*Evangeline's POV*
"The forensic team finally sent test results in,"Luca spat,his voice still enraged nearly twenty four hours later.
My free hand tangled itself to my rosary and I prayed internally,I'm not sure what I was praying for but I just knew I needed prayers.
"What did they say?"
"It's pig's blood."
"Pig's blood?"I repeated,feigning ignorance.
"Yes, Evangeline,it's an Iberian black pig and they are hell of expensive,only someone who needs to be behind bars will use their money and connections to scare you–and the note,that was a threat you know!"
I could practically feel the rage heating up my phone.
"Luca–"
"We have to look into this and press charges."
"I don't want to relive any of that."I said calmly, "I think its a sick joke,let's just let it be?"
"Let it be?"Luca almost screamed,"No,no,no I think it's best if we deal with it accordingly now."
I glanced at my father and he nodded at me,encouraging me to throw him off the case.
"I don't want any further digging,please.I just-"the words tumbled out of my mouth like live coals and I drew in a cold breath to regroup my thoughts."I just want to move on."
"Listen darling,I understand but I really think we should look into this,"Luca pressed. "For the sake of safety at least.We can't just close the chapter unless we understand it,right?"
"I don't think it's necessary,but thank you."
Luca let out a defeated breath.
"Whatever you say, love."
I can't believe he was giving up on me that easily,isn't he a detective? Surely he understands the severity,if only he pushed a more convincing case so my father could see he was capable and not a pushover.
I didn't want him to object but he fell too easy,he would melt at my father's feet with this attitude.
"Okay then.I'll call you later?"I asked.
"Yes,I love you."
My father's jaw clenches but I ignore him and focus on the voice my fiancé.
"I love you too,goodnight."
I dropped the phone on my lap and sighed aimlessly.
"I hate lying to Luca like this."
"Well,you don't have to."my father replied, making a trip to his cabinet and pulling out a pipe. "You could call and end the engagement right now and never see him again."
My eyes darted at my father waiting for him to retract his comment.
He didn't.
"I'm not breaking off my engagement with the man I love."I said firmly.
He scoffed and blew on his pipe in an 'i expected this behaviour from you way'.
I rolled my eyes in disgust. We were never this way,at war with each other,but ever since I found out about all his lies and manipulative tactics,lying about his profession and even going as far as using his connections to fire me from my job and making sure I never get another one, I just never liked or trusted him anymore,and he–being the petty man he is has also decided to treat me with animosity.
"See,just as I told you,it was just pig's blood. Nothing to worry about." He sounded like he had seen worse,I didn't doubt that. "A tacky romantic gesture."
"A romantic gesture?"I stood up. "There's a stalker out there who knows my name,my birth year and sent me a bottle of blood just to get to you and even worse he knows Luca."
"Oh poor Luca."my father sighed. "Make sure he keeps safe during these trying times,I hear the crime rate has escalated immensely these past days."
"How can you even make a joke of this after what you've done?"
"Me?"my father shook his head. "No,this is all you,if you ever listened to my warnings,we wouldn't be in this mess."
"So it's my fault?"
"You heard me loud and clear Evangeline,I've had it up to here with you–can't you see all I ever do is to protect you?"
"And how's that working out for you Mr.Hilalgo?"
"Vincenzo must have met you before,what an irony."
"Vincenzo?"I echoed,the name sounding awfully familiar and yet simultaneously uncanny.
"Men in our profession don't take lightly when their wives are promised to other men?"
The air in the room thinned out as flashes of the note came to mind,heightening the drumming of my chest against my rib cage.
"Are you?"No,no. "Are you saying you married me off?"
"I had all plans of extending it till I could deal with him!"my father screamed,pointing his burning cigar at my face."I said you weren't ready for marriage,I had a plan but look at what you've done!"
"I–I dont"My chest heaved restlessly. "I don't understand."
"You will marry him since you are so independent then,"he muttered. "And look at that,I guess we both hide marriages from each other."
"I am not going to marry anyone against my will."I murmured,not even loud or confident enough for my ears to believe.
It was beginning to sink in that the man I knew all my life was not the man before me.
He killed his cigar and walked up to me and laughed,his eyes twinkling.
"Do you know what happens when pigs are fed too much sweets?"
I frowned,if you were to tell me he was on drugs right now,I'll believe you.
"It gets obese,its teeth rot and fall out,rots and it becomes more irritable. You wouldn't know this as you've been bathed in luxury and sheltered all your life,your custom made dress is the closest you have gotten to pig filth."
I doubt it,I'm close to him all the time but I don't voice it out,I'm curious to see where this is going.
"This is why if you must give a treat to a pig,you give little bites,because the poor pig doesn't know what's good for it,you just cries for more and more till it self-destructs."
"Am I a pig,"Bitterness crawled up my throat. "Dad?"
His eyes stayed on me,unchanging.
"Is that why I'm being sold like cattle?"I added.
The look of disgust he had earlier vanishes and he softens into my father once more,the one before all this mess.
"Evangeline,"his hand reaches out and tries to grab me but my legs move back before I can even decide if I wanted reconciliation.
He stared at my feet and back at my face,looking betrayed. The irony.
"Do you think I'll have done this to you if I had a choice?"
"We always have choices,you just have to stop being a coward and accept the consequences."
"Evangeline–"
"Do you feel proud?"I sniffed. "When I found out this side of you,you promised to never let it affect me.You are dragging me into the very world you promised to protect me from?"
I don't care to appear polite anymore.
"You took away my dignity,there's not a day that goes by where I wonder if the clothes on my skin was paid for by your dirty blood money,if your sins have tainted me beyond redemption,or how hypocritical it is of me to be religious while you are a murderer!"
"Evangeline,watch your-"
"And now you're taking my freedom." My breath shudders and I shake my head."You disgust me."
He licked his teeth and chuckled,it came out dry,ached and mirthless.
"You aren't allowed to go anywhere till your wedding,so fetch your manners from wherever you put them."
My eyes narrowed and I grabbed my phone from the couch."You'd have to kill me first."
My father smirked. "Your husband might actually be into necromancy,don't worry,you'll soon meet people that will truly entertain your disgust."
"We'll see about that!"I yelled over my shoulder,as I slammed his door behind me.
This cant be my life,I'm living in a nightmare…this cant be my life.
"Oh my sweetheart."My stepmother smiled pitifully,widening her arms for a hug.
"How long have you known?"I asked before she could reach me with that cheap sympathy of hers.
She immediately stopped in her tracks and I got my answer.
"Stay away from me."
I marched through the house and headed upstairs to my room,ignoring Robert who was drinking idly at the bar.
He probably knew,of course he did. He was my father's right hand man,his conscience was far too down the drain for me to even expect any form of humanity anyway.
"Del Toro."
Robert'words stopped me midstep and I waited for him to clarify, but like another disappointing man in my life he didn't.
"What?"
"Vincenzo Del Toro,that's your new fiancé's name. I advise you to do your research,"he swirled the alcohol in his glass and looked up to me,displaying a full set of teeth. "I don't think he tolerates loud mouths."
I blinked,swallowed my anger and continued to my room.
I locked the door behind me the minute I entered and dialed the only number I could trust right now.
"Luca?"
A yawned yes came as a reply.
"I think I'll have to run away."
The line went silent for a while and I left the silence so both he and I could process what I just said.
"Run?"the voice sounded more awake this time. "What are we running from?"
The burning in the chest subsided at the word 'we',
"Do you promise to stay?"
"Yes."
"Good,cause life is about to get really turbulent."