Chapter 73- CAMERA

'I think its best that we not speak about this. I mean, you know what they say? The walls have ears and the last thing we want is someone overhearing our conversation and knowing that indeed you were the murderer of that day in the bush" Ricardo advised Leonardo.

'You are right, I shouldn't be speaking about this. I should be positive and not allow negative energies to ruin my wedding" Leonardo had made that decision for himself. Turning his attention back at the mirror and smiling at himself, knowing inwardly that he will do whatever it takes to keep his wife and his unborn child away from any other danger that was looming ahead.

'Yes you should not be speaking like that, I mean we wouldn't want something to go wrong wouldn't we?" Ricardo told his friend in a smooth voice.

**
With her back pressed against the bed, Aurora stared up at the ceiling and thought of what her life would be like if everything was not falling apart before her eyes. She was well aware that she had a loving husband sleeping next to her but yet she could not help but feel the impending doom looming closer to her.

Aurora sat slept frozen in her bed and as she looked at the bedside clock besides her bed, she realized that it was midnight, meaning that there was only two days left for her to make her decision. She would have to decide whether she would tell her husband the truth or face music. Ricardo had been serious about what he had said and there was no doubt about that and it was best that she not play with him.

He was out to get revenge on her husband and Aurora could not figure out why Ricardo insisted on calling him a bad man, when he had nothing but good to say about him in the presence of Leonardo.

Aurora had so many unanswered questions and there was so many things that she herself had not known about her husband's past life, before she had showed up in his life.

Leonardo, what is it that you're trying to hide for me? What secret is it that you are keeping away from me? She asked herself mentally, looking up at the ceiling as though it was about to give her all the answers that she had hoped for.

'If you continue thinking so hard, you might burn a hole into the ceiling" Aurora froze as she heard her husband speaking next to her, even though the room was dark, she could feel his glare on her. Aurora began breathing softly as a way to camouflage the fact that she was still awake, hoping that her husband would fall for her trick.

'I'm not stupid my love, I know that you're not sleeping" Leonardo told her and it was then that Aurora knew that there was no use pretending, because she was caught out. She had lied to her husband too many times and he did not deserve this from her.

She turned her head to the side, making sure that she was looking at her husband's figure in the dark and her heart weighed heavily as she thought that she might ruin the night by telling him the truth but it had to be done sooner than later.

'If you were to count my love for you by comparing it to how many stars there are in the sky, how many stars would you count?" She asked her husband, trying her outmost best to fill out fizzle out her insecurities.

Even in the dark, it was as if she could see her husband. She could hear his heartbeat in the silence of the dark. She heard him as a let out the breath as though he was preparing himself to say something of much importance.

'If I were to take you outside and ask you to count how many stars are there in the sky, how many would you say they are in the sky?" Leonardo answered her question with another question.

'I don't think I would be able to count how many stars in the sky there are, there's so many" She answered honestly.

'Well that is how much I love you, it cannot be measured neither can it be counted so stop asking me such questions, because you scare me when you do that"

'I just thought—" She tried explaining herself but Leonardo would not have any of it.

'Maybe you should stop asking me that because I will forever love you no matter what" Leonardo reassured her, yet his reassurance and trust in her broken Aurora's heart that her husband was unaware that she was keeping a big secret from him.

'I have something to tell you" Aurora blurted out but she quickly bit her lips as she realized that she was about to tell him the truth. Her mind ran in circles thinking of how she would confess all her lies to him.

One thing Aurora was thankful for was the fact that the lights were shut and he could not read her facial expression, she was fearful that he would read her facial expression and know that she was about to tell him something that might ruin in their wedding before it even began.

'Let me switch on the lights" He reached for the lamp but Aurora quickly reached for his hand but she stopped him in his tracks.

'No need to do that, I would much prefer to talk to you in the dark"

'Whatever you say soon-to-be mum" He teased her, it was then that Aurora knew that the truth in a moment such as now was not possible. Moments where he made her laugh and made sure that she knew she was loved might be ruined once she tells the truth.

'I— I—" She stammered as though she did not know how she might tell her husband that she was not who she thought she was.

'You're so nervous as though you're about to tell me something serious, has anyone spoken to you about anything recently?" Leonardo asked her, panicking inwardly that someone had just told his wife about the crime that he had committed all those years ago.

'No, nothing like that—just that"

She tried explaining herself but she stopped, Leonardo let out a silent breath of relief. Once again, he was saved from a major crash.
His wife had scared him and he knew that it was best that they go to bed and not bother about it, the last thing he wanted was a heart attack in worrying that his blackmailer was about to tell his wife the truth about the crime he has committed all those years ago.

'You know what? I think it is best that you go to sleep, you look very tired" he told her.

'It's dark and you can't see me, how do you know that I'm tired?" She asked him.

'I don't have to see you and know that you're tired, I can feel it even as you speak to me. Now please go to bed, we don't want a tired mommy in the morning do we?" He asked.

'Sure" Aurora agreed with him, she shut her eyes and pretended to sleep. There was no point in arguing with her husband any longer, her plan to tell him the truth had backfired and there was no other way for her to tell him now. She only had two days, two days to decide what her decision would be because her marriage and unborn child depended on it.


In the morning

Leonardo walked through the grocery store with the casket in his hand, as he tried to find ingredients to cook his wife yet another good meal. He walked carefully and his face looked relieved, but inside he was a man whose life was falling apart. Unknowing to his wife, the blackmailer kept sending letter to his home but luckily for Leonardo, Aurora had not seen any of them. He had the decision to either cancel his wedding or his truth will be out.

Leonardo walked towards the counter to pay for his food, only for the cashier to hand him an envelope.

'Here you go" The cashier told tell him, handed him the envelope whereas Leonardo stared at it in confusion.

'What is this?" He asked the cashier before taking the envelope from her.

'I don't know, someone said I should give it to you"

Leonardo looked around, hoping to spot the blackmailer but as always, there was no one else in the store that was close by and no one that looked suspicious. He turned his attention back to the cashier who looked as confused as he was.

'Did you see who it was that gave you this envelope? Can you remember their face?" Leonardo ask the cashier even though he was panicky, he tried not to look suspicious.

'I'm sorry sir that person was wearing a hooded jacket and they covered their eyes with shades. I couldn't quite make out who it was, I'm sorry" Leonardo lifted his head and looked up and lucky for him, there was a camera and he knew that this was his moment of saving grace.

'Can you please call your manager? I would like to see the video footage of the store"

'Unfortunately that cannot be done" She responded.

Leonardo stared at the cashier, confused as to why she you would refuse him to see the video footage of his blackmailer.

'And why can't you do that?"

'Well the cameras are not working, they are just there for appearance sake. I've been telling the manager to fix them but I'm just a cashier, what do I know?"

Looking at the cashier Leonardo knew that the young woman was genuine, as she looked as though she would rather be anywhere else rather than work for such an establishment.

Feeling as though all the strength in his body had left him, Leonardo took the envelope from the cashier and buried it deep within his pocket. Without thinking of reading it, he paid for his groceries and walked out of the grocery store, knowing that as soon as he read the letter, it will ruin his day.

Choosing to walk towards a coffee shop, he needed to find a way to cool his head. With only two days left until his wedding day, Leonardo had no idea how he would catch the blackmailer in their tracks.

He ordered a glass of lemonade and drank half the glass in one go. He tried to relax, thinking that this might be the final time that he would have the pleasure of relaxing on a day such as this. He could feel the envelope burn a hole in his trouser pocket, he did not want to read the letter as he already knew the contents of the letter.

The Italian's Runaway Bride
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