Breathless
BELLA
I started walking away again, but Cyrus caught my arm and held me back.
"Hey, wait. Let's talk about this."
"Talk about what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm? What exactly are we talking about?"
"Listen," he said, exhaling, "don’t worry about it. I already talked to her. I set her straight."
"Set her straight?" I repeated, blinking at him. "You already talked to her? What do you mean?"
"I mean," he said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "that she’ll never try to pull something like that again."
He sounded confident, too confident but something sick twisted inside me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I had loved and cared for that woman. And she tried to sleep with my husband? What kind of species was she? What even was this?
"I don’t think you should go like this," Cyrus said cautiously. "You seem...angry. Mad. Just wait till tomorrow, cool down a little..."
I rubbed my hands over my face, overwhelmed with betrayal and disgust. "You seem a little too interested in me not going to talk to her. What really happened?"
He raised his hands in surrender. "Nothing happened! That’s why I’m telling you. Nothing happened."
"Is everything alright?" a voice asked behind us.
I hadn't even noticed my mother-in-law approaching. I was too wrapped up in the hurt.
"Yes, everything’s alright, Mama," Cyrus said quickly, flashing her one of those charming smiles that never fooled me.
She turned to me. "Bella? Is everything okay?"
"No. It’s not," I said coldly. "Because I’m going to kill your daughter-in-law."
Her smile faltered. She narrowed her eyes slightly but still spoke with that effortless grace like it was just a joke. "What the hell did my daughter-in-law dO?"
"She kissed Cyrus," I said, plain and sharp.
There it was. No sugarcoating. No drama. Just the truth.
Her face changed immediately. The frown came in deep, cutting across her otherwise serene features.
"She kissed Cyrus?" she asked, turning toward him.
"Yes," Cyrus confirmed quickly. "But it’s over. I already put her in her place. Don’t worry about it."
"Why?" his mother asked, her voice hardening.
"That’s what I’ve been saying!" I shouted before I could stop myself. Then I paused. "That’s what I’ve been saying...Why would she kiss him? If he wasn’t this handsome? If he didn’t make women feel safe and relaxed around him? If he didn’t...?"
"Okay, that’s enough, baby," Cyrus said, trying to stop the spiral. "Stop blaming me. Why are you blaming me?"
Behind him, I saw a slight movement, someone lingering with a tired, unhurried nod. Like they’d been standing there, just listening.
"I'm sure there's a way around this, a way we could talk about it....." My mother-in-law began, But then Mr. Cedric Cincinnati, my father-in-law — walked closer, kissed his wife's cheek, and asked,
"What's going on?"
His wife, with a strange calmness, said, “Well, it’s been a while since we had any family drama, but… the new daughter-in-law kissed her brother-in-law.”
Cedric raised an eyebrow, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Mama said without blinking, “Sarah kissed Cyrus.”
“Cyrus?” he repeated, turning slowly to look at his son. Cyrus' face was unreadable, far too still. He didn’t say anything, just groaned softly, like he was tired of the whole thing.
Cedric’s eyes narrowed. “I knew there was something wrong with that girl. Where is she?”
“She’s at home,” Cyrus replied quietly.
That was my cue. I straightened my posture, ignoring the way my heart pounded in my ears.
“I think I’m gonna go now.”
“Wait,” Cyrus said quickly.
“No,” I snapped. “I’m not waiting for anything. I’m not waiting for tomorrow. I’m not waiting for her to have an amazing, beautiful sleep. I’m going to talk to her. I’m going to tell her the error of her ways, and I’m going to make sure she stays the fuck away from my family.”
And I walked away. No one could’ve stopped me.
Outside, one of the guards went to get the car. I stood there, arms folded tight across my chest, burning with betrayal. Cyrus came and stood beside me.
“Okay, fine,” he said. “You win. Let’s leave. But I already warned her. You don’t have to do this.”
“I don’t care, Cyrus,” I said without looking at him. “I am doing this.”
When the car arrived, we got in and drove straight to the Cincinnati estate. The silence between us was loud, but I didn’t break it. I didn’t need to. My resolve was louder than any words.
When we arrived, no one questioned me. No one dared.
I stepped out of the car with purpose and fury, marching straight into the house, my footsteps echoing like thunder.
And I didn’t stop until I was at Cullen and Sarah’s bedroom door and pushed the door open without knocking.
Empty. My chest tightened with frustration as I stepped inside. The bed was perfectly made, untouched. No sign of Sarah. I turned back around and started searching the house. Room by room. Corridor by corridor. Bathroom. Balcony. Nothing.
She was nowhere.
I didn’t stop moving, and I didn’t care who saw me. I checked the guest rooms, the back patio, the side gardens, even the goddamn laundry room. It was like she had vanished into thin air.
And then, the doors opened. Voices floated through the entrance. The rest of the family had come home.
Mama, Papa, everyone even Cullen.
My heart pounded faster.
As they entered, I stood near the central glass-walled room, staring at them.
“You all just left the party?” I asked, surprised
“We were tired,” Cullen said flatly. “It was boring anyway. We just wanted to come home and sleep.”
Cyrus was silent, rubbing his temple. Mama gave a halfhearted shrug. Cedric collapsed into an armchair like he couldn’t be bothered.
Cullen yawned as he poured himself a drink. “Where’s Sarah?” he asked lazily.
“I don’t know,” I said.
Everyone fell quiet.
And then… it happened. Cullen turned his head slowly toward the large glass wall. His drink froze in his hand. His whole body stiffened.
“What the hell…” he muttered.
We all followed his gaze.
Outside. The water.
There—barely visible beneath the moonlight was a figure. A woman. Floating just under the surface. Limbs heavy. Still. Lifeless.
Sarah.
“Shit,” Cullen whispered.
Then he moved.
He didn’t ask questions. Didn’t hesitate. He dropped his glass, threw off his jacket mid-sprint, and bolted toward the back doors. We all ran after him, a surge of panic flooding the room.
“No, no, no,” Mama whispered behind me. “Oh my God…”
Cullen didn’t stop.
Still fully clothed, he dove into the water, disappearing under the surface as the ripples swallowed him whole.
We all stood there on the edge, breathless.
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