Sapphire's POVIt was a woman. The strange voice on the line belonged to a female. But who? Who on earth could it be and how well did she know me?"How do you know my name?" I managed to croak out, gripping the receiver tighter and staring into blank space."I managed to get your number and leave a note in your wardrobe and you're worried about how I know your name?" The caller replied, her tone smoky and brutal as the harsh reality of her words slapped me on my face. Her voice dripped with a certain mockery that made my skin crawl and made me want to run out of the place. It carried a chilling confidence, as if she held all the cards in this twisted game we were playing. I could also sense a hint of amusement in her tone, it was almost like she was enjoying watching me squirm in discomfort and fear.It was the kind of voice that made you feel small, insignificant, like a pawn in someone else's grand scheme. And yet, there was some sort of vulnerability buried deep within, one that m
Sapphire's POVNo, this can't be.I don't want to believe this.I didn't want to believe that Eric, the man that I loved, was behind the tragedy that struck me and my family five years ago. I didn't want to think that he was responsible for it, for all the suffering I had to endure. For all the times I cried my heart out over the downfall of my family, for all the sleepless nights I had and for all the times I thought I would die from the immense pain I felt.This had to be a sick joke, it had to be a lie. There was no way what this woman was saying was true. I refused to believe it. Why would I believe the words of a complete stranger who seemed like she was after my happiness and peace of mind? Why would I even think for a second that she was telling the truth when she sounded like a maniac looking to destroy me?No, this couldn't be true. I couldn't let myself believe it, not without proof, not without confronting Eric myself. I couldn't accept it. I couldn't let this woman's words
Sapphire's POV"Eric...," I called out to him but he refused to meet my gaze.Eric took another step away from me, his body language having shifted from concern to defensiveness. His gaze flickered across the living room, went around everywhere but me, like he was searching for an escape route. His hands fidgeted nervously at his sides, his shoulders tense and hunched as if he were trying to shrink away from the accusation that I'd laid out.He licked his lips and ran his hands through his hair and by this time, I was shivering much more than I was before. Now, I wasn't just terrified. I was terrified out of my wits. I was scared shitless, absolutely petrified. I wanted him to say something, anything at all to refute the accusations, to assure me that it was all just a misunderstanding but no. He remained wordless, his silence speaking volumes about his possible guilt.The tension around us grew heavier and became unbearable, on its way to suffocate me to death. I kept waiting for Eri
Sapphire's POVWhat is pain?Pain was what I was going through right now. It was like a thousand needles piercing through my heart, each prick leaving behind a raw, bleeding wound that seemed like it would never heal. It wasn't just physical pain; it was the ache that took over my entire being, a relentless torment that clawed at my soul day and night, leaving me hollow and broken.Pain...It felt like a leaden weight, dragging me down into the darkest and most horrible parts of despair where there seemed to be no glimmer of hope. Every time I took a breath, it was like inhaling shards of glass, jagged and sharp, tearing through my insides and leaving behind a trail of bloody, ragged tears. Pain was waking up every morning to a world that had lost its colour, where everything I once loved now seemed to be painted in shades of grey.I knew pain like an old friend, it always showed up quietly and without warning and left me feeling like an empty shell. An empty shell devoid of happiness
Eric's POVIt had been two weeks since Sapphire left me and nothing was the same. I was losing it, I was losing my fucking mind. I couldn't sleep for shit, not even for a minute, my eyes just staring at the ceiling, replaying every damn moment over and over again. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was her face, her beautiful face clouded with anger and hurt.Every single night was a marathon of tossing and turning in the empty bed, the bed that used to bear witness to how crazy in love I was with her. My brain kept buzzing with thoughts of my tigress, her eyes pooled with tears as she hurled that ring in my direction like a missile. Like it was nothing. And damn, did it sting. The disappointment plastered into every line of her beautiful face, that is.I thought about my mistake that led to this. I'd been replaying it over and over in my head, like some sick movie on repeat. The accident. The one that took her brother away and put her sister in a coma. And now she knew it w
Sapphire's POVMy head was in shambles. It was like someone had put it in a blender and hit the highest setting. I couldn't think straight; everything was spinning, and not in a fun way like a merry-go-round but in a nauseating, disorienting whirlwind that made me want to puke. I felt my own heartbeat pounding through my temples and jolts of pain crashing through my skull.I opened my eyes slowly and it felt like trying to see through fogged-up glasses—everything was fuzzy and blurry, shapes and colours melting into one another in a messy haze. The light filtering in through the window was similar to needles stabbing into my eyes and I let out a little groan, blinking slowly before scanning the place.And then it dawned on me that I was back home...Eric's house. I was in his bedroom, what used to be our bedroom, alone in the bed with no memory of how I ended up there. How did this happen? How did I get here? I wondered, gasping slightly, still feeling an immense ache in my head. I pus
Sapphire's POVI sucked in a breath, my heart drumming loud against my ribcage and skipping a beat or two. Eric's statement hung loosely in the air for what felt like a minute before descending on me like a lead balloon. His words resounded in my ear, chilling despite the heat of the soup still lingering on my skin. I felt my blood boil at his audacity. The audacity to think he could control me, dictate my every move.How dare he?"What..." My voice faltered. Suddenly, the room felt smaller, the walls closing in as my chest tightened and dizziness hit me once again. "What did you just say?"Eric's eyes bored into mine, steady and unblinking. There was a weird calmness which had settled in his gaze and his demeanour. He had no right to be calm or at peace for even a split second. Not after what he'd done. He ought to be in constant pain and restlessness for the sins he committed. It bothered me to see him so calm and composed all of a sudden. A monster like him deserved no less."You h
Sapphire's POV"May I take your order?" I asked, holding a pad and pen, trying to look all professional–like, but honestly, my nerves were like a bunch of monkeys on a sugar rush.The table in front of me had five people and each one seemed to have their own personal grocery list for dinner. Two men, three women, all dressed in their best, fancy watches flashing under the dim lights. The first guy, slicked–back hair like he was straight out of a mafia flick, started rattling off his order as if he was reading Shakespeare."I'll have the lobster bisque but hold the chives, extra cream, not too hot and a sprinkle of gold leaf on top. Then, for my main course, I'll take the wagyu steak, medium–rare, with truffle mashed potatoes, sautéed asparagus and a side of foie gras."I began scribbling his order down in a manner that seemed my whole life depended on it and I wasn't even done yet when the other guy announced his order, his eyes glued to the menu."I'll have the caviar appetizer but s
Sapphire’s POV“I’ll never be yours,” I spoke defiantly, hiding every hint of fear in my voice. “Never.”“Oh but you already are,” Ethan responded, sniffling on my hair and twisting the gun against my head like it was about to bore a hole inside. “Whether you like it or not, you belong to me now. Eric can’t do anything about it. Isn’t that right, Eric?”Eric snarled, moving forward, “Ethan—”“Careful, bro. I thought I made it clear that if you try anything stupid, your tigress will pay for it. You wouldn’t want me to paint the walls with her blood now, would you?”Eric stood still but the fury in his eyes was unmatched by anything I’d ever seen before. He knew he was trapped, forced to play by Ethan's rules to keep me safe. Ethan was relishing in his power, revelling in the control he had over both of us. The son of a bitch held all the cards right now to his sick game.“Hang in there, tigress,” Eric told me in a softer voice, “I promise we’ll both walk out of here together. I’m takin
Sapphire’s POV “Going somewhere?” I looked up at Eric who was getting ready to head out. “Yeah,” he answered, peering into the mirror and fixing his shirt. He was wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of black pants. His hair was wet from the shower he had not quite long ago. He grabbed his leather jacket from the back of the chair and shrugged into it, zipping it halfway. The material creaked softly as he moved and his rich cologne filled the room. “Where are you off to?” I asked, sitting up on the bed and watching him. “Just going to meet with some contacts,” Eric replied, flashing me a quick smile. “I’ve got some important stuff to take care of.” “By this time? It’s almost 10.” “I won’t be long, I promise.” “Be careful,” I mumbled. Eric turned to me and shot me a warm smile. “Always am, tigress,” he cooed, crossing the room to plant a kiss on my forehead. I watched him as he grabbed his keys and wallet from the dresser, tucking them into his pocket before heading towards the
Sapphire’s POVI struggled so hard underneath the monster, trying to get him off me but all my efforts were futile. He was a whole lot stronger than me, pressing his body harder on mine, his lips grazing neck. I screamed and squirmed, flashes of that night he violated me whelming my brain.Ethan didn’t relent. He groaned in my ear, kissing my neck hungrily and rubbing his erection against my core. His breath washed my body whole with filth and disgust and I wanted to throw up at that point. The bitter, foggy memories of that night were replaying in my head as Ethan tried to have his way with me again.“Let me go!” I cried, struggling still, hoping and praying that someone out there would hear and come to my rescue.Where are those stupid bodyguards when you need them? Where’s Eric when you need him?I had to do something to get myself out of this. I had to break free and run away. I couldn’t let him do it all over again. I would never look at myself the same way ever again if I didn’t
Sapphire’s POVEthan took a step forward, the usual calm and friendly look on his face completely gone. His eyes went dark and he pressed his lips into a grim thin line, his brows furrowing slightly.“It was you!” I screamed, angry tears spilling in a split second as I clutched my panties tighter and stepped backwards, heading for the door. “You…you..raped me!”He was quiet, deadly quiet and something like anger flashed in his eyes. He looked different, like a completely different person. The stare he gave me was frosty and sharp; the kind a psychotic criminal gave after being exposed.I didn’t wait for him to say another word and didn’t demand any explanation from him even though the whole thing was puzzling and mind-boggling. In a flash, I turned towards the door and raced for it. But Ethan beat me to it. He blocked my path and locked the door before shoving the keys in the back pocket of his sweatpants.“Leaving so soon?” He asked, a devilish smirk now imprinted on his face.“Open
Sapphire’s POVEric had still not come home yet. I was still up, waiting for him and it was already very late. My eyes darted at the huge clock in the living room, my hands gripping my phone tightly. It was a little over 9pm and I’d been calling him for that past one hour but couldn’t get through to him. Perhaps his phone was down. I wished he’d come home soon.He’d given me specific instructions to stay put and not go to the hospital to look for him. I was intent on listening to him this time. I didn’t want him getting all worked up again about how stubborn I was so I waited patiently, glancing at my phone occasionally and listening for the sound of his car driving in.I had been waiting all evening to hear the latest update regarding Patricia. I hadn’t got any information about her condition and what state she was in but from the looks of things, she might not make it. She’d lost a lot of blood when I’d gotten there the previous night and she had more than two stab wounds.I didn’t
Eric’s POVThese past few months had been fucked! I had never seen anything like it. It had been from one fucking problem to the other, day in, day out, with no breathers, no breaks and no end in sight. What the hell was going on? The universe must love playing horrible games with us.First, Sapphire and I split up for months after she found out about the accident which I believed all my life I was responsible for when in reality, my sick mother was behind it all. And up until now, we still had no idea who’d called Sapphire to feed her with all of that bullshit of me conniving with my mother to kill her siblings.Secondly, my wife got raped after we were back together and like that wasn’t terrible enough, she got knocked up in the process. The bastard who did it was still on the run. She made up her mind to keep the baby, another blow to my face. It almost broke us apart and then she lost the baby, thanks to Patricia. I felt like shit at first when we thought Sapphire had a miscarriag
Sapphire’s POVI glanced down at my body. I was covered in Patricia’s blood and the footsteps were getting closer. I swallowed, cold sweat dripping out of my pores. If anyone saw me here like this, they’d think I stabbed her. I had to get out of here and fast. I got up and headed quickly for the door but I stopped dead on my tracks when someone walked in.Oh no! I was too late.“Sapphire? What the…?”“Eric?” I was relieved for a moment. It was just Eric. Surely, he wouldn’t think that I had anything to do with this. Or would he?I went over to him, my hands trembling, my voice shaking and my breathing heavy. “Eric…I…I… P…P…Patricia.”Eric gave me a hard once-over, his eyes trailing over the blood on my clothes and then darting towards Patricia’s seemingly lifeless body lying on the cold marble floor. He had an unreadable expression but his gaze was fierce and hard that I feared the worst.I didn’t know what I was expecting exactly. Perhaps I thought he’d begin with the interrogation,
Sapphire’s POV“Mrs Donovan,I’m terribly sorry that you had to find out this way. I should at least have the guts to face you and say this but I don’t. And I’m even sorrier for what I did to you and for the pain I caused you. I never intended to do it. I was forced into it. As you know, the love a mother has for her child can be overwhelming and compelling; hence I did what I had to do.I’m not saying any of this to excuse my actions, for you to take pity on me or even consider forgiving me. I don’t deserve your forgiveness and I’ll carry the burden of what I did to you for the rest of my life. A week ago, I had told you and the others that my little boy was very ill and so I took a leave. But that was a lie.My son was kidnapped and they told me the only way to get him back was if I did the unthinkable-kill your baby. I didn’t want to do it but I had no choice. They threatened to kill my son. The day before I left, I laced your tea with an undetectable poison the kidnappers gave me
Sapphire’s POV“I’m sorry but she lost the baby.”The doctor’s words replayed in my ear every single minute since the day I lost my child. The day he had broken the news to us, I was distraught and words couldn’t even express how shattered and hopeless I felt. I felt like dying along with my baby. All of a sudden, my life stopped making sense.How did I get here? How did I get to this point? When did my life become such a never-ending pain-filled nightmare? It was always one problem or the other. Why couldn’t I just be happy and have peace for once? Why was I always a mess? Why was my life a mess?I thought back to how terrified and unsure I was to become a mother at first, given the traumatic circumstances. And then, how I grew to love the idea of having a child, of creating a life and nurturing it as the days passed. I had so many dreams for my baby. I was already coming up with names.But now, all those hopes and dreams lay shattered at my feet, broken beyond repair. They were brut