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 36“You don't. But it's best if you accompany me. I can't afford to leave you alone in the cottage now,” he said sternly, his voice full of authority. Reluctantly, Katherine nodded, and Lucifer got down from the car, crossing to the other side and pulling the door open for her. She stepped out, gently raising her diamond-embedded red dress to keep it from dragging on the floor. The dainty necklace that rested on her neck complimented the dress perfectly, along with the dangle earrings. Lucifer fixed up the tie of his black suit, straightening the arms out before taking hold of her arm. Together, they walked through the back entrance of the club and took an elevator down to where the auction club was happening. The venue seemed to be dripping with elegance itself, with a spacious stage in the upper front and other fancy tables situated behind it. Guests turned their heads as soon as Lucifer and Katherine walked in, and little murmurs filled the venue. Katherine's face h
Chapter 37The crowd erupted in a series of gasps. “It’s going…” The auctioneer chanted, as each guest held their breath. Katherine glanced around, watching how they were all so intensely focused on this veiled girl before them, and most importantly, Lucifer. She seemed to pique his interest, and Katherine could tell by her aura, but she wanted to know why exactly.“And…sold!” The auctioneer said with a delighted smile, gesturing towards Lucifer. All eyes immediately turned to the man who could spend so much on an assassin. Some wondered why he wanted her so much to bid that high, while other's minds ventured to insidious plans that he could be plotting. After all, from now on, they’d have to be on their toes. From the other side of the room where he sat, Giovanni’s eyes narrowed, staring at Lucifer. There was something there, but he couldn’t place a finger on it---not yet. He cleared his throat uneasily, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.The auctioneer led the veiled lady down t
CHAPTER 38“I don’t understand,” Katherine said, so full of confusion, “She was just here.” She gestured toward the couch, where a particular area had been indented due to weight. It meant she had probably just slipped out. “She will be back.” He murmured, going to sit back on the couch. “Isla is missing, and you’re just going to kick back and relax?” She scoffed, eyeing him.“And?” He laughed, kicking his feet up on the table before him. “She won’t last minutes in these woods. Especially this late at night, she’ll be back soon, don’t worry.” He informed, so sure of himself. Wherever she went, she surely couldn’t be far. She smacked her lips together, flopping on the couch beside him, although, it didn’t take long before she slept off.~The next morning, they were returning to the estate, since it had been fixed up now, and his men had cleared it out. Still, the thought of one thing lingered on both their minds. “Isla still isn’t back, Lucifer,” Katherine said, tapping his should
CHAPTER 39There came that familiar dull ache between Katherine’s legs, as she slipped out of Lucifer’s bed. As usual, Lucifer wasn’t in bed. But, this time she didn’t just wake up peacefully—it was noise. The loud, thunderous voice of an incredibly angry man. She sighed, pulling her hair into a ponytail, before crossing to the bathroom and rinsing her face off. Her body felt heavier than usual, but she ignored the feeling. “Probably all the stress I’ve been putting myself through…” She murmured as she ran her hands under the tap. Within a few days, she’d gone from sunshine to moonlight, quite literally. Her hair was disheveled and looked extremely unhealthy, her eyes had deep, dark eye bags under them, and she was starting to lose a little weight. She looked underfed, which was funny because, in this estate, she ate like a queen, morning, afternoon, and night. Just a little hiccup though, nothing that good food and rest wouldn’t fix. She wiped her hands on the wash cloth carefully
CHAPTER 40Katherine remained frozen on the couch she had been seated on for the past ten minutes. The only thing she could do was retrace back to the conversation that she and Lucifer had earlier as she stared at the piping hot cup of coffee on the table in front of her.“Did I say something wrong?” She murmured under her breath, tossing her hair over her shoulder. It seldom made sense to her how quickly Lucifer could go from being neutral to cold. It happened all so fast that even she was still left reeling from the shock. It was nothing new, but right when she thought that they were getting somewhere, he just shut it all down. Scoffing with disbelief, she rose from the seat, picked up the coffee, and went to the kitchen to pour it down the drain. As she violently scrubbed at the cup, she wondered if he’d ever stop with his annoying mood swings. After all, she was to blame. She doubted she ever really meant anything to him. He was right. All she was was the daughter of a debtor—a
Chapter 77It was the next day, and Lucifer had decided that they'd visit the hospital. "So soon?" Katherine asked, fixing her sunhat and pulling her gloves off. The afternoon sun was scorching hot and sweat beaded on her forehead, as she looked up at Lucifer."I've ordered for the guards to prepare her and bring her upstairs. We have no time to waste, you know." He said, glancing down at her belly before bringing his gaze back up to her eyes. "Right, you're right..." Katherine whispered, an anxious knot tying in her stomach. The undeniable tremor in her hands was evident even as Lucifer watched her, but she kept her composure."Tidy up quickly. You'll be escorted for your checkup as well." She nodded, and the couple separated, entering the house and going their way before they eventually met at the entrance.There, waiting for them, was Isla standing with two guards on either side of her.She looked cleaner, seeing as she'd been allowed to take a bath and change into some spare cl
Chapter 76"Angelie, I need your help." "Ah!" Angelie bumped her head, rising up from under the table, rubbing her head. "Ma'am, what was that?" She asked, picking up the feather duster and standing back up on her feet. "I need your help." Katherine repeated slowly, her hand subconsciously running over her slightly protruding stomach. "Of course. How may I be of service to you?" She gave a small smile. paying attention now. "Good...You've been serving Isla food now, correct?" "Yes, ma'am. Orders from Master Cain since two days ago. Is there some sort of issue?" She rose a brow, cautious. "No, no," Katherine quickly responded, shaking her hand in dismissal, "Nothing of such. I just need to know when exactly you take her dinner to her.""That should be 7:45 p.m.." She said with a nod of her head. "Great, I have some things I'd like to discuss with her, and I wanted to take your role tonight...""My role?" Angelie asked, skeptical, "Wait, do you mean you want to serve her yourself
Chapter 75It came like a thief in the night, the movement. Katherine tossed over to her side, tumbling into a hard chest with a soft thud. Nothing new, since Lucifer lay right next to her, his soft snores filling the room. She sighed, her eyes still closed, but the unmistakable feeling of guilt lingered. The guilt of her family, and even if she didn't know why, the sadness and confusion she felt for Isla. After she had been dragged away to the basement, Katherine's heart felt rather heavy and it became all she could think about throughout the day. Had she been telling the truth, and was just being punished for no reason at all, or was she just a good liar?If it was the later, then indeed, she was a professional, because everything had been executed so smoothly. She turned again, this time, her back to Lucifer as she felt this sinking feeling. And then, she could feel a subtle movement in her stomach. She thought nothing much of it, and instead after a while, drifted back off to
Chapter 74"She said that someone knows I'm pregnant, Lucifer." Katherine said in a panic, her mind all over the place as she pressed her phone to her ear."Pregnant? Who?" He grunted, his voice sounding lethal from over the phone even."I-I don't know, she didn't say..." She gulped, pulling her hand up to her chest, "I'm scared, Lucifer...""I'll be there soon, just calm down..." He said, and with that she heard a click before the call went on dialtone.Katherine went to stand beside the doctor as they both hovered over the girl laying on the couch. She was still in the disastrous state which she was in earlier, with the only difference being her passed out. The doctor peeled open one of her eyes, shining his tiny light into it to observe it much better before clicking it off. "Well, how is she doctor?" Katheirne asked, her eyes laced with concern as she crossed her arms nervously."Her pulse had sped up and she should be awake any moment from now," he explained, packing his thing
Chapter 73"What the fuck are you doing?" Katherine shrieked, her hands over her mouth in surprise, even though pain shot through her stitched arm like a thunderbolt. Angelie pulled away from Wilson quickly, lips swollen and in a horny daze. Her darkened eyes darted between Katherine and Wilson. She didn't know that Katherine be up this early. "Miss Katherine," Angelie quickly raised her maiden dress, getting down on her knees and rubbing her hands together, "Please, Miss Katherine. I'm so sorry." She said, apologising profusely. The burning sensation of embarrassment spread across her pale cheeks, and felt hotter than the sun itself. She shook her head, gripping onto Katherine's foot, "I wasn't in my right mind, I'll do whatever you say to make up for it. Please!"As she kept begging, Katherine looked down at the poor girl, shaking her head a bit. She couldn't quite explain how she felt. Disappointment? Pity? Disgust?Directly in her line of sight, Wilson leaned against the counte
Chapter 72Katherine staggered backward in shock, before turning around quickly to face him properly, "Oh, Lucifer," She said breathlessly, "I was... I just... I was about following Father to his room to see Wilson and say goodnight." Lucifer hummed in response, his hands crossed behind his back. "Is that so?" He asked, his voice eerily calm and low as he stepped closer to Cassius. So close that their noses were almost touching. He felt something was odd and off. Katherine was biting her lower lips nervously, her brows furrowed, while Cassius was shivering heavily. "Hmm" he mumbled under his breath and carefully observed Cassius. "And what is this?" He cocked his head, moving his hands down the side of Cassius’s body until they landed on the coats pockets. Gingerly, he reached his hand in and pulled out a silver ring. "Sir, I-I can explain," Cassius shivered, raising his hands in defense. "Are you stealing from me, Cassius?""No, I... I--""Shut the fuck up," He grunted, quickly
Chapter 71"I'm sorry sir," was the only thing that left Wilson's lips for the rest of dinner.What he didn't understand was that that 'sorry' wouldn't change anything, so it was really beginning to piss Lucifer off, while Katherine just stared into the distance absentmindedly, chewing on her food slowly. Her stomach grumbled, not in hunger, but with unease. She didn't want to be here any more.The rest of dinner was tense and it didn't take long before Angelie and some servants came out to pack up the dirty dishes.She watched Angelie intently, she was acting differently and she couldn't quite place a finger on what was off about her. Her eyes traveled over her appearance, her usually somewhat unkept hair was neatly curled and cascaded down her back, with her bangs framing her face.With a sigh, she relaxed in her seat, overwhelmed by the tense dinner and the amount of food she had eaten, she noticed that Angelie lingered around Wilson's side of the table far much longer than she sh
Chapter 70"Katherine?" Lucifer called out again, rapping on the door. "Uh...Uh, coming!" She replied loudly, scrambling out of bed. What the hell was he doing right there? She had thought he'd be busy at least until the evening. She quickly moved towards the door, gently holding her arm as she did. Swiftly, she turned the handle, pulling the door open and peeking her head out."Hey..." She chuckled nervously, "Is anything the matter?" "What are you doing in the room? Why aren't you with your father and brother?" He asked, his brows crinkled, as he pushed the door open, making her stumble back a bit. "Oh, nothing," She nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "Well, the doctor said I needed to rest, so I just came to my room to take a bit of time for myself." She babbled quickly, her mouth running faster than her brain could keep up with. Lucifer paused for a moment, narrowing his eyes. After a long silence, he stepped into the room, his eyes sweeping over the familiar n
Chapter 69"Ow! Ow! That hurtssssss!" Katherine winced as the doctor held onto her arm gently. "We've applied the numbing cream already. Just relax, Mrs. Cain." He said, trying to ease her nerves. Katherine's eyes widened as soon as she heard the words 'Mrs. Cain' come out of the doctors mouth. "Oh, I'm not-" She was cut off by a sharp look of Lucifer and decided to swallow the rest of the sentence down her throat. Her heart raced and her cheeks spread with the familiar warmness they always recieved whenever she was flustered. Did he really think of her as his Mrs., or better still, what did the K.C engraved on the dagger really mean?She had been trying to decipher it, because there were clearly two options, Katherine Cassius or Katherine...Cain.She didn't know, maybe she was just overthinking things, but the thought of it alone made her heart race. Lucifer laced his fingers with hers, and she glanced up at him, "Huh?" "He's almost done. I thought it'd hurt." He said lowly, al