Tempting Sin

Vicious Encounter

Nevaeh woke up with a pounding headache. A soft groan escaped her mouth as her senses slowly woke up to the splitting pain. It felt as if thousands of needles were being drilled into her brain at once. She tried to open her eyes but the stickiness in her lids made it a difficult task. However, after what felt like an eternity, she at last managed to pry them open. The girl had to blink a few times to clear her foggy vision. With one look around the room, she realized she was alone in the room. Thankfully the lights were on. She glanced downward to find herself lying on the same bed where once that bleeding heart was. Even though the sheets were clean, it was enough to trigger her. Her body turned cold. 

The realization sent her bolting upward which turned out to be a bad move as the pain in her head intensified by the suddenness of movement. Holding up her head, she groaned loudly in response. The door flung open right then. 

"You awake," Jenny rushed over to her side and stood in front of her, not sure what to do. Nevaeh looked at her with her wide, alert eyes.  

"The..the box. Who sent that?" an edge of fear in her voice as she enquired. Jenny swallowed. 

"Someone named Alessandro Barone. He was found dead in the woods outside our villa," she told her in a concerned tone. Nevaeh paled. The revelation was too much to endure. Someone killed him and sent her his heart. Why? It was plain grotesque.

"Why me?" she asked, still in disbelief. She hadn't done anything to anyone then why her? The woman looked away from her and chose to keep her mouth shut. Nevaeh couldn't help but sense something off. 

"Is there something more? You are not telling me something," she prompted Jenny, the weight of anxiety pressed heavily upon her heart. Jenny's gaze darted around the room as if she was looking for an escape. Nevaeh noticed that and it did nothing to help her anxiety.  

"You are hiding something. Tell me the truth," she demanded.  

"Allesandro was murdered..." Jenny paused momentarily, contemplating if she should add more. "And...and the knife used to carve out his heart has your fingerprints on it," Jenny revealed. 

Nevaeh was shocked. 

"What?" she asked, unable to make sense of the news.  

"Your fingerprints were found on the knife," Jenny told her and gave her a sorry look.

"But I...I didn't do anything....I..i don't know how..this is.." Nevaeh groped for the words, she was mentally blocked by the news. Jenny sat down next to her and took her trembling hands in hers. 

"We know. Someone is clearly trying to frame you but don't worry Volkov sir is on your side. The cops had come to take you but he sent them away. No harm will come to you as long as he is here. You don't know how powerful he is. He will take care of everything," Jenny assured her with a faint smile. 

Nevaeh, who had not expected Mr. Volkov to step in, was astounded to hear it. The news even though was relieving, the tightness in her chest was still there. She needed to know who framed her and who visits her room in her absence. 

"I....I think someone visits my room when I am not here," Nevaeh, gripped by desperation, shared her concern. The woman blinked at her. 

"Someone put heart in my room in my absence," Nevaeh added to back her claim. Realization dawned on the woman's face. Her eyes grew round in shock. 

"Who?" she asked. 

"I don't know. I feel a presence outside my room sometimes," tears welled up in her eyes as she reminisced the times she had felt someone's presence outside her door. Whoever the person was, he/ she must be sick in the head.