Chapter 2
683 Words
In reality, we both understood there was no point in dealing with her at all.
Just yesterday, when I was frantic to reach Sergio over my family's crisis, Louisa had blocked me at the very door.
"Your family's being targeted, and you think Sergio will drop everything for that? Marella, do you even realize who he's speaking to right now? It's Mr. Lorenzo from the military-industrial group! Have you thought about what happens if you offend someone like that?"
She gave me a cold, dismissive look from head to toe and slammed my application form down on the desk. "I'm sorry, but your request is denied. Meeting refused!"
"I don't have time for this!" I cut her off in panic, nearly pushing past her into the office. "If I don't bring the money back now, my parents are going to die!"
Louisa chuckled, "Then where are the bonds? The debtor's details, the home address. Where is any of it? Without evidence, how am I supposed to believe you? Marella, I do sympathize, but without proper proof, I still can't let you see Sergio."
That was the moment I lost it completely. I pulled out the handgun Sergio had given me earlier and pressed it against Louisa's head. "If you don't let me through that door to see Sergio today, I'll blow your brains out right here."
With the cold barrel pressed to her temple, it wasn't until death felt immediate that Louisa finally panicked. Shaking, she led me straight to Sergio's office.
When the office door swung open, I had foolishly believed that once I saw Sergio, everything would finally straighten itself out. Reality, however, hit like a cold slap.
The moment his eyes landed on me with a gun pressed to Louisa's head, his expression turned stone-cold. "Marella, do you even realize what you're doing right now?"
I managed a strained smile, about to explain, but Sergio had already drawn his own weapon and pointed it at me. "Lower the gun, Marella. Whatever this is, Louisa has done nothing wrong."
I looked at the barrel aimed at me, then at Sergio's impassive face. Shock burned through me, followed by a dull ache in my chest. Still, my parents' lives gave me no space to falter. For their sake, I lowered the gun aimed at Louisa.
But just as I opened my mouth to speak and beg for his help, Sergio motioned for his bodyguards to step in and restrain me. "Darling, we're getting married tomorrow. Louisa said we can't meet."
I stared at his dark, unreadable expression, trying to explain why I had forced my way in to see him. But Sergio wouldn't hear it. With a dismissive wave, he ordered the guards to lock me in a small room behind his office.
Through the glass, I watched him softly trace the bruises on Louisa's face, almost gentle in his touch, while his voice turned icy as he addressed me.
"Marella, after all this time, why haven't you learned to obey Louisa? I told you, without her permission, we don't meet in private. And yet you broke the rules and even put your hands on her! Stay in that room and think about what you've done. You're not coming out until you apologize to Louisa!"
At his words, I slammed on the door in desperation, begging Sergio to let me out, to save my parents.
But for the next two hours, no matter how I broke down in front of him, no matter how I gave in and apologized to Louisa, Sergio never once acknowledged my pain.
By the time I was finally released from that room, everything was already over. My parents were gone. And the hand that had delivered the final blow belonged to the man I loved most, Sergio.
I still remembered the moment I heard the news, the crushing despair and stunned emptiness that swallowed me whole.
I wanted to scream until my voice gave out, even to tear into Sergio with everything I had, but my heart had already gone cold, leaving only a hollow numbness behind.
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