Rafaelle's POV
The pain in my chest felt unending and very strong almost like a heavy fist that was tightly clenched and would not loosen at all. It refused to relax even a little bit holding onto my heart with a grip that felt impossible to shake off.
The sharp and bitter taste of my cowardice was eating away at me from the inside leaving behind a lingering sour taste that pooled in my mouth. With every swallow, I was reminded painfully of the person I had become at that moment filled with overwhelming fear.
I had run away fleeing the scene as if I were a scared rabbit caught in the bright and dangerous gaze of a predator when Campani's men had come after me after us—the people I loved and had promised to protect.
My heart raced wildly against my ribcage creating a frantic drumbeat that was a mix of deep regret and a furious anger that felt so intense it could have easily sparked into something very dangerous.
It was twenty minutes until one o'clock. That's how extremely uneven the situation had felt—like an impossible and hopeless scene filled with desperation. There were twenty guns all pointed directly at me and I stood there all by myself—a man who needed to protect his family trapped in a nightmare of darkness and violence.
If I had chosen to stay there to pick up a weapon and try to be the hero of the story I probably would have ended up dead nothing more than a mere stain on the cold hard pavement quickly forgotten by the world as if my life had never mattered.
The chaos of my escape moved too quickly for my mind to grasp it was a confusing blur filled with broken glass and the terrifying sound of gunshots that still echoed in my mind haunting me like a bad memory that just wouldn’t go away.
It was a horrible symphony of disorder moving in time with the pounding of my heart each beat reminding me of the danger I had faced. But even now the decision I had made to flee to avoid the fight still hurt deeply like an open wound that wouldn’t heal and just kept getting worse.
As I quietly and cautiously made my way through the dark shadows that surrounded me I felt like a spirit or phantom wandering through the night much like a ghost drifting peacefully through the memories of my past. My bare feet moved silently as they glided over the hard asphalt each step carefully taken to navigate through the darkness that seemed to loom around me threatening to engulf me.
In my trembling hand, I held a pistol which felt cold yet somehow comforting acting as my only companion in the oppressive silence that enveloped me. It offered me a small sense of reassurance a tiny bit of comfort amid the storm of emotions that swirled chaotically within me.
With every careful step I took I drew closer and closer to the house I had left behind now a physical representation of my failures and regrets. It stood there as a tangible reminder of everything I worried I might never be able to reclaim or regain in my life.
“Hugo.” I let out a breath almost as if I were saying his name in a soft prayer or casting a spell mingling hope and curse in one. “You better have gotten her out of there. You absolutely must have kept the promise you made.”
Just thinking about Hugo and the mission he was given filled me with a heavy dread that sank deep into my bones. That horrible man Campani with all his treachery had ordered Hugo to take Iris away to... completely get rid of her. But in that terrifying moment filled with fear and chaos I had given Hugo a different command a quiet request barely audible amid the swirling turmoil that engulfed the night and threatened to swallow me alive.
I had told him to free her to set her loose and let her escape. The very idea of Iris suffering or becoming a target in this chaotic battle between me and Campani was too painful to bear. Right now in this dark and troubling moment, Iris was my only focus.
She was the single thread linking me to anything other than this overwhelming despair. She was my motivation to keep fighting my beacon of hope in a world shrouded in shadows.
As I got closer to the house I suddenly felt a chill run down my back. This unexpected sensation made my heart skip a beat filled with both fear and a bit of hope as so many thoughts rushed through my mind all at once. The emergency lights flashed in front of me creating a flickering and unstable orange glow that made everything look unsettling and out of place.
In front of the house, an ambulance stood parked its bright red and white colors standing out sharply against the surrounding darkness of the night. Police officers were moving around with serious faces showing signs of tension and worry that made the atmosphere feel even heavier.
And there lying on a gurney was my maid Maria being taken away from all the chaos. Her eyes were shut tight in a way that seemed calm yet eerie. Her face was pale reflecting the soft light of the moon shining down from above while her body looked completely still as if she was lifeless.
I could feel my fists tightening into hard balls and a low growl came from somewhere deep in my throat. My body reacted strongly and I felt a chill run through my veins as I confronted the harsh truth of the situation. It hit me like a freezing wave making me realize just how powerless I truly was.
I hadn’t been there to protect her. I hadn’t shown up for any of them— not for Iris not for Maria and not for anyone else either. A heavy feeling of guilt wrapped around my heart making it hard for me to breathe. It felt like a thick chain was tightening around my chest pressing down and making it difficult to swallow.
Along with this suffocating feeling came a fresh wave of pain in my chest an intense hurt that served as a painful reminder of everything I was losing in this moment.
As I was quietly hiding in the dark shadows I could sense a restless and anxious energy moving through my body. I found myself pulling at my shirt and the fabric tore apart quite easily between my fingers. When I accidentally caused a sudden sharp pain I couldn't help but wince. I quickly took the rough piece of cloth that I had just ripped and wrapped it around my injured arm.
This action served as a reminder of my recent escape and it felt like a constant symbol of my failure. The intense sting of reality mixed with feelings of bitterness and deep despair cut deeper into me than any sharp blade ever could…