Chapter 144

Melanie's POV

I woke up to the biting chill of a dark, unfamiliar room, my head pounding as if it had been split in two. My wrists ached from the tight ropes binding them, and my ankles felt just as constricted.

"You're awake," Erica drawled, her tone laced with mock concern. She folded her arms and leaned against the rusted frame of the door, watching me like a predator eyeing its prey. "How are you feeling, darling?"

I didn't respond. My throat was dry, and my words caught somewhere between anger and fear.

God, how could I have been foolish enough to let, Erica manipulate me? I should have known that she was up to no good when Alice told me that Adriano left her at the altar.

I guess now I was paying the price for my foolishness.

"Cat, got your tongue?" she asked, smirking. "Or maybe it's the shock of realizing you've been so incredibly stupid."

Her words stung more than I cared to admit. I should have known better. Adriano had always been honest with me in his own way, even when it hurt. Yet, I had chosen to believe the woman who had every reason to see him suffer.

If only I had spoken to Adriano the first time she came to me, then I would have avoided all this. Maybe I should have told him about the envelope and now that I thought better about it, maybe there was a perfectly reasonable explanation for the conversation I overheard.

"Why are you doing this, Erica?" I finally managed to croak out, my voice hoarse.

Her smirk widened. "Why not? You see, Adriano destroyed my life. I had a perfect plan for my future and he ruined everything I ever worked for. So, I thought, why not return the favor? And what better way than through you, the nurse who somehow wormed her way into his heart?"

I glared at her, refusing to let her see how much her words rattled me.

"I still don't know how you did it, you know. You're nothing like the type of girl he normally goes for yet you managed to get him to fall for you," she said.

"You're pathetic," I spat.

Her smile faltered, but before she could retort, the door behind her creaked open. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped inside, his presence immediately commanding the room. His cold blue eyes scanned me with disdain, and his lips curled into a sneer.

"What the hell is this?" His voice was a low growl, his thick Russian accent adding an edge of menace. He shot Erica a withering glare. "You said she would be useful. Instead, I hear your little boyfriend just raided my warehouse!"

Erica's smug demeanor faltered for the first time, but she quickly recovered.

"Calm down, Alex. We still have leverage. We can use her to get to Adriano. Make him pay for what he's done."

"He better," Alex snapped, his eyes narrowing at me. "Because thanks to you, I've lost millions. Do you have any idea what that means?"

I didn't know who he was but by the look of things, he was the one that ran this shit show so I chose to say nothing, but my silence seemed to infuriate him further.

He stalked toward me, his hand lashing out before I could brace myself. The slap echoed through the room, the force of it snapping my head to the side. Pain blossomed across my cheek, and I tasted blood on my lips.

"You think this is a game?" Alex snarled, his face inches from mine now. "I don't play games, little girl. And you'll soon realize the hard way that getting with Adriano was the worst mistake you ever made because now you have to pay for his crimes."

My skin crawled in disgust hearing him call me 'little girl' and tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"If Adriano did anything to you then it's because you deserved it," I said.

Meanwhile, Erica stood off to the side, watching with a twisted smile. She seemed to revel in my suffering, her hatred for Adriano spilling over onto me.

Alex chuckled darkly, straightening up and pulling a gun from his waistband. He twirled it in his hand, the metal glinting under the dim light.

Seeing the gun in his hand, I don't know what gave me the courage but I said, "Adriano would never let you harm me."

"Then you won't mind if we test that theory," he said, his voice dripping with malice. He pointed the gun at my head, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.

"How much do you think he values your life, hmm? Enough to risk his own?"

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a deafening drum in my ears. This was it. I had no escape, no hope. For the first time, I felt the weight of despair settle over me.

I might have been wrong to judge Adriano so harshly. But now, I would never get the chance to make things right.

I closed my eyes, preparing for the worst.

That was when it happened.

The door to the warehouse burst open with a deafening crash, the sound reverberating through the room. I flinched, my eyes snapping open just in time to see Adriano stride in like an avenging angel.

His eyes locked onto mine immediately, his expression a mixture of fury and relief. He was dressed in all black, his tailored suit marred only by the bulletproof vest strapped to his chest. A gun was in his hand, and his men filed in behind him, their weapons raised and ready.

"Let her go," Adriano commanded, his voice deadly calm.

Alex's grip on the gun tightened, and he pressed the barrel harder against my temple. "Take one more step closer, Alfonso, and she dies."

Adriano didn't flinch. His gaze remained locked on Alex, unwavering. "If you hurt her, I'll make sure your death is slow and extremely painful."

The tension in the room was suffocating, and for the first time, I saw fear flicker in Alex's eyes. Adriano was a man out for blood, and nothing would stop him.

"Drop the gun, Pushkin," Adriano said, his voice a low growl. "If you want a chance of getting out of this alive, end this now."

I held my breath, praying that Alex would listen. Praying that I would get out of this alive.

And then, everything erupted into chaos.