KIERA’S POVThe next thing that followed was a chortle of laughter, uncontainable until I was practically doubled over.Gabriel squinted in confusion, clearly thrown off as I continued to laugh maniacally, clutching my stomach.“O… OmG… that..” I gasped, still pointing at him as if he were the punch line to a joke.“That’s the most… the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard.”But as my laughter began to fade, I noticed the serious look on his face, and suddenly my giggles felt inappropriate like I was laughing at a funeral. An awkward silence settled between us, and I was left fidgeting with my hair, my lips pressing together as I cleared my throat, avoiding his piercing gaze.“You.. umm.. you’re not joking?” I finally managed to ask, my eyes flitting around like a trapped bird looking for a way out.“Why would I want to joke with something as delicate as this?” He replied, his voice steady, almost too steady.My heart tumbled into my stomach, it was as if he’d thrown a grenade into my
ABUELA’S POV“Catherine, would you be kind as to fetch my phone?” I called out from the backyard, the relentless ringing grating against my peaceful mid-morning.I took a deep breath and sipped my mango juice, feeling its coolness wash over me while I waited for her to arrive.“Here you go, ma’am,” she said, her voice warm as she handed me the phone.To my surprise, it wasn’t Gabriel’s name lighting up the screen but Rafael’s.A smile blossomed on my face, genuine and bright. I glanced at Catherine, a conspiratorial grin breaking free as I mouthed, “It’s Rafael,” followed by a soft giggle.“Hi, Mom,” he said, his voice like a soothing melody that instantly warmed my heart.“If I didn’t know you better, I’d swear you’ve forgotten all about your mother,” I teased, though my heart ached a bit as I said it.“Mom, that’s not fair! I’ve been swamped!” He replied, a hint of defensiveness creeping into his tone.“Swamped, indeed, but surely not too busy to give your mother a call? It’s been o
ELISE’S POVI lay sprawled across the bed, feeling like a marionette whose strings had been cut, my body still throbbing from the wild, brutal passion of the previous night.The clock on the nightstand read 10 a.m., but the weight of my exhaustion kept me anchored to the sheets. Miguel had transformed me into his sex toy, exploring his dirtiest darkest fantasies. I knew I desperately wanted to be fucked, and touched by him, but I never signed up for this.Last night, he had bound all my limbs to the bedposts. The ball gag he used stifled my cries, rendering my protests useless. He fucked me till I almost passed out.When he was done, I tried to voice my discomfort, but he simply asked, “Are you tired of being in this marriage?” I didn’t need an encyclopedia to decipher what he meant. I realized then that I had only two choices: accept this new reality or contemplate the unthinkable—leaving him. But escape wasn’t an option I could entertain; I had too much to lose. So, I buried my feel
Kiera’s POVClang!The shrill shattering sound of the plate hitting the floor jolted me awake, my eyes flying open in alarm. “What’s going on there?” Dahlia descended the stairs, her eyes blazing profusely.Without hesitation I stooped to the floor, collecting the shattered pieces.“You stupid clumsy girl! Do you know how much that plate cost?”Before I could speak, her hand struck my face leaving her devilish mark on my cheeks. Streams of tears gathered in my eyes as my mouth shook in pain.“Oh.. you will pay dearly for this,” her teeth gritted in barely contained rage.“I’m sorry Dahlia, I’m so tired after staying up all night doing the laundry you asked me to do. I could use Elise’s assistance in doing some of the chores around the house but she’s never around. God Knows what she’s been up to these days.”Her eyes instantly grow larger, “How dare you speak about your sister in such a manner? Wherever Elise goes and whatever she does is none of your business. The only business you h
“What are you doing here?” A familiar voice echoed in my ears“Kiera!”My eyelids fluttered as I found myself back in reality. I glanced around trying to comprehend how I got here. I must have been so pain-struck that my legs instinctively led me here. “You shouldn’t be here Kiera,” Joe, one of Miguel’s bodyguards said sternly.Besides him, three other guards stood at the entrance. “I… umm… I … need to speak with Miguel,” I stuttered, still reeling from the devastating revelation.“You can't see Miguel now. Besides you can't go in without an invitation,” Joe responded, his tone unyielding.“Please, let me just speak to him once. I don’t know what Elise has given him, but I'm sure he isn’t thinking straight,” I pleaded, but Joe maintained his stand.Impulsively, I dived toward the guards trying to force my way through,“Stop creating a scene Kiera, there are paparazzi around, and I wouldn’t wanna do anything to hurt you, so please just go home,” Joe insisted.I fumed, as the pain that
Kiera’s POVThe room was suddenly flooded with light, causing my eyes to struggle to adjust to the brightness.As I looked around, I noticed several young girls, some younger than me, and others around my age. The walls of the room were old and I could see some cracks on them. There was a fireplace, bed, and a bucket filled with things I couldn’t clearly see. Then my eyes settled on him–The man who has absolute power over my fate, surrounded by six able-bodied men and 4 middle-aged women.“Strip!” He shouted, his voice echoing in the room.Suddenly, some of the girls began taking off their clothes, revealing their bare bodies.“What are the rest of you buffoons waiting for?” He shouted.Trembling, my hands began peeling my clothes off my body. My clothes were no longer moist, as they dried on me over the passing hours.I watched as my clothes fell to the floor and my hands quivered as I pulled off my pants. No man had ever seen my bare body, not even Miguel.“Now, turn around,” he inst
Kiera’s POVWe were assembled behind a stage, and shortly after, the four Madams came in with a box. Each of us was handed a set of lingerie and a pair of heels, as we stood in a straight line.“Put them on quickly,” Madam Naomi instructed.My hands quaked as I nervously removed the pajamas, and donned the lingerie. It was a bra and pant set. The lace-like material made it very transparent and anyone could clearly see our intimate areas.The Madams nodded in satisfaction as they observed us.“Tonight, some of you will get new masters, but that’s not the end. You have a 2-month probation period. Your masters can do whatever they choose to do with you. If after 2 months, they're pleased with you, then you become their permanent property. If not, you will be returned here, and your lives will be 10 times worse.”Madam Naomi's words sent a chill down my spine.“For the sake of the new girls, I’m gonna say this again. You have a maximum of one month to get a new master, if not, El Diablo’s
Kiera’s POVMy eyes grew wide like saucers,“You’re the homeless guy from the grocery store!”My mind instantly swallowed itself, struggling to understand how that could be possible. I rapidly blinked my eyes and shook my head, wondering if I was hallucinating due to the immense stress that I'd been through today.He took a few steps closer but I retreated.“I know it all seems impossible to you right now, I know you have lots of questions but I need you to calm down. I’ll explain everything to you once you’re settled and in a good frame of mind,” he said.“No, I need an explanation now,” I insisted.The ringing tone from his phone interrupted, and he excused himself to answer it.A couple of minutes went by and there was no sign of him. I tried opening the door only to realize that it was locked.“F*ck!”I cussed, kicking the bedside drawer, causing the lamp to fall and shatter. However, something caught my attention. There was a small booth picture lying on the drawer, it was beneat