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I sip on the bubble tea that Nathalia and I had brought together after hours of shopping. Enzo had given me a black card which meant Nathalia was spending it on every flipping item she saw for me.

My legs were aching more than it has been after weeks of training. This woman is crazy.

"C'mon Lili, we should go shop a little more." Nathalia tries to drag me out of the chair I was sitting in.

"Nathalia, we literally have 40 bags right now." I gesture to the two guards who were struggling to hold all our bags.

Nathalia frowns and crosses her arms.

"Up." She demands as she sends a glare at me.

I slouch more in my seat before giving up and throwing out my finished drink. As I am returning to Nathalia, I feel myself freeze in my spot.

The familiar swept-over blonde hair and lean frame come into view. The same tuxedo that I've washed one too many times. The same cleanly shaven jaw with light freckles displayed over his nose and cheeks.

My breath hitches as I lock eyes with the same horrifying pale blue.

It's him.

No. No.

A flash of recognition and suddenly his posture is straightened out. A devlish smirk begins to plaster across his lips. He whispers something to the man beside him who turns and looks in my direction. Shock flashed across the man's face as he takes in my appearance.

He's here.

"Lili? What's wrong? You're shaking like crazy." Nathalia says, concerned.

I don't hear anything else. The shrilling in my ears is muffling the noise around me. A pain ricochets off the walls of my head as I double over, holding onto both sides of my temples, and let out a whimper. I fall onto my knees as everything that I've suppressed, hid away, tried to demolish comes back in full force.

"Shut the hell up!" He screams into my ear before sending another kick to my stomach.

I fall onto my back as I curl up into a ball to try and protect whatever dignity is left of me. Another kick gets sent to my knees, another to my arm, another to my face.

I reach my hands up to cover my face while my knees are curled up in front of my stomach.

"Who told you to protect yourself?" He yells again.

He leans down to my level before prying both my arms and legs away from my body.

"Stay like that or else you'll get worst than what you already deserve." He warns as he goes to the bathroom.

So I lay there on the cold marble floor. I feel the cool marble against my cheek as I close my eyes to calm my body.

I hear his footsteps come near my face as I flicker my eyes open to see him towering over me with his belt.

"N-no p-please.." I whimper helplessly.

"Shut the hell up."

He slings his arm back and hits me repeatedly with his belt.

"." Whip.

"" Whip.

"" Whip.

"W" Whip.

"" Whip.

It's okay Lila. He loves you. This is what love is.

"LILA" Nathalia screams loudly as I snap out of my trance.

I look up at Nathalia who is looking over at me in concern as my vision blurs from the tears that are now streaming down my eyes. I frantically survey my surroundings only to see that we are both back in the car and Nathalia is racing home.

"Thank god! What the hell happened?" She asks as she scrunches her eyesbrows together.

"I-" Before I can respond two bullets fire at our car, shattering the back window.

"Shit!" Nathalia curses as she fumbles with the car buttons before a phone dialing echoes through the car.

One ring later Enzo's voice fills the car.

"Si?"

"Enzo, someone's shooting at us!" Nathalia yells as she takes out the rope from her belt.

"Where the hell are you?" He booms through the phone.

"I sent you the address, we are coming home. Leave the gates opened for us!" Nathalia yells as we dodge another bullet.

The call ends and Nathalia faces me.

"Switch." She demands as we both switch seats with a slight struggle.

Nathalia opens up the roof window and sticks half her body out. She whips the rope at one of the men who had his gun out the window. The rope wraps around the man's arms and drags him out the car window.

I step onto the gas pedal with full force as I keep swirving to doge the additional bullets coming out way.

Just then the familiar mansion comes into view and I continue to speed even faster.

Damon, Enzo, Lance, and Zion are all running out towards our car with weapons in hand and targeting at the cars behind us. Behind them are addiitonal gaurds who are shooting at the tires of the cars.

I quickly swerve into the parking lot and both Nathalia and I get out.

Suddenly all the firearms ceases and the cars are halted in front of the mansion. Multiple men begin to step out of their vehicles and stand in front of us.

"Lila get in the house." Enzo demands, his voice is filed with anger.

As I was about to run back into the house, someone interrupts us.

"Running already bellezza?"

My footsteps halt as I hear the familar raspy voice from behind me. I hestatingly turn my body and see him.

I start to take in more and more oxygen. My lungs are burning, I can't breathe. No matter how much oxygen I breathe in, my lungs feel as if they are only delfating.

Pathetic. Useless. Worthless. Whore. Disgusting.

"Who the hell are you?" Zion demands.

He chuckles before answering, "Maybe you should ask your dear friend over there." He states with a evil smirk as he points a finger towards me.

All eyes are diverted to me.

"Amore, what's he talking about?" Enzo asks me softly as he looks at me.

I feel my eyes stinging once more as I look at all my friends. They all held soft and conflicted expressions as they looked at me.

"Amore? Wow, I wasn't wrong about you being a whore." He scoffs.

Enzo's face contorts into a scowl as he fires at the man I once knew, the bullet grazing his earlobe.

He lets out a ear piercing scream as he cups his ear.

"You fucker-"

"I don't fucking miss my bullets. Let that bullet be a fair warning to choose what you say to her carefully." Enzo says, venom dripping from every word.

"Fine. I'm Jaxon Milla. Soon to be don of the Milla family and your friend's boyfriend." Jaxon says nonchalantly as he looks intensely at me.

Shocked expressions are etched onto every person's face as they register what Jaxon had just revealed.

"You're delusional. Lils what is this delusional dude talking about." Damon turns to me.

I try to speak. Utter any form of word but I can't. I'm rooted in my position as I continue to stare at Jaxon. He looks exactly the same with more chapped lips and his bright blonde hair is now slightly browning at the roots. His blue eyes are more paler than I remembered.

He continues to taunt me with his smirk and eyes. Every blow, every kick, every insult. I took it all because I wanted to please him. I wanted to make him happy.

"Get out." Enzo states firmly as he keeps his eyes on me.

Jaxon scoffs, "Like hell I am."

"I don't like repeating myself. You have three fucking seconds before I blow your small ass brain out. You being part of Millas will be all the better for me." Enzo calmly says as he continues to hold my eyes.

He's going to hate you. You betrayed him. Who would believe you?

Jaxon lets out a frustrated sigh before signalling his men back into their cars. Before he enters his car he sends a wink my way and pulls out of the driveway.

I let out a breath of air I hadn't realize I was holding as I collpased onto the floor.

Enzo runs over to me and scoops me into his arms.

"I-" I whimper out.

"Shh, get some sleep amore." He says softly as he presses a kiss to my temple and walks us into the mansion and up the stairs.

"I-I'm so s-sorry." I chock out as I feel more tears blur my vision.

I can't look at him. I can't face the disappointment in his eyes.

"Don't." He firmly states as he places me in the comfort of his bed before climbing in with me.

He pulls the covers over us as he takes off his shirt and pulls me flush against his chest.

"Sleep amore. We will talk about it tomorrow."

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