Wounded Hearts

Chapter 24: Hero

Faith's POV

"I will surely meet him Aunt Kate but-", "no buts Faith....you yourself said you wanted to move on and start afresh, so please come over for dinner. It will give me and Dave happiness" Kate pleaded on the phone. I mentally groaned not knowing how to decline her offer. I was supposed to meet Leo today to see how he is doing after the incident. It's been 3 years since I've ever stepped into that house and I am planning to keep it that way but now I was being pleaded to enter that house that is filled with haunting memories. 

"Aunty please try and understand me it's....it's just hard for me to come over I-", "I know Faith, I understand but please try and come for Leo. He already knows that you are coming over and has been talking about you all day. He is so excited, he hasn't stopped talking about you. Please, come over for our child, please Faith" she begged. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Ok....ok I'll come over with mom and dad" I whispered causing her to squeal on the other side of the phone. "Thank you...thank you so much Faith. Can't wait to see you. Take care my child" and with that we ended the call. 

I looked down at the phone trying to control my tears. 'I'm not going to cry....I'm not going to cry' I told myself. I decided to continue working to distract myself for a while but I knew it was going to be hard. 

A ringtone then snapped me out of my thoughts causing me to attend the call without looking at the caller's name. "Have you seen the news?" a voice asked. Knowing who the person was, I answered back with a No. "Turn the TV on Fai....you will be surprised" he said with a happy tone. I frowned but listened to what he said and turned on the news. My eyes widened at the screen. There was a footage of me going into burning school. Then there was another footage of a child running out and then some men catching Leo, the last footage was of me in Dario's arms as he brought me out of the fire. 

"Faith Abdella, a 27 year old British business woman had risked her life, saving two 3 year old children from the fire that had happened on the 17th of October 2018 at 2pm. 12 children have been injured and 3 teachers had lost their lives in that fire. Miss Abdella has become a hero in the public's eyes. What a wonderful brave woman, who had the bravery to jump into the fire, saving two young kids. This is what we call humanity." The news reporter said. 

"Hero, that's what they call you, a hero" he said on the phone. "Even though I'm pissed off with you risking your life, I'm so proud of your bravery" Dario said on the other side. I stayed silent as I watched the news, too shocked to answer. My heart filled with pain hearing about those injured children and the teachers who had lost their lives. Curse those people who had caused the fire.

 "Are you okay love?" he asked in concern as I wasn't responding. "Yeah...yes I'm fine just shocked" I chuckled. "I want you to come over tonight....I haven't spend time with you since I've been back. I miss you" he whispered at the end. I smiled and sat back on my seat, "I can't....Aunt Kate has called me over for dinner with my family to meet Leo" I told him. I heard him cuss under his breath making me feel nervous. "I didn't want to go but I couldn't deny her as she was pleading too much and-", "you are not going" he ordered. "Dario, I can't-", "No Faith, you are not going. I will not allow you to enter that bastard's house" he said with a cold tone. 

I gritted my teeth in anger and held my phone tightly. "If you don't listen to me my love, then I will come over there myself and drag your cute little ass back to my house" he said with a menacing voice which didn't affect me at all. "No, I am going to go there. I don't want to go but I am helpless. Nothing will happen Dario. It's only a dinner, It's not like I'm going to marry him there" I rolled my eyes. I heard him chuckle with his deep voice but it wasn't a normal chuckle, it was more of a deadly chuckle which caused me to shiver unknowingly. "oh my love, the only person you will marry is me" he stated. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Stop with this nonsense Dario. I already told you that I don't believe in all this shit...I don't want you to end up being heart broken like I was once" I explained to him. "Don't worry about my heart break my love because that won't ever happen, now forget about this and listen to me. I am allowing you to go as you will have your family there but call me if he tries to do anything to you understood?" he ordered. "Yes Sir" I mocked him. "Good" he said playfully. 

We both then stayed silent hearing each other's breathing. "I'm glad your are safe" he whispered after a few seconds of silence. "I felt as if my heart stopped working when I saw you in that condition" he expressed. "Thanks to you Dario, thanks to you" I whispered. 

I then heard a few noises in the background "Love, I have to go now. Take Care. " he said. I don't know why but I wanted to continue talking with him. "You too...take care Bye" I said and ended the call. Dario, my life saver, friend, saviour and what not. The richest and best known business man in the country and other parts of the world. I don't even know how a person like me even became close friends with the man himself.

Dario is known as the most feared man in the country but when I met him I had no fear at all. Dario kept himself hidden from the public. His face was shown quite a bit in the news but he didn't show up in front of the paparazzi or even interviews, he liked to be hidden. 

Therefore, everyone knows his name but a lot of them haven't seen his face. He is the type of man who likes to stay isolated. I felt as if me and Dario had a lot in common, the only difference was he was broken since childhood, with his mother cheating on his father he had started to hate women, not only women but also the touch of a women, so it really shocked me when he started to take a liking to me. 

I will always be in debt to him for that night...the night where he saved my life. 

5 years ago

"Come let's dance Fai, let yourself loose" Liam shouted over the music. I shook my head and chuckled at him. "You go and dance, I'll come later after a few drinks" I shouted. He shook his head and dissappeared into the crazy crowd. I went back to my drink and took sips of it as my mind went back to Atlas. I miss him so much....I badly want him to be here with me. I feel so alone without him and Melissa. Ughhh, I shouldn't have even come clubbing. 

"Ma'am here's a drink for you" the bartender said with as smile. He was cute looking but my Atlas was way better. "I didn't order a drink" I replied. "These are for free, we are giving them out to everyone" he said with a wider smile. I had a bad feeling about this but shrugged the feeling off. "Well, Thank You" I smiled back and took a sip of it. Sip by sip I had finished the drink, letting out a loud gasp. I  pleaced my head onto the table feeling tired all of a sudden. "Hey...is that you Faith?" a voice called out from behind me. I raised my head with squinted eyes as everything started to spin. I shook my head and looked at the person again. "Ben?" I asked in confusion. "Ya...you remember me?....I was in your English class" he said now sitting next to me. I looked over to the ceiling and then at him. "Ahhh yes yes....I remember you" I hiccupped. "Nice meeting you" I said feeling a bit drunk and stood up pushing past the crowd. "Hey wait up" he shouted as he followed me through the crowd. Everything started to become blurry as I felt the room spin around me. I stumbled until a pair of hands caught me "Woah....are you alright?" he asked me, still having his arms around my waist. I slowly psuhed him and gave him a nod trying to get out of the club wanting some fresh air. 

"If you want, I can give you a ride home" he offered. "N-no...t-thanks" I declined and continued stumbling, keeping hold onto the wall, not wanting to fall. My head started to feel heavy as I stumbled again being caught into someone's hands again. "You know.....I had been noticing you at college but was too nervous to confront you. You are so beautiful Fai....Atlas is one lucky bastard to have you" he whispered seductively into my ear making me feel uncomfortable and disgusted. "G-get O-ff me" I said with a shaky voice feeling dizzy. "Now, now...I can't let go off this sexy body. Just one taste Fai...just one and I will let you go" he whispered. "GET OFF ME" I screamed falling to the floor feeling weak. I saw a figure stand over me but his face was too blurry. I closed and re-opened my eyes. "Atlas" I smiled  seeing him in front of me. I shook my head to see if he was actually here but he wasn't. His face was replaced by another face who was now really close to my face. 

"Please...please leave me" I cried feeling even more weak. He lowered himself and stroked my cheek. "Such a beautiful face. She was right...I'm going to have so much fun with you" he smirked. 'She?...who was she?'. 

All of a sudden he started to pull my dress up as he caressed my thighs. I was too weak to even scream. I tried trashing around but had no energy. What was happening to me?. I then gasped, shocked in realisation. The drinks?....the drinks...they were drugged.

"Mmmm, so soft" he whispered making me want to puke up. Tears started to flow out of eyes. Only Atlas could touch me but I was so defenceless. I prayed for someone to help me. "HELP...HE-" my mouth was covered with his disgusting hand. I tried my best to scream and trash around but I got a slap on my cheek instead making me cry. 

"Shut the f**k up b***h. You don't understand how much money you will make me lose. Now let me enjoy this body" he threatened and started to touch my private making me scream in his palm. I trashed my legs around not wanting him to touch me. He squeezed my breasts making me cry in pain. "Wow....so soft...gosh can't wait to film all this" he said making me widen my eyes. I cried and cried while he touched my body making me feel dirty. 

He then unzipped his pants making my eyes widen in fear. I shook my head again and again telling him to not do it but he only smirked back. The ceiling started to spin as black spots started to come in front of my eyes. I felt him grip onto my underwear trying to pull it down. Tears slowed out of my eyes, as I sent a pray asking for help. As if god heard my voice the figure was harshly grabbed and thrown across the place. I screamed as loud as I could, crying for help. "Ahhhhhhhh" I cried feeling so dirty. I heard a few groans beside me, indicating that someone was getting beaten up but I continued to close my eyes. 

"Don't worry...you are safe now" a deep voice whispered in my ear and the last thing I remembered was being picked up as I lost conscious.

Present

I wiped a tear from my cheek as I remembered that horrifying night, feeling disgusted as well knowing that my best friend paid him to rape me. That night was the night Dario saved me from getting raped. When I woke up in his room, I screamed and cried locking myself in his room. I continued scratching my body making it red as I felt so dirty from being touched by someone who wasn't Atlas. 

I owed Dario so much for saving me from getting raped that night. When I found out that the house I was staying in was Dario Rizzo's house, my heart froze in fear but once I started to get to know him I realised he wasn't a bad guy but was broken instead. He craved for care, love and attention and that's how me and Dario became close with each other. 

As he was a business man he had to travel a lot, meaning we wouldn't see each other until a few months later but one thing I knew was that he cared a lot for me, like I care for him. He is a very important man to me but little did I know he started to grow feelings for me, something that I had a fear of. 

'Will I ever be able to love again?...would he leave me if I ever gave in to him?'  as love was only for the weak.

Am I weak?