Chapter 28Katherine was about to run mad.Or at least that was what she felt. Every day, there was always something new happening with Lucifer. She could never seem to catch a breath without getting the wind knocked out of her immediately after. After overhearing the conversation between him and Natalia yesterday, she knew very clearly where she stood in Lucifer’s life. “As if I ever even meant anything to him,” She snorted, rummaging through her wardrobe, looking for a dress to pull on. Angelie had already informed her to get ready for breakfast, but Katherine lingered behind, wasting more time than usual, because she didn’t even want to see him.All through the day, she tried her best not to interact with him, ignoring him with every chance she had, and so far, it was working smoothly. She was sure that he hadn’t even noticed anyway, but she knew that this was ideally the best thing to do. Stay as far away from him as possible. Finally getting dressed and ready to head out, she
CHAPTER 29The bullet was for Lucifer.Katherine shrieked, the air vanishing from her lungs, leaving her breathless. Somehow, Lucifer had tumbled onto the floor, crashing into a pile of bags in the gazebo's corner. His face was twisted in pain and a few meters away from him, she could see a shiny gold object on the floor coated in crimson red.“Lucifer…” Katherine scrambled to his side, kneeling beside him. He held a hand up to his stomach, as though he had been severely injured and at that time, he could barely move. Katherine’s feet seemed to be rooted to the floor, a telltale sign of the shock coursing through her veins.“Damn it…” He hissed, dragging Katherine by the foot sending her tumbling to the floor.“Are you trying to get killed?” he spat, as she crawled to him. Her hands hovered uselessly over him, unsure of what to do.“You're bleeding, Lucifer.” Katherine flung the sun hat off of her head, moving quickly to hold him down. “Help is coming.” She said, panicking. Fear gripp
CHAPTER 30Katherine stared outside the window, flipping the pages of a book that rested in her lap. This was the 5th book this week, and she was already growing weary. She sat perched on the edge of the window sill wondering when this whole thing would be over. Even since the shooter had attacked, everyone was on edge, most especially Lucifer. Alongside him constantly was Anthonio. Sometimes, as they passed through the house, she could feel his eyes on her lingering for a short while. When she finally realized that she was being observed, he'd peel his eyes away from her, avoiding her gaze.She found it odd, but did it really matter? They rarely ever spoke, and she was sure there'd be no reason to until she left this house for good. Anthonio was just the capo, nothing else—nothing special.Apart from this, she was tired of being in this house. It didn't help that she had no one to converse with, or any other thing to do. Gardening was a hobby that she loved and had just recently go
CHAPTER 31“Do you like your surprise?” Lucifer whispered, slithering his arm around Katherine's waist. She gazed around, taking in the elegant, calm atmosphere. The soft glow of candlelight cast a warm, inviting ambiance over the room. A lone pianist sat at a grand piano, his fingers dancing across the keys, creating a soothing masterpiece. The gentle hum of patrons’ conversations and the tinkling of silverware filled the air, along with the rich aroma of simmering sauces and freshly made pasta. Katherine could feel her heart pounding in her chest wildly as her eyes went over the room once again. She'd never been somewhere this elegant. Maybe just with the rich family she used to work for, as an usher, but never as a customer. She looked down at her dress, pulling it down gently, and back to the patrons all at their individual tables. “Well…this surprise would be much better if you weren't here with me," she drawled, a sarcastic smirk playing on her lips.Lucifer scoffed, guidin
Chapter 32Lucifer pressed a finger up to his lips, still holding Katherine down. They were in a very dangerous position right now, and if anything went wrong, he doubted they’d make it out safely. Giovanni paused in front of the stall that they were in, and Katherine’s breath caught for a moment. She didn’t even know what was going on and she was still so weak from her climax earlier. From the bottom of the stall, she could make out transparent heels and the other pair of feet seemed like a man’s feet.“So? How’s it going?” Giovanni asked, tapping his foot on the floor impatiently. He folded his arms in front of him as the lady before him, brought something out. The crinkle of paper could be heard echoing throughout the bathroom and Lucifer couldn’t help but wonder what it was—and who it was.They shared silent acknowledgments and the lady slipped the paper back into her purse silently. “And you’re sure that this information you’re giving me is correct?” Giovanni cocked a brow, st
Chapter 33The mansion had always been a cage, but now, as she stepped into its wreckage, Katherine felt something she never expected: the crushing weight of loss. At first, the penthouse looked just as they had left it—until a low groan came from the shadows, breaking the illusion of safety.Lucifer and Katherine had arrived at the mansion a few minutes ago, but to their surprise, the lights had been shut out. They had to remain in the car, and wait until the power supply was fixed.Now, standing in the parlor, it looked like a war had ensued. Katherine’s hand flew to her mouth in shock and her body trembled with fear as her unease grew with each step leading deeper into the house. The curtains had been sort of torn off and were strewn around the couches. The furniture in the room had been overturned in a reckless manner and the paintings were lopsided, some even left broken on the floor. Did a bulldozer run through here?Katherine shook her head, looking around the wrecked room as s
CHAPTER 34The reflection in the back view mirror sent a jolt of terror through Katherine's body. On the woodsy roads, a pair of glowing, green eyes stared back at her from the darkness. unblinking and unnatural still. Whoever it was the figure was barely visible, cloaked in shadows, but it's predatory gaze was unmistakable. The sight made Katherine sick, as if all her stomach's contents were about to tumble out. Her throat tightened as the creature—person, whatever—tilted its head slightly, almost as if studying her. Then with a sudden, swift movement, it disappeared. Vanished without a trace, as if it was never there, leaving the lingering feeling of being hair.“Katherine,” Lucifer nudged, trying to turn her head back around to face front. “Katherine, you can't look back!” He yelled, annoyed. All the hair on her skin stood attentively as she couldn't seem to peel her eyes off of the road. “Lucifer…” She whispered, her voice barely audible as her heart nearly jumped out of her
CHAPTER 35At first, Katherine heard one gunshot.A long silence followed. Then, she heard two more pops—deafening and heart-shattering.Whimpering, she collapsed onto the ground, shifting herself into the corner of the panic room. Her heart felt heavy, and her breathing became ragged as she curled up, her thoughts unstable.After that, she didn't hear anything anymore. Not for the next five or ten minutes, until she heard the sound of shoes crunching on gravel from the small window near the ceiling behind her.It sounded as though something was being dragged across the floor. Was it Lucifer? Was that his body being dragged?Keeping mute, she pressed her hands to her ears, blocking out the nauseating sound. She didn't even want to hear it—regardless of thinking about who it was or how they'd been executed gruesomely.She rocked herself unsteadily, gripping onto the edge of the steel table beside her. In a few minutes, she felt the door of the panic room crack open, and her head flew u
CHAPTER 138Katherine stepped out of the Landan house looking weary. She had no idea how long she was going to walk before she could get into town. Asher had given her a small map but she had seemed to forget how to use those things. It was a bit tricky but she had thanked him for his kind gesture. And she had to be quick else this was the time that the Landans usually returned and if they saw her on the road that could lead to other complications.The goodbye with the girls, the way Asher pressed that card into her hand, she couldn't stop thinking of it all. she held Noah tightly to her chest. She had no idea how heavy he had become. He was a big baby, warm but really had enough healthy weight.She draped the blanket over her shoulders tightly. Her back ached and her shoulders but she needed to get away from there first.She hadn't even gone a distance until a black van pulled up behind her. She paused in her tracks looking around for where to dash into but it was too late.She drop
CHAPTER 137Katherine’s fingers trembled as she folded the last piece of clothing into the worn, faded bag. Her vision blurred, hot tears clouded the shapes of everything in the room.She sniffled, biting her lip hard enough to hurt. Why did he have to show up? He shouldn't have even tried to. She was fine without him, was figuring life out by herself.A soft knock came at the door, and before she could answer, tiny feet padded in. Adelaide and Madelaine with their eyes round and curious, stood in the doorway. When they saw the tears streaming down Katherine’s face, they didn’t ask what was wrong rather they simply moved to her. The two little girls wrapped their arms around her legs, holding her tight.Katherine dropped to her knees and gathered them into her arms, pressing their heads against her shoulders as the sobs came harder.“Will I ever see you again?” Madelaine asked, her voice shaky and her eyes glossy with tears.Adelaide clung to her tighter. “I don’t want you to go…”Ka
CHAPTER 136Asher sat with Noah resting quietly in his arms, the child’s tiny face pressed against his chest. His little hands clutched at Asher’s shirt without even knowing why. Asher glanced down at him and for the first time really looked. Although both parents Dna had contributed to the boy, his eyes… they were just like his father’s,Lucifer Cain.The ruthless, famous man whose reputation made even hardened men lower their heads. So this was the person Katherine had been running from all this time. The deadly Mafia.He wanted to know how she ended up with him. He had called her wife, asked for his son, showed possession and Katherine was vulnerbale. So vulnerbale and broken. Even after he left, she was still sitting in silence and trembling.Asher swallowed hard as he tried to put his messy thoughts together. The first time he heard of Lucifer, he had wanted to look for a way to harm Ethan. To set him up and fuck him up. But he couldn't stand it. He couldn't stand them. They wer
CHAPTER 135The house was quiet, except for the soft sound of the old ceiling fan and the gentle scratch of a cloth as Katherine wiped down the table. The scent of cleaning solution hung in the air. She hummed as she cleaned, trying to relish the moment and clear her head, before the doorbell rang.Her hand froze mid-wipe, cloth pressed against the wood. The sound came again, persistently, like it needed attention.It was just her and Asher home. And no one came here.No one should.Her chest tightened. She didn't want to do this. Not again.Day after day, boxes arrived. Packages filled with things she never asked for — diapers, clothes, money and various self care she could never afford. She wanted to throw them out, burn them, scream at the sky, but she didn’t.Instead, she let them pile up in Asher’s room, turning his space into a cramped storeroom of her trash. The Landans’ patience had run thin and she couldn't blame them. Kind people had their limits.The bell rang again, caus
CHAPTER 134“Where is she?” he demanded coldly as he burst into the house in rage. Katherine glued herself to the wall of her room as Ethan approached her like a mad dog. He had a scowl on his face. “What the fuck came for you today?”“I…I don't know ow what you're talking about,” she stuttered in fear. “Show me or you'll hate it if I have to force it from you, myself.”“What did I say about treating women, Erhan?” Asher said in anger as he strutted into the room. “show her what it is to force a woman and I'll show you what it is to train a man.”Ethan lunged for his son but he dodged. “Are you blind? Can't you see what she's doing? No one has ever tried to find us for years. But ever since she came things have been happening.”“And shouldn't that be a good thing? Or did you do something wrong? Something that you're scared of someone else discovering,” Asher taunted and smirked at them. Ethan stepped back panting heavily while Katherine leaned farther away with fear as he neared he
CHAPTER 133There was a gentle knock on the mahogany door. The deep voice from within called to enter, before the guards pushed the door apart.“You need to get those thugs you call securitymen arrested,” the dark man said in annoyance. “If they ever lay a hand on me again, I will ensure their body is laid in the ground.“Any news?” The second man said in boredom.“A never disappointing one,” the dark man said and dumped the carton of files on the table before taking his seat.“What did you find?” The second man asked before placing his cigar on the tray. “Hold on friend. I've got to step out of this or I swear my toes would get eaten by this monsters,” the man said as he quickly unfasten the laces of his boots. “These commanders got to tell me how they do it.”“Enough!” the other man said and slammed his hand on the table. “What did you fucking find?”“I found the house and exactly according to my tracking, it's situated at the end of nowhere. Belongs to some family. Who builds thei
CHAPTER 132When it's a coincidence, it doesn't repeat itself, does it?Amanda sat at the rocking chair, cooing at noah who was in her arms. The baby giggled and threw his little arms in the air playfully. The girls were at her feet playing dolls and fir the first time, she felt at peace.There was a relief. Maybe because her creep of a husband wasn't around. Noah let out a little but loud fact and the stench was abominable.“Mom!” Adelaide shrieked. “His poop is leaking out.”“Oh dear,” Amanda exclaimed in panic. “This dress costs two hundred dollars!”Katherine came rushing in at that moment from the laundry room. She picked up noah in fright. “Oh Amanda I'm so sorry…Maddy love, please fetch mom the wet tissues.”“You owe me,” Amanda said as she snatched the pack of wet wipes from her daughter.Katherine smiled painfully before hurrying away.“Let me deal with this diarrhea before it explodes everywhere….arghhh noah you stink of shit…I mean it's shit….but you stink for goodness sake!
CHAPTER 131The smell of sizzling bacon mixed with the earthy aroma of coffee filled the breakfast table as Katherine took a bite of her scrambled eggs.Ethan Landan wasn't helping either. He stirred the coffee pot beside her a little too loudly with the spoon clicking on every corner. It was so loud it drowned out the pounding in her head. She stole a glance at Asher who was sitting across from her. Nothing seemed out of place for him except the rage behind his eyes. He wasn’t meeting her gaze, rather his focus was firmly on the eggs on his plate. He knew. She knew. Amanda and Ethan were silent as well but their eyes flickered between Katherine and Asher from time to time as if they were trying to read minds or pick out anything odd.Katherine’s hand trembled slightly as she reached for her coffee mug. The sound of the cup clinking against the saucer was too loud. She quickly lowered the mug, staring down at her plate and trying to ignore the sick feeling churning in her stomach.“
CHAPTER 130“I'm sorry you had to go through all that,” Katherine whispered softly. “Opening up was really brave.”“Don't sound like you didn't make me do it,” he said jokingly.“Thank you,” she said, pressing his hand to her chest. “For trusting me.”“You know, you would make a huge sum of money if you consider therapy. Stop freaking kidding me.”Katherine pouted, trying to ease the situation. “Right? Don't you think you owe me?”“Maybe I would have,” he said, smiling wryly. “But you pushed me into talking by making me help you. More like reverse psychology.”Katherine's chest tightened. She already had all she needed. But it wasn't enough. She wanted more. “So, what do we do?”“This is the part where you act like you know nothing if you want to live long.”“Have you ever considered revenge?” Katherine asked out of the blues.“Lots of times,” he pointed out. “But God, I'm not like them.”“They have guns, don't they?”Asher scoffed. “Guns? No they don't use that here. They use surgic