Chapter 51 THE PHOTOGRAPHS
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ADELINE
I stormed into my bedroom, my face flushed with anger. I was fuming. The argument downstairs still rang in my ears, every word Luciano had said echoing over and over like a relentless drumbeat.
I slammed the door shut behind me, leaning back against it for a moment, trying to catch my breath. My chest rose and fell rapidly, my emotions churning like a storm inside me.
“Why does he think he can control my life?”
I muttered to myself, running a hand through my hair. My hands were trembling, not just from anger but from the overwhelming sense of suffocation. I felt caged, like a bird with clipped wings.
I did not want to live such a life following someone’s orders.
I pushed off the door and crossed the room, flopping onto my bed. My fingers gripped the pillow tightly as I stared at the ceiling, trying to calm the rapid beat of my heart.
“I don’t want to live by anyone else’s rules,” I whispered.
“Not his, not anyone’s.”
Just as I exhaled deeply, trying to steady myself, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Now who the hell is this? The sudden noise startled me, and I quickly reached for it, hoping it was something to distract me from the turmoil swirling in my head.
I unlocked my phone and instantly froze. My breath hitched as my eyes fell on a series of photos.
They had been sent from an unknown number, and the first image was of Luciano and Elena.
I frowned, my heart sinking as I tapped on the photo to enlarge it. Luciano’s arm was wrapped loosely around Elena’s waist, and they were both smiling.
Elena’s smile was dazzling, confident, as though she had won some unspoken prize. I swiped to the next photo, my stomach twisting.
Each picture cut deeper.
Luciano and Elena at a café, sitting close, their heads tilted toward each other in conversation. Another photo of them walking side by side, Elena’s hand brushing his arm.
And then the last one—the one that made my heart feel like it had shattered into a million pieces.
In the final photo, Elena was kissing Luciano’s cheek. He wasn’t pulling away, wasn’t resisting. His expression was unreadable, but the intimacy of the moment was undeniable.
Below the image was a chilling caption: “It’s recent.”
I felt the phone slip slightly in my trembling hands. My throat tightened, my chest heaving as I tried to process what I was seeing.
So they indeed had a past. They loved each other so maybe, they do now- my mind raced, a thousand thoughts colliding at once.
How could this be recent? Was Luciano lying to me this entire time? Did Elena still have a hold on him?
My emotions swirled between heartbreak and anger, and I blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears spill. I swallowed hard, trying to keep myself composed, but it was a losing battle.
Suddenly, my phone buzzed again, the unknown number now calling me. My fingers hovered over the screen, hesitant, but curiosity and frustration pushed me to answer. I wanted answers and I was gonna get them.
I swiped to pick up the call and pressed the phone to my ear.
“Hello?” I said, my voice cracking slightly from the whirlwind of emotions.
There was a pause on the other end, just long enough to make me feel uneasy. Then, a woman’s voice came through, cold and laced with menace. I recognized the voice. Elena Gomez.
“Hi, Adeline,” the voice said, smooth but with a sharp undercurrent.
“Don’t bother asking who I am or why I’m sending you those photos. Oh shoot. You must have recognized my voice. Yes, it’s me Elena. Just know that Luciano has been mine long before you came into the picture.”
My heart sank further, my grip tightening on the phone as I sat up straight.
“ What do you want?” I demanded, my voice gaining a desperate edge.
She chuckled softly, a sound that sent chills down my spine.
“What I want is simple. I want you to back out of our lives. Luciano and I belong together. We’ve always loved each other, and you? You’re just… in the way.”
My chest tightened, anger flaring in me.
“If you think you can intimidate me—”
“Oh, it’s not about intimidation,” the woman interrupted, her tone growing darker.
“It’s a warning. If you don’t back off, I’ll make sure you regret it. Luciano is mine, Adeline. And if you don’t leave us alone… well, let’s just say you won’t live long enough to see how this ends.”
My blood ran cold at the threat, and for a moment, I couldn’t find the words to respond. The woman’s laughter echoed faintly before the call disconnected, leaving me staring at my phone in stunned silence.
She was very confident about Luciano loving her. Well, Luciano must had loved her but now, in present, he was with me. He loves me. Right.
My hand slowly fell to my side, the phone slipping from my grasp onto the bed. I fell back onto the mattress and stared at the ceiling. What the fuck was going on with my life?
My chest heaved, my mind racing with disbelief, anger, and fear. What game were we all playing?
Was I coming in between them?
Well, those photographs said it all. If it was true, then …… it’s gonna be …… my rebellion against everyone.