ONEKatherine's head was spinning and her eyes were half closed as she went around the kitchen, trying to get dinner ready as quickly as possible so that she could go to bed. As she stirred the broth, her shoulders ached badly from all the cleaning and scrubbing and mowing she had been doing throughout the day for the rich family she worked for, and the noise coming from the living room did nothing to help her aching head.Her step-father, Ivan and her step brother, Wilson were arguing yet again over Wilson's recent fight that left him brutally wounded and almost arrested, and she forced herself not to listen to Ivan chiding his son for gambling away money that he had even stolen.She didn't feel strong enough to intervene and be the peacemaker this time but when she heard the crashing sound of wood and the banging of the front door, she knew she had no other choice.With a sigh, she turned off the stove and cleaned her hand on a napkin but when she turned towards the door, she gaspe
TWO Lucifer, adorned in an immaculate white shirt which was opened at the collar, sat at the edge of his desk with his legs crossed at his ankles, eyes dark and droopy, his presence alone oozing power.He twirled a large Havana cigar between his index finger and thumb as he watched Katherine's sleeping body. His eyes ran through her perfect body as she lay on the couch and he unconsciously imagined her tied to a bedpost.With a slight tilt of his head, he silently ordered the guard standing by the couch to wake her up which he did by splashing some water on her face.Katherine muttered something in her sleep and blinked many times as she slowly sat up.A corner of Lucifer's lip curled up in a smirk, displaying his dimpled left cheek, as he watched her childish reaction to the disturbance.Katherine rubbed her eyes and yawned as she tried to recall everything that had happened and why her room seemed so different, but when her eyes landed on the blurry figure of a tall man staring int
THREE"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Lucifer roared, already storming out of his room.The elevator seemed to take too long to get him up to his office and he fought hard to keep still."We just saw the…"He hung up before Antonio could finish his statement, knowing fully well that the elevator would not be able to contain him and his ferocious anger if Antonio said anything more.Red and boiling with rage, he flung the door of the room open to see three of his men staring in his direction like confused idiots. There was a flicker of fear in their eyes as he advanced closer.Lucifer looked around the room and put the pieces together within seconds; it was obvious that she had removed the curtain from the window and pulled the bedsheets off, tied them together to form a long strong rope and then tied one end of it to the immovable legs of the bed.Lucifer's anger grew as he traced the makeshift rope to the window where she had escaped down from."How the hell did this happen
FOURBeing gone for about two months now, Katherine now felt safe enough and did not have that alarmed look in her eyes anymore.She was constantly searching the faces of the men on the train she usually took back to the ghetto where she was now squatting in with a girl around her age who had offered to house her as long as she brought back food daily from the cafe where she now worked.Even though the manager of the cafe had initially refused to hire her due to her frail stature, Katherine pleaded to be given two weeks trial after which she was hired due to good reviews from the customers.She had dyed her blonde hair jet black and had even cut it to her nape length to avoid being easily recognized.But as the days went by, her strength seemed to slip.She was constantly losing her grip on objects like trays and glasses and her eyes swirled without warning every now and then, yet she forced herself to work extra hours to provide for her basic needs.She strongly believed that if Luci
Chapter 5Lucifer took Katherine home and carrying her in his arms, he led her down a narrow corridor to a place she didn't know. It obviously wasn't the same room she had been kept in when she was here. Katherine didn’t resist, even as her heartbeat quickened in her chest. She already knew how gravely she had offended him so she didn't say a word. She would be lucky if he locked her up, she thought. "Do you realize the gravity of what you have done?" Lucifer's raspy voice asked as it echoed through the corridor while they went. Katherine remained silent. She didn't want to say a word. Her eyes were already heavy with unshed tears at her flopped escape from him. Here she was again, back at his house and now at his mercy. When they reached a heavy wooden door, Luci opened it to reveal a room that was oddly furnished. The room was quite dark with very low lightings. It was stylishly furnished with what Katherine recognized to be chains, ropes and implements that made her stomach chu
Chapter 6Seven days just passed like a blur of pain and silence for Kat alone in the playroom. Her body ached from the punishment and the bruises on her skin. Luci sure had taken his wrath on her. She had by now grown accustomed to the cold and empty room alongside the ever present scent of leather and sweat that floated staly in the air like a cloud. Every creak of the door had her bracing up for another session of agony. The door opened and Luci walked right into the room. Seeing him again, she flinched back as she braced herself for the whipping that she knew would come. But nothing came. Instead he stepped into the room with his usual commanding presence as his piercing eyes locked in on her. She instinctively flinched as he approached as she expected from him the familiar sting of the whip. But instead, he walked up to her with slow and deliberate steps and stopped just in front of her. He squatted toward her and she reflexly shifted backward, but to her horror, he started tak
Chapter 7Kat’s chest rose and fell in uneven breaths as Luci's sinister grin seemed to falter her a little bit. The room felt suffocating and his commanding presence was already draining what little strength it was that she had left. She waited for him to answer her. And the idea of freedom dangled before her eyes like a golden carrot it was just too tempting to resist, yet the terms of this "contract" twisted her insides. Still, the alternative which obviously was a life confined to his wrath for even was even more terrifying.Luci placed the pen back on the table and stepped closer as he closed the distance between them and his dark and mischievous eyes bore into hers. His voice was sharp when he spoke, almost as sharp as a razor. "Well?" he asked in a tone that was laced with impatience. "Do you agree, or do I need to show you what defiance earns you?" He asked her. Kat flinched at the implication. Her wrists throbbed at the memory of the cuffs and her butt cheeks pinched her
Chapter 8Lucifer had his maid prepare and ready Katherine for her first night together with him. She was putting on a red silky night dress that exposed too much skin more than it covered. And that was upon the requests of Mr Cain, the maid had informed her. She was ushered into his bedroom to wait for him and while she was left alone in the room, she looked around the room to discover that his room was furnished to suit his character. Dark, brooding, elegant and......lifeless. She shuddered at that. There was no single iota of warmth in his room. Everything and furniture was made in dark colors. She chose not to think too much about that as she tried to wait for him while anticipating what she knew was going to be inevitable that night. When he finally came, it was late at night. The door to his bedroom opened with a slow and deliberate creak and his imposing figure immediately filled the room as his unique scent wafted to her nostrils. Kat froze where she sat on the edge of th
CHAPTER 92The wooden dining table creaked slightly as Amanda set another dish down. The aroma of chicken fried steak, cornbread pancakes and chuck wagon chili filled the air. Beside it was beef stew and chicken and dumplings.Katherine munched on the food greedily like someone who hadn't seen food in days. Maybe she hadn't.Ethan and Amanda shared a look as she scooped another spoonful, barely pausing for breath. The baby sat on Ethan’s lap, smacking her tiny hands against the table, entertained by the quick movements."You must’ve been really hungry," Ethan said, watching as she took another bite.Katherine swallowed, her cheeks puffed slightly before she covered her mouth and let out a quiet chuckle. "Guess I was."Amanda nudged another piece of meat toward her plate. "Eat up, there’s plenty more.”She smiled gratefully and ate up. Without hesitation. The hunger in her movements told a lot of things but they didn’t ask questions. Not yet.When the last piece was gone, Katherine lea
CHAPTER 91Katherine’s legs ached so hard she felt as though her limbs would dismantle and her lungs burned.Her breaths came in shallow pants as she stumbled over the rough ground, with the edges of the broken twigs piercing into her bare feet.She had been running for hours— maybe longer and every time she would look over her shoulders to see if she was being watched.Each step felt heavier than the last. It was as if her body was begging her to stop, to give in. But she couldn't. She wouldn't.She was far from Lucifer now. Far from the walls of his world and also far from safety. Here he couldn't find her and keep her tangled in his Web of lies. He wouldn't make her feel like he was doing everything for her. Like he was doing her a favour. She was better off without him. Always.Her stomach clenched painfully. She stopped in her tracks and rubbed at her belly. She could feel the hunger as it gnawed at her ribs. She needed food and water. She hadn't put anything in her mouth and gui
CHAPTER 90“Ayy boy! Check-up,” Cassius grinned and took a swig of his beer before greedily packing the money from the table and putting it in his pockets.“You're a cheat,” Wilson puffed, almost choking on his cigarette. “You cheated, old man.”“The cards were right before your eyes and you failed to see it,” Cassius scoffed. “You owe me two bottles of beer.”“Not while I'm still alive,” Wilson shrugged as he leaned back to reshuffle his cards. Just then, they heard a knock at the door. It was soft, almost mistaking. They paused.“Must've been the wind outside,” Wilson said and divided the cards into equals, placing some at the side as extras.Cassius shrugged and placed cards. “That door is more solid than you, son, not even a hurricane would move it but maybe a volcano eruption would.”“Check-up!” Wilson muttered, placing all his cards, with a sly smirk tugging at his lips.“That can't be right!” Cassius groaned.“See for yourself,” Wilson said. “Maybe next time you shouldn't be to
CHAPTER 89Everyone knew there was no truth outside the underworld. If you wanted truth you could resort to being a pope or a vicar. But the one thing stands; all men lie.Truth was a bait. It was the one thing that could build you and break you and it wasn't new to everyone. You had to know all these, experience all these before you become initiated into brotherhood. And if you are a leader, you are always the target. And if you can't be reached, your brother man would be the “eye for an eye”Lucifer exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t believe in coincidences. He believed in rats. There was a rat in the house and he wasn't going to wait for it to show itself.And when you found one? You burned down the nest.Isla cowered and scrambled back when she saw Lucifer walk in. Lucifer’s presence always meant something dreadful. “Lucifer.” Her voice was rough, hesitant. “Didn’t expect to see you.”“I want to speak with you and I need nothing but the truth,” he said, his voice cold
CHAPTER 88Lucifer stood in the dark, the glow of his cigarette casting shadows across his face. From up here he couldn't see the city, watch everything. He was careful. Always have. How couldn't he have known.He took a drag from his cigar, the only thing to keep his red hot anger at bay. He should have installed the darn tracker on her the instant it crossed his mind but of course he was too confident that nothing could ever happen to her. Not under his watch.At that instant, his door pushed open and his men stormed in, huffing and panting. Their mud stained boots leaving trails on his mahogany floorboards, stirred irk within him.Why were they here, so suddenly?His eyes shifted from each of them, searching for Katherine, perhaps she was behind them being stubborn. “Good or bad?” He asked finally, before setting his cigar on a tray.“Bad.”“Where is she?” he asked, the words leaving his mouth carefully.The men exchanged worried glances and bowed their head.“Mast—”“Did I stutte
CHAPTER 87“Where the fuck is she?”Lucifer’s voice cut through the mall like a gunshot as he stormed into the store, and the heavy glass doors slammed behind him.The sharp click of his shoes on the marble floor was the only sound as he moved forward. He was losing his cool but he had to be in charge.His men trailed behind him, all clad in black with their weapons aimed at everyone. At his presence, the cashier gasped, stumbling back into the counter. Someone near the entrance tripped over his own feet, scrambling away with eyes that were wide with fear. A mother clutching her toddler, dropped to the ground to shield her from him.No one dared to breathe.Lucifer didn’t even glance at them. They were nothing. His stare was deadly and locked onto the trembling guard standing stiff as a corpse.“You dare to repeat what you said on the phone, eh?” Lucifer spat, his voice dripping with irritation.The guard flinched, his hands shaking as he tried to speak. "S-Sir, she went to the restr
Chapter 86Katherine struggled to breathe as her sweaty hands' grip tightened on the plate that she held in her hands. She silently choked back her sobs as she stumbled away from the door, running to her room.Her head ached and her heart pounded so hard that her chest felt as if it could rip open at any more. Why did Lucifer always make her feel like shit? Was she just nothing to Lucifer? A pawn in his game?She quickly entered the room, locking the door behind her and sliding her back down against it. The bread that she had baked for him still sat on the plate, though cold now.In a fit of rage, she stood up and threw both the cake and plate into the trash bin, before she flopped on her bed. The world just kept spinning all around her and she could barely think straight anymore.The warmth and excitement that she had felt for the long-awaited gender reveal had turned into a feeling so hollow and bland. Everything that she’d heard today just dampened her mood. Now, who was she to be
Chapter 85“Turn around,” Lucifer ordered as he narrowed his eyes. The petite girl in front of him spun, flaunting her curvy, perfectly-shaped ass right in his face. Not as perfect as Katherine’s though.Even though this wasn’t for any sexual reasons, he couldn’t get the image of Katherine out of his head. “Closer.” He grunted and she complied, stepping closer to Lucifer. He scanned over her body, before directing her to the right side of the room with a swift motion of his fingers. She gave a small smile before following his order and sashaying. Time passed, and the girls seemed to bore him. There was no ounce of excitement aroused in him, which was fairly unusual, and at some point, he got so sleepy that he almost dozed off. With an annoyed grimace, he commanded Antonio to take the approved girls to the club to begin work immediately while the rejected grils were to leave. As they all started to file out, he retreated back to his study to round up the work for the day, but he was
Chapter 84"I am utterly surprised." Katherine gasped, dropping some fertiliser onto the soil bed."Why?" Lucifer paused, looking at her. "A man of the underworld...in the garden!" She laughed throwing her hands up in surprise. "I know a few things about it. Don't think I don't." He squinted his eyes, watering the flowers. "Yeah, sure. You're not even holding the watering can right." She pointed out sassily. "You don't even know what you're talking about." He murmured, standing up. "I'm sure I do. I literally used to grow all the veggies back at home, Lucifer! But thanks for helping." She beamed. "Mhm." He wiped his face with handkerchief, "I'm thirsty." "There's some lemonade on the table under the gazebo, help yourself." She said, "I'll be right there. Let me attend to these lilies."He strode over to the gazebo as quick as he could, sitting down and pouring a glass of lemonade, downing it so fast to quench his parched throat.A few minutes later, Katherine joined him, taking