I clasped the delicate lace of my bridal gown tightly. The white fabric, meant to symbolize purity, enshrouded me like a funerary veil, suffocating the remnants of my former freedom. I had never imagined my life would lead here, to this luxurious pr...
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My life flashed before my eyes in that moment, and I knew deep down this was the end of the line. The cold, heartless gaze in Alessandro's eyes spoke volumes about the type of man he was - dangerous, ruthless, and utterly without mercy.
"Please let go of me!" I cried out, my voice a jumbled mix of panic and desperation. Alessandro's grip on my arm tightened as he yanked me closer. I felt the cold touch of his gun against my skin as he pulled it out from under his suit vest and pointed it at me.
"No! No!" I cried, disbelief mingling with fear. Tears streamed down my face, tracing cold paths as the bitter truth sank in - there was no escaping this life, no matter where I went, no matter where I hid. "Please, what have I ever done to you? I don't even know you!"
Silence enveloped us, broken only by my choked sobs, until Alessandro spoke again. "Remember when I asked if we've met before? Why did you lie?" His voice was icy, and for a moment, he didn't sound or look human.
"I didn't lie!" I shouted defensively, pure confusion wrestling for control over my thought process. "I've never seen you before in my life! Why would you want to hurt me?"
"Really? Try thinking back to last night. The alley behind your store, around 8p.m. Does that ring any bells?"
As his question resonated through my mind, a mocking sense of amusement glimmered in his dark hazel eyes, cheerfully soaking in my escalating dread. My breath hitched, a gasp escaping my lips as I realized the truth. It was him. I remembered. "Oh my God!" I gasped. This whole thing had to be some terrible dream. A nightmare, that was all. Yet somewhere deep within me, a nagging dread whispered the grim reality: there was no way out.
My mother's voice echoed in my ears, her words repeating endlessly - words I couldn't bring myself to believe anymore, especially not now: "Good people always find a way out." Why couldn't I find a way out then? Maybe I wasn't one of the good ones after all.
"I swear, I never saw your face, and I never told a soul!" I ventured, the weight of my words amplified by a sob. "I'll never utter a word about it, I swear, just please, let me go!"
"You see, Yasenia, you're a loose end, and loose ends must be tied up," he simply responded, the unrelenting coldness of his voice felt bone-chilling. The sick bastard was enjoying this, he was thriving off my misery.
"I don't want to die, please, please..." I pleaded, desperate for any shred of humanity he might possess.
His icy gaze bore into mine as he pressed the cold metal of the gun against my cheek. His eyes held an emptiness that chilled me to the core - there was no humanity left in him. "Don't waste your breath," he said too calmly. "Every breath you're taking could be your last."
His sick amusement pierced through my fear, igniting a fire of rage within me. I loathed men like him, those who thought that just because they had a gun, they had the right to decide who lived and who didn't. If this was how it was going to be, then I too had a gun. Fuck. My gun. I left my bag back at the store.
