"Rhea."
A small voice called my name.
It was Celeste,
My old friend, now a widow, because her husband was being laid to rest.
She held my hand, and I could feel the coldness. Celeste's eye sockets were sunken, and her eyes were red from crying. Even though her face was layered with thick foundation, it couldn't hide her dull appearance.
"I'm sorry about Ethan," I said, soothing her.
"I'll always be with you, Cele."
"It's okay," she replied, her voice as cold as her palms. She then let go of my hand and moved on to greet other guests.
Watching Celeste's weak body weaving through the crowd, Icouldn't help but feel sad.
Losing someone you love to death... it's another kind of painful torture.
Would Damian cry if I was dead?
No. He wouldn't, He'll be with mysister.
As the coffin was lowered into the soil, everyone's expressions were somber. But Celeste stood there, emotionless, watching the descent.
Eventually, the guests began to disperse. But Celeste remained, unmoving.
I wanted to stay for support, but Damian tugged me away, saying he had left an important document in the study regarding a business merger.
That's what he was thinking about.
"Rhea, darling," Damian found me later in the kitchen. He set his paperwork aside.
"I need a whiskey. On the rocks."
As a dutiful wife, I did what he asked.
He loosened his tie while taking the first sip.
"I need your help with something," he said, his voice lowering. "There's been a lot on my plate."
I looked at him, curious.
"It's about Ethan's death," Damian continued. "He was murdered. His body was dumped at sea. I kept it quiet only Celeste and a few others know the truth."
I was stunned. Ethan hadn't been just a friend he was Damian's best man… and a fellow member of the mafia.
"Who could've done it?" I whispered.
"I don't think Ethan was the target," Damian replied, eyeing me meaningfully. "This might have something to do with the merger next month… the competition's getting fierce."
"So what are you going to do?" I asked.
"Keep your eyes on anyone suspicious," he said, thinking aloud. "I need your help on this, Rhea."
I blinked. "I thought you were going to let me handle the gas merger project?"
"I have someone else in mind for that," he said flatly, just as his phone rang. He turned his back to answer it, leaving me in silence.
My head started to spin, like bees buzzing in my ears. The sound was disturbing my thoughts, and Damian was getting blurry in my vision.
He was my husband the same man who condemned me to death in a past life.
Why am I still talking to him calmly?Why did his voice still get under my skin like that ,even accepting his work schedule… Maybe I should ask him why he cheated on me with my sister, and why he doesn't love me, I whispered .
But why would he admit that? There's still a week before our anniversary. All the questions came out one by one. I swore to ask him myself.
"Damian, I have a question to ask you. It's very important."
"No, Rhea. I have far more important things to do back at the office," he dismissed my question.
He looked at his wristwatch and added, "Sorry, Rhea. I gotta go."
"What's so important?" I asked.
"I told you!it's important, Rhea," he raised his voice. "I'm in a hurry," he said, picking up his phone impatiently.
As I watched Damian leave the door and the car sound start, my mind spiraled again. Where was he going? Why didn't he tell me? Was he meeting Ariella in secret?
At the funeral, I had seen a woman smiling at Damian, but he had pretended not to notice. Was he seeing other women behind my back, or was it just a one-night stand?
As I gazed around the house, memories flooded in my mind. I recalled the day I'd meticulously decorated every room, envisioning a lifetime of happiness within these walls.
Now, the thought of leaving it all behind was almost too much to bear. Would my husband bring his new love here, erasing my presence and claiming my belongings as his own?
Celeste loved all things luxurious there was no doubt she would renovate my house and erase every trace of my memory.
"Oh God, I'm dying here!" I screamed, clutching my chest. "I'm suffocating."
Without wasting another second, i grabbed my car keys and bolted out the door. Forty minutes later, I spotted his red Ferrari at a traffic light. My eyes scanned the overhead sign.
It wasn't the route to his office.
Damian really lied to me, I thought bitterly, tightening my grip on the steering wheel just as the light turned green.
The Ferrari took a slow left turn.
The car in front of me was crawling, blocking the path. Frustrated, I honked like a madwoman, even rolled down my window to curse under my breath.
By the time I got around it, the Ferrari had vanished into the night.
"Shit, I lost him…" I muttered.
The night lights sparkled so brightly it almost looked like afternoon. Yet somehow, it felt like time had slipped through my fingers devoured by mice, leaving behind nothing but panic and silence.
Feeling helpless and defeated, I knew deep down it was foolish to keep chasing shadows. There was no point in following something so aimless. My heart heavy, I pulled over to the side of the road and rested my forehead against the steering wheel.
Tears began to fall.
"What am I supposed to do?" I sobbed, banging my head lightly on the wheel in frustration.
But just as I looked up ,eyes teary, heart aching there it was.
The red Ferrari.
It had pulled up in front of a bar glowing with bright neon lights: Gritando de Pasión.
I blinked in disbelief, my breath catching.
Panicking slightly, I reached into my bag, throwing on a pair of sunglasses and wrapping a scarf around my head to avoid being recognized. With my disguise in place, I cautiously approached the entrance.
But before I could get inside, a burly security guard stepped forward, blocking my path.
"Miss, may I see your membership card?"
I froze.
A membership?
The sleek black entrance, the velvet ropes, the secrecy it all made sense now. Scandalous things happened here. Dangerous things. And I wasn't on the guest list.
Unable to get in, i began circling the building, walking up and down the sidewalk, peering at the entrance every so often, my mind racing with questions.
Then a light, cheerful voice called out from behind.
"Rhea?"
I turned, slowly, as if my body already knew something my mind wasn't ready for.
And when I saw who it was her heart nearly stopped.