𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐌

90| N O V A N T A

ALESSANDRO'S POV

"They caught her."

Once upon a time, once upon a year ago, twelve months before, I had released a sigh out of relief, out of what I thought was a victory that day when my men sent back words that they finally had her, they finally caught The Venom after four years, four cursed years with no trace or evidence, but now, now that all changed.

Narcisa was the first to rush his way, assisting him on a seat as he bled over the floor.

I couldn't see where the blood came from, his legs, his arms, I couldn't see, I only saw hers. I only pictured her body lying on the ground in the middle of nowhere, red, darkest red running around her, increasing and expanding as if it were protecting her even as it spilt, splattered and drowned her, killing her so no one else did.

"Three in the morning," He coughed and pushed in the injury, "she snuck out and I was awake, I went after her and then, they showed up."

His eyes filled with tears but he blinked them away, "I-I tried to help her, I swear, but they were a lot. A group of three took me away so I wouldn't report back what happened to her. I managed to escape and couldn't find my way back here. I've lost so much blood, I passed out somewhere I didn't know.

"Hours later, a worker found me and she carried me into their shop. They tried to stick up my wounds but I couldn't sit still, they took her. I watched them seize her and they took her.

"I didn't know if she had a chance to fight back, run away or if it was too late.

"I ran out of the shop, I sprinted here and asked people for directions. It took hours and my arms started itching badly so I knew something was wrong with me. I snatched off the wrap around it and blood dripped all over me but I was here, I recognized the neighbourhood."

His eyes were lowered to the floor the whole time, forcing one word after the other out, pushing and naming each scene he'd witnessed.

"So you're telling me she was in front of your eyes, and you didn't see what they did to her?" Armando screamed in his face and his voice rang back in my head, pounding, raging as it repeated. what they did to her.

They've done, they were doing. They had her, they captured her and if I've felt sad and worried for Emilion and Kira, this, this was wrath and grief.

Silent still wrath made of torment, sorrow and misery. So much anger, so much panic and terror that they broke, they transformed into something stronger, something lethal and fatal.

It had taken over me, devastating my mind, and my strength, slaughtering my skin and fracturing my bones. They all tore, divided and mend at once.

My flesh split and dragged onto another, generating this new shield, new skin and purpose, one singular aim to get her back, dead or alive, she'll be back in her home, with me where we belong together.

Nothing of what they said mattered, the fighting, the arguing and Armando's voice yelling and echoing in her defence, in how idiotic and weak the royal cousin was for leaving her behind, for giving up so easily and lying there defeated and vulnerable.