YVONNE
I was eager to try out the rest of the activities when I went to bed last night. But now that I'd woken up, I didn't even want to get up or lift a finger.
"Ugh," I groaned as I stretched out. My whole body was sore from all the activities I did yesterday.
"Are you okay?" Vlad grunted beside me. He didn't sound good either.
"No," I croaked. "All my muscles are screaming at me."
I realized it had been a while since the last time I worked out. I used to be fit and active when I was in the ring. The pole dancing alone was already an intense workout. And I perform that almost every night.
But after Vlad bought me, I haven't done any workouts. Instead, I just spend the rest of my day lounging in his fancy unit. He has a gym but it never appealed to me. Now I am reaping the results of my laziness.
"Do you want to try the remaining activities?" he uttered, his voice filled with sarcasm which made me wince inwardly.
"Sorry,
YVONNEIt's dumbfounding how our relationship seemed to have drastically changed in such a short amount of time. We are now like any normal couple out there. Although, I have very little knowledge about what a normal relationship felt like, ours seemed like one.Vladimir was acting like a completely different person. He is not the cold man I married a few months ago. Perhaps it has everything to do with his cured condition. He wasn't impotent anymore.Could you imagine, he just released five years' worth of pent-up cum?! Of course, he was relieved! I winced at the thought.We've been back from our vacation for about a week now. Everything's going smoothly between us ever since. I almost moved into his room, but tonight, he hadn't come home yet, so I decided to stay in my bedroom.My lids were already getting heavy when I heard the door creak. I was so sleepy so I just ignored it. I only opened my eyes when I felt someone stroking the wet s
YVONNE"Let's go," Vladimir said when he saw me emerge from the hallway.He's also ready to leave. His three-piece black suit was stark in contrast with my all-white ensemble.My heart seemed to take a leap when he held his arm out to me. I smiled and placed my own against it hesitantly."Are you ready?" he asked."Yeah," I sighed.Dave told me everything I had to do. He even gave me a script to follow and the possible questions the board might ask during the presentation. Of course, he also curated well-crafted answers for them which I tried to memorize to the best that I could.We went out of the building together. His car was there together with two more SUVs. "I'm going to drive you there," he answered my unvoiced question. He must have noticed my confusion when he ushered me to his car. I thought I would be using one of the SUVs."But... Don't you have work?" I stupidly asked.
YVONNE I stood in front of the conference room even though it was just us. Dave set up the projector while my secretary put the hard copies in front of each seat. I took a deep breath while going over the presentation inside my head. "You can do this," Dave encouragingly said. I tried to smile. "Would you like coffee or water?" Jane, my secretary asked. "Just some water, please," I said before taking a seat. One by one, the board of directors started coming into the conference room. My heart beats faster every time someone comes in. "Good morning," I greeted back and nodded to each of them. "Relax," I heard Dave whisper behind me. "You look tensed." I tried to do as he said, but at that moment, Jade walked into the conference room. I frowned. I didn't know she would be here. When our gazes met, I tried to smile, but she only gave me a curt nod. Soon, all the chairs around the long table were slowly filled. My heart is already hammering inside my chest. I badly wanted to run
YVONNE"Yes, Miss Foster?" I called to let her speak."This is a good idea," she started.I could already hear the but in her statement. She glanced at the papers in her hand. I can feel butterflies in my stomach while waiting for whatever she has to say. And they're not the good kind.The dramatic pause is killing me. I tried to brace myself from the possible blow she would give me."Although, I don't think it's necessary to start another advocacy that is out of line from what we are already doing," she said.I can see some of the members of the board glancing at each other. I don't know what they were thinking right now.Shit. I didn't expect this."LGC Foundation is already known for educational and health causes. I think we should focus on that," Jade said so confidently, that I had the urge to just cower in fear and hide in a corner.But since I couldn't do that, I took a deep breath instead and tried to process her words. I gathered my thoughts while I let her finish her comment
YVONNEOh god. This is it.I gulped. My legs were weakening from standing too long and the passing adrenaline, but I had to keep my stance."Those who are in favor of Project Eve, please raise your hands," Mr. Watson said authoritatively.Damn. This is the moment of truth.I looked down to briefly squeeze my eyes. I was a bit confident after the talk I had with Vlad before the meeting, but Jade made some valid points. And she also has a huge connection to Vladimir.I won't be surprised if the board would be torn about their decision. I took a deep breath before looking up.I sighed in relief when I saw that almost everyone in the conference room raised their hands in favor of the shelter, including Mr. Watson himself. I couldn't help but smile."We have a decision then," Mr. Watson said upon looking around. He then looked back at me and smiled."Congratulations, Mrs. Lewis," he genuinely said while firmly shaking my hand."Thank you," I nodded. I can't believe I made it.I know Vladim
VLADIMIR "We still couldn't track her down, boss," Blaze reported. My fists clenched. "How can an old woman disappear without a trace?" I hissed. "She has no connections! How hard is it to trace her whereabouts?!" my voice boomed inside my office. I was so fucking pissed. My men were turning into useless imbeciles these days! The harder it gets to find her, the more I think somebody's helping her. And I have to find out who it was before they can take any action against me. I'm sure they were using Yvonne's mother in the hopes that they could get to me through her. Well, they thought wrong.Did they? A small voice inside my head seemed to mock me. Hirushi's bloodied form in the basement flashed inside my head. My jaw clenched as I tried to push the image away. I didn't do it for Yvonne. It has nothing to do with her. I just don't like what the ring does in general. I despise people like them. Yes, I run a syndicate too. But I don't prey on the weak. I don't use helpless women
YVONNEI stared at him. Was I too obvious?"What do you mean?" I chuckled awkwardly."I was just... Uhm, I still can't believe they approved the project, that's all," I grinned and tried to sound more enthusiastic.I plastered a smile on my face while he stared at me suspiciously. My upper lip quivered but I didn't dare move until he finally sighed and let the matter go.I sighed internally. I don't know how to tell him about my encounter earlier with Mr. Anderson.Have you ever heard of the Red Ring? His venomous voice still echoes inside my head. He knows.I don't know how. All I am certain is that he knew. He wouldn't dare speak to me about it if he wasn't confident. I'm sure he wouldn't want to provoke Vladimir over hearsay.But how? Was he a client of the ring? I don't know. I'm not sure. I may have had tons of clients but I can't recall any of their faces now.I used to block out everything as much as I could. I didn't want to remember the filthy things they did to me or the dis
YVONNEThe construction of the shelter commenced almost immediately after it was approved. In the end, I chose the site in the suburban area over the one in the countryside.I'd be lying if I'd say Vladimir's past with Riva didn't affect my decision. But I chose it mostly because of the conveniences it offers. It would be more accessible for women seeking refuge compared to the one in the countryside where they have to travel for hours before they could reach.I personally oversee the progress from time to time while working on the foundation. With Dave's help, I am slowly learning the ropes of my job. I'm getting the hang of it. Now I can do a few tasks without his help.I flinched when I almost bumped into someone on the way to my office."Good morning, Yvonne," it turned out to be Mr. Anderson. Everything good in my morning faded at the sight of him.I clenched my jaw. I hadn't seen him in a while. I don't know where he was, but I wish he had just stayed there.I nodded curtly inst
VLADIMIR"Shit! You're bleeding!" Mike hissed when the crossfire finally ceased. "We have to take you to the hospital!""Do you think I have time for that?" I growled. "We need to find her!""Our men are already looking for them. We should at least try to stop the bleeding!" he insisted while glancing at my stomach.The middle part of my shirt is now soaked in blood."You won't find her in that state," he snapped. "You might die first."Fuck!"I can't let them get away!" I yelled. We can't let precious time pass. Who knows what they plan to do to her?! And Jade!"Fuck! Did they get Jade too?""It seems so," Mike answered. "They couldn't find her anywhere.""Fuck!" I kicked the sand in frustration. "Who else knows we're here?""What's happened here?" Smith came up to me."Shouldn't I be the one asking that?" I retorted."What are you insinuating?" he narrowed his eyes at me. "We have nothing to do with this!""You better make sure of that!" I spat while reloading my gun.My head is sp
He raised his hand to cup one bosom inside it. I shut my lids tightly. I don't want to see what he's going to do to me. He gently cupped my breast, his thumb circling around my nipple. I thrashed and tried to move away from him despite being restrained."Stop moving!" he snapped. His hold on my chest tightened."No! You stop this!" I growled. I am so mad. How dare he touch me like that? I want to kill him right now!My jaw clenched when he crouched down and buried his nose against my neck. I wanted to kick him away from me but I couldn't move my legs. Damn it."Aaah!" I screamed so loudly when I felt him moving down, trailing kisses on my skin."Stop!" I growled. He laughed as he took a step back away from me. I sighed in relief until I saw him grip his whip again.Oh no...I watched him raise his hand and snapped it in the air. The leather strap landed on my side, the tip curled and hit my back. I bit my lip to stop myself from making any sound that might excite him more. He continue
YVONNE"Hey!" Jade yelled. "Where are you taking her?"My goodness! Why does she have to intervene? It's not like she could do anything against these men!For fuck's sake, we were in the same boat! Literally and figuratively! Does she want to get hurt too? I thought as they dragged me out the door struggling."Yvonne!" she screamed desperately.I kept thrashing, trying to get myself free from their grasp even though I knew it was futile. I was dragged across a narrow hallway until we stopped in front of a door. The other man knocked twice before pushing it open. They rashly threw me in. My legs fumbled, causing me to fall. I winced in pain but I made sure not to make any sound."Get up!" somebody grabbed my hair to pull me up. My teeth sank on my bottom lip in an attempt to stop myself from screaming.It was so painful! I thought my scalp would be peeled off from my head! Damn it!I looked up and saw a man standing in front of a bed. I gasped as my head started to run wild.My eyes w
YVONNE "Tell him we're in the sea!" I ordered. She looked at me incredulously. "What?" she asked with disbelief. "Sea?!" "Yes! I'm sure we're on a yacht or another water vehicle of sorts. Can't you feel the motion?" I desperately asked. "Okay, okay! I just want to get out of here!" she retorted before turning back to the phone. "Yvonne assumes we're on a yacht," I heard her tell Vlad. She stopped to listen to whatever he was saying. "Yes! Please hurry!" she cried. "Vlad, I'm scared!" My nostrils flared while looking at her. Why does she have to be with me? But oh well, I won't be able to talk to Vladimir if she isn't here. More importantly, being with her upped the chances of being saved. Now I wouldn't have to worry that Vlad might not pay the ransom or worse, just let me die at the hands of my abductor. Especially now that it's only a matter of time before I get exposed for my real identity. I don't know if he knew about the article I found on the internet. I wasn't able
YVONNE I woke up to the feeling of my body lightly swaying as if somebody was cradling me to sleep. My lids felt heavy. and my head is pounding so badly.What happened? Did I fall asleep in the hammock? Because I swear I can feel my body rocking from side to side. It was so dark that I couldn't understand what was going on.I was forced to keep my eyes open, trying to train them to see in the dark but failed. My clothes are the only clear thing I see because they are white."What's going on?" I murmured. I felt my body sprawled on the cold floor. When I tried to sit, I realized that my hands were tightly tied behind my back. Oh god. Fear swiftly crept through my whole body. "What happened?" I muttered, my forehead creased in confusion. I looked around, trying my best to adjust my vision in the dark. Using my elbows, I tried to prop my upper body so that I could sit while still thinking about how I ended up in this dark, creepy place. Slowly, things started to dawn on me until I r
VLADIMIRI was startled when Yvonne suddenly stood up. She told me she needed to go to the ladies' room."Are you okay? Want me to come with you?" I asked, but she refused.That's when I realized that she was going with Jade. I watched her stalk Jade, who obviously looked drunk with the way she walked.I kept glancing in the direction she went in and my wristwatch as minutes passed. What's taking them so long?"Hey man, drink up," Eric said when he noticed that I was distracted."Yeah," I nodded. I grabbed my glass and drank my shot straight before getting my phone to call her."What's taking you so long?" I asked when she finally picked up."Do you need help? I can go there." I offered when she said that Jade was drunk. She must be throwing up or something."No, I don't think she'd like that. I'll just call you if I can't handle it," she hurriedly said."Okay," I answered reluctantly. I didn't want to stop talking to her but she had already ended the call. I reluctantly put the phone
YVONNE "Okay," Vlad muttered after the blank silence that passed between us. "Bye," I ended the call and pocketed my phone before turning back to Jade who's now staring at her reflection in the mirror. "You look like shit," I blurt out before I could stop myself. I chewed on my bottom lip. Me and my big mouth! "Yeah, right," she chuckled, which surprised me. I thought she would slam my head on the counter after saying that. She must be really drunk. "Here," I handed her the wet wipes. "Take this." "What am I going to do with that?" she cocked up an eyebrow while eyeing the pack as if it was the filthiest thing she had ever seen. She has a lot in common with Vlad more than I thought. There's no doubt he was the one who raised her. "Eat it," I snapped impatiently when she just kept staring at it. I didn't know she could be stupid when drunk. I snatched a folded wipe from the pack and handed it to her. "Wipe your face," I ordered. Should I record this on video? I bet this is
YVONNE I squeezed my eyes shut. I can feel my world spinning around with my overflowing thoughts and the excessive amount of alcohol in my system. I had the urge to throw up all the contents of my stomach. Who could have done this? I wanted to cry. I tried hard to gulp the lump in my throat. I poured another glassful of whiskey. I drank it straight, wishing it would clear my airways. "Are you trying to get drunk?" I heard Jade laugh beside me. I turned to look at her which I immediately regretted. My dizziness worsened because of the sudden movement. I opened my eyes and tried to focus my vision. "How about you?" I said, my words slurring no matter how I try to keep my tongue straight. "I'll just go to the ladies' room," she said instead of answering my question. "Wait. I'm coming with you," I pulled myself up from my seat and took a deep breath while steadying myself. "Where are you going?" Vlad asked when he noticed us. "To the ladies' room," I said. "Are you okay?" he
YVONNE "I guess," I shrugged, feigning nonchalance when I finally found my tongue to speak. "Why do you ask? Do you know them?" I retorted. "Yes. My father has been doing business with them since the eighties," he boasted. I forced myself to smile despite the annoyance growing inside me. Who are these Rogers? Are they some big shots? Probably. I sighed in relief when he finally let the topic go. He must have felt my indifference on the subject. We ate dinner while they casually talked. Unlike this morning, they aren't talking about business anymore, so I can somehow relate. I laugh with them and answer to the best of my ability every time they try to engage me in the conversation. I glanced at my phone to check the time. Can I sneak back to our hotel room? I don't think they will notice my absence anyway. But I have no choice but to endure. I sighed in relief when the dinner was finally over. Just when I thought that we could go back to the comfort of our suite, I heard the