"Dante," I called out, my voice filled with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. Without uttering a single word, he forcefully barged into my small apartment, snatching the luggage from my grasp and dragging it back into the room. Thankfully my babies ran inside and saw nothing.
Mavis, taken aback by Dante's actions, couldn't help but yell at him in disbelief, "You can't do that!"
"A-ava, Aiden, go ahead and watch TV with Aunt May, in the livingroom." I hastily instructed my children, attempting to regain my composure. Deep inside, my heart raced with anxiety, mirroring the chaos of emotions swirling within me.
"Ok, Mumma," they chimed in unison. I watched as Dante's eyes remained fixed on the kids, observing their every move. There was a glimmer of admiration in his gaze as they joyfully made their way to their Aunt May' side.
Turning back to Mavis, I quickly intervened, gesturing for her to not say a word.
My lips trembled slightly as I spoke, stuttering his name, "Could you... give me a minute or two? I... I need to have a word with D-Dante in private." I had to be cautious, refraining from addressing him as Mr. Harrison, as that would surely trigger him in the wrong way.
Mavis seemed taken aback by my use of Dante's name, her expression reflecting a mix of confusion and surprise. Nonetheless, she nodded in agreement and quietly whispered, "You have some explaining to do woman." before leaving with my babies to go to her apartment to pack her things.
"Bye, bye, Dante!" The twins harmoniously sang in unison, their voices melding together in perfect unison as they bid farewell to their father.
Dante simply nodded with a smile at the twins, a subtle battle evident in his eyes as he resisted the urge to embrace them, instead offering a smile that radiated reassurance.
As Mavis and the twins left our apartment room, a notable sensation of Dante's penetrating gaze seemed to sear into the depths of my being, intensifying with each passing moment.
Fear coursed through my veins, overwhelming me with a sense of unpreparedness for what lay ahead. My nerves were torn, and I trembled with apprehension.
Silence enveloped the room, but it was far from comforting. It was an unsettling silence that allowed a flood of anxious thoughts to swirl in my mind. Meanwhile, Dante picked up a picture frame containing any image of me and the kids.
"Twins," Dante spoke softly, his voice tinged with a hint of longing and nostalgia. "I had two beautiful pair of twins, and I wasn't even there to witness their precious birth." He seemed lost in a bittersweet reverie, and I remained silent, knowing that his words were laced with anger and resentment.
My heart constricted with pain as I fought back tears, fully aware of the weight his words carried. "Did you know," Dante continued, his tone filled with a mix of accusation and sorrow, "it is against any custodial agreement for a parent to run off with a child without the other parent's knowledge? It's considered child abduction. Moreover, a parent can be charged with kidnapping their own child." I bit down on my trembling lips, tears welling in my eyes, as Dante's words pierced my heart with the harsh reality of the situation.
The mere thought of Dante taking my babies away from me filled me with a paralyzing fear. I couldn't fathom what I would do if that nightmare became a reality.
"I-I can explain," I stammered, my voice trembling with dread. The daggers of his gaze left me feeling completely immobilized, my throat tightening with every passing second.
"I'd love to hear the explanation for you running away from me with my kids," Dante erupted, his voice filled with fury, "and robbing me and their family of years of their childhood, only to come and live in this fucking shabby lifestyle!" His words struck me like a lightening, and I shrank back, intimidated by his anger.
"I would love to hear how running away from me while pregnant with my children could possibly have a good explanation!" he shouted, his rage overwhelming. But then, as if a storm had passed, Dante took a deep breath and exhaled, his tone shifting into a calmer, more composed demeanor.
"I'd like to know why my own babies don't even know I'm their father, Avelyn," he spoke, his voice laced with a mixture of hurt and confusion. "What could I have possibly done to you to make you rob me of my precious babies' lives?" His question hung heavily in the air. I could almost feel his pain radiating off him.
"You cheated on me..." I began, my voice barely above a whisper, but Dante swiftly cut me off.
"So, you ran away with my child based on something that didn't even remotely happen?" His words struck me like a knife, and anger washed over me, threatening to drown me in fury.
"I was threatened!" I blurted out, desperation lacing my voice. "I had no other choice!" As the words left my lips, Dante fell silent, seemingly taken aback by my response. We stood there, locked in a tense stare, the weight of our words echoing in the deafening silence.
"Threatened?" he finally uttered, his voice tinged with a mix of disbelief and curiosity.
"Although I find this logic remotely close to the only explanation as to why you'd run away from me but I'm curious to know, how long did it take you to come up with that answer?" My eyes slightly widened at Dante's accusation that I was lying to him.
Dante's expression remained stern and unwavering as he listened intently to my words. The weight of his gaze bore into me, urging me to reveal the unfiltered truth that had been concealed for so long.
"You've been deceiving me for a long time," Dante persisted, his voice steady and resolute. "And the very least I expect from you is the bare truth, Avelyn. Initially, you accused me of infidelity, and now I am informed that you were threatened. So, instead of confiding in me, you chose to run away?"
Summoning my inner strength, I met Dante's unwavering gaze, determined to lay bare the painful truth. "It happened the day after I discovered I was carrying our child," I began, his eyes fixated on me, very curious to hear what I have to say.
"You were away on a business trip to Ireland, spanning three days. I had planned to surprise you with the news upon your return. However, when I returned from shopping for your surprise, I found an intruder in our home. This woman, she... she divulged every detail of your secret rendezvous with her," I continued, my voice quivering with a mix of anger and anguish.
"And when I expressed skepticism, she provided proof, Dante! It was a vile tape, a despicable recording depicting the two of you engaged in sex within the sanctity of our marital bed."
As the painful memories flooded my mind, I fought back tears, my voice growing stronger with each word. "You spewed venomous words, claiming your lack of affection for me, asserting that we had been unsuccessfully attempting to conceive for a long while, insinuating that I was infertile! I heard you declare your desire to get rid of me and pursue a life with her, although you were delaying due to our familial ties. Astonishingly, she even proclaimed that she was carrying your child! The video unveiled your declaration of love towards her!"
My voice rose with frustration and anguish, the wounds of betrayal still fresh in my heart as I bared my soul to him. The room grew heavy with the weight of our shared pain, and silence enveloped us once more, leaving space for Dante to absorb the magnitude of my revelation.
Dante's gaze remained fixed on me. His eyes bore into mine, searching for truth and understanding. I could sense his mind wrestling with the weight of the revelations I had shared.
The room was heavy with tension, the air thick with unresolved emotions. I watched as Dante's expression change, a mix of contemplation and realization crossing his face. It was evident that my words had struck a chord within him, stirring his own hidden turmoil.
"She threatened to have my babies killed," I continued, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and vulnerability. "She promised to release that sex tape and destroy your career. I knew the devastating impact such a tape could have once revealed to your business partners and the world, Dante. She even made it clear that if she could trace me by my name, she would hunt me down wherever I was and end the lives of me and our precious babies."
"She took pleasure in expressing her hatred for me and emphasized the depth of love between you two. You got someone else pregnant and started a family with her. In that moment, panic consumed me, and I was scared for the safety of my unborn child. So, I ran." The words spilled out of me, a mix of accusation and desperation.
The room echoed with my seething anger, the raw emotions tearing through the air. "So, let's not pretend your innocent in all of this, Dante! God knows how much I hate you for what you did! I hate you with every fiber of my being," I declared, my tears streaming down my face as I wiped them away in frustration.
Dante's gaze remained unyielding, his eyes fixed on me without faltering, absorbing every word I spoke. The intensity of his stare unnerved me, but I refused to back down.
"I'm disappointed in you for even believing I would ever cheat on you, Avelyn," Dante finally responded, his voice carrying a mix of sadness and disbelief, causing me to gasp in shock.
"She had evidence... You were in our bed! It was your voice, your face! The same tattoos on your hand too!" I cried out, my voice cracking with emotion. "Are you going to deny this?"
"What was this woman's name, the one who supposedly may have tricked you?" Dante questioned, his tone laced with mockery and disbelief. It was clear that he still struggled to believe my words, dismissing them as mere fabrications.
I found his nonchalant demeanor concerning, as if he didn't even care enough to justify his actions or address the gravity of the situation.
"As if you don't know who you cheated with, Dante!" I scoffed, frustration seeping into my voice.
"Tell me the fucking woman's name, Avelyn!" Dante shouted, his voice booming through the room, catching me off guard.
His sudden outburst sent shivers down my spine, and I hesitated for a moment. It was almost as if he genuinely didn't know who she was, which raised a growing sense of concern within me.
Taking a deep breath, I mustered the courage to reveal the truth. "The woman's name is Catherine. Your personal assistant," I stated, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and desperation. "And now she's back here, threatening to harm my babies because of you. You should have stayed instead of coming here to search for me, Dante!" I yelled, my emotions overpowering me.
Dante's expression transformed from confusion to deep concern then back to confusion, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of the situation unfolding before us.
"That doesn't make any sense," he uttered, his voice filled with genuine bewilderment.
"Are you absolutely sure about this? Did you get a good look at her? Could there be any possibility of mistaken identity?" he pressed, searching for any alternative explanation.
I scoffed at his suggestion, my frustration mounting. "Mistaken identity? Dante, I know what I saw. I know it was her," I insisted, my voice quivering with a mix of anger and fear.
Dante's face contorted with a mix of fear and urgency as he darted out of my apartment. Instinctively, I followed him, my mind racing with worry and confusion. What could have prompted such a sudden and desperate reaction from him?
"What apartment room did you send my twins?!" Dante's voice resonated with a deep sense of concern and anxiety, leaving me bewildered and apprehensive.
"What? They're with Mavis..." I trailed off, my voice faltering as I noticed Mavis' door left wide open.
My heart skipped a beat as panic gripped me. Mavis, who was always careful about her privacy, would never leave her door ajar. Without hesitation, Dante rushed towards the door, and I hastily followed, a knot of fear tightening in my stomach.
As we stepped into Mavis' apartment, a chilling atmosphere engulfed us. A strong odor of chloroform permeated the air, causing my head to spin. My eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for any sign of our precious babies.
My worst fears were confirmed when I saw Mavis lying unconscious on the floor. Our babies were nowhere to be found.
Their absence tore at my heart, filling me with storms of emotions—fear, anger, and a fierce determination to find them.
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