Chapter 2
I opened my mouth to say something, but before I could get a word out, he roughly shoved me aside.
I lost my balance and crashed hard to the floor, my palms and knees getting cut by the shards of glass scattered everywhere.
Sharp pain shot through me, and blood started pouring out.
But Brixton didn't even look my way.
He dropped to his knees beside Diana, his voice shaking with a panic I'd never heard from him. "Diana, are you okay? Don't be scared. I'll get you to the hospital right now."
Diana threw herself into his arms, sobbing. "Brixton, my head hurts so much."
Without a second thought, Brixton picked Diana up bridal style and strode out, never once glancing back at me.
But I was suffering too. The suffocating pressure in my chest was so overwhelming that I was about to pass out.
I reached out, trying to call out to Brixton, but my throat had swollen shut, and not a single sound escaped.
Brixton marched off with his bodyguards, his back cold and ruthless, totally ignoring me.
Finally, the crowd around me noticed something was wrong, seeing me lying in a pool of blood.
"Oh my God, she can't breathe."
"Call an ambulance. And get the family doctor here, now."
"Mrs. Flores, hang in there."
I couldn't hang in any longer. As my eyes closed, I caught one last glimpse of Brixton's back as he disappeared through the front door. One last, subtle pain stabbed through my heart.
It was the final tribute to the love we once shared five years ago.
From then on, it was all over.
The countdown to my escape had already begun.
Ever since Diana moved into the estate half a month ago, I'd been plotting my escape.
Honestly, slipping past Brixton and breaking free from his control was no easy feat.
I set my sights on the Victoria, a luxury cruise ship that would be leaving in seven days.
It was a grand voyage across oceans, and when the ship hit the roughest part of the ocean, I'd use a stand-in I'd arranged to stage a fatal fall into the sea, faking my death and slipping away for good.
Everything was set.
All I had to do was play nice with Diana and lay low, waiting for the day.
But no matter how carefully I plotted everything, I never expected tonight to turn into such a disaster.
After they rushed me to the family's private medical room, the doctor gave me an allergy injection.
As the meds started working, I passed out and had the best dream ever.
In my dream, Brixton wasn't the mafia kingpin yet. He was a low-level enforcer on the streets of Ravenport, barely scraping by, shaking down shopkeepers.
That winter, the two of us wandered past a pawnshop window.
I found myself lingering in front of the glass, eyes glued to a delicate diamond ring on display.
He leaned in close, his nose bright red from the cold, and asked, "You like it?"
I shook my head, trying to act nonchalant. "It's nothing special, way too pricey anyway. It looks like my grandma's old thimble, that's all."
He didn't say a word. He stared at that diamond ring for a long moment, as if trying to commit it to memory.
On a day not long after, he barged in, reeking of blood as he burst through the door of our rented apartment.
He held an expensive red velvet box tightly in his palm.
Inside was the very same diamond ring I'd been eyeing that day.
He dropped to one knee, holding up the ring, his voice hoarse. "I'm sorry, Cattleya. I should've given this to you on our engagement day, instead of making you wait all this time."
To get the money for that ring, he stormed into a rival gang's underground casino all by himself, risking his life for the commission.
I stared at the blood on him, covering my mouth to keep it together, but the tears kept coming. "You idiot, are you crazy? Even if you proposed with a pull tab from a soda can, I'd still say yes and be over the moon.
"You didn't have to go and risk your life for this. There's nothing in this world worth you putting your life on the line for."
But Brixton shook his head and hugged me tight.
His heartbeat echoed through me, making mine race as fast.
He kissed my hair, his voice soft and gentle. "Don't cry, Cattleya. You deserve the very best. You've given me so much happiness, but I've got nothing else to give you.
"This ring is the only way I know to show you how much I love you. So, accept it, will you?"
That day, he slipped that blood-stained ring onto my finger, and promised I'd never have to cry again.
The dream faded fast, and I snapped out of it.
As reality crashed back in, everything that had just happened came rushing back to me, my heart still pounding, nerves shot.
I pressed a hand to my face, still warm. At least I hadn't met my maker yet. I was still alive. I breathed a sigh of relief.
But as I was about to pour myself a glass of water, I turned around, and there he was, Brixton, staring right at me.
He was standing by the bed, his gaze shadowed and intense. I had no clue how long he'd been watching me.
He got right to the point. "Why did you attack Diana?"
I paused, trying to figure out why he wasn't at the hospital with Diana instead of here.
But I didn't bother thinking too much about it. I gave him a weak, careless smile. "She rubbed me the wrong way, so I went for it. Do I need your permission to put an undignified mistress in her place?"
I said it deliberately, to see how he'd retaliate for his precious new fling.
But he just frowned, not really reacting at all.
Then, out of nowhere, he walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. He brushed his hand lightly across my forehead and asked, "Are you feeling any better? Why did you suddenly have an allergic reaction?"
His sudden concern caught me off guard.
But the next second, I turned my head away with obvious annoyance, dodging his touch. "Don't touch me. Your hands are filthy. Who knows what kind of germs you're carrying? Stay the hell away from me."
Brixton looked at his hand, his face instantly turning cold and stormy.
He snapped, like a beast provoked, grabbing my chin and slamming me down onto the bed, crushing his mouth to mine in a rough, punishing kiss.
"Let me go, you animal!" I kicked and struggled, biting his lip hard, desperate to fight him off.