My death shall set me free

ALINA

My hands fiddled with hem of my gown as I trudged downstairs. Diego's sinister plan played in my head non stop, resonating through the walls of my ears.

My mind had been perturbed through out the day. I had lost all appetite to eat and I was so engrossed in figuring out how to stop Diego from succeeding in his plan especially as Dante didn't believe me.

He said he would kill Dante today and more especially he will do it right in Dante's house, right in this mansion.

But how? How would he pull that off in this heavily guarded mansion?

This place had such a tight security and I'm sure a gunshot was enough to send all the guards on a shooting spree.

Definitely he wouldn't be as stupid as to shoot Dante in the midst of his guards? Diego was clearly outnumbered. He would be dead in a nano second and the sight would be too gory to even look at.

So how was he planning on killing Dante in this mansion?

Guards paroled the area, they were placed in every nook and cranny of this mansion so how does Diego intend to kill my husband with so much guards around?

Frustration overwhelmed me and fear settled in my features. Diego was coming over today and I was completely lost on how to stop him.

"ALINA!" A distinct deep gruff voice snapped me out of my bleak thoughts.

I jerked and blinked severally, trying to process my surroundings.

I was in the living room and standing right in front of me was an irked Dante.

Why was his facial expression always mixed with rage whenever he spoke to me.

"I've been talking to you. Where has your fucking mind been?" Dante distastefully asked me.

My eyes drifted towards the clock and on seeing it, my heart sank.

Time moved so fast today that I hadn't even realised it was already eight pm.

Fuck.

I narrowed my eyes back at Dante and he seemed more angry than he was some seconds ago.

"What the hell is wrong with you Alina?"

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" I inquired absent mindedly.

Dante had his features perplexed at me. Coming over to me, he pulled me up from the sofa with such an iron grip that I shrieked.

"I have no idea what is going through that mind of yours but Diego is coming over today and we are going to finalise a very important agreement. I want you to be out of sight" Dante ordered me.

Just the mention of his name got chills running down my spine.

I had to stop this. It was now or never.

Bracing myself up, I spoke up again, "Dante you have to believe me when I say this, Diego means harm. He wants to kill you today"

"I knew you would say this Alina. Ok fine let's assume Diego is after my life and he wants to kill me today, how would we do that with the myriads of underbosses I have around me in this house?" Dante sarcastically asked.

I was left speechless at his question. I didn't also know how he wanted to pull it off but I knew he would.

"I-I don't know" I answered in a whisper.

Dante chortled before his features changed in a flick to pure rage.

Fisting his hand into my hair, I let out a painful yelp and held on to his hand as he curled it against my scalp.

"Dante stop" I seethed out in pain.

"I don't know what you are cooking up tonight Alina but I won't have you near I or Diego. Diego is like a brother to me and I'll kill you if you dare pull a stunt in the middle of our meeting"

"I'm saying the truth. Why won't you believe me" I hissed in pain as his hold on my hairs became extremely tight and painful.

My eyes were becoming choked up with tears.

"Because I don't believe what ever comes out of your lying mouth. You are the enemy and this marraige is just a contract marraige. You mean nothing to me and your words are meaningless. I despise and loathe you. Everything you do irritates me and trying to frame Diego is literally the last straw that broke the camel's back. When I'm done with my meeting with him then I'll teach you such a bitter lesson you would never forget in your life"

I fought my tears as they threatened to spill out off me.

What is Dante planning on doing to me?

I am only trying to protect him from the real villain--Diego.

Why am I the one getting punished?

"Come here" Dante gritted as he dragged me up the stairs.

"Dante stop! You are hurting me let go!" I yelled in pain but it didn't stop him from dragging me by my hair up the stairs.

I hit and punched him repeatedly but his grip didn't waver even for a second. He dragged me upstairs like I weighed no more than a leaf.

Opening the doors to my room, Dante aggressively pushed me inside.

I hit the ground in such a loud thud, knees grazing the floor on impact.

Painstakingly, I stood up to meet the glaring stares of Dante.

"You are going to be in here until my meeting with Diego is over. Just seeing your face irritates me" Dante scoffed.

"Dante---" I yelled in an attempt to run towards the door but he banged it shut in my face.

The next thing my ears picked was the locking sound of the door.

Oh my God!

Dante had locked me in.

No. No. This can't be happening.

"Dante!" I yelled trying to push open the door by hitting my shoulder against it but it didn't budge.

I gripped onto the door handle and twisted it repeatedly, banging my fist against the door yet nothing.

"Dante let me go out! Please!" I pleaded but I got no response.

How was I going to save Dante now?

Dejected, I slumped against the wooden surface of my door and the tears I had fought to stay in began streaming out in a second.

* * * * * * * * *

My eyes repeatedly wondered to the digital clock placed in my room. I had been stuck in here for an hour already and with each passing second, my anxiety grew.

Now it was at its peak.

What if Dante was dead by now?

If Dante had been hurt by now Diego will definitely come for me next but nothing had happened so Dante was still safe but I couldn't relent.

I had hit the door countless times and I called out to Dante until my throat had become hoarse as a result of my shouts and yellings from here still Dante never came.

Nothing was working. My palms had become so sweaty and perspiration had created an abode all over my forehead.

How can I get out of this dang room!?

Tired, I ran my hands through my hair, ruffling it when my hands grazed upon my hair pin.

An idea crept into my mind and I took out the hair pin.

I could use it and get myself out of here! I was clever at picking locks with hair pins. I did that alot in Russia when father would lock me in my room or keep me grounded.

With a renewed surge of hope on saving Dante, I walked towards the door lock and inserted my hair pin.

I prayed fervently that it would work as I kept on twisting the pin, trying to unlock the door.

After what seemed like an eternity to me, the door finally budged open.

Fuck yes!

I was so ectastic that I leaped for joy.

Inserting the pin back into my hair, I quickly came out of the room.

Time to save my husband and expose Diego for who he really is.

DANTE

"So the Egyptians are willing to accept our offer for the ammunitions?" I asked once again in awe of what Diego just told me.

Diego gave a lopsided smile, "Shocking right? Well at some point we did have difficulties in letting those ammunitions pass through the boarders but a gun always solves the issue" Diego cryptically told me.

I knew what he meant by that. I had ordered them to kidnap one of those mother fuckers and threaten to shoot their families if they don't let our goods swiftly pass the boarder.

Filthy bitches. I pay them so much yet they are trying to act smart with me.

They honestly had no idea who they were dealing with.

"Wow. This is great news. Send word to Marcello. I need him to carry about fifty men and go down to Egypt in order to sign the agreement with the pharaohs"

Diego nodded.

"Now we will have to focus on the production and distribution of the drugs all around Europe and America. I have a copy of the amended contract here" I said to him.

"Dante you love to work. We just finalised a deal with the Egyptians, don't you think it calls for a celebration?" Diego rhetorically asked.

I laughed at his gimmicks. "Ofcourse it does"

"Exactly why I got this. It was actually a gift from the Egyptians" Diego announced bringing out an expensive wine from a gift bag.

"They gifted you wine?" I asked, amused by the gift.

"I asked for it. Egypt has good wine you know. And I honestly can't wait to taste this" Diego replied, standing up and going over to the kitchen for cups.

"You might get tipsy Diego" I advised once he handed me a cup.

"I deserve to be tipsy" Diego laughed as he poured me the contents of the wine bottle.

It honestly looked so alluring.

"To us. On our new multi-million dollar deal" Diego said, racing his glass up for a toast.

"To us" I chuckled when suddenly I heard a familiar feminine voice coming from the stairs.

"Don't drink that!" Alina's voice yelled.

Confused and bewildered as to how she got herself out of the room, I stood in a flash.

Alina came rushing towards us and at once yanked the glass from my hand.

"Alina what is the meaning of this? How did you even get out of the room?!" I raged.

Diego stood up, "Dante I thought you said Alina aint around"

"Alina leave here before I loose it" I ordered, ignoring Diego's sentence.

Alina was defiant. She shook her head at me and her chest heaved continuously.

"I warned you several times about this two faced snitch of a friend right here but you didn't want to believe me. He wants to kill you and I'm sure this drink has been laced" Alina began with her insane theories again.

"Excuse me? What rubbish? What is your wife saying about me?" Diego became vexed.

"Alina hand me back that glass and go upstairs. I swear I don't want to repeat myself" I spoke in a gravelly low tone.

"No I wont!" Alina objected. "You've always said how much you hated me. Every single day you made it known to me that you hated me right to the core. I'm tired Dante. I'm tired of always trying to prove myself to you. I'm tired of this contract marraige. You said death was the only way I could get out of it and now I am willing to die to free myself from this shackles of bondage" Alina had her lips quivering as she spoke and her body shook.

Fear slowly crept into me as I watched her speak and I didn't know why. "Alina just give me the glass and leave" I tried to maintain a stoic mask.

"Dante I feel so insulted at what your wife is saying about me" Diego spat.

"I will gladly give my life to save yours if it will prove that I'm nothing like the people who killed your parents and with my death, I hope to atone for the sins of my father"

Alina immedately sculled down the drink on saying that.

Terror overwhelmed me suddenly and in an instant, Alina had her knees buckling to the ground.

"Alina!"