Breaking Midnight (Il Paradosso Series Book One)

Chapter forty-two

I was an emotional wreck, kneeling down in front of the toilet and spilling my guts out until my eyes had turned blood-shot red.

I didn't know why I was crying but the tears kept coming as my head spun in circles, forming dark blotches around me.

There was a hard knock on the door, which I refused to answer. Standing in front of the oval mirror, I let the water run to drown out the noise.

"Adriana, are you alright?" Giada's voice sounded muffled as she twisted the knob persistently, determined to withdraw my attention.

I unlocked it and turned back to the sink, letting the cool water spray over my hands that were visibly trembling.

I could sense her observing me from the doorway. I continued to splash water onto my pale cheeks, although I refused to raise my head, afraid that she would notice the fear.

"No, I'm not," I finally answered, patting my face with the soft towel, hoping it would sooth the swelling that had began to form around my eyelids.

"It's not as bad as you think," she said, crossing her arms over her chest, her face serious with not a speck of remorse. "It's only a minor indemnification for the benefit of both sides."

I saw Antonio's sharp eyes again burning into me, still feeling the power in his touch when he held on to my hand, his lips moving gracefully while his words conveyed an air of gravitas and prestige.

How was he so heedless and in-cognizant of my indisputable devotion to him? Was it really that difficult for him to acknowledge it or was it that he simply refused to?

Had he not ascertained my fealty by now or would it take more than my soul offering to convince him?

I remained silent as Giada stood still, studying my feeble condition.

"I really need to lie down," I murmured, quailing from the whiff of jasmine reaching my nostrils, and sensing the next round of ejecta making its way up to my throat.
I grimaced, feeling my stomach convulse and placed my hand on my mouth. I sprinted to the toilet, releasing what was now clear fluid.

There was nothing left to throw up.
My vision started to blur. I stood on wobbly legs, closing the lid and flushing the fluid remains. Giada's voice seemed from a far distance now and her words were indistinguishable.

Gripping the edge of the marble, I slumped against the sink, my limbs feeling soft and numb as if they were no longer attached to my body.
Two hands slipped underneath both of my arms before I could hit the surface, and the grey splotches before me faded into a whirl of darkness.

I awoke in the comfort of my own bed with the diamante duvet cover draped over me; the lavender smell that I had once found to be calming was now heightening the queasiness in my abdomen.

My stomach was practically a canvas but the spasms had subsided, giving me a small sense of relief as I wasn't exactly best friends with my gagging reflex at the moment.
It hated me for some mysterious reason that I was soon going to find out.

I propped my back up against the bedpost, staring at the elderly man who was now entering my room, carrying a brown medical bag.
His English was rough but clear enough for me to discern his questioning, which he demanded answers to one after another as he took notes, nodding his head while I spoke.