I'm sitting outside in the garden watching the flowers.
God I absolutely love this, it's so unbelievably beautiful here.
Back home, in America.
I actually feel safe.
I hear footsteps, I expect them to be Ivan but they're not.
Elliot my favourite body guard sits next to me.
"Oh hey Elliot, missed ya"
"I noticed you don't have your ring on anymore"
"Oh yeah I threw it at Ivan because he made me mad" I say grinning at him.
He smiles a little.
"Elliot..is everything alright?" I ask him turning to look at him.
"Are you in love with him?" He asks me silently.
"Ivan?"
He nods in response.
"Unfortunately I believe so" I say looking at him.
He shakes his head ever since slightly.
"If he hadn't forced you to be his wife would you have loved him?"
"No..I wouldn't have known him"
"And is this..the life you want for yourself?"
I don't know what's gotten into him and I'm so confused.
"What?"
"Locked in a beautiful house, with no privacy..no friends a murderer for a husband who gets you kidnapped...is this really what you want for yourself?" He asks me.
My heart is beating so fast I feel dizzy.
I don't...
I don't know.
"This is the life I have..I have to deal with it, it could be far worse"
Elliot looks at me, his icy blue eyes roaming mine.
"I had always hoped for better from you"
"What?"
"Your not the same girl who walked in here and was determined not to be his puppet his slave. And now..you've lost your fight"
I have no words.
None to match his.
I am incredibly sad all of a sudden.
"I wish you the best Elle"
"Why would you say this to me?" I ask him desperately.
"When you walked in here..I knew you would change things. I didn't think you'd change him into a better man. No I thought you'd bring him and this organisation to its knees. Instead you've fallen victim to it" he says before walking off.
I sit there shocked gaping like a fool trying to string a cohesive thought into my sub conscious.
He's right I suppose.
But I didn't give up I didn't stop fighting.
Did I?
I get up annoyed and angry and embarrassed and right a note and stick it on Ivan's office.
"Went to Joe's Diner"
I get into the car and drive.
I'm gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles are white.
I park and walk inside.
I really like this diner I went with Ivan once.
Cute.
I sit down and order a milkshake.
I sit in silence drinking and not allowing any thoughts to stay in my head.
Push them out.
Head empty.
"Is there someone called Elle in here?" A waitress calls the phone to her ear.
It's probably Ivan.
I wave and walk over to the phone.
"Hello?"
"Elle Winters?"
"Is speaking" I reply dryly.
"I want you to come outside, quietly and calmly, I need to talk to you"
What?
I don't recognise the voice...
"Who is this?"
"Step outside Miss winters"
"Cant it wait? I have to drink my milkshake"
"There's a bomb in this floor of this building..you can decide whether it needs to go off"
Jesus Christ.
I look around at the diner.
There's only like 5 people..
I lean forward and freeze.
A little girl..maybe 6 is with her parents.
She's not dying today.
"Okay coming"
I hand the waitress some cash and walk outside.
My heart is pounding.
A red car parks in front of me and a man steps out.
"Elle?"
I nod at him.
He's 20 oldest, looks like he could be in college.
"Hello beautiful, you cold?"
"Nope I'm toasty. What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to come pick you up"
"For..who?"
"Odessa Russo"
"Who's that?"
"Ivan's sister"