Betrayed

"Guilt is perhaps the most painful companion of death."

-Coco Chanel

–

Collin stared down at the assistant nurse. He was about to lose his patience. However, he was aware that leaving a bad impression would not be suitable for him.

He kept his expression stoic, addressing Leila calmly.

"Did you at least ask where she was going?" he inquired, eyeing the assistant nurse before briefly glancing at the two other staff.

He was aware that only one person was involved in the woman's disappearance. The two others had been tending to the papers and prescriptions while Leila helped the patient.

His day wasn't going how he expected it to, and he did not like it.

Collin quickly checked the time. He appeared unbothered, but he was already brimming with annoyance, anger and everything in between.

"Yes, but she never answered that query," Leila spoke, her tone a combination of both conviction and hesitation.

The man was able to analyze that she may have no regrets about helping the woman escape, but she was not sure if it was actually a great idea.

Collin pressed his lips, putting himself in the woman's shoes. She couldn't have gone far, and she wouldn't dare, given the condition that she was in.

'Running away didn't seem like her,' Collin mused. And even though that was not a far-off theory, how she had looked at him earlier told him she would not openly do that.

'Not when she was dying of curiosity to know what kind of life her sister was leading.'

"It is what it is," the man muttered faintly, turning to the assistant nurse, his expression giving away nothing. "Thank you for your services."

Leila opened her mouth to respond. However, Collin inclined his head, dismissing her reply with a farewell.

The three clinic staff watched him leave. His confident gait left their mouths agape.

"Well," one of the women spoke. "That was quite an encounter."

"Hm," Leila added, her eyes still transfixed on the man that got inside his waiting car. "If he truly cared for her, I'm sure he would know where and how to find her."

–

Blood.

There was blood on the floor and on the man's clothes.

Gia wanted to roughly break free from his tight grip. But his seemingly warm, brown eyes melted away the negative thoughts she had of him.

Yet, that didn't answer the question that floated in her head.

"Who are you?" Gia uttered, not wanting to tear her gaze away from the man's face. His strong, tensed jaw and furrowed brows made him a little appealing to Gia.

It distracted her for a moment, shying away from staring prominently at him.

"It doesn't matter," the man's deep, manly voice caused Gia to gulp nervously. She finally found the strength to pull herself free.

The handsome stranger looked back at the messy room, clenching his hands into fists before turning to Gia.

"You do not need to know who I am. But I'm sure you came here for the same reason."

Gia tried hard not to peek over his broad shoulders. However, the metallic scent of blood wafted through her nose, letting her know that someone was dead.

"Did you kill him?"

The man stared at Gia long enough to make her feel very uncomfortable. But she fought the urge to look away, her sudden curiosity overpowering her confusion.

"Did you kill him?" she repeated, not knowing if they would be talking and thinking about the same person. Yet, for her sanity's sake, she prayed that they were.

"You need to go," the man answered, denying Gia any chance to learn the truth behind the messy room.

She was about to protest, but the sound of footsteps and sirens from a distance killed the argument on her lips.

"If you want to know the truth behind your sister's death, don't ever get caught."

Gia didn't fully understand what he was talking about. However, the footsteps became louder, leaving no room for her to ask further.

The man grabbed her hand and pulled her inside, shutting the door close while shielding her eyes from the gruesome scene.

"I have seen worse," Gia mumbled. But the stranger refused to listen and dragged her toward the balcony.

"Under different circumstances, I would have loved to make your acquaintance," the man whispered, teasing Gia's ears with his hot breath.

She shivered. Any coherent response was not possible. The man opened the balcony doors, looking at Gia for several heartbeats.

She felt his hesitation. His lips moved, wanting to say something. But in the end, he chose to keep his thoughts to himself, pushing Gia away and locking the doors once more.

He even pulled the curtains, glaring at Gia to chase her off.

However, that only infuriated her. She heard the sirens coming toward the brothel, her heart hammering as glimpses of a bright light flashed before her eyes.

A numbing pain from the back of her skull followed the images, forcing Gia to figure out how to climb down from the balcony before her entire body could succumb to the blood-curdling pain she would need to endure for the next coming days.

Holding tightly on the edge, Gia pushed herself up, finding no other way but to jump. It was not that high, yet with her unstable condition, Gia started seeing mirror images.

"Shit," she muttered, swinging her legs before she could change her mind.

Closing her eyes and sending prayers to gods she never believed, Gia pushed herself off. She anticipated to land on the ground, preparing to recoil herself into a ball.

Yet, she let out a gasp, opening her eyes upon falling right into someone's waiting arms.

Disbelief, surprise and fury all jumbled inside her, making her more agitated than ever as she stared into a familiar face.

His arrogance yet dangerously attractive feature was enough to set her off, finding safety but also discomfort under his scrutinizing gaze.

Gia would have squirmed. Yet, at that instant, her body chose to betray her, having exhausted the last bit of strength to fight the pain away.