Versailles | 4 of 4.
The night had been strange and unexpectedly bitter.
Earlier fights with those that mattered most still raged in her ears as loudly as if theyâd followed her.
Alessia had found herself praying for some distance from the ballroom almost as soon as sheâd arrived. Between the pained, conflicted looks of Joey and Dante, and the unabashed disappointment of her own sister, she held no desire to remain there any longer than was required.
âIâll be fine, Elena,â sheâd assured upon her departure; smile slight, but as confident as it needed to be. The woman was one of the few that did not judge. One of the few Alessia would hold dear, regardless of what her future offered. âEnjoy whatâs left of the party. I just need some fresh air.â
Fresh air cured all.
Alessia sat, gazing out toward the fountain of the smaller outside pool, taking in the foreign night air of a city she had already grown to despise. Time had been lost somewhere along the way. Perhaps it had been when she was musing the future of her beloved daughter. Maybe, when wondering about returning home to him... She couldnât remember. Didnât want to. She was fixated on the view before her; something utterly breathtaking about the way the moonlight danced across the waterâs ripples.
For all the money St. Clair had proudly spent on her hotelâs lavish interior, it could not, for even a moment, compare to the beauty of Godâs own handiwork. Alessia respected AurĂŠlie for knowing that as much as herself.
She reached for her motherâs crucifix and brushed her fingers across it gently.
Alessia had made moves towards redemption, but it was too late to save a soul as ruined as hers. Punishment was exactly what she had earned.
Did she even deserve His ear?
âDid nobody tell you that the pool is off limits tonight, Ms. Auditore?â
A voice cut through the air so suddenly, the Italian felt her heart skip a beat. People rarely caught her at her most vulnerable. Tonight was clearly exceptional on all fronts.
Alessia slowly lifted herself to her feet, folding her arms across her chest in response to the chill that followed. It appeared the woman in question was emerging from the shadows near the other end of the pool. The lightingâpretty, though poorâdid little to aid her in identifying the stranger. But she didnât speak. Instead, she walked toward the dark figure without fear until she was stricken with the bitter realization of familiarity.
Her body relaxed in defeat before she could even stop it. Yet another disappointment.
âYou,â Alessia said coldly.
The woman, who had now stepped out into the light, was grinning from ear to ear.
âMe.â
Any thoughts of leaving life with some remnants of her dignity intactâand she had been contemplating them frequently, as of lateâhad disappeared somewhere behind her cold, dead eyes.
Even Alessia hadnât imagined herself deserving of going out like this.
âIf you know who I am, then you know why Iâm here.â
The sudden weight of her predicament seemed to push all of the air out of her lungs. There was no sense finding false hope in the idea of fighting her, because she wouldnât be here unless she thought she could finish the job. So she would finish it.
Many thoughts fought desperately for her final moments of her attention. The most poignant of all, however, was that the time spent with her grandchildren hadnât nearly been enough.
âGet down on your knees.â
The womanâs thick accent sounded far more French than she remembered.
Alessia simply stared back at her, too stubborn to let her steely gaze falter. Threats had never dictated how she chose to conduct herself. That was not about to change tonight. âNo.â
The gun had come into view for the first time as it painfully collided with her face, but still, she refused to offer the satisfaction of a reaction.
âYou donât deserve to go out fighting, so you will go out on your knees. I wonât ask again.â
The Italian inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. She sought His strength when she had none to be found.
Was she worth saving?
âI fall to my knees for nobody but God...â
âWell tonight I am your God!â How someone so slight could be so domineering was as impressive as it was distressing. Her voice betrayed the exact opposite of what she claimed, however; she was the Devil himself, if ever he dared take human form. âI am your judge, and your jury. I am the decider of your fate.â
This time, she was forced into compliance.
Alessia hadnât even realized that somebody had been standing behind her until she felt the excruciating, white-hot sting of what she could only assume to be a blade. So numbed was she by emotion and failure that she wondered if it had spared her some agony, in the end. One final, back-handed show of mercy.
There was no fighting it. With a pitiful shove, Alessia Auditore was on her knees, and barely that.
âStabbed in the back. Poetic.â
It seemed as though the knife was being twisted, and she felt every millimeter of its movement as vividly as though it was a mile. No matter how hard she fought for pride, she couldnât hold back the strangled choke of pain that followed. The attacker didnât pull it out and hit her again. It simply remained.
âYou should have known better than to align yourself with The Organization, Alessia. Itâs high time we removed the head of the inferior snake.â
Alessia fought through her blurred vision to see her approaching. She stayed silent.
âI canât watch you suffer as we harm your loved ones.â The woman inched closer, crouching down in front of her with cool elegance. âBut I can make sure your dying thought is realizing you will no longer be around to protect them.â
The tear that followed would be the first. It would also be the last.
âSay hello to the devil for me. He waits for us both...â The woman whispered just short of her ear.
And as if it was a cue for the man behind her, with one impossibly strong drag of his knife, it was over.
There was no chance for her to respond.
No chance to spare a thought for the family she was leaving behind in ways beyond how she was failing them.
Alessia Auditore was gone.
âRemove the head, sever the spinal cord...semantics.â
An eerie silence followed.
The woman looked at the Italian face down at her feet with utter disdain. At least they were finally being reminded of their true place in the hierarchy. Taking a dainty step around the body to avoid the blood that had gathered, she glanced over her shoulder to the man who still wielded the knife.
âPush the body into the pool. If sheâs lucky, perhaps theyâll name it after her.â








