Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Instantly, the ground was wrenched from beneath my feet and everything seemed to move more slowly, even the music quietened as I looked into those dark eyes that held me captive.

Esteban looked like he hadn't slept in days. The circles under his eyes showed up too clearly even here and his hair wasn't as perfect as it used to be.

The sight burned straight into my heart and my mind could barely bear to see him like this, so I had to struggle to even catch my breath.

Add to that the guilty conscience towards Reahlyn for feeling anything at all for someone else... I would have liked to set myself on fire...

"Love," Esteban spoke to me just as I was about to walk past him to the cloakroom, and although I resisted stopping by him, I did.

I turned my face to him, trying not to let on how much I felt at that moment, and then thought painfully about the words I'd slammed into his head.

"Can we talk for a minute?" he asked, getting up from the stool so that I had to raise my head a little to be able to look at him.

"Yes," I breathed softly and walked ahead of him to the cloakroom, where he closed the door behind us and leaned against her, taking a deep breath.

Eyes on him, I took a seat in the chair in front of the mirror and then waited, all nervous and tense, to see what he had to say to me.

"Please tell me what Pablo has in his hand against you," he suddenly wanted to know and I immediately wanted to avoid his gaze, but he came up to me and crouched down right in front of me to give me a questioning look.

"Nothing," I said hastily, but I was really naive. Reahlyn could feel what I was feeling just as Esteban could see every lie in my eyes. For him I was an open book that he had read a thousand times.

"Love, please don't lie to me," he whispered, taking my hands in his to blow a kiss on each one, which was so soothing and at the same time so uncomfortable that I hardly knew how to react. "I can't take it anymore and if I only knew what keeps you here, I could do something about it and you would finally be happy."

"Esteban, you don't have to save me," I tried to explain and then pulled my hands away from him to get up carefully.

"Yes I have to. I get it, love. I see whose clothes you're wearing and I know who you've chosen, but I'm not going to sit idly by and watch you go on with this merry-go-round of horrors over and over again everyday."

"And why?" I asked then and turned to him. I didn't know why I asked that stupid question, but I did it anyway, looking deep into his eyes.

"Because I love you, even if you don't feel the same way."

He took a step toward me so I could feel his breath on my face and then gently stroked my cheek, sending goosebumps down my arms and tears to my eyes.

"You have no idea how I feel," I breathed, sounding almost desperate as I took a step back from him, interrupting his ability to touch me.

"I love you, Esteban, so intensely it's almost insane considering how short I've known you. And that's it! I feel like I've known you my whole life !", I then explained, ignoring the tears and the cracking of my trembling voice. "But Reahlyn, he is my happiness, my hope and my alter ego and even though I know that I can never be completely happy in my life without you, I still chose him, even if it hurts so incredibly does..."

Through my veil of tears, I sank into his dark irises, clutching my aching heart. I had made my decision and even though I knew how right my decision was, it hurt me deep down in my subconscious. It was incomprehensible to me how I could ever live like this without being plagued daily by memories that showed me his picture before my eyes, but I had to, because it was my destiny...

"You don't have to cry for me, love," he said softly, coming towards me to pull me tight to his chest. "Don't you remember... your happiness will be my happiness and nothing will ever change that."

If my luck were his luck, then we all really would have a chance to find our way out of this whole mess that's been called my life right now.

"So," he then whispered as I reluctantly pulled away from his embrace. "What is it that Pablo be-"

"There you are," Pablo's voice suddenly sounded when he opened the door and eyed us both curiously.

His eyes darkened and as soon as he looked at my clothes I started shaking slightly. Just my physical reaction to his looks would show him only too clearly that I had something to hide.

I looked uncertainly at Esteban, who nervously ran his fingers through his hair. He knew that Pablo had something on me and that's exactly why he tried not to escalate this situation here.

"I wanted to wait here for Natalia," he said to his brother, who only smiled prettily and then approached me.

"It's okay. We're all family. You don't have to behave so strangely when I enter the room," he said confidently and put his arm around my shoulder, which made me twitch slightly and immediately fall to the ground looked. "And now I'd like to talk to you."

He took my chin and forced me to look at him, to which I just nodded, smiling, and then followed him outside. I could tell from his posture alone that he was tense and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to see Benjamin again.

Once in his office, he locked the door and pushed my back to the chair in front of his desk, only to slowly move away from me.

My heart was in my mouth because being trapped in this room with him was giving me the worst nightmares. He seemed all the calmer and more controlled.

"How was Reahlyn?" he suddenly asked while lighting a cigar, which I watched with wide eyes.

If I lied, he would notice and punish me... If I told the truth, he would punish me too...

I rested my hands on my lap nervously and avoided his gaze, wondering how much longer I could live with this fear of death...

"Shouldn't you think that after everything I've done for you, I deserve an answer?!" he then raised his voice and stood right in front of me, making me tremble even more.

"So answer!!"

What did he want to hear? That it was beautiful? The best I've ever experienced? That until I met Reahlyn and Esteban I didn't know what love even meant???

I wanted to blast all of those truths at him, but looking up into his eyes, I knew they would probably have been my last words.

He didn't love me, but he would never let anyone else love me either...

"I wasn't at-"

Before I could finish speaking, he put his hand in my mouth so hard that everything inside me contracted with shock and then pressed the lit cigar to the back of my hand, which made me scream so loud inside that my pulse only soared shot and got a little dizzy.

It hurt like hell and desperately I snatched my hand from him, so he finally released my mouth again.

Gasping, I looked at the still painfully burning wound and tried to catch my breath, but he wouldn't let me regain control of my emotions.

"So, the truth!" he then warned me and took a puff on the cigar so that it wouldn't threaten to go out.

"You don't even want to know the truth!" I ground out between clenched teeth and then got up to glare at him. I hurt all over and Esteban was right. This merry-go-round of horrors would never stop spinning if I didn't finally break free. "You want to own me, enjoy the fact that you have full control over me, but you know what. I don't care anymore! Kill me if you like! Dying is easier than living by your side!"

I was shaking and holding my injured hand, which looked utterly disfigured despite the bandage, while he suddenly started laughing out loud, scaring me even more than I already was.

"You are so selflessly love and that's exactly what I love about you," he grinned and wanted to brush my lips with his thumb, but I took a step back. "But what if I punish your loved ones. Do they deal with death as easily as you do?" he said with an ice-cold look and I immediately thought of Benjamin.

"You would never harm our child," I replied confidently, which suddenly caused him to run to the door and open it. He disappeared around the corner and before I really understood what he was up to, he came back with Esteban, which made me widen my eyes while Estebans just looked at me in irritation.

"Sit down brother," he instructed Esteban, who, completely overwhelmed by the situation, sat down on the red couch next to the door while Pablo locked it.

I only felt my breathing jerkily, even had to put my hand on the dark desk to keep myself on my shaky legs and then suddenly felt my heart beating so wildly that it hurt.

"So," Pablo said with a grin and walked around his desk to look back and forth between me and Esteban. "And now, love, you finally have the opportunity to tell him everything that's on your mind again."

"What do you mean-"

"Shhhhh brother," he whispered to Esteban and then looked at me intently. "Don't you have anything to say to him?"

I glanced at Esteban, who looked back at me questioningly, and prayed for a miracle, but none came...

"For example about Alice," Pablo then laughed and Esteban immediately jumped up and wanted to approach him, but Pablo pulled out a gun and held it right in front of my face, which was now tearing down again.

"Pablo!" Esteban yelled, holding up his hands. "No matter what you have to say to me, leave her there-"

"Shut up!", Pablo interrupted him again and then released the gun. "You two think I don't see how you're betraying me!?!? Do you think I don't see it?!?? That's an insult! And that's happening to me after all I've done for you guys?! ?"

I couldn't help but stare at my shaking hand and start laughing. A laugh so hysterical it scared even me and then when I stared at them both they looked like I was completely insane, which I guess I was. I couldn't explain my reaction myself. I guess I blew a fuse from all the stress.

"So you think that's funny?! That's the thank you?!" Pablo asked me and when he suddenly aimed at Esteban, my laughter stopped immediately and I frantically stepped between the two.

"No!" I warned Pablo, who cocked his head and eyed me critically.

"So you would die for him?" he asked with a contempt in his voice and immediately put his gun down again.

"No, but I won't let you kill innocents anymore just to get what you want! Not after you've already taken that woman's life!" I yelled, stopping instantly as I realized became what I just said.