~FLASHBACK

"Mark. Mark please. Please don't do this," Elena pleaded, tears streaming down her face. But her husband, oblivious to the pain in her words, to the fear in her bones, only smiled at her.

A wide, beautiful one. A smile that, for a moment, made Elena think that it would have made him look so much better, if only he displayed it more often.

But right now, the smile wasn't making her feel beautiful or wanted. The smile was a warning, and Elena's heart slammed violently against her ...