. We’ll be safer there.”
He hesitated, his grip tightening on the wheel, before adding, “And I can’t bury my grandfather here. He belongs back home, with the family.”
It was only then that I noticed the car trailing behind us. A coffin. My stomach churned as relieving realization hit me.
“You’re serious,” I whispered. “We’re going today?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “As soon as we get to the airport. The jet’s waiting.”
“I don’t have my passport,” I protested, my voice weak and trembling.
His laugh was sharp. “You still have so much to learn,”
Even though he answered all my questions with some sincerity. I just couldn't bring myself to believe he was taking me home with no punishment. Even though it made no sense, atleast for now i was safe.
I sank back in my seat, he was taking me to Italy. A place I’d never been, now tied to a man who still insisted on calling me his wife after the presumed chaos i caused.
The airport was nothing like the one from before, where everything had started. This one was alive, busy, spotless, and obviously still in use. A jet sat waiting on the runway. It didn’t take much guessing to figure out who it belonged to. Ashton’s money was still something I couldn’t wrap my head around, but seeing things like this, a private jet ready to go whenever he wanted, made it impossible to forget.
As we got closer, I noticed another sleek black car parked near the jet. Before our car had fully stopped, the door of the waiting car swung open, and a man stepped out. My breath caught and heart seemingly stopped. For a second, I thought my mind was playing tricks on me.
The man looked exactly like Ashton. The same sharp jawline, the same commanding posture—it was like seeing a mirror reflection come to life. Then, a woman followed him out, her hand slipping easily into his, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Ashton turned off the engine, sitting still for a moment before speaking. “That’s my brother, Christian. And his wife, Siân.”
A brother? A twin? Huh ? Ashton had never mentioned him, not once. For all the little bits of his life he’d let slip, he never thought of letting this slip and yet somehow always made it seem like it was just him and his grandfather. Now here was a brother.
Ashton got out of the car and came around to open my door, wordless as usual. I stepped out, hugging my arms close to my body. Christian was already walking toward us, his hand extended.
“Christian,” Ashton said, gripping his brother’s hand firmly.
“I wanted to see you before you left,” Christian replied. His voice was deep, steady, with a hint of softness in his tone.
“That’s kind of you,” Ashton said, nodding briefly. “He would’ve appreciated it.”
His gaze flicked to Siân. He acknowledged her with a curt nod, and she returned it with a small smile. It was polite but distant, the kind of smile you give when you’re not sure what else to do.
I couldn’t help but study her. She was beautiful in a quiet way and her movements graceful. She looked like she belonged in this world—confident, composed, not a single hair out of place. I wondered what her story was. Had she been dragged into all this, too? Somehow, I doubted it.
A group of men was carefully loaded a casket, its pristine white wood glowing in the sunlight. It was so elegant, almost painfully so, and my chest tightened as I glanced at Ashton.
He was staring at it, his face unreadable. But in his eyes, there was a emotion he couldn't hide even if he tried, the flicker of pain. His jaw tightened, his adam's apple moving up and down slowly, as if he was trying to swallow something too heavy to go down.
I wanted to reach out to him, to do something to ease that ache that i caused. The urge hit me like a wave, unexpected and unwanted, but I pushed it away. He wouldn’t want my comfort.
He probably wouldn’t even accept it. Still, seeing him like this, always so silent, and alone in his grief, made my heart ache in ways I didn’t understand .
“Thank you for coming,” Ashton said finally, breaking the silence.
Christian nodded, his expression serious. “Take care of yourself,” he added, glancing at Siân. “And of her.”
Ashton’s lips twitched into a brief smirk. “You mean ‘precious cargo’? I haven’t forgotten. Congratulations, by the way.”
Christian chuckled softly, and even Siân smiled, a genuine warmth lighting her face. Ashton didn’t wait long. Without another word, he turned and climbed the steps to the plane. He didn’t look back to see if I was following cause I stood frozen for a moment, watching him disappear inside.
This was it. The point of no return.
I took a shaky breath and forced myself to move.
With my heart pounding and my legs unsteady, I climbed the steps. There was no turning back now.
- Writer
