"How does it feel? How does it feel for you to finally know the truth?" she asked slowly and clearly.
I clenched my hands in my lap as I tried to remind myself to remain calm. I must not play into her hands.
"What truth?" I asked innocently.
"What else? The fact that Raphael is so kind of Mafia Prince and that his entire family business isn’t just about wealth and power, but also about blood and so shady other stuff," Rosabella said as her eyes glead knowingly.
I swallowed hard, but there was no denying that Rosabella knew the truth. And now she knew that the secret had been exposed to , undoubtedly by none other than Josh.
Her directness caught off guard, and for a mont I didn’t know what to say. It was already too late for to deny it, and all I could think about was my poor mother, who was so ignorant of it all.
"You don’t belong in this world, Abigail. You’re such a nice girl," Rosabella said with clear, mocking pity in her voice.
My entire body stiffened as I stared at her from across the table. I wanted to get up and leave, but I knew that wasn’t the right solution. I needed to find a way to turn the situation around-a way to get her on my side or find a way to use her to my benefit.
"You don’t belong in this world, and neither does your dear mother. She is too kind and too loving. You two will never survive in this world," Rosabella said with a firm nod of her head.
"What is it that you want?" I snapped at her.
"Should you really be using a tone like that with soone who is offering to help you?" Rosabella asked before scoffing at .
"You? You’re trying to help ?" I asked in clear disbelief.
Rosabella only laughed a little louder before she stared at directly from across the table.
"I’m here to offer you a way out. If you want to leave-like really, really want to leave-I can help you with that. But ti is running out, and you need to decide soon because Raphael and Bennett won’t be gone on their business trip forever," Rosabella said before smiling calculatingly at .
My thoughts imdiately spiraled out of control when I finally understood the purpose of her visit. Unbelievably, Rosabella was offering a chance to escape the mafia world.
However, it just sounded too good to be true that she was offering to help . I couldn’t help but think this was nothing more than a trap. Rosabella had never hidden the fact that she didn’t want around Raphael. If anything, she wanted gone as soon as possible. I could understand why-from her perspective, I was nothing but a nuisance and soone standing between her and Raphael, even if she was oblivious about our forbidden relationship.
I didn’t want to trust her, but if there was the slightest chance that she could truly help my mother and escape safely from this world... could I really ignore that chance?
As if Rosabella could sense my hesitation, her expression suddenly softened before she reached out her hand and placed it on top of mine.
"I’m not your enemy, Abigail. If anything, I am your friend and your ally in this situation. I know that you’re scared, being thrown into this dangerous and unknown world, and I know that you fear your mother is at risk.
"But that’s why I’m telling you-if you seriously want to leave, I can help you, and I can give you a chance to do so," Rosabella said, looking directly at .
For once, I could sense that her words were genuine. Whether she truly ant well for my mother and or was just doing this for her own personal benefit, it was clear that she was serious about helping escape-if I wanted to.
I stared down at the cup of tea in front of as my thoughts tangled inside my mind in a terrible ss. I asked myself if I could really do it. Most of all, I wondered if I could really leave Raphael behind.
Rosabella reached into her bag and slid a small piece of paper across the table toward .
"This is my number. If you decide you want to escape, call . But don’t wait too long-as I said, ti is running out. You need to make your decision quickly, and I hope you make the right one," she said.
I took the paper with shaky hands. Rosabella nodded her head in satisfaction before sitting back and watching closely.
"Just think about it. Think about what’s really best for you and your mother," she said simply.
As I watched her stand up and leave, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to think about anything else apart from the offer she had just made.
...
Ti was running out.
That night, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling as sleep evaded . I could not fall asleep no matter what because my mind was racing.
My thoughts were torn in two completely different directions. On one end, there was our safety. If I didn’t leave now-if I didn’t take Rosabella’s offer-I might not have another chance of getting out of this life before it was too late.
However, on the other side, I couldn’t stop thinking about Raphael and how much I would miss him.
I felt a deep ache in my chest, one that I hadn’t expected. The mansion felt so empty without him here, and I hated how much I noticed his absence. I closed my eyes as I began to wonder if I could live a life without Raphael.
I tried desperately to block out mories of him-the way he would look at , the way his voice softened whenever he called my na, and the way he held in his arms and made feel safe.
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