RIX P.O.V
The man beside me said, would he be just fine if this man kill's me?
I want to shout at them but I am too afraid because they're holding a gun right now. I can feel that I am too powerless and I am just a small prey standing between them.
"I will really shoot her." Said by the man in front of me again.
No, please… Don't shoot me! Please! Don't do this to me, I am innocent!
"I told you I don't care if you shoot her, so do it."
The man beside us points the gun he is holding to the man in front of me.
What is he doing?
Isn't he supposed to help me? I didn't do anything wrong to deserve this!
I look at him with pleading eyes but he seems not to notice me because his attention is directed to the man in front of me.
"Shoot her, I will kill you no matter what anyways." The man in front of me looks hesitant. He looks mad but there's something in his eyes showing that he is having a hard time shooting me.
Please don't shoot me!
I close my eyes as I don't want to see this anymore. I could not understand what was going on here but why do they have to let it out to someone innocent? I don't know what to do anymore. I just continued closing my eyes but then I heard a loud bang on the floor as if something heavy was dropped from above.
I open my eyes but the man in front of me is no longer there anymore.
My eyes landed on the man beside me, he is now putting his gun in his pocket.
What happened?
Then my eyes landed on the floor, my eyes widened when I saw the man that was pointing his gun towards me just a while ago now lying on the floor.
Blood is flowing from his head while his eyes are still open.
W-what…
I heard the man beside me leaving the restroom. I followed him with my eyes because my body couldn't move.
When he was not here anymore my eyes turned back to the man on the floor. That's where I realized what happened.
"Ahhh!"
I started screaming as if there was no tomorrow. I ran outside shouting that there was a man lying on the floor because he was shot.
Nurses and other people gather around me asking what happened. I tell them what happened and they immediately call a guard.
They asked me to come with them because I am a witness but then when we reached the restroom where the shooting happened, the person lying on the floor was not there anymore.
"You said there's a person here?"
Asked by the hospital's guard.
"There is!"
I'm sure of it!
"He even pointed his gun towards me!"
How did this happen?
There's not even a blood stain here!
"But there's no one here, Rix." Josefina, Andrei's nurse, tends to me.
"But-"
"I think you're just stressed because of Andrei, I think you need to rest first." I couldn't get myself to talk.
I know what happened! I know what I saw! It's just here a while ago, they even want to kill me!
People started to gather around us.
They are whispering about what happened but I can hear them talking about how insane I am to shout like that, but it turns out that I am just lying.
No! I am not lying. I am telling the truth!
I want to explain to them what happened and that I am not fooling them but then Josefina came to me.
"Should I accompany you to Andrei's room, Miss Rix?"
I still want to talk to them and explain my side but I couldn't get any strength from my body.
I feel like anytime by now my body will fall.
So instead of debating, I decided to go back to my room.
"Yes please…"
I told her, and she guided me to Andrei's room.
No one's talking while we're walking but when we get to his room, josefina tapped my shoulder.
"I know that you are stressed right now, Miss Rix, but don't worry because the doctors are doing their best to treat your brother, trust your brother, he is strong like you so should rest for now."
I nodded my head.
I couldn't understand what was happening…
As soon as she got out of the room, I collapsed on the floor. There is no strength in my body anymore but I can still feel my body trembling.
Is that just a dream? But that looks real, the feeling and their faces. I could still remember it. I could still remember their voices. How come that is just a dream? Did I hallucinate? I closed my eyes. I don't know anymore.
I want to go and wait for Andrei outside the operating room but now I can't stand it. There is so much that has happened to me and I don't know if I could still face it when something happened to Andrei.
I don't know if I could still stand it if he chose to leave me.
I couldn't contain my tears. They started falling down again. I am so frustrated about everything around me that made me cry.
Everything is a mess…
But all I can do right now is to pray.
Please… Don't take my brother away from me…
Please… let him live with me. I still need him, please…
**
After a few minutes, I went back to where Charis is.
"Charis… He's still not okay?"
Why's the operation taking so long?
I started to be teary and the sob spontaneously came out of my mouth.
Charis comforted and hugged me. I didn’t hear a word from her but I could feel her little cry. The woman probably didn't even know what to say.
How many times has this happened? I felt discouraged. I no longer knew where else I would get the courage to continue. It seems that my brother is the one who gives up on his own, the pain…
We waited another hour before the doctor finally came out. We immediately stood up after seeing him.
"Doc"
I prepared myself for whatever he would say, but I prayed it wasn’t bad news. Full of hope, I looked at him.
I just breathed a sigh of relief as it smiled.
"He's safe now."
Charis and I smiled simultaneously when we heard, "Thank you, Doc!" We are grateful.
As in the past, he told us what we needed to do before he left.
We first waited for Andrei to move into his room before entering it.
He's just like the first time he had surgery. His skin grew even paler in the little time we didn’t meet.
“Andrei…” I called him.
I held his hand, no reaction… Charis handed me a handkerchief. I didn't realize that I was crying.
“Charis…”
I couldn't take it anymore. I'm longing for a hug from Charis, she immediately gave it.
“Rix…”
She hugged me tightly.
"It's okay, Andrei is okay… he will wake up soon."
After a while, Charis couldn't hide her crying either. We cried for a few hours before settling down.
Charis stayed in Andrei's room until nightfall.
I decided not to go home first because I would be with Andrei.
I paid Andrei's bills before midnight. My last funds had vanished. I took a deep breath since madam's bonus had also run out.
That whole night, I could not sleep.
“ARE YOU SURE?” I am now facing Madam Glo in her office.
Though hesitant, I nodded.
"Yes, mam, I really need it," she gave me a sincere look.
The next day I went to the bar an hour before my shift. I talked to Madam Glo about the extra services here at the bar. I really need money now, and my income as a waitress will not be enough. The periodic VVIPs that will be given to me are even less rare.
I'm worried that I won't have any money if something happens to Andrei again.
"All right, since it came from you, but don't worry, I won't put you in harm's way." It touched my hand.
I was thankful for it before leaving. There was still time left before I could get ready for my shift. I sat on the edge of the windowsill. Now that I had told madam that I would receive extra service, I could no longer back down.
Madam won't put me in anything that might hurt me at the bar. I just took my time to calm down.
"RIX, table number 5!"
"Coming!" I immediately returned to the bar counter and picked up the wine orders before bringing them to table 5.
It was ten o'clock at night, and the bar was vivacious. Some make out on the side, and some are just drunk but dancing.
After I took the order, I went back to the counter. I saw Josefina, a stripper here at the club.
“Hi, Fina!” I greeted.
"Hi, girl!"
We were screaming because the music was loud.
"What happened to your eyeshadow?!"
"Huh, why!?"
She moved her face a little closer to me, “Unequal! You look like a zombie! ”
We laugh at each other.
“Oh my!”
I just laughed before saying goodbye to going to the dressing room.
The dressing room is at the end of the bar, so a pretty long walk was all I had to do.
"That's why other customers looked at me weirdly before. Maybe they think I'm weird."
As I walked, I wondered why I was not well-positioned.
I was close to the dressing room when I saw a giant's shadow. I closed my eyes a little, thinking I could see it better. The light in the hallway was not that bright, but with the help of the bright moon, I could see a little of its bulk. It was big.
I suddenly felt terrified. Isn't it a folklore giant? And is he here to get girls? I slowly approached it. I tried to silence my footsteps. I hid on the side, my body was small, so I was not noticeable. I’m sure it’s not from here. No big people work here at the bar.
I glanced at the shadow. The folklore giant was not carrying any tobacco. It moved and walked, its direction being towards the back of the bar just next to the dressing room. Every step of it is my next step. I'm following that creature.
Where is he going?
Before leaving the corridor, I brought several sharp objects with me; they stated it was alright to be safe, 'right?'
I followed it slowly. It twisted, so I hastened the step a little, but I couldn't see anything when I arrived at the corner.
"Where is that?!"
Frustrated, I turned my head, terrified again. Maybe that's not really human! How can it disappear immediately when the distance between me coming here and his turn is not far?
It was dark, and you couldn’t hear a crackle or footsteps. Assuming it wasn’t human, I decided to go back inside the bar. Let go of that eyeshadow. I'll fix it next time.
I quickly turned away, but my fear seemed to leave my soul in my earthly body. Standing now in front of me is the bulk I follow. My body stiffened. I can not talk. It just stood where it was while I gaped.
It moved as my brain processed it. My mouth was ready to scream, but it quickly covered it with its big hand, preventing me from shouting.
To my nervousness, my feet seemed to soften but I suddenly felt like my body was floating in the air as the dark welcomed me.
When I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling of the bar.
"Are you alright?" Madam Glo was the one who spoke to me.
"What happened?"
She told me that she found me lying outside, then I remembered how I got there.
I told her everything I saw last night.
"Alright, I will look into it, but you shouldn't do anything like that again, understand?"
I nodded.
I know that it's dangerous but I'm just concerned about the bar and its people.
What would happen if that strange man did something here while there's so many people?
Not only the people inside working will be affected but also the reputation of the bar will be affected as well if any of the customers get hurt.
This is a newly built bar. It hasn't been long since it was established but it is making a name now but the trust of the people is still not solid enough to defend the bar if something like that happened.
After talking to my madam, I decided to go home because I feel like I need to rest.
RIX's P.O.V "Ha…" I opened my eyes because I felt the sweat on my neck. It's early in the morning but I am sweating… I suddenly remembered what happened yesterday and the other day. There are lots of nerve wrecking events that happened and if my life is in a movie I am sure that I would be famous by now because of the plot twists and life lessons in my life. Sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like if both my parents didn't die. Will I be professional in the field that I chose? Maybe if both of my parents are still alive they are giving us the love and care that we need then I don't need to do something like this. I know that my father left a huge sum of debt to us but for sure if they're still alive they will not let us suffer like this. Although my parents seem to be troublesome, they never neglected us and they never wished for us to suffer at a young age. They're working hard even though the number of work that they know is limited, they never went home without fo
RIX'S P.O.V"Come one, strip now, baby." A man with a trashy attitude said, teasing me. I just laughed awkwardly to avoid showing my disgusted face on him.I am now serving elite foreign customers as per Madam Glo's command.Although she doesn't want to put me here, she doesn't have a choice as we don't have anyone free when the customers arrive. I, myself, don't have a choice since I need money desperately. These customers come here often when it's the end of the month but except Carla, one of the girls here, there's no other girl who would want to serve them.That's because they're disgusting…I wonder how Carla can keep up with them,. they're perverts and corny, to be honest. Plus, their breath stinks… "I like seeing new girls here, I'll give you tips!" My eyes widened when I heard it, that's right! Give me that! My smile automatically brightens after they give me tips, all those hardships paid off! "Phew!"I wiped the sweat on my forehead."That's rough!" I exited the eli
RIX'S P.O.V"What are you talking about? What do you mean you kidnapped me?"I look at them confused, are they serious right now?The one in front of me met my gaze and said."We have something important to say to you, Miss.""What is it? But can you let go of me first? It's uncomfortable…""Oh yes sure of course!"The guy on my right removed the tie on my wrist."So what are you going to say to me?"I ask them while I am massaging my wrist, it's aching a little because of the rope's friction on it."Maybe we should change location first?'The guy on the left side.We all agreed to him because it is really uncomfortable talking here as we are all seated on the floor.They guided me to a room where everything looks expensive. I feel like we are in a five-star hotel and everything around me might break when I touch it.Just who are they and what do they want from me? Who is in their right mind to kidnap someone just because they want to say something?What if they are bad people and th
RIX's P.O.VWe continue running, even though we're already exhausted, it didn't stop us from keeping our legs moving. Harley runs faster than me but I can tell that he is running slower so I could catch up to him."You…hah…can…" I was about to say that he can leave me and run faster instead but I am having a hard time catching my breath. When we got to the 3rd block, Harley held my hand and pulled me somewhere.What is he doing?!He pulled me to a dark alley and covered my mouth with his left hand.I stood there shocked by what he did. What if that man in a tuxedo sees us here? I looked around and my anxiety grew when I saw that we're in a dead end. How could we escape that man if this is already a dead end?!Oh no, what should we do? A few more steps… he's getting nearer… and nearer… AHHHCK!I knelt and progressed into rapping. "Please kill us! I mean, no! Don't kill us! You won’t get anything good from our bodies!”The old man ruffles his brow. Oh my god, am I not that convincin
"I'm sorry, Apollo.""APOLLO? HA!" his voice has become lower, his lips are now on my ears, and… but… it's scarier. "Who told you?"Huh?What is he trying to ask?"What do you mean?”"Who told you you can call me that?" he asked."What should I call you, then?" I asked, as low as I could. As submissive as I can."Nevermind, I'm not on the names now," he said. He's calmer this time. But not me and my tears. "I told you to stay quiet, and I will do the rest. I told you that clearly, but how dare you mess up everything?"I can't say anything. I was just looking downward, while I sat on his bed, and he was on the side of me, nagging. I took a deep sigh, and bit my lower lip."What have you done to my image, Beatrix? What would they tell me about you? I'm afraid to even come back.""Maybe you should hire a different pretend wife," I said, nearly cracking up, almost bursting into tears.There were a few tears that were escaping, but it's manageable. "I'm sorry, did I hear you right?"
RIX's P.O.V.Last night he left my leg wide open, while facing the door, where maniacs are waiting for a free viewing. Apollo paid me for that fuck, how dare them sneak peak?Those darns!Harley came in after that, and I was already putting my clothes on. He drives away the perverted cooks while entering the storage room, where I’m in.He asked me if I'm alright, but I really am. There's nothing to worry about me, I can take care of myself, and that’s it. I went home, with my pockets fully equipped. People always ask me about being okay. You know, it's not that bad if I experience not being okay because most of my days are like that. It's inevitable, how could I change that fact?I can't change anything. But it's good that there's always a little light in the middle of darkness. There's always stars that shine in the dark galaxy. It's not okay to be in the middle of the storm.But it'll be more not okay if I dwell into it, or try to make myself believe I'm fine when I'm not. I
RIX's P.O.V.I clenched my fist, and bang the table. How dare he!“Rix! What are you doing with the table? Don't take out your anger on the furniture or you'll pay for it,” said Charis, struggling to keep out her laugh, while exchanging laughs and gazes with Harley.“Are you crazy? I'm not furious! Who would make me furious? It’s out of my league and you know that," I said but my brows are still standing ruffled, not bothering to straighten it up. Charis tapped my shoulder, and still teasing me!AISH.“Really, that wasn't my priority right now,” I defended. “If you guys think I like him, you're wrong!” I walked away and served drinks and foods that had been given to me. I don't like him, but he turned me on. Were having sex, no strings attached, but.. but…I feel like I was betrayed.Come to think of it, he was always the one to satisfy me. But me? I never satisfied him. I always did nothing for him. He was the one who was leading the sex.Ahckkk. I closed my eyes aggressively as
RIX's P.O.V.I smirked. He was now on my boat. Instead of doing his favor, I let him chase me. At the edge of the library, there's this mini table and chairs attached to the wall where you can sit, relax and read. Again, its purpose was just to sit, relax, and read. However this isn't what i was about to do today. I wasn't planning to maintain my innocent image in the library. He went beside me, and glared at me. He put my right hand at his dick, opened his zipper using his other hand, and let my hand infiltrate his pants. I smiled at him.“Wait here,” I said. Since he was sitting beside me, I had to come past him to get out of the chairs. I didn’t ask him to stand up and make a way for me. Instead, I sat on his lap, grind on top of it, and went out. Then I smirked and went away.I felt it hardened.Every piece of his reaction is turning me on. Darn, I might be the one to get deeper with my feelings. I shouldn't be!Before I went inside with Apollo, I saw a street resident,
3rd P.O.V.Apollo and Beatrix arrived at Grandma's house in the morning. Donny was already waiting at the door, dressed in his favorite superhero costume."Hey, little man," Apollo said, picking up Donny and giving him a hug."Hi, Dad!" Donny said, grinning from ear to ear.Beatrix smiled at the sight of them. "Are you ready to go visit Charis at the hospital?" she asked Donny.Donny's face fell. "Is Auntie Charis sick?" he asked."She's feeling a little under the weather, but we're going to bring her some flowers and make her feel better," Beatrix explained.Donny perked up at the idea of giving Auntie Charis flowers. "Can I pick the flowers?" he asked."Of course," Apollo said, ruffling his son's hair.They drove to the hospital, with Donny eagerly pointing out every flower he saw on the way. When they arrived, they made their way to Charis's room. She was lying in bed, looking weak and tired."Hey, Charis," Beatrix said, placing the flowers on the bedside table.Charis tried to smi
3rd P.O.V.Beatrix was excited to finally go home after being confined in the hospital for days. Apollo came to visit her every day, and he even brought her favorite flowers and snacks. Beatrix was grateful for his presence, and she felt a sense of comfort every time he was around.As they left the hospital, Apollo suggested they go to the nicest restaurant in town to celebrate Beatrix's homecoming. Beatrix was hesitant at first, feeling that they didn't need to spend so much money, but Apollo insisted.Once they arrived at the restaurant, Beatrix was taken aback by its grandeur. She had never been to a place like this before, and she felt a bit out of place in her casual clothes. However, Apollo reassured her that she looked beautiful and that she deserved to be treated like a queen.They were seated in a private room with a beautiful view of the city. The table was set with the finest silverware and crystal glasses. The waiters were attentive, and the chef personally came to their t
3rd P.O.V.Beatrix felt a knot form in her stomach as she watched Charis walk away with the group of men. She knew she had to talk to her friend, but she also didn't want to make a scene in front of the strangers.Taking a deep breath, she approached Charis once the men had disappeared from sight. "Charis, can we talk?"Charis stopped in her tracks and turned to face Beatrix. "What do you want to talk about?"Beatrix hesitated, unsure of how to broach the subject. "I just wanted to check in on you. Are you okay?"Charis rolled her eyes again. "Of course, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"Beatrix frowned. She could tell that something was off about Charis, but she didn't want to push too hard. "Well, you just seemed...distant lately. Is everything going alright with you and Harley?"Charis scoffed. "Harley? He's the least of my problems right now."Beatrix was taken aback by Charis' sudden bitterness towards her husband. "What do you mean?"Charis hesitated before finally speaking. "I just
As soon as Beatrix woke up, the first thing she does is think.Beatrix couldn't get Charis out of her mind. She had been overthinking about her friend's life for days. What could have happened to make Charis run away from the pack of men like that? And why did she choose to disappear into the night instead of seeking help from the people she knew would always have her back?Beatrix had always known Charis to be a strong, independent woman, but lately, she had noticed that her friend had been struggling. Charis seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, and Beatrix couldn't help but feel guilty for not noticing sooner.As Beatrix walked along the shore, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the crashing waves. She looked out into the vast ocean and felt a sense of peace wash over her. But even the calming waves couldn't ease her mind.She thought about all the times she and Charis had spent together, laughing, dancing, and having a great time. They had been
Charis paced back and forth outside the reception venue, her hands tightly gripping her dress. She could see Beatrix approaching her with a warm smile on her face."Charis! There you are. Is everything alright?"Charis sighed and turned to face Beatrix. "No, everything's not alright. I'm so mad at you, Beatrix, and I don't even know why."Beatrix's expression turned to one of concern. "Why are you mad at me? Did I do something to upset you?"Charis shook her head. "No, it's not you. It's just... it's just that you have everything, Beatrix. You have the perfect wedding, the perfect husband, the perfect life. And I can't help but feel jealous."Beatrix's smile softened. "Charis, you don't have to be jealous. I'm not perfect, and my life isn't perfect either. And besides, you have Harley. You married the man you love."Charis scowled. "That's just it, Beatrix. Even though I married Harley, it seems like he still likes you. Every time we're together, he can't stop talking about you. It's
3rd P.O.V.The sun was setting on the horizon, casting a warm orange glow over the beach. The waves gently lapped against the shore, creating a calming sound that mingled with the soft chatter of the guests. The beach was decorated with simple yet elegant white flowers, accentuated with subtle hints of blue that matched the ocean's hue.Beatrix looked stunning in her white wedding gown that hugged her curves in all the right places. Her dark hair was styled in a loose, flowing braid, adorned with small white flowers that complemented her bouquet. She looked nervous but happy as she stood beside the altar, waiting for Apollo to arrive.Apollo arrived in a sleek black suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and chiseled jawline. He looked confident and composed, a contrast to Beatrix's nervous energy. He walked towards Beatrix with purpose, his gaze fixed on her. When he reached her, he took her hand and smiled softly at her, reassuring her.The ceremony was simple and intimate, offici
3rd P.O.V.Papers were flying around the room, and Mr. Cartier was seething with anger over the report detailing the downfall of his company since Apollo's resignation. He was desperate to do whatever it took to win back his son and bring him back to the company to boost sales.The situation was particularly challenging because Mr. Cartier's company was outdated and struggling to stay afloat. The scattered papers covered the floor as a visual representation of his frustration and disappointment.In his rage, he called for his assistant to fetch him a cup of coffee and urgently contact his wife. He needed her support and presence at that moment.Harold, one of the individuals Mr. Cartier had entrusted with the company's operations, had been a letdown. Despite his frequent travels, including visits to the rural city where Beatrix resided, all Harold seemed to care about was possessing her. He hoped that by achieving this, he could claim victory over Apollo in at least one aspect.Mr.
RIX’s P.O.V.It suddenly became quiet inside the hut, leaving me wondering what had happened or if they had already settled their differences. I clearly heard earlier that Charis wanted to separate from Harley, but now they seemed to have another chance and were probably having a thorough conversation. I couldn't help but smile at the thought.Charis and Harley had been together for four years, the same age as Adonis. It was impressive that they had managed to communicate, confront their feelings, and keep them hidden for so long. Especially for Charis because I know that from the very beginning, he had feelings for Harley and was just keeping it to herself.Charis had been dating other guys to cover up her emotions and hide her true feelings for Harley, but somehow she had managed to keep her feelings intact without getting attached to anyone else.The attachment she had with Harley was deep-rooted and difficult to remove. Suddenly, Harold, Seb, and Michael came into my mind.Yeah
RIX’s P.O.V.I could feel myself breaking down as I made my decision in front of everyone watching me on the app during my lowest point.Do you watch me stand up on my own when the world tries to knock me down?Apparently, I wasn't alone when facing the most challenging moment of my life because my friends were here, witnessing my growth.They offered their help, but I kept refusing it.And if I said I don't feel anything for Apollo anymore, I would be lying. BECAUSE I STILL DO!Honestly, I would like to give it another try.Perhaps my initial decision was influenced by the overwhelming number of eyes watching me.Humans can be foolish.Friends often advise their hurt loved ones to stay away, but those same friends act as if they're listening while secretly still engaging with the person who hurt them— going back to the same place that hurts them.I wanted to avoid falling into that pattern.I'm only human. I'm not a superhuman capable of controlling my emotions to the point of making