A feeling of warm lips pressed to my forehead made me stir in my sleep but I did not open my eyes just yet. I was still very sleepy so I decided, why not give myself another hour of just lying around— that exactly what I did.
Hour turned into hours, eventually a high-pitched unfamiliar voice came to drag me out of my drowsy state.
"Miss London?"
When I opened my eyes, I blinked a couple time to adjust my sight. My eyeballs were sore, painfully sore and so was my throat.
"Who're you?" My voice came out sounding like a last breath as I looked the girl up and down.
"I am Elizabeth, Miss. I am Master Liam's housemaid and today, I am in charge of tidying up the master bedroom."
The last time I remembered coming to the Plaza was probably about a year ago. Despite, it being one of the largest shopping malls in town which also practically owned by my best friend's family, the place was far too luxurious and superior for my own taste. It was not those kind of places where you could feel free to roam around in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy t-shirt—the outfit I most of the times preferred. The mall represented luxury brands and services only. Therefore, you probably got the idea of the vibe it carried.Stepping inside the building, I believed if we were back in biblical time— that was exactly how Jesus would feel like whenever he stepped into the room. Everyone bowed respectfully at Luke's presence meanwhile I, received a few looks and a lot of weird glaring."Good afternoon, Mr. Serran
The ride back home in Liam's car was awkward. He was driving— clearly pissed and I was sitting in the passenger seat— thoroughly terrified. At the highest speed the vehicle could go, he went. Speeding his sleek-black Lamborghini down the highway and headed straight back home.I breathed out a sigh in relief when the car drove up the driveway and parked safe and soundly at the main entrace. The guards hurried came forward as if they knew we were coming and opened Liam and I's door for us. I stepped out, thanked him, and glanced up to see Liam already making his way inside the house. I tracked him down, following his loud stomping footstep upstairs and to the west wing of the mansion.Once, we had arrived and entered Liam's zone of the house, I made up my mind and brought myself to his attention.
By the time we reached home that day, it was already half past nine. I was exhausted and so was Liam. Not only that I was drained from the long day of walking and talking, I was also tried from getting my hope up after another. My jaw was sore from how many time I left my mouth hanging wide open, thinking that I could finally get to say something to Liam but then he went ahead and took just another phone call after he ended one. It was like suddenly people from over the world wanted to talk to him the same day and time I had to talk to him the most.It was killing me. How unclear the situation between us was but as of now, he still hadn't done or said anything to me about the whole kids' thing rather than showing me the contract the other night. I guessed after all, I might have just overreacted this whole thing.The car took a sharp tu
"Do you trust me now when I said you look absolutely stunning today?" My mother whispered under her breath as she took my hand from my lap. I flashed her a weak smile.It had been almost a month since the last time I met my parents and the first thing they had to say to me was how pretty and beautiful I looked in my wedding dress. There was no explanation, excuses— whatsoever. Everyone went on pretending that everything would be fine. Even my three brothers, who I was positive Papa had said something to. They remained strangely quiet around me.When the limousine arrived in front of the church, my breath hitched. Blood began to drain from my face as I took Papa's hand and we got out of the vehicle."This is it." I heard Papa murmured under his breath and we began to walk inside,
"You ready?"No."Yes." Turning to Mama, I flashed her a toothless smile and we made our way down the hall. I breathed out a sigh in relief seeing the second floor of the lodge house was currently empty but swallowed back a lump of fear down my throat when the first floor was the very same.Quiet. Yet, not so peaceful.Through the big glass window on the side of the house overlooking the garden, I watched as our guests said good-bye and went their separate ways. Only few people remained behind, counting silently in my head.Mr. Luciano and Mrs. Luciano, The four Luciano brothers, Giovanna and my family.A hand squeezed my shoulder and I turned.
The next morning I wake up, everything was a blur. I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling and rubbed my skin against a soft linen bedding. A breath of relief escaped my lips when I rolled to the side and there was still a good distance left in between the two of us.Liam was sleeping. Next to me. Soundly and peacefully. His chest heaved up and down slowly following the soft pattern of his breathing. My eyes involuntarily traveled downward as I observed his toned chest. My heart raced and heat rose up to my face accordingly. I gripped harder onto my comforter and quickly turned away.What the heck was that?My imaginary went wild. So wild that I had to force myself to shut my eyes and gave my mind another rest."Hello?"
"London."My muscles stiffened at the dark deep voice and I watched as Lydia and Kitty's mouth slowly parted into a gasp. They quickly looked down. Clearly, was too afraid to look at whoever that was standing behind me in the eyes, they ducked their heads low."What're you two doing here?" The voice asked and immediately, Lydia answer."W-we just finished with the clients, sir." She stammered.A short pause was added in between his calming breath before he said, "Get back to work."The order was short and easy yet impactful. Lydia and Kitty gave a knowing nod."Yes, sir." They both voiced in unison.
Two weeks had passed since the Meredith incident and Liam and I had eventually moved back to his mansion. Everything returned to its normal state as exactly as it was before we get married but worst.I became lonely.Dreadfully, lonely up in my bedroom.In the morning, Liam left for work. His returning schedule also was unpredictable. Some days he came back very late at night and there were days he came back a little earlier but he would either spend the rest of the evening in his office or go out. I did not see much of him and neither did he had seen a lot of me. It was like we were not even living together, or let alone married to one another. We were like two strangers sharing the same floor inside this vast mansion. From time to time, our names were mentioned in a conversation but
What even is the definition of friends?I was asking myself that while we were on our way back home from the hospital. After almost two weeks of complete isolation from society and being in close contact with doctors and nurses every day, I was finally set free. Not entirely though. The doctor had ordered complete bed rest for the next few days for me, or until our family doctor viewed I was healthy enough to get back out there again. She said I should always be in bed, even while I was having a meal.The fact that I couldn't move a lot, let alone go places had somehow ended up bringing me closer to Liam than we had ever been. For the last few days, I was staying at the hospital, he was with me. He slept over. We ate together. We watched T.V. together and he would rub my back or feet until I fell asleep every night a
Like music to my ears, his heartbeat softly echoed off the walls in perfect harmonies. His eyes were closed, face looking serene as ever while his tiny body floated endlessly in my womb."Perfectly healthy, Mrs. Luciano." The doctor said as she pointed with her finger towards the monitor of the ultrasound machine.My chest puffed, proudly. Bobbing my head in pure satisfaction, I flashed her a warm smile back.He's beautiful.Gorgeous.In a way that no word in a vocabulary could narrate. By just witnessing his existence through the monitoring screen, the overwhelming love I felt towards him was truly priceless."Is everything alright, Mrs. Luciano?"
The next morning I wake up feeling fresh. Last night. Oh, last night. I literally had the best time of my life. So much food came in and out of my room nonstop upon his request. We were watching Masterchef on netflix and every time I mentioned about how delicious and tasty those foods they were cooking look, Liam sent someone out, looking for the exact same dish for me in all the restaurants around town. We ubereat-ed too. Like a lot. I felt almost like a princess. It was so much more fun watching a cooking show and being able to taste all the foods similar to what they were making rather than just sitting there and starved yourself to death at midnight.I was stuffing my face with a bowl of arugula and shrimp salad when the door suddenly burst open."Good mor- What the hell is going on in here?!" Giovanna exclaimed. She care
[LONDON P.O.V.]"You can have any girls in this world. Get with them. Play with them. Break their hearts. I don't care. But her. She is mybest friend."It was the next day in the morning. Early in the morning. How did I know? I hadn't even opened my eyes yet but I could feel a warm bright sunlight shining through the window, heathing up my skin.For the second time, in a subdued voice, almost a whisper, the person hissed."Why does it have to be her?"I did not need to open my eyes to guess who she was. I recognized her voice, possibly within the first two seconds I heard it."Trust
[THIRD PERSON P.O.V.]Like a thunder, he entered the room, seizing every breath and attentions to be turned directly in his way as they should.Six men seated across the long table in Yusuf Luciano's office glanced up in awe. Their eyes locked on their one and onlybossin unison,"I need a word with you...inprivate."Yusuf's pulse skittered. He watched unbelievably as every one of his minion co-workers stumbled out of his office as per his son's request. They knew better than to define him. Even Yusuf himself was getting more and more intimidated by Liam these days."Son."
I am sorry.His soft half-broken apology rung in my ears. It had been over fifteen minutes now since we last said anything to each other before the doctor came in, disrupting our conversation by requesting a moment in private with Liam.I wasn't sure as to whether or not I should be thankful for him for saving my butt from what could have been a very awkward encounter, or should I get mad at him for interrupting such a potentially heartfelt moment between the two of us. Anyways, my heart ached for the poor man.An expression of pure horror gripped his face, yet his gestures remained stoic and professional. I watched carefully as Doctor Gideon continued to express his concerns over my case with Liam who in return, was giving him his full attention. His eyebrows d
Would you do it?If your best friend asked you for a favor, would you do it?I guessed the answers could be varied and by varying, I mean it had to do with lots of things. Lots of facts. The task they asked you to accomplish. The situation you both were in, and the most importantly who that person was.When Luke asked me for a favor, I couldn't help but say yes to him. Did I regret it? It was still too fast to tell. But given the situation I was in, I couldn't afford losing another person in my life who actually gave aneffabout me.With Luke in the picture, I definitely felt much better and safer now. Apart from Giovanna, he was this other person who had always been looking out for me,
All I heard was a strange sound. An odd static noise followed by tiny beeps as myself was slowly coming back. My eyes felt abnormally heavy, but not too heavy that it would be impossible to lift them open. My body jolted like it was awakened from death, raising from out of the tomb in which it had been buried. I groaned in pain, feeling my stiff muscles and tendons stretched underneath the thin covers. My chest rose on heavy, rasping breaths and I opened my eyes to an unnervingly white, clean ceiling above me.So calm. So peaceful. Airy and neat. It was then when I was vaguely aware that I was lying on a hospital bed and likewise, the tears started to fall again."Thank God." I heard a strong, steady voice mumbling from beside me then a comforting pair of arms wrapped themselves around my trembling body.
There was a strange feeling erupting in my guts. Like suddenly, my stomach fell into a knot and my chest clenched tight. I couldn't begin to explain how weird every organs felt inside my body. I just knew everything at the moment felt wrong. I couldn't move, nor speak. The only thing I could do and had been doing for the past several seconds was staring straight into his expressionless face.As if what happened tonight wasn't delusional enough already, standing in front of me, in the flesh, alive and breathing was Xavier.Yes. The same Xavier whom I once mistook as my friend, and spent a great amount of time hanging around without knowing every words that came off of his mouth was based on a lie.One big fat filthy lie.