The plane touched down at the airport in Milan yet Aaron still couldn’t come across a reason to why she did this. Throughout their four years of relationship he had been true to her, cared for her and respected and treated her with dignity.

Despite his temper issues he had never raised his voice at her when they were together. Unlike her who was barely been there for him, he was always a call away, even flying out to other countries at midnight when she missed him and needed him. He had never done anything to harm her.

Aaron got off the plane and was greeted by a security team and a chauffeured limo.

“Good evening Sir. Welcome to Italy. Signore Bianchi is waiting at your villa. He was getting the house ready at your last minute notice”

“Okay thank you” Aaron said as he climbed into the limo and rested his head against the leather seat.

They reached the villa shortly and Aaron was greeted by Antonio Bianchi, the manager of his casinos and hotels in Italy.

“Hope you had safe flight here Sir” Antonio said as he shook hands with Aaron.

“I did.”

“How long are you planning to stay if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I am returning tonight” Aaron had tried reaching Elaine’s phone to inform her after he had gotten her message about her adress but it went straight to the voicemail. He had explained everything to her and apologized, promising to return as soon as possible. At the latest he would be able to make it back home in the early hours of morning.

“Now Antonia you have the information I had asked for?” Aaron asked as he walked in to his house. He had bought this villa when his first casino had received amazing reviews upon the opening. After that he had expanded all over Italy, also opening several hotels.

“Ms. Miller is staying at The Hilton. At the moment she is at the conference but she will be back by evening at her suite.”

“Good” Aaron said and dismissed Antonio. He needed a shower and a strong drink to prevent his head from exploding.

It was late in the evening when Aaron’s limo pulled out The Hilton. The chauffeur pulled open his door and Aaron stepped out and strode into the hotel. He radiated confidence and power in his charcoal grey custom made Armani suit which amplified his muscular body.

Within in minutes he was being led to Olivia’s suite. She pulled open the door, poised and immaculate as ever.

“I was expecting you Wade.”

Aaron clenched his jaw and stepped inside, ignoring her greetings.

Olivia looked at the seething man who had been the best lover she ever had. He had everything a woman would want in a man, power, charm and stunning good looks. Right now he looked as handsome as ever in his suit and white dress shirt with no tie and the top two buttons open exposing his tanned skin. She could smell his signature cologne. Oh how she wanted this man but she had her priorities. This was her last chance at glory.

“What was with the press conference fiasco? Aaron gritted out as he faced her.

She stood her ground and leveled his glare.

“It got out. The news of my abortion got out. What was I suppose to do? I can’t get pregnant while the pageant is going on and a woman who has given birth cannot participate in the pageant but that doesn’t matter because this is my last chance. I am turning twenty eight in a few months.”

Aaron glared at her disgusted. This pageant was the world to this woman; even an unborn child had to pay with its life for her to succeed.

“So you threw the entire damn blame on me?”

“Why does it even matter to you? This is media, you know how it is. They will move on in a few days and this will be old news.”

“THIS IS FUCKING SICK! YOU ABORTED THE CHILD WITHOUT EVEN TELLING ME AND THEN TOLD THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD THAT I AM THE ONE WHO FORCED YOU?” Aaron roared. He started to pace the room and Olivia took a step back.

“I need to win this!” Olivia shot back at him.

“You know what…I came here to… I don’t even know what the fuck I was thinking. You are just pathetic Olivia Miller. You have put so much at stakes that just imagine if you don’t win this…what will you be left with?”

“DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE SAY THAT” Olivia shrieked. “I will win the Ms. Universe title. No one deserves it more than me. I am meant to win. I have prepared my whole life for this!”

“Say what you want but I am going to fix this mess you made. You don’t get to tarnish my image and walk away Ms. Miller. You have messed with the wrong man and the Wade you knew is long gone.”

Olivia’s jaw popped open and she skittered back. Who was this man? He stared at her with pure hatred and undisguised fury. She should have kept in mind that amount of power this man wielded.

Aaron watched the fear flicker across her face and smirked.

“I pity you.” Aaron said and walked out, ignoring the screaming and crash that followed.

Elaine stepped out of the bath and wrapped a towel around her. She was as excited as a teenage girl getting ready for prom.

“Get a grip Elaine” She muttered to herself but then giggled. Oh to hell with it.

She had messaged Aaron her address earlier but she wasn’t able to get a reply as she had dropped her phone on the pavement and though it was still intact, it wasn’t turning on. She would get it checked or buy a new one tomorrow.

She walked into her closet and pulled out the dress she had in mind since morning. It was a deep blue dress that brought out the blue color of eyes.

She came back into her room and heard the doorbell go off. She glanced at the clock and saw it was only seven. Aaron was an hour early and she still wasn’t ready.

She hurriedly grabbed a bath robe and pulled it on, discarding the towel. She walked down the short flight of steps as she tied the robe. She pulled open the door and gasped.

“You…” she whispered as she stepped back.

“Ciao tesoro” Franco Costello said as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

“Franco…what are you doing here?” Elaine asked shell shocked. This was the first time she had come face to face with him after the day she had ended their engagement after she had caught Estelle and him in the restroom. He never tried to reach out to her and she had only seen glimpses of him as he had once in a while came to pick up or drop Estelle at the hospital.

This was the man she had loved with her entire being until he had replaced that love with hatred in her heart with his betrayal.

“I came to apologize…I am sorry dolcezza. Ti penso amore” He said as he closed the gap between them and caressed her cheek. She slapped away his hand.

“You are two years too late Franco and you miss me? Please go sprout that crap to someone else!” She used to find his Italian endearments swoon worthy when he used to say them to her but now she felt repulsed. She would never be able to forget him for his betrayal and for Heaven’s sake he was a married man now.

“Ah…you still haven’t learnt to control that little pretty mouth of yours have you?” He said as he cornered her between the kitchen and living area.

“Does Estelle know you are here? Leave this very instant. I am expecting someone.”

“A lover?” Franco growled as he pushed his body in hers. Elaine tried to kick him but he had deliberately trapped her legs between his. She fisted her hands and aimed but in a swift motion he grasped her hands and pinned them above her head, immobilizing her.

“I know your feisty side amore. You wouldn’t get away with it with me.”

“What do you want?” Elaine said as she tried to free herself from his grasp.

“I told you, I miss you, I miss your sweet body Tesoro” He said as he nuzzled her neck.

“GET OFF ME!”

“Don’t you use that tone with me” He growled back at her. “Now let us make this quick so lover boy won’t even know. Just one night amore. I have been thinking about you for a long time now. I miss you in bed.”

Elaine almost gagged. He was sick in the head.

“What the fuck are you saying?! Have you lost your mind!?”

Elaine yelled in pain as Franco bit her lower lip, drawing out blood.

“What did I say about language?”

Fear started to creep into her veins. He had her effectively trapped, he was well aware of her skills for self defense. But he wouldn’t force himself on her would he? He was as respectable man.

“Elaine, cheating on you was the biggest mistake I made. After things ended between us I lost everything because of my own foolishness just like you did. You also lost everything because of your own faults.”

“What are you talking about?” Elaine asked, now trying to distract him.

“My license to practice got cancelled and Estelle wants a divorce because I am not longer fit to be her husband. You would have never done this to me would you amore? You would have stood by my side and when I realized this I couldn’t stop thinking about you”

This man was mentally unstable.

Elaine closed her eyes and prayed for Aaron to hurry up and come.

“You would have understood me Elaine. We make mistakes don’t we? You made such mistakes that it cost you your entire family.”

“What?”

“I know how you are the reason your parents died in the car crash. They had asked you to book air tickets but you were grieving our break up weren’t you? They had then decided to go by car and plunged to their death. You called me the night after the funeral. You were drunk out of your mind and you said you should have booked the tickets. See how the small mistakes we make come back to us as something disastrous? You could have saved Will…you knew he had fainting spells…you were suppose to catch his diagnosis before it was too late. But you didn’t…Now tell me isn’t this all your fault?”

Elaine was trembling now. Franco was ripping open her wounds one by one and letting them bleed. It was too painful.

“Now what do you say we make each other forget these mistakes?”

He let go off one of her hand and pulled at the knot of her robe.

Elaine’s mind tried to register the present while it was drowning in the misery of her past. She was responsible for her parents’ death though her therapist had said that it was not her fault…her parents wanted to go on a long drive…

She felt the air hit her body and she snapped back to the present. Franco had opened her robe and was staring at her bare body with greed.

“LET GO OFF ME” Elaine yelled as tears streamed down her cheeks. She could have saved William. How many times had she heard him complain of headaches but didn’t go for a checkup? She should have forced him to go.

She was starting to panic. Her brain was stuck in a limbo between the past and present.

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!” She struggled in his grasp but couldn’t free herself.

“Stay still you bitch” He slapped her across the face and Elaine tasted blood.

Elaine screamed but he grasped her neck in his hand, choking her. He dragged her across the room by her neck and through her on the couch.

“Don’t you dare make a sound.” He growled as he unzipped his trousers. Elaine aimed a kick but he deflected it and back handed her once again.

“Get away from me!!!” Elaine sobbed and tried to move away but he pushed her down and came on top of her, trapping her underneath her. Elaine tried to grab something to hit him with but he punched her on her ribs, knocking the breath out her.

“You want me to make it rough tosoro?” He growled as he ripped of her robe and Elaine screamed.

Where was Aaron?

“Aaron” She sobbed out. She felt drained.

“Your lover isn’t coming. Let me love you tonight”

Elaine spit on him.

Franco cursed and bit her shoulder.

“Let me go” But her plea was falling on deaf ears. She disconnected from her body when she felt Franco thrust into her, her eyes blankly staring at ceiling.

Her brain had shut down from the emotional and physical shock.