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Her body goes still, and the color from her face drains completely. “She’s upstairs. In her room.”
Shooting to my feet, I push everything out of my way and run up the stairs. The need to get to her is overwhelming. Loud voices fill the hallway and I follow them. When I reach Ella’s room, I quietly enter the room. Taking in the scene that is before me, my blood turns to ice.
No, this can’t be happening.
My heart pounds in my chest.
Ella is sitting up on the edge of the bed looking as if she might stand up, but Leah quickly moves in front of Ella. Holding her shoulder down with her hand, keeping her in place. Without any warning, Leah smacks Ella in the face.
I start to take a step, but Leah is screaming at Ella before I can move.“Do you know what you did?”
Ella is shaking her head and I barely hear her whisper. “I don’t know what you are talking about Leah.”
Suddenly, Ella’s head whips around and she screams in pain. My hands instantly clench. I don’t move this time though because Leah starts to confess her sins, “You had to go and spread your legs for him. You ruined everything and now you’re going to pay.”
Leah starts to wave a gun then settles it on Ella’s head. Oh fuck no. This is not happening, I tip toe into the room keeping to the shadows by the door.
I hear a gun cocking and then Ella starts to plead for her life, “Leah, you don’t want to do that?”
But Leah doesn’t answer.
”Leah, you don’t want to kill me. This isn’t you.”
She tsks. “Oh step-sister, you don’t know me. In fact I’m not sure anyone has ever known me. Everyone always thinks Mia or Mother is in charge when in fact it's always been me.”
Leah gives a little cackle, with no humor, and it's pure evil.
“What did you think would happen? Everything was going as planned and then you had to ruin it all. Mother and I were going to be rich, and we were going to leave you and Mia to deal with the fallout. Everyone would have believed it too. Mia has always been an entitled little bitch, leaving no doubt that she would do anything to get ahead. But no, you had to get involved. I know you found the ledger, and you know that we’ve been taking money from the guests at Midnight Blue. Now you will pay. I’m going to kill you and convince him that Mia did it. And that Mia is the one who had the idea to take money from the men at the auction.”
She starts to pace back and forth in the room, muttering out loud, “If I don’t kill you and convince Mikhail that it was you and Mia, then he will kill all of us. Yes, that's what I will do. I’ve kept my secret this long, no one will suspect me.”
Ella looks up at her step-sister with tears running down her face. The closer I get to them, I see the bruise starting to form on her cheek. The hatred that I feel right now is beyond anything I have ever felt before. It’s time to end this. I’ve heard enough. Moving from the shadows, I pull my gun from my waistband and I don't waste any time. I shoot the woman who dared to threaten what belongs to me in the back of her head.
nineteen
Ella
Leah’s eyes swing to me with an intense look of hatred. Tears are running down my face.
Closing my eyes, I ready myself to face the music. Images of my mother, father and Mikhail cross my lids. I see my mother and I baking in the kitchen. Dad and I playing in the backyard. The future I could’ve had with Mikhail. I imagine what my wedding to him would’ve been like. What our children would’ve looked like.
I take a deep breath knowing that I’m about to see my mother again. A loud gunshot goes off. I expect to feel the bite of the bullet, but it never comes. When I open my eyes, that’s when I see Leah laying down on the ground with blood surrounding her. What the hell happened?
One minute she was about to kill me and now she is dead.
Someone grabs my cheek, turning me away from Leah’s body. And I’m staring into deep brown eyes that I thought I would never see again. Mikhail. My heart skips a beat. He’s here. He came for me. “You saved me. You k-killed her.”
His face softens a bit as he leans his head onto my forehead, "There is nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe, baby girl.”
We both just stare at each other as the room falls away. He leans forward cradling my head to give me a chaste kiss. When he pulls back, there is blood on his hand.
“Mikhail, I don’t feel very good.”
“Don’t move. Let me call a doctor. You got hit pretty hard.” Then he glances over his shoulder “And someone to clean this up.”
Pulling out his phone, he makes a few texts. “Let's get you out of here. The doctor will meet us at the penthouse.”
A loud noise from downstairs makes my body stiffen. “Don’t worry, it’s just my men,” he whispers.
