BOOK 2
Trapped within the iron grip of the notorious Morroto family, Veronica Garcia's fate hangs precariously in the balance. Days bleed into nights in the suffocating darkness of her prison, where despair threatens to consume her spirit. Each pass...
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IGROAN, staring at my reflection, eyes burning with frustration. My hands grip the edge of the sink, knuckles white.
How could the love of my life betray me like that? Lie to me, steal from me-after everything we've been through? I clench my jaw, the weight of it pressing down on my chest. The reflection looking back at me feels like a stranger.
She could've told me anything, trusted me with the truth. But she chose not to. That choice... it cuts deeper than any betrayal. I thought we had no secrets, no walls between us. But now, all I see is the distance she created.
I hate her.
No, I don't.
Nothing in my wretched existence has ever cut me so deep. You could drive a dull blade into me a hundred times and I'd stay stone-faced, not a tear to shed. But this-this is beyond measure.
I love her so much, it hurts.
I slam the bottom of my clenched fist against the sink, the sound echoing through the empty room. Why did I ever utter those words to her? Regret gnaws at me, a bitter reminder of my own weakness. I should have known better.
I run a hand through my hair, frustration evident in every movement. I told myself I wouldn't care if she were tortured or if she dropped dead-that both scenarios would leave me indifferent. But deep down, I know they were nothing but filthy lies.
I'd rather face the agony of being skinned alive, the brutal maw of a lion, the searing bite of a venomous snake, or the relentless pursuit of a shark. Hell, I'd slit my own throat before I'd ever watch her endure torture or slip away. The thought of her suffering is a wound deeper than any pain I could ever imagine.
If she were to die, it would tear me apart from the inside out, leaving me a hollow, relentless force driven by a seething rage. The void would swallow everything I am, turning my grief into a dangerous, all-consuming darkness that no one would be safe from.
I stare at my reflection with disgust, clenching my jaw until it feels like it might shatter. I love her so damn much that I'd drive a knife into my own heart just to see her smile, or set the world ablaze to hear her laugh. She's not just any woman-she's a fucking goddess to me.
She deserves the entire world, and yet I spat out those despicable words to her. If anything were to actually happen to her, I can't even begin to fathom what I'd do. The thought alone drives me to the edge.
I crack my knuckles before stepping out of the hallway, my gaze locking briefly with Miguel and Felix in the living room. As I start towards the stairs, I catch a flicker of something in Felix's eyes before he quickly rises from his seat. Just as I begin to ascend, Felix's voice cuts through the silence, "Whoa, whoa, whoa-hold up, where you going, bud?" His casual tone barely masks the creeping panic in his eyes.
