Chapter 24

Marcella

The events of the past few days weighed heavily on my mind, keeping me wide awake despite the rising sun. I couldn't shut off the constant stream of thoughts that consumed me, the fear and uncertainty that plagued my every waking moment. It seemed like nature itself was conspiring to reflect the chaos and turmoil that had taken over our lives.

I sat at the edge of the bed, feeling like everything was upside down. My life had taken a complete one eighty and I didn't know how to navigate this new reality. My love for Killian was unquestionable, but the situation we found ourselves in was a mess. With Tony, Alexandra, and the dangerous mafia involved, the constant fear of something bad happening was suffocating.

I couldn't live with the constant threat looming over us. I turned to look at Killian, who slept peacefully beside me, unaware of the turmoil in my heart. He always seemed invincible, but seeing the bullet wound on his arm yesterday made me realize that even he was not immune to danger. As I lay back down, my mind raced with questions. How did Killian find solace in his life despite all the ugliness and danger surrounding us? How did he manage to stay at peace when I felt like I was drowning in the harsh reality of our situation?

Giving up on the idea of sleep, I quietly left the bed and made my way to the kitchen. The cold, tiled floor felt soothing against my bare feet as I walked towards the faint smell of coffee brewing. I was grateful for Rose, who always seemed to know exactly what I needed in moments like these.

I poured myself a cup of coffee, the warm aroma filling the room and soothing my frazzled nerves. Yesterday's events had been so stressful that I had completely forgotten about my phone. But now, as I went in search of it, I knew that I couldn't put it off any longer. I was a bit reluctant to look back at that life it once was but I knew it was inevitable. I could not put off speaking to Lexi and asking about my bakery. I was way too much of a burden on an employee..

I made my way to the living room, where I usually left my phone to charge. As I reached for it, my heart sank at the sight of the countless missed calls and messages from Lexi and my other friends. I ignored them all and opened the phone app, dialing Lexi's number.

She answered on the first ring, her voice filled with shock and relief. "Oh my god, Marcella? Where have you been? We've been trying to reach you for months!"

“Hi Lexi. I know what it seems like but I really can't explain it over the phone. I’m okay and I just wanted to apologize for leaving like this without any notice.”

“Are you okay? If you are in trouble dont worry, I’ll call the cops”

“NO!” The word burst out of me and I winced. “I mean, no i’m fine. I just needed the time off after what happened. You know with Mack.”

I didn't have time for small talk. My mind was consumed with thoughts of my bakery, my pride and joy. "So. How's the bakery doing?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

There was a long pause before Lexi finally spoke. "It's...it's gone."

My heart dropped to my stomach. "What do you mean, it's gone?"

"A week ago, it was burned to the ground. There was nothing left." Lexi's voice cracked with emotion.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. “What do you mean it was burned? How?”

“They said it was due to some leak in the kitchen.” Lexi's voice was filled with remorse but I was shocked.

“No. It…It cant be gone.”

“I’m so sorry Marcy, I tried to call you.”

“I’ll call you back.” I hung up the call, feeling like the ground had been pulled out from under me. The bakery was my baby, something that I had built from scratch with my own two hands. And now, it was gone.

I suddenly couldn't breathe. I dropped to the ground on my knees when everything around me faded. I heard a distinct sound and turned to see it was Rose. She was screaming my name, but it sounded coming from distant, like it was coming from far away. I felt her hands on my face, wiping away my tears, but it took me a moment to realize that I was crying. The unfamiliar sound was the sound of my own sobs.

She pulled me in for a hug but it was getting harder and harder to breathe. How much more do I have to take for it to be enough?

The next moment I opened my eyes and I saw Killian on his knees in front of me, his face etched with panic and worry. But all I could feel was a deep sense of anguish when I looked at him. He moved forward to pull me to him but I pushed him away, wanting nothing more than to escape from his presence. It was all his fault. Everything was his fault.

I ran up to our room and locked the door behind me.

“Marcella, open the door.” Killian was banging on the door, pleading for me to let him in, but I couldn't bear to look at him right now. All I could think about was how everything in my life had gone so wrong because of him. “Mia belleza please open the door.”

“Did you know?” I shouted the question to him.

“Know what Marcella? Open the door so we can talk?” The door handle rattled but I shook my head. Tears still in full force streaming down my cheek.

I moved forward and moved the door. His face had aged in a matter of seconds. “Did you know about my bakery?” I got my answer when the color leached from his face. A sob escaped me, he moved forward but I shut the door closed again.

I rushed towards the bathroom and closed the door shut again to escape his voice. After everything that had happened, I went ahead and forgot everything and fell in love with him. He had shot Mack, kidnapped me, and forced me to marry him., because of his enemy and my own sister's betrayal, my life was completely destroyed. But I still fell hard and fast for him.

But this was not something I could move on from. That bakery was my life and the thought of it not existing anymore hurt more than anything.

I collapsed to the ground, the weight of everything crashing down on me. I couldn't handle it anymore. I wished I could just disappear, run away from it all. But I knew that wasn't an option.

My heart shattered as I realized that I could never forgive him for what he had done. I wished I could just disappear, run away from it all. But I knew that wasn't an option. I was trapped in this nightmare, and there was no escape. The weight of everything crashed down on me, and I collapsed to the ground. My life would never be the same again.