I look up from the ground to see Raymond standing at the doorway. His face is stern; annoyed even.Eliana whooshes her way towards him, signalling to someone to turn down the music."Brother, you're back! Why so suddenly, hm? Did your little hunt go well?" She asks, sipping a bit of wine from her glass. She twirls her hair, and stumbles a bit."Eliana, you know what father will do if he sees you like this." Raymond hisses underneath his breath.For the first time, I actually see him show a little bit of concern in his cold eyes."Ha! That's rich. What will father say when he sees your whore? You're refusing to get married but you prefer-""That's enough, Eliana." Raymond says sharply. "Take her to her room."The next moment, his henchmen take Eliana by the arms, pulling her upstairs while she kicks and screams.To the rest of the partygoers, Raymond simply shoots at the grand chandelier above and they all scramble out of the house.I cover my ears and crouches the glass flies everywhe
Immediately, screams ring out. The music has gone off and all I can hear are people crashing into each other in a few to escape this place.I drag my leg from the slimy man's hands and crouch low under the men's table.My heart is racing but I try to keep calm. Another gun shot rings out."Could that be them?" I hear one of them men ask.They're standing now. I can't see anything but I can hear the click of a gun."If they're our people then they certainly went against the plan. I doubt that, though. These ones are a different group.""Stay close." Then they move out, leaving the table. I stay still, listening to the scared whispers and whimpers of the party goers.But I can't stay still for long.I realize now.Throughout my week of working here, Raymond never left me unwatched. Ther was always a guard in the corner, sipping on some non-alcoholic beverage, watching me.I was still his prisoner; still his mistress and still his surrogate.He didn't let me forget that. But today...wi
The world tilts.My head spins, my body swaying despite the solid wall against my back. I feel like I'm floating like none of this is real. But then the pain in my ankle reminds me otherwise, anchoring me back to the nightmare unfolding in front of me.The bald man tightens his grip on my arm, his calloused fingers digging into my skin as he yanks me closer. His breath reeks of cigarettes and something rotten, making my stomach churn. Behind him, the man with the scar on his face smirks, his hands lazily undoing his belt.No.Panic squeezes my chest so tight I can barely breathe.Panic squeezes my chest so tight I can barely breathe, but my body won't move fast enough. My limbs are sluggish, weak, as if fear has wrapped itself around my bones and turned them to stone. My breathing is erratic, my chest rising and falling too fast, yet I still can't get enough air.This can't be happening.I thrash against Bald Man's grip, trying to rip my arm free, but he only laughs at my pathetic str
Raymond's hand grips my wrist, his fingers firm but not painful, leading me through the winding halls of this hellhole. The walls are grimy, the air thick with the metallic stench of blood and damp concrete. My ankle aches with every step, but I force myself to keep moving. Stopping isn't an option.I should be focused on the danger, on the bodies we left behind and the ones that probably wait ahead. But my mind traitorous as always, is caught on his words."Because you might already be carrying my child."It doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be possible. The surrogacy procedure only happened once after the initial examination. The doctor had said they'd monitor things, but there was no way to be sure after just one attempt. Right?Then again... I don't know anything about how good their procedure was.Was it that effective? Was I just that... fertile?The thought makes my stomach turn.I've been trapped here long enough to know that these people Raymond, his cartel, their doctors, don
The first thought I have is to run. My kidnapper is on the ground and his attacker has taken off somewhere.I can use this opportunity to disappear; maybe find my father while I can as well.This is my chance.As I watch Raymond's barely conscious body lying on the grimy alley ground, I contemplate my escape.It's not like I have any attachment to him- he took me from my father, subjecting me to such much embarrassment.He can bleed out for all I care. But as I turn around to leave, dodging a pool of old vomit, I hear some footsteps approaching."I shot him. But it might be a fatal wound. You know the boss wants him alive."It was that man from the bar. Raymond's attacker.I could run now - abandon this man and never look back. But I can't.For a reason unknown to me, I rush back to where he's lying, breathing heavily. He must be in shock and he's bleeding over the wet concrete.I grab his face and tap gently on his cheeks. "T-try to stay awake, okay? I'll get you out of here." Whet
My father is at gunpoint. "You owe us a total of 102 million dollars. Do you have the means to pay, or are you ready to die?" The bald, 6 foot tall henchman clicks the gun, tapping my father's forehead with he metal.My heart is racing and I don't know what to do.Earlier on, father had been rejoicing to me about the new scam he had pulled on a gullible project manager of a big firm.He had good skills- commiting crimes that no one could trace.To him, this was the easiest scam he'd ever pulled.Father had even gone ahead to purchase an exotic home worth 70 million in Milan.We were both rejoicing- well I was joining in because that's the only way he can be happy these days- before our door was broken down.Father pushed me to the closet and made me hide while they rushed in.Now, I'm sweating in the midst of coats and boots, watching these men with criss crossed knife tattoos on their necks point a gun at my father.Black Silver.The only gang I know with these tattoos belong to th
My heart instantly sinks and I immediately scramble to sit up."Y-you kidnapped me...it's...it's against the law." I sputter out. I'm realizing now that this voice might belong to the infamous leader of the Black Silver Cartel.No one really knew his name...or how he looked.But everyone knew how rash he could get.And now I'm here- somehow in the clutches of this monster.He laughs, low and mocking. "Then your father should be behind bars then. Or better still, he should be dead."My stomach twists into a knot and I bite my lips. "He...he can pay. Please sir, give us time..." I don't know what to do in this situation, so I bow my head and beg. Locks if golden hair fall and frame my vision.In this dim room, I hear the crisp sound of dress shoes.It's night outside."Yes, girl. That's why I will hold on to you. Like a kind of...collateral."I lift my head and I see him.I'm not sure what I expected this man to look like; but it's certainly not this.Just like his name, grey-silver e
I haven't stopped shaking since he left. The contract sat on my lap like a stone, its weight pressing down on me even as my vision blurs. My tears have soaked the edges of the paper, but I don't care. My mind spins with the words I've just read. Three months. That's all my father has to pay back the money. And if he doesn't... I clutch my stomach, trying to will away the bile rising up my throat. The dimly lit room around me suddenly feels like it's closing in, the air too thick to breathe. I stumble off the bed, my bare feet hitting the cold marble floor. My legs are weak, but I force them to move, pacing back and forth in the small space. I can't stay here. I glance toward the door. It's heavy and made of some kind of reinforced steel. There's no handle on my side... just a keypad, its tiny red light mocking me. My fingers dig into my scalp, tugging at my hair as I try to think. There has to be a way out. A window. A vent. Something. I scan the room, desperate for any sembl
The first thought I have is to run. My kidnapper is on the ground and his attacker has taken off somewhere.I can use this opportunity to disappear; maybe find my father while I can as well.This is my chance.As I watch Raymond's barely conscious body lying on the grimy alley ground, I contemplate my escape.It's not like I have any attachment to him- he took me from my father, subjecting me to such much embarrassment.He can bleed out for all I care. But as I turn around to leave, dodging a pool of old vomit, I hear some footsteps approaching."I shot him. But it might be a fatal wound. You know the boss wants him alive."It was that man from the bar. Raymond's attacker.I could run now - abandon this man and never look back. But I can't.For a reason unknown to me, I rush back to where he's lying, breathing heavily. He must be in shock and he's bleeding over the wet concrete.I grab his face and tap gently on his cheeks. "T-try to stay awake, okay? I'll get you out of here." Whet
Raymond's hand grips my wrist, his fingers firm but not painful, leading me through the winding halls of this hellhole. The walls are grimy, the air thick with the metallic stench of blood and damp concrete. My ankle aches with every step, but I force myself to keep moving. Stopping isn't an option.I should be focused on the danger, on the bodies we left behind and the ones that probably wait ahead. But my mind traitorous as always, is caught on his words."Because you might already be carrying my child."It doesn't make sense. It shouldn't be possible. The surrogacy procedure only happened once after the initial examination. The doctor had said they'd monitor things, but there was no way to be sure after just one attempt. Right?Then again... I don't know anything about how good their procedure was.Was it that effective? Was I just that... fertile?The thought makes my stomach turn.I've been trapped here long enough to know that these people Raymond, his cartel, their doctors, don
The world tilts.My head spins, my body swaying despite the solid wall against my back. I feel like I'm floating like none of this is real. But then the pain in my ankle reminds me otherwise, anchoring me back to the nightmare unfolding in front of me.The bald man tightens his grip on my arm, his calloused fingers digging into my skin as he yanks me closer. His breath reeks of cigarettes and something rotten, making my stomach churn. Behind him, the man with the scar on his face smirks, his hands lazily undoing his belt.No.Panic squeezes my chest so tight I can barely breathe.Panic squeezes my chest so tight I can barely breathe, but my body won't move fast enough. My limbs are sluggish, weak, as if fear has wrapped itself around my bones and turned them to stone. My breathing is erratic, my chest rising and falling too fast, yet I still can't get enough air.This can't be happening.I thrash against Bald Man's grip, trying to rip my arm free, but he only laughs at my pathetic str
Immediately, screams ring out. The music has gone off and all I can hear are people crashing into each other in a few to escape this place.I drag my leg from the slimy man's hands and crouch low under the men's table.My heart is racing but I try to keep calm. Another gun shot rings out."Could that be them?" I hear one of them men ask.They're standing now. I can't see anything but I can hear the click of a gun."If they're our people then they certainly went against the plan. I doubt that, though. These ones are a different group.""Stay close." Then they move out, leaving the table. I stay still, listening to the scared whispers and whimpers of the party goers.But I can't stay still for long.I realize now.Throughout my week of working here, Raymond never left me unwatched. Ther was always a guard in the corner, sipping on some non-alcoholic beverage, watching me.I was still his prisoner; still his mistress and still his surrogate.He didn't let me forget that. But today...wi
I look up from the ground to see Raymond standing at the doorway. His face is stern; annoyed even.Eliana whooshes her way towards him, signalling to someone to turn down the music."Brother, you're back! Why so suddenly, hm? Did your little hunt go well?" She asks, sipping a bit of wine from her glass. She twirls her hair, and stumbles a bit."Eliana, you know what father will do if he sees you like this." Raymond hisses underneath his breath.For the first time, I actually see him show a little bit of concern in his cold eyes."Ha! That's rich. What will father say when he sees your whore? You're refusing to get married but you prefer-""That's enough, Eliana." Raymond says sharply. "Take her to her room."The next moment, his henchmen take Eliana by the arms, pulling her upstairs while she kicks and screams.To the rest of the partygoers, Raymond simply shoots at the grand chandelier above and they all scramble out of the house.I cover my ears and crouches the glass flies everywhe
Three days. Three days locked away in my room that smells too expensive, with gold-plated furniture that mocks my imprisonment. Raymond hasn't visited since our last conversation. No warnings, no threats. Just silence. I've spent every waking moment pacing, thinking, plotting. I know I can't escape through the doors, guards are stationed outside at all times. But tonight, something shifts. The mansion is alive with laughter, with the sound of glasses clinking and music playing. A party. And I know exactly who's hosting it. Eliana. Raymond's and his parents absence has left the house in her hands, and with him gone, I see my opening. She wouldn't expect me to try again not after the last time. Not after he made it clear what would happen if I stepped out of line. But if I stay here, I'll go insane. I press my ear to the door, listening. The guards are talking, their voices casual, distracted. I don't have much time. Slipping into the closet, I dig through the clothes Raymond
I freeze.The hallway feels too long, too empty. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, drowning out all logic.What did I see? Everything. The blood. The chains. The way he killed without hesitation.But if I tell him that, I won't leave this hallway alive.He takes slow steps toward me, the dim light casting eerie shadows on his face. His shirt is pristine, like he hadn't just ordered an execution. Like death was nothing more than a routine.I swallow hard, willing my voice to work. "I... I got lost."Raymond stops. His expression doesn't change. If anything, his jaw tightens, his fingers curling at his sides. "Lost?" He repeats the word like he doesn't believe me.I force a shaky breath. "Yes. This house is a maze. I turned a corner and...""And found yourself in a restricted part of the mansion?" His voice is deadly quiet. "Coincidence?"I nod, not trusting myself to speak.The two men from the torture room appear behind him. One of them looks at me with suspicion, his gun still in his
The Don takes me out of the dining room, through a plethora of hallways and then we come into a private space.An indoor garden of sorts.It's only when we arrive that he actually lets go of my hand."You're going to start the procedure from Monday. You can already see the effects of your stupidity, yes? Don't expect me to fight for you." His jaw is ticking, I can tell he's annoyed."Then why did you bring me out of the dining room?" I ask him, irritated. He turns back to me, grey eyes burning. "Don't ask me stupid questions. I brought here to inform you exactly this. My family will eat you alive if you don't behave."I already know that; and he knows that I know.So bringing me out here is for no reason then. I stare him down and he looks straight into my eyes as well.Slowly, his gaze deviates from my eyes, trailing down my neck and to my chest and lower.Invasive but for some reason, tingles roam over my body. Those grey eyes scorch a path on my skin, making me heave and shift o
The helicopter lands after three hours. We arrive at the countryside; at a manor that looked liked it spanned on for miles even from above.For a moment, I forget my uneasiness and take in everything. The sprawling gardens, the forever fields, the main mansion and the smaller buildings about.A real paradise.However, if the people in there are anything like my kidnapper...like Eliana...I'll be done.The helicopter lands on a helipad on top one of the buildings and shuts down.Raymond has been silent the whole ride. Once we stop, he simply removes his seatbelt then leans over to do mine. His hands brush my waist and a bit of my chest. I shift on my seat, uncomfortable."Keep your head down when you come out," he says and then comes down from the other side.I do as he says, even having to hold my hair down as the blades above blow it over.Raymond moves quickly, giving instructions to his men on the roof. I can hardly keep up with him.We take an elevator down to the ground floor an