Samuel looked at Julian with a mix of concern and confusion as he observed Fidelia's odd behavior. "Maybe she has taken some hard drugs; that's why she's behaving like that," he said in a low, thoughtful voice. Julian narrowed his eyes somewhat, his expression skeptical but then nodded in agreement.Her eyes glowed and her face twisted with a new terror. "Yes, I am mad," she said rather bitterly. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Due to the agony my mother went through. I shouted because she was in a state." Her words were poured forth in a flood, raw and unrefined. "No one was able to comprehend, not knowing her monster husband did it all, just so he could extort money.For a moment, Fidelia's eyes were fixed on Julian, boring into him with fierce intensity. "And you, Julian," she shouted at the top of her voice reverberating through the entire room. "You wanted me to have sex with you, right?" Her words hung in challenge and accusation in the air. In that instant, a longer ripple of
I had my drawing pad clutched up against my chest, its corners digging into my ribs, as I shouldered my bag of art supplies. The house was too quiet. My bedroom door creaked softly when I opened it, and I hesitated, holding my breath. When no one stirred, I exhaled and slipped out, stepping carefully down the big staircase. My socked feet were silent, but every creak of the old wooden railing was very loud in the quiet.And then I got down there, and I heard his voice—deep, firm, and familiar. Samuel. My stepfather."I don't want to hear excuses. Just finish it," he bellowed. His voice carried from the dining room, off the walls. I peeked around the corner at him, phone to his ear as he paced back and forth. His suit was perfect, just the light from the chandelier gleaming off his cufflinks. He looked very irritated.I was hoping he wouldn't notice me; I grabbed my bag and tried to make a run for the kitchen, but just like always, I was out of luck. My bag hit the corner of one of the
Adrian shut the heavy oak door to his office with a bang; the sound reverberated in the room. He frowned more as he ran a hand through his thick black hair, still thinking about the meeting he had just left. His jaw was tense as he walked to his desk, the heels of his shiny shoes clicking sharply on the floor."Adrian," a familiar voice said, bringing him out of his reverie. His grandmother's attorney, Tiller, stood by the window, his dark suit impeccable. Beside him, Marcus, Adrian's best friend and COO, leaned back casually against the armrest of one of the soft chairs, looking careful."What is it now, Tiller?" Adrian asked sharply as he sat down in his chair. His fingers began drumming on the wooden desk, evidence that he was impatient. "I thought we wrapped up my grandmother's estate months ago."Tiller, adjusting his glasses, stepped closer, carrying a nice leather briefcase. "Ordinarily, we would be, but something has risen that requires your prompt attention."Adrian raised an
This room was my safe haven, the only sanctuary in this big house where I found even a shred of peace. I sat cross-legged on the floor beside Mom's bed, moving chess pieces across the board I'd set up on the small table. Playing against myself wasn't as dull as it sounded-it just gave me something to focus on besides the quiet beeping of machines that kept my mother alive.Soft music flowed from the speaker; Sinatra's voice filled the dead air, low and smooth in his croon. The sound of my voice came as a whisper: "Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars…"I looked at Mom, very still, pale, and serene in her features. "You always loved this song," I whispered, as if she were listening. "Remember? You used to hum it as you cooked breakfast."There was no answer. Never would there be an answer. Still, I continued talking, as if she may just respond. That way, it wasn't so hard to accept her silence.I moved another chess piece, then sat back, looking at the board. "I think white'
I wasn't able to sleep last night. Every time I would close my eyes, all I could see was his face: Samuel-cold, smug, making his demands from me. The sheets were wrapped around me from all the tossing and turning, like the heavy weight of my thoughts. How could this be happening? How had everything gone so wrong?The hours ticked by until finally morning light filtered through the curtains. I didn't feel rested. I didn't feel anything but that overwhelming knot in my stomach. I did need to get up, though. I needed to make myself do it. Samuel had made it crystal clear that today wasn't optional.I shuffled downstairs for breakfast, a cloud of depression hanging over me. Samuel was in the dining room; his usual smugness was replaced by an almost unsettling cheerfulness. It was as though pawning me off to some stranger for marriage was the highlight of his day.'Well, aren't you in a good mood? ' I thought bitterly, still picking at my food which I tried to force down. He was awfully jo
I felt the blood rise to my cheeks as Adrian's lips curled in a slight sneer in greeting. A simple "Hi." That's all I could get out-pathetic, even to my ears. Why couldn't I have been poised, collected? I didn't know this man, and yet somehow, I felt that with one greeting, I'd already let him down, myself down. And, well, a part of me wanted to say sorry for the awkwardness I couldn't shake, but I didn't. I took another step back, eyes flashing to the floor, hoping he didn't see how badly my hands shook.Samuel, blind to my discomfort or just enjoying it, smacked Adrian on the back and hustled him inside. His jovial tone sliced through the tension like a knife, and I followed behind, silently cursing myself for not being able to pull myself together. The living room stretched out before me, sterile and empty-the space feeling larger and colder than I remembered. The smell of freshly brewed coffee was hanging in the air, but it didn't help smooth my nerves. Nothing would now.I sat do
I stood up and walked out of the living room with the urge to cry, but I couldn't. I went to mum's room and knelt beside her, grasping her palms; they were so worn out. A gazed intensely at her face as the tears began to flow freely with reckless abandon.“Mum” I spoke but in whispers, my voice failed.I sniffed before continuing.“The worst has happened. Samuel has done his worst. He sold me out of marriage to some billionaire today and in a few weeks, I will be taken away. How more devastating can my life be?”Just as expected, there was a dead silence when I finished talking. I maintained my position with tears still streaming down.Suddenly, the door flung open revealing Samuel; he had returned from seeing Adrian off. He leaned on the door frame staring at mum and I with contempt, his grey eyes piercing through me.“Thank your stars you didn't ruin the meeting with your lack of composure”. He said with a voice laced with anger.I tried to avoid his gaze, fixing my eyes on Mum's bo
After taking a warm bath because it was a cold morning, I was confused about what to wear for the interview. Should I look professional or casual? I finally resolved to look in between professional and casual.Dressed in a blue knee length gown, I went out of my room and headed downstairs but I stopped abruptly midway. I had to see my mother first, I hadn't spoken to her throughout yesterday.I turned around and headed for her room, turning the door knob clockwise to open the door. I saw a medical attendant trying to inject a yellowish substance into the drip bag. She was startled immediately when she noticed my presence, our eyes met and she was visibly shaken.“Good morning ma”. She said in shutters.“Did I scare you in any way”. I asked with furrowed brows.“No ma, I thought it was Mr. Samuel”. She quickly responded.“Very well then, please continue with what you were doing”. I said, rolling my eyes.Samuel had somehow inflicted his workers with fear, at the sight of him they tremb
Samuel looked at Julian with a mix of concern and confusion as he observed Fidelia's odd behavior. "Maybe she has taken some hard drugs; that's why she's behaving like that," he said in a low, thoughtful voice. Julian narrowed his eyes somewhat, his expression skeptical but then nodded in agreement.Her eyes glowed and her face twisted with a new terror. "Yes, I am mad," she said rather bitterly. Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Due to the agony my mother went through. I shouted because she was in a state." Her words were poured forth in a flood, raw and unrefined. "No one was able to comprehend, not knowing her monster husband did it all, just so he could extort money.For a moment, Fidelia's eyes were fixed on Julian, boring into him with fierce intensity. "And you, Julian," she shouted at the top of her voice reverberating through the entire room. "You wanted me to have sex with you, right?" Her words hung in challenge and accusation in the air. In that instant, a longer ripple of
Standing there, dumbfounded, my eyes flew back and forth between those two people before me. What are you doing here, Dad?" I softly asked Samuel, turning my head towards him. Then to the other figure, a man whom I never have seen before, yet for all intensive purposes, he seemed familiar. "And you too, what are you doing here?" I added, narrowing my eyes while trying to place him.And then, like someone thrusting a sudden sunbeam into a cloudy day, it came to me and I recognized him, Julian. The name whispered through my mind, and I shivered. The pair exchanged a glance, Samuel and Julian, then both burst into laughter. A cold wind seemed to sweep the room.They laughed heartily and then, with a peal of laughter, fell silent, looking at each other with watery eyes. They turned towards me, then laughed again as they dug their faces in. That sound pierced through the fog of my confusion and terror and left me feeling naked and vulnerable.My throat mounted a steeplechase over my heart-
The darkness weighed on Adrian. Alone, he stared at the smartphone screen, and slowly the worries came and began overshadowing him. He tried calling Jenny for the final time. But this time it was even worse. "BEEP" the dial tone resonated inside his mind as a sad song, tying a heavy string to the future of uncertainty residing in front of him.He was losing within that desperation clutching his heart. His once sharp and focused mind began to wander off aimlessly and could not concentrate on anything apart from those haunting images of Jenny.The incessant maelstrom of questions swirling in his head formed different shapes, and all were more tortuous than the first. "Man, how am I getting through with this thing right now?" He held the phone in a grip that suggested it was the only rope that could hold him alive.His fingers raced across the screen with both urgency and desperation, and though the seconds trickled by in almost a freeze, every second seemed like an eternity as he stared
Minutes turned into hours as Mr. Zan stood by, waiting for Jenny to walk out of the ladies' room. His air conditioning motor started vibrating and soon it was beyond the threshold of audible perception but damps in harmony with the slow rhythm of his heart. For the hundredth time, he looked at the dial as the hands of time crawled across its face. It had been thirty minutes since he had been told to wait, but Jenny was still conspicuously missing.His gaze moved toward the security men, somewhat narrowed, as he put the question out to them- "Are you sure she's in there?" Confident nods came his way. "Yeah, look, she's coming," said one of them, somewhat softly, in a soothing tone. Mr. Zan immediately snapped his eyes toward the door of the ladies' room, with his heart now galloping in its euphoria. A woman walked out looking exactly like Jenny.Their gazes locked; he smiled warmly. "Mrs. Jenny!" he exclaimed, feeling relief. "We've been waiting for you for ages. Our company is next,"
Disgustedly, Adrian sighed; responsibilities lay heavy upon him as if to suffocate. His eyes moved through the room, over the sea of expectation on the faces, fluttering hands, whispering murmurs, crowding the air with tension thick with perfume, cologne, and the smell of freshly printed papers. "It's getting harder," he said softly enough that only he could hear it.With that, the next company was introduced- it sounded as if they were being announced in some long-forgotten imperial court: "A&Z Company Limited!" thundered the speaker from the microphone into the welcoming room. Clapping hands and cheering greeted the representatives of A&Z Company as they strode toward the stage. The applause sounded like relentless waves crashing against the shore, full of zeal.Adrian squinted as he calculated all his strategies and machinations while the watcher observed the present scene. The adrenaline in his system was pounding in his heart like an embargo drum. "Chevron Company, should get rea
The Dubai meeting was in full swing, and the atmosphere was charged. A male and female pair had organized the event and came on stage clad in bright red. The color itself appeared to embrace life with energy, beckoning to the audience. But Adrian's gaze was not on the speakers. He was staring at the door, almost through the gate, willing Jenny to return.Where had she gone? Adrian's mind was a storm of questions. Had she gone for air? Or was it to powder her nose? In Adrian's thoughts, of course, it crossed that she might have gone to relieve herself; however, with time slipping away and still no sign of her appearing, his worries began to build with concern over where she was.He continued watching the stage when the speakers announced the next one in line, and the words 'Diamond Company Limited" reached his ears. The Diamond Company Limited representative went to the podium, adjusting the microphone, commencing his speech. There were murmurs across the crowd, and all of a sudden, Ad
Frantically looking for the woman who just called me, I sat in the vehicle allowing my eyes to scour the space. Instead, however, I was surrounded by ominously faced men; their expressions were dark and foreboding. An unease overtook me, and I could feel an influx of adrenaline passing through my bloodstream."Where am I going?" I asked them, forcing my voice to stay even as terror began to rise inside me. The men did not seem to notice, though, lest be moved by such strident yelling and asking."Somebody talk to me!" I shouted, but before any reply could come, the whine of the engine roared into life, and the vehicle started to move, sending a jolt of panic through me that I was about to be taken somewhere against my will.The men were too strong for me again when I would have tried to open the door to escape. They kept me successfully on the ground, where one tied a black cloth around my mouth and rendered any outcry completely useless. Kicking and struggling did not help, for I had
With the passing hour, the air tension thickened into more palpably heavy forms. Two hours have almost delved in looking up to their finisher preparations, and now with just one hour before the dinner, they're pushing the thrust deeper into heightened sensation and laser-like focusing.They have been getting themselves through some sessions of question and answer, self-testing for knowledge and driving home each little detail spelled in The Blueprint. As such, sail forth, the ready-to-surf mouthing on any eventuality; sharpens them up for any toughest question thrown at them.As they went drunk on the session, the rusty sound of shuffling papers, murmurs of discussion with having the occasional bout of voiced laughter resonated through the room. The spirit was invigorated by a spirit of brotherhoodness, common destiny and sheer determination to emerge victorious.And as the hands of the clock pointed to the final hour, Adrian's voice cut the noisy din with his crisp, clear, and comman
Though I sat in the car with my heart racing in vain anticipation, I felt a little bit of trepidation wash over me. The towering meeting with the Dubai government was looming on my head. I had fears - fears about the unknown, failure, and not making a good impression.The car speeded past the road, speeding the scenery blurred on and above all to the fortuitous destiny. Finally, we reached the company, wherein the relief washed over me. We pulled up in front of the edifice building, and I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was about to come.Adrian and I stepped out the car, walking on the pavement towards the office where all sounds echoed in our footsteps. Adrian closed his hand around the door handle, fingers clenched tightly, his push opening the door. Stepping inside, my eyes were caught at once by the tableaux before me.Dressed in corporate attire, with serious faces, everyone in Adrian's team was standing at perfect attention. They stood up as we entered, eyes fixed