—JENNIFER—“ Hello there!” His deep, baritone voice had me stepping back as I was met with that deep black pair of eyes. My heartbeat quickened as he stared back with so much intensity to make me forget the world. I was almost losing my mind once again to my imagination but thankfully my ringing phone distracted me and I snapped towards him. “ No, No. Not this time.” I huffed, right on his face. “ I'm not going to believe in you.” He cocked a brow at me, so tiny an action that would make anyone believe that it was all real. But now I know that it wasn't. “What did I do to deserve that, princess?”“ Enough. I know you are not real. It's just my mind playing games with me.” I said in a determined voice while throwing the towel back on the couch and tried to walk away. But I stopped in my tracks when I felt a strong hold on my wrist before I was being pulled into a hard chest. “ Is it?” He whispered from close and my heart skipped a beat as I looked up into his drowning eyes while
—CHRISTIAN—“ A what?” I gaped at the doctor as she explained what Jennifer told her about. I heard a snicker from beside me and found Cally and Alex trying to suppress their laughter.“ I'm not sure about your girlfriend but it seems like you want to enjoy the care of the hospital, Alex?” I glared at Alex and it worked in shutting him up but the woman along with him broke into laughter. “ Oh my God. After all the efforts that you put into staying close to her, she thinks that you are not real and just her imagination?” She said and then laughed even more. She knew I wouldn't do anything because she's Jennifer's best friend. Ah, if only she wasn't, I might have gotten her shot from Morris. How unfortunate! “ Stop scheming against killing me, Mr. Brown and think about how you are going to make your wife believe that you are real. That you actually exist in this world and not only in her imagination.” She cackled further but I chose to ignore and turned to face the Doctor. “ How
—JENNIFER—When I regained my consciousness, everything that happened before I fainted came running back into my head and I snapped my eyes open. The room was empty and no one was around me. The first thought that struck me was if all of that happened was real or again my hallucination. With my head already in haze, dizziness and confusion, I stepped down off the bed and headed out of the room. I stopped seeing Cally and Alex sitting on a visiting bench in the corridor. I looked around to search in the hope to find my answers somewhere but I couldn't find the face that I was searching for. Does that mean I've lost my mind? I thought to myself as my sight was blurred with tears. With my stumbling feet and heavy breaths, I turned to go back into the room but feet got tangled into the hospital gown and stumbled back only to fall into a pair of arms. I had gasped because of the sudden incident and closed my eyes but when that Cologne entered my senses, I snapped my eyes open and lo
—CHRISTIAN—“What the fuck?” I cursed as she slammed the door shut, right on my face.And her best friend, that Witch, was throwing me smirks and winks. God!! What did I do to deserve this? After all these efforts this is what I get? The door slammed on my face. I whipped back only to find Alex trying to control his laughter. “ Keep it shut or I'll break your face in revenge from your girlfriend.” I warned him before stalking towards the visiting benches and slumped down. “ Why are you so mad? You know she just likes pissing you off.” He said, sitting beside me. “ But I hate it when I don't get to be with my wife.” I grumbled. “ It's been about two weeks since we last sat normally. I thought I'll finally have the chance but your girlfriend chose this time to tease me.” I grumbled before my eyes caught the doctor that's treating Jennifer. Both of us stood up when the doctor walked towards the room for her check up. “ You got the discharge papers or want me to get them now.” Ale
—JENNIFER—He glared down at me and I don't know why I felt so intimidated by him that I sat down with my mouth shut and did what he told me to do. The google search. “ What?” I mumbled without looking but I saw him turning to look at me from the corner of my eyes. “ Sorry?” He asked, puzzled. “ What do I have to Google?” I asked again. “ Oh, Yes. Search Christian Brown.” He said and I without thinking anything, typed the name in the search bar before so many pictures appeared there. I tapped at the first picture and my jaw dropped, almost reaching the surface of his black Mercedes that I missed swooning over because of how he just abducted me. I whipped my head to look at him and then back at the picture. Then again I did the same thing. Both were the same. He was Christian Brown, New York's Richest Man right now.What the heck was I doing in his goddamn car?? I felt a sudden dizziness before my eyes fell on another photo and when I touched it, my mind literally blew up. It
Jennifer The ride in the elevator was comfortably anxious for me partly because of the closed new place and partly because of the apparently stranger man that claims to be my husband. And now that I have all the reason to believe that what he has been telling was true It's making me even more anxious to stand beside him with his eyes constantly fixated on me. With my bated breath, I impatiently waited for the elevator ride to end so I could go out and take a breath in open space. Thankfully, the elevator stopped and I quickly stepped out of it as soon as the door opened. I heard him follow me out before I stopped seeing the closed door in front of me and turned back to look at him. He frowned at me for a moment then as if a realisation struck him as he shook his head with a smile before walking past me to open the door. My mouth fell open as I entered the house and took into the classy, lavish furnishings inside. Every single corner was screaming rich as I did a twirl in the
—CHRISTIAN— I saw the nervousness in her tone when I talked about her taking the bath and realised that I was nothing but a literal stranger to her right now. I saw her biting her lip while fidgeting with her fingers out of nervousness as I stared at her before sighing and walking back to me. “ Look, I know princess, you don't remember me. But I do. So please, try trusting me a little.” I took a pause to take into her expression but she was still unsure. I knew it wasn't enough. Nothing could be enough right now to convince her but I still tried. “You just get fresh, if you want , I won't even stand in the room.” I said, trying to comfort her . But she still shook her head in a no. “ No, I don't need a bath." She said, instinctively pulling the sleeve of her top as if she was in some discomfort. But I caught that small action of hers that was screaming that she sure as hell needed a long bath. I sighed audibly. “ As much as I'm willing to do anything for you, I'm sorry
—JENNIFER—“ I'll manage by myself.” I had said it so proudly to Christian before getting inside the bathroom but now, here I was standing with a helpless face after so many unsuccessful efforts of trying to remove my top. Inhaling a deep, sharp breath, I looked up into the bathroom mirror once again with a determined look to try again. Criss Crossing my arms before grabbing the hems of my top I tried to pull it up to remove it but winced as soon as some pressure fell on my shoulder which had been dislocated in the accident and had some scratches on it also. “Arghhhh!!” I huffed, annoyed while dropping my hands down in defeat and whipped back towards the closed bathroom door. Taking a deep breath, trying to burry my self respect somewhere deep down inside me, I headed toward the door and tore it open aggressively. Christian's head whipped back to look up at me with a frown. “ Help me!” I forced the words out of me before meeting his confused gaze which was soon turned into an amu
JENNIFER The next few days were spent with everyone celebrating my memory regaining and for our soon to be born child. Mom and Dad disclosed the whole truth about Catherine and I was just happy that they at least told me whatever it was. I was upset for being lied to but never angry. It eases their tension and we are back to normal. I looked at the clock and then towards the main door. With a sigh filled with disappointment, I had just turned back when the click of the door opening had me turning back again only to see my husband dearest entering with a bag in his hand. “You’re home.” I exclaimed, with a relieved smile while mentally thanking God. At first glance, he looked the same as when he’d left— black shirt, black pants, hauntingly beautiful face—but a closer look revealed the quiet storm brewing in his eyes. “You asked me to come home.” He watched, body still but gaze burning like an open flame, as I closed the distance between us. “So here I am.” His rough velvet
JENNIFER When I opened my eyes, my head felt heavy. It was hurting like someone had crushed it under a car wheel. With a wince of pain, I opened my eyes and the first thing I landed my eyes on was a pair of black eyes. Two moments of unblinking stare into those worry filled eyes before I took a sigh of relief. “ Christian!” I called out his name in my weak and hazy voice and saw him practically relaxing. As if a burden was taken away from her chest. “ Princess! You are awake.” His voice was filled with relief. “ What do you think?” I joked at his obvious question. A small sigh left his lips before a soft smile appeared as he bent down to kiss my forehead. “ You scared the shit out of me.” He murmured, straightening back. “ What? I don't remember anything?” I asked and he froze in his place. “ You don't remember anything?” He asked, repeating my words and emphasised on the last word. Now it was my turn to freeze in my place. I paused and all the events of the past
CHRISTIAN “Hello, Raphael.” I examined Jennifer’s stalker, who was strung up with heavy cuffs locking his arms and legs into a vertical spread- eagle position. Nails pinned his palms to the wall behind them, while black and blue bruises mottled his body like an obscene piece of abstract art. We were in the warehouse I’d bought for this specific purpose. Remote, soundproofed, and guarded enough that an ant couldn’t crawl across the floor without me knowing. Not all of my guys were okay with dirty work, which was fine. I only needed a few who were, and they’d done their job prepping the bastard for me. I couldn’t have him waiting too comfortably while I tended to Jennifer. My gaze flicked to the floor. A small pool of blood stained the smooth grey concrete. That was also fine. It will grow soon enough. Raphael’s face was so beaten up it was unrecognisable, but the heat of his glare made me smile. He had a bit of fight left in him. Good. That would make our session so much m
JENNIFER I slept in until almost noon the next day. It was the latest I’d ever woken up, but the previous day’s events had taken their toll. Even after a solid sixteen hours of rest, fogginess clouded my brain as I walked to the kitchen. Being drugged and kidnapped. Finding out my husband dearest has a brother about which I still have to ask him, Nearly dying, then getting rescued by Christian, and sort of/kind of making up with him. I’d had time to process, so it was easier to wrap my head around what happened, but yesterday was so surreal I still felt like I was walking on the edge of a dream. It was Monday, so I’d expected Christian to be at work. But when I entered the sun-splashed kitchen, I found him standing by the espresso machine, dressed in a black shirt and pants instead of his usual suit. I blinked with surprise. “You’re here.” I asked and he turned back swiftly as if pulled back harshly from another world. I guess I disturbed his thoughts. “It is my house,” he s
CHRISTIAN She’s here. She’s safe. I repeated the words in my head as I held Jennifer tight. Tiny shivers rippled through her body, and even though she was almost as tall as me, she felt fragile. Breakable. Fierce protectiveness burned in my chest. “It’s all right, princess,” I murmured. “You’re okay. You’re safe.” She buried her face deeper in my neck, her soft sobs twisting my heart like a wrung-out rag. Her hold on me felt like I was the only trustable and safe place for her. It felt like the old times, before her accident. It felt like I was holding her again for the first time in years, but this wasn’t how I’d wanted it to be. Not with her bruised, hurt, and terrified. Something struck my mind and my one hand automatically moved towards her belly. I felt my heart clenching in my chest at the thought of any possible harm to our child. The relief I’d felt at seeing her alive gave way to renewed rage. My cold gaze found Rapheal over Jennifer’s shoulder. He should pray t
Jennifer Lights washed across my vision at the force of the impact, but I didn’t have time to waste. I slammed my wrists down as hard as I could behind me until the frayed rope snapped against the protrusion. Luckily, Raphael hadn’t tied my legs, and I stumbled to the door. I almost made it before strong hands yanked me back. I hit the floor with a thud. Raphael pinned me to the ground and manacled my wrists above my head. “Let go of me!” I struggled against his hold. “You’re mine,” he said calmly, like we were at a picnic in the park and he wasn’t holding me hostage. “It’ll be so much easier if you give in, Jennifer. I don’t want to hurt you.” I couldn’t keep struggling forever. My energy was already fading, my muscles sore and my thoughts jumbled with panic. I turned my head a fraction to the right, and my breath hitched when I saw my purse lying a few feet away. My taser. I always kept it on me because since Christian forced me to do it. If I could only reach it… Raphae
JENNIFER A prickle of sensation dragged me from the dark, murky wells of unconsciousness. It started as a tingle in my fingers and toes. Then it was the hard press of wood beneath my thighs. Finally, it was the rough abrasion of ropes around my wrists and a pounding pain behind my eyes. I didn’t know what was going on. All I knew was, it hurt, and my throat was dry, and my head throbbed like someone had shoved a jackhammer or ten in there. Concrete anchors dragged down my lids. The darkness wasn’t soft and gentle like the gradual drift to sleep. It was endless and menacing, like the weight of the earth after being buried alive. I forced my lungs to expand past my rising panic. Breathe. Think. What happened? I struggled to sort through the day’s events. I remembered meeting my friends at the cafe. Morris running to the restroom. Nausea, dizziness, stumbling out for air…and the cold press of a gun against my ribcage. A voice, then blackness. Oh God. I’d been kidnapped. Th
JENNIFER A sharp stab of concern pulled my brows together. “Do you need to sit down? You don’t look so good.” Actually, I didn’t feel great either. My usual lethargy intensified and tugged at my limbs and eyelids. Morris’ face swam before me until I blinked the blurriness away. “Yes, I”—he gripped the edge of the table. “I”— his face turned ghostly white before flushing the crimson. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He bolted toward the bathroom. The door slammed shut. A second later, I heard the faint but unmistakable sound of vomiting. My own stomach twisted at the noise. I hoped we hadn’t gotten food poisoning, but something was clearly wrong. My vision blurred again. This time, blinking didn’t help. I stood, hoping the change in altitude would clear my head, but an instant wave of dizziness forced me back into my seat. What is going on? I’d only had tea and a pastry. Could you even get food poisoning from tea and pastries? Black dots danced in front of my eyes, and panic
—JENNIFER— As soon as our mouths collided, I felt colours bursting behind my eyelids, making them shut up automatically. Christian went frozen at my unexpected stunt and couldn't even move for a long moment. For myself, I was in shock about how the mouth of this cold man could be so warm and soft. I didn't give it any thought so I was as stunned as him at my own action and couldn't even move out of shock until I felt his hands coming up to grab my waist and he pulled me into himself. My body felt burns and chills at the same time where his fingers were digging into my skin in a firm but not painful hold. Suddenly I was too conscious about the things that his touch was making me feel. The pause we both took out of shock had me thinking for a moment that he would pull back but instead, he tilted his mouth and deepened the kiss with a sudden force that I almost lost my step. A gasp of shock couldn't find a place to escape me because of the way his mouth was perfectly occupying m