‘And that’s how he proposed.’ I end of the story.
My weekend with Saint was nothing short of magical. Just the two of us lost in our own little world. We shared laughter, cuddles, and intimate moments that made my heart skip a beat. We bonded over baking and indulged in the heavenly treats we created together.
As the weekend drew to a close, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness looming over me. I wanted it to last forever, but reality beckoned us back.
Nirali wipes her tears and looks at me in disbelief. ‘Who would’ve thought Saint had such a romantic side to him? I never saw it coming.’ I nod in agreement, equally surprised by his hidden depths.
‘Irena, have you been hiding in some secret, mystical realm? You would have been my savior when I first encountered him. This guy was a total jerk, and I was at a loss. Whatever you did to him, keep it up because he’s far less grumpy these days – almost reverent of you like Abel.’
‘Okay, okay,’ I laughingly interrupt as my friend rolls her eyes. ‘But honestly, it’s true. He’s transformed into a new man thanks to you, and it’s all too evident that he admires you in a way that’s both sweet and awe-inspiring.’ With a hint of bashfulness, I take a sip of my drink.
‘When and where is the wedding taking place?’ she inquired. “Morocco,” I revealed, watching her eyes bulge with intrigue. ‘On the sun-kissed shores?’
she exclaimed elatedly, causing me to chuckle. ‘Yes, on the beach, Nirali.”
It’s a sensation that still bamboozles me; the fact that he asked me to spend forever with him, despite surrendering everything else, just to call me his. All it took was a single affirmative answer.
“Nirali,” I began, locking eyes with her as I took a deep breath. I relinquished the mounting anxiety that was slowly creeping up on me. ‘I’m ready to declare my feelings to him.’ I paused. ‘That I love him.’
Nirali clutched my hand with glee, a joyous expression spreading across her face. ‘Irena, this is such wonderful news! It may seem like a small step, but for someone like you, it’s a giant leap. You’re finally letting go of a part of yourself to embrace someone you love,’ she exclaimed.
I couldn’t help but smile at her encouragement. ‘Yes, Saint has been so supportive. He’s ready to lay everything on the line for me,’ I replied, feeling a warm flutter in my chest.
Nirali’s eyes widened in disbelief, her voice quivering with astonishment.
‘You mean…he’s willing to give up the mafia, just for you?’ she gasped, and my heart swelled with fondness for my devoted partner.
‘Yes, he’s willing to make that sacrifice for our love,’ I murmured, my lips curving into a grateful smile.
‘I’m torn, really,’ I confess to Nirali. ‘He’s talking about starting a family, and I’m not sure if I’m ready for that kind of commitment. But then again, maybe it’s the next natural step for us.’ She nods, understanding the weight of my words.
‘For now, though, I think we’ll focus on enjoying the little things, like planning our wedding and creating a life together,’ I say, feeling the warmth spread through my chest with the promise of our future.
Nirali smiles in agreement. ‘Imagine the joy of taking our future little ones on family getaways and watching them grow up,’ she breathes out wistfully, lost in her fantasy.
Just as the air is filled with the excitement of possibility, my phone
interrupts, signaling an incoming call. I grin upon seeing my Saint’s name flash on the screen, and Nirali can’t help but giggle at the happiness that radiates off of me.
‘Hey,’ I answer.
‘Hey Doe, I’m so sorry I can’t pick you up, something came up but my driver is on the way,’ he announces, as the hum of hushed conversation floats by in the background.
‘It’s okay, what time will you be back home?’ I asked. ‘Probably around 10,’ he states. With my heart in my throat and a smile tugging at my lips, I nibble on my bottom lip as I summon the courage to spill my news. ‘There’s something I need to tell you, but I want to do it in person,’ I confess, my nerves getting the better of me.
‘Are you okay?’ he asks, concern etched in his voice, and I can’t help but let out a light chuckle. ‘I’m more than okay, Saint. I just can’t wait to see you.’
The promise of his arrival sends a shiver down my spine, and I feel my cheeks flush as he murmurs, ‘Just a little while longer, and I’ll be holding you in my arms.’ I could talk to him for hours, but I know our time is limited.
‘I’ve got to go,’ he sighs, disappointment coloring his words. ‘But I’ll see you soon.’ He says. ‘Bye Doe.’
‘Bye,’ I whisper, a hint of affection in my tone as I hang up the phone.
‘Your cuteness levels are off the charts, it’s making me nauseous,’ quips Nirali, feigning disgust by dramatically gagging. I playfully nudge her shoulder, rolling my eyes. ‘Shut up.’
Suddenly, my phone buzzes, and a message from Saint flashes across the screen.
Saint: He’s here.
Knowing my ride has arrived, I snatch my purse from the countertop and get off my stool. ‘I have to go. The driver is waiting.’ I inform Nirali, who groans in disappointment. As I make my way to the door, she follows closely behind me. I grab my coat, she unbolts the door, and I step outside into the crisp air.
And there it is a sleek black SUV parked neatly in front of the house. As I approach, the driver gets out of the car and opens the door for me. But before I hop in, I turn back to Nirali and wrap my arms around her in a warm embrace.
‘I’ll text you, okay?’ I whisper, burying my face in the crook of her neck.
‘Okay,’ she answers, with a deep sigh as she pulls away.
As I emerge from the comfort of Nirali’s house, I am met by a biting gust of frigid weather that stings my cheeks. The driver greets me with a hasty nod as I slip into the car, his fingers deftly closing the door behind me. He circles the vehicle with agile steps, gracefully slipping behind the wheel and bringing the engine to life as we depart from the curb.
As I sit back in the plush seat, a small smile spreads across my lips and I press my temples against the icy glass, gazing out at the lifeless trees that blur past us. But as the minutes tick by, my nerves begin to take hold. It’s just three simple words I have to confess to him, so why am I so breathless with apprehension?
All I need to say is that I love him – nothing monumental, right? But despite this knowledge, I let out a heavy sigh of defeat. Why am I making this so difficult?
As I arrive at my house, I am greeted by the silence. I take off my coat and slip out of my heels.
Saint won’t be back for a while, so I have the house to myself for now.
I’m exhausted and just want to sleep, but first, I need a drink. I head to the kitchen and pour myself a glass of wine. As I take a sip, my mind drifts to the image of Krzysztof’s lifeless body lying on the floor, sending shivers down my spine. I don’t feel guilty for killing him, but the fact that I feel nothing unsettles me. I remember that day vividly. Every word he spoke fueled my thoughts. And then, my curiosity was piqued when I noticed the black envelope he had left on the counter.
I wonder what’s inside that envelope?
It must be something important since he brought it with him to meet Saint.
But I can’t shake the feeling that whatever is in the envelope is more significant than I initially thought.
Biting my lip, I refill my glass and head to Saint’s office.
I have an urge to uncover the contents of that envelope because my curiosity is consuming me, and when I set my mind to finding something out, I always uncover the truth, sooner or later.
I push open the door to Saint’s office and switch on the light, revealing the stillness of the room. As I approach his desk, I place the glass of wine on the table and begin searching. I pull open drawers and sift through files, finding background information on people and potential locations for Saint’s business expansion. I analyze his drug trade and illegal weapon smuggling activities. Reaching under the desk, I pat for hidden compartments and come across a gun. Clearing my throat, I sigh and continue my search. After five minutes, I reach the last locked drawer.
Maybe it’s stuck. I exert all my strength to open it, but it remains locked.
That’s when I realize I’ve hit the jackpot.
I quickly leave the office and rush to the kitchen, grabbing a knife before returning to the office.
Now this is where my craftsmanship comes in handy.
Back when I used to live with my uncles. They would always secure their alcoholic beverages in the cupboard and due to my dependency, I would always utilize tools to break into their supply and steal alcohol, replacing it with water so that they wouldn’t notice. They would always change the brand because the taste of it was bland, but they didn’t know that I would refill it with water.
As I used the blade to nudge the drawer open, it didn’t work, but after many unsuccessful attempts, it finally budges.
I toss the blade to the side and pulled the drawer open; my heart sank when I finally saw the dark envelope. I pick it up and opened it, pulling out the documents inside.
I expected more, to be honest.
As I stand up, I grab my glass of wine and take a seat in Saint’s chair.
Quietly, I read through the documents.
My heart sank when I saw my name, and the realization hit me.
This is Saint’s and my marriage agreement.
I set the glass of wine down and continue to read through it, my heart sinking with each sentence as each word fills me with anger and anguish.
As I flip through the pages, everything suddenly makes sense, and everything I believed about Saint is now in question.
I hadn’t realized how long I’d been rereading the agreement until I heard the door creak, and Saint walked in.
I raise my teary gaze to meet his. His smile immediately vanished when he noticed the documents in his grasp. The bunch of white roses in his hands slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground.
‘All this time-‘ I trailed off with my hoarse voice. ‘No, I-‘ I interrupted him by leaping to my feet. ‘Y-you married me not for the sake of your reputation or my family’s, but to exploit me as a means to bear children for my uncles.
To use me for-you were planning to end my life…’ Tears now streamed down my face like a river.
Saint attempted to approach me, but I seized the glass of wine and hurled it at him. The glass shattered into countless pieces as the crimson liquid stained the walls.
‘Irena, I was going to inform you after I terminated the agreement with your uncles,’ he explained. ‘You’re lying, you intended to keep this hidden from me,’ I declared, unable to halt the tears. I grabbed the documents and read them aloud. ‘It is stated here that I, Saint Dé Leon, hereby agree to the terms with the Nowak family to fulfill my obligations and, in return, will receive a payment of 100 million dollars, as well as owning 20 percent of the Nowak family’s organization to expand the French drug trade unit in Poland. The stipulations are to impregnate the niece of the Nowak brothers, Irena Nowak, with a maximum of three children after each birth. And once fulfilled, you agree to take matters into your own hands and eliminate her so that she has no legal rights to claim over the Now business, and instead, her children will inherit it!’ I exclaimed. And as I flip further through the pages I find my medical record indicating my health to have children.
Everything now revolves around Viktor. His actions have started to become clear. He is unable to have children, which is why he repeatedly raped me, just so he could fulfill the agreement. However, since he never disclosed his inability to my uncles, they would dismiss my claims of abuse and rape by my deceased husband.
‘Irena, let me explain,’ Saint says, but I shake my head.
I need to escape from here.
‘No, Saint,’ I say, rushing out of the office with him following behind. I quickly make my way to the door, grabbing my coat and heels before heading towards the garage. Saint grabs my arm and pulls me towards him.
‘No, let go of me!’ I scream. ‘Irena, please let me explain,’ he pleads, his voice cracking.
I struggle in his grip and scream at him to release me, but he refuses, begging me to stay. Beads of sweat form on my forehead as tears continue to stream down my face. I resort to my last option and slap him across the face, pushing him away before rushing towards the board with car keys. I grab a random green key, pressing the open button as a car beeps three times. I press the garage button to open it and quickly make my way to the car. As I enter the vehicle, I lock eyes with Saint. Once the car starts and roars to life, I shift the gear into reverse and back out of the garage without sparing another glance towards Saint. As I drive away from the driveway, my mind becomes overwhelmed with the past and present issues. All the lies, secrets, and betrayals hit me all at once. I don’t know where I’m going, but I just can’t be with Saint right now.
In one fateful moment, my heart was torn from my chest with a single blink as the car careened off the road and plunged into the deep, unforgiving ditch below. My world spun wildly out of control as the bumper collided with the earth, propelling the car into an aerial chaos of death-defying flips, finally landing on its roof with a sickening thud. The windows shattered into a million razor-sharp fragments, slicing through my skin like Swarovski crystals.
In the distance, gunshots shattered the intense silence, pierced only by urgent shouts. As I struggled to regain my shattered senses, I gasped for air, but searing rib pain made it feel impossible to breathe. Dangling upside down, the suffocating seat belt relentlessly squeezed my already tight chest, as I frantically tried to make sense of the chaos around me.
Suddenly, a desperate voice shattered through my confusion, cutting through the deafening ringing in my ears. ‘Get the girl,’ it exclaimed, sending shivers down my spine.
With a wave of pure agony coursing through my body, I shut my eyes as tightly as possible. A sudden slap jolts my senses back to reality, as I spot the silhouette of a figure outside my window, face obscured by a daunting black mask. In front of me lie cold hazel eyes, brimming with malice and menace.
‘Mhm, she’s still breathing,’ growls the voice, deep and rough. ‘Alright, let’s get her out of here.’
Panic slowly creeps in through my veins until I can barely resist. In a weak voice, I ask, ‘Who are you?’ as I swat away the figure’s hands.
With a small click, I hear him mutter, ‘Don’t even think about it, lady.’
With one motion, he pulls me through the side window.
All I can manage now are weak whimpers as my vision starts to fade. ‘No, please,’ I plead, only to be silenced by another cruel blow.
Darkness takes over, enveloping me in an eternal slumber.
