Dazzling lights buzzes relentlessly above, casting a not so pleasing glow across the interrogation room. I sat alone, my fingers absently tracing the rough edges of the wooden table that separates me and the guy on uniform . The table felt more like a protective barrier, though whether it was protecting me or them, I wasn't sure of what anymore.
My evening gown, which had seemed so off at the party just hours ago, was stained and wrinkled all the more. I could feel my hair coming loose from its careful styling , going out of shape like an honest nest, adding to my wretched appearance. Outside the room, I could hear the steady rhythm of shoes hitting beats against the tiled floor and the murmur of voices discussing what they believe to be my fate. In all my efforts to calm myself, my heart raced against my ribcage threatening to break through. As I waited, my mind wandered to questions I'd been asking myself all night. Is Marino's heart really made of stone? Throughout our five years of relationship and three years of marriage, I had never go wrong on him, not once. Yet here I was, sitting in a police station because he couldn't be bothered to get his facts straight before having me arrested. The irony wouldn't lose out on me. Three years ago, Marino had sent me packing with nothing to my name. Now, at our first meeting since then, he was sending me to the police station,how beautiful. Some reunion this really is. The heavy door clicked open, and there he was – Marino Myers, standing tall and firm, arms crossed over his broad chest . The sight of him sent an unconscious cold shiver down my spine, though still fought to keep my face neutral to all. He haven't changed much from Three years ,back when he tore my world apart, right down to that air of indifference that seemed to cling to him like expensive perfumes. "Gianna," he said, his voice as cold as I remembered, looking down at me as if I were something unpleasant he stepped on at the bottom of his boots. "You really need to understand the consequences of your actions. Freya's been hospitalized. I think you should know better." Meeting his gaze with a disregard of my own, pushing down the sadness that threatened to overwhelm me once more. I Instead, let a mask of indifference sit over my features – two could play at this game. "Mr. Myers, you're so powerful that you could do anything you want. I'll be waiting to see what you can do. An apology? Me? Apologies?Well,You can get it in your next life." The muscles in his jaw tightened – the only indication that my words had any effect on him at all. Before he could give me a reply that could show how deep I cut through, a police officer entered the room, his presence momentarily diffusing the tension between us. "Miss, we need to ask you a few questions,simple ones too," the officer began, but was interrupted by the shrill ring of my phone. I took a glance at Marino, half-expecting him to object to something, but he just stood there, watching with that infuriating blankness as usual. "Excuse me," I said, answering the call. Immediately, Thane's voice blared through the receiver, so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear, before my eardrums burst open. "Gianna, where the hell are you? Didn't I tell you to wait in the lounge for me?" I squealed at his intensed tone. "I'm sorry, Mr. Reed! Something came up and I am also currently at the police station now." "What? The police station? Why?How did you ..?" His impatience was extremely thick even through the phone, it was obvious. "Well... Well..." I struggled to find the words to explain the situation. How do you explain being arrested for assaulting your boss's business partner's daughter? Or That the carefully set up evening he'd planned had devolved into chaos because I couldn't keep my temper in check? As I fumbled for a response, a thought hit me with crushing clarity: men are truly the cruelest creatures in the world, and Marino is one of the leaders of the pack of those beast. I must have been blind to have fallen in love with such a cold-blooded and heartless beast like him back then. Looking at him now, standing there with his perfect suit and perfectly blank expression, I couldn't even recognize the man I'd once loved. The police officer, perhaps sensing my distress, spoke up with what I suppose he thought was a helpful suggestion. His voice was almost sympathetic as he asked with pity in his eyes, "Miss, why did you offend this couple of all? The lady is Mr. Cook's daughter, and Marino is a business tycoon. Apologizing might help you resolve this." I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Thank you, sir. Now that I've lost my job and I have nowhere to go, being locked up here might help me tide through things a bit. Also,Forget about the apology." The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the continuous buzz of those awful fluorescent lights that seemed like they were aimed at me. Marino's expression hadn't changed, but I could sense his growing irritation for me. Good. Let him be irritated. I had nothing left to lose. Just when the tension in the room was about becoming unbearable for me, the door bursts open again. This time, it was Thane who entered, his presence immediately commanding attention in a way that even Marino couldn't match. He took in the scene before him – me in my ruined dress, Marino by the wall, the sympathetic officer – and a smirk played across his lips. "Gianna, get up. We're leaving." His voice wouldn't take no for an answer, booming with confidence and power that seemed to fill the small room. I stared at him, hesitant but intrigued. "Leave?" Thane's smirk widened. "Do you want to stay here?" I glanced at Marino, who remained impassive, then back at Thane. Slowly, I stood up, smoothing down my dress in a futile attempt to regain some of my dignity after almost losing my pride. The wooden chair scraped against the floor as I pushed it back, the sound unnaturally loud in the tense atmosphere. As Thane led me out of the police station, his confident stride a stark contrast to my uncertain steps, he actually laughed. "I can't believe you let them bully you like this!" I rolled my eyes, though internally, I was grateful for his presence. "Thanks for coming, I guess." The night air hit me as we stepped into the parking lot, and I took my first deep breath in what felt like hours. The weight of the world felt a little lighter, but doubts still lingered still. What consequences lay ahead with Marino? What about my career? Thane might have gotten me out of the immediate situation, but the night's events would have repercussions I couldn't yet fathom. As we walked to his car, I couldn't help but replay the events of the evening in my head. The party, Freya's screams, the chaos that followed – it all seemed surreal now. But what stuck with me most was the look in Marino's eyes when he'd seen me in that interrogation room. Not anger, not hate, just... nothing, nothing but emptiness he felt for me,As if I meant nothing to him. As if our years together had meant nothing, as if our memories where empty and all. Thane opened the car door for me, his usual bravado momentarily softened. "You okay?" I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. As I slid into the passenger seat, I caught a glimpse of myself in the side mirror – disheveled, makeup smeared all over, looking every bit like someone who just got rounded up. But beneath the mess, I saw something else in my reflection: determination. Marino might thinke this was over, thinking he'd won by humiliating me at the police station. But he was wrong, very wrong This isn't end tho. It was just the beginning. As Thane started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, I gave a small room for a smile to settle on my face. Marino had always underestimated me – it was time to show him exactly what I was capable of. The night might have been a disaster, but tomorrow was a new day. And I had nothing left to lose. The city lights blurred past the window as we drove, and I felt a strange sense of calm settle within me. Whatever came next, I would face it head-on. After all, when you've hit rock bottom, the only way left for you, is to go up. And I was ready to climb, no matter how difficult the journey might be. As we stopped at a red light, Thane glanced over at me. "You know this isn't over, right? Marino won't let you go easily." I met his gaze sternly. "I know. But neither will I." The light turned green, and we moved forward into the night, leaving the police station and Marino behind. But as the distance between us grew, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the first skirmish in what would become a much larger battle. Let him come, I thought. I Will definitely be ready, this time.I couldn't even sleep that night. The dim light flickering through my curtains, casting dancing shadows on the walls of my bedroom. As I lay there, the coolness of the sheets against my skin provided little comfort to me. The city sounds gradually faded into silence as the night races to it's peak , leaving only the rhythmic ticking of my bedside clock to keep me company.When the sleep finally came, it was anything but peaceful. As reality blurred and faded, and suddenly I went back to three years in the past. The memory was vivid, painfully so. Rosy stood before me, her face beaming with joy as her hands cradled her protruded belly."Gianna, I'm pregnant with his child!" Her voice was giddy with excitement.The rage that filled me then was just as real as in my dream. "How could you do this to me?" I shouted in sorrow, and before I could stop myself, my palm connected with her cheek. The sharp sound of the slap hung in took the moment by hands a bit for a while before being drowned
"Trying to prove strong huh?" I heard Thane's voice say from behind me. "Proving strong? I don't understand. Why should I try to prove to be something I already am?" I said, trying to hide how pained I was.He walked away slowly, as I kept my gaze fixed on my computer. I was indeed trying to be strong. Thane's words got to me. But I wasn't about to show any iota of weakness.A flood of tears bubbled on the inside of me, eager to gush out. I fought my tears, swallowing saliva as if that could dry the flood of surging tears.I prayed the day would run by, it did eventually. I was drenched in my own emotions. I needed to clear my head; when I arrived home, rested and freshened up, I headed to the bar just across the road."Can I snatch you?" A coarse voice said behind me, the baritone sound of his voice sending chills down my spine."Snatch me if you can!" I added, followed by a melodious chuckle. I could already notice he was in awe. "What are you looking at?" I joked, giving his glass
I and Thanes seemed like we didn't get along. But in actuality, we were starting to get closer than we were ready to admit. I also loved that he was always ready to help me in different ways.Thanes and Thorne didn't quite get along, but their father insisted they both run the company. The mansion was outrageously beautiful. I could see a little glimpse of attraction in Thorne's eyes, but I dismissed that as the normal attraction I received from guys; I was gorgeous, so that was expected.I guessed it'd all fade off with time, so to me, it counted for nothing. "Thank you so much, Gianna, for honouring my invite," I hear him say to me, casting his glance on us; he greeted them as well.We had finally seen him after walking for minutes into the main hall. I noticed a slight decline in his exciting demeanour, and immediately, his eyes landed on Thanes. The party progressed beautifully.We sat at our table, it was a sumptuous party, so much to eat and drink. But I noticed Thanes was now
Thorn seemed bothered, but we were long gone. I looked back as a queerly dressed man stood behind him. I just hoped he was safe, but now I had to put myself first.I made it to my room safely, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about all that transpired at the party. From the disappointment on Thorne's face upon finding that I didn't come alone to the invasion.I now had started to have suspicious thoughts towards both of them, this had never happened. The security was very tight. It was impossible to penetrate that level of security, except if you had a connection to either Thorne or Thanes or their father.Everything was artificial intelligence and the mansion was tightly secured. I wondered, how these men were able to get past the security and knew exactly where to find him.They had even gone directly to the table he'd walked away from, some minutes before the time. So he knew, even now he could still be watched by the cruel eyes of whoever was behind all this.I had slight spec
"I'm the oldest Nanny alive; other nannies my age who tried to prove and show they knew better are all six feet deep. My major aim was to keep them alive by God's grace, I'm glad I achieved that. You are the one in the rightful position to deal with Nox, with their help and serve Nox his karma.""My advice is, don't act like I told you anything; your strength would be that you now know more than they could imagine you know, so now you're acting from a place of knowledge and, of course, wisdom." She continued."Gianna, the ball is in your court. Play it well." She concluded, turning around with these last words, as she headed for the door. "Wait, please," I said, weakly."I have one last question to ask. How are you so sure that you don't have much time left to live? And why did you skip my question, the one about other family they might have?" I asked."You said one, now there's two of them, huh?" She chuckled, pasting a motherly smile on her face, looking soberly at me. "They remind
I watched silently as the sound of the ticking clock repeated its rhymes. I was still in bed, and it was almost my wake-up time.I had awoken earlier than I used to. This alone seemed to me like a huge sign and indication of something I couldn't even lay my hand on just yet. Shoving my long fingers through my hair, I sat up in my bed, my head drenched in thoughts of all Freda had uncovered.I wanted so badly to connect the dots; I wanted so badly to have my revenge, even if it meant getting on Thane's side.But I didn't know getting on his side and having my revenge would prove this hard. I pushed myself out of my silky bed into the washroom.As the showers of water flowed all over my body, it was to me a huge relief. My head ached already, from the raging thoughts I was having.I found myself talking to myself as I had my bath, "You can do this, Gianna, get with Thanes, make him a friend, get with Thorn if you wish, just have allies that would help you through" I said to myself, wipi
"Yes! I did! And I'm gonna do it again if you don't take your shitty self elsewhere! You disgust me, to say the least!" I let out, getting up and pushing her out of the way."Thorn is the only reason I didn't beat the living daylight out of you!" She fumed, arranging her hair that was in disarray."Go on now, fix your hair... And your mouth... And your bad attitude! Because if you don't I would fix it for you!" I let out, standing by my door which was wide open."Get the hell out!" I shouted, looking sternly at her, my heart racing. "I was on my way out. Save your poor self the energy." She insulted, walking out the door."Good!" I let out, slamming the door behind her; I ran my fingers through my hair as I paced about in my office, trying to calm myself down.What if she told Thorn about the incident? What if this would make me get in their bad books? So many thoughts raced through my head and I felt like my head would explode.I sat in my chair, deep in thought, and immediately I re
I was in utter shock, I soliloquized, refusing to believe that Freda was gone. As I rode on to the hospital, my hands were shaking as I held on to the steering; tears poured down my now red face; my make-up was messed up.I didn't care. All I wanted in that moment was to hear her sweet frail voice again, the warmth I felt whenever I got home. She made home, home to me. Her kind and sincere words of love and advice! I didn't want to accept the fact that I was never getting all of that again.She had always joked around with me, "You might fume, you might freak, you might get mad when I offer my advice, but you'll sure miss me when I'm gone!" She had joked most of the time. And boy was I missing her! She was one of the few persons who would tell me the truth to my face, not minding what I chose to make out of it.She just always believed that one was safer with the truth, no matter how bitter it was. Sitting in the reception hall. I couldn't put myself together.I was weeping profusely,
"I would like to keep a copy of her demands if it is okay with you?" He asked lazily, "Of course". "I will get this to my lawyer and build up the contract with it," he said at last neatly folding it back to its initial size, "okay" I responded hoping our awkward chitty chat had come to a blissful ending, as I made my saya"I must warn you, you will need to be convincing enough; my father has a nose for smelling plots miles away", he said, as a frown crossed his face. To his surprise, I laughed wholeheartedly at that. Everything seemed the same to me; I stood for some minutes, and I had to reemphasize how good I was at my job."Mr Thorn, I spent years of my life waiting for this promotion, and you already know that; I appreciate it, and I'm willing to help; it's important we track Nox down before things get out of hand. I am not about to jeopardize it for anything," I responded confidently, taking Thorn by surprise. He nodded in agreement with my tenacious attitude."To lay my curiosit
Thane cleared his throat as he felt uncomfortable with the awkward silence in the room, he could feel my intent gaze on him, and my silence hurt him. As he stood right there, he gazed lovingly at me despite my icy cold expression."I know this is silly of me to say, but thank you for coming; I understand why you are here, regardless of whatever,", I said, shamefaced, not daring to act cheerful as usual. I was silent for some seconds contemplating how best to address Thane's recklessness."All thanks to your thoughtful behaviour,. You get to accommodate everyone and me for much longer", I responded sarcastically " I am just glad you are feeling happy again", I added."By accommodating everyone else, I don't understand what you mean," Thane said, looking sternly at me. "You will. You shouldn't be here, you're risking your life. Are you ready to accommodate those on the run because of your supposed father, since the Thorn and Thane Mansion is a safe place now?" I asked.Thane took that
Nox picked up his phone and dialled a contact; the receiver answered with the second ring " Hello, I am back," he said, desperately expecting his reaction. " Welcome," Agar responded dryly, at the other end of the phone before cutting off the call."He seemed elated at the news of your glamorous return" Thorn said sarcastically, catching him off guard. Nox felt angry, but he hid his shaking hands behind him, holding Thorn's gaze; he didn't know Thane had been standing in the doorway watching him, "Neither are you in his good books", he responded, getting back at him.Thorn laughed hysterically, "I was never desperate for his approval; I prefer my freedom, unlike you ", he shot back at him. " Is this how we play it, hun? Rubbing it in my face every time, "he responded impatiently."You started it uncle!!!" Thorn responded, stressing the word "uncle". "I know I do not match up to you, Nox, no doubt about that, but guess what! You do not hold a lamp to Thane's abilities", he said, smil
I watched silently as the sound of the ticking clock repeated its rhymes. I was still in bed, and it was almost my wake-up time.I had awoken earlier than I used to. This alone seemed to me like a huge sign and indication of something I couldn't lay my hands on just yet. Shoving my long fingers through my hair, I sat up in my bed, my head drenched in thoughts of all I had been through for the past few days.I wanted so badly to connect the dots; I wanted so badly to have my revenge, even if it meant taking some hard roads.But I didn't know getting on this path and having my revenge would prove this hard. I pushed myself out of my silky bed into the washroom.As the showers of water flowed all over my body, it was to me a huge relief. My head ached already, from the raging thoughts I was having.I found myself soliloquizing as I had my bath, "We can't give up, Gianna, get things right, just have allies that would help you through" I said to myself, wiping my body with a towel.I hurri
"I would like to keep a copy of her demands if it is okay with you?" He asked lazily, "Of course". "I will get this to my lawyer and build up the contract with it," he said at last, neatly folding it back to its initial size., "I responded, hoping our awkward chitty chat had come to a blissful ending."I must warn you, you will need to be convincing enough; my father has a nose for smelling plots miles away", he said, as a frown crossed his face. To his surprise, I laughed wholeheartedly at that."Mr Thorn, I spent years of my life waiting for this promotion. I appreciate it, and I'm willing to help; we must track it down before things get out of hand. I am not about to jeopardize it for anything," I responded confidently, taking Thorn by surprise. He nodded in agreement with my tenacious attitude."To lay my curiosity to rest, if I may ask, why did you choose me for this?" I asked in a businesslike tone, making Thorn laugh; for the umpteenth time, I noticed how charming he looked. He
Thane cleared his throat as he felt uncomfortable with the awkward silence in the room, he felt my intent gaze on him, and my silence irked him. As he stood right there, he gazed lovingly at her despite my icy cold expression."I know this is silly of me to say, but thank you for saving us; I understand what you did by going into hiding sort of, he said, shamefaced, not daring to act cheerful as usual. I was silent for some seconds contemplating how best to address Thane's recklessness."All thanks to your thoughtful behaviour,. You get to accommodate everyone and me for much longer", I responded sarcastically " I am just glad you are feeling happy again", I added."By accommodating everyone else, I don't understand what you mean," Thane said, looking sternly at me. "You will. You shouldn't be here, you're risking your life. Are you ready to accommodate those on the run because of your supposed father, since the Thorn and Thane Mansion is a safe place now?" I asked.Thane took that a
The calls of the sirens were getting closer, and he knew it was time to leave. He stuffed the note into his pocket and in a mad dash out of there, diving into the car. The tyres screeched as he tore out of the driveway, leaving the law enforcement miles behind. With his head spinning, he tried to make a decision. He couldn't even run to the police; they'd just use him as a convenient way of having amazing news again.His supposed father told him loudly and often that he was alone. His only option was to pray and rely on his yogi training. I was in danger of being harmed by the armed men, and he felt I might be killed trying to right this situation. Right the wrongs, at any price. His car growled as he stomped on it, whipping through the narrow lanes of the city. It was his night, and he would seize the opportunity. Thane controlled this part of the city through various connections he had with many people who owed him favours. He would bring in every single one of them to assist w
I and Rita had a lot of unfinished business. It was high time I pushed for vengeance to be gotten as soon as possible. I and Rita made sure to rest well, seeing how busy the next day would be.As I watched as our car left the driveway, I felt empty inside, like in an empty house with noise. We had to leave as well, but where the hell were we going to go? With the pandemonium he had escaped down there, it was no place for him to be going back onto the streets. While the reality of the situation was still dawning on him, his cousin was gone, and his friends were no longer to be trusted, possibly not even the father. His legs wobbled beneath him as he stood from the chair. Finally, we stopped driving and approached the house. The house was suffocating us, the walls closing in upon themselves as we felt more buried under guilt with each passing second. We sighed and headed to the garage. We had to get our heads cleared, and there was only one way: drive like a bat out of hell. And abou
"One last time!" The midwife instructed, "You're so close! You're so close, the baby's head is already 10cm gone!" The midwife continued to shout at me, urging me to push with all the might I could muster. Various midwives had already advised against the delivery of this particular child but I was determined not to lose an innocent life. “Argh!!!!” I tried my best to grab something to transfer this pain to but everything seemed flat and out of my grasp. Finally, the cry of a beautiful baby girl was heard crying loudly in the room. All the midwives looked up at the sky. It seemed brighter now; they looked pitifully at the beautiful baby girl; her fate was already sealed; she looked so sick, I heard one of them say.“Sorry, can we talk?” One of the midwives called out to the matron that had delivered my baby. The matron lifted her head and answered her call. “Don’t tell me you intend on keeping that child, don't make her suffer. I jerked up at this point. It was a bad dream! I p