Ephemeral //H.S

The last chapter

A.N: this is almost 19 000 words, so take your time, take breaks if you want and come back to it later. Sorry..

-Lucy Urbinati-

I watched as Antonio discreetly went through the kitchens to leave the building without being noticed, a small smile on my face because I know that he'll go home to Mariah and he won't ever have to work for my grandfather again. He and his family will get to live happily without worrying about having any debts anymore, he'll get to have a normal job, his kids will get to go to a normal school without them having to worry about their safety. And I'm just glad I could do one good thing tonight, because the rest of the night won't be this easy. Once he's out of my sight I quickly glance over my shoulder to meet Matteo's eyes, he seems nervous so I nod at him before turning away and slowly walk up the grand staircase. Everyone here is too drunk or too deep into conversations to notice me so I don't get interrupted as I walk up the stairs to the main level and out of anyone's sight I walk up the other set of stairs to the first floor where I know Marco is waiting for me.

My heart is beating in my throat. Once I reach the first floor I enter the corridor to be met with three doors. I know he's in one of them, waiting for me, minutes away from his death. I stop in my tracks to take a deep breath and try to tame the trembling of my hands. I can do this, it's all I've been waiting for. It'll be over soon. I start walking towards the door the closest to the elevator since that's probably where he is, but in barely a second I feel hands wrapping around my waist and lifting me up to drag me backwards.

I gasp in shock, I don't even have time to panic that my hand immediately reaches for the knife inside my dress, I don't even scream for help because there is no time, I'm being dragged inside a room I didn't even notice I was standing in front of. Out of reflex I lift my foot and use the doorframe as leverage to push as hard as I can to make them fall backwards, they hit a wall behind them with force which makes their arms release me, and without thinking I throw my elbow out behind me to hit their face.

I can't see anything because this room is pitch black compared to the corridor and extremely small, almost like a closet or maybe a really narrow corridor. I quickly turn around to face them, all I know is that they are taller than me from how high I was lifted up, but I can't fucking see anything. I manage to see the shadow of a man's body, my blood boils in my veins and rage seeps through my pores when I see him holding onto the side of his jaw and grunting in pain. Whatever he wants he can't make me waste any time.

"What the fuck do you want?" I spit in anger and my fist is flying to strike again but he ducks and my knuckles hit the drywall behind him, I feel the burn of my skin breaking and the ache because of how hard I hit. I clench my teeth to swallow my pained scream almost certain that I broke something in my hand. "Fuck!"

I feel him trying to grab at me again, I think he says something but my heart beat is too loud for me to hear his voice. Out of instinct I grab the other knife before pressing both of them against the sides of his throat, and he stops moving. He doesn't even try to hit me, or to push me away. I don't move, the sharp blades are pressing against his skin as we both breathe heavily. It takes a while for my eyes to adapt to the dark room only lit by a small window high up on the wall, and for my hearing to go back to normal.

"Who are you?" Breathing heavily I press the blades harder against his skin, and suddenly my heart stops beating at the sight of his eyes.

"Belle." His voice resonates in the small room, it travels through me at lighting speed and sends my heart into tachycardia. My face falls, I stare into his eyes, but my entire body is stuck into place, my hands are shaking around the knives handles but I can't seem to take them away from his throat. His eyes are scanning my face, wide and so bright they could light an entire room on their own.