CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

From the moment I had entered this house, all I'm doing is crying and running. The moments in Arcadio's mom's house make me cry more thinking about them. The roller-coaster of emotions was flowing through me. I opened the door to our room and banged it shut. For the first time, I thought I love someone, and all they wanted was sex.

Love? The new emotions pierce my heart more. The old insecurities come crashing into my head. I had those stupid novels. Leo was right. I had forgotten the line between reality and fiction. A man like Arcadio can never change for me, and I was stupid enough to think such a thing.

I tightly hold the bed sheet around me and lay down on the bed. I am going to wait until the pain in my chest subsides. Then I will find a solution to this mess that is known as my life. I need to sort this shit as soon as possible, but the throbbing in my head was telling me to wait patiently.

I woke up, and the pain was still present in my head. My eyes were hurting from all the crying. I have to take painkillers before this migraine kills me.

"Look who's finally awake," I shriek loudly at the voice and hold the blanket close to me.

"What the f*ck are you doing here?" I shout at my so-called husband's brother. Romero was standing beside the bed. I tried to calm myself while my hand was on my chest, slowing down my fast heartbeats.

"Told you we should've waited outside," another man's voice comes from behind Romero. I look up to see Valerio leaning on one side of the wall.

"Was there a scare Ellie meeting that I didn't get an invite to?" I yell at them, and their emotionless face remains intact.

"Told you she was the sarcastic queen," I frown, seeing Savino standing behind with a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Well, we don't have time for her sarcastic comments," Roger growls from the door.

"Okay, someone gives me a better explanation as to what you are all doing in my bedroom before I shout so loud that it will echo in this whole place."

"Sweet little kid thinks she can boss us around," Valerio comments from the side.

I roll my eyes, "are you all here to threaten me because I think you forgot who I stay with."

Romero snaps, "we all are here because of that person."

Panic increases in my chest, "what happened to Arcadio? Is he okay?"

"Don't worry, he is very much okay," Valerio smirks while answering me.

"Valerio, don't scare her," Savino says in a warning tone to him.

"No, tell me. Has something happened? Where is he?" I was questioning and scared for him. However, the other side of me was bubbling with anger to even care about him.

"Didn't I tell you that she is a hopeless romantic," Romero taunts, looking at Valerio.

I tighten my fist with anger. "What the f*ck is that supposed to mean?"

Romero sits down on the bed beside me. Now that when he is close to me, I see a few similarities between him and Arcadio. They both even have the same personalities, cold and arrogant.

"I had already warned you, baby girl, yet you didn't listen to me. Now bear the consequences." The conversation between us from the day of the wedding flashes in my mind. It was his warning. Maybe, I should've listened to him.

"I don't think we should take her," Roger announces.

"Where are you all taking me?" I demand.

"Sweetheart, we are taking you to your lover," Valerio moves forward and puts his hand out for me to take.

"Enough with the games, let's go," Romero states. Sighing, I take Valerio's hands.

We all walk in the hallway with me in the middle and the men surrounding me from all corners as if I will run away at any moment.

Slowly we enter an unfamiliar zone. I've never been to this part of the house. This side of the Villa is darker and dimmer. We enter another gate then walk down the stairs that lead us to the basement.

The room had a hint of red which makes it a little hair-raising for me. When we finally reach the floor flashback hits me like a train. Even with the red light, I remembered everything about this room. It was the same room from where those nightmares began.

My feet froze on the spot. The same living room where that guard brought me to Mathew. I remembered his conniving gaze that lingered on me. I felt goosebumps rise all over my body.

Apart from the flashbacks of that day, that is giving me a migraine. The view in front of me shot an arrow through my heart. The unbearable pain again ignited with what was playing in front of me.

Instead of the gory sexual activities that were playing in every inch of this room from my last visit, it was something more horrifying now. I covered my face and held onto the back of a couch, not caring about how many people might have performed sexual activities on it. I needed some support for my wobbling legs.

There were women all over the place, some roaming in undergarments and some none. I was wrong. It was just like before. The only exception was that instead of other men with these women, there was one Arcadio in the center of the room. The shirt he was wearing before was open, and he was sitting down in the center of the room on the couch.

The women, flattering him, surrounding him. Few sitting down at his feet as if worshiping him. One woman catches my eye. Layla! She was handing him a glass of alcohol with a seductive smile. My chest was heaving with pain.

Suddenly I catch her eyes on me. Her smile broadens, and she moves closer to Arcadio. Layla slowly moves her hand over his chest while giving him the glass.

"Stop!" I didn't realize that it was my voice that echoed in the room until Arcadio's widen eyes move to me. Not just him but the rest of the women's gaze move to me.

"Oh, look who is here!" A drunk Arcadio wobbles in my direction.

"Everyone, meet my wife," slurred words come next. A snicker leaves from Layla's lips.

"How can he be so smart but at the same time so dumb?" Roger snickers.

"Doesn't he realize that she is about to rip him apart?" Savino adds.

"Shh, watch the show." Valerio laughs.

"What are you all doing here?" Arcadio frowns at the men.

I glare at him, "don't ask them. I would like to know what the hell are you doing here?"

He smirks and closes the gap between us, forcing me to take a step back from the stinge of alcohol. "Partying, Tesoro."

"Don't call me that!"

Tears brim my eyes, but I stop them by pinching myself. The pain keeps me distracted. "I was right all along. You are a son of a b*tch and the biggest asshole I've ever met. I regret ever saving you."

I take a deep breath, "you told me that you would never cheat on me, yet the first thing you do after coming to this hellhole is cheating with that whore. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You are what you said you are not. You are just like your father."

His hand wraps around my throat as the words slip out of my mouth, choking me. His eyes were blank, and his face expressionless. "I AM NOT LIKE HIM!"

My senses start numbing from the loss of oxygen. Slowly everything around me goes black. All I could hear were mumbling and footsteps surrounding me.