As I stood there, a heart thrumming with fear, suddenly I was up, swift and deliberate. I grabbed the papers, hands closing like a vice around them, and turned to make a hasty retreat without batting an eye. I ran the distance from the back yard, feet pounding the earth, ringing my breath in ragged gasps. But despite the urgency of the situation, I moved quietly, muffled footsteps on the soft earth.As I walked, stretching out my ears, for any signs of Samuel, I heard it-all that came down-came home; thunderous footsteps boom, sounding like a dim echo across the skies." "Someone has been in this room," he growled, his resonance low and menacing. I realized I would have to be quick-thinking to be able to extricate myself from his hideout. My mind racing, I approached the gate with my eyes torn, searching for possibly desperate means of exit.But thus I was beside myself with misery when I thought that it would be, else, if it were locked. There were columns of metallic bars. I didn't h
In my frozen state, as if awakening from a sleep almost too deep to describe, a voice exploded into the starlight darkness with the command "Look at me." The deep, soft tone was a gentle command, echoing through my numb heart to my aching bones. So starkly cold and numb was I that it felt as though my only option was to obey that voice, to look towards the person addressing me. I slowly opened my eyelids, affording a half-hearted gaze at the figure before me.The more I engaged my eyes in the search for contours, the more my heart began to skip. So it was not Samuel, as I had been anticipating; it was Mr. Toby, his stony face lined now with age and concern. His grey hair-framed face, formerly dark brown, told me, alas, that time was passing. In bewilderment, I stood before him with questions racing through my mind.Mr. Toby had not just been my friend; he was like an uncle, a surrogate father figure for my upbringing. He had been our gatekeeper, the one keeping an eye on us, us being
Adrian's hands slowly pulled out the disc player, his gaze unwaveringly set on me with determination. "Baby, let me play this so we can see everything with our eyes," he said softly, gently.As soon as it started playing, the screen came alive with a ghostly light as if to say the video had been started. Instead of the clean crisp images we had imagined, the video was blurry, with only vague outlines to visualize the faces of the people. Adrian's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing further in disappointment as he realized that the file was corrupted. He moved his hands instinctively towards his phone, fingers tracing the edges of the screen as though it were a matter of life and death."I think this file is corrupt," he exclaimed, and with a nod turned towards me, showing by his expression that he understood that. I was too far gone for any consolation. To imagine my mom suffering at the hands of Samuel was no mean feat. A tsunami washing ashore engulfed me with emotions. The air thicke
The sensations almost overwhelmed me. The sheer mixture of his tongue and fingers began to push me over the edge. I could almost feel the orgasm building; my body began to tense in anticipation. Then, he just pushed it further. His tongue probed deeper, and his fingers stroked that magic little point that made my toes curl. I cried out as the orgasm hit me like a tidal wave, my body quaking under the impact.Adrian never did stop; his tongue continued to assault me while drawing out my orgasm to the point where I was just a jelly mess. Eventually, he pulled away with a smirk. "I enjoy making you cum," he said, ambiguous in his voice, mixing satisfaction and arousal.In a trembling, half-inebriate haze, I reached out for him; my fingers barely slid over his belt as I tried to hurry things. I slid down his pants and stroked him, going faster and faster until he was fully erect. I licked my lips and caught his gaze as I lowered my mouth slowly on him.He groaned when I took him in, and h
The next thing I knew, I was taking very slow, calculated steps to the sitting room in a bid not to alert Adrian about the storm brewing inside me. Each foot into this room, time seemed to swallow me in; underfoot, the floor trembled, as if poised to sink me and swallow me whole. I fell into a small chair and burst into a storm of sobs, burying my face between my palms. Gushes of tears which seemed to form a river of pain flowed down my cheeks, each drop a sore reminder of failure; and each sob bore witness to my agony.The very chair seemed to embrace me, its insufficient cushions replacing real comfort. I felt slaughtered, my emotions raw and naked, crying for what seemed forever, with my heart broken into a zillion pieces. Everything around me grew dim, shriveling upon the sound of my hitching breath and the feeling of tears streaming down my face. Alone in utter terror and despair, I truly was, with no lifeline in sight.The road to the wardrobe was one marked with a dulled purpos
"It's okay," Adrian said to me: soft and soothing- as I stood there tears streaming down my face and my body shaking with sobs. He took my phone from my hands and brushed fingers against mine. He got busy deftly moving fingers above the keyboard, the fingers flying so fast across the screen as he edited the message and sent it to Samuel.The sound of his fingers typing away on the keyboard was like music to my ears, a sweet symphony of salvation as I watched him work his magic. With something hopeful rising within me, his taking charge of the situation and saving me from despair made me even relieved."I have edited the message," he said, holding eye contact with me and sounding calm and reassuring. "And it says..." I will give you cash. "He paused, scanning with those blue eyes into mine like he was looking for my approval." That's okay, right?" he asked. In his voice were gentleness as if asking permission.The words hung in space between us, a promise, a guarantee, indeed, a lifeli
Suddenly, abruptly he withdrew from me and set his gaze directly into mine. "On your stomach," he mouthed in a smooth pulse of lust driving his words home. I obeyed him, feeling his grip on my hips as he maneuvered me. There was pressure from the head of his cock onto my ass, and I became tense waiting for the pain."Shhh, relax, babe," he would whisper hotly in my ear; with one just thrust, he was all the way inside me; the initial sharp pain was bombarded with pleasure as he began to thrust. Thrusting hard and fast, he drove pleasure through me; I moaned a bit, biting my lip, trying to keep the screech in.His hand worked its way around to my clit while he kept mercilessly pounding into me. I could feel my orgasm building, the pleasure so great I could barely handle it. Feeling my clutch escape, he withdrew, spun me on my back.His cock found my pussy effortlessly, sliding into me. He leaned down, taking my lips for a heated kiss, and began to thrust. Fingers still working my clit l
The kitchen was filled with warm sunlight streaming through the window; the golden light fell on the counters, brightening up the scattered utensils and appliances. In the air was the fresher brewed aroma of coffee, presumably from the coffee maker sitting grandly over the counter. I was engrossed by the happenings of yesterday, lost in thought, and on hearing footsteps walking in.Then Adrian came rushing into the kitchen, his eyes glued at me while having a look so soft and gentle. "Baby, please," he continued, his voice sexy and lower that soothed, "I want us to sit together after you are done talking about the fight." He remained silent, looking into my eyes as if trying to gauge something, but I had a hot temper; the storms of emotion were simmering within, so the heat had not yet worn off.So I immediately rebuffed him: my voice was as full on as I could be, but still respectful, because this was my husband; I loved him. "I'll be busy," I said, just matters short, curt. Android'
JENNY POVWhen we broke away from each other after the hug, the memory of him really made me grateful for Adrian. Surely he was that support system I needed at this moment. "Thank you for being here for me," I said with quavering words.Adrian smiled at me, took my hand, and replied, "For always, I am here with you." "We'll face everything that comes."Rejuvenated, we took our seats one last time to review the evidence. The lawyer had told us that the case was strong, but we had to be prepared for every event. Adrian and I were going through the adaptations, underlining the crucial points, and exchanging views on strategies.As the day darkened, the tension in the room built up. Both of us were waiting for the return of this breath-holding event, wishing it would end soon so that we could all finally move on. But it was obvious that this required patience and tenacity.And then, just when we were seeming to take a break, the doorbell rang. Adrian went to answer it, and I could hear so
JENNY POVThen she turned to us with a playfulness glinting in her eyes and said, "I have a question for you two." Adrian and I exchanged curious looks, and I asked, "What is it's, Mom?" She fixed her gaze upon us, darting between Adrian and me, before eventually saying, "When should I expect my grandchildren, please?" The question hung expectantly between us, twinkling as a little playful tip made both of us smile and ponder on how to answer it.Adrian stared at me, a sly smile spreading across his face as if he was daring me to respond to my mom's query regarding grandchildren. "Soon, Ma," he said, his voice teasingly mischievous as he tried to deflect her curiosity. My mom's eyes sparkled with mischief while teasing me: "I know Jenny won't say anything." Her words hung in the air, humorous but full of innuendo, and made me laugh loud, feeling my cheeks burning.The night pressed on: the ambiance of darkness shielded us, and we were slowly traveling back to our rooms, slowly paying
JENNY POVThe days morphed gradually into weeks, while weeks would gradually morph into months, and my mom was really okay after that. "Thank you so much, Jenny," she said to me, holding my hand. Her voice was much better now, and we were chatting well. She didn't get sick anymore, and the doctor visits were not frequent by now since the workers kept caring about her with kindness and compassion.Adrian and I used to go and visit the hospital together to bring her favorite food and flowers. We sat down to watch movies or even play games, but even though it was at a slow pace, she was getting back. The hospital room of care was now much brighter with laughter than it had ever been used to and filled with sadness and concern.It was like any other day; we were just chit chatting when suddenly, a glittering tear glistened in Mom's eye. "I'm very grateful to you, Jenny," she said with a shaking voice. "You have been my stronghold during this journey." A warm hug followed from me, elated a
JENNY POVIn the course of her recovery, I fleeted back home to refresh myself often. The workers would live with her, looking after her needs, and updated me about her conditions through regular phone calls, sometimes giving me a good laugh or two while hearing stories on her improvements.We began to develop a bond through these talks, and soon I would be on the edge of my seat waiting for their calls. They told me all about the jokes she told, her smiles, and how determined she was to recover. I laughed and appreciated their kindness.One day, I asked them all over for breakfast in appreciation of the small things they did for my mom. They came with huge, toothy grins and gifts of sunshine-dripped fruit and fragrant flowers. Here we were around the table, sharing together in a hearty meal.Mrs. Jenkins said, "We're so proud of your mom's progress, Jenny. She's a fighter." I smiled, feeling all the more blessed to have them with me. "Thanks to you all, she's getting a little better
JENNY POVAt first, the workers got busy setting up my mother for the transport to the hospital. I watched as they transported her into a stretcher, their faces serious."We'll get her the help she needs," Adrian said, his voice reassuring. "We'll make sure she's okay."I nodded, and hope washed over me. Maybe, just maybe, we could get my mom back on her feet. Maybe we could undo the damage that Samuel had done.But for some reason, all along the way that took us out of the house into the open, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the opening act--the warm-up--for a longer and tougher journey ahead.As the workers placed my mom in a car, an entire jigsaw puzzle of emotions filled the air: relief because actions were finally being taken; then apprehension of what could come to pass in future. The workers whose eyes had been somber just a few moments ago suddenly spoke."Pleeeeeeease, Jenny, let us help,” Mrs. Jenkins said, her voice being a little shaky. "We'll assure that y
JENNY POVAdrian took my hand and squeezed it gently."Let's go," he was saying in a steady voice. We walked together toward the little house, hearts heavy with concern for the ahead.I carefully entered the house with a pounding heart and a twisty stomach for anticipation and nervousness. Workers followed close behind, looking concerned. Adrian stayed near me, offering supporting comfort.A piece of cloth had been laid over something on the floor as we entered the room. My instinct told me it was my mother, but that thought was unbearable. "Where is she?" I managed to whisper to the men working.Mrs. Jenkins paused, speaking with a trembling voice, "Look at her here," extending her hands toward the cloth.My throat constricted as Mrs. Jenkins pulled back the cloth. I almost choked. My mom was lying on the floor with her eyes closed. I screamed, "Jezzzzz!"All hell broke loose in my mind. I staggered backward, feeling lost and disoriented. I never thought I could see such a thing: My
JENNY POVThe moment I stepped into the house, some feeling of discomfort seemed to wash over both me and Adrian. The staff had welcomed us with uneasy gestures, and one could almost taste the tension. Mrs. Jenkins, the housekeeper, came towards us smiling uneasily."Jenny, dear, we need to talk to you about something," she said in whispers.I exchanged the same puzzled glance with Adrian and followed Mrs. Jenkins into the living room. The others had entered, too, and their expressions were serious."What are we talking about?" I asked with an authority in my voice, betraying hardly any nerves.Mrs. Jenkins took a deep breath. "We have been looking after your mother for a while now, and...and there is something about which we have been doing...that we should not."I had felt that my intuition might be right: a knot was tightening painfully inside my stomach. "What do you mean by that?” I demanded, trying to add firmness to my tone while being cautious.The staff exchanged anxious look
STAFF POVMrs. Jenkins told the personal assistant Mark that they should stay together in the kitchen, closely huddled, with the anxiety clearly written in their faces. The news just broke of Samuel's arrest, and panic was creeping in."What if the police come to us next?" Mrs. Jenkins whispered, tremulous voice and all."That's what we need to think about," he whispered, "how we're going to tell them. They can't know what all we did.”Indeed, it was as Rachel, the cook, also then entered the conversation. "I think we need to go and tell Jenny the truth. Just can't keep it anymore."Mrs. Jenkins and Mark turned towards her, their faces horrified; "No, Rachel, we can't do that," Mrs. Jenkins said firmly, "We promised Samuel we wouldn't say anything."The determination of Rachel was all over her face. "But Samuel's going to prison. We have to protect ourselves. If we tell Jenny the truth, maybe she'll understand, maybe she'll help us."Head shaking, Mark replied, "I don't know, Rachel.
JENNY POV"Goodbye!" said one of the guards as he led Julian and Samuel away through the door. Samuel, with great effort, rose to his feet. Fumes of anger and humiliation filled his eyes, yet he was aware that he had lost, and the game was over.A bright cacophony erupted in the room as the reality of the matter sank into everyone's minds. Rage and humiliation burnt on Samuel's face, and tears welled up in Julian's eyes as he was being escorted in handcuffs.His grip on my wrist got tighter, and Adrian beamed, "It's over," with satisfaction etching his voice.The feeling of vindication washed over me; Julian was getting what he deserved. The board director came forward, stealing the attention from every corner."Esteemed ladies and gentlemen, the evidence presented today has shown the grave betrayal of trust. Samuel and Julian have brought dishonor to our organization, and they shall bear the consequences of their utter treachery."Silence engulfed the room once again, and the focus d