Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter) novel Chapter 204

Summary for Chapter 204: Ruined By My Brother's Best Friend (by Silverwriter)

Read Arabella and Alvise novel Chapter 204

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

Living Her Life

ARABELLA’S POV

“Basement?” I choked out, hurrying after him.

55 vouche

Why would he put Francesca in the basement? My head was spinning, and I couldn’t understand what was going on.

Alvise, on the other hand, was oddly calm, moving ahead of me in confident strides as we walked past the hallway and headed down the little flight of stairs that led to Archie’s basement.

My brother maintained it well and usually came down here to play his video games, so the basement wasn’t unkempt or disgusting.

There were guards at the entrance, just like at the front door, and it confused me even more.

What was going on?

I didn’t think much of it until my eyes landed on Francesca. I gasped, taking a step back and covering my mouth with my hand.

She was tied to a chair, her mouth sealed with tape, and her hair was matted with sweat, so much that it stuck to her face.

Her eyes looked dead, completely devoid of life, as if she’d already given up. Bile rose to my throat, and I tipped my head back to keep it from coming out.

I could feel Alvise’s cold gaze on me, but I was more focused on trying to pull myself together so I wouldn’t do something stupid.

The sound of muffled noises made me snap my head back and straighten. My eyes shot toward the source of the sound, landing on Francesca. Her eyes, now full of blazing fury, narrowed as she glared at me.

My brows drew together. What was wrong with her?

I could see her mouth moving like she wanted to say something, but the tape was stopping her.

Digging my nails into my palms, I turned to look at Alvise. His eyes were already on me, watching me intently as he leaned against the wall.

My breath hitched in my throat, and I fought to keep the surge of emotions that threatened to spring up \ as tears at bay.

He was doing this for me.

I didn’t have a doubt about that, and that alone made me feel things I couldn’t describe. “I want to hear her.” I whispered.

Alvise poked his inner cheek with his tongue, and I thought he was about to take a jab at my request, but instead, he asked, “You sure?”

I nodded. “I think it’s time I got to understand what her real problem with me is.” I said, even though I

13

14

IUI, OCP

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

already knew the answer to that question.

65 voucher

vas Alvise. She hated me and despised me because she couldn’t have him. And now I wondered, since he was right here, would she finally tell him about her deranged obsession with him? Or was her anger. reserved for just me?

“Remove the tape.” Alvise nodded toward the guard standing right next to her.

He obliged and tore the tape off Francesca’s mouth, pulling a scream from her.

“You little bitch!” Francesca spat, her eyes fixed on me. “You have the audacity to act like the sight of me tied up doesn’t excite you?”

I wasn’t surprised by her outburst. I knew it would always be directed at me. She blamed everything that went wrong in her life on me.

My fingers shook, and my heart beat ferociously. “Don’t worry, she can’t hurt you anymore,” I whispered under my breath.

“And if it excites me?” I retorted, taking a few steps closer to her. I wasn’t going to let her manipulate me and break my spirit like she’d done consistently for the past four years.”

“I always knew you were pretending to be innocent and docile.” Francesca chuckled darkly. “You’re nothing but a spoiled little brat!”

I flinched, the venom in her voice revealing just how much she loathed me. “What’s your obsession with how I act or what I do? Why can’t you live your life without placing me at the center of it?”

“Because I don’t want to!” She snarled. “You have my life!”

I took a step back and shook my head. “No, I don’t.” I gritted. “I don’t have your life, Francesca, so never assume I do.”

“You took the only man I’ve ever loved.” She timidly glanced at Alvise, her expression softening for a brief second before her hard eyes came back to me. “And now you’ve taken away my husband!”

1

I gasped, stunned by how delusional she was. “Are you even hearing yourself?” I scoffed. “You’re calling my brother your husband?”

“We are legally married. He is my husband!”

“Oh, please!” I raised my hand, cutting her off. “You just called Alvise the ‘only man you’ve ever loved, but you go ahead and call another man your husband in the same breath? Does that make sense to you?”

“It does.” Francesca whispered. “And it wouldn’t have to be so complicated if you just backed away!”

“What would you have me do, you psychotic bitch?” I snapped, my whole body shaking with anger. “Was I supposed to abandon my brother for you? Never speak to him or see him just to make you happy?”

“Yes! How hard can it be?” She laughed hysterically. “I wouldn’t have to care about your brother if you left Alvise alone.” Francesca accused bitterly. “Why did you go into his room? Why did you have to touch him? How dare you touch him!”

Tears pooled in her eyes, and then I watched them fall until she was crying profusely. “It was supposed to

23

14

моп, зер 14

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

be ME! I was supposed to meet up with him.”

55 vouchers

What was wrong with her, and what was she talking about? I rubbed my trembling hands together as I watched her, dumbfounded by the way she spoke with so much confidence, like she was making any sense when she wasn’t.

“You weren’t supposed to meet up with him.” I countered, folding my arms. “You need to go get therapy and get the help you need because you’ve gone nuts. Not everything in life that doesn’t go your way is someone else’s fault! When will you ever accept that?”

“I never will because everything that has gone wrong in my life is your fault!”

I frowned. “My fault? How?”

Francesca glanced at Alvise lovingly, then looked away like she was shy. I watched her, uncomfortable with the sight of it.

Softly, and as if remembering a loving memory, she said something that made the air in my lungs disappear.

“He… invited me to his room that night.”

AD

Comment

Send gift

No Ads

MUU Mon, Sep 14

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

He Wanted To Be With Her?

ANABELLA’S POV

My ears rang loudly, like her words had been a slap across my face.

He invited her to his room?

I snapped my head toward Alvise, desperate to see his reaction because that was the only thing that could stop me from spiraling.

His eyes were on her, but there was no reaction on his face. He stood eerily calm, his hands now slipped into both pockets as he watched her.

“You’re lying,” I said, turning back to Francesca, though my voice carried none of the confidence it had

moments ago.

She noticed because her smile grew wider. “You think I’m lying? Is that what you’re settling for so you can continue living in your little bubble?”

“He would never invite you to his room,” I said confidently, more to myself than to her.

Francesca tapped her foot against the floor. “You might think I’m crazy, but trust me, I’m not crazy enough to make this up. What do you think I was doing up there?” she questioned impatiently. “Do you think I was outside his apartment for no reason?”

“How and when did he invite you to his place?” I demanded, my patience thinning. “Don’t just say things without any proof!”

Francesca snorted. “At the graduation party.”

My heartbeat picked up, thrumming violently against my chest as I flicked my gaze from Alvise to her.

Alvise was still quietly watching her, not saying a word, like he wasn’t in the room with us and couldn’t hear every single thing being said.

I was already taking his silence as a confession, and it threatened to shatter whatever sanity I had left.

“What happened at the graduation party?” I pressed. “Say it.”

Francesca shrugged. “He was sitting alone, and I walked up to him after hearing that he was going back to Russia because I wanted to ask him why he was leaving. We got to talking, and I offered to keep him company for the night.” Francesca smirked. “Of course, he said yes.”

“She’s lying.” Alvise cut in, his voice lazy at the edges.

I bit my lip, taking another step back. “Is she?”

His eyes narrowed. “Do you actually believe anything she said? Hasn’t she proven enough that she’s crazy?”

My chest felt tight. Too tight. “I don’t know what to believe anymore, Alvise… I don’t know.”

“You should believe me,” Francesca chimed in. “I have no reason to lie anymore…”

TOO Mon, Sep 14

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

“Shut the fuck up.” Alvise ordered, his voice cold and harsh, making her flinch.

e dropped her head, avoiding eye contact, and in that moment, I could see it clearly. She was scared of him… terrified.

“I’m going to speak to her, and you’re going to shut the fuck up while I do it,” Alvise warned. “I watched you spill your nonsense because I couldn’t care less what came out of your mouth, but now…” He raised a- hand, his tone as threatening as the stone-cold look on his face. “You’re pushing it.”

Francesca bit her lip and lowered her head even further, not making another sound.

Alvise pushed off the wall and approached me, but I stepped back, walking away from him until my back hit the wall.

I hissed as the cold surface sent shivers down my spine. Tall and towering over me, Alvise stepped right in front of me, his icy blue eyes biting into my soul.

“I told you, she’s making up stories.”

I tried to look away, his gaze too intense, but he brought his fingers to my chin, holding my face in place. “Why aren’t you saying anything?” Alvise asked, searching my face.

“I don’t know what to say… I…” I took in a deep breath, exhaling slowly, “You… wanted to sleep with her?”

His eyes flashed. “That never happened.” Alvise snapped.

I stared past him, unable to look directly into his eyes. “Did you… speak to her that night?”

My throat went dry as I waited for his answer, goosebumps rising across my skin.

“Yes.”

My breath hitched. “You… actually spoke to her?” That meant she didn’t make it up. She was probably not lying.

I snatched his hand from my face and tried to walk away, but he placed both hands against the wall above my head, trapping me in place. “I never told her to come to my apartment.”

“Then what did you say?” I whispered, my voice now frail. “What could you have told her that would make her stay outside your apartment all night? Did you even think about Archie?” I shook my head in disbelief. “He’s your best friend, and you… wanted to sleep with his girlfriend?”

“Do you really think I would ever want to sleep with anyone involved with Archie?” His eyes flashed with disgust. “Much less her?” He sounded disgusted, more at the for even implying it in the first place.

“But she said it so badly like she…”

Alvise’s jaw hardened. “She’s obviously mentally deranged,” he hissed. “You said that yourself, so why would you want to believe a word that comes out of her mouth?”

“Just tell me! I can’t take your word for it… I…”

“You can’t take my word for it?” His voice dropped dangerously low. “But you can take hers?”

Mon, Sep 14

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

“You never told me about this until now!”

55 vict

Maybe that’s because I never knew anything about you being blackmailed by her until this morning, and even then, you tried to tell my investigator he was wrong!” He snarled, the anger evident in his tone.. “What did you expect me to do?”

I said nothing, but I couldn’t look at him. I just couldn’t.

Alvise huffed out a frustrated breath. “She came to speak to me and offered me sex, but I turned her down because, one, I don’t want her; two, she’s not my fucking type, and the last thing I was thinking about in that moment was sex. And three, she was Archie’s fucking girlfriend.”

I released a tortured breath.

I believed him.

And I hated that I did. Though, it was evident he wasn’t lying. He had no reason to lie to me.

Francesca’s bitter laugh made me wrench my gaze in her direction.

Her eyes, full of fury, met mine. “You feel special, right? Okay! I’m not his type, and he never said that, but you’ve surely seen his type, right? Tatiana?” She stuck oût her tongue and hummed. “He’s getting married to her next month.”

AD

Comment

Send gift

No Ads

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

He’s Getting Married

ARABELLA’S POV

My stomach twisted at the same time my breathing turned shallow. Was he really getting married next month? Could she be lying again?

She had to be… Right?

I turned my attention back to Alvise, and this time, I watched him intently, trying desperately to read bis

reaction.

He wasn’t tense or angry, and he showed no sign that she’d just told another lie. So, it was true.

“Why are you surprised?” Francesca’s taunting voice broke through the tense silence. “Did you think Tatiana was going to remain his fiancée forever and that they weren’t going to get married?”

My face fell. She was right. What had I been thinking? This had been bound to happen sooner or later. They were going to get married, but… why… Why did I feel so weird and angry?

“He never gave a shit about you!” Francesca continued. “I’m sure you already told him Tatiana was the one who set you up and tried to make you kill her sister. But what did he do to her? NOTHING!”

My head was pounding, and I needed space. I needed to breathe.

I pushed Alvise, trying to get him out of my way, but he didn’t move an inch. Instead, he leaned closer, his eyes blazing with fury. “How does she know about the incident with Viktoriya?”

I heard him speak. I heard his question, but I couldn’t answer him. Nothing else made sense except for the news of his marriage I had just received.

I felt numb, like I was breathing, but my body wasn’t even existing.

“You didn’t tell him I was there?” Francesca whispered, obviously confused, and then, as if she realized she’d just implicated herself, she hissed, “Shit.”

Alvise tensed, the veins in his forehead popping as his hard eyes flared at me. “Why did you leave her name out?”

I bit my lips, forcing them shut. I wasn’t going to say anything to him.

“I said, why did you fucking leave her name out!” Alvise commanded.

“Would it have fucking made a difference?” I snapped, having had enough. My nostrils flared, my chest heaving up and down. “Whether I added her name to it or not, you would have still fucking done nothing!”

He scraped his tongue over his teeth, his jaw tight. “Don’t speak to me like that.”

I scoffed, furious. “I don’t even want to speak to you, so get out of my face!”

“Arabella.” Alvise warned. “I let it go the first time because I could see that she was getting into your head, but now you’re just being fucking stupid, so tread carefully.”

1/3

14

SUU Mon, Sep 14

Ruined By My Brother’s Best Friend

“Don’t tell me to tread carefully.” I gritted. “Because now that I think about it, I’m really stupid! Tatiana almost got me into jail for the rest of my life, and you’re going to marry her next month?” I couldn’t

lieve my own words. That’s how shocked I was.

“You thought he was going to do something?” Francesca giggled. “He flew her out of London yesterday..”

Her words became somewhat muffled as a guard placed a piece of tape over her mouth.

That was all I needed to know.

I was a delusional fool.

The worst fool there had ever been.

My heart skipped its next beat, my whole body trembling ferociously, and with all the strength I could muster, I pushed Alvise, trying to get him out of my personal space.

He still didn’t move. “Arabella.” His eyes desperately searched mine. “Calm down…”

I looked away. “Get out of my way! Just leave me alone!” Desperation took over, and I ducked beneath his arms, trying to escape his hold.

I managed to slip out and, with my body numb, ran out of the basement, pushing past the guards who tried to stop me.

I could feel Alvise’s presence behind me as I ran through the hallway into the living room and darted for the front door. I needed to get away. Far away.

Unfortunately, the moment my hands reached the doorknob, Alvise’s large hand covered mine, and he pulled me back until I was flush against his chest.

“Let. Me. Go.” I gritted out.

“Where are you going? You’re not thinking…”

I struggled against his hold, turning to look at him. “I’m not thinking? You’ve deceived me all this time. and now you want to tell me I’m not thinking?”

“Deceived you?” Alvise shook his head once. “Now you’re just saying things.”

“Did you or did you not fly Tatiana back to Russia?” I demanded.

Alvise released me and rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I did,” he said calmly..

“Oh my… I’m so stupid.” I muttered, placing my hands on a nearby couch to stop my shaky legs from giving way beneath me.

“You don’t understand why…”

“I don’t want to understand,” I retorted, cutting him off. “You sent her back to Russia so you two can get married.” I snorted. “So, why are you so bent on punishing Francesca?” I straightened, glaring at him. “Because it’s definitely not because she hurt me. Oh, I think it’s probably because there were photos of you there too. Otherwise, you wouldn’t give a shit what she did, the same way you don’t give a shit what your dear Tatiana did!”

UU Mon, Sep 14

Rumed By My Brother’s Best Friend

Tears welled in my eyes, but I tipped my head back, refusing to let them fall.

55 vouch

vise spoke, his cold voice filling the room. “She’s my fiancée, and you are aware of it. An engagement ends in marriage. What did you think was going to happen?”

I nodded, bringing my head back down to look at him. “That’s why I just admitted to being a fool! Because what was I really thinking?” I laughed bitterly. “I knew this was going to happen, but that doesn’t change the fact that it hurts so much. I knew you cared for her, but I never knew you would get married to the same woman who almost ruined my life.”

I ran my hands through my hair, tugging at the roots as the ache in my chest intensified. “You’re not wrong. I’m not saying you’re wrong… but I can’t control that it hurts. That I felt safe in your hands, under your roof in the cottage, not knowing you were making plans to send the person responsible for my pain back home to prepare for your wedding.”

Something flashed in Alvise’s eyes, but I looked away, refusing to see it.

Silence filled the room around us, thick and suffocating, and I finally dared to ask, taking in a deep breath “When?”

“What?” he asked, sounding confused.

I exhaled slowly. “When are you leaving?”

Alvise didn’t reply for a long time before he finally broke the silence, taking a step closer to me. “Tomorrow.”

AD

Comment

Send gift

No Ads