Chapter 19

Chapter 19
ELENA DUVAL

To say in absolute honesty, I couldn't stand the silence on the drive back home. It was everything between suffocating and uncomfortable, especially with just the two of us in his Ferrari. He had simply collected the keys from Chris, insisting on driving.

This was the first time we were together, alone in a car and somehow the car felt so small or was it just me?

I looked out the window to the rear mirror and I noticed Allen closely behind in the silver Mercedes we had driven all day.

I flicked a gaze over to Dimitri. He had his eyes trained on the road.

He was pissed. But I had no idea why. If it was because I had showed up unannounced or because I had kissed him unexpectedly.

Or maybe because of the little drama with the Whitmans or maybe it was my dress. With the annoyed glance, he threw my way before we got into the car. I could tell he hated the dress too but I wasn't sure why.

I leaned back into the leather seats, and thankfully, we soon arrived at the Ford's mansion.

As soon as the car came to a halt in front of the mansion, I got out of the car for the sake of my sanity and peace of mind and I headed straight upstairs to the master's bedroom.

I rushed to my dressing table the instant I was within the safe walls of the large room, leaning against it, and taking in as much air as I needed and exhaling it out.

I performed the exercise for a few seconds before I could steady the fast beating of my heart and I closed my eyes as everything that happened within the last hour flashed through my mind. The unexpected kiss. The confrontation between Tyler and I. And then, there was Dimitri.

Just as his face flashed in my mind the door opened and I felt him even before I saw him. And as I pulled my eyes open, my eyes fell into the pool of his gray ones.

He regarded me briefly before he strolled to the bedside table on his side of the bed, taking off his Rolex watch. “As much as everyone, including the press, might I add, enjoyed the show back there— A-plus on your entrance and acting by the way— I'm still trying to figure out if you've lost more than your memories but your mind as well or you're simply an attention seeker, Elena,”

I almost flinched at the tone of his voice, but I sent him a silent glare. “Clearly it's neither,” I turned to face the huge mirror before me. I met his stare again through the reflection.

“Clearly it's something,” He took off his jacket, rolling up the sleeves to his forearm, exposing a little of his tattoos on both hands. “Start talking, Elena,”

I stared at him for a second through the mirror, before looking away and I began to remove my earrings and necklace. “Don't worry, I didn't go there for you and your whore,” I turned around, meeting his expressionless face and eyes on me. “Alessandra? It's really unbelievable you find her everywhere you go. It couldn't be any more obvious that she's sleeping with Dimitri Castello,”

His gaze darkened on me and anger lit in my stomach but I quelled it before it could escape, reminding myself I needed his help not his rage.

“I went there for a completely different reason. I went there for Tyler Whitman and his father. I wanted to see the type of life they now lived after destroying my family and stealing my company,” I said and the look on Dimitri's face was the same. Cold. Indifferent.

“So you went there on a whim of yours, risking your life,” His indifferent voice ran down my spine with a strange thrill following its wake.

“They killed my parents, Dimitri, all because of their greed for a company. My company,” I felt the anger I had killed earlier, spring back to life.

“And now you're about to get yourself killed too, Elena,” His words made me pause. He knew.

“You know of the Whitmans' involvement in my parents’ death,” I moved a few steps closer. “Why didn't you do anything?”

“And why would I?”

“I'm your wife Dimitri. It might just be in paper only, but this is my family and I'm your wife,”

“Who's about to get herself killed if she keeps moving headlessly with her emotions instead of her brain,”

“These people destroyed my family. They may have my sisters,” I almost screamed in rage and sudden silence settled between us for a fraction second.

“Get yourself together Elena, there's nothing you can do that'll change what happened two years ago,” There was something about his words that pierced right into my chest.

“No, but there's something I can do now to ensure everyone that had something to do with what happened pay for what they've done,”

At my words, he turned slightly, regarding me carefully before he released a throaty chuckle. “So it's revenge,” His voice dripped with a sarcasm that infuriated me. “Now I'm very much curious what in the devil's name is going on in your head,” His voice hardened and his eyes flashed with a frightening rage. “What do you think this is, Elena? You are no match for these people—”

“I know,” I cut him off. “But you are, Dimitri,”

“You want me to avenge on your behalf?”

“No, Dimitri. I want to make a deal with you instead,”

His eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything.

“I want your help, Dimitri. I need your help to uncover what happened two years ago and make them pay. I believe getting to the bottom of this is the only way I can find my sisters, I need you to help me,” I took a step closer. “Please,”

“You've lost more than your memories Elena. Get some sleep, I'll send for Dr Quinn tomorrow,” He said, moving past me, waking into the walk-in closet.

I followed behind him. “D&M Corporation. The Whitmans stole it and merged it with WH Corp to save their company from ruin. Dad left me his shares and I'm fighting for it. I'm going into Krystal Group Dimitri. Whether you help me or not, I'm going after the Whitmans, and then I'll find out everything else I need to know,”

“And tell me what you know about business or running a company?”

He was right. I didn't know a thing about managing a company, but that was precisely why I needed him. “Nothing. That's why I fucking need you,”

“What you need is a cold shower and to forget all this madness at once,” I watched him walk out into the bedroom and I followed behind him.

“Of course, I don't expect you to understand. It isn't your sisters that have been missing for the last two years. It isn't your parents that were murdered. You weren't the one who lost everything or had to marry a stranger,” Something in my words made him freeze and he stared at me silently. “This isn't living for me Dimitri, it's misery and for the first time in my life, I'm going to do something even if it gets me killed,”

I was about to move past him but he grabbed me by the waist, pushing me against the cold walls. His hard body and weight pressed against me with eyes as black as darkness itself. “Being hot-headed will only put you in danger, Elena,” His intoxicating minty breath filled my nostrils and I fought the urge to break down in his arms.

I let the hate and rage burn my entire body. “So what do you expect me to do? Sit pretty and wait till they come for me and successfully kill me like they did with my parents?” I screamed, unable to stop the tears that rushed down my eyes.

His stronghold against my body loosened, but his eyes remained a dark Abyss and I wished I could see a flicker of emotion in his eyes, even if it was for a second.

“Elena,” Just the call of my name from his lips sent my heart racing, but I had to force myself to remember he was a devil and I'd only get hurt. “You are drunk on your emotions,” He finally said, releasing me and walking to the table. “What you need is some warm tea to sober you up,”

“No, I don't want tea, Dimitri. What I need is to find my poor sisters and get the bastards responsible for the deaths of my parents. And then, I'll end their miserable lives,” I bit out with muffled rage.

Dimitri paused, as he shifted yet another cold gaze to me. “Well, unfortunately, we are all out of bitter revenge tonight, so it's either tea or nothing, sweet Elena,”

We stared at each other for a heated minute before the dam in my eyes broke loose, and tears flowed from my eyes without restrictions.

“Please Dimitri, I need your help,” I sobbed, and his jaw clenched.

“Get some rest, Elena,” He said, annoyed, going into the bathroom. “And for fucks sake, change into something else,”

I was frozen there for a second. So many thoughts running wild at the same time in my head. And I didn't know what I'd do if Dimitri remained unyielding. I needed him. So bad that I was willing to sell my very own soul to the devil.

I kicked my legs into motion and before I knew it I was heading to the bathroom. I found Dimitri standing in front of the large mirror wall, unbuttoning his shirt.

He cast an annoyed glance my way, his eyes briefly gliding down my body with a frown, before returning his gaze to his reflection in the mirror.

I moved to stop a few inches away from him. “I'm not just making you a deal, Dimitri, it's business. If you help me with this, once I get the reins of Krystal Group, it's yours. All I need in return is your help. To get my revenge and find my sisters,” I paused immediately as he took off his shirt, leaving his completely naked torso for me to see.

And his hands moved down to his belt and started working on it.

I inhaled, keeping my gaze on his face instead of anywhere else.

“It's still a hard no from me, Elena,”

“Then name your price. Tell me exactly what I can do to change your mind,”

“Get out, Elena,” The words left his lips faster than I could process it, and before I knew it, Dimitri had unclasped his belt from his waist, and with one swift pull he took off his trouser and briefs and I froze immediately.

Involuntarily, my eyes lowered down his naked body, and the sight before me knocked out any air in my lungs. He was a perfectly sculpted image of the gods. I couldn't stop my eyes from exploring his tattooed bare chest down.

“Do you intend to join me in the shower?” Dimitri's voice crashed with the heat flowing through my body, causing an instant wetness between my legs.

“What?” I was out of breath.

“If you don't plan on joining me in the shower, I suggest you leave Elena,” The infuriating tone of his voice tore through the fog of insanity clouding my mind, snapping me back to my senses.

“Yeah,” Quickly, I shifted my gaze from his perfectly endowed body, taking a few steps backward. “I'm really sorry, I'll be outside,”

I found myself rushing back into the bedroom, and shutting the bathroom door close.

I brought my hand to my cheeks which were redder than a tomato, and the other to my heart which was thumping in an odd manner. And my entire body had begun to burn like it had completely been lit up in flames.