EmilyI was mortified as we walked passed through the emergency room I saw the number of people who were being treated, after being injured critically. Others had an impending illness that had immobilized them, causing them to be bedridden. There was only one truth that they might not know of; not all of them were going to make it back k home alive. Flashing images of Mom at the hospital blocked my vision as the hair on my skin rose due to fear…Sitting through the doctor's report of how she might not be coming home, disrupted every composure I had. There was this permanent grief that I had carried over the years, that was why I refrained from the clinics or hospital. I tried to stay away from all that grief that my PTSD had brought to me. I was back here because I was stupid enough to play with a man who had done everything in his power to steal a piece of me, leaving me empty and battered. We made a turn to the doctor's office. Claude went ahead but I stopped in my tracks. In a fe
Emily“I…” I tried to think of what to say. It was scary the way he stood there, all big and strong. I gulped in fear not knowing how to ensure that I was safe. There was no way I could know that; standing in a place I did not know only made my fear grow worse…“C'mon, don't be scared. I do not bite. Where are you heading to?”“I do…not know,” I told the truth. It was only a matter of time before I might be in danger as he stared at me like a huge snack.“I am trying to go to the American embassy here. I just want to get you out of here. First, I need a route to a friend.” I thought of my phone, showing him the address. I had to look for Dad because he was the only one who could explain to me why I was in this mess. There didn't seem to be a way out.“You are very far from this route you have given me.” He relaxed, seeing how helpless I was. He breathed. “If you are okay with it, I can show you to the place leading to where you are going, but you have to follow me.” I hesitated, but
Cedric“What do you mean? She is gone?” Claude had to come to the office, where he had concern written all over him.“She was supposed to go to the bathroom but she never returned.” He narrated. There was always a way she planned to get under my skin. There was absolutely nothing that made sense with her disappearance. “Claude, let me get this straight. I placed my wife under your care and you let her slip under your nose? If she wanted to go to the bathroom, you should have goddamn followed her.” He was shocked, he had his eyes lit with surprise. I was willing to do anything to keep that woman within my reach, but somehow, someone doesn't just get to do the job right; it was crazily annoying. It was annoying that I had to watch him tell me this sob story, and I had no idea how to look for her or even where. The migraine picked up again and my vision started to blur a little. I walked towards the edge, trying to drain the pain with a Valentino wine. That didn't work, I threw in some
EmilyThis was the second girl that they had dragged out of the room. Every time every one of them whimpers, my heart breaks a little. The cut was only larger knowing that I couldn't help them. I wasn't sure Cedric liked me enough to look for me. It was only going to cost him for a while, and just a payment and sweet words to the media, and everything would repair itself again. I stared at them, seeing how helpless they were. I couldn't tell if they were willing to have an escape plan with me to be sure of the amount of fear they had in them. I stood them pacing. Seeing how they cuddled themselves in fear. “From the way you guys are staying close to yourselves, you mean to tell me that you guys won't do anything to get out of here?” They all stared at me while others ignored me. I know there must be something that could be done if they were willing to try. I saw the dead girl on the floor and couldn't help myself more than to feel. sorry for her. She must have been somewhere else,
EmilyHe sauntered there for a while before his stiff face melted into a smile. It felt like seeing the girls torturing themselves with fear gave him his share of peace. I didn't think he was ready to face the girls with their fear written all over their faces. The fear in their eyes only made it easy for men like this to prey on them. He came closer to me as he knew me earlier; there was something on his face that felt like I was deeply content with him. It was clear that he might have known me, and she had told me that he sorta had this flare of knowing these girls personally before giving them off or allowing them to stay kidnapped. They were running a successful ring and it pissed me even more to think that all of these were happening right under our roses. I wanted to protest as he treated the girls even worse. He kept choosing them and everything that they were clinging to tell before their eyes. I wanted to help them in the ways that I could but she held my hands down, stoppi
CedricIt has been two days. Two goddamn days, and still, no word. The tension in my chest has been tightening like a noose, squeezing tighter with every passing hour. Emily’s disappearance—no, her kidnapping—was the only thing I can think about. My men are useless. They’ve scoured the city, tapped into contacts in every underworld corner, but there has been nothing. Not a single lead. Not a damn trace of her.This wasn’t some random abduction. If it was for money, I would’ve received a ransom note by now. There’s no other explanation. This is personal. Someone wants to hurt me, and they’re using Emily as a pawn.I’m sitting in my office, staring at the glass of scotch in front of me. I haven’t touched it, not even a sip, but the amber liquid swirls in the light, mocking me with the promise of numbness. But I can’t afford to be numb right now. I can’t lose focus. Emily was the key to everything. Without her, the whole empire collapses. Every carefully laid plan I’ve built might crumbl
Emily"We are never going to leave here." With the way this place is made, it was difficult to actually be optimistic about leaving here. I had nothing else to do, with the amount of girls that do not return I doubt that I was ever going to see the light of day. That my baby was ever going to make it out of me alive. The only friend I had made, sighed watching me as the reality of this place finally sinked in ."What was your life like outside this place, apart from being married to a billionaire." I grimaced, urging her to keep her voice down. It was bad enough that I had been suspected of being someone else. From the way, they look at me, the guards, it's only a matter of time before they dragged me out of here, facing the doom that's outside of here. I didn't want to know what that was like and at the same fucking time, I didn't want to stay here either."You are going to get me in trouble." I whispered to her, tilting my head low so no one hears me. "We are already in trouble.
EmilyI was desperate. My fingers trembled as I reached for the door, the cold metal against my palm a chilling reminder of how far from safety I truly was. I shouldn't have been able to open it, but luck seemed to favor me for a fleeting moment. I needed that luck now more than ever. The door creaked open, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man standing just outside."Please," I whispered, my voice hoarse from the hours of screaming and sobbing that had long since gone unanswered. "Please help me. There are more girls inside. They they need saving."His eyes met mine, dark and calculating. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of sympathy. He put a hand up, almost reassuringly, and I felt a spark of hope. But as I studied his face, something didn't feel right. The hope that had blossomed in my chest withered away. There was a coldness in his gaze that set me on edge.He leaned forward slightly, his tone soft but firm. "Calm down. You're safe now."Safe? The word echoed mockingly in
CedricI stared at her. It was the least I could do to keep my emotions at bay. I didn't know how to approach the situation, especially when Elliott had related to me about their relationship. I knew something was going on, but they were willing to deny everything while I was watching them. I became more furious, seeing how she had sold herself to a man like Elliott. I couldn't think of anything else that could be more demeaning than coming to terms with the fact that she had been with him all along. It made me rethink the story of her kidnap. Was she truly missing? What was she up to? I saw how she stretched herself, in her seat. I wanted to help her, but then that she still had that thing in her womb even after I had Instructed that she had gotten rid of it. It was the same issue that caused her disappearance for weeks. Something that hadn't settled well with me since then.The air around us was tense. She was under my predatory glance every time as she stared out the window. I cou
CedricEmily was glaring at me, her eyes wild with fury, but I didn’t care. Not anymore. I had no time for her tantrums or misplaced anger. After everything I’d done for her, the least she could do was listen."Emily’s just going through a lot right now," Elliot said, his voice calm but strained. He was standing too close to her, like he always did. It made my blood boil. "You should take her home, Cedric."I laughed, a sharp, bitter sound that echoed off the walls. "You must think I’m stupid, Elliot." I took a step closer, eyes narrowing on him. “Are you sleeping with my wife?”He flinched, just a small movement, but enough for me to see. I could smell the guilt on him like cheap cologne. His eyes darted to Emily for the briefest second before he quickly shook his head. “No. Of course not.”Emily stood up straighter, chin held high, defiance written all over her face. “How does it affect you, Cedric?" she shot back. "When you’re cheating on me yourself?”I turned to her, rage flashin
EmilyI stood there, my body tense, my eyes fixed on Cedric as he stepped closer. His presence was always unnerving, but this time, it was more than that. He had been absent when I needed him most, and now he thought he could simply demand my return, as if nothing had happened. I was not going back without answers."Emily, you need to go home," Elliot's voice came from beside me, low and urgent. He reached out to touch my arm, but I pulled away, glaring at him."Home?" I scoffed, shaking my head. "Where was he when I was missing? Where the hell were you?" My voice rose, filled with the frustration and betrayal that had been building up ever since my disappearance.Cedric’s jaw tightened as he looked at me, his eyes cold. "I don’t have to explain myself to you," he said, voice calm but edged with threat. He was always like this—untouchable, self-assured. “Return with me now, or you’ll face the consequences.”Consequences. The word sent a shiver down my spine, but I refused to back down
Emily Elliot had been behaving strangely. The softness he had when I first arrived seemed to have vanished into thin air. I tried to think of what I might have done that would create such indifference in him before he left. I couldn't come up with anything. I knew how I was with Cedric, and he hadn't made me feel even the slightest way Elliot had made me feel. I felt safe for the first time in a long while, and that was why I felt sick to my stomach. Knowing that something was off with him when I knew that was not how he reacted.I sighed, wandering around the house, not knowing how to release the anxiety that settled in my bones. "Ma'am?!" I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard the subtle voice of the maid. Subtle but sharp. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were standing there.""I guess you are worried. If there is anything I can do to help." I smiled, shaking my head. She dropped the tray holding the glass of juice in place. "It's fine. It's just been a few hours since Elliot w
CedricI drove with purpose, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary as I navigated through the city streets toward Elliott ’s club. The day was overcast, a fitting backdrop for the irritation gnawing at me. Elliott. His name had come up far too often lately, and I wasn’t about to let him continue slipping under the radar. Emily’s disappearance had changed everything. I had to know if he was involved, no matter how friendly he acted.When I arrived, Elliott was already waiting for me outside the club, leaning casually against the side of his car. He straightened up as I pulled into the lot and stepped out. As usual, his face held that annoyingly neutral expression, the one that made it hard to gauge what he was really thinking.I approached him, taking a deep breath to calm the simmering anger inside me. I wasn’t here to start a fight. Not yet."Elliott," I greeted, keeping my voice steady."Hey, Cedric," he replied, flashing me that too-friendly grin of his. "What's going
EmilyI wandered through Elliott’s house, letting my mind drift as I moved from room to room. There was something calming about the quiet space, the soft hum of the wind outside, the creak of the floorboards under my feet. After everything that had happened, I needed this—a moment of peace, of silence, where I could pretend, just for a little while, that things weren’t so complicated.As I ran my hand along the wall, I started to daydream. I imagined a life here, with Elliott. Me, him, and our child. I could see it so clearly, like a picture-perfect fantasy that felt almost within reach. I pictured Elliott in the kitchen, cooking like he did this morning, laughing as our child ran around the house. The thought brought a small smile to my face, even though deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple. Nothing ever was. But in that moment, I allowed myself to dream.Eventually, I found myself standing in front of Elliott’s bedroom door. Curiosity tugged at me, and I pushed it open gently, st
ElliottI headed into the kitchen, wanting to clear my head. The quiet sounds of chopping vegetables, the simmer of a pan—cooking had always been my escape, even when I was a kid. Emily was resting in the other room, and I figured she could use a good meal. After everything that happened, she deserved something normal. Something that didn’t remind her of the nightmare she had just escaped.I heard the soft shuffle of feet behind me and turned around to see her, dressed in my clothes. They were a little too big on her, but she looked comfortable, almost at peace for the first time since I’d found her. My heart clenched at the sight, a mix of emotions I wasn’t used to feeling.“Smells good,” she said with a small smile, walking closer to the counter. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”I turned back to the stove, focusing on the food instead of her. “When I was a kid,” I answered, my voice coming out rougher than I intended. “Had to learn since… I didn’t have a mother to do it for
CedricI clenched my fists as I prepared to leave, the frustration boiling beneath my skin. This entire situation was spiraling out of control. Emily had been missing for days, and with each passing moment, the stress gnawed at me. I could barely think straight. My mind was clouded with a mix of anger, fear, and something I didn’t want to admit—regret.Claude, of course, wasn’t helping.“You really think you’ll find her here?” he asked, trailing behind me like an annoying shadow. His tone was casual, almost amused, as if this whole thing was some kind of game to him.I stopped in my tracks, spinning around to face him. “Why the hell are you following me?” I snapped, my patience running thin. “This isn’t a joke, Claude. Emily’s missing, and I don’t have time for your games.”He raised his hands in mock surrender, a smirk playing on his lips. “Relax, Cedric. I’m just here for the show. You know how much I enjoy watching you squirm.”I narrowed my eyes at him, resisting the urge to punch
Elliott The door creaked open as I pushed it with my shoulder, my arms full of clean clothes for Emily. I wasn't sure if she'd be awake, or if she even wanted to see me. But I needed to check on her, to make sure she was comfortable. As I stepped into the room, the first thing I saw made me stop dead in my tracks. The clothes slipped from my hands and fell to the floor.Emily stood there, barely dressed, her skin still glistening with the moisture from her shower. The sight of her half-naked body froze every coherent thought in my mind. My pulse quickened as my eyes roamed over her, unwillingly taking in every inch of her exposed skin. I wasn't prepared for this.She didn't seem to notice my reaction. "Your bathroom is amazing." she said casually, as if she wasn't walking toward me like that. My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard, trying to pull my thoughts back together.I averted my eyes, forcing myself to look anywhere but at her. "Here," I muttered, picking up the clothes and t