Chapter 44 Chapter 0044

Chapter 44 Chapter 0044
•RAFAEL•

"Guards!" I called out as I walked over Emma's body. She had been strangled and beaten before she died.

I turned and looked at Narra, shaking my head. It was truly fascinating how different she was from Aneira.

I imagined how she would've laughed when I killed her father and Chris. She didn't have sympathy as Aneira did, which would've made it impossible for me to fall in love with her as I did with Aneira.

It terrified me to death when she fell on the floor. My heart almost stopped and I knew if I lost her, I would've lost my reason to live.

It was better knowing she was alive, than dead because of me. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if she had died because of my pursuit of vengeance.

"Why are you here, Narra?" I asked, my voice dropping into a whisper. "You shouldn't be here."

"Don't you remember the chemistry between us when we met?" She smirked. "You told me you'd make me your wife and care for me, regardless of the arrangement."

I closed my eyes and sighed, regretting that day with everything in me. It annoyed me that I didn't know Aneira wasn't Narra.

"There's nothing about this arrangement that would've made you want to be my wife. Your sister had no choice," I scoffed. "Your mother blackmailed her into thinking you died because of her."

"Aneira did cause my accident," she answered, stepping forward. "I almost died because of her, but instead of letting me get better at the hospital, my mother planned everything and ensured I'd never be able to marry the man I wanted."

She leaned closer and closed the small gap between us. "You're the one I want, Rafael," she continued, placing her hand on my chest. "I've been trying to fight these feelings for you for months now, but I can't keep the truth from you."

I couldn't understand how Amari and Polly got her into the house. It pissed me off that they didn't listen to me, but went ahead to do whatever they wanted to do.

The door opened before I could answer Narra about her 'feelings' for me.

"Sir, you called for us."

"Please take the body outside the house and get rid of it," I instructed them. "Make sure nothing leads back to me."

The two guards nodded as they stepped forward and took Emma's body from the floor. They carefully went up the stairs with her, and once they were gone, I turned to Narra.

"I am already married to your sister, and I won't change the agreement I have with her."

"But you married me when you married her, Rafael," she said as she stood in front of me, blocking my path. "You only need to let my sister go and we will be together. It will be as if this terrible mistake had never happened before."

"Aneira was never a mistake," I growled. "She's my wife."

"She and my mother took you from me, Rafael," she answered. "I love you, and I want us to make our relationship work."

"You should leave, Narra," I said as I attempted to walk past her. "You're free now, and shouldn't hide anymore. My sister and I will never come for you and your family."

"We need to talk about this, Rafael," she insisted. "I love you, and I don't care what your plans were when you wanted to marry me. My father deserved what happened to him."

Maybe Narra had convinced herself of this story during the months she spent hiding. Maybe she needed to believe that somewhere out there a man was waiting for her.

But she was wrong.

“You were part of a plan,” I replied. "I never loved you."

Her expression faltered.

“My revenge required your father’s family,” I continued. “You were simply the most convenient way to get close to him.”

Narra blinked. “You’re lying.”

“No.”

“You’re angry,” she said quickly, as if the explanation had suddenly come to her. “You’re upset because everything spiraled out of control. But we can fix it.”

She stepped closer again. “We can start over, and put all this behind us.”

My patience snapped. “There is no we.”

Narra froze.

“You think your mother’s death suddenly makes you innocent?” I asked. “You stood there laughing beside her body five minutes ago.”

Her jaw tightened. “She deserved it. She wanted to control my life and make me do whatever she wanted.”

For years I had believed the Colombo family was the source of my hatred. But standing in that basement, looking at Narra’s cold expression, I realized something.

That family had rotted from the inside long before I ever stepped into their lives.

“Leave,” I said, repeating myself since she clearly didn't hear the first time when I threw her out.

She blinked..“What?”

“You heard me,” I repeated. “Get out of my house.”

For a moment, Narra stared at me. “You’re serious?”

“Yes.”

Her laugh was sharp. “You’re choosing my sister over me?”

“I’m choosing to end this,” I answered.

She shook her head. “This isn’t over, Rafael.”

“It is.”

I turned away from her and headed for the stairs. For a second I wondered if she would attack me from behind. But she didn’t.

She groaned behind me and followed me up the stairs.

The corridor upstairs was dimly lit, but I immediately saw Polly and Amari waiting near the basement door.

Polly leaned against the wall, the rope still hanging loosely from her hand as if she had forgotten she was holding it. Amari stood beside her, arms crossed.

Both of them looked up when we appeared.

“Well?” Polly asked lazily. “Did the princess tell you her tragic story?”

"Take her back home," I said to Polly as I walked past them. "She shouldn't be here when I return."