Ariella's POV

THREE MONTHS LATER

These past few months have been the best of my life, Sylaq Steel had been taking me to so many beautiful countries around the world. I was sure to take pictures of every place. It was beyond memorable.

One day, I'll show these pictures to our children but I'm not sure that's physically possible. Sylaq and I may never have our children but at least we are very happy together.

Dorothy and I also became closer, I'm glad that I found someone like her cause she acted like my sister and a very good friend.

I told Sylaq that I want to go back to Dobana, just to settle some unfinished businesses. Sooner or later, I have to go back to Dobana and pay for my crimes.

"A few witches tried to kill Bella, Jade was blamed for it and that's why dad banished Jade from the kingdom. Bello framed  Jade for it since she hated Jade. Well,  she hated everyone." Sylaq told me when we were in Nayata, a very beautiful island.

Now, I must find a way to clear Jade's name so that she can return here.

Jade should be here, she should with all of us to celebrate my birthday.

Sylaq and the king insisted that I must celebrate my birthday so here I am getting ready for my birthday party.

Beep! Beep!

I immediately picked it up when I saw that it was my mom calling. I'm surprised it took this long for her to call me.

"Hello, mom!" Excitement took over my body.

"Hello," this wasn't my mom's voice, it was dad's. I could just cut the call but I didn't. Frankly speaking, I am no longer scared of what might happen. Yes, I killed Steve by mistake but I should have never ran from paying for my crimes.

"Ariella, are you there?" Dad's voice was a bit shaky.

But if I didn't run away then I wouldn't have met Sylaq Steel. The best thing that could have happened to me was definitely being with Sylaq.

This is selfish to say but everything was worth it cause I'm really happy with my husband, my crazy vampire, my Sylaq Steel.

"Ariella, it's your dad-" he spoke more firmly.

"I know it's you. Happy new year," I greeted him. We are at the beginning of March but I haven't wished him a happy new year.

"Honey, happy birthday to you," my dad said.

"Thank you," it gladdened me to know that my dad was actually wishing me a happy birthday. I had thought that he would never speak to me again.

"I just want you to know that you don't need to keep hiding. If you return home, I'll make sure that you don't get locked up. Being the sheriff of Dobana, I had no other choice but to send the police after you even though they failed in finding you. However, I love you too much to see you rot away in jail," dad surprised me. It was unusual for him to speak in this way so, I just cherished this moment.

"Hello, love. Happy birthday to you sweetheart," mom's voice was heard from the background.
"Sis, happy birthday to you. When will you come.back? I miss you very much," Ellie, my sister said in tears. It had been six months since I heard Ellie's voice. I was seriously holding my tears which was hard for me.
"Ariella, just say something. Don't tell me you're crying," that was my brother, Jonathan.
"I really miss y'all so much," the tears effortlessly rolled down my makeup.
"Crying doesn't suit you. We miss you too and happy birthday," Jonathan said.
"Honey, where are you? Please just tell us so that we'll come get you," dad pleaded. As much as I wanted to see them and hug them, I couldn't because this wasn't the right time.

I got a grip on myself and tried to say my words in a friendly tone. "Ahem! I"m in my new home."

I didn't wait a second longer to know what their reactions would be cause I wasn't ready for that. Ugh, I couldn't just tell them I'm married to a vampire and even worse, I absolutely love the vampire. They would never accept that part of my life and I sure as hell wasn't gonna risk losing Sylaq.

I cleaned my tears and retouched my make-up. I looked at myself in the mirror, admiring my emerald green lace gown. Sylaq got this dress from Yunus, one of the biggest cities in the world and gave it to me as a gift.

"Your highness, it's time," the butler said while knocking on the door.

I thought that Sylaq would take me to the party but I guess I have to go now.

As soon as I opened the door, I blacked out.

**

"Sylaq!" The first word that I said when I slowly opened my eyes. This place smelled like smoke, it was painted grey but my eyes got shut when I saw her.

"Did you miss me?"

N-no fucking way. It can't be who I'm thinking of.

"B-Bella?"

"That's right, it's me. I told you that I'll come for you, didn't I? Hahaha?" She laughed like a witch.

"Where am I?"

"Let me go!"I tried getting up from the bed but a powerful force held me back.

"It's only because of you that Bella had to marry that useless Alpha," Jace, the butler shouted.

"You thought that I'll never come back. You underestimated me. I killed my fool of a husband in less than two months and now I am in charge of his pack. The whole of Mount Evie should await my revenge cause I'm going to ruin y'all!" She groaned.

"Aluta, it's time for the next phase," Bella said looking at a strange woman in a black gown.

I guess this will be my worst birthday, I can't let Bella attack Mount Evie. I have to fight against her and her lover. I'm sure that Sylaq will find me.

"What phase," I said feeling less scared.

"Nothing much, you just need to sleep, the worst sleep you'll have," Jenny's voice echoed as she walked out of the room. I see Jenny, Bella, and Jace have all formed an alliance to destroy us all.

They won't succeed.

"Just because Sylaq doesn't love you, you're going to help this devil ruining Mount Evie?" I was disappointed in her not that I expected anything from her.

"Yes, I will. Sylaq Steel belongs to me alone and if I can't have him then he just has to die!" She groaned.

"Neither I nor my husband will die," I told them but they just laughed at me.

The strange woman started chanting, she must be a witch.

"Ignikk tiki memoria para sleeps ignikk tiki," she voiced weirdly. I felt my eyes closing in on me.

I tried to fight myself from sleeping cause if I sleep, I'll be left helpless.

"Stop the dam spell!" My sleepy voice managed to mutter.

"Ignikk tiki memoria para sleeps ignikk tiki!!"

My eyes closed and opened again. I saw myself in a different but familiar place, my high school.

Is this a dream? Or did they teleport me back home? I saw myself with Steve before Sylaq approached us. BEhars Sylaq doing in my school? I don't even understand anything.

My head was pounding but those images kept flashing in my head. Things became clearer than ever, I knew Sylaq from before, he was my history teacher. I even had a crush on him.

The image of Sylaq and I dancing at homecoming in my high school is shown, Steve saw us kissing and I ran after Steve. I came back and then I saw...

N-no!!!!!

He didn't, he couldn't have killed Austin.

I saw the memory of him compelling me to be happy. Sylaq-

We knew each other when I was in high school and he was responsible for killing my friends. I was even compelled to forget him.

A part of me always felt like I knew him but I just couldn't explain it. Now, it's all clear.

I felt a strong whip lashing on my stomach making me groan in severe pain. This was no ordinary whip, it produced a very painful pain. Yes, painful pain.

"So now you know, you got married to the person who killed your friends," Bella said.

Sylaq murdered Julie and Austin too.

He's the reason why Rachel had to become a single parent.

I dared not to cry cause I don't think I'll stop if I ever do.

"That's my birthday gif to you," Bella said.

"And this is mine to you!" Jenny threw a mirror at me.  my eyes widened when I saw the people displaying on the mirror, both Tyler and Sylaq were at a bar, it looked like the karaoke bar.

The world came crashing down on me as I listened to what Sylaq was telling Tyler. He said,

"Yeah, I'll tell her that we met four years ago at her high school and I was their History teacher. I'll also tell her that I killed a few of her high school friends and then I compelled her to forget about me. You know what? I'll be sure to tell her that Steve didn't intentionally cheat on her with Rachel cause I was the mastermind behind that. Tyler, I'll tell her everything and I'm sure she'll forgive me."

My heart refused to believe what I just watched. It couldn't be true, Sylaq couldn't have done all that. Holy fuck, he really planned it all. Everything made perfect sense now but why would he do that? What wrong have I caused him for him to dash into my life and completely shatter it.

I threw the dammed mirror to the ground but the fucking mirror didn't break. It didn't break but it left me broken.

The tears I protected from dropping cane rushing down like very heavy rain.

Jenny, Bella, Jace, and the strange witch all laughed at me.

It's my birthday but I'm broken to pieces. Hell, I was dead inside and the only word that could describe what I was feeling was....

Broken. Yes, I'm broken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: this made me cry 😭 

Did you think she wasn't going to find out? Will she forgive Sylaq? If you were Ariella, will you forgive Sylaq?

You don't want to miss the next chapter 😳😳

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Love y'all💕💕💕

Aduke💖💖