The light was fading from the sky and escaping past millions of rooftops. I swirled my spoon inside my cup and watched the cream color turn a light brown and then a hazel.

"I called the police…they're on their way" Alex announced with a short nod. My eyes shifted upward towards his face and back down through the shadows.

"They have to find him" I whispered. My skin felt rubbery and soiled from all the tears that soaked through the porous casing. I was tired of crying; tired of waiting for something to happen.

A loud bell echoed throughout the house, sending the maid dashing through the room.

"Who could that be at this time of day?" Alex questioned himself. His eyes slanted, as his forehead creased at the center. I shook my head and placed my hands over my face.

"I should have never left him alone" I scorned in anger. My teeth gritted together and my eyes scrunched shut; not allowing the faintest bit of light to enter them.

"You have a visitor" a voice called in a thick Italian accent. I raised my head and dropped my hands away from my face.

"I do?" I questioned curiously. Rosetta nodded her head and pointed towards the foyer.

"He'a is in there" she informed me with a smile. I slowly got up from the chair and rested the silver spoon on top of the porcelain plate.

"Who's here?" I inquired as I passed Alex. He shrugged his shoulders and followed me out of the living room.

A figure stood near the front door with a bouquet of flowers hanging down at his side. From the back, I could make out a curly head of brown hair. The man turned and the eyes gave the mystery away.

"Dante…" I proclaimed in shock. Alex came up beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I don't think we've been properly introduced" Alex began, as he suspiciously glanced over to Dante and back down at me.

"Alex, this is Dante…Dante, this is Alex—" I announced motioning between the two men.

"Yes, I know who he is" Dante declared suddenly. My eyebrows furrowed, but relaxed after a grin formulated on his lips.

"These are for you" he murmured, as he leaned forward and held out the beautiful arrangement. There were white orchids and red roses all bunched into one.

"What's this for?" I questioned as I bit my lip. Alex stood straight as a stick and tensed with every movement Dante made.

"It's to apologize for last night at the club. I didn't mean to hit him…you were there" he argued with an uneasy smile.

"I didn't mean any of it…"

I nodded my head and placed my hand over the area where the tags dangled under my shirt.

"Is he alright?" Dante asked with puppy-like eyes. I pressed my lips together and shook my head.

"I'm not sure…" I whispered. My fingers glided down my stomach and rested at my side.

"Well, I was hoping that I could maybe say a few words to him" Dante mumbled with the hope that I would catch on.

"You can't right now" Alex stated firmly. I peered up at Tristan's brother standing next to me and observed the veins popping out around his face. His cheeks were turning a dark red and his eyes, a misty black.

"Alex, shouldn't we tell—" I began, but was immediately cut off. Alex swung me around and scooted me towards the doorway.

"I don't trust him" he blurted hotly.

"Why not?" I questioned, as my hands slid up my sides and rested on my hips.

"Well, for one, how much do you know about this guy?" Alex asked in a very brusque tone. My mouth opened, but the words faltered.

"I…I don't know" I stammered. My eyes fluttered a bit as the room began to spin.

"Rory, we can't trust anyone at this point—"

The sound of his voice echoed in my ears. Black spot and flashes of light beamed this way and that.

"Wh..at?" I whispered in confusion, as I stumbled backwards.

"Hey, are you okay?" Alex inquired. His features softened and his tone became less harsh. My stomach churned and flipped like a stormy sea. The liquids splashed together and contracted within the walls of my intestines.

My hand immediately shot to my stomach and then leapt up to my mouth.

"Rory" Alex shouted, as I dashed out of the foyer and ran to the bathroom. Once reaching the cramped space, I clasped upon the floor and spewed my guts out into the toilet bowl. Once, twice, three times, the acidic fluid seeped out of my mouth. It burned the lining of my throat and caused my eyes to water.

"You okay in there?" Alex called on the other side of the door. I swept my hand across my lips and coughed uncontrollably.

"Yah" I croaked, as my hand rested on my stomach. The weirdest feeling kept penetrating through me. It came out of nowhere and hit me like a hurricane. Alex began to knock on the door, asking for entrance into the bathroom.

"Come in…" I shouted weakly. He slowly opened the door and gasped when his eyes fell upon me.

"You alright?" he asked once more in a concerned voice. I ran my fingers through my hair and took deep breaths. It all came in waves; powerful surges of sickness and nausea.

"I don't know…" I coughed. My head tilted forward and my eyes shut. I heard footsteps approaching me and felt two arms wrap around my body.

"Come on, I'm going to get Bianca" Alex informed me in a soft whisper. I clung onto his neck and wrapped my legs about his waist. Everything around me bounced up and down; pounding, thundering, and shaking.

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"Look, just try it alright. Better safe than sorry" Bianca announced as she handed me a pregnancy test. I peered up into her eyes and gulped loudly.

"I really think I'm fine" I began in protest.

"Try it" she reassured me once more. I licked my lips and stared down at the small white stick. What's the harm in doing it…

I got up from off the bed and sauntered over to the bathroom. Flipping on the light and shutting the door behind me, I gazed up at my reflection in the mirror. This was a defining moment in my life. I wasn't sure what I would do if it read positive.

A few minutes later, I came ambling out of the bathroom with a blank expression on my face.

"So, what does it say?" Bianca asked suddenly. I tucked a few strands of hair behind my ear and placed a hand over my stomach.

"I'm pregnant" I whispered in a shaky voice. Bianca gasped and began to laugh happily.

"Congratulations!" she yelled in excitement. I tilted my head to the side and felt my eyes tear up a little.

"What am I supposed to do?" I choked. My trembling hands wrapped around my body.

"It's a gift, Rory. A wonderful gift…" Bianca explained with a smile. I nodded my head and graciously accepted her open arms.

"It's going to be alright. I promise" she whispered in my ear. I closed my eyes and clung tighter.

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I began to descend the steps when I was met with Dante's eyes.

"You're still here?" I questioned in disbelief. He stood up from the small armchair and nodded his head.

"Alex told me that you weren't feeling too well. Just wanted to make sure you were okay…" he explained with a comforting smile. I bent my head and ran my hand down the side of my face.

"Never been better" I declared sarcastically. Dante smirked in comprehension and took a few steps toward the staircase.

"You want to talk about it?" he asked. I shook my head and continued to walk down the stairs.

"I think you should go…I'm fine. I promise…"I whispered reassuringly. He raised his eyebrows and eyed me up and down suspiciously.

"Are you sure?" he questioned again. I nodded my head and motioned towards the front door. He turned to leave, but stopped himself.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm sorry about Tristan. That disappearance thing has got to be tough on you—"

"What disappearance thing?" I questioned quickly. Dante pointed at the windows where dozens of flashing lights were going off. The police must have arrived while I was upstairs with Bianca.

"Alex told me about it…I'm deeply sorry" he whispered. His face was full of regret. Immediately my eyes snapped open and my mind reeled back to the conversation with Alex. I could specifically remember him saying:

"Rory, we can't trust anyone at this point—"

And then, it hit me. Dante couldn't have found out from Alex because Alex would never have revealed that information.

"So, I should go" Dante began again, as he waved a short goodbye. My eyes shot up and froze in place.

"Dante" I called to stop him. He swung around and smiled.

"Yes, Rory" he answered in a thick Italian accent. My face remained still for a moment, as I tried to figure out what to do. The police were right outside. I could just go and tell them that Dante was involved with Tristan's disappearance; but what evidence did I have? None.

"I forgot to thank you for the flowers" I declared quickly shoving the thought out of my mind.

"You're welcome" he muttered, as he zipped up his jacket. I watched him walk out of the foyer and shut the front door behind him.

Within seconds my mind shot like a bullet through various plans of action. Running through the foyer and out into the kitchen, I grabbed a pair of keys from off the wall.

"Hey, where are you going?" Alex called as I stormed past his office.

"Can I borrow your Mercedes?" I asked in a rushed fashion. He swiveled around in his chair and gradually nodded his head. I ran out to the foyer and threw on my navy blue coat.

"But what for?" I could hear him shout down the hallway. It was too late. I was out the door and on a mission: to follow Dante and find out the truth.

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Hey guys: Please review and tell me your thoughts about the chapter:) I'm not sure whether this is the right path to take the plot down. Did you like the added mystery or not like it??? REVIEW

Love,

Brittany