In Debt To The Devil

Chapter 28

We ate dinner. Stefan put the tray on the coffee table. The room felt a little cold or it was my damp hair that made me feel cold. I got under the black covers. Stefan switched off the other lights and got in the bed. I looked to my right where Stefan was and noticed that on the armchair in the corner behind him Pua and the penguin were there. Stefan switched on something on a remote and in front of a tv came from the marble case at the end of the bed. It popped up and switched on a random channel. The movie pride and prejudice was playing. He looked at the movie. His attention was on the screen.

"You are avoiding answering me." I said.

He ignored me.

"Stefan." I said. No answer.

"Stefan!" I said and he slowly turned his head towards me.

"Yes, Diana?" he asked.

"Why was I brought here? What did you mean I needed to be next to you?" I asked. He lowered the tv volume.

"My past is a little bad. I got associated with some wrong people. I- I left when I knew that, I didn't want to have a life that included all the bad things in life. I was very young and I wanted to become something better. So, I went to business school. Started my business. That was after I put the man who I got associated with far away behind bars. Or so I thought." He said. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"A month after our wedding. I got a picture of him from a friend." He said, "It looked like it was taken a long time ago. Before I put him behind bars. But, two more months passed and it was real. He was out. I don't think he finished his sentence but, he was out. I got a note a month back. Telling me he was coming for me. I made sure to send the note to the proper authorities. There was some weird timing between the note and Kylie come into my life again. I broke up with her a long ago. It had been entire 13 months ago thing. She was seen to be hanging out with one of this man's old associate look alike and I had to figure out how was her entry back in my life, the note and the meeting with the associate. I hooked up with her to find answers. There was all these hazy and unclear things she was saying. You fainted and I needed to make sure that everything was clear. So, I left. I didn't visit you in the hospital because I was afraid that something could happen to you. You were entirely innocent so I distanced myself from you the moment we got married. Before the first month it was because I honestly thought that the debt would be paid and I can let you go. No feeling attached to the two of us. The note came in and I hoped that it was fake because if it is then I would easily be able to ignore the threat for everyone's sake. It was real and I realised that I did treat you terribly and I needed to keep you next to me so that if something bad happens I could protect you. I don't want people to die. You ran away and I got another note that mentioned your departure. If the man of my past found you before I did. I know so many bad things could happen. I had to protect you. I needed the authorities to find the man put him in his place and you could be free and safe. I maybe ruthless in business but, when it comes to lives I know how important it is. I wouldn't be okay with death around me or people in possible dangerous situations because of me. I couldn't. I know you don't like me and hate me and wish I were far away from you and I would let you go if you would not be in danger." He said. He cared for people's safety. He had a bad past.

"Why didn't you tell me that you ran into the bad crowd?" I asked.

"Because everyone I cared for were dead since I was three my mother, father and I had no one and his guy came in and decided to help me out. Be my partner. He was like me and it turned out he was terrible. We got into all this illegal business. I was naïve back then. He told me that everything was legal and I thought of him as a brother and believed it until I didn't. The moment I found out I ran out of that place. I made sure that the right people knew about everything wrong we were doing and he was taken away. They pardoned me because of my honesty but, gave me community work. I was only 17." He said.