[LYNDA]
I didn’t want to believe it. My mind fought violently against me. It couldn’t be true. I tried to force the thought out of my mind, but how could I when the truth was right there in front of me?
I heard him talk. He admitted it clearly. How did I not see that before? How did I miss it?
Tears of anger and frustration blurred my vision. But I was also hurting at the thought of Rebecca being in pain because of the man I loved.
The bastard. How could he?
Artemy would never let him live. Hell, I wouldn’t let him live.
Stepping forward, I marched toward Milandro. He heard my footsteps and quickly swiveled around, surprise evident on his face.
“Lynda?” He swallowed nervously but quickly hid it with a seductive smile.
When I stopped in front of him, I drew my fist back before slamming it in his nose. “You fucking asshole.”
He stumbled back in surprise before quickly straightening up. His eyes went wide. “What the fuck, Lynda?”
“I heard you,” I hissed. There was a flash of horror on his face, but it was quickly gone, and he regained his composure.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, feigning innocence.
That little shit. It wasn’t going to work on me. I raged inside. My skin prickled with it, like flame dancing underneath. My body shook with my fury.
“Don’t act innocent, Milandro. You are crazy!”
The innocence facade was suddenly gone, and he glared down at me. “Keep your voice down.”
I scoffed and took a step back. “You betrayed us,” I said to him.
When he didn’t even convince me otherwise, I laughed humorlessly even though the tears spilled down my cheeks. “How could you?” I choked. “After everything Artemy has done for you, this is how you repay him?”
His face was a mask of rage. “He didn’t do anything for me!”
I stumbled back from his outburst. “You are so stupid. Why? Why did you do it?”
“Is that really a question, Lynda? You’re acting like the stupid one here,” he hissed.
My eyes widened when realization dawned. “God, I am so disgusted right now. Your father was a traitor, and so are you!”
“He killed my father!”
“Because he was a traitor! And Artemy pitied you. You were left on the streets to die, and he gave you a home. He thought you were different. He trusted you,” I argued past the lump in my throat.
Shaking my head, I took several steps back. “You made him trust you. Was that your plan all along?”
When he didn’t say anything in reply, I had my answer.
“You disgust me!” I spat at him.
I swiveled around to walk out of the room, but Milandro’s voice stopped me. “Where are you going?”
Turning back around, I leveled him a glare. “Away from you! I can’t even look at you right now.”
He was a traitor, but I wasn’t. If he thought I would keep quiet, then he was so wrong.
I was in pain at Milandro’s betrayal. It was hard to breathe, but it only got harder when he reached behind his back and pulled his gun out.
He pointed it at me. “Another step and I will shoot you.”
Fear slithered its way through my body, and sweat broke out on my skin. I stood frozen, debating if I should make a run for it.
Milandro glanced between us, and his expression softened just a little. “Lynda, I don’t want to hurt you.”
A sob escaped my lips. “Betraying my family hurts me, Milandro. This is hurting me more than you can ever think.”
Regret flashed across his face. “Lynda…”
My sniffles filled the room. I rubbed my chest, trying to get rid of the ache there. “What about Rebecca? What did she ever do to you? How could you do this to her?”
Milandro shook his head. “She just happened to be in the middle. Raffaele wanted her, and I wanted my revenge against Artemy. He was invincible, but then Rebecca came into his life. She’s his weakness. What better way to destroy Artemy than destroy his only weakness?”
I gasped at his cruel words. Never had I expected to hear such words for Milandro. Where was the sweet man I knew?
My shaking began again, only this time it was a mixture of fear and anger. Anger at Milandro for being so heartless. “Rebecca is innocent. You condemn her to the very monster that destroyed her. You knew the things that were done to her, yet you still sent her there.”
Milandro shrugged. “It was two birds with one stone.”
“She doesn’t deserve this. What you have done to her is enough to make me hate you with everything that I am.” My voice was filled with hatred and utter despair.
My skin felt raw as panic coursed through my body. I felt suddenly dizzy as the world tilted around me. I had to get to Artemy.
I moved a step back, but Milandro caught it. His eyes widened. “Lynda, don’t make me do this,” he warned, his eyes begging me.
In that moment, I wondered if he really would shoot me. The thoughts accelerated in my head. My heart hammered in my chest, and my stomach rolled. As my stomach tightened painfully, I knew I was going to be sick.
I glanced beside me toward the dresser. My gun. Just a few steps and I could reach for my gun. I glanced back at Milandro and thought of ways to divert his attention.
Licking my dried lips, I swallowed past the heavy lump in my throat. “What about us? Did you ever love me, Milandro, or was that fake too?”
He quickly shook his head. I saw his arm drop just a little. “No. We are real, Lynda,” he admitted in a quiet voice.
I took a step toward the dresser. He didn’t seem to notice, so I kept talking. “What will happen now? To us? To me?”
The tears fell down my cheek as I waited for his answer.
“Come with me. Run away with me, Lynda,” he replied. His voice was so soft, sweet even, as if he was making love to me.
Another step toward the dresser.
But this time he noticed, and the gun was pointed directly at me again. “Don’t move, Lynda. Don’t make me hurt you.”
I was only two steps away from the dresser-from my gun. My hands shook by my side as my stomach lurched with tension.
“Will you really shoot me?” I asked, my body slowly starting to go numb.
I took another step. Milandro didn’t answer.
But when a gunshot rang through the room, I had my answer.
I didn’t feel it at first. I stumbled back when the bullet made contact with my body. But I was too surprised to feel it.
One second passed. Two. Three.
And then I was hurting all over. My shoulder burned like it was on fire. My skin felt raw, and I almost retched as pain raked through my shoulder and traveled down the length of my spine.
I looked at the left side of my shoulder, where blood poured through my robe and the bullet had pierced my skin.
Milandro made a regretful moan. I looked up to see him stepping toward the open window. Knowing that he intended to do, I jumped into action.
Adrenaline pumped through my body, and I reached for the drawer, pulling my gun out. I pointed it at him at the Wyatte time as another gunshot echoed around the room.
As a second bullet pierced my body, I fell to my knees. Pain. So much pain. It was an excruciating burning sensation, and this time I felt it in my stomach. I looked down to see my robe quickly getting soaked with my blood.
No. Please no.
I was frozen on the spot, and my body continued to pulse in agony. I was quickly losing blood. It wasn’t just my body hurting. My heart and soul had shattered in that moment.
I cried out as my body convulsed in pain. I felt warm. Too warm. I was burning. My vision blurred in front of me and I called out.
“Artemy!”
I saw Milandro quickly moving toward the window. Acting on reflex, I pointed my gun and pulled the trigger.
I missed.
The bullet hit the window, and the glass shattered, throwing shards everywhere in the room. Milandro climbed out of the window, and as I fell on the ground, curling into a fetal position, I screamed again.
“Artemy!”
My heart stuttered a few times. When I saw Artemy running inside the room, followed by the others, I didn’t know whether to cry or be relieved.
There were gasps of surprise and looks of shock. Artemy knelt down beside me and pulled me into his arms. “Lynda?” he choked.
“Milandro…” I gasped through the pain. “He…is…the…the…traitor…spy…”
Artemy’s expression thundered with fury. I kept talking, knowing I had little time left.
“He…knows,” I broke off when a fiery pain coursed through my body. I felt blood dribble in the corner of my lips.
I was going to die. Tears slid down my cheeks as I tried to speak. “He…knows…where…Rebecca…is…”
Artemy bellowed something. I saw Brayden running out of the room. Avim jumped out of the window.
I stared back at Artemy, this time my body shaking with how heavy my sobbing was. Placing my hand over my stomach, right over where the bullet went through, I closed my eyes.
“My…baby…”
My heart had shattered the moment I realized I would never see my baby. I only found out the day before. But now, I had lost him before I even had a chance to see him.
I didn’t even know if I was having a girl or a boy. It was too early.
Opening my eyes again, I saw Artemy staring at me with a horrified expression. “Baby…my…baby…” I cried in his arms.
Behind his back, I saw Leon running into the room, followed by my mother. His face was a mask of horror as he ran to me, falling down to his knees next to Artemy.
He pulled me out of Artemy’s arm, who stayed frozen, his eyes empty and soulless. He was in shock.
I looked away from Artemy and up at Leon. When I saw tears in his eyes, my already bruised heart broke a little more.
I had never seen Leon cry. Ever. But right there in front of my eyes, I saw him break.
“Lynda,” he choked, pulling me to his chest. “Where’s Wyatt?” he bellowed.
“Lynda, hang in there. Okay? I’m right here,” he said against my cheek.
My fingers tightened around my stomach as the pain intensified until I found it harder and harder to breathe.
Leon placed kisses over my face, and I cried silently.
I was stupid…so so stupid.
“Don’t leave me, Lynda,” Leon whispered, kissing my lips gently.
Why did I stay away from him for so long? Why did we break each other?
My heart continued to ache as blackness slowly surrounded me, pulling me further under.
I brought my hand up and cupped his cheek. I tried to smile.
I wanted to give him my smile. He loved my smile.
But my lips felt stiff. I tried to speak, to tell him the truth.
Staring into his eyes, I pressed my palm against his cheek, willing him to understand what I couldn’t say.
I love-
My hand fell away, too weak to hold it up any longer. I lost sight of Leon and everything else as I was thrown into pitch blackness.
I went numb. All feelings were gone. Nothing hurt…I felt nothing.
As I succumbed to oblivion, I wished I had a chance to say those words to the man I truly loved.
I love you.