**Valerie**I opened the door and Lucas walked in. “You didn't really kill her, right?” I asked immediately, a little scared about what his answer would be. He just shrugged. “I didn't.” “So why did…” The words died in my mouth when I looked outside to see a sleek black Rolls Royce stop in front of my apartment, and Calvin stepped out of it. Then he walked over to where we were standing, and after exchanging brief pleasantries with me, he turned to Lucas and handed him a key.And in a moment, Calvin was gone as quickly as he came and without the car he'd come in.Lucas shifted his gaze to me before he winked. “Seems like you have two cars now,” he muttered, handing me the set of keys Calvin had just given him. “And this one would keep you safe should your enemies decide that a shootout is a better option this time.”What? This is about the attack? My mind reeled, a thousand thoughts trooping in. But damn!! "You bought me a Rolls Royce!?" He frowned a little, somewhat surprised at m
**Valerie**His brows furrowed, his forehead wrinkling, but he didn't say a word about it. “Good night, Val, I'll see you tomorrow." He planted a brief kiss on my forehead before getting into his car and driving off.***************************The sound of my phone ringing woke me up the next morning.“Still asleep?” I yawned, wiping my heavy eyelid with the back of my palm. “I'm awake now.”“Okay, I'm waiting,” Lucas's voice came out clearer this time.Waiting? I immediately sat up and jumped off my bed, my feet taking long strides towards the window.I got there just in time to see Lucas step out of his car and Calvin drive away with it. He leaned against my new car, his eyes shifting to my now-open window, and I blushed.“It'll take a while for me to get ready,” I pointed out.He did a small bow, making me chuckle. “At your service, milady.”I grinned, feeling the butterflies in my stomach churn. “Are you going to keep standing like that till I'm done?” “Don't worry, that's what
**Third person**As she screamed, Karen felt herself falling, her legs giving way beneath her. She hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her.Adam woke up from his sleep, his eyes wide with concern. "Karen, what's wrong?" he questioned, rushing to her side.But Karen couldn't speak. She was frozen in terror, her eyes fixed on the photograph and the note that seemed to sear itself into her brain.“Karen,” he called out again, frantic, and he shook her shoulders aggressively, snapping her out of her daze. “What happened?” Karen's eyes remained fixed on the photo, tears streaming out. "This... this was in my drawer. It's Ashley,” her eyes clouded with fear as she gripped Adam's shoulder, her eyes screaming a silent plea for him to save her from this madness. “She's co... She's coming for me,” Karen whispered, listening to how crazy she sounded by voicing that out.“Shh…” Adam whispered back, pulling Karen into an embrace and pressing her head against his chest. “Ashley's dead. S
**Valerie**“Damn it,” he exclaimed, a loud laugh escaping before he quickly stifled it, likely concerned about being overheard. “It’s like you’re literally my soulmate. You just know the right things to do.”I clenched my jaw, tired of all his idiotic remarks. “I'll take that as a yes then.”“So, do you feel better after doing this to Karen? Your voice doesn’t sound excited,” Adam observed, finally acknowledging my mood throughout the call.“She tried to take my life. It'll take a few more pranks to do the trick.”“Sure, sure. I have to go now, okay? I love you so much, and I will keep fighting for your love.”I instantly cringed at his words. Yeah… Jackie Chan.“Great choice,” I nodded, too tired to drag out the conversation. I stretched my arms and yawned after the call ended. Hearing Karen's fearful screams had brought some kind of comfort, and I decided that it was finally time to get some sleep. *******I managed only a few hours of sleep before the sound of my phone ringing p
**Valerie**At 12:05 pm, we'd just crossed the Brooklyn Bridge, the Manhattan skyline unfolding before us. I turned to glance at Lucas, whose eyes were focused on the road. “Where are we going?” I asked, intrigued.He smirked, his eyes still glued to his front. “Again, patience is a virtue, milady.”“Just so you know, I know a bit of karate in case you're planning to kidnap me,” I joked.“Interesting,” he hummed. “But if that were the case, your skills would be useless against a black belt-er.”I huffed loudly, and he laughed, even though I was somewhat impressed by the fact that he's damn good at everything. Leaning back against my chair, I allowed my eyes to roam the bustling streets of New York as I watched the scenery go by.After a few more minutes of driving, we arrived at a rooftop helipad. I spotted a sleek helicopter with its rotors whirring softly. I leaned forward, my curiosity piqued. "Okay, what's going on?" Lucas got out of the car and moved over to open my door. He w
**Valerie** I stood in front of the full-length mirror in my bedroom, admiring my new bob hairstyle for the last time before I headed downstairs, where Lucas was already waiting for me. "Hey," I greeted, buckling my seatbelt as soon as I entered the car. He glanced at me with a smile and brushed my cheek gently. "You look great." My heart did a stupid flip, and I blushed. "Thanks." As soon as the drive started, I mentally began to go over how I hoped today would turn out. The music playing from the speakers served as a backdrop as my mind reeled... searching for loopholes, and I so hoped to God that there were none. I glanced at Lucas humming to the music, and I was glad that we'd reached the stage of comfortable silence between us, where neither of us felt pressured with bringing up topics to be discussed, where we both understood that sometimes, silence was indeed golden. As usual, Lucas walked me to the huge doors of Harrison Enterprises when we arrived. And today again, I w
**Third person**Karen walked alongside Adam, her heels clicking on the polished floor. "I'm excited to see the new presentation room," she said to him, sounding enthusiastic.Adam smiled, his eyes glinting with a mischievous light. "I know you'll be impressed.""I hope this isn't all talk," she teased, and he laughed. Though a little too loud for her statement.As soon as they got to the door, Adam pulled out his phone. "Please let me just check on something real quick. You should go ahead."Karen entered the room and shut the door behind her, a small smile tugging on her lips at the impressive hall. And just then, her phone began to ring. She glanced at the caller ID, her fingers swiping on the screen quickly, and then she pressed the device against her ear. "Report.""It cost me a lot of resources to do a series of investigations... But I finally found the owner of that car," a man's voice came through the receiver. "So you'll have to pay double beca-""Tell me who the bastard was
**Third person**“I should leave now.” Matt stood up abruptly, clearing his throat and picking up his phone. “I, um... I have some work to…”“Yeah, yeah,” I cut him off, my palms rubbing my thighs nervously as I looked around. “You should leave.” The tension in the room was almost choking me.“No need to walk me out; I’ll go myself.”I nodded. “Yeah, sure, you should do that.”I let out a deep breath after I heard the door shut. Then I reached for the cup and emptied the contents at a go.My mind reeled with thoughts, uncertainty twisting my insides. I entered my room and grabbed a coat and my keys, deciding to go for a ride.After about half an hour of driving around town, I found myself at Lucas’s gate. Maybe my body was trying to tell me what I needed tonight—good dick.My subconscious tugged at me for reducing him to just a body part when I knew that he was so much more. I knew that too. It’s just that… If I said that I craved his company, wouldn’t it sound like I’m falling for hi
**Third person**Inside the hospital, Angela kept pacing around the waiting area. She couldn't let Lucas do the DNA test on her baby, else he'll find out what she was hiding.Is it even possible to do a DNA test this early in pregnancy? She thought.Valerie and Lucas were seated on the same bench, but Val had made sure to put enough distance between them. Calvin stood behind Lucas.Lucas's phone beeped, and he stepped away to answer the call."Mrs. Smith finally woke up, but briefly," Elliot reported.Lucas nodded thoughtfully, still confused himself at why Valerie had chosen to help Karen."Okay, there's no need to inform Miss Thorne now," Lucas instructed. "Maybe you can call her by evening."'Call me selfish, but I didn't want anything that'll take Val away from what we were doing here,' he thought to himself."Okay, sir."He hung up and then signaled for Calvin to come over.While Calvin and Lucas were away, Angela looked at Valerie. "So is this what you want?" Angela hissed, her
**Lucas**I'd been waiting all morning for Valerie to show up. Then I saw my competition—Matthew— arrive and my jaw tightened. But it immediately loosened when I saw Valerie arrive.Even all that had happened on her yacht, she still looked stunning. She had her hair packed up in a ponytail, and she was clad in a pink tank top and free jeans.I didn't want to approach them now; it'll only make me look bad if the guy and I get into another altercation.When she came out with Matthew, and he got into his car, I felt relieved. I'd thought he was going to spend quite some time there.Valerie's eyes met mine briefly, and she increased her pace. I did the same too and caught up with her.“Please just give me one minute of your time. Just one,” I stared at her, my eyes pleading, “no more than that.”Her eyes met mine, and she studied my face without saying a word.“I'll tell you everything,” I added. “No lies, okay?”She just pressed her lips into a thin line and let out a defeated sigh.I to
**Valerie**I walked quickly to the bathroom, the cool tile beneath my feet a stark contrast to the turmoil brewing inside me. My crying came out as sobs until I was standing in front of the mirror, my hands clutched to my mouth to prevent myself from wailing. He was right. I was a fucking weakling, and a dumb one at that.My hands pressed my aching chest to suppress the pain. It hurt so much, I didn't know what exactly, but he hurt. Maybe it was the realization that he was right."God, why am I so weak?" I shrieked, my voice echoing off the bathroom walls.I didn't even want to dwell on the fact that the anonymous person knew what happened. It could be anyone; crew members, my colleagues, security, or even this mysterious guy who didn't want to share his name. Or maybe someone who wasn't even on this ship, but had an informant.Then I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection; puffy and red eyes, running nose, smudged mascara that made me look like a panda."You fool," I
**Third person**Valerie let out a gasp and shuddered as soon as she heard the splashing sound that the water made when Karen's body hit it.The screams and gurgling sounds from the water filled Valerie's mind and she pressed her palms against her ears to shut it out. Adam moved away from the scene with the men, his face a mask of satisfaction and joy.Valerie’s chest tightened and she struggled to keep her eyes open. Slowly, the darkness creeped in until she lost her consciousness and slumped to the ground.Elliot, who had been keeping an eye on her from a distance, rushed up to her. “Ma'am?” His hand tapped Valerie and she opened her eyes. She looked and saw that she was on the ground. She must have passed out after witnessing what happened, she thought. And almost immediately, she reached for her phone and stopped the recording.She glanced at Elliot confused, but recognizing him. “How long have I been out for?”“Barely a minute,” he answered.Her head was spinning but she stood
**Third person**Back inside,“Move!” The man dragged Valerie. Her heart sank as she peeped at the dining area to see everyone asleep.Was this a repeat of last time? She'd thought that this arrangement was meant for Karen, but why was this strange man pulling her away?“You've got the wrong person,” she yelled at the man.The masked man kept dragging her until they were outside in the yacht. The night breeze made the scent of the ocean fill her nostrils. A scent she'd once loved, but now she loathed.Valerie noticed that the man was trying to pull her to the edge. Her heart hammered even harder against her chest. “No, no, no,” she cried. “Not again.”She began jumping and struggling vigorously against his grip. It was just two of them, and seeing what he wanted to do made adrenaline course through her veins.Val bit the arm of the man hard. “Argh,” he groaned in pain. He swirled her hair around his fingers and pulled her mouth away from his skin.If he felt any more pain from what sh
**Third person**Adam had told the organizer that he had some urgent things to attend to, but that wouldn't have mattered if Valerie had given him even the tiniest bit of her attention.After playing a few other games, everyone headed back to their cabin. They needed to rest and then begin to prepare for the anniversary tonight.At 7pm, the lounge was abuzz with laughter and music as everyone gathered for the celebration. The area was beautifully decorated. Not the typical way you'd decorate a hall for an anniversary, but it'll do just fine since they were on a yacht.It was adorned with strawberry-red roses and white lilacs dripping at the arc of the entrance to give the venue an elegant look.Different well-decorated tables with glasses and cutlery were scattered across the hall. Each of them was a table for three.At the end of the hall sat a buffet spot with a variety of foods that had the air filled with an exotic aroma while two servers walked around with wine.Valerie had just
**Valerie**The next morning, we all gathered in the cockpit by 9am.“Hello, so we've decided to organize some fun games here. At least to make our stay here worthwhile.”The employees cheered.“Hey, how's that leg?” Gabriel asked, appearing beside me.“It's all fixed,” I smiled, stretching a leg forward to show him.“You're going to pair yourselves in groups of twos. Your left leg will be attached to the right leg of your partner and vice versa.Noise filled the air—murmurs, cheer.“Then you and your partner will make a stop at three different places. There'll be a timer, and the team that reaches the finish line within the time limit wins.Gabriel leaned over to me and whispered, “I'm sure we'll kill it, girl. We make a great team.”I nodded, a bit excited. It's been a while since I allowed myself to engage in these types of activities. I also think I needed the distraction from my loud thoughts.Thank goodness Adam or his wife isn't here. It's obvious that the employees feel freer
**Third person**“I've told you, call me Adam,” he said with a soft voice.Valerie's eyes immediately snapped to the door. She was sure that she'd locked it after Gabriel left, before drifting off to sleep.The cabin with its plush carpet and elegant furnishing seemed to close in on her. “How did you get in here?” She questioned. The daggers her eyes shot at Adam was hard to miss even with the dim lightning in her cabin. Adam smirked before lifting a bunch of keys and jingling them at her. “Spare keys.”She groaned inwardly. Seems she'll have to start bolting the door from inside to prevent scenarios like this, Valerie thought.“Please, leave. I was sleeping before he came in,” she tried her possible best to keep her voice calm and polite. Adam was still her boss after all. She'd ask him first to leave calmly and if he doesn't, then she'll have to take drastic action.But her anger slipped into her tone as she spoke.“Val, don't you think that this is long overdue?” He adjusted on th
**Third person**Everyone was settling in the yacht. Valerie was the only lucky one amongst the selected employees who had a room to herself.She had just unpacked her things from her box into the wardrobe. A casual pair for later tonight, a dinner gown for tomorrow night, another casual cloth for before dinner, and then the clothes she'll leave with on Sunday.Then Val arranged all her cosmetics and makeup into the cupboard. The yacht was huge, with about six luxurious cabins, a master suite—where she assumed Adam and Karen would be staying—and then a VIP suite.They probably paired the employees two-to-one room, and since they were an odd number, that's how she ended up alone, Valerie thought to herself.The yacht was one of those expenses she had made on herself before marrying Adam. She had decided to splurge some money on herself for working hard, so she didn't spare a dime when purchasing it.Later, when she got married to Adam, he had berated her for it, saying, What kind of wo