Episode 20

When I stopped recollecting those moments, I reacted and snapped back to my senses; I saw my mother about to play the DVD on the television.

"What is happening? How is my wife connected to this issue?" I thought.

"Mother, what does all this mean?"

"You'll understand as soon as we watch it."

The video started playing, and my grandfather, who was sipping coffee, looked at the screen and let his cup drop in shock upon seeing my wife. Hearing the sound, I looked at him and couldn't decipher his expression; I didn't know if he was astounded or what was happening; everything was so peculiar.

"I can't believe it," my grandfather uttered, rising from his seat to stand before me and grasp my shoulders "tell me, Luka, tell me she's the woman you married."

"Yes, she's Gianna, my wife," I said, confused by the situation.

"They are meant to be together," my father commented.

"What's happening? What are you talking about?"

"Your wife is the girl we had engaged you to," my grandfather revealed.

"How?!" I exclaimed with all my might upon hearing this "How can this be possible?"

"We don't know, but somehow you met her and married her."

After listening to him, all I did was get up from the couch where I had been sitting and leave the room in silence. I walked through the mansion until I reached a lovely garden of black roses; I was surprised to see this garden because such roses don't exist in my world. I approached a bench and remained there, as I had much to ponder concerning all that was transpiring.

When I arrived at the garden, I considered everything I was doing. I had been driven by the feeling of finding her and didn't know why.

That same day I began searching throughout the place, restlessly vowing to locate her. Thus, months went by, and during this period, I had scoured the whole area. My relatives assisted me, but to no avail; we even went to the palace, though we were never received, as they were preoccupied. Nonetheless, we visited several more times, to the same effect.

Shortly after, a year had lapsed since my search in this place yielded no results. That day, I walked through the mansion until I returned to the garden of black roses, sat on the bench again, thinking until it dawned on me that I had been foolish in my actions, and I needed to continue with my life, wife or no wife.

I rose from the bench, strolled through the corridors, and asked several servants to gather my family in the library without mentioning the reason for the assembly.

Later, they informed me everyone was gathered, and I confronted them to share my thoughts about the situation. Upon my arrival, they looked at me, bewildered.

"I want you to know what you did was utterly foolish," I said, entering without letting them speak "yes, at some point in my life if I chose to marry, it would be with a woman of my choosing, not one you'd pick. But that's done; I'm married, and there's no turning back. On the other hand, I've thought about everything that's occurred, and I'm tired. I'm moving on with my life on the other side, and if she ever decides to look for me, then so be it. I'm exhausted from the search; I've been looking for her for two and a half years."

"Why did you search for her?" my uncle inquired.

"I searched all this time because I wanted a divorce, and if she wants it too, I welcome it. I'll sign with pleasure."

"I might be in love, but I'm weary," I pondered.

"You know divorce means nothing to us; it doesn't exist. You'll stay married to her until one of you dies," my father stated.

"I no longer care about any of that. I'm returning to Malgrad."

"You can't; you must be with your wife," my grandfather insisted.

"Watch how I return. I have my job to attend to, and it's better you don't interfere," I said, frowning "I'll go back to Malgrad and take over the business. Goodbye."

I stormed out of that room, slamming the door behind me before leaving the mansion to return to my world. I had to revert to being the heartless, bloodthirsty vampire I was before meeting her, a man to be feared who never gave second chances. But now I knew something crucial; that woman was a weakness for me that I couldn't shake off.

Soon, I was back in Malgrad and at my parents' mansion, immediately returning to my own. It struck me that only a week had passed here, while a whole year had gone by on the other side.

Back at my mansion, I began purging my subordinates. I was aware that, during my absence from work, many had turned traitors.

Once I found them, I locked them all in the dungeons of my mansion and tortured them mercilessly; they deserved to die for their betrayal. I forced them to play Russian roulette, and I personally executed the last survivor.

My heart hardened once more; I refused to think about her or to have anything that would remind me of her. I removed the wedding ring from my finger and locked it away in a small box, stowing it in a drawer with a key.

...***...

Two years later

After uncovering everything my parents had hidden from me and having returned to Malgrad, I resumed my persona and my job, returning to my previous state but with one marked difference: I was always arguing with my parents. They insisted I should keep looking for her, and I was utterly against it. My mood had also become more serious and cold, to the extent that even my best friend spoke to me only on matters of work.

As for my wife, I didn't know what had happened to her. Helen often reached out to say she hadn't given up and was still searching, but her information was the same as mine.

Gianna had vanished without a trace. I must confess that I could never forget her; Gianna still dominated my thoughts, which is why I buried myself in work to avoid thinking about anything else, but it was in vain.

With time, I realized I couldn't forget her because she was my fated woman; the night I acknowledged this, I was deeply confused.

I grabbed bottles of vodka and began drinking relentlessly; I felt dreadful, I couldn't accept it and denied everything. No one finds their soulmate so swiftly and in the manner I had, but after some bottles, it clicked; my sudden shift in demeanor, the desperation to find her, the ache in my chest when I was too late to the mansion where she had been imprisoned.

"I fell in love with Gianna at merely a glance; she is my destined woman, damn it," I slurred, collapsing onto my desk.

"Luka... Luka," I heard someone calling me, and as I lifted my head, that's when I saw her, standing in the center of my office "Luka, at last, you understand," she said with a smile.

"Where are you, Gianna?" I asked her.

"Closer than you think. You and I will meet again soon," she replied, stepping closer.

"I don't want to" I retorted in anger "because of you I cast everything aside. I won't allow it; don't come back," I yelled, flinging the glass of vodka.

"We are destined to meet and be together, my dear mafioso husband," she smiled again, and then her image vanished.

"Don't go," I exclaimed, standing from the chair, but when I looked, there was no one "I've dreamt of her again," I muttered, clutching my head, as I realized the alcohol was taking effect "This woman might not be around, but she's driving me truly insane. Sometimes I wonder... Where is Gianna, and if my dreams of her are something more than… just dreams."

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