—CHRISTIAN—I was speedily typing an e-mail on my laptop when suddenly my phone started ringing and I turned to glance at the screen as it was placed on the beside table. My fingers paused as I took a look at the caller ID. “ Turn it off!!” A muffled voice from beside me yelled at me and I silenced the call before pressing the send button on the laptop and the placed it on the bedside table closing it. Turning back, I focused on my lazy ass wife who couldn't find a way out of her sleep even after past 9:00 in the morning. “ Do you plan on sleeping all day?” I asked, pushing the hair back from her face that had covered my beautiful view. “ I don't feel like getting up.” “ As you wish. I thought I would bake cupcakes for you, but it's okay.” She was sitting straight on the bed before even I completed my words. I shook my head with an amused scoff. “ You are always hungry.” I fixed her hair from looking like a cheap Halloween ghost with all the hair covering her face. My white sh
—JENNIFER—I snuggled further into my pillow as Christian called out my name from the kitchen. “ Get out of the bed, Jennifer. You are really testing my patience now.” His faked angry voice had snorting and I pulled the blanket over my head also. I was really stunned how a week has already passed and it was again the doctor seeing day. “Arghh!” I whined, hearing another yell of my name before loudly thumping footsteps that approached the room. “ I swear I won't even give the chance to change your clothes if you don't leave the bed in a three seconds.” Living with him for the past two weeks had told me a lot about him. So without even wasting a one second, I jumped out of the bed and stood straight on the floor facing him. “ Why are you so cruel.” I sighed, defeated. He walked up towards the cupboard and came back with clothes in his hand for me. He pointed toward the bathroom aggressively and I snatched the clothes from him before scurrying off. “ Careful!” He yelled behind m
—JENNIFER—“Jennifer! I know you’re in there. Open up!”Oh no.I buried my face in my silk pillowcase, hoping the voice would go away, but knowing its owner, she would campout in my hall until I inevitably had to leave for fresh air and food.My morning visitor was nothing if not persistent.“Mrs Jennifer Wingsley Brown! You can’t hide from me.” A pause, followed by a more conciliatory, “I have brought chocolate muffins for you.” A groan escaped into my pillow. That was something I've always been unable to deny. I should have already talked to Christian and get Cally removed from my list of approved visitors, but I also hadn’t expected her to beat down my door at…I raised my head and glanced at the digital clock…seven fifty-four in the morning.Since she was already here and the chances of her leaving without seeing me were slim, I forced myself out ofbed and in the living area because Christian had to leave for the office for a few hours. Not before leaving a gaurd at my door for
—JENNIFER—Rest of the day was spent with Mom Dad as they mom cooked my favourite food and we chatted for a few hours, catching with my mystery life, until it was four thirty in the evening. I would’ve stayed longer, but I needed to get ready for the fundraiser. I was already cutting it close; when I gothome, I had just under two hours before Christian was supposed to pick me up. A wave of nerves crashed against my insides and drowned out the lingering melancholy from my visit with mom and dad. Tonight would be my first time spending an entire evening with Christian in the public as his wife.Even though I had been stalling with thoughts erupting in my head about me being an embarrassment for him anyway, they still didn't left me for a second. I turned on the shower and stepped beneath the spray of hot water, trying not to panic too much at what lay ahead of me.Christian Brown was just a man.Not a king, even if he was richer than one, and not a God, even if he looked like one.
—JENNIFER—I sucked into a breath when I realised what exactly he was trying to say. When I didn't budge from my place due to a battle going inside me over if I should do it or not, he mouthed ‘Com'on’ and I found myself walking towards him. Thankfully his legs were getting into the way to keep me at safe distance from him as I started working his tie with shaking hands. His closeness always does stupid things to me. His eyes were fixated on my face while I tried my best to not look up and focused on the tie. I could hardly reach his neck, partly because of his height which was even more now because of him sitting on the table and partly because of his legs. But for me, it was like a blessing because I could stay at a safe distance. I didn't needed him to hear how fast my hear can beat when I'm close to him. With my trembling hands I focused on his tie.“Calm down Princess!! you aren't defusing a bomb. It's just a tie.“ He said, holding my shaking hands while opening his legs. Cle
—CHRISTIAN—Black has always been my favourite colour.Silent. Deadly. Impenetrable.I felt at home in it, like shadows merging with the inky wells of night. Yet in the span of a second, she’d upended that as she had every other thing in my life since the day I crossed paths with her. Heat poured through my blood as Jennifer walked in front of me and slowly turned, taking in the lavish decor. The museum’s long-running elephant display served as a thirteen-foot-tall centrepiece while projections of marinelife danced on the walls, giving the illusion that we were underwater. Black-clad servers circulated with champagne and hors d’oeuvres, and a stage sat at the far side of the room, waiting for the host to climb on and congratulate everyone on how much money they’d raised at the end ofthe night.The seats for this event were eight thousand dollars a pop.I’d spent more than that on her dress, and it’d been worth every cent.“This is beautiful,” Jennifer breathed, her attention rest
—CHRISTIANJennifer is the type of person who had a smile and kind words for everyone and would give someone the shirt off her back.The vicious undercurrent of my conversation with Rapheal was probably as foreign to her as a selfless charity was to me. I could only imagine how she’d react if she discovered some of the things I’d done in my basement. Not that she ever would.There were some things she could never know.The warmth from her palm radiated up my arm and eased some of the black, restless energy churning in my chest.It felt wrong to touch her when I was this on edge, like my darkness would seep through my touch and devour herlight.I forced myself to dial back the hostility, if only for her sake. I didn’t want to taint our first public event together as it is for her. Still, I couldn’t resist a final dig at Rapheal. “You might want to brush up on your security system though.” I took a languorous sip of my drink. “Sometimes,the greatest threat to a company isn’t exte
—CHRISTIAN— We chatted for a few minutes longer before Benjamin’s wife came up to us. She and Jennifer instantly struck up a rapport and drifted off on their own conversation, leaving me and Benjamin to discuss business. He listened to me make the case for why he needed to invest in brown empires, but he interrupted me before I could make an official pitch. “I know why you came, Christian, and it’s not for the baby turtles. Not that I would tell my wife that. She was thrilled when you RSVPed yes.” Benjamin cast an affectionate glance at his wife, who was talking to the ambassador from Eldorra. My shoulders stiffened. Where the hell is Jennifer? She’d been talking to Benjamin’s wife just ten minutes ago. My eyes scanned the room, but I didn’t find her before Benjamin spoke again. “My phone has been ringing off the hook with offers since I started searching for a new company to invest in. And I know the worth of Brown empire” He held up a hand when I opened m
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