Chapter 122: Chapter one hundred and twenty two

Suzzy

Almost a week had passed since everything spiraled out of control. And I had been walking on thin ice ever since. I hadn’t heard a single word from Diana after she left me on the road and got into that strange vehicle.

I heard the news of Alessia’s demise. I had stayed with Thomas for as long as I could before leaving to search for Diana. When I couldn’t find her, I went back home to pick up a few things. Then Valentino showed up at my doorstep. Covered in blood, bruises, and could barely even stand.

She had scared the living shit out of me, and there was no way I could leave her alone in that condition. Now I had lost contact with Diana, couldn’t get to Thomas, and had no idea what the hell was happening.

I stared at the bed. The mattress had sunk badly in the middle. Valentino lay on one side, out of place, her brown curls spread across the pillow, one hand covering her face.

I had tried calling Nurse Reyes. It was connecting before, but now the number wouldn’t connect anymore. That scared me more than anything.

I didn’t know whether I should call Kendrick. I knew Diana had been hiding something. And if she had disappeared completely, there was a reason. I paced across the room again, rubbing both hands over my head.

“I’m trying to sleep.”

Valentino’s voice came from behind me.

I turned.

“Then sleep!”

I continued pacing.

“This room is already cramped enough,” she muttered. “I can hear everything. Even your breathing. Go sit somewhere and think quietly.”

That did it. The last thread of patience I had been hanging onto snapped.

“Do you think you’re in any position to tell me what to do right now?”

I marched toward her.

“This is my house. I do what I want. If you don’t like it, then get out!”

My lips trembled.

“My family is out there, and I don’t fucking know what’s happening.” My voice cracked.

“You showed up at my door half-dead. Who knows what kind of mess Diana is in? And Thomas…” My throat tightened. “I haven’t heard anything about him.”

The tears finally came.

“I’m supposed to be with him right now. I’m supposed to be taking care of him because when Diana isn’t around, I’m all he has.”

I covered my face. I didn’t even notice Valentino getting out of bed.

A hand wrapped around me. I opened my eyes. She was standing close enough for me to see the fading bruises and scars scattered across her face.

“She’s fine.”

I sniffed.

“How do you know that?”

Valentino didn’t answer immediately.

Before she could, my phone buzzed in my hand. It was from an unknown number.

We exchanged a look, and I answered immediately.

“Hello?”

A woman’s voice came through. “Tell me Thomas’s medical history. Now.”

That voice.

“Alessia?”

“Speak!”

I straightened immediately.

“Okay. Okay.”

I wiped my tears.

“Thomas was born with an immunodeficiency disorder. His immune system is extremely weak, which makes him vulnerable to infections and other illnesses. He’s been receiving treatment for years.”

I rushed through everything I knew concerning his medications, hospital visits, and previous complications.

Then I remembered something.

“But…”

There was silence on the other end.

“What?”

“Diana told me there might be a solution.”

“What solution?”

“A bone marrow transplant.” I swallowed.

“Diana had been trying to find a compatible donor. She said if they found one, there was a chance—”

The call ended. I stared at the phone.

“Hello?”

Nothing.

I lowered it slowly. Alessia was alive. That was the only thing I could think about. Which meant Diana was probably with her. And Thomas too.

The tension that had been coiled inside my body for days finally began to loosen.

A hand curled around my waist.

“I told you she was fine. She is a tough kill.”

Valentino’s voice was quiet against my ear.

I turned toward her. The relief didn’t last.

Because now I had another question. I looked at the fading bruises covering her face.

“You’re strong enough now.”

Her expression changed.

“So tell me…”

I folded my arms.

“Why did you show up at my door looking like a corpse?”

I stepped closer.

“What happened to you, Valentino?”

She looked away.

“I don’t want you getting involved.”

I shook my head.

“What are you now, my mom?”

“Na… I love being inside you…” My face heated up. But that wasn’t the case right now. I didn’t want any distractions.

I pointed toward the fading wound above her eyebrow.

“You came here bleeding.”

Then I pointed at her ribs.

“You could barely stand.”

“I’m already in on this… so start filling me in.”

She finally looked at me. Something dark passed through her eyes.

“My half brother, Sebastian, killed someone from the Vincenzo family, and they came for revenge, so…”

She stopped, almost dejected. I had never heard her sound that way. She always carried humor in everything.

I hugged her.

“You might need to do more than that to console me.”

She whispered and ran her tongue on my earlobe.

\~~~~~~~

Diana

Kendrick’s confidence gave me hope to hang on to. I bit my lips. I felt a hand holding mine. I looked down to find Adam, who had been watching from afar.

“Should I stop him?” the little boy asked. His eyes held strong determination that he could and he would if I gave him the go-ahead order.

I looked at Kendrick, then at all the people who had attended.

“No,” I said. Because doing that would escalate it more. I didn’t want that. All I had to do was trust Kendrick.

Zach reached where the body that looked like Alessia was. He used his feet to push the coffin to the floor. The body dropped to the muddy ground.

Everyone gasped. My hand clenched by my side.

“Madam Kendra, I would advise you to stop your son.” Kendrick’s voice was calm, but I could hear the anger underneath it.

“Why? He is head now, so he can do what he wants.”

My jaw clenched so hard.

I stepped forward and turned the dead body. He didn’t stop at that; it was only the beginning. This wasn’t an investigation anymore. It was a display.

He ordered the men to strip the body naked. Piece by piece, the clothing was removed until the body was bare. All that remained—the resemblance was horrifying. The tattoos were identical, the gunshot wound was in the exact same place. Even down to the smallest details, everything seemed to match. If I hadn’t known Alessia was alive, I might have believed it was her. The only difference was that this body was cold. Stiff. Lifeless.

Nobody dared say a word. They just watched. He had this smug smile on his face like he was thrilled by what he was doing.

He took a knife. He locked eyes with me, then Kendrick. He stabbed it right into her chest and pulled it down to the stomach.

The sight was too much. My stomach lurched. I covered my mouth as bile rushed up my throat. I turned away, fighting the urge to vomit. I couldn’t watch.

My breathing became shallow. The cemetery blurred around me. Everything faded. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart.

A hand suddenly closed around my shoulder.

Kendrick.

“Don’t look,” she whispered.

I shut my eyes tight, but then I opened them. I slowly lifted my head and looked back at the coffin.

Zach was still smiling. He stepped forward.

“I just confirmed…” he said, breathing hard. “It’s her…”

He laughed.

“Who would believe that she was so full of herself…”

He dropped the knife, pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, and wiped off his hands. Then he dropped it.

“She is fit to be buried now.”

His attempt to come closer to me failed because of the guards.

“This isn’t the place, but I will come for you…”

He dropped his voice low.

“And fuck you on her grave so she can watch.”

He turned to Kendrick.

“100 lashes. The rules on the table are dead. I am the rule. I make and break it when I want.”

He moved past us toward Kendra. He paused.

“I am coming to KZA.”

He blew a kiss to me. Just like that, they left. The cemetery turned empty.

The weather seemed to have waited to shade tears at the horror scene.

“We should leave…” Kendrick said.

“Let’s bury the body.”

Whoever this was, was someone’s baby or family member. The body had been humiliated; at least it should be buried in dignity.

The car ride at first was quiet. My mind played the events from the funeral.

“Whose body was that?” I finally broke the silence.

“I don’t know. It was abandoned in the mortuary, so we altered it and replicated every detail on Alessia’s body back on it,” she said, focused on driving.

I nodded my head.

“It looked just like her. There was no difference…”

“Plastic surgery. It was done by an expert. They reconstructed the face and held it together with threads…” she explained.

I kept mute.

“Jemima was off today…” I recounted. “She was usually all over me… saying how she wants me—”

Kendrick snapped her head toward me.

“You like her doing that?” She frowned.

“No. That’s not what I’m saying… She was shot in the stomach. I saw Chiara do it. And she was perfectly fine when she bumped into you…” I sighed. “The look in her eyes was different. There’s this new mark on her face…”

I paused.

“Never mind. It’s all in my head,” I said, finally looking at my palm.

Kendrick’s grip on her steering wheel tightened once, but she didn’t say anything else. She grabbed her phone and tapped on it. Then she dropped it.

She tapped the radio to try to ease my mood. It helped because it started with music. I closed my eyes.

Then—welcome to relationship therapy 98.7FM—a sound played.

They read the first message.

I love my boyfriend, but I don’t want to have sex until marriage. Do you think he would wait or go be with someone else?

My ears spiked at the question.

The number was called out for people to drop their opinions.

If you love him so much, why deprive him of it? I bet he loves you too, but will satisfy his need outside. The body has needs. Hold on to your principles! The lady sounded pissed on the phone.

My mind went back to Alessia telling me she wanted to touch me. I swallowed. Will she touch someone else? I felt this discomfort in my stomach. I didn’t want Alessia touching anyone else.

Would she really wait for me?

For the first time, I wasn’t afraid of her touching me. I was afraid she might stop wanting to.

You are selfish. I hope he is seeing someone else already. It was a male voice this time. My hand moved before my brain processed it. I switched off the radio.

I couldn’t shake off the conversation.

I imagined Alessia with someone. My chest squeezed so painfully. The look in her eyes. The frustration when my body stiffened.

Kendrick pulled over in a hotel garage.

“We would switch cars so we don’t get followed,” she said.

We got down. Two people entered the vehicle and drove it out while Kendrick threw me a helmet. She mounted a bike, and I sat behind her.

“Hold steady.”

It took approximately fifteen minutes before we reached. She stood in front of the house like she had been waiting. The wind blew at her hair. She had loose jeans trousers on and a tank top. Both her hands stayed in her pockets.

I regretted not speaking to her this morning before leaving. The nurse stepped out of the house. The thought came. She was young and beautiful. I pictured Alessia’s hands over her.

I pulled off the helmet and stepped forward. My steps were quick and precise. I reached where she stood. I didn’t think. I just tiptoed, and then my lips crashed against hers, desperate and almost angry.

Alessia didn’t move immediately. Her hands came out of her pockets and settled around my waist. She pulled me closer. The kiss deepened, but I was the one who broke it first. I was breathing hard. Alessia stared at me. Her golden eyes searched my face.

“What was that?”