Chapter 126: Complications, Part II

Isabelle’s Point of View:

I was on the ground, barely able to breathe. I didn’t know that hurting him would hurt me so much, I was out of my mind. My heart was shattering with every passing second thinking of the pain I had caused, my tears falling relentlessly.

Mr. Roman wouldn’t have asked me to do this without making sure it could be supported by proof. I was sure he did something for that too. Achilles was going to hate me all over again. This time it was going to be even worse. And I… I wouldn’t be able to tell him how much I actually love him and would die for him, and would have to just stand there to take it.

God, I had never felt this low in my entire life.

It took him three hours—three hours before he knocked at my door again. My eyes were puffy from crying all that time, but I managed to wipe them off and look okay. I took a deep breath to appear as if I wasn’t just having the worst break down of my life.

I opened the door. Achilles stood there, his eyes cold as they had been the time I found him in that alley killing that man. I knew at that moment that I had lost him all over again.

I waited for him to say something.

“Why?” His voice came in calmer than I expected.

“Hm?” I murmured and he threw a file on the desk. I guess it was the proof that Mr. Roman had planted. I looked at it while his voice came again.

“Why did you do this to me, Isabelle?” His voice was monotone but his emotions weren’t invisible. I looked back at him, his eyes searching for truth in mine.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered as I closed my eyes.

“Sorry?” He chuckled lightly and looked away. “What a fucking joke.”

I looked down, hoping for this to pass. I couldn’t take it. I had done it again. God, what could I even do? I felt like a fucking monster, hurting him that way.

“You know what the worst part is?” he said and I looked at him as he continued. “I was stupid to think that you forgave me for doing that to you. No, you never did, did you? You just held back, made me feel everything, just to cheat on me. You played me all along!”

“No, no…” I whispered as I went closer to him. “I swear, I—”

“Shut up!” He shouted and I flinched. “I take my words back, Isabelle. You’re not a bad actress. You’re a professional. Fuck, you always convinced me you loved me.”

I just closed my eyes knowing he’d never believe me now, and I couldn’t tell him the entire truth. I just had to listen to him. He had so much anger and so much hate inside of him now, and it wasn’t nearly his fault.

“Do you think…” I said as I looked at him. “Do you think hurting me will help you?”

“What?” he asked, confused.

“If it will,” I continued, “Hurt me. But don’t hurt yourself. Don’t you think I don’t deserve it?”

He chuckled. “Don’t tempt me, Isabelle, I will fucking lose it.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered again.

He grabbed my arm roughly and I looked into his eyes. I wished I could see anything other than disgust but there were no other emotions in his dark eyes. His grip was iron strong and I felt my arm crushing between his hand but I took it. I knew a part of me deserved it. It resonated with the pain I was feeling in my heart, the way it was sinking and shattering.

He threw me to the side and I stumbled back. “I don’t need to hurt you. I don’t need to fucking do anything. You betrayed me, Isabelle and now you’re gonna get what you deserve. Not by me, but the mafia. I announce that you’re to be punished by the laws of this mafia as a traitor.”

A sob escaped my mouth as he looked at me with hatred. He left the room as I broke down again, my knees giving up as I fell to the ground. I had never seen so much hatred in anyone—never felt anyone hate me so much as much as he did.

But it wasn’t without reason. I was okay with whatever came my way because if I went unpunished, I wouldn’t ever forgive myself.

At that point, it didn’t matter that I didn’t wanna hurt Achilles on my own accord. It didn’t matter that Mr. Roman had forced me.

I was the one who hurt him and I deserved whatever punishment there was. The tears fell like rain all over again.

As soon as Achilles left, I saw Lucy walking inside. I looked up at the footsteps and stood up.

I looked at her. “Lucy?”

“I—I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but the conversation was loud,” She said. Her voice was shaky, and it was obvious she believed whatever she had heard. Who wouldn’t? I never denied anything he said.

“Oh,” I said and stole my gaze away.

“All this time I was on your side. How could you do this to boss, Mrs. Roman?”

The way she called me ‘Mrs. Roman’ made me realise that I lost her too. My heart was already breaking, so any more hurt was nothing new to me. I just wanted to disappear, I just wanted this all to be a bad dream but I knew it wasn’t.

I looked at her and exhaled. “Let this go, Lucy.”

She shook her head in disdain and left my room. I was trying to calm my breath when two men came in and suddenly dragged me to the main room, almost roughly. I couldn’t fight them even if I wanted to, so I just let them.

They left me standing in the room with the soldiers that came back—at least a few of them who could stand, and Achilles. Lucy was present too, in a distant corner. Even though a part of me was scared of what was coming, I knew I had to face it.

One of them came forward, reading the page in his hands.

“By the rules of this mafia, Isabelle Roman is charged with the crimes of treachery and infidelity, and is punished to the highest degree for a woman. She has to go through the beatings as any traitor would, and then be a personal slave to the highest bidder in the mafia.”

I let out a shaky breath as I looked over at Achilles, waiting to see his reaction. He came forward. I looked into his eyes as he grabbed me by my arms. “Take her,” He said to the soldiers and I closed my eyes. Another hell I wouldn’t forget.