I’m only a few feet from them, but the closer I get, Adahlia steps closer to the edge of the building.
“Friends?” she screams. “We’re more than friends! I love you!”
Her face is flushed, and her eyes dart around with a wild intensity I’ve only seen in people who are cornered and havelost their shit. If I don’t act soon, Arabelle will be hurt or worse. And I will never let that happen. It’s going to be her before I let anything happen to Arabelle.
When I’m close enough where I know Arabelle won’t be hurt, at least not from the gun, I spring toward Adahlia, simultaneously shoving Arabelle aside. The sharp sound of the gun reverberates through the air, jolting me into action, and Adahlia loses her balance when I push her over the edge.
“Florian!” Adahlia screams. “Please, help me!”
I walk to the edge of the building and look over the edge. She’s clinging onto a metal pipe that’s fixed to the concrete of the building. It’s groaning from her weight.
“Please, help me,” she pleads, her tear-streaked face filled with desperation. “I love you, Florian. You can’t let me die.”
As I reach down, my fingers wrap around her delicate wrist, feeling the pulse of her heartbeat. She tightly grips my hand, her knuckles turning white when she lets go of the pipe.
However, I know how this ends. Pulling her up would put Arabelle at risk. She’s already proven that she’s a threat, and she will never leave us in peace if I let her live. There’s only one thing that I can do.
My face breaks into a wicked smile, and she instantly recognizes her mistake of placing her trust in the Beast.
Wrong move.
Her relief immediately turns to fear, and tears fill her eyes.
“Florian…”
Arabelle’s voice, filled with pain, echoes in my ears from behind me, prompting me to release Adahlia’s hand without a second thought. Her screams of terror echo through the stillness of the night, blending with the distant hum of the city. While I’d love nothing more than to watch her fall to her death, I have more important things to attend to.
I rush toward Arabelle, my heart pounding in my chest. When I reach her, I kneel beside her. “Are you hurt?” I ask, looking over her body for any injuries.
She reaches for the bruise over her eye and winces before dropping her hand. “Bruised, and I have a massive headache, but I think I’m going to be okay.”
I help her to her feet, feeling the warmth of her body against mine when I wrap my arm around her shoulders. I guide her toward the elevator, eager to get off this fucking rooftop and safely inside my penthouse. The place will be swarmed by cops in no time.
“Is she dead?” she asks when we step inside the elevator.
When I press the button, the door closes, sealing us inside, she presses her head against my chest. “She is.”
She lets out a sigh of relief. “And Hugo?”
I tighten my embrace. “I don’t know.”
Hopefully, he isn’t going to die. He’s like a brother to me, but right now, I’m more concerned with her well-being. I failed to protect her, the one thing I promised her I would always do. Now, I need to make it right.
24
Arabelle
As I sit in Florian’s penthouse, a chill runs down my spine as I watch him carefully light the fireplace. The cold from being on top of the roof and the ice pack against my eye has penetrated deep into my bones.
I tug his coat around me, relishing in his intoxicating scent. It has a soothing effect. It’s kind of unnerving how quiet he’s been since everything that’s happened. The absence of his voice only amplifies the tension in the room.
“What now?” I ask.
He momentarily stops what he’s doing, like he’s in deep thought, before picking up where he left off. “We give our statements to the cops. I don’t like to deal with them, but with Adahlia’s body at the base of the building, it’s something we can’t avoid.”
“Did you let her fall?”
He faces me, his eyes locking with mine before he takes a few steps and positions himself directly in front of me. “Do you really want to know the answer to that question? Think really hard before you answer, Beauty.”
