Caroline pov:
The minutes ticked by as I nervously perched on the stairs, eyes glued to my phone, waiting for a text from the driver. With each passing moment, my anxiety surged, and paranoia crept in.
Suddenly, a deep voice shattered the silence, "What are you doing?"
I practically jumped out of my skin as Nathaniel appeared, confusion clouding his face as he eyed my bag.
His expression quickly transformed into anger.
"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.
"Home," I murmured, barely above a whisper, trembling in his presence.
"Get back inside, Caroline," he ordered, taking a step forward, causing me to retreat.
"I'm going home, Nathan. I'm sick of you guys!" I shouted in frustration, throwing my hands up in exasperation.
"You all freak me out!"
He p
Caroline pov:My head felt like it was weighed down by a ton of bricks. I could hear voices, but where the heck was I?I was lying on something soft, but the last thing I remembered was getting in the car with Adam. What the hell did they give me? I felt so weak, my eyes just wouldn't open."I think we gave her too much," I overheard one of them say."No way, I made sure it was the right amount," the other replied."Why isn't she awake? The boss is gonna be here soon, you know."The boss? What the actual fuck were they talking about?"He's not the real boss, okay? Just because his dad's in charge doesn't make him the boss.""Whatever, let's just get out of here."I heard their footsteps fading as they left the room. I waited until the door closed before finally opening my eyes.
Caroline pov:"Dad?""Caroline, I can't explain now. But I'm so sorry. I tried so hard to stop this from happening." His face broke as he said that.I didn't realize I was crying until I felt a tear on my chest. What was he talking about?"What are you talking about?" Wasn't he here to take me back home?At this point, I figured I could convince him to move back to Denmark."Didn't you guys come to take me home?" I asked both of them.I saw Mr. Wilson was moving his hand on the desk to press something. Why was he behind the desk?"Someone will come to take you back to your room," he said coldly, sounding nothing like he did at dinner."What are you talking about?" I asked, moving backward."Take me where?" I heard heavy footsteps coming.I looked at the st
Caroline pov:I jolted awake to find myself in a room I didn't recognize. Memories of being forcefully thrown into a car and injected with something flooded back to me. My body still ached from the injection site.Where was I now? This room was a stark contrast to the last one. It felt like a luxurious hotel suite, with a comfortable bed, a TV, a plush couch, and a breathtaking view of the city skyline from a massive glass window. I couldn't help but wonder if I was in a high-rise building, making escape nearly impossible.Lacking the energy to get up, I stayed on the bed, my mind racing with questions. I was hungry and feeling feeble. I wished I knew what day it was. In my foggy state, I thought I heard Grayson's voice, but I couldn't be certain.My confusion only deepened as I tried to make sense of the situation. First, Adam and my father seemed to be implicated in some way. But what were th
Caroline pov:"What were they planning to do with me?"After he handed me his shirt to wear, he placed me back on the luxurious bed in what turned out to be his apartment in New Zealand. I couldn't believe it was his place; it looked incredibly posh.Sitting next to me, he said, "I need to explain to you the history of our family."Confused, I asked, "What do you mean?""It all started centuries ago, in the 17th century to be precise. My ancestors set the groundwork for what we are today," he began.I was already intrigued but nodded for him to continue."It all began during a time of war and suffering when people were dying left and right. A group of wealthy people banded together to aid society. However, as time passed, their intentions were corrupted by greed and the thirst for power. They all worship my father kinda like a God."
Caroline pov:He watched me with a tension that came from his eyes. I swallowed, feeling hot all of a sudden. Keeping his gaze, I could feel myself getting wet as I walked closer to him.He stretched out like he was getting comfortable. I got on my knees and unbuttoned his pants, and the sound of the zipper sent a seductive echo through the room. He rested his elbow on the armrest and watched me.I hesitated. I knew I couldn't do this with perfection and I wished I'd had more practice so I could. He certainly knew what he was doing in the oral department, unlike me."You gonna stare at my crotch all day or take it out?" He smirked, looking demanding and impatient.However, I believed he was close to unraveling due to a tightness in his shoulders. My hands trembled as I pulled his briefs down and wrapped my fingers around his erection.It looked bigger.
Caroline pov:I woke up in an empty bed at night, after sleeping all afternoon. I was wondering where Nathaniel had gone, as he was with me before I fell asleep. I was still naked.I can't believe we had sex without protection again. I wasn't worried, as my period was due soon.I'm still in disbelief that everything Nathaniel told me was true. I didn't know people could be this messed up and how many they had manipulated.My dad tried to protect me from them, but still let them take me. I'm not sure if I should be angry with him. He was going to let them do things to me, but he didn't stop them or go to the police, even though it would have been easy.I wish my mom was here, as she wouldn't have let anyone take me, and my brother would have fought for me until the end, but they were killed…What confuses me is that they wanted me to be with Natha
Caroline pov:We had been driving for what felt like hours. The city was shrouded in darkness, and the weather matched the somber atmosphere with its relentless rain and brooding gray clouds.As we sat in silence, the morning's sunny disposition felt like a fading memory. Neither of us had uttered a word. I refused to be the first one to break the silence, not until he apologized.Occasionally, I couldn't resist glancing back to make sure we weren't being followed, but it was just Milo and Theo trailing behind us in the other Range Rover. Seeing their familiar vehicle was a relief, and I sensed Nathaniel felt the same way. We had left the highway some time ago and were now travelling along a deserted one-way road.The car gradually slowed down in front of a gate, its "Restricted Area" sign making me furrow my brow in confusion. Was this the right place?It looked abandoned.
Caroline pov:We landed a while back and now we're on the road. I couldn't sleep all night and kept mulling over his words. It was way past midnight when Nathaniel woke up just before we landed. I hoped he might say something about what he mentioned earlier, but he didn't.When I asked him how he slept, he just said it was good and nothing else. It bothered me because he either didn't remember saying it or worse, said it to someone else in a dream, which would hurt even more. We're in the car with Theo and Milo in the front seats, and I keep sneaking glances at Nathaniel every few seconds. He's been giving me strange, questioning looks in return.I wanted to confront him, but with Theo and Milo there, I couldn't. We left the city and got onto the highway, only seeing trucks
Caroline pov:***One Week Later***“Thank you all for being here. I know Addison would have appreciated it,” Grayson said into the microphone.I couldn’t believe how calm he was. I was a mess, tears streaming down my face all day. I kept replaying the promise I made to Addison in my head. I was supposed to be there for her, but now she was gone, buried six feet under. They said it was a freak accident, but I know her parents were hiding the truth.Being back in Toronto brought back a lot of bad memories, but I knew I had to say goodbye to this life before starting a new one. I couldn’t leave without saying a proper goodbye to Addison.***Flashback to the Hospital***“I told you I’m here and I’m never leaving you,” I said, pulling him into a hug.“I forgive you. It wasn’t your fault. You were just a kid who had a terrible life,” I whispered into his neck.“I’m so sorry. I wanted to tell you. I regret everything I did. If I could go back and change it, I would,” he said.“I forgive you
Caroline pov:***AFTER ONE MONTH***The small hospital room was filled with the steady ticking of the clock, each tick a reminder of the day I had both dreaded and prepared for.It had been a month since I confronted Nathaniel about what he did to my mom and brother.A month filled with anxiety and fear as I prepared to bring a new life into this chaotic world. And now, the moment had finally come.The delivery room was bright and clean, I lay on the bed, feeling the weight of the baby inside me as contractions began to crash over me like waves.Each wave of pain was a reminder of the life I had created with the man I feared most.Nathaniel was just sitting there in the corner, constantly reminding me of my messed-up past.I wished he wasn't around. I felt stuck, like a bird locked up in a cage. It wasn't just a
Caroline pov:I stood at the edge of the lake, my heart racing with a mix of relief and dread. I was finally here, far away from that suffocating apartment, staring at the peaceful water.I had been waiting for this moment, waiting for the right time to confront him, but it never seemed to come.Weeks passed, and I kept trying to figure out how I felt, but the more I tried to convince myself things were fine, the more I knew they weren’t.I had lied to myself and pretended everything was okay. It was easier that way. But I couldn't keep doing it. I needed answers.“Did you kill my mother and brother?” I asked, my voice barely more than a whisper.I kept my eyes fixed on the water, afraid to look at him, afraid of what I might see in his expression.The air between us felt heavy, and I could sense his te
Nathaniel pov:I looked down at Caroline, her soft breaths brushing against my chest as she slept. There was so much I needed to take care of, so many problems waiting to be dealt with, but I couldn’t leave her right now. Not with everything she’d been through.Telling her about Addison was so hard. The way her face crumbled when I told her... it wrecked me. I didn’t want her to blame herself, but of course, she did. That’s just how she is. Addison was the only friend she had left, and now even that was gone. I prayed the memorial would give her some kind of peace, but Taehyung? He wasn’t going to let it slide. And neither was I. Adam would pay for what he did, and I wouldn’t stop until I found him.I glanced at Caroline’s bruised face, her fragile body curled up close to mine. Everything about her screamed broken, but there was still so much strength in her. Now, it was just us, me, Nari, and our baby. No one else mattered. Her mother, her brother... they’d always stood in our way
Caroline pov:I was curled up in bed, spooning tomato soup into my mouth, the warmth of it barely soothing the storm inside me.A few hours ago, I didn’t expect Nathaniel to bring me to a sleek penthouse in Berlin, Germany. Nor did I expect the sea of reporters waiting outside. He mumbled something about his father and the cult, but honestly, I was too drained to pay attention.My thoughts were louder. He killed my family. No matter how hard I tried to push that fact aside, every time I looked at him, the truth hit me harder.I vaguely remember him saying he’d been working with the FBL for some time, something about them trying to nail his father for years but never finding enough evidence. They finally caught him laundering money from investors.I was worried that they’d drag Nathaniel down with him, but he assured me he was an informant. Stil
Caroline pov:***NEXT DAY***Slowly opening my eyes, I felt a throbbing pain in my head. How long have I been asleep? The last thing I remembered was Nathaniel's eyes and the blood.Was he really there or was it just a dream? The smell of strong disinfectant confirmed I was in the hospital.I blinked slowly, trying to survey the room, but my neck was stiff. The oxygen mask on my face felt uncomfortable as if I had been hit by a car multiple times. My throat was as dry as a desert."Hey, don't move," a shadow loomed over me.He was here. I tried to speak, but my mouth was covered by the mask. I needed water, but I couldn't ask for it."I know you're in pain, Love, but you need the oxygen for the baby," he said, gently brushing my hair away from my face.The baby? Was the baby still alive? I was confus
Nathaniel's POV:"How is she?" The words left my mouth with a sense of urgency I couldn't hide, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.The doctor smiled softly, "They both are stable right now."Both? Confusion hit me like a slap. The baby?"Wait... both?""The baby, sir."My heart stuttered."But she was bleeding... I thought..." I couldn't even finish the sentence.The blood, the chaos, I had been sure we had lost it. The baby couldn't have survived, right?"That was due to stress," the doctor explained patiently."It's not uncommon for some women to experience light bleeding. With everything she went through, it's expected."The relief that washed over me was almost too much to handle. I nodded, absorbing her words."The baby's
Nathaniel pov:"They'll be fine, boss," Theo said, his eyes meeting mine with a calmness I couldn't quite share."Just give me five more minutes."I glanced down at her still body, the oversized, tattered shirt hanging off her frame like she was disappearing into it.She looked so small, so fragile. I could barely recognize the girl I once knew. Her cheeks were hollow, and her eyes, though closed, seemed to carry the weight of everything she’d gone through.The image of her crumpled on the roadside was seared into my mind. If we hadn’t found her when we did, I don't think she would’ve survived. She was already halfway gone.When she first saw me, her eyes were wide, but it was like she didn’t even register who I was.I had to shake her gently, terrified that she might not recognize me at all. For a mome
Caroline pov:The night was eerily silent, like a graveyard. The sky was a deep, inky black, speckled with a million stars gazing down. But inside me, a storm raged as fierce as any thunder outside.Her hand gripped mine, pulling me toward the car that idled nearby, its engine humming like an anxious predator.“Come, Caroline. The car’s waiting,” she urged, her voice tense as angry shouts echoed behind us.Her face, a mask of concern, twisted in the dim light, but I couldn’t bring myself to trust her.For all I knew, she could be one of them. How could she claim to be my aunt when my mother never mentioned her? And why now, after all these years?Nathaniel, at least I knew he wasn’t with them. He had always wanted to protect me. But her? She was a stranger, and this was my one chance to break free.