Chapter 35

Chapter 35
Rafael Pov

The light in the bathroom hurt my eyes. It was too bright to endure. It showed everything I didn’t want to see from the dark bruise on her cheek to the raw skin around her wrists and the small cut on her lip that I had caused.

I knelt in front of her with a wet cloth, trying to clean what I could. The water in the sink turned pink from the blood.

She sat on the counter like a statue that someone had broken and glued back together.

When I touched her face, she flinched.
“Cazzo.” The word slipped out. I dropped the cloth and lifted my hands. “I’m sorry. Mi dispiace, cara. I’m so damn sorry.”

Her eyes didn’t move. They were cold staring past me. It was like she was there physically but not mentally.

I wanted to take the pain away from her skin and put it into mine, but I couldn’t even reach her anymore. She was afraid of me and I will be damned if that didn't make me miserable.

My Raelyn was sweet, precious and defiant also but now she looks like a shell with no soul inside, all because of me. All because of my uncontrolled anger,bruised ego and rotten personality.

I wrapped her wrists in fresh gauze, pressed an ice pack to her cheek. My hands shook the whole time. Every time I brushed her skin, she stiffened. I could feel her fear and fuck–it made me sick.

When it was done, I stepped back, clearing my throat.
“I’ll sleep in the hall,” I said quietly. “ I'll leave the door open for you and the keys are on the dresser. If you want to go, you can go. No one will stop you.”

She didn’t answer.

I deserved that.

I turned away, leaving the light o and walked to the kitchen. I poured another glass of whiskey, cause the first one hadn’t done a thing.

The second one burned but didn’t clean me out. I was halfway through the third when I heard the car screeching outside then the front door slammed open.

“Rafael Alessandro De Rossi! Dove cazzo sei?!”

Sofia’s voice boomed through the quiet villa as
Mateo came in right behind her, eyes blazing. Before I could stand, he started throwing punches on my face.

The first punch split my lip. The second made my jaw snap sideways but I didn’t lift a hand. I deserved worse.

“You hit her?” he shouted. “You tied her? What the hell is wrong with you?”

I said nothing at the time,I knew the silence was easier than any lie.

Sofia grabbed his arm. “Stop it, Mateo! He’s not worth it.”

Mateo shook her off. His voice broke when he spoke again. “She’s in there shaking, Raf. Shaking because of you. What the fuck is wrong with you?! I'm so ashamed of you right now,I can't believe you're my brother.”

“I know,” I said, though the words barely came out.

“No.” His voice cracked. “You don’t.”

He walked off down the hall toward her room. Sofia stayed.

Her eyes were full of anger and disappointment. “I’m staying with her tonight,” she said. “don’t go near her, don’t talk to her and don’t even look at her until she says you can. Capisci?”

I nodded.

She turned to leave, then paused. “You’re not our father, Rafael. Don’t become him.”

Fuck! I knew what she meant by that, and by any means whether dead or alive I didn't want to become like that fucker. The man who tortured our mother, killed her for some cheap slut,the same fucking man who refused to acknowledge his family and let us in ruin.

I don't know what came over me that made me loose control like that. Maybe it was because of Valentina. That bitch had the audacity to threaten my precious wife. I will never forgive her for what she had done to me, not in this life.

Raelyn had became insecure because of Valentina and I had to tell her the truth about my relationship with Valentina. She still thinks that I might reunite with Valentina and toss her aside but that wasn't the case.

My purpose was to make sure she is alright and don't get involved with my enemies. I know Dante hate Raelyn and he is doing everything to chase my wife away.

When she left, the house went quiet again. The only sound was the ice melting in my glass and the sound of ticking clock.

I couldn’t sit still, I wanted distraction, something that could keep me busy, could make me forget what I did to her. I went to the gym downstairs and started hitting the heavy bag.

I punched my fist into the punching bag for the way she looked at me—like I’d turned into the man I swore I’d never be.

My hands were bare. Blood started to smear across the bag mixing with the sweat. I didn’t stop. The pain was the only thing that felt real.

I saw her face every time I blinked.
Her voice, her silence, her trembling hands.

“Stronzo. Bastardo. Mostro.”

Each word came out with a punch. The bag tore open as sand spilled out like the life draining out of me.

I hit it again until I couldn’t breathe. Until I couldn’t tell if it was sweat or tears on my face.

When I finally dropped to my knees, the world seemed to stop. My chest hurt like something inside me was breaking open.

I leaned against the wall,my head down, blood dripping from my knuckles.
The words slipped out of me in a whisper

“I’m sorry, Raelyn. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

A moment later the gym door opened behind me, slow, but I didn’t turn. My knuckles throbbed, split open with blood sticking between my fingers.

Sofia stepped into the light. She looked at the mess I’d made as she got closer. “She’s asleep,” she said finally. “Mateo’s with her. He won’t leave.”

I nodded because I didn’t trust my voice.

Sofia crossed her arms. “You know what she asked me? The first thing, when I sat down next to her?”

I shook my head.

“‘Did he mean it?’” Sofia’s eyes cut into me. ‘When he said I could leave?’

“I told her yes,” she continued. “Because you did even though I know you don't mean it but she needed to hear it from someone who isn’t you.”

I pressed my forehead to the cool wall, feeling the coldness of the marble. “I don’t know how to fix this.”

“I understand but what you did to her was wrong .” Her voice cracked. “You broke her”

I closed my eyes and saw Raelyn’s face again. blank, hollow, like someone had reached in and scooped out everything that made her her.

“I thought I was protecting her,” I rasped. “Valentina and Dante....they are messing with my mind. I panicked"

“You hit her.” Sofia’s words landed like stones. “you are becoming like him.”

I flinched. Him– Our father. The one I spent my life trying to forget, to hate.

“I’m not him,” I whispered.