Page 87 of The Billionaire's Destiny

“You think you’re better than me? You’re still a low-life bitch.” He spat on the ground.

I chuckled. “Who’s still standing? Who’s not rolling around like a pig?”

“You’ll never be anything more than a low-life whore,” he hissed.

I laughed because they were only words and held no meaning.He has no power here. “Your opinion doesn’t matter. Heck,youdon’tmatter.You’re still the same drug-addicted loser you’ve always been.”

He froze for a moment, then suddenly he was right in front of me, moving so fast I barely saw it.

I stepped back twice, raising my hands and shoving his broad shoulders as hard as I could. He stepped away, but he didn’t leave. Instead, he was smiling.Smiling?

A glint of light from the sun peering through the clouds caught my attention. He had red hands. His attention was fixed on something but not on my face; he was looking down at my abdomen. I followed his gaze and realized with a jolt of horror that a piece of jagged metal was sticking out of me.He stabbed me?

Our eyes locked, and suddenly, it felt as if my skin was prickling like cinders on paper, scorching me with a relentless heat, burning and burning more.

I gasped, but my lungs refused to fill with air.

Dazed, I glanced up, but Judge Colby had vanished.

The vineyard stretched out before me, quiet and empty.

But the sky was fading, a heavy fog swallowing the last of the light.

“Adelina?”

Isla.

I turned just as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “Adelina, Santiago…”

My hand hovered over the metal that was biting into my skin. I wanted to pull it out, but I could not bring myself to touch it. Her eyes dropped, and a scream tore from her throat.

Footsteps on stones amplified in my ears, but I stood there trembling in place, my mind unsure that I’d make the wound worse if I moved. But then Zane appeared in front of me, his eyes wide and mouth open. He quickly checked my pulse, his fingers pressing firmly on my wrist. “Get towels, Isla! Tell Magda we need towels!”

A whimper escaped me, and I stepped forward.

“Stay still, Adelina. Get Rocco. Get towels, Isla. Move!” He yelled. Then, he gently let go of my arm and grabbed his walkie-talkie and shouted into it in fast Italian.

Isla blinked, wiped her eyes, pulled out her phone, and ran out of sight.

My heart hammered in my chest. “Rocco…Rocco’s here?”

I felt him before I saw him; his warm energy radiated, and my senses instantly recognized the change in the air. He reached me, clasped my head, and roared. “No. God, no. Please, no.” He kissed my face, and I felt the wetness of his tears running down my skin.

“Colby,” I rasped.

“Don’t speak, Bella,” Rocco said and cooed.

“Adelina. Adelina.Dio ci aiuti.God, help us,” Magda said, sobbing, her hands full of towels.

Rocco grabbed one and wrapped it around my wound. Pain shot through me, and I screamed, “No. It hurts. Please, no.”

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m sorry. We need to keep pressure on it. The ambulance is coming. It’s coming.” His voice broke. “I should’ve killed him. He’ll die for this. I promise you. No, Bella. I’ll hold the towel. Stay still.” He pressed it to the wound and held it tight. I cried out as the pain returned, sharp and unbearable. I screamed louder, and Rocco held the towel firm.

My eyes drifted shut, and I felt a sharp tap on my cheek.

“No, Bella. Stay awake. You must stay awake. Where’s the fucking ambulance?”

“Ambulance is coming. We have him.” It was Zane yelling from the hills.