Chapter 142

Melanie's POV

The cool night air felt like needles against my skin as I hurried down the street, my duffel bag slung over my shoulder. My legs felt like lead, but I pushed forward, every step putting more distance between me and the house that was once my prison but later became my home.

The streets were quiet, the kind of silence that normally would have scared me, but tonight I welcomed it. I avoided the well-lit areas, sticking to the shadows, hoping none of Adriano's guards would see me. My pulse raced with every second, and my breath was uneven.

I had no idea where I was going, but I didn't care. All that mattered was getting away and I was lucky enough to have been able to avoid the guards. I guess the weeks of walking the grounds and studying their routine paid off.

Luckily, a cab finally came into view at the corner of the street, its headlights a beacon of hope. I flagged it down, my arm trembling as I waved. The driver, an older man with kind eyes, rolled down the window.

"Where to, miss?" he asked.

I hesitated, realizing I hadn't thought that far ahead.

"Just… downtown. Anywhere near the main train station," I replied, realizing that I needed to put much distance between me and him, and what better way to do it than to get the hell out of dodge as soon as possible.

He nodded, and I climbed into the backseat, sinking into the worn leather as though it could shield me from everything. The cab pulled away, and I let out a shaky breath, my fingers gripping the strap of my bag.

I have enough cash with me, so I should be able to get a ticket without using my credit card. I didn't want to leave an electronic trail that can be easily tracked.

I looked at the mismatched sweats and shirt I wore in my haste to get out of the house and stared out the window, the city lights blurring as my thoughts raced. Images of the photographs flashed through my mind, each one cutting deeper than the last.

And then there was Adriano. The man I thought I knew, the man I thought I loved. My chest tightened as I replayed the scene over and over, trying to make sense of it, trying to find some sliver of doubt in the evidence I'd seen.

I pressed my forehead against the glass, the coolness grounding me.

"How could I have been so blind?" I whispered to myself. But even as I said it, a part of me refused to let go of the Adriano. It didn't make sense, my head was spinning a thousand ways per second and I couldn't make sense of anything.

I was so distracted that I didn't realize we weren't on the right path until the cab made a sudden turn down a darker street, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Uhm… excuse me, sir. This isn't the way to the station," I said, leaning forward.

The driver didn't respond. Instead, the car slowed to a crawl, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Something was seriously wrong.

"What are you…" I started, but before I could finish, the car screeched to a halt, and the doors flew open. Two men, their faces obscured by masks, yanked the door open and grabbed me.

Panic surged through me as I kicked and struggled, my mind racing. This wasn't Adriano's men. They wouldn't need to ambush me like this. So who were they?

I screamed, thrashing against their iron grips, but it was no use. They were too strong. One of them clamped a hand over my mouth, muffling my cries as they dragged me out of the cab and toward a waiting van.

The van doors slammed shut, plunging me into darkness. My heart pounded as the vehicle sped off, the sound of the tires on the pavement deafening in the confined space. They tied my hands behind my back and bound my ankles with zip ties.

"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice shaking. There was no use trying to steady my breathing because I was freaking scared. "If it's money you want I don't have any, okay?"

One of them chuckled, a low, menacing sound. "You'll find out what we want soon enough," he said, his voice dripping with malice.

The van came to a stop after what felt like an eternity. I was yanked out and dragged into a building that smelled of damp concrete and oil. My eyes adjusted to the dim light, and I took in my surroundings. A warehouse and it was empty except for a few crates and a single chair in the center of the room.

They shoved me into the chair and tied me to it, my wrists burning against the rough rope.

I glared at them. "My boyfriend won't let you get away with this," I spat.

It was the first thing that came to mind, and I hated myself for saying it. Why was I still defending him? After everything I'd seen, why did I still believe he'd come for me?

The men exchanged amused glances. One of them smirked. "Oh, sweetheart, Adriano's got bigger problems than you right now."

I realized that I never mentioned his name so how the hell did he know his name?

Before I could ask, the door creaked open, and a figure stepped inside. My stomach dropped as I recognized the woman. Tall, elegant, with piercing eyes and a smile that was anything but kind.

"Erica," I breathed.

She sauntered toward me, her heels clicking against the concrete floor. "Surprised to see me?" she asked, tilting her head. "I'm sorry that our meeting isn't happening in the most favorable conditions for you."

"What the hell are you doing?" My voice was hoarse, my mind struggling to keep up.

She leaned down, her face inches from mine. "Oh, Melanie, you have no idea what kind of game you've stumbled into," she said.

My heart sank as her words sank in. This wasn't just about Adriano or me. This was something much bigger, something I couldn't begin to comprehend and it was all Erica's doing.

"Is this your way of exacting revenge on Adriano for leaving you at the altar?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

She straightened, her smile cold. "Hmm… something like that. Adriano took everything from me and now, I'm going to take everything from him, starting with you. I see you finally opened the envelope." she said, then added. "You're so gullible it's almost pathetic."

My blood ran cold as I realized the depth of her hatred, and the lengths she was willing to go to destroy him. But even as fear gripped me, another emotion crept in, regret.

What if I had been wrong? What if I had judged Adriano too quickly, too harshly? The photographs looked so damning, but now I couldn't help but wonder if I'd been played.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. If Adriano wasn't the monster I thought he was, then I had betrayed him in the worst possible way. And now, I could only hope he'd find me before it was too late.