Maria tried to hide her shock.Was it possible that the crazy woman after Diana was the same as Priscilla? They did say that the world was a small world. Was it small enough for both their prosecutors to be one?"Wait, so you're telling me all those horrible things he did to you was as a result of his inability to understand affection?" Maria asked her dearest friend, utterly surprised. She found it hard to believe that people like Matteo still existed in this world.Diana nodded as she tried to remain calm. The new piece of information had left her devastated. Why did life have to be so unfair?"My husband is damaged, and he does not even know it," Diana whispered to herself as she took a bite from her ice cream. The cold feel of the snack melted on her tongue, sending chills up to her brain. It was an enjoyable feeling that she wanted to keep living."I still feel it's all bullshit," Maria stated skeptically as she waved her spoon in the air."I wish it was, Maria," Diana said sadly
Nicholas slowly regained consciousness, his face felt wet and cold. He could still taste Katie's juice in his mouth and smell her fragrance. His eyesight got clearer as he saw the two sisters peering down at him curiously."Welcome back from your beauty sleep, Mr. Nicholas," Ashley said coldly."I hope you had a good rest," Katie said with a warm smile.Nicholas nodded unconsciously, Katie widened her smile."Good, let's get you ready for the next round," Ashley said as she grabbed him by his hair and pulled him up.The pain from Ashley's action jolted him alert and he got up in response to his feet quickly. She led him by his hair toward the pink king-sized bed and pushed him roughly onto his back.The large mirror on the ceiling reflected Nicholas in a way that startled him. He couldn't believe what he was looking at."Yeah, it shocks people when they see themselves at their most vulnerable," said Ashley amused by Nick's reaction,"Don't worry, you will get used to seeing yourself,"
Priscilla Randall was quiet throughout the helicopter ride to her home. She did not want to freak out the pilot so she curbed her excitement. Things were finally falling into position.She sat back in her seat and relaxed, feeling grateful for this opportunity. It had taken months of hard work, but it was all worth it.She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, savoring the moment.She hoped little Maria did as she was told, she didn't want to hurt anyone who did not deserve it.She looked out of the window and saw the whole city in the landscape. It was beautiful at night.She remembered when she and Matteo would just casually go for night helicopter cruises. It was a moment she was very fond of and it made her smile."We are about to land madam," The pilot turned to address her, and she realized that the flight had been the smoothest she had experienced."No. Take me to the headquarters," Priscilla ordered."Right away ma'am," The pilot responded, deftly turning the helicopter arou
THE INEVITABLE CONVERSATIONMatteo was lost in a deep thought as he drove home.He could not believe what his eyes had caught a glimpse of. Mostly, he could not believe how blind and stupid he had been.What hurt the most was the fact that his people, his board of directors, and his workers did not even bother to let him know his company was being infiltrated.He decided that people were getting fired the moment he returned from his sordid trip with his crazy ex. He needed to restore order and firing his employees seemed like the only way to do this."Once I'm done with them, they'll know who the true boss is," he promised himselfMatteo had to up his game and work extra hard to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. He could feel that it was going to get ugly soon and if he did not do anything about it then there was no telling what would happen.He needed to get under her skin as hard as he could; so he could gain her trust and hopefully persuade her to reveal her true motives and i
Every suggestion, omission, or new terms and conditions that Katie whispered into her father's ear was typed into his computer.James still had that far away look in his eyes as he typed at his daughter's command."Is this okay?" James would occasionally ask and his daughter would eagerly nod at him.Nicholas watched the whole thing with fear and surprise. His cock had shrank and his body ached from the posture he was in."This is how we get him to do what we want sometimes, other times we use blackmail," Ashely casually said as Katie told a drugged up James to print out the contract.Nicholas stared in horror as he watched the girls control their father. He had known they were crazy from the start but he was just realizing how crazy they actually were.Nicholas had lost track of time due to the fact that he had been on his knees throughout the time James was being used to typing out whatever twisted clause the girls were thinking of.Katie sauntered over to him slowly so that she co
It was a morning of uncertainty.Matteo and Diana slept in separate rooms last night. They had both had an uncomfortable discussion.Their talk had led nowhere and they were both at a stalemate. They had both left for work at different times even though neither slept well the previous night.Diana left the home earlier than her husband because she wanted to be out of the house as soon as possible. She still could n Iot trust herself around Matteo yet.She got off the bed at exactly six thirty and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She mentally picked out her outfit for the day as she got into the shower.When she was done having her bath, she dried herself thoroughly with her white towel and wrapped another on her hair so the towel could absorb the water in her hair.She went to her mirror stand and sat down on the stool to apply her light makeup. She thought about Nicholas and why he was suddenly absent from work.She hoped he did not go along with Matteo's ridiculous assignmen
A TROUBLED MATTEOMatteo did not sleep a wink last night. He had been thinking all through the night. There was too much on his mind and it greatly worried him.This morning, he had heard his wife leave for work and fought the urge to see her. He had noticed even from his room how quietly she had left, he didn't hear her footsteps but he could hear the slight ruffle of her clothes He felt so sad that his own wife had to sneak out of the house just to avoid him. He realized that he may have behaved in a way that pushed her further away from him. He silently scolded himself for being so stupid and letting his emotions get the best of him. He vowed to do better. It had been hours since his wife left for work and he had not gotten out of bed yet. He just lay on his back and looked blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought. He was not going to work today because his destination had not been determined yet. He feared for the future of his company and his thirst for answers only increased.
A DATE & A THERAPISTDiana was not so sure if she was moving fast or slow with Nicholas at this point. She was scared to admit that she didn't give much of a fuck, to be honest.The way she saw it, Matteo had his fun at the expense of her emotions and she was willing to do the same to his detriment."It's a date then. Let me allow you to get back to work," Nicholas proclaimed heartily."See you later Nicky," Diana joked."How long were you holding that in?" Nicholas asked in amusement."Since the day you told me to call you Nick," Diana said and cracked up.Nicholas chuckled loudly after her."That long?" Nicholas asked with a smile."You have no idea," Diana said as she cleaned a teardrop from the corner of her left eye.What she said was not even funny, Nicholas just has a way of loosening her up. He was so open to her opinion and genuinely listened when she spoke.He got up and straightened his suit and turned to the door. He walked with his shoulders held high and his head straig
147. IS THIS THE END?Suicide and Chrome were both exhausted from their ongoing combat with this huge guy. They had wanted to go after Matteo as he was carrying his wife's unconscious form away.It was the sound of the gunshot that made them realize just how deeply they were fucked. They saw Nicholas, his face already white from blood loss holding his severely bleeding crotch, twitching and jerking involuntarily in pain.Suicide and Chrome realized to their horror that Nicholas was never going to have sex again. They both turned and ran after Matteo only to be blocked by a giant they had not even heard coming.Suicide brought out a wicked-looking jack knife, military-grade, while Chrome had on a pure gold knuckle duster on his right fist and a shining silver one on his left fist.Black Hound knew that both men were a package deal. He had done a quick reading of their bio-data to have a feel for how they both operated.Suicide would attack first with a knife from a flank and Chrome wou
THE RESCUEMasters Randall was neither a superstitious man by nature nor a religious one per se. But today of all days did not feel right. He could not tell what was making him uneasy but he was sure something was amiss.He had not spoken to his daughter in days now and he was worried about what shit show she may have started behind his back. He had failed that daughter of his and there was nothing he could do to change that.This morning when he had called Martha on his phone, there was no answer. That gave him his first reason to be concerned. Martha always answered his call no matter where she was or what she was doing.The second person she answered like that was her grandson. So what was the reason why La Matrona of the Consortium refused to pick up the phone?Had Priscilla run her mouth again? There were so many questions going through his old mind he did not know which one to answer.Masters had spent the night in his study with a cup of scotch and a Cuban cigar, his head tingl
145. END GAME"I hope that I can trust you, Mr. Armani," James Molten said as he was about to get down from the vehicle.Matteo assured him confidently. "Your shares are safe in my hands James and I plan to stay here for a while. I am not going anywhere."James Molten nodded and opened the door to get out without saying another word.Matteo was left alone with his driver as the car sped on."There is something you need to know," Black Hound said as he looked straight ahead. There was a graveness in the way he spoke.Matteo listened with rapt attention."I got some recordings that you will want to hear," Black Hound said. "I want you to listen to it in this vehicle because as of now, it is the only secure place," He finished.Matteo was becoming uneasy. "That bad?" He asked, looking at the rearview mirror to see the eyes of his bodyguard."I think bad is an understatement, it is going to be a shocking revelation," Black Hound said in a solemn tone."Alright, let's hear it," Matteo said
144. THE LAST MOVE~SOME HOURS EARLIERNicholas, tired of standing went back inside after watching the box burn. He still had felt no closure. He wanted nothing but revenge. The phone in his pocket buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket.It was an email from the company. He pushed the notification and read the contents of the message.The iPhone struck the wall with tremendous force and shattered into small pieces, the parts clattering everywhere.Nicholas was fuming and growling, his hands tightened into fists. How dare they fire him? Who the fuck did they think he was? He was not going down without a fight.The pain he was going through fueled his rage. He would make them pay one way or another. He stomped down the stairs blind with fury. He pictured his hands wrapped tightly around Matteo's neck.Then the neck slowly transformed in his head, morphine into a small slender supple neck that belonged to Diana. A sick smile played on his lips.He went into the kitchen and opened the
143. GRANNY TIMESDiana was glad to get out of her lodge. She was happy it was a work day. She was excited to get back to work despite everything that had happened around her.She had also become fast friends with the clerk that was rude to her on the first day she had tried to get a room. There was no point in dragging things out with another woman who was just trying to survive.Her husband had surprised her last night. It threw her off for a minute when she realized just how thoughtful he had become.She was just preparing herself for the next day which was today. The time was seven thirty in the evening when a knock interrupted her preparation. She left what she was doing and walked to the door.As she opened it, she was met with the sight of a familiar face.Nana gazed down warmly at her. She had behind her luggage that was pink in color."Nana? Come in," Diana said waving her hand towards the inviting living room.Nana shuffled into the living room, dragging her luggage with he
142. SHOW DOWNThe silence was deafening, except for the rustling of leaves that got blown around by the wind. It was obvious that all five wealthy people who were sitting together around the dinner table that late Monday morning were enemies.Each figure had his or her agenda at the pit of their dark twisted minds.Priscilla wanted Matteo and everything that came with him.Ashley wanted her father's company and Katie— well, it was not clear what she wanted.Matteo knew that there was no logical way out of this. However, he did have an advantage and he could not wait to use it. He suspected that Priscilla may have figured out his secret plan, but he wasn't too concerned.There was no stopping what was about to happen. Once and for all, he was going to stop all her incessant dealings and manipulation.He could tell that she was worried and she was right to be. This game had gone on long enough. He could also tell that James Molten wanted out.Matteo vividly saw the look of desperation
141. DARK NICKYThe past two days had been rather strange and unpredictable for Nicholas Wilson. First, he woke up with pain on a soft sofa which had dried drool all over his face. Everything hit him all at once. The pain, the hangover, and the nausea.He had no idea where he was or how he had gotten there. It was until a woman with a stark resemblance to Diana approached him with concern, breaking the disorienting haze of his mind. Her gentle yet determined voice pulled him back to reality and into her warm embrace.Then everything had come back to him and he was filled with embarrassment. He quickly shook off the lingering humiliation and focused on the present moment.He was supposed to meet with her for his mental health. His head was pounding. He turned toward her still disoriented only for a glass of water and some oblong white pills were shoved in his hands."It will help with the hangover," Lexi's voice echoed and rang into his ears as he stared at the assortment of pills un
140. THE KING OT CHESSMatteo understood the concern coming from his bodyguard but this was something he had to do alone. He needed the closure."Sir you realize that you are going behind enemy lines," Black Hound voiced out with slight annoyance."I understand but this is something that I have to do alone, it is a personal matter," Matteo casually replied to his bodyguard.Black Hound said nothing else. There was no changing his boss's mind."Besides, I do not want them to know about our business just yet," Matteo further added."That is if Priscilla is going to be present," Black Hound said."She is the mastermind behind this, of course, she will be there," Matteo said with certainty."Is that not more of a reason for me to come along? The stakes are higher than before sir," Black Hound insisted."The more reason for you to stay back. After all, you are my Trump card," Matteo replied as he adjusted his tie."How do I look?" Matteo turned and asked his bodyguard."You look like you a
139. CHAT WITH THE SHRINKNicholas said nothing as he stared ahead with a straight expression on his face. The car was filled with an uneasy silence, creating an oppressive atmosphere. This was mostly because Nicholas was at the center of the matter.He had been bailed by Dr. Amorr and was sitting in her car. He had pretended to be so ashamed of himself when she had come for him but dropped the charade in the car."You can drop me off at home, thank you," Nicholas arrogantly said as he relaxed to rest his eyes.It had been a long day. He opened his eyes and stretched his tired muscles, feeling the tension slowly dissipate. He looked outside the window ignoring the driver who had earlier helped him."Welcome," Dr. Amorr abruptly interrupted his short sightseeing.Nicholas made to get down and hissed in pain. He had felt so relaxed that he had forgotten about his sprained ribs. He slowly got down from the car, wincing from the pain it caused him with every step that he took forward.B