Xavier~
"Bella, how did this happen?" I worriedly glanced at her broken leg. It's only been two days without her, but it feels like an eternity. When I learned she had checked out from the hotel, fear consumed me. I repeatedly dialed her number, but it was unreachable. My mind spiraled as I imagined the worst.
Seeing her like this now, vulnerable and hurt, my jealousy and anger resurfaced. Her ignorant behavior toward me before leaving for Italy had already stung, but now I couldn't hold back the flood of questions.
"Xavier, promise me first that you will not be angry with me after hearing the truth," she said, releasing me from our embrace and meeting my gaze.
"Please tell me everything first, and then I'll decide." My fingers grazed her chin as I spoke, but my eyes shifted to James, narrowing in suspicion.
My heart warred with itself, pleading with me to trust James, the friend I'd known since childhood. Yet my jealousy silenced those pleas. I couldn't ignore the thought that he might have tried to take advantage of her, leading to this injury.
James shifted uncomfortably under my scrutiny.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Xavier?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.
"How did this happen, James? It was your responsibility to look after her. She came here with you." I got up from the chair and approached him, my anger bubbling over.
"Xavier, I tried my best to save her, but she didn't listen to me and entered the house," James replied, stepping back to shield himself from my wrath.
"Which house? Where did you take her?" I demanded, fisting my palm, ready to lash out.
"Xavier, stop! This isn't James' fault," Bella interjected. "Our purpose in coming here was to find Jonathan. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this plan earlier."
My hand froze mid-air as her words hit me like a blow.
"What? Jonathan?" I gave her a startled look.
As far as I knew, I had never shared anything about Jonathan or Laila with Bella. How did she learn about him? Did she dig into this case behind my back? My mind raced, trying to piece it together.
"Take your hand off my collar, Xavier. I think we've cleared up your confusion," James said, his eyes locking with mine.
I reluctantly released him, but my gaze darted to Bella.
"Bella, is he telling the truth?"
"Yes, Xavier," she confirmed, her voice steady. "James and I are just close friends. Jordan Lucas has been trying to cause misunderstandings between us. Even though we're focused on Laila's case, he took pictures of James and me in a way that implies we're romantically involved."
Bella shook her head, her frustration evident.
"Did you meet Jordan Lucas again?" I asked, guilt creeping into my chest. My earlier blindness to Jordan's strategy now felt like a glaring mistake. I had ignored Bella's warnings that this was all a trap, brushing them off in my preoccupation with Victor's case.
"I am sorry, Xavier," Bella said softly, bowing her head. She held my hand, her voice trembling.
"I didn't want to put unnecessary stress on you. That's why I kept this from you."
Her apology pierced me, filling me with regret.
"Okay, but tell me who gave you Jonathan's address," I pressed, suspicion returning as the thought of Jordan's manipulations crossed my mind again.
"My informant provided the address," James explained.
"Jonathan knows you're here in Italy," I said, my heart racing as the weight of our predicament settled over me.
"I hope not," James replied, but the glance he cast at Bella's injured leg betrayed his worry.
"What the hell? We need to leave this place immediately. We can't stay here," I declared, scooping Bella into my arms without hesitation.
"Xavier, what are you doing? This is James' house, and we're safe here," Bella protested weakly.
Ignoring her, I gave her a firm hug and started gathering her belongings. My arms tightened around her as my protective instincts overpowered everything else.
James stared at me, bewildered, but eventually began collecting his essentials. He finally broke the silence. "There's an emergency escape in the backyard. We'll use that."
We exited through the back, the cold wind biting into our skin. But just as we reached the road, a loud explosion shook the ground beneath us.
"What was that?" Bella gasped, lifting her head from my neck to glance back.
"Jonathan just welcomed us to Italy," I muttered grimly, my eyes fixed on the raging flames consuming James' house.
The flickering light illuminated Bella's pale face as she clung to me. The realization hit me like a hammer: Jonathan was far more dangerous than I had anticipated.
"Where will we go now?" James asked quietly, his voice heavy with disbelief as he stared at his burning home.
Turning to Bella, I couldn't suppress my frustration.
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Italy to search for Jonathan? Do you have any idea how reckless that was? I would never have let you come here if I'd known."
My voice trembled as I fought to rein in my anger.
"Jordan Lucas has already caused us so much trouble. Now you've dragged Jonathan into this? He's far more dangerous than his brother!"
Bella's eyes filled with tears as she gazed at me, her grip tightening on my shoulder.
"Xavier, I did this for us. For our family. I want to bring justice for Laila and end this once and for all."
Her voice cracked, and I felt the ice in my chest begin to thaw. The sight of her trembling in the cold, her injured leg making her more fragile than ever, softened my anger.
"It's okay," I said with a long sigh, the chill air stinging my face. "But we need to find a safe place for tonight."
James broke his silence.
"I know a place where Jonathan won't find us. Come with me."
I followed him silently, Bella resting against my chest. The sensation of her warmth brought me an odd sense of peace amidst the chaos.
James led us to an abandoned museum hidden in the shadows of the city. The eerie quiet and crumbling walls only added to my unease, but for now, it was better than being out in the open.
Bella had fallen asleep in my arms, the medication dulling her pain. Her fingers gripped my shoulder even in sleep as if she feared I'd disappear.
I was about to let out a sigh of relief when James, who had been pacing by the window, suddenly stiffened.
"Xavier," he whispered urgently, his voice trembling.
"We're not alone."
I followed his gaze and saw them—two men with guns, their silhouettes illuminated by the faint glow of a streetlight. They were scanning the area, their movements slow and deliberate.
My chest tightened as I adjusted Bella in my arms, careful not to wake her.
"How did they find us so quickly?" I muttered.
James grabbed my arm, his voice hushed but firm. "They must have tracked us. Jonathan wouldn't let us go that easily."
One of the gunmen pointed toward the museum's entrance, gesturing for the other to follow. My grip on Bella tightened as I scanned the room for options.
"We need to move," I whispered to James, my voice laced with urgency.
James nodded, his eyes darting toward the back of the museum.
"There's another exit. Follow me."
The sound of footsteps echoed outside, growing louder.
With James leading the way, we moved toward the back, every creak of the floorboards sending a spike of adrenaline through me. As we approached the exit, a loud crash came from the front—one of the gunmen had kicked in the door.
"Go!" James hissed, shoving the door open.
I held Bella close as we slipped into the freezing night air, my heart pounding. Jonathan's men wouldn't stop until they found us, but I swore to myself that I wouldn't let them get to her.