My name is Tara Harper.
Mafia princess.
Thrives in chaos.
Life of the party.
But there's a secret. A secret so ugly, that I hide.
His name is Alec Romano.
Loyal.
Lives in Violence.
Untouchable.
I want him. Will do anything to get him. Problem...
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Time seemed to stretch and slow, each second dragging out in excruciating detail. I stared at Stella's traumatized face, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief. The weight of the decision was almost too much to bear, but in that moment, I hardened my heart, trying to make the impossible choice that Aaron had forced upon me.
With a shaking hand, I raised the gun, my heart heavy with the burden of what I was about to do. Tara looked at me, her eyes filled with a mix of hope and resignation, and in a flash of agony, I pulled the trigger. The gunshot rang out, a deafening sound that echoed through the room.
Tara's body jerked as the bullet struck her chest. Everything happened in slow motion. I watched as she fell to the ground, her eyes wide and lifeless, a look of shock frozen on her face. Her fall seemed to take an eternity, and I was paralyzed, my heart shattering with each second.
Every moment I had spent with her flashed before my eyes—her laughter, the warmth of her embrace, the way she made every day brighter. The realization that I would never experience those moments again, that I had taken them away forever, was a crushing blow. The guilt surged through me, a wave of torment that I could never escape.
I dropped the gun, my hands trembling as I fell to my knees beside her. Tara's lifeless eyes seemed to accuse me, and the pain of knowing I had betrayed her trust was unbearable. My entire life seemed to collapse around me, the weight of my decision crushing me under its immense gravity.
The sound of gunfire broke through my daze, and I looked up to see Lucian charging into the room, his face a mask of fury. He shot Aaron with ruthless efficiency, the impact sending Aaron sprawling. Lucian's rage was palpable as he turned on me, beating me mercilessly. I took the blows without resistance, the physical pain barely registering against the emotional agony.
Lucian's fists and boots landed with brutal force, but I could only think of Tara, of the pain and devastation I had caused. Lucian's rage seemed endless, but I accepted it, knowing I deserved every ounce of his anger.
Through the haze of pain and guilt, I saw Lucian scoop Tara into his arms, his face a mixture of sorrow and determination. He carried her away, and the sight of her lifeless form being taken from me was a final, devastating blow. The room was filled with Stella's anguished cries, her sobs a haunting reminder of the pain I had caused.
As Lucian left with Tara, I was left alone, the echoes of my choices reverberating in the silence. The weight of my actions was a crushing burden, and the guilt of having taken Tara's life was a wound that would never heal. The nightmare of the past moments was etched into my soul, a constant reminder of the cost of Aaron's cruelty and my own failure.
I lay on the floor, the world spinning around me, and I knew that nothing would ever be the same. The life I had once known was gone, and all that remained was the crushing weight of my decisions and the pain of the consequences.
