The Don's runaway bride

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE WHISPER

Elena couldn't move.

The lights were out.

The room was silent.

Except for breathing.

Someone was standing behind her.

"He won't tell you."

The whisper came again.

Elena spun around.

Nothing.

"Dante!"

A hand grabbed hers.

Elena screamed.

"It's me."

Dante's voice.

She pulled away immediately.

"Don't touch me!"

The lights suddenly returned.

Elena blinked.

Dante stood in front of her, his expression tense. Marco was near the door, speaking urgently into his phone.

"There was a power cut," Marco said.

Elena shook her head.

"No."

Dante looked at her.

"What happened?"

"Someone was here."

Marco stopped talking.

Dante's eyes narrowed.

"Where?"

"Behind me."

Dante immediately reached for his gun.

"Nobody move."

Elena stared at him.

"You believe me?"

His gaze swept across the room.

"I don't think you're lying."

That wasn't exactly comforting.

Marco checked the windows.

"Locked."

"The door?" Dante asked.

"Still locked."

Elena looked around the room.

"No one could have entered."

Dante's face darkened.

"Unless they were already inside."

A chill ran down her spine.

Before Elena could speak, Marco pointed toward the floor.

"What's that?"

Everyone looked down.

A single black rose lay beside the music box.

Elena frowned.

"That wasn't there before."

Dante picked it up carefully.

Something was tied around the stem.

A small silver ring.

Elena's breath caught.

She recognized it.

"My mother's ring."

Dante looked sharply at her.

"Are you sure?"

"She wore it every day."

Her hands began shaking.

"But it disappeared after she died."

Marco exchanged a glance with Dante.

Elena noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing," Dante said.

She laughed bitterly.

"Of course."

Dante stepped closer.

"Elena, listen to me. From now on, you don't go anywhere alone."

"I wasn't exactly planning a vacation."

"This isn't a joke."

"Neither is my life apparently!"

Silence.

Elena looked at the ring again.

Then something caught her attention.

There was an engraving inside.

She picked it up.

Three letters.

B.D.L.

"What does that mean?" she whispered.

Dante's expression changed.

Elena immediately looked at him.

"You know."

"No."

"You're a terrible liar."

Before Dante could respond, the office door opened.

The woman from Elena's bedroom stepped inside.

Elena's eyes narrowed.

"You."

Dante moved in front of Elena.

"What are you doing here, Bianca?"

Bianca.

So that was her name.

The woman smiled.

"I came because I heard about the attack."

Elena stared at her.

"How convenient."

Bianca's smile faded slightly.

Then her eyes dropped to the ring in Elena's hand.

For one second—

She looked afraid.

Elena noticed.

"You recognize this."

Bianca looked at Dante.

Dante's voice became cold.

"Answer her."

Bianca slowly smiled again.

"No."

She turned and walked away.

Elena stared after her.

"She's lying."

Dante didn't disagree.

That scared Elena even more.

Then Elena looked down at the ring again.

Suddenly, she noticed something else.

There was dried blood on the inside.

Fresh blood.

Her breath caught.

Someone had worn the ring recently.

Someone who was supposed to be dead.

Elena slowly looked toward the door Bianca had just walked through.

And whispered—

"My mother is alive."