UNTANGLED OBSESSION

Epilogue

Zayn perspective

Finally, after so many hurdles and countless efforts, today's the day. Today, I'm going to marry the love of my life, Vanessa. It feels surreal, like a dream I never want to wake up from. I can't believe she agreed to marry me. I know deep down that she hasn't forgiven me for everything I've done. There's no way she's just letting all of that go. Something must be going on in that brilliant little mind of hers, but honestly, I don't care. The only thing that matters to me right now is that she's going to be mine forever. Recently, i had doubts, but it vanished as she visited my grandfather grave. She's really a kindhearted girl, and that's what i need in my wife. The past few years were hell. When Vanessa was in a coma, I was lost. No one stood by my side, not truly. My nonno died, and I had to banish Chris for killing my child. I don't care what the situation was. he took something precious from me, and I'll never forgive him for that.

On that day, I became the most ruthless capo the mafia world has ever known. I lost my best friend, my grandfather, and a part of myself that day. I threw myself into my work, day and night, trying to track down that bastard Dominic Moretti. He thought he could hide from me, but no one escaped my wrath. I made sure everyone knew what it meant to cross me. I became the embodiment of ruthlessness, the very definition of fear. But even with all the power and control I had, I was a mess without her. I missed Vanessa every second. Days blurred into months, and months turned into years, but she never woke up. I had nearly accepted that my flower wasn't coming back to me. But then, everything changed. Vanessa woke up. I remember walking into her room and seeing her lying there, her eyes open and alive. It was like a jolt of electricity shot through me, reviving a part of me that had been dead for so long. From that moment, I was determined to help her heal, to be the man she needed me to be. I tried to change, to bury the monster inside me, but my love, my obsession, my need to possess her, none of that ever went away. I'm still the same in that regard.

We lost our child, but I'm going to give Vanessa that happiness again. I'll make sure of it. While she was in therapy, trying to piece herself back together, I was out hunting Dominic. I found his hideout, dragged him out of whatever hole he was hiding in, and brought him to my personal hell. I made sure Dominic Moretti understood the price of crossing me. I tortured him slowly, savouring every moment, making sure he knew that touching what's mine would be the last mistake he ever made. I broke him down piece by piece until there was nothing left of the man who thought he could take Vanessa from me. When I was done, I set an example for everyone. No one messes with what belongs to Zayn Malik and lives to tell the tale. Now, everything is as it should be. Vanessa is awake, and today, she'll become my wife. Today, I'll make her mine in every way. Nothing can stop me now.

Vanessa perspective

I stood in the centre of the room, feeling like a mannequin as a team of hairstylists and makeup artists buzzed around me. The air was thick with the scent of hairspray and the hum of quiet conversations. They were all focused, working with precision, as if they were preparing a porcelain doll rather than a living, breathing woman. As they began, one of the stylists gently pulled my hair back, her fingers moving deftly through the strands as she started to curl and pin each section. I watched in the mirror as the waves took shape, cascading down my back in perfect, glossy curls. It felt surreal, like I was watching someone else, not the broken woman who had been through so much. I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on me, heavier with each twist of hair, each stroke of the brush. This wasn't just a wedding; it was a turning point, a final step into the life I had somehow agreed to. I kept asking myself why I was going through with this, why I hadn't run away when I had the chance. But deep down, I knew the answer. I was too tired to fight anymore.

As the makeup artist began to work on my face, I tried to tune out the world around me. The soft bristles of the brush swept across my skin, layering on the foundation, the blush, the shadow. I felt like I was being painted and transformed into a version of myself that looked perfect on the outside, but hollow on the inside. They continued their work in silence, moving with practised ease, creating an image of beauty and grace. My eyes were lined with a delicate flick, and my lips painted a soft, muted pink. I looked at the reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the person staring back at me. Was this really me? The woman who had been through hell and back, who had lost everything, who was about to marry the man who had caused so much of that pain? My thoughts kept drifting back to the past, to everything that had led me to this moment. Zayn had been relentless, and no matter how much I hated him, I couldn't deny that part of me was still drawn to him.