Ada The next day, I give Wes bad looks and all he does is smile at me indifferently like he couldn't care less about what I think. I want to strangle him, that's what I want to do. I wish I had the courage to just walk up to him, yell, then slap him. He'd deserve it. How dare he come to my apartment to deliver that gift? How dare he? What kind of game is he playing? You think you know people, but you don't. I find myself daydreaming about school and wishing that I'd ignored him. He wouldn't have known anything about me. But since we were kind of friends, I can say we know each other pretty well. If I knew then that he'd turn out to be this stinky, shameless gigolo, I would never in a million years have been friends with him. But it's too late to think about that now. Since this is technically going to be my last day working as a maid, I decide to celebrate by not looking for any clues. I'm done. Really, I am. I lost an important part of myself looking for clues. Plotting revenge
AdaCome Saturday morning, I'm all packed and ready to go. I have to admit that there's a seed of excitement in me even though my depression and sadness overrides it. At the end of this trip, I'm going to tell him the truth and there's a high chance that he's never going to stare at my face ever again. I wouldn't blame him. What would I do in his position?When I walk out of my building with my suitcase in hand, I see him leaning against a small, sleek sports car with his arms folded. He pushes himself off the vehicle and closes the distance between us, placing a soft kiss on my lips in greeting and taking the suitcase from my hand at the same time. "You look beautiful," he comments.I haven't done much with my appearance. I've decided to let my hair down and I'm wearing a yellow sundress. I love it because of how bright it makes me feel. It's as bright as the morning, and I wore it to help me lift my spirits. "Thank you," I say genuinely. "I never thought I'd see you in that kind
Maximilian “Naomi?” I say as I move closer to her. She’s still standing by the door. We barely walked into the room.She doesn’t say a word. I reach her and place a hand on her shoulder. Still, her head is low and she’s crying, devastated. I noticed her chance in demeanor as soon as we got there. Then again, she hasn’t really been herself for a few days now. I know something is wrong. I can sense it. But it seems she’s stubborn and determined not to tell me what it is. Not that I asked her. I’ve already realized that with her, it’s not about force and demands. I can’t make her tell me anything she doesn’t want to. She’ll have to do it on her own time. The most I can do is try to be as supportive as I can while she figures things out. “Do you want to go home?” I ask right away, because maybe that’s what the problem is. I knew inviting her here was a risky move. I thought she’d say no and was surprised when she said yes. But maybe she’s regretting it now. Would she be that upset ab
Ada There’s a shift in the air and I’m not sure what has attributed to it. It’s like the air around us is charged; crackling with electricity. We’re having dinner and talking as usual after the most relaxing day I’ve ever had in my life. I didn’t know how tense I was until the masseuse began working my muscles with her magical fingers. I feel amazing and sleepy, and honestly, much better. It’s like she massaged away all the lingering sadness and stress and left behind the good bits. I eye Max over the rim of the glass. His skin so glowing and his smile is more radiant than ever. This burn that travels down my spine and settles in my core is all I can focus on. I’ve never truly felt this sexual desire when I’m around him, but today is different. I glance at his hands and can’t help but wonder what they’ll feel like tangled in my hair or between my legs. It’s a dirty thought, but I can’t help myself. I continue sipping my drink while looking at him. I’ve never felt this hot in al
AdaI moan his name as he shifts his attention to the other breast, and my fingers curl in his hair.Max circles his tongue around my nipples before flicking the nub with the tip of his tongue. My nipples have always been sensitive, and desire pools between my legs with every flick of his tongue. He then gently sucks the fleshy part of my breasts into his mouth before sinking his teeth into them. “So perfect,” he murmurs against my skin. He kisses his way down the curve of my belly, taking his time while I squirm under his touch. It feels like my whole body is on fire and by God, I never thought that I would get to this point. That I would feel this way. That being with him so intimately would be the answer to so many of my problems. It’s so freeing. So amazing. I’ve never felt this adored in all my life. When he reaches my center, he places a kiss to my mound before giving me a mischievous look. He hooks his fingers in the waistband of my panties and pulls them down my legs. He t
MaximilianI wake up to the feel of Naomi shifting against me, and my eyes open. The room is dimly lit because of how thick the curtains are, which is the way I’ve always liked it. I hate waking up to the sun on my face. I prefer to be introduced to the day ahead on my own terms. And this right here is a good way.I’m hard. I’m pressed right against her ass and immediately think about doing devious things to her. Last night was…I don’t even have the damn words for it. It was everything I thought it would be. More. Her scent is all around me like a heavenly cloud, and I want to draw it deeply into my lungs and keep it there for the rest of my life. I move my hand to her waist before venturing lower and settling it over her hip. She shifts again, and I know she’s awake. I press her against my length before kissing the back of her neck. Her sweet smell of vanilla clouds my senses. I love how she fucking smells. “Good morning, angel,” I say against her skin, moving my hand to my cock.
AdaThe whole of Sunday is hell for me. I want to tell him. I want to tell him the truth so damn badly. The trip has come to an end and I haven’t uttered a word about it. Max asked me to be his girlfriend. How amazing is that? I never thought he’d ask such a thing. I never planned for things to get this far even though I myself knew I wanted him. That I couldn’t stay away so easily. But now things have gone too far and I’ve missed the chance to make things right without causing any scars. There are times when I find myself thinking that he won’t be upset. He’ll understand. Max loves me, and I love him, and together we can make this work. Isn’t that what he told me? Other times, I’m sure that my confession will ruin what we have, and I’m afraid of that happening. I want so badly to get it done and over with. But with every kiss and every touch, things get more and more complicated. Even now, in the car, I have a perfect chance to tell him. But his hand is resting on my thigh and h
Maximilian I call Rebecca again. She answers on the first ring. "I'm in the city," I inform her. "What was it that you wanted to tell me? What do I need to pick up?""Is she out of the car?"I frown. "What, who?""Naomi.""Uh, yeah, she is...why? Why do you ask?""I need you to come home, Max."I pause. Her tone is solemn and my sister rarely sounds this serious. "Rebecca, what's going on?""Please," she says. "Just come on home. I promise you that I'll explain everything.""Why does it matter if she's in the car or not?"Rebecca sighs. "I just didn't want her to hear this, okay? It's personal.""Okay," I say uncertainly. "I'm on my way."She ends the call. I stare at my phone for a few beats before throwing it on the empty passenger's seat. Strange. I can't say that I'm not curious to find out what the hell she's talking about. I briefly wonder if it has anything to do with the guy she's seeing. Now, I know it isn't good to have opinions about other people's lives. Rebecca is my s
Maximilian “Sure. Let’s talk.”“First of all,” he begins coarsely, “I want you to know that I’m someone who holds grudges, and I didn’t like how you abandoned my sister for seven fucking years when she needed you most, alright?”The words hit me right where it hurts. I nod, swallowing. “I understand that.”“I had to talk her through the whole thing,” he adds angrily, taking another step toward me. “I was there and you weren’t. Why is that? Why did you abandon her?”“It’s complicated. I wanted to…I wanted to prove to her that I wasn’t a total fuck-up and that I’d find our daughter. I kept waiting. Day after day. I never stopped looking for that son-of-a-bitch. And time just kept flying. Before I knew it, too much time had passed and I didn’t know how to approach her anymore. I know that might not sound like the truth but it is.”Silence falls upon us. He looks to the side, breathes deeply, then looks back at me. “And now you’re back in her life. Is this something permanent, or will yo
MaximilianFor the past few days, nothing remarkable happened. Damson didn't show up from out of nowhere to torment us. However, Ada's mother was caught and imprisoned. So at least one good thing happened. She was allegedly buying a plane ticket to leave the country and that's when they captured her. I was beyond pleased with the news and wished it had been Damson instead. I'm not complaining, though. The fucker is still hiding and though I'm not actively looking for him, I'll have more help starting today. Theo, Ada's brother, is arriving from Argentina today. The extra help will be much appreciated. I only hope that the coward didn't leave the county yet. If so, then we're fucked, at least for now because he'll definitely be back when we least expect it. We can't live like this. With the fear of his return hanging over our heads. With luck, Patricia will reveal exactly where he is. I'm not sure what the procedure is but she assisted in a kidnapping and so had to be imprison
Ada “Hi, Theo.”“That text you sent me,” he begins, “is it true? You found her?”“Yes,” I reply, biting my lip. “She’s here with us. But Damson is still on the loose. Max can’t even meet us where we are because he’s afraid Damson will follow him and come torment us here. It’s a never ending nightmare with him. I just wish he’d die.”“Jesus,” he exhales. “She’s been found? I can’t believe this. How was it? Your reunion?”I rest my forehead against the window in the living room. Rebecca is upstairs so I’m all alone down here. The sight of the dark forest all around us is reassuring to me, because the one thing I can think about is how Damson will never be able to reach us here, not on his own. This is the one place where I know we’re safe. “She doesn’t know us,” I say to Theo. “She won’t even look at me and I’ve tried to tell her I’m her mother. I guess this is expected.”“What did she think Damson was? Her father?”“Yes. And there’s more.”“Fuck. What?”“Patricia,” I say, refusing
MaximilianSome hours later, I leave the station. But that doesn’t mean our problems have magically come to an end. Apparently, we could face some charges, and Rebecca could be charged with kidnapping, as ironic as that sounds. But the lawyer assured me that the jury could show sympathy to our case since it’s been cold for years. And I mean years. Seven, to be precise. We saw our chance. We took it. Why involve law enforcement when they’ve sat on their asses for years?I’m supposed to be heading to where they are. I’m so anxious to see everyone and actually hold Ada now that we’ve found our daughter, but we have a serious matter in our hands. Damson. He’s still on the loose and I’m pretty sure he could be watching me. So, why the hell would I drive there when there’s a chance he’ll follow? No, I refuse to do that. I won’t risk Victoria’s life again. Not ever again. And I’m not going to them until Damson is found. Enough of living in this hell. I know he’ll come for me eventua
Ada “I don’t understand it, Rebecca,” I say, sniffling. We’re downstairs now, seated at the marble counter on high stools. I have a glass of water in front of me and we’re both crying. Our hands are clasped. “I just don’t get it.”I spent about twenty minutes in that room, trying to get Victoria—no, Abby—to talk to me. But she kept covering her face and crying. She seemed scared. When I returned to my senses, I realized that she had every right to be terrified. She doesn’t know us. We’re all strangers to her. “We had a plan,” she admits. “Me and Max.”“You’re talking now?” Did he mention it? If so, I can’t remember for some reason. Then again, my head is so full, and so much has happened in the last twenty-four hours. “Yes,” she reveals. “It all happened very recently. I approached him because someone recommended this private investigator to me, and vowed that he was good. So, I assigned him to this case. He used to work with the military before. Some ultra shady shit. Moving on,
Ada I’m numb. The whole car ride, I’m numb. When Rebecca’s driver came to me and told me I had to leave with him, I thought it was some kind of trick. I was so suspicious. Then, she called me and explained to me as carefully as she could that it was all over and that I didn’t have to worry about a thing. That the driver was going to take me to her and the place where Victoria was. Victoria. I couldn’t believe it and still can’t. I have this feeling like maybe I’m dreaming this whole thing up or it’s all a figment of my shattered imagination, something my mind is coming up with to cope with all the loss. Because when Damson hung up after telling me that I’d never see my daughter again, I believed him. That broke me entirely and I think there are still fragments of me on the sidewalk, where I knelt for the longest time before the porter came and helped me inside. He wanted to call the police or an ambulance but I told him I was fine and just received bad news. Like ten minutes l
Maximilian But something happens. A miracle. Rebecca arrives, and I see her parking right across the street from where I’m on my knees on the ground, head spinning so fast that I have the urge to vomit. Right before I pass out, I see her race after Ada’s mother and Victoria, and I only allow the darkness to take over when I see Rebecca grab a hold of her and carry her to the car. Yes.Fucking yes. I pass out right on the road, and when I wake up, I’m being nudged. Someone’s tapping at my arm repeatedly too, and when I open my eyes, blinking rapidly until my vision clears, I see that someone’s tapping me with their foot. Slowly, I look up, and see that it’s an officer who’s tapping me with his foot. His face is a blur but slowly starts to clear up. However, my attention is pulled away from him when I remember Rebecca and Victoria. Ada’s mother. Panic seizes me. How long have I been out?Rebecca’s car isn’t parked across the street like it was before I fainted. Could it mean she
MaximilianMy heart is thumping in my chest endlessly. Sweat’s trickling down my forehead in rivulets and it’s getting harder and harder for me to breathe since I parked my car right across the house where Damson lives. Yes, I’ve arrived. At first I thought that maybe it was idiotic to assume that Victoria would be here because what if she was in school? And that’s when I remembered that today is Saturday. No school. Staring at the house sends chills all over me, not because it looks terrifying in any sense, but because of how ordinary it looks. There’s a garden right in the front and people are milling around, getting their weekend exercise in. Whatever. It’s all so fucking ordinary that I ask myself if I’m even in the right place. I look up and down the street. I don’t think Rebecca has arrived yet. Then again, I was closer to her than she was. Whenever I imagined the place where Damson was keeping her, I thought about a dark place somewhere in an abandoned factory or buildi
AdaWhen Damson calls, I’m ready for him. I don’t allow my voice to shake with nervousness. I just leave it as it is. “Hello?”He’s silent and already I take this as a bad sign. My heart is beating against my chest. Slamming, really. So fast that I’m sure it’s going to burst. I’m terrified of what he’s going to say next. I can tell by the sound of his erratic breathing on the other end of the line that it can’t be good. “You lied to me.”“What?”“You betrayed me,” he adds. My heart sinks further. “You told me that you and him had nothing going on between the two of you yet he has just left your apartment. Don’t bother denying it, Ada! I saw it with both eyes!”I close my eyes and hot tears slide down my cheeks. “Damson—”“YOU LIAR!” he rages. “You whore! You’re a lying whore, Ada! You’ll never be anything more than that!”“That’s not true, Damson. You’re exaggerating and…he was here because he wanted to get back with me but I pushed him away. I told him not to come anymore.”“Liar!