Page 130 of His Cursed Heart

I look again at the haunting painting that reflects my unconscious figure on the ground, with her above me. Her fingers are gripping my face tightly and her brown eyes are scared, leaning over me to make sure I'm breathing.

Are you sure you want to marry her, son?

I look at the black engagement ring, feeling my blood run cold. I feel anxious, and not because I'm going to propose to her, but because I have a feeling everything I know is false.

Keres's blue eyes didn't make my heart beat like her voice did.

Am I crazy for believing that someone else found me first?

With a deep sigh, I let out the word that changed my fate. "Yes."

I take the painting in my pale fingers, looking at the painting's name on the back. Letting my eyes move from her face, I turn it to face the truth.

I read the seven letters that form the word and this time, my knees give out and I fall on the bed.

Everest.

The sound of the gunshot makes Vincent flinch and Scarface to growl and almost knock me down on the ground.

My heart twists when I move my head toward the bedroom window, hearing my dogs bark. Everette would never kill someone in the house just because he wants to, not when Vincent is living here. My mind immediately goes to danger.

Is he attacked?

Did someone sneak up on him?

All my thoughts are interrupted by the two guards who are telling me to go into the house, but I don't move as a pair of green eyes encounter mine, looking at me and Vincent with fear. Everette looks straight into my eyes and I wish I can see through the window and see what's going on. He breaks the contact and looks at the guards who are still trying to talk to me, and with one nod of his head and pleading eyes, I straighten myself, take Vincent in my arms, and walk into the mansion.

I walk with big steps toward Vince's room while the guards and panther are following me. I put Vince down and turn to the guards.

"Do you know what's happening?"

"Someone broke into the mansion, ma'am. You need to stay here until Boss solves the problem." One of them answers me and I frown.

Who in their right minds would break into a mafia boss's house?

My body fills with alert when Ivan's figure crosses my mind. It's not possible. That fucker is too smart to just walk into the beast's den.

I almost flinch when Vincent tugs my pants hard. I look down at him and see his blue eyes staring at me with boredom, while he holds my phone up at me.

"Your phone is buzzing and I can't read." I let out a laugh when he uses the word read. At almost five years old, he thinks he can do everything. All he can do with that comic book is to make up a story based on the pictures.

I take my phone from his little hand and see the name Venus on the screen. I don't even know when was the last time I spoke with Venus. At the charity ball? Usually, when she hunts, her phone is turned off, focusing on her prey.

So, her calling me it's strange.

And my gut is telling me that she's not calling me because she misses me. With trembling fingers, I accept the call and her rapid breathes make me lose my mind already.

"Venus?" I ask and I feel my heart bursting out if my chest.

"No, no, no, it's not here," I hear her voice and it sounds like she's smashing something. She speaks Italian when she's afraid.

"Venus, calm down." I try to tell her, but to no vail. I look at Vincent and he seems captivated by the comic. I

leave his room, gluing my back to his door.

My body is on high alert at Venus's state. She's not losing control easily, something we both learned together, but right now she seems on the edge of breaking the last string of control she has, and that's scaring me.

"It's not here, Althea." She says and it takes me all control to not snap at her.

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