[ARMONICA]
“Wait, wait, wait—slow down first. I can’t understand a word you just said.” I sat up straighter the instant my phone rang and Zara’s half-panicked, half-furious voice blasted through the phone.
“You need to come here right away!” she shouted over the phone and I had no choice but to move the phone a little away from my ear, flinching. If she continued to scream like that, it wouldn’t take long before my ears bled rivers.
“OK. OK.” Despite not being aware of the kind of emergency she might have gotten herself into, I hopped off of the couch in the living room and rushed back to my bedroom to grab my car keys. I dropped them in the bowl while changing for the shower.
“But you still need to tell me what happened, Z. I’m kind of panicking here. Are you alright? Should I call Brandon? Wait—no, he isn't here,” I cringed nervously. “Sorry, I for
I took an entire circle to see where the sound was coming from. Only to realize it was from Zara’s apartment. Was she inside? Locked? What the—?“Zara, are you in?” pressing my ear to the door, I asked.“Yeah, it’s me.”“But how?”“It’s a long story!”“How long could it be? I don—”“We don’t have time for this Armonica. You need to do something for me. You’re the only one I can trust right now.”“You’re scaring me, Zara.”“Just do as I say. I’ll explain everything to you later.”“OK. I’m listening. Tell me what I need to do.”Zara asked me to get the guard on duty upstairs. I did as she said and went down to fetch the man. While he assessed the lock of the door, I stood behind him, tapping my heel on the floor.“So, you’re saying
[ZARA]“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked Armonica as she pulled up the car in front of an enormous mansion. Damn. Whoever owned this place sure had an extravagant taste."Pretty sure!” she grinned, her eyes sparkling as she moved out of the car and waited for me to catch up.With a deep breath, I drank in the glorious sight in front of me one more time and finally got out.After Maddox left me to deal with that embarrassing situation, I swore to teach him a lesson. A lesson he would never forget. A lesson about boundaries and lines he should dare never cross. How could he do that to me? The fucking bastard! Leaving me naked and cuffed and vulnerable. How I gathered up the courage to ask for help, only I knew the pain and shame that caused me.I could have called mom for help, but that would’ve made her suspicious and worried. I wasn’t sure if I had the stamina to deal with all her concerns right now. It was better to keep her out of this, anyway. I couldn’t afford to hurt her
[ZARA]“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? LET GO OF ME!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, but this man kept pushing and pulling and grinding and grunting.What the hell was wrong with him?Why the hell was he so drunk?Most importantly, who the hell was he?But I didn’t get the answer to any of the questions because no matter what I said, he couldn’t be bothered or distracted. The situation was getting out of hand super fast. If I didn’t do anything as soon as possible, I might get raped by this asshole.Shit.What the fuck did I get myself into?Running away from one psycho and landing in the lap of another!Was that how my life had become?Not that I had the time to ponder on that.Pushing against his chest, I grumbled loudly. “GET OFF ME!”“Yeah? And why would I do that?” he growled back, straddling my thighs and restraining me harshly on the mattress with his heaviness. “Haven’t you been looking for trouble for the last few weeks, Ms Rodriguez?” he hissed in the crook of my neck. “Isn’t this
“Yeah. Mr Gracias is here. Not sure when he came home but I think he might have been the one to chase away the hooligan. Although I was already coming up to check up on you, he asked me to request your presence if you’re feeling up for it. He probably wants to make sure you’re doing alright. Nothing to be worried about.”“Oh, I’m not worried about him,” I brushed off her concern with a wave of my hand. It was just….didn’t Armonica say he wouldn’t be back until Saturday? What was he doing here this soon?Not that it was my business to mind. It was his home. He could leave and arrive at any hour of the day. How the hell did that matter to me?“Are you willing to come?" pulling me out of my thoughts once again, Susan asked. "You don’t have to if you don’t—”“No. It’s fine. I’ll come with you," it would be rude to not show up if he had asked for my presence. After all, it was because of him I was able to avoid Maddox until he was gone and I got more time to get out of this contract situat
[ZARA]After the absurd encounter last night, I couldn’t wait for the next morning to arrive and get the hell out of there. Maybe it was my luck having a bad time these days. What else could explain this series of unfortunate events?The man who attacked me last night turned out to be Zachary Gracias—dammit, who would have thought? He was the older brother of Armonica. Obviously, to tell her what happened between me and her brother wasn't an idea I was willing to attend. She had the kind of personality whom you wouldn’t want to hurt.Perhaps I would give Zachary a rebate this time. It could have been an honest error. After all, he clearly had mistaken me for someone else…some Rodriguez…not that it made his actions any less grave. The man was still a jerk! The best way to avoid him and this situation completely was to leave right away. I already had Maddox Richmond to make my life a living hell. There was no need for me to invite another.If I had assumed right, Maddox would have flown
[MADDOX]“This makes no sense,” staring at the unlocked door of Zara’s apartment, I frowned to myself.“Maybe she left in a hurry?” Jade supplied from behind, although it wasn't hard to hear the uncertainty in her voice.“She would never leave her door unbolted like this. She isn’t that careless.” Zara was anything but careless. She was smart, guarded, and cautious. There was no way she would do something so stupid.“It’s possible she only went to some nearby place. Groceries?”Now, that was a possibility worth considering, but something still didn't add up.“Still doesn’t make sense. The second Danny sent me the location, we drove straight here. There’s no way she came home, did what she needed, and left in ten minutes. Something is not right.”“You’re thinking too much into this,” I heard her sigh, before she walked past me, grazed her manicured fingers at the new lock Zara had installed and looked around. “Ah, there it is,” she pointed at the CCTV cameras near the elevator. “We sho
[ZARA]“You didn’t tell me your boyfriend could be so intimidating,” Finn sighed, his back pressed against the door as he held on to the grocery bags for the life of him. His eyes fell shut in relief as he took a minute to calm himself down.Poor thing just had a small encounter with Maddox Richmond and he already looked on the verge of pissing his pants.I felt bad for him.But that did nothing to stop me from frowning and looking away in exasperation. “He’s not my boyfriend.”“Are you sure?” was his immediate reaction.Sitting on the edge of the couch, I turned to face him. “You think I’m lying?”“No!” peeling himself off the door, he walked over to the open kitchen counter, placing the bags down and peering into it. “But people could be ignorant of their feelings,” he paused, lifting his gaze to meet mine. “Or of others.”I frowned harder, not sure what he was insinuating. “Do you always talk in riddles?”“Not always,” he said, turning to face me and leaning his side against the co
The grin plastered on his face was as charming and diabolical as it always had been.But that wasn’t the reason my jaw had literally dropped to the floor.Fuck! What was he doing here? Didn’t he leave a while ago? I saw him with my own eyes.Wait. No. I only saw his car. I—dammit!He tricked me again.“What are you doing here?” I snapped, fingers curled into fists.Instead of being annoyed, he simply arched an eyebrow curiously. “To finish what we started.”“Do you have no shame?” I bristled. God, he made me mad. So mad. I wanted to throttle him. Why couldn’t he just leave me alone? Why was he so stubborn? “Why do you keep showing up after every time I cast off all your ridiculous proposals? Are you empty on the head? Have you lost your fucking mind? What the hell is your problem?”Silence fell over for a damn long minute. None of us even moved. The grin on Maddox’s face had disappeared—being replaced by a nasty curl at the corner of his mouth—but I wasn’t sure if that was a good thin
[ZARA]I play with the button on his shirt and grin. “What if I told you, it wasn’t exactly our first meeting?”He looks puzzled. “What do you mean? Have we met before? When?”“Five months before we met in your office.”“Are you serious?” Sitting straighter, he adjusts me on his lap while I move my arms around his round shoulder. “When? And why don’t I remember anything?”“In the restaurant where I used to work. You know, the one you had me fired from?” I arch an eyebrow, still pissed at what he did.He’s quick to apologize, his warm fingers exploring the expanse of my back. “I think we already established the fact that I was a dick then. Can we move on? Please?”“Alright.” I roll my eyes and laugh when he tickles my sides. “You were there with a few of your employees, and as luck would have it, we were also running low on staff. So, I came up to take your order.”“You did what?” He looks so shocked, it makes me grin wider. “What the hell was I doing?”I shrug. “I don’t know? You were
“With contacts like him, dad found me within an hour. I was in the hospital. Badly beaten and bruised. Yet, the first thing dad did when he saw me in the hospital bed was to throw everyone out of the room and slap me hard. He told me I was lucky to be outside because if we were at home, he would have broken my legs if that’s what it took to stop me from being a brat.”“But…” a small smile curled at the corner of his lips. “Little did he know we weren’t alone in that room. When he tried to hit me again, a notebook smacked the side of his face.”“What?” Did I hear him right? “Who did that?”Maddox looked at me before turning his gaze back to the warm fire. “A little girl. Not over nine. She was so tiny and yet so fierce in front of my dad. She even shouted at him to leave me alone. Dad was furious. Oh, you should have seen his face. He literally turned red. Before dad could react, another man stepped into the room. He was the father of that little girl and later I came to know they were
*ONE MONTH LATER*[ZARA]There’s a knock on the door and the first thing I do is look up at the time.It’s five past midnight. That can only mean two things.One: The person outside is in a grave emergency.Two: Someone is here to rob us, but has the decency to announce his presence so we could prepare for the worst.But when I step out of my room and look through the peephole, breath hitches in my throat for an entirely different reason.Maddox stands outside with a sweeping backdrop of snow.I don’t think twice before unlocking the door and pulling it open. A flurry of chilly nights whips me in the face, shooting a blunt shiver down my spine.“What are you doing here?” There had to be a good reason for him to show up at this godawful hour of the night. “Is Louis, okay?”It’s only been a month since we all learned of Nadine’s brutal death. News that took everyone by surprise and the whole media by storm. Even after a month had passed, we could find people on the streets, in shops and
Ten minutes later, Zachary, Kevin and Zara walk out of the house, too. They are still in some sort of conversation when Zara finally notices me and holds my gaze for a little longer than I expected. I’m the first one to look away and instantly feel like a fucking coward.Every cell—every bone—in my body screams at me to make this right, to bring her back home no matter what it takes. But a huge part of me is as clueless as a newborn baby. It doesn’t know what to say or what to do to convince her to come back into my life—to give me another chance. Do I even deserve a second chance? It’s because of me she had to endure so much that only became her fate because I couldn’t let go. I didn’t know how to.“Are you ready to go?” I hear Kevin ask as he made his way over to where I stand near their car. He looks around. “Where’s Nathan?”“He left.” I fill him in. “Something came up. I hope it’s alright if I tag along.”“Are you kidding me?” For the first time, he doesn’t look like he’s about t
[MADDOX]It’s odd how often I have driven by her house, but never really cared to turn my head and look. But now that I stand in front of it, I know why she fought so hard to take it back.The house is nothing out of a fairy tale. It’s decently constructed, has only one floor and is yellow. Not just any yellow but the one that makes you question why someone would do that to their house. Do they not love it? Is that supposed to be a punishment for the eyes of the beholder? How could a house be so yellow? It’s literally tormenting.But maybe it’s because I have known Zara long enough that I can tell you for sure this is just her way of showing a middle finger to the world. A message in capital letters that she doesn’t care about and can’t be bothered by the opinions of others. She’s gonna be herself no matter what and the rest of the world can simply fuck themselves.If one can look past the yellowness of the house, one would see the details that make this house a home. There’s a picket
“Thanks for coming on such short notice. Mr Gracias. Mr Richmond.” Officer Newman greeted us, gesturing us to take seats.Zachary and I took seats across from him while Nathan and Kevin decided to wait outside.“It’s no problem, officer. How can we help?” I asked.“Well, as we conversed over the phone, we found some bodies. They are, as expected, burnt and impossible to recognize. The face, that is. And because, Mr Gracias, your sister is still missing, we were hoping you will be willing to go through the accessories and clothes we found on the victims. This will help us narrow down our options and decide what the next course of action should be.”“Of course.” Zachary said, and for the first time, I caught the strain in his voice.“Great.” Officer Newman said and retrieved three transparent packets from the desk behind him. Carefully, he laid them all on the table and stood up. “I’ll give you guys a minute.”’Once the officer left us alone in the room, I turned to face Zachary. “Do yo
[MADDOX]“How long are you gonna sulk?” Nathan asked, and the whim to throw him out of the car was exhausting.“I’m NOT sulking.” Without saving him a single glance, I told him as calmly as possible. I looked outside the window instead and searched for a familiar face.Five minutes ago, we pulled up outside the police headquarters. Zachary and his brother, Kevin, were supposed to meet us here. For now, all I could see were cops and irrelevant people moving in and out of the building. No sign of the Gracias family.“And not growing any younger, either.” Nathan deadpanned, and I finally decided to fix him whatever glare.“Did you just make a joke about my age?” That should be hardly any concern to me. Especially when mom did it all the time. But since the moment I woke up this morning, I hadn’t been in the mood to take anyone’s shit. It might have had something to do with the fact Zara ended everything between us yesterday and left for good. Actually, fuck that! My mood was spoiled beca
“It’s not true.” He retorted, but when I gave him a pointed look, he shut his mouth and let me finish.“That what you think, what you say and what you do is best for everyone. That you have the right to decide for everyone because, in your head, no one is more capable than you are. You’re so controlling that you don’t even care how suffocating that could be for someone. In fact, not just me, for anyone at all. You make the rules and expect everyone to follow them without question. You are so deep in your head that you’ve become delusional. No one can reason with you because you don’t listen and neither do you trust. You know of whom you remind me?”There was a beat of silence before he spoke, the crease across his forehead tightening. “I am NOT like Richard.”“No. You aren’t. But you’re no different either. You are just as tyrannical, if not less.”He peered down at his hands and shook his head. “I…I don’t know how that happened.” A look of surprise crossed his face, water glistening
[ZARA]I woke up in a dark room.For a second, I thought I was back in that hellhole.I sat up with a jolt, so fast my head swayed and the entire room spun. A dark figure loomed near the foot of the bed and fear hijacked my mind.I whimpered, feeling something hard against my back, stuck in the middle of a shadow of the man and something that barred me from crawling backwards. Panic prickled the back of my neck, chewing at the little sanity I still had intact. But it was only when the shadow moved and took a step closer, I screamed like hell.“Zara!” Someone called. It came from the dark figure. “Calm down. It’s me.” He said and took another, cautious step in my direction. The shaft of light sneaking from the cracks between the curtains struck his face. My shoulders dropped, and panic melted when it hit me who he was.“Brandon?” It really was him. But…“Shit! I didn’t know you could screech like that.” He said and I could tell he was trying to act all cool while from the inside he was