Chapter 96: Into the abyss
The night was eerily still. The kind of stillness that carried whispers no one could explain.
Alessia stood beside Luca, her fingers brushing his as they faced the tall remaining piece of the broken mirror, the same one that had been her favourite in the room.
It’s silver frame was cracked at the corners, yet something within it shimmered faintly, like trapped light begging to breathe.
Luca’s reflection looked back at him, strong, unreadable, the faint shadow of fatigue softening his edges.
But beside him, Alessia’s eyes glimmered with something beyond fear, curiosity wrapped in destiny.
She stepped closer, her voice steady yet trembling underneath.
"Show yourself," she whispered.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the surface of the mirror rippled, distorting their reflections as if the glass had turned to water.
And then, she showed.
The witch woman from the old stories.
"Lapátásodà Vàlká".
Her figure materialized in a swirl of mist, draped in shadow and light, her face pale yet disturbingly beautiful.
Her eyes burned crimson, and when she spoke, her voice was both a whisper and an echo, like hundreds of souls speaking through her.
"What do you want?" she asked Alessia, her tone sharp and almost mocking.
Alessia swallowed. "I want to pay homage to you... as the one who has received the Great Box."
A faint smile twisted the woman’s lips ... sad, mysterious, dangerous.
"Homage?" she repeated, tilting her head. "Why does your visit sound so fragile, child?"
"Because your presence feels... terrifying," Alessia answered honestly.
The woman laughed softly , a laugh that sent a chill through the room, cold enough that the candles flickered out one by one.
"That is because," she whispered, "we are evil. And our good always seems evil to those who do not understand it."
Luca’s jaw tightened, his protective instinct flaring.
He stepped slightly in front of Alessia, his hand brushing against hers.
But before he could speak, the woman’s image began to fade , melting into smoke, her laughter echoing one last time through the glass.
Then silence...
A single crack spread across the mirror like lightning, and the broken piece shattered, falling to the floor with a sharp sound that made Alessia jump.
"Alessia," Luca murmured quickly, catching her by the shoulders before she could fall back. "It’s okay, it’s just glass."
She trembled, clutching his shirt. "She looked... real, Luca.
Not like a spirit, but like someone who knew me."
He brushed a thumb across her cheek, steadying her breathing. "Whatever she was, she’s gone now. And I will make sure she stays that way."
He turned to the door and called sharply for the maids.
"Clean this up immediately," he ordered, his voice commanding. "Every shard."
The maids hurried in, heads bowed, sweeping away the fragments of what felt like more than just glass.
Luca turned back to Alessia, his gaze softening. "Tonight," he said firmly, "we will open the box together. Whatever is inside, we face it side by side."
Alessia nodded slowly.
But even as she agreed, her eyes flicked once more toward the mirror frame . Where faint mist still lingered, curling upward like breath.
Luca noticed the look but didn’t comment.
Instead, he took a towel from the dresser, unbuttoned his shirt, and headed for the bathroom.
The faint scent of his cologne ... rich, masculine, dark filled the air.
He glanced back at her from the doorway, one brow lifting slightly. "You are quiet," he said.
She blinked out of her thoughts. "Just... thinking."
He smirked faintly, leaning against the doorframe. "Thinking can wait. I’m going to shower before work. Wanna join me?"
Alessia’s eyes widened instantly. Her face flushed a deep rose. "Luca.... " she gasped, grabbing a pillow and covering her face.
He laughed softly that low, husky sound that always managed to melt her defenses. "I will take that as a maybe," he teased, and disappeared into the bathroom, the sound of running water following him.
Alessia peeked out from behind the pillow, shaking her head, but a small, unwilling smile touched her lips.
For all the darkness that surrounded them, moments like these made her feel human again.
She leaned back against the soft sofa, her thoughts drifting to the box. the Great Box that had chosen her, that Lapátásodà Vàlká had acknowledged.
A chill crept through her veins as she remembered the woman’s words - "Our good always seems evil."
Somewhere deep inside, Alessia wondered if the line between good and evil had already blurred too far to see.
*******
Meanwhile...
In a dimly lit bar across the city, the smoke was thick enough to hide sins.
Glasses clinked, music throbbed low, and two men sat at a corner booth one in tailored black, the other with a scar cutting across his jaw.
Marcelo Vescari leaned forward, his eyes burning with something dangerous, something obsessive.
He was the kind of man whose smile never reached his eyes.
Across from him sat Van Vicker, his longtime ally and the only person reckless enough to tell him the truth.
Marcelo slammed his glass down, amber liquid spilling over the rim. "I want to go back to Morano," he growled. "I must have my woman."
Van Vicker exhaled, unbothered. "Here we go again. You always act like a psycho each time you’re obsessed."
Marcelo’s lips twitched into a sharp grin. "I chase my prey until I get it. Giving up isn’t in my DNA."
Van Vicker scoffed, swirling his drink. "You are talking about Alessia again, Luca’s bride aren’t you?"
Marcelo’s eyes darkened. "You won’t understand what she possesses."
"Possesses?" Van Vicker echoed. "You mean her beauty or her blood?"
Marcelo’s gaze turned distant, almost haunted. "Both. She’s not just a woman, Van. She’s the key, The mark. The one who can open what no one else can."
Van Vicker frowned. "You are crossing lines that even the Moranos fear. Luca won’t let you near her."
Marcelo smirked, leaning back. "He can’t stop fate. And I don’t care if she’s married..."
His voice dropped, dangerous and certain.
"She will have to divorce him and marry me".....
**********
The morning sun fell in soft ribbons across the Morano mansion, the scent of fresh roses curling through the open balcony where Alessia stood.
Her white silk gown swayed in the quiet breeze, her hands tenderly resting on the gentle swell of her stomach.
Two lives moved inside her tiny heartbeats beating in rhythm with her own, a melody of love Luca had unknowingly carved into her soul.
A soft knock echoed through the courtyard.
"Madam, Miss Daisy is here," one of the guards announced.
Alessia’s face brightened instantly. "Send her in, immediately". she said, already stepping toward the staircase.
When Daisy entered through the large iron gate, her smile lit up the courtyard like dawn breaking after a storm.
The two women ran into each other’s arms, holding tightly as if that single embrace could erase all the pain of the past weeks.
"You have added some weight," Daisy teased, her laughter soft and sincere.
Alessia leaned closer, brushing her lips near Daisy’s ear.
Her whisper was full of trembling joy. "I’m pregnant."
Daisy froze, her eyes widening with a happiness so pure it shimmered. "Oh, Alessia.... Congratulations, I will be a godmother soon, then?"
Alessia smiled mischievously. "Not to one, Daisy... to two. They are twins."
Daisy gasped, pressing both palms to Alessia’s stomach with tears already threatening her lashes. "Twins? Oh, my heart can’t handle this joy. I’m so happy, Alessia. So happy I could scream."
Alessia laughed softly, resting her head against Daisy’s shoulder. "It feels like love has finally decided to be kind to me."
But Daisy’s laughter faded.
Her hands dropped slowly from Alessia’s belly as her face clouded with concern.
"I don’t know if I should still say this," she murmured. "Not when you are like this..."
Alessia turned serious. "Daisy, tell me anything. If I can face a strange, scary woman stepping out of a mirror, I can face whatever else is coming."
Daisy managed a shaky smile. "You did that because Luca was by your side."
They both laughed softly, the sound echoing through the marble halls.
But the laughter dissolved as Daisy’s expression hardened again.
"There’s danger, Alessia." Her tone was lower now, her words trembling with urgency. "Seraphina doesn’t want Morano’s documents anymore. She wants you."
Alessia’s smile faltered. Her fingers froze where they rested on the railing. "Me?"
Daisy nodded grimly. "Romeo came back to me, selling information about Seraphina. But I don’t trust him. He said marrying Seraphina was all a frame... To deceive someone. He claims he’s done with her, but... I don’t buy it. There’s something off."
Alessia’s gaze lifted to the sky, her eyes reflecting the pale sunlight. "Once beaten, twice shy. We can’t trust him ever again."
The air between them thickened with silence.
Only the wind whispered through the garden, soft, haunting, almost warning.
Daisy reached out and squeezed Alessia’s hand. "Promise me you will be careful."
Alessia nodded, forcing a faint smile. "I have Luca. Whatever comes, we will face it together."
Daisy wanted to believe her. But deep in her heart, she could feel it the tide was turning again, and this peace was just the calm before another storm.
*******
Across the city, a thick haze of cigarette smoke clouded Bianca’s dimly lit apartment.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the cigarette between crimson-painted lips. Her eyes were cold empty of love, full of venom.
She snatched her phone from the table and dialed a number.
Her voice slithered through the receiver, low and cruel.
"You damn maid," she hissed. "Let’s meet by six p.m. You must add the substance in her drink."
She inhaled deeply, exhaled smoke, her lips curling into a sinister smile.
"She must lose those babies she’s carrying..." Bianca whispered, her voice dripping with hate. "She must bleed them out."........