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
VLADIMIRI clenched my teeth after talking to Jade. I wished I could have spoken to Yvonne as well, but Jade seemed frantic. I kept telling her to give the damned phone to my wife but she just kept crying for help!It's understandable. I know she's scared, but...Fuck."Yvonne thinks they were in a yacht," I told them. "Mike, call our techs. See if they could track her phone.""Got it, boss," he nodded."We have speedboats," Smith said. "We could use them.""It might be too late. They could have gotten far by now," I hissed through gritted teeth. "I need a chopper!""It's impossible to wait for our chopper, Boss," Mike said grimly.I know."We don't have one, but I know someone who does," Eric said."Then what are we waiting for?" I snapped. "Let's go! I can pay! I don't care how much it takes!""We should let the others use speedboats, though. The chopper could only carry a few people," he said."Fine," I huffed. "Mike, you know what to do."I wasn't in the right headspace to give or
VLADIMIRLife seemed to flash right in front of my eyes.I will fucking kill him!"Vlad," Yvonne called my name desperately.My heart was breaking as I heard her sob. The skin on her chest, stomach, and thighs was full of cut wounds that looked familiar to me. He whipped her.How dare he do this?!Fortunately, I don't see any major injuries or bleeding on her."Let her go," I was surprised by the calmness in my voice. It was in great contrast to how I truly felt. I wanted to lunge at him immediately and strangle him with my bare hands until his eyes popped out of his head.But I have to keep my cool to avoid rash decisions that might endanger Yvonne even more. My eyes zoned in on the sharp edge of the knife held against her kneck.Fuck. One wrong move and it could cost me her life."I'm the one you want, right?" I muttered tauntingly while staring at him.He chuckled while staring back at me but didn't say anything."Who are you?" I hissed. "What do you want from me?"He chuckled. I'm
YVONNEI grabbed onto him, not wanting to let him go. I want to be in his arms."No, please..." I begged him to stay.My whole body is aching for his touch. For the safety that his warm embrace offered, but this may not be the right time to be clingy. He still had to deal with that man. I should try to understand.I bit my lip when he turned his back on me. It pained me to watch him walk away.I held the sheet wrapped around me like it was my lifeline. I was still naked underneath, but it was thick enough to protect me against the cold.I was right, we were on a ship in the middle of the dark sea. I couldn't be more thankful that Vlad found me when he did. It could have been worse.But wait...My eyes roamed around to look for Jade but I couldn't see her anywhere. Oh my god. Did they torture her too?"Where's Jade?" I croaked, asking no one in particular. "She was there with me!" I panicked but the men around quickly calmed me down."Don't worry. They already found her," one of the me
VLADIMIRI gently tucked her in. I wanted to stay beside her but I had to make some calls. I need to get to the bottom of this. I called Blaze to tell him what to do."Make sure the hospital is heavily guarded. I want men stationed outside her hospital room and around the vicinity," I told him.I will drop her off at the hospital as soon as we land. At first, I thought of just sending our doctor to the penthouse. That would be safer, but she needs to be checked thoroughly. I want to be sure she's alright."Okay, I will make some arrangements," he replied.An ambulance was waiting for us at the airport when we landed."What's happening?" Yvonne confusedly asked when she saw paramedics approaching."You need to be checked," I told her."Why? I'm okay now," she frowned. "I just wanted to go home and rest.""I know," I sighed. "Trust me, that's what I want too. But we need to make sure you're okay. You don't need to stay here for long, after the tests, you can go home."I can still see def
YVONNE"We need to run some tests, as per Mr. Lewis' order. He wanted a general check-up to be done to make sure that you're okay. First, we need to get your blood sample...." the doctor explained while a nurse checked my vitals. Her voice sounded distant to my ears.A bitter taste filled my mouth as exhaustion started to defeat my whole body."I need to check your wounds," I heard her say, to which I only groaned in response.The nurse helped me take off my clothes. Cold seeped through my skin. I turned to look away, avoiding to see the pity in their eyes as my wounds came into view."Nurse..." I heard the doctor call, but I didn't bother to look at what they were doing.They made me sit on the bed as they simultaneously cleaned my wounds. I bit my lip to stop myself from whimpering in pain. Some of the cuts made by the thin leather whip were so deep that they needed to be stitched.After making sure that my back had no injuries, they made me lay down on the bed. A lone tear rolled f
YVONNEMy body temperature seemed to drop by numerous degrees. I suddenly find it hard to breathe.Why? Why now? I mean, I knew it was coming when I saw that blind item on the internet, but..."I'm so sorry..." Dave muttered. Silence filled the room as my mind spiraled down into a deep abyss of destruction. What a perfect timing! I just got kidnapped and tortured for goodness' sake!As if that wasn't enough, I have to wake up to this?! I wanted to scream to ease the tension inside my chest.Is it the reason why Vlad hasn't come to visit me? Has he seen it already?Of course, he did!"I want to go home," I said with conviction when I finally found my tongue. Dave looked at me with confusion."But..," he tried to disagree."Please," I cut him off. "I just want to get out of here." I was on the verge of lashing out. My breaths were shallow and rapid.I feel like a ticking bomb that might explode any minute now. I heard him sigh."I'll see what I can do," he said before going out of the
VLADIMIR"What the fuck do you mean?" I grumbled in a low but threatening voice.Blaze looked pale. For the first time, I've seen fear in his eyes."Raoul escaped," he repeated.Fuck. I clenched my fists, trying so hard to keep my shit together, but it was too late. I lost it. Before I could control myself, my fist had already landed on Blaze's jaw."How the hell did this happen?!" I growled, my voice echoing around us.The man was fucking chained to the walls! There's no way he could escape without anyone helping him!"Who helped him?" I hissed through gritted teeth."We're already checking the CCTV foota-"I grabbed him by the collar, cutting off whatever bullshit he would spew."Vladimir, calm down," he muttered."Are you the one sabotaging me, huh?!" I asked him accusingly."What?!" he frowned. He tried to push my hands away from him but I didn't let him go."Vlad, you know I can't do that!" he snapped while looking straight into my eyes. "I was gone! Didn't you ask me to trace wh
VLADIMIR"Where have you been?" Jade asked when she saw me.I went to the warehouse after leaving the shelter. I thought I could use work as a distraction."I'd been trying to reach you for days now," she said."What's the matter?" I frowned."You need to sign these documents," she put some folders on my desk. I just glanced at them lazily. I'm not in the mood to work, but I don't want to go home either."By the way," she looked at me reluctantly. "I heard Riva was back. Are you okay? What happened?"I sighed heavily. This is the last thing I want to talk about."I'm busy," I stated dismissively.She glanced at the untouched files on my table, then looked back at me."You look like a mess," she commented.I chuckled humorlessly. I know.A knock on the door stopped me from talking back. I let whoever it is go in. Matias pushed the door open."Boss," he greeted while looking at me. He briefly glanced at Jade before looking back at me."You can go now," I told her. She looked like she wa
VLADIMIR"This project is important for the company's image right now. I can't afford to let you mess it up."What the hell am I talking about? Fucking asshole!She's right. What the fuck am I doing here? I gritted my teeth frustratingly.I stared at her as she glared at me as if she wanted to kill me. I took it as a chance to really look at her.She looked so different now. From her hair to her clothes and just her overall aura. She must have lost a few pounds. Did she do it on purpose? I don't know...Her long hair is cropped down to her chin, which shows her long, slender neck.I wanted to kiss her senselessly, to run my tongue along the sensitive skin behind her ear down to her shoulder, but I had to stop myself. Not just because we were in front of other people, but because I already lost the right to do so.I shifted on my feet uncomfortably. I can't believe I'm getting a fucking a hard-on in the middle of this argument!Fuck this.She sighed while shaking her head before walkin
YVONNEI looked at Vladimir, who seemed to be busy with something on his phone. His forehead was creased while he stared at its screen. He picked up his cup to take a sip of coffee before pressing the screen with his long fingers.My cheeks heated profusely at the sight of them lazily tapping on the keyboard. Damn. Vivid images from my dream the other day played inside my head. I gulped an imaginary lump in my throat as I tried to shake the dirty, dirty thoughts that started to pollute my mind.And here I thought I was getting better from my hypersexuality ever since I started the therapy. I sighed.I hadn't even thought about sex for a while! I had been so busy at the shelter I barely had time for myself. I'm usually dead on my feet by night, so all I want to do is sleep.Vladimir must have something to do with it. He can easily rouse the deepest, darkest desires that I thought I had completely shunned. He's really a devil in disguise! A walking temptation...Just look at him now. He
VLADIMIRThe next morning, I found myself driving to the shelter. When I realized what I was doing, I wanted to curse myself.Fuck. What is happening to me?After hitting the brake, I slammed my hand into the steering wheel. I massaged the bridge of my nose frustratedly while taking a harsh breath.Why am I making it a big deal? LGC Foundation is under my company. It's only normal to know what was going on with its projects, right?Right. That makes sense...With those thoughts, I headed to the shelter only to find Yvonne still wasn't there. I glanced at my wristwatch. It's only a few minutes before eight in the morning. She must be on her way so I decided to return to my car and wait.My jaw clenched when I saw her come out of that man's car. I went out to confront her. I was almost blinded with rage but I tried to keep myself together. It's okay. She's single now. She can go out with anyone she wants.Bitter bile drenched my tongue."If you have nothing else to say, I still have a l
YVONNE"Ahh..." I couldn't stop my moans. It's hard to admit it, but I missed this. I missed him. So bad...I clung onto his nape to pull him even closer. I kissed him back with the same intensity. And it seems like he has no plans on stopping soon.And I have no plan to fight him either...I felt Vlad taking steps away from the wall while still carrying me. The next thing I knew, he had already made me sit on top of my wooden desk. One swipe and I heard the papers rustling as they fell onto the floor. It all happened without having to break the kiss we were sharing.He pressed his hips onto mine, making me aware of his heavy arousal. I couldn't help but moan again. He pushed me down the table until my upper body was already lying on its cold surface. My legs are still wrapped around his hips. His kisses moved down to my jaw, then further down to my neck."Uhh!" I moaned when his tongue darted out and started laving on the sensitive skin of
YVONNETime stood still as I watched him walk towards me. My breathing hitched. I was torn between fleeing and running toward him."You are late," he muttered when he stopped right in front of me.He only said three words. Three words that were enough to turn my world upside down. I found myself staring into his eyes once again and I just knew it.Yesterday may have been a coincidence, but this one is certainly not.Why is he here? I know the shelter is under his foundation but he rarely goes there! I'd been working in the LGC Foundation for a few months, but the only times he had been there was because of me!Was it wrong to assume that he was here for... Me?But why?Did he suddenly realize that he missed me when he saw me yesterday? Did he wake up this morning and finally acknowledge he wanted me back?Tss. Stop dreaming. I quietly told myself."Good morning, Vladimir," I heard Dr. Phil.I took a deep breath before taking a glance at him. I must have completely forgotten about his
YVONNEI woke up to find Selene cooking breakfast. The mouthwatering scent of whatever she was making woke me up from my dreamless slumber."I'm sorry I rummaged through your kitchen," she said unapologetically."It's fine," I muttered my mind still dazed with sleep. I wanted to stay in bed but unfortunately, I can't.It's Monday and I needed to go to work. I groaned while pushing myself to get up. I barely got any sleep last night. Vladimir occupied my thoughts until the wee hours of the morning. At this rate, he should seriously pay me rent. Damn it."You look like shit," Selene chuckled."Tss, tell me about it," I scoffed."You can use some coffee. Do you want me to make some for you?" she asked."Don't bother. I'll do it," I said.I made a cup for both of us. We ate together in silence. It was the kind of silence that felt welcoming though. "Will you go to the shelter today?" I asked her."Later," she replied. "I have a therapy session with Dr. Gomez."We have a few therapists in
YVONNEI missed him. God, I missed him.I am so close to jumping on him. My whole body ached for him. I wanted to hug him. Kiss him. But I can't...Riva is just outside, waiting on their table..."If you have nothing else to say, I'd like to leave, please," I told him before I changed my mind.Thankfully, he didn't argue anymore. I have to muster all my strength to force myself to walk away from him. My heart felt like breaking at each step I took.I gasped. My eyes widened when I realized who was in front of me. As if it wasn't torture enough, here comes Riva who must be going to the washroom. This is the first time I'd be seeing her up close.I clenched my jaw to keep a straight face as we walked past each other. I couldn't help but glance at her face.She looked better now than the first time I saw her. Of course, she's with Vladimir now!My heart was beating so fast, I think it could jump out of my ribcage! My knees were buckling when I got back to our table. I drew a long breath,
VLADIMIRTime seemed to stop as I watched her in slow motion. It's as if the whole world ceased to exist. All I could see was her.What the hell is she doing here?!I mean, I know this place is near the shelter but I never thought I would bump into her, let alone eat in the same restaurant!And why the hell is that man's hands all over her? Why is she letting him touch her?!My fingers tightened around the utensils in my hands as I watched him gently guide her in as if she couldn't walk on her own!What is the meaning of this? I glanced at their table where Dave and the other woman sat. Are they out on a double date? Who is the man she's with? Does Dave know him?My jaw clenched as I watch the asshole pull out a chair for Yvonne. How long has it been since the divorce was finalized? One week? Two weeks?It doesn't matter. The point is, it hasn't been long. But she's already here going out on a date looking so fucking beautiful!Fuck. Wait. Did I just compliment her?I scanned her from