CHAPTER 1TAYLORI sneezed first when my consciousness returned, and then I groaned in pain as I felt a sharp ache in the back of my head. Immediately, the dryness in my throat completely woke me up, and all I could think about was getting myself a glass of water, but I couldn't move when I tried to.I'd never felt so painfully heavy in my life. My body felt like lead, and no matter how many times I tried to get up from my knees, I couldn't. It was like I'd been drugged to stay put, and I panicked internally. Realizing my hands were bound together with chains, I tried to cry out for help, but there was a piece of clothing in my mouth. Then I attempted to open my eyes, but they were blindfolded, and my heart sank upon the discovery that I'd been held hostage.My breaths suddenly became shallow. Fear seeped into my veins and filled my head with horrific images as each second passed, and tears stung my eyes the longer I struggled with the clattering chains that held my hands in bondage
CHAPTER 2 TAYLOR I gasped in shock when a bucket of water was poured on my bare skin and I opened my eyes to see I was surrounded by four middle aged women I'd never met in my life. I was naked and they were all washing me up and I gasped again as I registered what was going on. I was naked! With four unrecognizable women! “Calm down, doll. We're the nicest among everyone working for madam Horton so you're in safe hands with us, alright? We're just going to clean you up and dress you up to look good for Mr Rover” the first woman in a flower patterned apron said and I frowned. “Is this is a fucking joke or do you actually mean it when you say you're the nicest? You lots kidnapped me and sold me off like it's normal and you're telling me you're the nicest? That has to be the biggest fucking joke of the year. I'm a hostage!” I screamed while my body vibrated with maximum rage. Then I heard the cocking of a gun immediately and I froze with my breath held in fear when it was pressed
CHAPTER 3TAYLOR He was looking at me. His eyes were blank and icily condescending as he stared at me from where he stood but I could still strangely feel a weird warmth creeping from my stomach up to my chest.He was handsome. So good looking that I momentarily forgot that all in one night, I'd been betrayed by my boyfriend and was sold to him, a mafia lord who was said to be ruthless. I had no idea what mafia lords did exactly since I'd never come across one before but judging from the gun and silencer he held, it was obvious that he was indeed dangerous. His gaze finally shifted from mine as he turned to look at the guards and he waved his hand up for them to raise their heads which they did.My eyes rounded when he began to fix the silencer on the gun and I watched the guards give each other questioning looks.“Who hurt her?” His voice, still deep, cold and spine chilling like from the auction, asked the guards while he gestured toward me and I was confused at first.But then I
CHAPTER 4TAYLOR “Your name is Taylor Anya Fitzroy and you're an orphan. You lost your parents in an accident at fifteen and your grandpa died after you graduated from high school.You're twenty two years old, you lived in an apartment which was close to where you formerly worked as a barista at a Cafe and your boyfriend… Well, now your ex-boyfriend is Malcolm Doe.” Mr Rover listed every single information about myself while he sat before me in the mansion's living room but all I could think about was the amount of blood I just witnessed out there when he shot those bodyguards in their knees and hands.“I'm sorry. I… I can't get the blood out of my head. I've n… never seen s… so much blood before. I'm really sorry” I stammered while apologizing profusely and he leaned toward me from where he sat to have a closer look at me.“As long as you're mine, you'll have to get used to that. Understood?” he told me and I nodded in fear because I couldn't bring myself to say another word.“Fern
CHAPTER 5 TAYLOR While I sank deep into my thoughts in bewilderment, Mr Rover was busy looking me over from head to toe and with a sigh of disapproval, he stood up from his chair and waved his forefinger at me to stand up too. I quickly did as he wanted and when he held my wrist without warning, I felt my body freeze because I never saw it coming. Mr Rover was holding me! His hand was on my wrist! And I was trying to get used to it. “Let's get you into something better before you meet my father” he said and with that, he pulled me along with him, not bothering to let me finish my breakfast. Fernandez led the way and opened the doors for us until we got inside the car; I got into the passenger seat while Mr Rover occupied the driver's seat and a deafening and awkward silence filled the car as he drove off until we arrived at a beauty shop. The place screamed of luxury and sophistication when we walked in and I looked around in awe while we waited for the manager. Then I heard the
CHAPTER 6TAYLOR Smoothening my hands over my wedding dress while I looked in the mirror, I couldn't bring myself to accept the fact that I was getting married. Against my will, I was marrying the man who bought me from an auction and I couldn't even run away because he promised to find me and hurt me if I did.Just weeks ago, I was living a very mundane life. All I did was go to work, make coffee for strangers, and then return home to eat a poorly made dinner before I headed to bed. Now, I was in a white dress and about to marry a man that I knew nothing about just because he said we were going to, and at that moment, I remembered Malcolm. He was never a good boyfriend to me either. I was just desperate for love because I missed my parents and grandpa. So, accepting him into my life seemed like the best at the moment.That was until I found out about his addiction. Then he promised he was going to stop, and I stupidly believed him because I thought someone like him could actually
CHAPTER 7TAYLORThe drive to the venue was a very quiet and stifling one for me because we were both seated in the same car. So I rolled the window down a bit to feel the air until the car came to a halt once we arrived at the church where we were to be wedded.Then Fernandez came forward to get the door for me and another one of Michael's guards did the same for him from the other side of the car.Once we were both out, I looked toward Michael to see he was watching me too. Then he held his hand out for me to take it and raising my dress, I walked toward him and placed my small hand in his much larger hand.With that, we took slow and precise steps toward the church and my heart started to beat so fast against my ribs that I thought I wouldn't hear anything around me from the loud crashing sound in my head but then Michael spoke to me and I looked at him.“After we take our vows…” he stopped and visibly swallowed, his Adam apple dancing up and down his throat. Then he looked down at
CHAPTER 8TAYLORWe walked out of the church hand in hand, but immediately we were a distance away from the church building, Michael abruptly let go of my hand and the gesture felt so cold and dismissive.Fernandez rushed up to him at that moment and whispered something in his ear and immediately he took a step back, Michael pulled him aside to talk to him so I was left to stand alone and it was awkward.I remained in the same spot while I watched him converse with his bodyguard and the longer I watched him, the more it felt like the kiss we shared was nothing but a dream. I didn't want to believe that I just felt his lips upon mine just seconds ago.So I made myself think… that it wasn't real. It was just an act because Michael Rover didn't find me to be attractive one bit. He had never even looked my way for longer than a few minutes and I couldn't count on one hand how many times I'd seen him in person since he bought me. So the kiss was nothing to him… and I had to think nothing o
CHAPTER 63TAYLOR“It's just one night, Michael. You know you can't keep her locked inside forever right?” Selene tried to convince him as we had breakfast so he would let me tag along with her and her friends for the night.Quietly, I sat beside her while she drilled him with many other things I could do that was worse than hanging out with her but still, he remained adamant.“You said she could go with me yesterday! You said you'd allow it if we went with bodyguards!” She insisted and Michael sighed before getting up from where he sat.“I'm not changing my mind, Selene. Taylor isn't going with you” he replied before walking out of the kitchen and I looked at her once he was gone.“I told you. He wouldn't let me go” I said to her before getting up to pack up the empty dishes and she placed her hand on mine. I looked at her to see she had a determined look in her eyes and I wondered what else she had up her sleeve.“Trust me, Taylor? I'm going to convince him to let you come along. Wa
CHAPTER 62TAYLORSwitching on the lights as we walked into the penthouse, all I could think about was rushing off to my bed while Michael walked past me with Selenes's luggage in hand.“Follow me, Selene. I'll take you to your room” he said to her and she groaned while clutching onto her stomach.“I'm starving, Michael. I'd like to have dinner first and both of you are joining me” she said and he threw his head back tiredly before he placed the luggage on the floor and faced her.“Alright. Taylor can set something up for dinner. She's a great cook and you'll love her dishes” he replied and she looked at me with a smile.“You don't mind making dinner for me, Taylor. Right?” she asked and I shook my head.“Of course not. I'd be delighted to” I told her and she grinned while clapping excitedly. Then she waved at Michael before she followed me into the kitchen and together, we set up the dining table since she offered to help.Soon, we were done since I already made soup earlier and Mich
CHAPTER 61TAYLORThe air felt awkward between us as we stood side by side in the airport and waited for someone I'd never met before.Minutes passed and the crowd started to lessen with time. I was already starting to wonder if this so called cousin even got on the plane when I heard a voice yelling out Michael's name and I looked toward the direction to see a petite lady waving dramatically at us.“Come on, let's go. She's here” Michael told me, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion and I nodded before following him while I gave his cousin a curious look.Compared to his hard exterior, she looked fun and easy going. Her wide smile and beaming eyes were enough to give that away but what she wore caught my interest too.I expected to see someone sophisticated. Probably dressed in a skirt and blazer like she was heading for a meeting but instead, she wore a blue jean jumper, her hair was held up in a braided ponytail and her nails dazzled with different colors of nail polish. She wa
CHAPTER 60TAYLORI was making dinner but I was absent minded. I just stared into space while stirring the pot of soup before me until it began to boil and still, I didn't realize I was supposed to turn the burner off already.“Taylor! What are you thinking?” Michael's scornful voice suddenly filtered through my empty thoughts and I flinched as he came up from behind me and turned the burner off.The soup splashed and little of it got onto my hand and I winced in pain while holding onto my hand in pain.“I… I wasn't…” I had no idea what to say while I struggled to endure the pain from the burn and he grabbed my hand before pulling me to the dining table.“Sit!” He ordered before forcing me down onto a chair and I watched him rummage through the kitchen for the first aid box until he found it. Then he returned to me and sat beside me before pulling my hand toward him again.“You have been acting differently these days, Taylor, because you have never zoned out like this. What's the matt
CHAPTER 59MICHAELTaylor felt distant and different. At first, I assumed it was because of how I spoke to her in front of Blair and Carlos and I thought it would be like the usual… it was only going to be a matter of time before she would let go of the anger.It was like within the time that I asked her to leave my office until when Blair and Carlos left, she had built up a wall around her and her eyes looked so unreadable. It was like she was unrecognizable.I couldn't forget when I walked into the office where she learnt with Miss Blackwood to get her so we could leave. The look she had in her eyes was so foreign. She didn't smile or give any reaction as she saw me but still, I assumed she was just merely pissed at me. But then, her body language began to say otherwise. The way she kept a steady distance between me and her as we walked to the car, the way she scooted away from me inside the car and didn't look my way at least once until I spoke to her throughout the drive, and ho
CHAPTER 58 TAYLOR We entered the car and I was quick to scoot away from Michael as he joined me in the backseat. I didn't look his way either and instead, rested my head against the window to look outside. The car felt suffocating having him beside me. I wanted to scream, run for as long as my feet could take me or even sob my anger and solitude out to let out the misery I was feeling but I couldn't do any of that. He was going to ask what was wrong and I wouldn't be able to tell him because if I did, I would look stupid and desperate for him and I didn't want that for myself. Not when he didn't see me that way. With a sigh, I scooted away from him even further. Then I started to roll the window down so I could feel the night breeze against my face but then Michael placed his hand over mine from behind me and I froze. Slowly, I turned to look back at him and he was watching me with questioning eyes. “I don't want the windows down. It's ventilated enough” he said and I rel
CHAPTER 57 TAYLOR Blair walked into the office at that moment and I froze when our eyes met. Ignoring my presence in the room, she looked away and walked toward the desk to meet Carlos and right in front of me and Michael, they shared a kiss. I was so close to asking out loud what she was doing there but I held myself back and watched their exchange in silence until Blair decided to speak. “I came to pick up my fiance only to see blisters on his face and I can also sense a lot of tension here. So tell me… what's going on here, Michael?” She asked and Michael looked at Carlos. “Your fiance was harassing my wife so I gave him a taste of my fist and I think he liked it” Michael told her and she immediately snapped her head toward Carlos with wide eyes. “You know I wouldn't do that, baby. She just wants to make me the bad guy” he said to her and she narrowed her eyes at him for a few seconds. “Are you sure, hun? Are you certain that you didn't try to harass her?” Blair asked him l
CHAPTER 56 TAYLOR Two weeks passed by and I was doing the same thing everyday. I fed Mane, petted him when he wanted me to, made breakfast and dinner everyday for me and Michael and learnt from Alissa. She never stopped encouraging me throughout the two weeks that I spent learning from her. All she said to me were kind words, she was patient enough too and to impress her the more, I stayed up every night to learn more on my own for at least an hour with Mane’s company. Life didn't feel so bleak and lonely for me anymore and even though that unavoidable distance was still there between me and Michael, I was still glad to see him everyday because it made my day. Fernandez got busier with many jobs to do thanks to Carlos who chose to be a menace so I hardly saw him around compared to before. I couldn't help but wonder though what he'd found out about Carlos so far because I knew he was nothing but a pain in the ass that needed to be taken out of the way. The third week started and
CHAPTER 55 TAYLOR Walking into the penthouse, Michael got to the door and waited for me to walk in. Then he shut the door after me and just as he walked past me to head for his room, I called for him and he turned around to face me. “I'm going to make dinner after I change my clothes. Is there anything you'd like to eat?” I asked him and he shook his head. “Don't worry about dinner tonight, Taylor. I'm good” he turned down my offer to get him something to eat and I was the one who shook my head this time. “But you haven't had anything today. Even during lunch, you were away for a meeting” I said and he sighed. “I'll decide if I want to eat or not, Taylor. Drop it” he replied and with that, he walked away. Standing alone in the living room, I felt conflicted between listening to him or my guts. I knew he was starving. Maybe it was Carlos who spoiled his mood and made him lose appetite. Or maybe it was something else, I couldn't say. All I knew was that my parents or grandpa nev