"Do not test my patience, Ms. Charlene". He spat, gripping the steering wheel tightly that his knuckles ached.She faced him her face expressionless."Di not test mine too, Mr. Victor. You better start this car and get us out of here before one of Luca's men discover I am missing and comes search for me and trust me nothing you speak will get you out of the mess you'll be in; I would definitely win a plaque if I entered the film making industry." She smiled, "so drive now, will you?".*They had been driving for over two hours yet they hadn't come across any town or house; highways and bushes had been their companion...and also silence.Charlene was presently humming a tune nonchalantly to herself and he had to force himself not to snap at her to keep shut. He was sure she had a personality disorder; one minute, she was pleading with him meekly with tear filled eyes, the next she was blackmailing him with mischievous eyes. One moment, she was kissing him with hunger and passion; the n
Luca grabbed it immediately; Alistair, Isla and Frederico peeking in as Luca played the tape.They watched Vincent stalk into the garage, obviously angry and to the Jeep assigned to him. They watched Charlene enter in her work attire and follow after him slowly. They watched Vincent enter his car and Charlene enter after him and watched many seconds later as the car drive out of the garage and out the mansion huge gates."Who's the damned guard that let them out!" Luca shouted furiously.When no one responded, they all looked up.The guard was gone.*"Oh no...." Alistair growled in his deadly voice that one would never recognize as that of a 14 year old. The rest of them knew what was coming."Alistair wait..." Isla called grabbing hold of his arm. He shoved her away roughly and stalked away, suddenly seeming big and threatening despite his small stature."Luca call him to order!" Isla shouted, her eyes wide and fearful. Not those innocent guards, maybe not innocent, but Alistair had
"You can stop the act now, Charlene, people are gone." he informed her coldly. Her cries decreased to cute whimpers."Please carry me in your arms and feed me when we get there unless I'll cry so loud, Luca will come get me." She threatened in a tear filled voice, so softly that for a second, his heart chilled.She raised her head and her red lips smirked at him, "Get on with it, darling."*Alistair's face was one of horror, his blade cluttered down to the floor as he stared down at his unconscious sister in a pool of her own blood."Miss Isla!" The guard howled and dropped to the floor, his hands hovering over her, shaking but not touching. Alistair snapped back to reality."Get away from her!" He barked, pushing the guard away. He dropped down to his knees, his heart pounding in fear, guilt, regret, the most, fear and in that moment, he felt like the little child he was, scared and uncertain."Oh I'm sorry..." he whimpered, placing his hands under her neck and back carefully. He did
"You bought it, man?" Blue overall guy asked, watching him, his gushing hose forgotten.He entered and slammed the door, starting the car immediately."You could have at least warned me!"He was out of the carwash in a flash and speeding into the highway.He swallowed down his guilt as he passed Charlene pacing beside his parked car, now hers; the bundle of money and car key he left her on his seat in her hands.Her distraught tear-stricken face hunted him till he got to his destination.*Men are evil! Men are evil! Charlene thought. She swiped her hand over her face in a desperate attempt to stop her tears from flowing.How could he leave her that way!? How could he be so heartless and leave her in an unknown restaurant in the middle of nowhere!?She stomped her foot on the ground not caring about the curious eyes and how she looked holding a thick bundle of money in her hand, wearing maid cloths and acting like a deserted girlfriend. That was exactly what she felt like. She should
Andrew flinched but regained composure immediately. "It was a mistake. We can talk this out, Victor. Take a deep breath.""The only one who will be taking a deep breath is this gun right here." And in a flash, Andrew was on the floor, dead as a stick, blood gushing out of the bullet wound in his head. Silence reigned in the gym room until Victor whirled around, eyes blazing."If someone doesn't give a rundown on what has been going on since I was gone then be prepared to join your boss in hell."*Victor looked down at Andrew's dead body and then stalked out of the gym room.What has he done?He shut the door to Andrew's room. One look around and he slid down the wall, his limbs shaking.What has he done?His palm came over his mouth as the first sobs came out. His body racked with sobs, the tears flowed down his hard bruised face, down his manly eyes that never cried, down his hard cheeks that barely smiled, down his stiff jaw.He cried.Why had he let his anger take over him? This wa
"No....no...hospital."There was an unmistakable British accent.She looked back up. No one was out but the phones were still out. She grew furious. So what if she wasn't passing at that moment? They would have left the boy on the floor to die!? They would have videoed until the boy died then put it on the Internet for people to lament and what?She wiped her tears and gently picked the little boy, no more than 14 years in her arms."No...hospital." the boy murmured again before his eyes slid shut.*Joan felt someone run a hand through her hair and she shot up immediately, her eyes wide and frantic. They settled on a boy laid on the bedside, bright black eyes blinking up at her innocently. The boy had a questioning look on his face and so did she. She wondered what she was doing asleep, and sitted beside him.Who was he?Then she remembered."Are you okay?" she asked immediately, her hands reaching up to... She actually didn't know. He slapped her hands off then grunted in pain.She
"Alistair, behave." She warned sternly then turned to Dr. Shaw, "Please, carry on. I'll wait out...""No!" Alistair's head shot up, his eyes pleading and wide, "No, please stay."She agreed.Age could already foretell that he was a handful, two handfuls and she wasn't sure, in her current emotional state, if she could...King!She went into panic mode*"I've had enough of you picking up rogues." She heard her mother mutter."He is not a rogue, he is a human being caught in an unfortunate situation." She corrected calmly. Both she and her mother stood inside King's room, by the bed, staring down at the sleeping boy.Because of the boy's pleas and because she feared for both she and the boy lives, she had chosen not to take him to the hospital. She took him home, called a doctor, cleaned his wounds and applied the little first aid she could before the doctor came, stayed with him all through as the doctor diagonised and treated him."Thank God." The doctor said, " He was beaten badly b
"Then let's make each other happy."And while they made each other happy and Joan sat at the little boy's bedside watching over him, shadows littered King Johannson's hospital room and when day break came and all were entranced in the hypnotic spell of dreams, King Johannson's room stood empty.*Joan felt someone run a hand through her hair and she shot up immediately, her eyes wide and frantic. They settled on a boy laid on the bedside, bright black eyes blinking up at her innocently. The boy had a questioning look on his face and so did she. She wondered what she was doing asleep, and sitted beside him.Who was he?Then she remembered."Are you okay?" she asked immediately, her hands reaching up to... She actually didn't know. He slapped her hands off then grunted in pain.She stared at him, shocked by the act."Don't touch me." he warned and she couldn't help but shiver at the sinister look that crossed his young face.She pulled back her hands, subduing her shock."You have a bea
She stood stiff and rigid, even her breathing was controlled. His hand ran through her straightened hair."I'm sorry, Bernadette, I'm sorry. I'm here, you can lean on me. I'm sorry."She tried to pull away but he held her back so she stayed cold. Vincent and Frederico watched with narrowed eyes.*"The PDA can be saved for later. We have a brother in surgery." A cold voice cut through the moment. She jumped away from Merlione, looking guilty and nervous as a drenched fish."Vincent," She called in greeting, trying to match his cold look. He eyed her up, also Merlione who came to stand protectively by her side.She wondered why she felt so nervous and guilty. Perhaps because she knew she needed the approval of King's family.Frederico stepped forward, looking unbothered. "We heard the news. What happened?""He called me," she answered smartly, "he called me just before he lost consciousness.""How did you know where he stays?""He told me." She was less nervous now but there was someth
She laid her head on his shoulder and let him tell her about work and his life for the past nine years while sharing one large can of soda then they ran around and played like little children, using the swings and involving in a sand castle competition with the other children.It was exactly what they needed in their too-careful world.*Frederico puffed on a cigarette, lost in thought. He was surrounded by loud music and intoxicated people but none of the senseless activities going on around him registered in his head. Only one thought did.He had to get rid of King Johannson.Either he did that or he risked being killed. Who else would have the audacity to kill Luca? And motive? There was also Vincent. He sure as hell was a suspect but all fingers pointed to King. It wasn't a coincidence that Luca was murdered during the same period the girl King loved was getting hooked.He took another long drag and stubbed out the rest. It was Luca first, soon it would be him. It was Luca's fault
The problem was that he just couldn't accept the reality that she wasn't his any longer. It felt unreal.He clicked the call icon. Still, he wouldn't leave her. If he ever left her, it would be because she asked him to.Switched off. He dialed her line again. Switched off. Third time. Switched off. He ran a hand down his face.*Isla knocked on Vincent's front door."Tommy, Tommy" She cooed when Thomas answered the door."Thomas, how many times have I warned you to stop answering the door!?" Charlene shouted from somewhere inside."Calm down, Char," She chuckled, entering the lavender-scented home."Nice morning, Aunt Isla," Thomas greeted respectfully, seemingly oblivious to his mum's worries. She laughed, ruffling his hair then stuffed a hundred-dollar bill in his hand. He beamed."Buy as many chocolates as you want, ok?" She whispered, ruffling his hair one last time before going into the kitchen where Charlene was."Oh, my love," She cooed, seeing the five-month-old baby in a movi
She threw her phone aside with a satisfied smirk, "he asked for it. Imagine telling me to apologize after openly stating he didn't take it to heart. A hypocrite, that's what he is."Joan didn't know whether to laugh or cry."Yes, he said he doesn't mind but it is only normal for you to apologize when you do something wrong to show you are truly sorry.""Well, that should be my choice, not his." She stubbornly refused.Joan raised her hands and dropped them in resignation."Good riddance," Isla whispered.*"You were out all day."Were the first words she heard upon entering the house at about 7 pm."Yes. I'm home early. Is there a problem?" He was at the foot of the stairs. He looked sad and beaten but he was one hell of a good actor."Sorry," She changed tactics, putting on a smile, forcing ill feelings out of her heart, "good evening. How was your day?""It was trashy and boring without you," He replied in a monotone, "I went out to see my family when you left for Church and I got
"Thank God, he's gone." Isla sighed with contagious relief."Nah," Joan shook her head, "you get his phone number and talk to him."Isla's eyes widened, "How am I supposed to do that? He's obviously in a rush. Why else will he get takeout?""I'll get it for you.""How?"*Just nice, she was called three days later."It has been confirmed," James spoke, the smiling man she met at the restaurant gone, "Fr. Greg wasn't the chief celebrant at your wedding."She wasn't surprised. "Then who was?"They were all present as three days before, including James' secretary and the Priest who had never uttered a word other than a quiet greeting.He showed her a photo."After going through the footage of that day, the day before, and the day after, we suspect this man as the culprit. He has never been seen in the Church before that day. He was seen entering the Sacristy just seconds after Fr. Greg did but he was never seen coming out. Upon closer inspection..." He showed her another photo. It was a
She thought of going to see King but the memory of Vincent's cold face crossed out the thought. She visited Isla instead.*"Surprise, surprise." Isla's eyes were wide as she ushered her into her modest penthouse in the early afternoon of a Monday. The house was pretty small but comfy. A set of mismatched couches in the middle, an eating area to the right, a TV at the center, a few flowers in antique vases kept at strategic corners, and a treadmill close to a door she assumed led to the room."I checked you at work but I was told you wouldn't be at work for the rest of the week. Is there a problem?"Isla laughed, passing her a glass of water after she sat on one of the couches, "Must there be a problem?""No, but one doesn't just take a leave from work, do they?"Isla wrinkled her nose. She looked pretty. Her long red hair was now shoulder length and she looked very relaxed at home in pajama shorts and a too baggy T-shirt."Ok," She plopped down beside her and tucked her legs in, "I
"There's something else. Your father...""Sold me off? I know that. I received documents today that stated I'm no longer enslaved to them and neither are you and I under any threat. I'm simply just married to him with the condition that I can never divorce him.""Like you would ever." He scoffed.She smiled. Patience, King, patience; I'm coming for you.*She posed and smiled the brightest as the media drowned them with camera flashes and endless questions. Her arm in Merlione's, he led her carefully through the sea of paparazzi and important figures to the hall where the business dinner was being held. It was a week since their wedding.The expensively decorated eating area was to the right while the guests milled about on the left, greeting each other and making business friendships. The first eyes she made contact with were that of King's. He was invited, along with Frederico.He was chatting with an older man. A stinkingly rich one, she realized, seeing his face. She couldn't reme
"Ok, but I'll like to remind you that until this case is resolved, you are still, as it is, married to Merlione Fritzgerald and it is holy that you remain faithful to your vows."She smiled, "Yes, Father."He rose. She did too."You don't mind if I pray for you?"*She returned to her current temporal house, as she chose to call it, after spending some time in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. She put on her nicest dress, applied makeup which she seldomly did, wore her best heels, and styled her hair until she looked the part of a queen.She sat in the living room and waited for Merlione to return. Once he walked through the front door, she stood and made to walk past him. He grabbed unto her arm."Where are you going dressed like this?"★Merlione's mouth dropped open at the sight of Bernadette. She looked... beautiful was an understatement. He wasn't sure he had ever seen her dress so much. He snapped back to his senses as she walked past, her rosy perfume tickling his nostrils. He grab
She always swallowed everything in and cried till her body was drained of fluid then she got up and pretended everything was fine.She looked up to Heaven and vowed. Even if it was the last thing she did, she'll fight for her and King's freedom.Making that decision, she got off the floor with a smile. The Fritzgeralds family had it coming.*"I told you; I told you! I warned you not to add that in the agreement yet you did. Look at the outcome now!" Merlione hollered, in front of his aunt and uncle."Stop being such a kid," Josephine snapped, "do you really think she'll never divorce you? Don't believe her religious crap.""Well, yes, I believe her. That's why they fought so hard so we'll never get married.""But you're married now," His uncle, Steve, reminded him.He fought the smile that forced its way up his face. He sighed, taking a seat on a side stool."I hate that I had to use such methods to get her. It's annoying seeing the hatred in her eyes whenever she looks at me which i