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Chapter 10:Gratitudes
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 11
The wood began to grow thin behind our car as we moved further; the silence and the hum of the car were the only sounds we kept hearing.The ride back was a long one; Ella had fallen deep asleep on my laps before we could get to the main road of the city. The peacefulness of the moments felt so calm after all we have been through.Michael focuses on the road as he handles the wheels. I could tell he is worried about something probably about Ethan’s health condition, and so am I. I wanted to ask him so many questions as we kept going—Ethan, Vanessa allies, Vanessa custody and court case, and what would happen next—but sensing his mood and the look on his face, I had to hold back and let him concentrate on driving us to safety and where Ethan was.Eventually, after a ride that felt like eternity, we finally got far from the woods. As we drove into the city, my anxiety grew when I saw the sign of the hospital building.Michael pulled into the hospital parking lot, and my heart pounded e
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 1:The sacrifice
Clara’s POV As I went into Lily's room, the hospital's frigid, clean air burned my nose. The monitors' continuous beeping created a false sense of security, hiding her delicate condition. Watching my little sister, her pale face nearly disappearing into the white blankets hurt. I could not lose the only family I had left.Dr. Matthews stood grimly at the foot of her bed. His voice laden with grief, he said, "Clara, I wish I had better news." Lily requires surgery right now. Her only chance is this, but it will be expensive—far more than insurance will pay."How much?," I managed to choke out, just above a whisper."Two hundred thousand dollars," he said, glumly sympathetic eyes.I felt the count like a sledgehammer. Where did I expect to come across such a kind of money? My head spun in quest of answers, but all I saw were dead ends.Dr. Matthews laid a consoling hand on my shoulder. "We have to act quickly; I realize it's a lot. I apologize, Clara.I slumped onto the chair next Lily
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 2:Unforeseen consequences
Clara's POV The monitor's beeping started to be an intolerable symphony of hopelessness. Lily was slipping away even with my best efforts since the surgery had failed. The environment smelled extremely antiseptic, yet I could smell nothing save the smell of approaching death.I held Lily's hand while my tears landed on the white blankets. She had cold skin and weak gasps. Though it was insufficient, Dr. Matthews had done everything he could have. "I'm really sorry, Clara," he replied gently, his voice tinged with guilt. "We did all we could."My heart cracked a thousand times. Though I begged, "No, please," I knew it was too late. Lily flashed me a weak grin when her eyes fluttered open one last time."Clara, I adore you, she murmured, her voice hardly audible.My voice trembling, I gasped out, "I love you too, Lily." "I apologize." I acted as best I could.She gasped, "I know... you did." She vanished exactly like that as well.The room became silent and soul-crushing. With my failu
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 3:Echoes of the past
Clara's POV Years went by, and every day we fought for survival. To help my daughter Ella as well as myself, I took several jobs. She was the lighthouse in my otherwise dark world, the reason I kept going despite the tiredness and continual financial anxiety. I tried everything to protect her from the reality of her father, Ethan Sinclair.Ethan had gone on, or so I assumed. From a distance, I watched him to be sure he was nowhere near our lives. When I found out about Ella, the last thing I wanted was for him to know. Still, fate has an interesting way of meddling.It occurred on a brilliant spring afternoon. Having a rare day off, Ella and I were in the park. She was sprinting about, her laughter reaching my ears like a melody. I observed her, and love and pride swelled in my heart. She was growing extremely quickly, and every day she resembled her father more and more.Mommy, look! Ella cried out, gesturing towards a butterfly that had dropped on a neighbouring bloom.Smiling, I s
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 4:Shadows Of Deception
Ethan's POV Tension permeated the days following Vanessa's return. Although Clara and I had started to strike a delicate equilibrium, Vanessa's presence seemed to knock everything down. Her motives were obviously sinister, but she was like a black cloud hovering over us.One evening, following a very demanding day at work, I went home to discover the house was absolutely silent. There were no typical noises of Ella playing or sweet giggles from Clara. As I said, "Clara? Ella?" my heart was hammered.None answered.Panic started. I looked around, my uneasiness rising in every vacant place. At last, I came upon a message in Vanessa's clear handwriting affixed to the refrigerator."Ethan, you will pay me 10 million dollars if you ever wish to see Clara and Ella once more. You will regret it if you involve the cops."My planet spun. Vanessa was asking for a ransom after kidnapping Ella and Clara. I experienced desperation, wrath, and anxiety at once. I had to preserve them, but how?Call
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 5:Voices In The Dark
Clara's povFollowing Vanessa's escape, fear crept into every aspect of our lives. Our hearts jumped at every sound in our apartment and every phone call from an unknown number. We were not allowed to let our guards down, not even for a split second.I lay in bed that initial night after getting the news and gazed up at the ceiling. Although I could hear Ethan breathing continuously close to me, I was unable to fall asleep. I was both afraid and determined at the same time. My thoughts were plagued by Vanessa's visage; her evil smile served as a constant reminder of the peril we were in. Ethan and I got down to talk about our plan the following morning. The smell of fresh coffee was overflowing the kitchen, but neither of us grabbed our mugs. Our family's protection was our main concern.Ethan said in a relaxed but anxious voice, "We need to tighten security." "It's currently being handled by Michael, but we need to think about temporarily moving to a secure place." Despite the fact
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 6: The unseen Threats
I stood so still like a statue staring at my phone and the content of the message with fear all over my body, my heart pounding in my chest, each word of the message burning into my mind. A reminder that danger still lumbers. I never expected Vanessa to reach out so soon it was faster than we anticipated. And her determination to destroy our lives was unending.“What is wrong Clara ?”, “Are you ok?” Ethan’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he asked with a concerned look on his face as he sat beside me with his hand placed on my arm.I sighed deeply as I handed him the phone unable to speak, it was as if my voice seized for a second.His expression clouded as he read the message, I could sense from his look that he was scared and angry.“Who sent this?” He asked in a shaky voice.“We need to call Michael Asap,” he said.He picked up his phone and dialed Michael’s number.“Hey, Michael we have a small problem,””Please come to the safe house as fast as possible.”Michael arrived wi
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 7: Family outing
Clara’s pov.The day of the plan finally arrived, and I felt a feeling of anxiety, fear, and determination.Ready to face what happened, but at the same time I was so anxious about endangering myself and my family, especially Ella.I dressed Ella up in a short purple chiffon dress her daddy got for her before the incident.I also wore a beautiful pink dress with light makeup that suited the dress perfectly.Ella, who was unaware of the situation and danger ahead, was so happy about the so-called “family outing,“ she kept jumping with excitement around the house since she heard about it.As we drove through the city streets, I felt eyes on us like we were being watched. The weight of Vanessa’s gaze was like she was watching us closely.We finally got to the location, and as soon as we got there, Ethan’s phone rang.“It’s Michael calling.” He said as he looked at me and saw the curiosity on my face.He picked up the call, “Hello Michael, where is your team?”“Ok, please keep a close wat
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Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 11
The wood began to grow thin behind our car as we moved further; the silence and the hum of the car were the only sounds we kept hearing.The ride back was a long one; Ella had fallen deep asleep on my laps before we could get to the main road of the city. The peacefulness of the moments felt so calm after all we have been through.Michael focuses on the road as he handles the wheels. I could tell he is worried about something probably about Ethan’s health condition, and so am I. I wanted to ask him so many questions as we kept going—Ethan, Vanessa allies, Vanessa custody and court case, and what would happen next—but sensing his mood and the look on his face, I had to hold back and let him concentrate on driving us to safety and where Ethan was.Eventually, after a ride that felt like eternity, we finally got far from the woods. As we drove into the city, my anxiety grew when I saw the sign of the hospital building.Michael pulled into the hospital parking lot, and my heart pounded e
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 10:Gratitudes
The night went by slowly; every minute feels like an hour as I kept waking up every now and then to make sure we were safe.Maria was already fast asleep, but I couldn’t find any peace in sleep. My mind was still replaying the events that unfolded in the day—the gunshots, the men chasing after us, and Ethan being wounded.Eventually, the morning lights and rays of sunlight shone through the small window of the house. The pale light was a welcome sight, signalling the end of the night that seemed to have lasted longer than other nights.I sit up and rub Ella’s brown short hair downward more, like smoothing it, she who was still sound asleep.“Oh, my lovely daughter, you must be very tired,“ I said to myself as you kissed her on her forehead.I looked straight at where Maria slept and couldn’t find her; my heart jumped out of my chest instantly.“Maria.” I called out loudly as the room echo. “Where could she have gone? It's still very early.” I wondered as I walked into the other room
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 9: Safety at last
Clara’s POV As the door squeaked open slowly, I could feel my heart racing faster as the shadow became larger. I still stood firmly, not knowing what to do, my eyes straining to see who was coming in through the doorway.“Who is there?” I asked, my voice shaking in fear despite my efforts to sound brave.The woman stepped into the room with a dimmed torchlight in her hand, revealing herself. She was a bit older, probably in her 50s, with a calm look and a gentle smile on her face. Her grey and black mixture of hair tied back into a loose bun, she is beautiful.“I’m sorry to startle you, my dear; I didn’t expect anyone to be in my tiny abode, she said in a low and soothing voice, with a faint smile on her face as she talked.It was quite assuring; she seems like a nice person. But I can’t trust anyone that easily after what I have been through these few days.She looked quickly at Ella, who was sound asleep on the couch, and then she looked back at me. There was no trace of ill will i
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 8:The allies
Clara’s POVEthan guarded Ella and me as the unknown armed men started shooting bullets into the air to scare us.The chaos was ear-shattering, the air thick with tension and fear. In the midst of the scuffle, I caught sight of a familiar face—one of Vanessa’s old partners who I saw the last time we were kidnapped.Definitely, they had found us.“Go, Clara!” Ethan yelled as he pushed me towards the back door.I could sense worries and fears in his voice.We struggled to escape through the back door, but the attackers were still close in.My heart beat faster as we ran into the woods, and the sound of the fight faded behind us. Ethan led the way, his hand tightly gripped on Ella’s wrist.As we ran, I heard footsteps behind us.We were being chased. Tension streamed through my body, but I forced myself to stay calm. We had to keep going.Suddenly, I heard a loud noise behind me, followed by Ella's scream. Ethan was lying on the ground. I ran as fast as I could to help him. He was bleedi
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 7: Family outing
Clara’s pov.The day of the plan finally arrived, and I felt a feeling of anxiety, fear, and determination.Ready to face what happened, but at the same time I was so anxious about endangering myself and my family, especially Ella.I dressed Ella up in a short purple chiffon dress her daddy got for her before the incident.I also wore a beautiful pink dress with light makeup that suited the dress perfectly.Ella, who was unaware of the situation and danger ahead, was so happy about the so-called “family outing,“ she kept jumping with excitement around the house since she heard about it.As we drove through the city streets, I felt eyes on us like we were being watched. The weight of Vanessa’s gaze was like she was watching us closely.We finally got to the location, and as soon as we got there, Ethan’s phone rang.“It’s Michael calling.” He said as he looked at me and saw the curiosity on my face.He picked up the call, “Hello Michael, where is your team?”“Ok, please keep a close wat
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 6: The unseen Threats
I stood so still like a statue staring at my phone and the content of the message with fear all over my body, my heart pounding in my chest, each word of the message burning into my mind. A reminder that danger still lumbers. I never expected Vanessa to reach out so soon it was faster than we anticipated. And her determination to destroy our lives was unending.“What is wrong Clara ?”, “Are you ok?” Ethan’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he asked with a concerned look on his face as he sat beside me with his hand placed on my arm.I sighed deeply as I handed him the phone unable to speak, it was as if my voice seized for a second.His expression clouded as he read the message, I could sense from his look that he was scared and angry.“Who sent this?” He asked in a shaky voice.“We need to call Michael Asap,” he said.He picked up his phone and dialed Michael’s number.“Hey, Michael we have a small problem,””Please come to the safe house as fast as possible.”Michael arrived wi
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 5:Voices In The Dark
Clara's povFollowing Vanessa's escape, fear crept into every aspect of our lives. Our hearts jumped at every sound in our apartment and every phone call from an unknown number. We were not allowed to let our guards down, not even for a split second.I lay in bed that initial night after getting the news and gazed up at the ceiling. Although I could hear Ethan breathing continuously close to me, I was unable to fall asleep. I was both afraid and determined at the same time. My thoughts were plagued by Vanessa's visage; her evil smile served as a constant reminder of the peril we were in. Ethan and I got down to talk about our plan the following morning. The smell of fresh coffee was overflowing the kitchen, but neither of us grabbed our mugs. Our family's protection was our main concern.Ethan said in a relaxed but anxious voice, "We need to tighten security." "It's currently being handled by Michael, but we need to think about temporarily moving to a secure place." Despite the fact
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 4:Shadows Of Deception
Ethan's POV Tension permeated the days following Vanessa's return. Although Clara and I had started to strike a delicate equilibrium, Vanessa's presence seemed to knock everything down. Her motives were obviously sinister, but she was like a black cloud hovering over us.One evening, following a very demanding day at work, I went home to discover the house was absolutely silent. There were no typical noises of Ella playing or sweet giggles from Clara. As I said, "Clara? Ella?" my heart was hammered.None answered.Panic started. I looked around, my uneasiness rising in every vacant place. At last, I came upon a message in Vanessa's clear handwriting affixed to the refrigerator."Ethan, you will pay me 10 million dollars if you ever wish to see Clara and Ella once more. You will regret it if you involve the cops."My planet spun. Vanessa was asking for a ransom after kidnapping Ella and Clara. I experienced desperation, wrath, and anxiety at once. I had to preserve them, but how?Call
Beneath The Billionaire’s Mask Chapter 3:Echoes of the past
Clara's POV Years went by, and every day we fought for survival. To help my daughter Ella as well as myself, I took several jobs. She was the lighthouse in my otherwise dark world, the reason I kept going despite the tiredness and continual financial anxiety. I tried everything to protect her from the reality of her father, Ethan Sinclair.Ethan had gone on, or so I assumed. From a distance, I watched him to be sure he was nowhere near our lives. When I found out about Ella, the last thing I wanted was for him to know. Still, fate has an interesting way of meddling.It occurred on a brilliant spring afternoon. Having a rare day off, Ella and I were in the park. She was sprinting about, her laughter reaching my ears like a melody. I observed her, and love and pride swelled in my heart. She was growing extremely quickly, and every day she resembled her father more and more.Mommy, look! Ella cried out, gesturing towards a butterfly that had dropped on a neighbouring bloom.Smiling, I s
