I twirled in the midnight blue dress in front of my mirror. Sequins like thousand stars shimmered all over the fabric, giving it a celestial look.
Rang a bell?
Yeah. The same dress I eyed shamelessly in the shop that other day...
It was almost nine last night when Aunt Matilde showed up to my apartment with a large box and her signature smile. I supposed she did not know about the incident yet. So as per her statement, she heard about the party and couldn't stop herself from buying me another dress. She also designated it as her way to thank me for sticking up for her to Christina.
I meant to refuse, but the way the curves on her lips tilted downwards, reminded me of Dimitri's countenance upon my rejection, tugging at my heartstrings, and I could not proceed on my intention anymore.
So here I was, wearing the dress and preparing for tonight. It w
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It was no slow dancing anymore. Rather swift and urgent. The violins played at their highest notes, and so did the trumpets or clarinets. The walls echoed in a storm of melodies, and matching them the heels clicked with equal zeal. I didn't know how many times I squashed his feet, nor I was in the state to count, for pure terror gnawed at my chest. He never complained, but he was no gentleman anymore either, as he manhandled me through the floor, twirling me under his arm, reclining me almost to the floor and yanking back to his arms, before spinning me round and round and round until my back hit a wall. It was until the dizziness subsided, did I notice that we were out in a deserted hallway. The proximity at which our bodies almost touched, heated my core. His heavy breathing fanned my face as he watched me with that intensity in those eyes that never failed to transform me into a puddle of wetness.
Soft, warm kiss of the morning sun pulled me out of my dreams. Throwing my hands up, I stretched, a contented yawn leaving my mouth. Opening my eyes, I gazed at my best friend, folding the curtains behind the metal holdbacks and flashed her a smile. "Morning." "Hm someone looks extra bright today." Letting out a chuckle, I pulled my body up to a sitting position. "I slept fine." Coming closer, she sat on the side of my bed and smirked. "Sure. Lemme guess the reason." I shook my head, laughing. Yeah, pushing aside the guilt, I was happy. So much, I hadn't dreamed so well in what felt like decades. Sure the presence of the lies gnawed at my chest, but I had the right to be happy as well, even if it meant only for a day or two. I knew I was being selfish, but I was so tremendously terrified to face the consequences, it gave me panic attacks just thi
"What? Are you sure?" Finishing my survey of the event that would be held in one of the hotels owned by the Kingstons, I was heading out when Jeremy, Sunshine Retirement's head guard called. "Yes. Positive, Haze," he talked in a hushed tone, probably hiding somewhere. "Montero added two more guards outside the building, and one is fucking armed." I froze in my spot. Did he find out my plan or something? No, he couldn't. None who knew the matter would betray me ever. But then what the hell was he doing? "Haze? You have to do something fast. It's getting dangerous working here. I've to literally fight my wife every night." "I know. I'm sorry." "Look, if this keeps going on, I won't be able to stay here for long." Closing my eyes, I heaved a heated sigh. How could he threaten to give up at such hour when the senior home
The day started like any other, sunny and with a sweet 'good morning' text from Dimitri. But my heart drummed an entirely different rhythm. There was this constant quick beating of anticipation, along with the emphatic beats of excitement and fear, for it was a different day. It was the day of salvation, both for the seniors and I. Come tomorrow, I would be free as a bird.Finishing my morning routine, I sat at the breakfast table. The delicate aroma of Pancakes couldn't enthrall me today as I stuffed my mouth with just enough to pull me through the day."Slow down, Haze. You're eating like a pig," Brooke complained from the other side."Nom time, Brookie," I said, cramming more inside my mouth, not stopping to relish the taste."Brookie? Oh my God, Hazel, you have lost your mind," she bursted out, cackling, and like the contagious disease it was, I could not control myself either.
Dimitri's POV~ "Sir, I know you told me not to spy on Ms Green, but I found out something about her just now, and I think you would very much like to know," Douglas, my private investigator reported. I frowned both from annoyance and curiosity. "What?" "She had been seen in contact with the manager of Residential Real Estate Brokerage & Management. Apparently, she has been trying to buy twenty apartments from them," he stated. I sat up straight in my seat, blinking slightly, and that little bastard smirked, knowing he got my attention. "Why would she suddenly need twenty apartments?" In response he shrugged. "I didn't do any further research as per your order, sir." He got the audacity to possess a smug look. Ignoring him, I swiveled around in my chair to my backdrop. Nothing that woman did made any sense
"If you harm any of the elders, I'm gonna go to the cops," I gritted out. Talking to this man only gave me disgust and loath."Threatening your father now, Hazie?"My grip tightened around my phone. "Stop saying that. You're not my father, and you will never be!"Silence prevailed for a moment at the other side, before he replied, "Call me only when you have the folder." His tone had thickened with anger. "And just so you know, the Deputy Chief is my good bud."Then the call went dead."Argh!" I screamed at the phone, running my fingers through my hair and pulling at it. How could someone be such cruel? How could he hold a bunch of old helpless people hostage just so he could gain someone else's hard work by fraudulent? Was he born without a conscience or a heart? Definitely both. But he couldn't stop me anymore. It was high time Dimitri knew of his monstr
My head whipped to the entrance, and a sharp, icy chill ran down my spine. I could hear Blake's short breaths beside me matching mine. "I knew it." Jazmine's lips flattened as she glared at me. "You truly are a gold digger," saying that, she turned away, walking to the elevator. "What? No, wait! Jazmine, stop. It's not what you think it is." I dashed after her, my adrenal spiking, but before I could reach, the doors dinged to a close. "Please, wait." I banged on the metal, panic clutching my heart. Some of the employees roaming around in the hallway, gave me a weird look like I had gone crazy. "Haze, stop. Let's go. Let's get out of here." Blake grabbed my arms and tugged me to the other lift. "No." I shook my head. This couldn't be over. Not like this. He could not find out like this when I was this close to telling him everything myself. It was better he knew from me
"What is it?" I frowned, eyeing the envelope."See for yourself." He streched it more to me, and I took it, tearing the top and sliding the paper out in my hand. Unfolding it, I examined the content, my frown deepening."He is transferring me to New York, a thousand miles away from you," Blake worded it for me, anger lacing in his voice.I gave the paper back to him, looking down and pretending to fix the sleeve of my sweatshirt. "It is good. Everything is over. You should keep away.""What!" His face creased in astonishment. "Hazel, what did this man do to you?" He looked at me like I had transformed into a ghost."He saved me, so many times," I told him."So did I," he retorted."I don't deny it." I looked him in the eye, hoping he could read the fear and concern in my face. "That is why I am asking you to leave, so wh
Makeup is not a mask. Makeup is art. Makeup is Passion. Makeup is an expression. I found the quote to be true when my eyes fell on the mirror, and I gawked at the girl staring back. Her hair was swept up in a messy ballerina bun with curls falling around her round face, and her makeup was immaculately perfect. Smokey eyeshadow under freshly waxed eyebrows, made the baby blue in her eyes pop like a blue lagoon in a dark cave, and light pink lipstick adorned her lips in complement to the blush on her cheeks. My finger grazed along one of my flawless contoured cheekbones in awe. I felt like a pretty princess, fresh out of a disney castle. "Do you like it?" Caroline questioned, from beside me. She was the head of the makeup team Dimitri hired for me, the ultimate make-up queen. "I look so beautiful!" I gushed. &nbs
Tip-tap, tip-tap, like the steps of little babies, the seniors rushed out of the house on the front porch. Curiosity laced in their eyes, and excitement was expressed in the way their hands jerked. Standing before them, I cleared my throat. "Actually, I have brought someone to meet y'all today," I announced, not being able to hide the smile tearing through my lips continuously. "Who?" Lauren perked. "Who is it?" Ben asked, craning his head from side to side to look behind me as if I hid someone there. "Is it another new member?" Dorothy joined in the questioning spree. Chuckling at them, I glanced at the Rolls Royce awaiting in the driveway and gestured with my head. "Come out." Everyone's wandering gazes turned to that direction as the car door opened ajar and stayed like that for a few moments. The anticipation was
My eyes widened to their limits, before a body collided into mine, flying us into the hard floor. More screams resonated throughout the hall and more gunshots could be heard, but all that occupied my mind were those terrifying words. "Are you okay, Hazel?" Sylvester asked from above me, his eyes frantically scanning over my body. "He killed my mother," I muttered. "I'm sorry about that," he replied with pity lacing his voice. "He killed my mother," I repeated, letting the news sink in my head. Suddenly the world began to blur before my eyes, and time slowed down. All these years, I had been associating with my mother's killer. I had been believing his lies, thinking she died from a heart attack while... "He murdered her..." "Hazel?" "Montero killed her..." I gasped, but no air reached my l
I tip-toed inside, closing the door behind me and making sure a certain someone suspected. But before he came, I glanced around, messed through the drawers and shelves, finally spotting the file I had given Montero on the day of my doom. My smirk broadened as I fished out the lighter, I snatched from one of the guards at the front gate and lit it. That's when the door shot open and before me stood Montero's most loyal guard dog, Ryan. His eyes widened as I brought the papers in contact with the fire and they shrunk back, turning ashen little by little. "You bitch!" he screamed, pulling the file out of my hand and hauling it at the floor. His foot stepped over the papers repeatedly until the fire came to a cease. Then his crazed eyes turned to me, and he launched towards me, gripping my neck, hurling me against the wall behind. My heart curtailed in fear in one corner of my chest, but I faced him head on, sending him the best
The majestic, silvery hue of the night stretched over the calm water of the Michigan lake, yet it could not penetrate the depth where she held her darkest arcanum. Just like the crisp breeze that blew past me, yet failed to pacify the turmoil inside. I felt like I was in a vessel, lost and deserted far in the sea, with no direction to where I headed. Did he know something all this time? Or did he not? Those questions kept swirling in my head like an ingenious dolphin spinning over the surface of the sea. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that Dimitri might have known about my secret for God knew how long, yet he kept quiet. But... "Why?" A deep, low masculine voice sounded from behind, and I whipped around, a small frown appearing in between my brows. Dimitri stood there, a few feet away, just as still as the lake, but in those frazzled eyes, danced so many emotions.&n
Time seemed to slow down as we stared at each other. His eyes were blazing while mine probably showed hurt. I couldn't take the fact that he might have gotten back with Catherine. He perhaps replaced me already. But my thoughts came to a stop when the glass in his hand suddenly popped, and red liquid slowly dripped down his hand. What was concerning was that the drink he was having, was ember in color, not red. "Dimitri," I gasped. His eyes lifted to glare at me one more time, before he turned and strode away. "Wait, Dimitri." I was about to run behind him when a hand wrapped around my arm, stopping me. "Nah ah, now where do you think you're going?" Catherine spoke in her thin, high-pitched voice, her nails digging in my flesh. "He is hurt. He needs his hand treated," I gritted out.
"Here is your room, dear. Mr Montero will see you in the morning," saying Cora left. I nodded, my backpack slipping off my shoulder and falling on the marble floor with a thud. Following it, I slid against the door, cocooning myself into a ball. I was exhausted, so much I lacked the mere energy to lift my eyelids and take a look at the new inferno I had casted myself into. Not that I had not fought, because I did. I called a couple more personnels, literally begging them, but no one gutted enough to embroil with the Kingstons. So, once again, I was left with no more choices... *** "Hazel? Dearie, wake up. Hazel, darling?" I felt myself being shaken. Fluttering my eyes open, I tilted my head, only to feel a sharp ache shooting through my neck. A groan left me as I shut my eyes tight. "Are you okay, honey? Is it cramps? Why did you
Climbing into my car, I revved up the engine. It sickened me, thinking about where I was about to go, but for my brother, I was ready to cross all the oceans in the world. On the way, I passed the street that I had crossed five days a week for the past few months to go to work. But today as I drove away from it, it felt like I was driving away from my home, from a place that I had gotten so accustomed to that it physically hurt just from trying not to look that way. It was like my heart and mind was still there inside that fuscous cabin, only my body ran away, far away from that place. My eyes darted to my phone, and I had to employ all my willpower to restrain myself from reaching it and calling Dimitri again. Instead I drew out the pendant from inside my dress and clutched on it. I wondered if he felt the same, if he thought about me, if that burning yearning gnawed at his chest as well. But then a shaky sigh escaped my lips, rem
My eyes opened from the silky, warm rays of the morning sun, gracing my face and moved to my hand, dangling from the edge. White strips embraced my palm and fingers diagonally. I frowned, running my other hand through my hair and pressing it over my skull. My head throbbed like someone hammered it with utter hatred. Sitting upright, I looked back at my injured hand, inspecting it. What happened to me? My mind was blank. I couldn't remember a thing. Dragging myself out of the bed, I stood up, only to fall back down as the room began to spin. Groaning, I stayed put for another minute till the phase passed and got back to my feet. "Brooke?" I called, but no sound came out as my throat felt excessively sored, like someone had been rubbing sandpaper over it for days. Exiting my room, I looked around, spotting no one in sight. "Brooke?" I tried to call again, and a series of dry coughs left me. Careenin