Marcella's POV
The door swung open again, followed by the sound of footsteps and a familiar voice that sent a chill down my spine.
“Boss, I swear I thought she was dead,” Paulo said, disbelief thick in his voice. “I was right behind her! I saw the bomb go off with my own eyes. How the hell did she survive that?”
I clenched the sheets beneath me, my entire body trembling as I listened.
“She’s always been annoyingly lucky,” Titus replied, his tone filled with irritation. “But this time, it doesn’t matter. She won’t be lucky for long.”
My driver? This man who would’ve been six feet under if not for me. He was about to be killed by one of the mafia gangs he worked for, and I saved him.
I gave him a roof over his head, paid him more than I’d pay any actual driver, treated him like family—and this is how he repaid me? By plotting my death with my husband?
“I took care of the remains,” Paulo said quietly, his tone cold and detached. “Just confirming before I leave town.”
The remains? My stomach twisted painfully. What did he mean by remains?
Titus let out a mocking sigh. “You planted the bomb exactly where I told you?”
“Yes, boss— I swear I did it, I don't know how she survived it boss I—”
Titus cursed under his breath. “Keep your stinky mouth shut before I blow your brains out. She's supposed to be dead! But here we are, back to square one”
My nails dug painfully into my palms beneath the covers as rage boiled beneath my skin.
“So…boss, my payment?” Paulo asked after a moment. His voice was light, as though we weren’t talking about someone’s life. About my life.
Titus leaned back in his chair, a cruel edge creeping into his voice. “Five million was the deal, wasn’t it?” He let the silence linger, drawing out the tension.
“Yeah boss, you know I need the money for my mother's surgery,” Paulo replied warily.
“Well,” Titus said with a humorless laugh, “unfortunately, you didn’t do your job.”
“What?” Paulo’s voice sharpened.
Titus leaned forward, his voice deadly calm. “You had one task—one—and you screwed it up. She’s still alive, Paulo. And you know what that means?”
Paulo swallowed audibly. “I… I saw the blast! I don’t understand how—”
“Save it,” Titus cut him off coldly. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to leave this town. Now. And if I even smell your pathetic existence anywhere near here, or if you breathe a word about what we did, I’ll make you wish you never crawled out of your mother’s womb.”
Paulo sucked in a sharp breath, but Titus wasn’t finished.
“In fact,” Titus added, his voice as smooth as poison, “I’ve already sent a little farewell package. Let’s just say your dear old mother won’t be waiting for you when you get home.”
“What did you do?” Paulo’s voice trembled. “Boss— don't tell me you did what I think you did boss — she's the only one I have boss”
Titus smiled—a cold, wicked sound. “She’s dead, Paulo. I chopped her into neat little pieces. Consider it a parting gift—and a reminder of what happens to people who disappoint me.”
A part of me broke at that moment, like glass shattering into countless sharp fragments.
This was no accident. It had never been an accident. My heart raced painfully as the dreadful reality set in—Titus, my husband… Vynessa, my sister… even Paulo, my loyal driver.
They had conspired against me. They had plotted my demise. And I had placed my trust in them, loved them, completely unaware that they were the ones holding the knife to my back.
I wanted to scream, to weep, to take some action, but I was frozen, unable to move or speak. I had to remain silent. I needed to hear it all.
“One more thing,” Titus commanded, his tone sharp and authoritative. “Remove her womb.”
The doctor gasped in shock. “What? Sir, that’s—”
“Do it,” Titus ordered, his voice harsh. “She’s a distraction. I never truly loved her. With Vynessa pregnant, Marcella is of no use to me.”
Tears flowed down my cheeks as I lay there, powerless. I had loved this man. I had given him everything. And he had broken me beyond repair.
The doctor hesitated, but Titus wasn’t finished. He seized the man by the collar, his voice dangerously low. “When she wakes up, I want her empty.”
I felt a sharp prick as a needle entered my arm.
I fought against it, desperate to stay awake, but my body betrayed me. My eyelids grew heavy, and my vision faded.
As darkness enveloped me, I felt a breath against my ear.
“Sleep now, Marcella,” Titus whispered, his voice laced with twisted amusement.
“And when you wake up, your nightmare will truly begin.”
