Thirty-One

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Chapter Thirty-One| Leona
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I slowly open my eyes and instantly start coughing as smoke fills my lungs and the constant ringing of the fire alarm sounds through my ears.

Tears instantly fill my eyes as I look around the rubble.

"Ben?!" I croak as I stand up on shaky legs.

I gasp when a hand wraps around my mouth and starts to drag me back.

Cane.

He used Ben, held him at gunpoint so I would come to the office. He said if I didn't leave with him he would set off a bomb, I thought he was bluffing, so for once I actually stood up for myself.

He wasn't bluffing and now I'm scared my best friend could be dead and it will be my fault if he is.

"I've really had enough of your shit, Leona. You're mine! What don't you understand with that?" He growls out, dragging me back. "You're going to fucking marry me whether you like it or not!"

Fight back, Leona!

"No!" I elbow him in his chest and then knee him in the balls. "Fuck you!" I yell and begin my search for Ben.

My heart stops when I see him unconscious on the floor by my office.

"Ben!" I rush over to him, dodging the rubble that begins to fall from the ceiling. I drop to my knees next to him and begin to shake his shoulder gently. "Please, Ben we need to go. Wake up!" I whimper and I gasp when his eyes flutter open. He groans in pain, clutching onto his side.

"That son of a bitch." He croaks, he looks at me and smiles gently. "Leona?"

"It's me, I'm so sorry." I cry out, feeling like all of this is my fault. "C-Can you stand?" He groans but tries his best to stand, I wrap his arm around my shoulder so he can lean some of his weight on to me.

"Don't b-blame yourself. I-I know you, L-Leona. This is not your fault." He whispers breathlessly and I bite my lip.

"We need to get out of here." I lead us towards the stairs, knowing that the lift is completely out of bounds.

I jump when Cane stands in our way. "I'm not letting you leave me! You are my bitch!" He growls out.

"F-Fuck you!" Ben groans.

Both our eyes widen when Cane holds up another remote.

"I'll make sure we all don't leave, so my advise for you Leona is to leave with me." He chuckles in amusement and I begin to feel sick.

"You're sick, just like your crazy uncle!" I spit and he tilts his head, the smirk still on his face.

"You're worthless my sweet girl. Fuck Dario, he doesn't love you!" I clench my jaw at his words.

"Shut then fuck up!" A scream escapes my lips when Dario hits Cane round the head with a piece of metal. We all watch as Cane falls to the floor, blood gushing out of his head.

"Princess!" Dario rushes over to me and begins to check my body for injuries. "Fuck, I though I lost you." He cries out and another small whimper escapes my lips.

"We need to get out." I rush out and Dario nods. We begin to walk down the stairs but a gunshot stops us in our tracks, we turn around to see Cane pointing a gun towards us.

"Go." Dario urges.

"Rio." I whisper, shaking my head.

"Please go, I'll be okay, baby. Trust me." My lip trembles but I nod, walking down the stairs.

Halfway down we are met with firefighters who take Ben from me and lead him to an ambulance as soon as we exit the building.

"Ma'am are you okay?" One man asks me as we exit the building but all I can do is cry, knowing Dario is inside.

"T-There's another bomb in there!" I tell him urgently and I watch as he starts barking out orders to his colleagues. "M-My boyfriend is in there with the guy that did this!"

"Everything will be okay, you need to go and get checked out by a paramedic." He advises, looking down at me with worried eyes.

"Rio!" At this point I'm in hysterics, wondering if the love of my life is still alive.

"Come on, darling." A woman ushers me to an ambulance and I quietly follow her. She wraps a blanket around my shoulders as I take a seat at the back of the ambulance.

I look up at the building and my heart breaks at what I see. Windows are smashed and black smoke is polluting the night sky.

"How are you feeling?" The paramedic smiles gently at me.

"I-I'm fine, I ju-" A loud bang halts my words and my heart constricts.

A shaky breath escapes my lips and I find myself running towards the building. The paramedic that helped me out of the building holds me back and I can't help but breakdown.

"Rio!" I yell out finding myself struggling to breath as I fall to my knees.

There's no way he's escaped. He's dead.

"Lee." I feel Ben pull me into a hug but I feel numb. "I'm sorry." I shake my head in denial, tears blurring my vision.

"W-We just got back together." I whimper, clutching tightly onto Ben. "H-He's dead!"

I can't catch a break.

I'm so tired.

•••

"Leona, I really don't want to leave you by yourself." Ben pleads.

Three hours later and I'm back in Dario's penthouse, clutching onto one of his shirts that still smells like him.

Only Cane's dead body was retrieved from the building.

"I'm sorry Ben, I just want to be alone for a little while." I whisper.

"I'm going to stay in one of the spare bedrooms. If you need me, call me, okay." I just nod and listen as he sighs and makes his way out.

As soon as I hear the click of the door I begin to cry into a pillow.

This is all my fault!

If I hadn't left and met Cane, Dario would still be alive.

I stare at the ceiling, guilt and sorrow consuming my body.

I'm never going to be able to move on from this.

I'm never going to be happy the way I was with my Dario.

I close my eyes and let my exhaustion take over, slowly falling asleep. However, I am woken up shortly to someone stroking my cheek.

I slowly open my eyes and my heart begins to race.

"Princess?"

A/N
See guys, I updated as soon as I could haha, I know you all hate it when I leave you on cliffhangers but I can't help it 🙈❤️

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