Passion's Pitfalls

Chapter 25

           Aurelia rounded the subway, she noticed a shadowy figure standing on the sidewalk ahead. The figure was shrouded in darkness, and it was difficult to make out any details. Her heart pounded as she tried to run, but it was too late. The shadowy figure lunged forward, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the van. She struggled, but the figure was too strong. She screamed for help, but the street was deserted and no one heard her cries. In a matter of seconds, she was inside the van, the door slammed shut behind her. The van sped away, taking her to an unknown destination.

Aurelia was terrified, not knowing what would happen to her next. The men in the van were a blur of dark clothes and shadowy faces. She couldn't make out any distinguishing features, but she could tell that they were all large and muscular. Their eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, and their voices were deep and menacing. They spoke in hushed tones,and she couldn't make out what they were saying. All she knew was that she was in danger.

As the van sped along, one of the men leaned over and whispered something to the others. Aurelia strained to hear what they were saying, but she couldn't quite make it out. However, she heard one of them say,

"No one is going to hurt her." This gave her a glimmer of hope, at least, they'd not harm her. Maybe she could try to reason with them, or convince them to let her go. But as the van continued on its journey, her hope began to fade.

She could feel sharp pain in her arm, followed by a wave of dizziness. She realized that they had injected her with something, and it was beginning to take effect. Her vision grew fuzzy, and her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. As the darkness closed in, she heard one of the men say, "Goodnight, Bella. see you tomorrow morning." And then everything went black.
      
                                         ~•~

As Natasha spoke, her eyes filled with tears. She held her chin with trembling hands, trying to keep her composure. "I want to meet my daughter," she said, her voice cracking. "I need to see her again. I need to hold her in my arms and tell her how much I love her." As she spoke, she felt a lump in her throat, and her chest ached with longing. All she could think about was her daughter and the thought of never seeing her again.

"I know she might not accept me Back, but I really really want to meet her," she continues.

"I know she might not understand," she weeps, her voice breaking. "But I need to try. I need to let her know that I'm still her mother. Even if she can't forgive me, I just want her to know that I love her and that I'm sorry." the pain in her heart was almost unbearable.

Natasha looked up to her sister, Rosa as she approached with a tumblr of champagne. "Here," Rosa said gently, placing the tumblr in Natasha's hand.

"It might not solve anything, but it might make you feel a little better." Natasha took the glass and held it, feeling the coolness of the crystal against her skin. She looked into the sparkling liquid, thinking of the last time she had shared a drink with her daughter.

"Lia will forgive you....it might take a century but she'd definitely do."

Rosa's smile was warm and reassuring, and Natasha felt a wave of gratitude wash over her. "Thank you, Rosa," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I know it might be too late, but I want to try. I need to try." Rosa nodded, her eyes shining with understanding. "Of course you do," she said.
"And I will do everything I can to help you. But right now, let's just have a drink and talk about anything but that, okay?" Natasha nodded, taking a sip of the champagne and feeling its fizzy sweetness on her tongue.

Rosa asks about the court case while Natasha just went off.

"let's just talk about something else," she suggested, sensing that Natasha didn't want to talk about it. "How about the latest celebrity gossip? Or that book you were reading? Or even that new show on Netflix?" Natasha smiled and nodded, grateful for the distraction. "I'd love to talk about something lighter," she said. "Let's start with celebrity gossip. What's the latest in Hollywood?"