Chapter 111 Chapter one hundred and Eleven

Chapter 111 Chapter one hundred and Eleven
Kendrick

If I stopped him, he would think I was hiding something. I let him.
He crouched and touched one of the blood drops with two fingers. He rubbed it between them.
“This is fresh? Who was here before me?”
“This house holds lots of servants.” Havizan slowly stood. His gun remained pointed toward the darkness.
“Is that so?”
I moved to intercept him, this time not minding what he thought. “You should worry about yourself.”
His eyes snapped toward mine. “Are you perhaps hiding something?” His jaw ticked.
I stood in front of him, the gun pointed at my chest. I didn’t flinch.
“For someone who just lost her master, you seem far too relaxed, or rather, happy,” he said.
“For someone whose world is on fire, you seem to be poking your nose into other people’s business.”
The atmosphere became heated. The tension curled in the atmosphere like air. Neither of us wanted to back out from the staring contest.
“You couldn’t speak in a room I existed in before. Now you have wings…” His jaw ticked.
I held his stare. “People change when the person who kept them quiet is gone.”
His finger tightened slightly on the trigger to remind me he could shoot me.
“You should leave. I have a funeral to plan.”
Havizan studied me for another long second. “Where is Diana?” he asked, dropping his gun to the side.
“Why?” I asked.
His gaze dropped down to the blood on the floor, then back out to me.
“You will see her on the day of the funeral.” I pointed at the door.
Then he turned and walked toward the exit, gun still in hand.
He paused at the door. “I have my eyes on you, Kendrick.” He disappeared from my view.
My head turned slightly to the darkness.
“You better start speaking or your tongue goes off.” I pulled the knife out.
“Queen Lardini and Prince Festus,” he said, stepping out. He leaned on the wall.
“Why would the Royal family of Borgatta want Alessia dead?” I asked with a slight frown.
I was bothered as to why they would release their daughter to marry Zach. Now I understood the gang-up. They had a common enemy, Alessia.
“It’s quite an interesting story, but I will tell it to her directly.”
\### Diana

Friends don’t do this. Her words echoed in my ears over and over. My body still tingled from how her kiss made me feel.

Right. I wouldn’t feel this way for Suzzy.

“I-I haven’t explained it to Thomas yet, but I will…” I stopped, bit my lips, and took her hand in mine, intertwining it. “You are more than that, I swear, and I’m going to prove it to you.”

Her face remained expressionless. She stared at me like she wanted to piece out a lie from the truth.

A knock came at the door.

The door opened, and a nurse dressed in a tight white uniform, the zip opened, causing her boobs to bulge at the top, stepped in holding a tray. She had a smile that looked practiced on her face. I knew because I had seen what her real smile looked like.

It wasn’t this fake thing on her face.

An uncomfortable feeling rose in my chest.

“I..it’s time to change the dressing…” Her voice sounded sweet. Her eyes remained on Alessia. She came forward in little steps. I looked at the heels she wore.

When did nurses wear that?

Words had spread in the hospital. And with the money Kendrick had splurged on bills, comfort, and buying their mouths to keep them shut, it was enough to get greedy, and this bitch was here for no good.

My eyes darkened when she stepped forward, ignoring my entire existence. She bent down so much that her chest was on full display.

My grip on Alessia’s hand only tightened. I turned to look at Alessia. She already had her eyes on me. My chest swelled with pride; at least she didn’t look.

“Good to see you awake,” she said, putting a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

I moved my face, blocking her view from my wife.

The smile faltered when she looked at me. “You should step aside so I can attend to the patient.”

The audacity.

“Where’s Nurse Reyes? She is the one in charge of my WIFE.” I stressed the last word so it sunk deeply into her brain. I brought our intertwined hands forward.

“Well, she’s busy with other shifts. She asked me to handle a few for her…”

“Oh, really? You are in the wrong place…”

“Diana, why does it look like you don’t want your wife to be well?” Her voice dripped with venom.

I scoffed. “What?”

“Why else are you interfering with her treatment?”

I released Alessia’s hand, got up, and stood in front of hers. “That is one strong accusation. I hope you have enough evidence to back that up. I’m very sensitive about who touches my woman.”

\~~~~~~~~~

Alessia

My brows lifted upwards at her claim. Something fluttered in my stomach when she called me that. I hated that my body reacted before my mind could remind it that I was supposed to be angry with her.

My eyes hadn’t moved an inch from Diana. I missed the warmth of her hand.

But this fierceness. Gods. She looked so damn sexy. Now, I knew what caught my attention from the beginning.

My eyes roamed over her before I could stop myself. I should be angry, not smitten. I fucking told myself she betrayed me, but my body clearly disagreed.

She moved. My eyes followed every step. She leaned forward to grab the file, and the position made heat coil tight in my stomach. I wanted to pull her back into that position and do things that had nothing to do with medical charts.

“According to this file,” Diana said, voice slightly raised, “her bandage is supposed to be changed every two days, and it was already changed last night.”

“Are you teaching me my job?” the nurse snapped.

“I’m protecting what’s mine from vultures!” Diana snapped.

Her possessiveness did it for me.

Mine.

“Get out,” I said.

The room went still.

Diana turned and met my eyes. I saw fear, sadness, and something I was still refusing to name.

I ignored the sting in my chest and sat up straighter.

“You heard her,” the nurse muttered.

“Alessia, I was just—”

“I don’t usually repeat myself.” My gaze finally shifted to the nurse. At the same time, my hand wrapped around Diana’s waist and pulled her firmly against me.

The nurse left without another word.

I didn’t release Diana. She turned to look at me, close enough that I could feel every careful breath she took.

“You were jealous,” I said quietly, voice rough.

She swallowed. “Yes, I only want to be the one that gets to touch you.”

My fingers flexed against her side. The heat of her body seeped through the thin fabric of her clothes. I wanted more. I wanted to drag her down onto the bed, to taste the pulse at her throat, to remind both of us that she was still mine despite everything.

“Can I touch you?” I let my hand shift downwards.

I felt the subtle tension that ran through her the moment I did that. The same old fear, the kind that had nothing to do with me and everything to do with the ghosts she still carried.

I loosened my grip and pulled away. The doctor had said I shouldn’t push further except when she initiated.

She grabbed me tightly by my sides. “I want to,” she whispered. “I just…”

I watched the conflict flicker across her face, desire tangled with the old panic that always rose when intimacy threatened to go further than she could handle.

“I know.” I cut her off gently, even though the restraint cost me. Heat still pulsed under my skin, sharp and insistent. “We don’t have to. Not until you’re ready.”

I pressed a slow kiss to the corner of her lips, soft enough that she could pull back if she needed to, firm enough that she would feel how much I wanted her.

When I drew back, her eyes were conflicted.

“I..I’m sorry, Alessia,” she whispered.

Before I could respond, the door opened. Kendrick stepped in hurriedly. Diana’s head whipped to the door. She stepped in front of me like she was shielding me from whatever it was that was chasing Kendrick.

My lips arched up until the familiar face entered after her.

Matteo.

His presence filled the room.

My eyes narrowed.

This time there was something different about him. His eyes.

“I removed the contact lens,” he answered my questions before I asked.

“A lot is happening outside…” Kendrick reported. I listened. Diana looked at me. I could feel her fear coming from her grip.

Sebastian was dead.

Kendra has power now. I chuckled.

“He seems to know a lot, so I brought him…” Kendrick turned to him. “Start speaking!” Kendrick ordered.

“I won’t wring your neck because you are hot,” he said. “It all started thirty-five years ago…”