"I assure you that when this life ends

And dust settles,

I will find you in the next,"

•

•

•

Echo faded as a disorientated Aiden leaned back into the wall beside me, wheezing for air with his head limp on the wall, I skimmed aside the wall only for them to fire none stop shots at me, we were exhausted and mere steps away from the last staircase leading to the terrace, it was the only place left to check, I could feel the trail of blood slipping into my shirt from the cut I received on my shoulder, inhaling deeply one last time I tried again.

I peered through and Mr Kumar took advantage to finally shoot the last standing man guarding the staircase, a loud thud summed the damnation of the last impediment as we made our way to the ninth floor, it was quiet unlike the rest, with nothing but occasional beeping sounds coming from the empty security room, we were going through the floor, looking for any kind of indication that we are searching the right place when a loud gunshot derivated our attention to spark, all of us pointed our guns in different directions, looking for any sort of moment.

But the next thing we perceive is a loud scream and that's all.

I didn't comprehend Mr Kumar snarling at me to stay back as I crossed the silent hallway in mere seconds, my feet thudding across the dire floor as I rushed up to the terrace, I could hear plenty of footsteps behind me but all I cared at the moment was to somehow reach the f*cking outcry.

Rushing over the staircase I barged into the heavy metal doors, wrists hurting from the force as I slammed them open to meet the heavy darkness prevailing in front of me, slowly diminishing to give notion of a scene I never wanted to see.

There she was.

Her brown hair was coated with her own blood as they stuck to her bruised neck, eyes scrunched closed as blood pooled down her, shadowing down her shivering leg following the ghastly gunshot wound on her thigh, little patches of her actual olive skin were barely visible while her once rose-like lips were busted, her forehead marked with a giant cut as she tried to scream but physically couldn't, I staggered to a stop in disbelief, her eyelashes quivered due to immense pain, she was so thin it felt like she would snap in half when her wrists withstood all of her weight, she was barely here and I knew it, she was barely hanging in there, I knew she was at the verge.

I felt my eyes prickling and stinging as I stood there looking at her condition, her leg bleeding profusely while her blood inundated her body as it pooled beneath her, I couldn't bear to look at her, it physically hurt to see her like this.

"S-Shana?" My voice was non-recognisable to me as it slipped past through my lips before my realisation and finally reached her.

Her serene eyes opening in misery, her hazel-green orbs ultimately convening to me, and a small tear slipped through her lashes making a small sob to die in my throat, if only I could take her pain, I didn't recognise I was already staggering to her until another harsh snarl stopped me.

"Stop! se vuoi che veda un altro giorno, allora smettila. (If you want her to see another day then stop)" Heavy Italian cutting through the veil of darkness, forcefully taking his place at the throne even when all factors implied otherwise.

My footsteps halted as my eyes finally curtailed themselves on the man responsible for her condition, the same man who snatched her away, threatened her inhumanely, did horrendous crimes against her, put my Shana through hell, he was the one who started everything, he was the reason of every pain Shana has to go through.

Arcadius Luca Valentino.

He stood there.

Precipitously clutching Angelina in his hold as she pushed to her limit to break free and failed, I couldn't decipher to be shocked by her presence when all I could think in the moment was to make him pay, make him suffer for ever even thinking about touching Shana, I charged in his direction with full intent of killing him only to be pulled back harshly, someone keeping me back from moving forth as I struggled to break free from their hold, my gaze stumbled back to Shana, she was quiet, too quiet, her breathing was ragged and her eyes were closed again, her condition was worsening and I knew we needed to do something fast, I felt my crusade dying slowly inside me at her dying panorama.

"Drop the gun Arcadius!" Mr Kumar pulled my attention back to Arcadius, the man standing proud while he held a malnourished Angelina in his clasp as his power over us, her hair in his right grasp as he yanked her back into him, digging the gun forcefully into her temple for reactions, a small smirk crowing his face as she sobbed quietly in his grip, probably accepting her faith while she trembled uncontrollably, his eyes flickered to me as I slowly came to a stop.

His eyes made me feel anxious, making my senses to overgrow in worry about Shana, maintaining eye contact with him, knowing every single scar on the body of the women I love is his doing and not being able to carve the same wounds on his body was hell, I wanted to slowly drag blade across his body just like he did to her until he was mirroring every scar on Shana's body but I tried my best not to.

I simply couldn't when he was standing so close to Shana, not when he could easily shoot her dead, not when her life was in his hands, I would die if he asked in return of sparing her, my light.

So I watched.

"Good thing you are here, she has a lot to see before starting anew, one of them being your death." His eyes didn't stagger when he told me about his plans, I bit my tongue in resistance of my resentment, blood filling my mouth, inwardly making me sick as he continued nonchalantly at me.

"Last time Arcadius, drop the gun," His overbearing presence tossed by Mr Kumar order, all automatic guns trained right at him but not even an eyelash twitched in his face at the injunction, totally unfazed when his own presence demanded vigilance, ignoring the order he went on.

"Why would I do that, I need to kill this b*tch, then I need to kill him, then only she will forget her and condone me," he wasn't making any sense, everything that he said was twisted like him, killing me I can understand, but killing Angelina wasn't making sense, face contorted into confusion my eyes flickered back and forth between him and Shana, my baby, my life was threading on edge.

Silently watching them scrutinizing each other presence, drinking in everything that either one of then gave off, her eyes swiveling with helplessness as she gazed at him pleadingly.

"Arcadius, y-you promised."

My sanity crumbled.

All air leaving my body in dread as her angelic voice reached me, so fragile that it hurt, it f*cking hurt to see her like this, because I love her this much, those eyes that never begged, did so to him.

Her hair covering her face as she dangled to those damned chains, toes covered with dried blood while her body was void of any colour, she was malnourished and dehydrated, how the f*ck she was talking was beyond me and there was nothing in this whole world that I had wanted more in that moment than to wrap my arms around her.

Only if she had asked something of me I would have left everything.

But her words weren't meant for me, it was for him, the man who broke her, god knows what he did to her, heinous crimes I couldn't imagine were performed on her by this monster and still her words were directed to him, her glistening eyes met his across the terrace, that little voice calling him instead of me, my heart shattered further as I listened to her practically soliciting him to listen, her tone so different from the Shana I knew, it was broken, damaged beyond repair, void of anything but plea as she tilted her head to look at him.

How do I f*cking tell her that I am ashamed how I break for her, when she is not around I ache for her, how I sit around and wait for her, I couldn't tell her that she was the bane for my existence.

Why is that I'm standing right in front of her, and yet she is missing me, she don't need me, she would never see me.

How do I tell her that I love her like I never loved before?

"Shana...." A mere whisper slipped past me, inaudible to everyone expect me as I ceased my heart from guessing more, silently taking in their conversation.

"I will never lie to you baby, I will kill him like I promised," Arcadius answered, smirking in my direction, glimmering as he took in my defeated expression, he was the very embodiment of evil, after everything I saw and experienced till now was enough to make me sick if I even as much as glance a little too long at him.

"No Arcadius, you promised you will let everything go, we will leave, I promise they'll all leave including Angelina, it will be just you and me lik-" her little voice was overpowered by Mr kumar's angry snarl.

"Agent R I command you to shut the f*ck up before I kill you myself,"

She didn't listen, her voice soft but unwavering as she carried like she was never interrupted, I remained silent, listening to her decision, "...like you always wanted, we will leave together, everyone here is no threat,"

Every single word of hers was a shard through my heart.

"But that isn't possible Amore, I need to kill him and her, it's absolutely necessary," he retorted, his face contorting a serious expression when he pointed his gun at me and them back to Angelina like he was explaining it to a child, he was adamant on killing even when Shana was ready to risk herself to follow him.

I had never seen more deadlier expression on anyone's face than the shift that Shana's underwent, her doe-like helpless eyes turned into direst siren likes, she visibly intimidated everyone without even correcting as much as her posture, a fatal aura oozing out of her as she deadly glared into Arcadius's eyes.

"And if you break yours, I'll break mine, I'll f*ck you.....carry your baby, give birth to it.........,kill it, then I'll kill you before I kill myself.....I'll end your bloodline...." Her face was void as she uttered those ghastly words, a single trail of blood flowing down from her forehead cut to her eyelash before dropping into abyss.

".....every single last of them."

Pin drop silence followed when she finished, my mind went blank after hearing the potent deal between them, I couldn't breathe when their every conversation left a viable scar on my very bare heart, I wanted to cry for her but I couldn't, I wanted to scream at her but my lips were sealed.

I clutched my chest as the wound on it stung with pain, visibly and physically ceasing myself from uttering out anything when all I wanted to do was to yell at her until she got her senses back, she can't go with him, she can't accept his deal. Arcadius face was baring it all, he didn't expect this, no one of us did, he didn't expect her to fight back if he don't does as they agreed, he wasn't accustomed to Shana, he was here for Ivory, Ivory that don't exist. she was drenched in her blood as she let out the phrases, having power over all when she was this vulnerable.

"Lascia cadere le tue armi, stronzi (Drop your weapons)"

Before anyone of us could retort or utter another word, a sharp yell pulled our attention back, half of the gun pointed in Arcadius direction changed their path to point back in opposite guidance, the latter already edging theirs towards us as everyone stilled in their positions.

What the f*ck was happening!

Everyone was silent before thick Italian fazed the air.

"Come osi dire queste parole? (How dare you speak such words)...." His bloodshot eyes darted at her diminshing body as she hung her head low, not able to stare up for long, slightly tilting his head as he yanked Angelina back, digging his gun in her temple, daring her to enunciate even a whimper, ".....non ti ho dato scelta, mi darai un erede, non mi interessa se dovrò metterti incinta ancora e ancora, vivrai con me ( I didn't give you a choice, you'll give me an heir and I don't care if i have to knock you up again and again, you will live with me, )...." His eyes wandered over the length of her bruised body, a sadistic and void smirk overcame his lips when he finished,".....se lo farà essere come mia regina o come mia puttana sarà deciso da me. (whether it will be as my Queen or as my whore will be decided by me.)

He spoke with lust and disgust pinnacling his voice, confusing most of us but I understood every single syllable leaving his mouth and and so did she, I could tell by the whimper that left her lips that she had experienced worse from him to believe this, she may appear deduced and strong but I knew that she was afraid of the things Arcadius could and would do to her, and it burnt me with bitterness.

"You f*cking bastard! I'll kill you!" I snarled at him, not able to keep it down anymore, guns trained at my head, waiting for their boss' order who wasn't at all affected by anyone here, Aiden pulled me back with all his might, his fingers raggedly clutching me down, Arcadius on the other hand continued to glance at me in amusement, his lips turning up to form a disgustful smirk, his fingers adjusting themselves more violently into Angelina's hair as he shoved his gun in Shana's direction, freely saying anything he wanted since his men were already outnumbering us.

He knew he had already won, triumphly glancing at her all while orchestrating his words at me.

"I had f*cked her before you, times I couldn't remember I had cummed inside her while she begged for more, she was mine first, I loved her first, I f*cked her first, she loved me first, It has always been me, it will always be me! You think you love her? You don't know half as much as I know about her, she f*cking loves it when someone show her her place, and I am more than happy to take up the responsibility, so I suggest you to stay back until you are getting to live because I'm. Being. Merciful." His tone degrading the women he proclaim he loves, beating her until now that she is edging towards her death.

It is not love that he seeks, it is possession.

"You know nothing of her," I affirmed in retort.

Is this how he treated her, claiming to love her all while tormenting her to this, I couldn't make myself think of the torture Shana had gone through when she was trapped here alone with him when he wasn't leaving her alone in front of so many people, did he touch her? I didn't wanted my mind to go there, I couldn't physically take it if he really managed to and finally did all those things he promised me he would.

Shana was tremoring in her place, her fragile body slowly slumping more as she continued to lose blood, I could feel the present nerves soaring slowly in me as her condition worsened with time, in my heart I knew that rescuing her from here was impossible, Arcadius had too much advantage and our only leverage was his f*cked up infatuation for Shana and our guns oriented at him, and if begging him for keeping her alive was the only option I had left then I would take it in a heartbeat.

I opened my mouth, crushing every feeling inside me to let out the syllables, to keep her first, to fight for her. "If you ever felt a single ounce of love for her then please, save her," I kept on glaring straight at him, contemplating his reaction, nails digging into the flesh of my hands as I impatiently waited for his response.

I found myself at loss when another sob countered my suppressed one, her broken voice echoing in the dead of the night as she glanced at me helplessly.

"Xavier..." She whimpered, her voice so torn as if thousands of glass shards wrecked at once to pierce through her as she tried to let out words, I felt a single tear threatening to slip past my lashes as I listened to her, quickly brushing it away and shifting in her direction only for Arcadius to snarl in fury.

"Who allowed you to talk to him Amore?"

She didn't comprehend his words as her sobs raked through every last cell of my body, burning them into ashes with her agony, "Xavier...leave me."

Those words were enough to make me restrain on the breath in my lungs as I waited silently for anything further, anything that departs her delicate lips that ascertain that she didn't wanted me gone, that even if she didn't love me she still wanted me here, that those moments we shared were more than what Arcadius claimed them to be, more than mere schemes of his plans.

More than the heartache I was feeling.

It wasn't supposed to end this way, we were supposed to be happy, it was supposed to be more then determined eternities that Arcadius planned.

But who was I fooling? It was more, it was more for me, I fell so deep for her that it is impossible for me to ever be out again, I didn't see the ever glowing women, I had encountered her in tears more than I had ever seen her smile, I saw a woman behind those sparkly overshadow, the women who loves unconditionally and lives fiercely and I slipped, I tried to withhold but instead every time I tried she enthralled me more, and I loved her more. I was the only one foolishly trapped into his schemes, I wanted her with my every being and yet she didn't want me, I was the burden, her obligation.

I was the only one who loved wholly, endlessly.

I felt my knuckles slowly commencing, carelessly dropping on my sides as her words settled in, tear after tear dropped on the concrete floor beside my feet, I couldn't think nor could I breathe as I remain staring at her mesmerizing hazel-green eyes, seeing them glistening with determination as she gazed back at me.

Silence between us stretched endlessly, fading away only when I finally gulped down the rock in my throat to utter out

"Is that-Is that really what you want?" dreading her response as her eyes never once flickered from me.

Say no,

please just say no.

I love you.

"Yes,"

I closed my eyes, forcefully exhaling as I endeavored to keep the wail in, her answer shattering my already crushed heart.

I try to deny it but it was complicated.