Every time the door opens, Eddie and the hitman, as I learn his name is Solomon, would come and interrogate me, and I always give him the same answer. With that answer, I get tortured for the wrong answer.Luckily, it didn't harm the baby. Behind Eddie's back, Solomon would give me something to eat, like fruit, a sandwich, or another candy bar to keep my strength up, but a snack wasn't enough. Sometimes he would leave a water bottle, and I would preserve it. He also gave me a battery camping lamp to make this damp slightly brighter.But it sucks I have to pee every hour. Eddie had one of his goons place a bucket in the corner.There are no windows, so I wonder if it's day or night. I guess the stories about Effie and Lily being kidnapped also happen to me.Why do the pretty ones always get kidnapped?I caress my stomach and hurry back to lean against the wall. I close my eyes and hum a lullaby tone like when Leo was in my belly.My energy decreases every minute, and I'm worried about
I keep looking behind me past Solomon, who is guarding my exit. The tunnel felt like an endless road to nowhere. I wasn't sure Eddie knows where he is going.Solomon caught me staring and shook his head like always. I made a long face and faced forward and sighed. He claims Don will come to rescue me but when? I've been waiting for more than hours to go and get me from this bastard.I'm having doubts about believing Solomon that Don will rescue me and take me home to be with my family, son, friends, and him.Where are you, Don?I place my hand over my stomach and pray. Pray hard to God that my unborn child will not be in danger whatever happens to me."We are here." I hear Eddie say in awe.Bright illuminating light blind my eyes as the tunnel reach the end. Before I could get my vision, I slowly opened them as they grew twice as wide as my average size.What I'm looking at is unbelievable. It's not possible. I don't even know how to explain such an exceptional architecture."Look how
"Hello?" I make out a cough as my eyes wander around in complete darkness. "Eddie? Solomon? Anyone?"My voice echoes as I reach to feel anything that tells me where the hidden door is, but all I can think of is a stone-cold wall."Solomon?" I called out again, and after I did, my footstep on a stone that suddenly lit torches all around me and a hallway.I call out Solomon's name because calling Eddie is a no-no.I took a step forward again until my foot hit something.I look down and see a skeleton on the ground. I scream at the top of my lungs, backing away as I trip and fall on my ass to something complex. I turn my head and see more skeletons on the ground piled. I panic and move away quickly, taking a breather and calming my beating heart."This place is more of a graveyard than a burial for a princess." I pat my chest where my heart lies as I calm.Remembering my hands are tied, I look around for anything sharp. Found a dagger with a chipped tip. I started to see the binding as m
I scratch another tally on the ground using a rock as the tool. I count the number of an hour to indicate the time being stuck here.Figures Eddie or Solomon still needs to figure out the secret door entry of this place.Besides tally markings, I count the small fishes in the water, pluck flowers to make a flower crown, and reread the story of Princess Amihan. After reading, there is a rough charcoal sketch of the princess on the book's last page. I couldn't believe she looked like me. The eyes, the shape of my face, the chubby cheeks, it's like looking at my long-lost twin sister from old age. How come NayNay never told me about the princess and her story? Did she not want me to learn about the princess's wealth and that crazy people would use me to get the treasure? Sure, it sounds like what is happening now with Eddie. Not waiting for my baby daddy to come and rescue us, and by us, I mean the unborn baby and me. I got up, brushed the dust off my pants, and looked around for an
"Don?" I whisper his name, relief that he is here, yet his expression seems as if he is unhappy about something. "Well, Mr. Wolfe," Eddie cut me off before I could charge Don. "Is the plane ready?" "Yes, sir." What? I shift my eyes back and forth at the man I love and the one I loathed. Do they know each other? But how? "Don, where are Leo and Christ?" Where are the boys?" "They are safe." His tone of voice makes it sound like he has done something wrong. I shift my eyes back at Eddie, then return to Don. "Don, do you know Eddie?" He didn't answer, which means of his silent reply he knew. "Of course, Claire, darling, you know Donovan Wolfe," Eddie answers and gestures to Don. "This man I hired to help me look for the treasure. Who would've thought of all people who know him." I glare at him as he laughs, continuing to run his mouth. "Besides being an ex-military, he works for me as a mercenary. He did various jobs to keep his family whatever they needed." Eddie stops and lo
Tapping my finger and shaking my leg, just sitting on a cargo box with Solomon by my side guarding me as usual. I hate to admit I don't mind the company. I mean, he usually doesn't talk much.Mordecai has been down there at most ten minutes, well, maybe more. I don't know; I don't have a watch to tell what fucking time it is. But when I asked Solomon, he told me it had been twelve minutes.I watch angrily at Eddie yelling at his men to go down there. Then I shift my eyes at Don, who instantly looks my way. I gave him the glare and snob at him, looking the other way."Jerk," I mutter.Solomon heard me, but I wasn't quiet about it. Don is a jerk. A big-fat-traitor jerk!"You should have let Don explain," Solomon says, catching my attention.I snort, then say venomously, "And why should I?""Although we work for Eddie, he only did it because he has something Don wants."I shift my body to look up at him with curious brows on my face. "Something Don wants? What is it?""Don has to tell yo
"Solomon, put me down," I say to him for the hundredth time, but this big buffoon won't listen as he carries me toward the makeshift elevator.We are getting close, and Solomon won't let me go so I can save Don.I can't let him stay with Eddie and die.We are close to the elevator, and I need to think quickly.Looking around and biting my nail, I did the one thing I could think of in this situation.Abdominal pain."Oh," I pretended to be in pain, making Solomon stop."What's wrong, he asks?" With a concerned look as he put me down.I made a large rock as a chair and touched my stomach, doing as much acting to be in pain. Those lessons at private schools paid off. I wasn't a professional, but I could fake pain like having a period, but in this case, having a baby."My stomach hurts," I hiss and try as much be overreacting to fool a man. "Can you find a doctor or someone?""I'll call Kit, and he will see - shit!" He curses under his breath. "My radio is back there. I'll carry you."Bef
I sneak out of the tunnel to another empty area to find one of Eddie's men pacing back and forth with a gun. "It seems he is the only one here," I whisper. I hid behind a cargo box and started with a quick plan.I'm no fighter like Ares and the boys, even brave like Thea and quick-witted like Effie, who is learning martial arts from Terry. I'm not as courageous, but I am competent in this situation. Like when I sneak out to meet with Jessi to watch an R-rated movie. My first time sneaking out, and I completely fooled my parents. I had put a tablet of mom's sleeping pills in their tea, just a little dose. My parents didn't want me to hang out with Jessi because she was a bad influence, but she was the only friend I could count on. Those girls I call friends are fakes. It's also the reason for me going to an all-girls school."Think, C.J., think," I look around and instantly spot an empty beer bottle on top of the box. It got me an idea.Carefully grabbing the bottle, I thought of two