88

With my thoughts trapped in what seemed to me an endless chaos, I held this delicate butterfly tightly to my chest and savored every fleeting second in which I felt her calm breathing and was certain that at least she was fine.

She felt so soft, so gentle and yet, just the memory of her lips on mine triggered a raging storm inside me.

Was that real? Was there really that one woman who could eclipse everything? If so, then it was her and I was already addicted to this high...

Exhausted, I closed my eyes again and tried really hard to fall asleep, but even if everything seemed so perfect, it wasn't. Appearances were deceptive and I knew I would not rest until I took revenge on the very two people responsible for her broken heart.

Very carefully, careful not to wake her in any way, I pulled my arm out from under her neck and gently tucked the red pillow under her head as she made the sweetest noises I had ever heard. This mixture of smacking and slurred words... Enchanting in its perfection...

I watched her for a moment. It made me worry about whether this was all right, because somehow it all happened so quickly. Where before I couldn't see through women even after months, I now understood them and their needs blindly. Just like her... She somehow knew how to handle me and without words managed to calm me down at any time where others who had known me all my life were still failing miserably.

It was frightening, yet eerily familiar at the same time.

I reluctantly took my eyes off her for a few moments and grabbed my phone without thinking further.

Several calls from Alba and a message from my father. Since the message wasn't about Mira, I quickly wiped it away and texted Hektor to come over immediately and then get up quietly.

As soon as I stood in front of the couch, I hurriedly buttoned my shirt and quickly put on my pants and shoes, until I suddenly heard her soft voice behind me and froze in my movement.

"Emilio?" she breathed sleepily and was about to get up, but I immediately ran around the couch to her side and sat down on the edge.

"Shhh," I whispered soothingly, patting her back gently, causing her to smile to herself and take a deep breath. "I'm here."

And now I felt really shitty at the thought of just leaving her here, but I couldn't take another second with that one thought that was poisoning my entire mind...

Alba was at my mansion...

drinking my expensive alcohol and getting comfortable in my bed...

Probably without even a shred of bad conscience ... I couldn't and didn't want to accept that!

I waited a moment, my heart racing with anger, and only when Isalie seemed to be soundly asleep again did I kiss the back of her hand, then put her hand back under the thin blanket and grabbed my pistol to walk up quickly to make the way out.

The fresh air blew my mind immediately and although I should have been dead tired by now, at dawn, I was wide awake.

Impatiently I began to watch the sun rise, taking out a cigarette to light and looking down the street where, after a few puffs, I finally saw Hector and his limousine pull up.

"Did something happen?" he wanted to know as soon as he got out and I ran straight up to him to hold my hand out to him.

"Keys," I demanded, pointing to the front door with my cigarette. "I'll drive to the villa. You stay with Isalie!"

He nodded, but I could see that he probably had a lot of questions for me. However, he knew me well enough to also realize that I certainly wasn't ready to give him any answers now.

He silently handed me the key to the limousine with a worried look, but grabbed my arm just as I was about to get in.

"I'm just getting some of the stuff out of the trunk," he let me know, and I nodded to nervously smoke my cigarette while he, wearing a white shirt and light-colored jeans, lifted several bags out of the car.

"I'll be back in an hour! Tell her that if she wakes up!"

"Yes, boss," he nodded in agreement and I watched him disappear in the front door for a moment before I flicked the cigarette butt on the ground and got into the car.

I started the engine, whereupon Latino music played softly from the radio and I drove at high speed along the narrow streets of Alicante.

The sun warmed the interior of the car more and more and on the way to the villa I saw the first hard-working Spaniards setting up their market stalls, where they sold their delicious fruit. It was almost idyllic if I wasn't on my way to kill my private whore.

For the rest of the drive I tried as best I could not to think about what I was up to and instead tried to think about the good things in life. But did this even exist? If even a soul as pure as Isalie had to endure so much humiliation, was happiness even destined for someone like me?

"Certainly not," I murmured to myself, nodding my head to command my porter to open the gate for me.

Slowing down more and more, I drove to the large square in front of my villa, where my beloved green lotus immediately caught my eye, to stop and get out right in front of the front door.

Juan and Jorge, two brothers who have really worked for me for years, sat peacefully at the edge of my driveway playing cards and only gave me a quick greeting to continue their game, but today I needed them unlike usual, where they only for that were responsible for not letting anyone into the house.

"Both of you," I addressed them assertively, noticing both of them eyeing me questioningly at the same time, which was slightly creepy considering they were twins. Basically, they looked really fucked up like that with their long pigtails and dark beards, but that's exactly why I hired them. They knew no mercy, but loyalty. Perfect men if you paid them well enough. "I need you inside in five minutes."

They nodded and placed their cards on the round garden table, again at the same time, but I ignored them and hurried to the front door to open it after taking a deep breath.

Of course there was always something going on here in the morning and while a few days ago I was happy not to have to be alone, it made me so angry now that I would have liked to shoot everything and everyone here... but that's how I wanted to be no more. She didn't deserve someone like that...

"Emilio! Finally!"

I could hardly dare to step inside when Alba came staggering towards me with a champagne glass in her hand and straightened her red nightgown. As if I'm tempted...

"Hola," I replied blankly and even kissed my lips, but it didn't trigger anything in me.

"Where have you been?" she asked, giggling, and immediately pulled me by my hand into the living room, where I saw a sight that was really new to me.

Where otherwise just a few cheap women took advantage of my wealth and celebrated here, I recognized at first glance the cocaine on the table, the woman in a semi-coma on my couch and also several broken glasses on the light marble floor.

"Was it a nice party?" I hypocritically asked Alba, who apparently didn't notice anything anymore and just grinned stupidly at me.

"Not without you," she grinned and was about to pull me to the couch, but I grabbed her wrist and instead pulled her with me to the window front, which I opened to step out into the empty garden.

Alba didn't seem to notice my anger, even though I was already shaking all over, but who could blame her. She was just really just a whore and not even that good at it...

Of course, I felt bad about taking advantage of her for so long, but when I thought about it, we rarely had sex, but she lived every day in luxury. With this realization, my conscience got a little easier.

"Get in the pool," I whispered playfully, releasing her hand, which only caused her to stare at me in confusion.

"Aber-"

"Get in the pool!", I got louder and yanked her on to the pool so tightly by her wrist that she dropped her glass, which fell to the ground with a loud clatter.

"Calm down, darling," she tried to soothe me with her high-pitched voice, but her naivety only made me angrier.

As soon as we stood right next to the pool while the sun shone lightly on my face, I grabbed her neck and squeezed.

"Have you been on my phone?!" I asked her bluntly, and when she shook her head in the negative, I immediately squeezed, offended by her blatant lie, alone, causing her to gasp hard as she tried with her hands to free himself from my grip.

"Yes!" she suddenly croaked out of breath and immediately I took my hand from her neck and pulled her shoulders into my arms to rub her back soothingly.

I felt her tremble and knew that she probably understood now that she had done something wrong. However, it was too late and a very small part of me, still shrouded in darkness, rejoiced in the power given to me in this situation.

"Emilio! I didn't mean-"

"Shhhh," I interrupted, pulling her closer to me, feeling her hands gripping my sides tightly. "Everything will be fine."

My gaze wandered to the door where the twins were just stepping through and very slowly I released Alba from my hug and looked down at her with a smile.

"I know it wasn't your intention, but you can never make up for the shit you did."

I could literally see her panic and pulled away from her completely, but suddenly she grabbed my arm and stared at me pleadingly as the first tears trickled down her cheeks.

"Emilio! Please wait!", she yelled almost desperately, but I just looked over to the twins to give them a sign with my hand.

Immediately the two of them came towards us and forcibly removed Alba from my arm, who seemed to want to say so much more, but Juan covered her mouth and looked at me expectantly while only tormented sounds came out from under his hand.

"Drown her," I ordered coldly, sitting down on one of my white lawn chairs to watch this gruesome spectacle through to the end. I wanted to be sure that she got her justice and actually I would have preferred to do it myself, but my first rule was never women or children...