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 41Lucifer paused, finally looking up. He clasped his hands together on the table, raising a brow. “Whether you have news for me or not, I expect you to inform me before you step into my house.” He said, his voice teetering on the edge of caution and annoyance. “Right. I apologize.” She stepped forward, clearing her throat. “You just…haven’t been around the club lately.” Her eyes scanned Lucifer, observing his countenance.“Whta’s that got to do with you?” He murmured, redirecting his gaze back to the papers on his table and scribbling his signature at the bottom.“It’s not about me. I heard some interesting things. People are starting to wonder. There's talk about you and your... attachments. You’ve been preoccupied with other things lately.” A sly smirk crept up on her face.He raised a brow, his patience already wearing thin. “Get to the point, Natalia. Before I have security drag you out.”“I just thought…” She placed her bag on his table, folding her hands behind her bac
CHAPTER 42“What exactly do you want?” Katherine grumbled, quickly slipping the foreign key into her pocket.“Well, can’t I check up on you anymore?” Natalia touched her shoulder lightly, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. Katherine scoffed, standing up from her chair and crossing her hands over her chest. She wasn’t in the mood for any of Natalia’s stupid antics. Besides, what was she doing in the house anyway?Katherine felt her heart rate quicken as she stared right at Natalia. Or maybe Lucifer had called her over to relieve himself of tension the way he always did. Yet, if that was the case, she looked very neat and Katherine knew that it most likely didn’t happen. A part of her was happy even, that Lucifer didn’t do it. But, another part was annoyed that she was back in the house. She couldn’t just leave Lucifer alone? She was just a wench that was obsessed with him, or maybe his money instead.“Check up on me?” Katherine shook her head, moving towards the stepstool and cl
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