Descent to Corruption

Gabriel

I had always prided myself as someone who did not waste time with relationships. From the outside perspective it always seemed useless. From what I was told, my parents had a marriage that was based in the business between two families who were looking for an alliance and there was not much to speak of otherwise between them. My grandfather who raised me after their death was not a man who spent time talking about his personal life either, with him it was the business first and everything else second. All this is said to emphasize the fact that when I met Arabella Davies I was all but knocked off my feet.

From that first glance in the elevator I was captivated by her.

Every further interaction just reeled me in further. She's funny, sweet, and when I'm with her I feel lighter, almost as if I am a whole different person. The only part of me that remains the same when I am with her is my obsessive nature. From the moment I realized she was working in my building, I did everything in my power to find out about her.

Her address, previous employers, where she grew up, I thought I knew it all.

Then upon searching her out at the hospital when I heard she was admitted, I found her with Sebastian Kelly.

This I was able to write off as a coincidence, Sebastian saving her during a robbery could not have been orchestrated. But something I just couldn't let go of was Arabella Davies, the girl who had swept into my life and overtaken all of my subsequent thoughts somehow knowing the Rossi brothers as well.

Between myself, Sebastian, and the Rossi's, she knew the heads of the three ruling families in the city. This is not something people who are unaware of our world can say and it's why I was so quick to jump to a conclusion about her. I assumed the worst of her at the get go and despite her being injured and clearly scared I did not hold myself back from all but interrogating her.

Running over and over in my mind like an unwanted movie reel is her watery, frightened gaze as I got in her face with my questions. I knew I scared her, but Sebastian actually verbalizing it and telling me I made her cry is what did me in.

I was frantic when I found out she left the building and I am frantic now as I sit in the car awaiting Sebastian. I don't like this feeling of not knowing where she is and her neighbor's words of a trip out of town have me reaching out to my tech guy to trace her location from her phone. After I send off the message and receive confirmation I look for Sebastian, he had yet to enter the car and I wanted to be on the move as soon as possible, hoping we'd find Arabella, wherever she may be all the sooner. I may still have my suspicions about what's going on to cause her to know all of us, but my actions earlier with her were unacceptable.

I spot him pacing in front of the parked car on the phone, he looks to be in an intense conversation and I crack open my door to catch the tail end of his words.

"...just let us come talk to her and we can sort this out."

Assuming the call is about Arabella and whoever is on the other end is with her, I make no moves to hide my interest in his call. Stepping out, I make my way to the front of the car and stand in Sebastian's way with my hand out. He shakes his head as he holds the phone to his ear, the person on the other end speaking too low for me to discern what is being said.

Not having the patience for some back and forth game when we could be back with Arabella, I deliver a swift punch to his gut and when he tips over in pain I snatch his phone out of his hand.

Reading 'Luca Rossi' on the line, I feel my eyebrows furrow as anger swells in me when I am reminded that Arabella told Sebastian the Rossi's had kidnapped her.