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“Please…” Maya sobbed uncontrollably. “Please don't do this.”
“You knew what a big secret you were hiding from him. You knew the risks when you pursued a relationship with him. But you didn't do anything to stop it. You let your love for each other consume him entirely.”
I couldn’t say another word, without feeling like I was going to break down. I knew that I had to stay strong for the sake of the rest of my family, but I didn’t know how much more pain I could handle. The pain of losing my ex-girlfriend, paired with the pain of losing my brother.
I guessed the Mafia really did get the better of us, after all.
I turned on my heel, making my way to the door. Not wanting to look at Maya’s face a minute longer, because I would just be reminded of the brother that I lost.
I couldn’t bear this.
I couldn’t fucking bear it.
I hovered at the door, as I heard Maya speak to my mother and father too. It felt like somebody was battering my heart with a chainsaw.
“Please…” Maya begged.
“I'm sorry, but I have no sympathy for you, Maya,” Dad snarled, his voice strung with a mix of both venom and heartbreak. “My son loved you dearly. He broke off from an arranged marriage because of you…
“Didn't pay as much attention to business because of you.
“Risked a war with the Russian Mafia because of you.
“Defied me because of you.
“He made so many sacrifices because of you.
“And now, I'm never going to watch my son walk down the aisle.
“I’m never going to watch him have children, or a family of his own.
“I’m never going to watch him continue building his empire.
“His legacy.
“Making me proud.
“I’m never going to watch him carry on making a success of himself.
“You've ruined everything.”
Dad broke off his sentence, coughing up a sob as he walked away from her.
Hearing the hurt in my parents’ voices was tipping me over the edge.
Pushing me to breaking point.
Feeling like I was better off dead.
Wishing that the Angel of Death would just take me right now and fucking finish me.
Drag me straight to hell.
“I treated you as part of the family,” Mom murmured. “And you were lying to us the whole time. I'm sorry, Maya.”
Those were the last words I heard before Mom walked away too, leaving me dithering in the middle of the room.
I watched Maya run away, bolting out of the house at full speed, feeling embarrassed, hurt, broken…
And I allowed myself to fall down to the floor in anguish, kicking, wailing and screaming for Donte.
Praying that God would fix this.
Praying that God would pull through.
But I knew that it was no use.
I knew that there was no coming back from this.
It was the end.
It was over.
It was fucking over.
The last chapter of Donte’s life…
Was fucking closed.
Because now, he would be living in a box, till the day he took his last breath.
And when he took his last breath…
He would be buried six feet under the ground in a box, too.
48
maya
As soon as I got home, I ran to my room, crying. It felt like I was suffocating. Even his family didn't understand things from my point of view...
I was so emotionally hurt, so fucking broken.
I knew that I couldn't save Donte now.
So I did the only thing I could do...
I started packing my bags.
Gathering all of my belongings, putting them into boxes...
Ready to move away.
I felt too humiliated to face any of my friends now...
Not Maisie,
Not Millie,
Not Yasmeen,
Not Mikail.
It wouldn't be long before everybody found out the truth.
It would probably be in the damn papers soon.
Donte Abruzzi, founder of Indigo Limited, arrested for murder...
And then everybody would know who I really was.
That was all I ever did.
Run away from my problems, rather than face them.
I was weak.
Weak and timid.
Running away was all I was ever fucking good for.
Running away from Fibonacci.
Running away from the illegal underground fights.
Running away from a relationship with Brett.
And now...
I was running away from reality.
The reality that I'd ruined the love-of-my-life's life.
The reality that I'd been lying to all of the friends I'd made here.
The reality that I'd broken Donte's family's hearts.