Turning around, I came face to face with a fuming Kelvin.
The eyes that used to stare at me with so much adoration held nothing but hatred…and disappointment. I opened my mouth to say something but no words registered in my mind nor left my mouth. What was I supposed to say anyway? That this was a misunderstanding? That I was forced into this? But wouldn't that warrant mine and my mother's painful death as per Huracio's promise. There's also a possibility that Kelvin wouldn't even believe me. I mean,I wouldn't have believed it if I found him marrying someone secretly. Why would he believe my absurd explanation? I turned to face Huracio only to find him smiling. He was fucking smiling, as if daring me to say one wrong word. With a heavy heart, I turned around and decided to walk away. A walk of shame ànd pain. Everything was over for me. My relationship of two years crumbled as I watched. I could do nothing about it. “ Are you turning your back on me after cheating on me? I always knew you had daddy issues but I never expected you to marry an old man." Kelvin's words were like a double-edged dagger, slicing through my heart. He used my weakness to hurt me but could I blame him? “ I don't know what you are talking about sir. I suggest you leave this place before I ask security to escort you out." I forced those words out with gritted teeth. The commotion had already attracted the guest’s attention and with the look Huracio was giving me,I knew better than fuck things up more than they already were. Just like my best friend Emilia had walked out of my life the moment I entered the hall wearing a wedding gown, I was forcing Kelvin out of my life. Who knows what Huracio would do to him if he got pissed off? In a span of one hour, I was losing it all. My boyfriend, my best friend, my freedom and who knows what more Huracio was going to take from me. My mother was already missing. I had no one to hold my hand. That realization struck me hard and my hatred for Huracio intensified. “ You don't know what I am talking about? Then why did you send that picture? To spite me?" Kelvin roared, his anger evident on his now veiny face. My eyes popped wide, confusion painting my face. What picture was Kelvin talking about? I turned to look at Huracio but the guy just shrugged nonchalantly,a smirk on his face. I didn't need anyone to tell me that it was his doing. After all,he snatched my phone away after dragging me out of my room. “ You heard her, young man. This is not a place to make a scene. Leave." The words were spoken in a low tone and I could already imagine the smile on hís face as he said them. But I knew better than to think that Huracio was giving Kelvin a friendly reminder. Within an hour,I had watched him morph from the perfect gentleman he always presented himself to be to the devil he really was. Excusing myself,I dashed to the washrooms. I couldn't withstand the emotions surging from within me. I knew I was on the brink of losing my fake composure and breaking down before the guests. An act that would surely drag my ass into deeper shit. Slamming the door behind me,I closed my eyes, my tears finding an escape route on my cheeks. “ You want this?" A familiar voice sounded from beside me. For a fleeting moment, I thought I was dreaming until I snapped open my eyes. There, before me stood Emilia. Her hand holding out a handkerchief. Amidst my tears,I lunged forward, unable to control myself and throwing myself into Emilia's arms as sobs wracked through my body. “ It's still your wedding day, do you want to walk around with smudged makeup?” Emilia's taunted, her words forcing me to pull away ànd dab my cheeks clean. “ Kata, what the hell is happening? I don't understand shit.” Emilia àsked, taking my hand in hers. Her question only made me cry harder. What was I supposed to tell her? The truth? Then what? Drag my best friend in this shit? “ It's nothing, Ems." After wiping the tears,I answered but the look on Emilia's face told me she was not buying that crap. “It's something Kata. Just hours ago,you were excited to see your mother get married then Kelvin…you wanted him to meet your family. And now,you are crying your eyes out after tying the knot with your mother's fiance? Tell me, how's that nothing?” I shake my head, not willing to say anything. “It's no coincidence I got a message warning me to not do anything stupid. Are yóu being forced into this Kata?" My eyes widened at Emilia's words and I clenched my fists. That man's shamelessness knows no bounds. First,he forced me to marry him then sent Kelvin a picture I know nothing about. Then this? “My mother is missing Ems. She is nowhere to be found." I replied amidst my hiccups. " Missing? How's that possible? Emilia shrieked only for anger to overtake the worry on her face when she realized something else. “ Did that asshole force you to marry him because your mother left him?" Emilia snarled. One look at her and I could tell that Emilia finding out the truth was going to be a bad idea. “ Of Course not." I denied, shaking my head. “ I offered to take her place." I blurted out the lie without blinking. A knock by the door interrupted us. “ You are taking forever, little bird." Huracio's voice sounded from the other side of the door, interrupting our chat. “ My patience is running out." He added,a stern warning to me. I didn't need anyone to tell me that Huracio was very much aware that I used the bathroom as an excuse to get away from him. “ I'll be out in a minute," I replied. Sending a pleading look to Emilia's way, I straightened my clothes and left. Huracio was standing outside the washroom, his hands wrapped around his chest as his gaze narrowed on me. “ What took you so long? I'm pretty sure your bladder doesn't need five minutes to be emptied?" I glared at him hatefully. " Why did you follow me? Are yóu a pervert or something?” I only needed a moment for myself to calm down. Did he have to come all the way down here to remind me how long I need to pee? “ I had to make sure you didn't run away. After all, that seems like a family talent." He taunted me in sheer mockery, earning a glare from me. " We are already married. Do yóu think I can run away even if I wanted to?” I snapped back, annoyed. I had already taken the vows, did he have to rub it on my face as to why we were in this situation? “ I am pleased to hear that you know your place Katalina. Don't even dream about running away because I will stop at nothing to drag you back and teach you who owns you now."Huracio “ What the hell do you mean you lost her? How hard is it to track a woman?” I yelled on the phone, unable to control my building rage. I had instructed my men to track Helena, Katalina's mother. That woman thought she could run from me, the devil. Too bad for her,I was going to find her and drag her back here then she was going to explain exactly what transpired eighteen years ago. They had a trail they were supposed to follow, how could she just disappear out of the blue? My plan was falling into place, how could I allow her to escape my grip? “ Find her. I want her found and brought to me as soon as possible." I barked orders before ending the call. “Useless!" I cursed, kicking a flower vase in my office, sending the item shattering on the marble floor. “ Calm down,we still have everything under control." My best friend and second in command, Salvatore,said trying to calm me. " What fucking control? Everything is falling apart. That woman must have le
KATALINA My heartbeats grew erratic with fear as I made my way out of the toilet. The hair on the back of my head stood straight. The look he gave me after I slapped him sent chills down my spine. What have I gotten myself into? Mum, what have you done? Why did you leave this mess for me to clean up? Am I cleaning up it or making it worse? What am I going to do now? I have no idea how we got to his house. I was in a daze throughout the trip. When we got there, I was filled with dread, thinking he would force himself on me. The thought of him touching me creeped me out. I couldn't help but think of Kelvin. His patience all this time, only for him to lose to a thug. A demon. He dragged me into his bedroom and wrapped his arms around me. I was bombarded with his scent. His perfume was musky, with a hint of spiciness, mixed with the pungent smell of cigars. I hated the smell of smoke and instantly felt repulsed. I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. He buried his nose in
KATARINA “I… “ I froze. "Hm," he shook his head with a sarcastic smile. "I can't believe that I was wrong about you.” He sneered. "You are just a cheap slut like the rest of them. How did you manage it? Tell me. How did you manage to snatch your mother's man?” His eyes suddenly became fiercer and he stepped forward. He stood in my face and started yelling. "How long has this been going on? Tell me. Tell me! I want to know!” Scared shitless, I took a step back and forgot how to use my voice. The tears kept flowing, but I wished they could stop because they were drowning me. I was choking on my sob. Since my voice failed, my actions should be enough, right? I slowly reached for the flare of my knee-length dress, and slowly lifted it, revealing my body. Kelvin paused and stepped back with a frown. "What are you doing?" I could see the bewilderment in his eyes. All I could do was sniff and quiver with my silent sob. He watched with wild eyes as I pulled the dress over my head an
Ten shots make a set. On a normal day, by the sixth shot, I’d be out, but it wasn't a normal day. By the ninth shot, I was seeing double… Okay, scratch that. The bartender split into one.. two… fuck. He was more than six! I slammed the last shot glass on the counter and snapped my fingers at him. “Another set." I gulped and rolled my index finger at him. I watched in a daze as he filled a glass cup with water. When he handed it over, I raised my eyebrows at him. Are you joking? Who drinks water at a bar? I rejected it and threw a tantrum. To calm the storm, he gave me a pint glass filled with carbonated water mixed with some low-level alcohol. “This is the best I can do. You are way past your limit." He warned. Knowing he was right, I rolled my eyes at him and begrudgingly took the jar-like cup from him. The water was cold and the frizz felt just right. Didn't know I was parched, but once it hit my throat, I couldn't stop drinking. For some reason, hearing the sounds of
HURACIOWith each thunderclap, my heart tightened. I paced up and down the living room, willing the rain to stop. From the corner of my eye, Salvatore watched with blatant disdain. We were out having fun at what was supposed to be my after-party when one of my bodyguards called me, saying Katalina seemed to be on her way out of the house. I told them to follow her. Though I was upset that she dared to leave the house when I clearly ordered her to go to bed, I was curious about her destination. The moment the rain started, I regretted it. Katalina is scared of thunderstorms. It's not like a fear caused by trauma. It's just like when people are scared of heights. It's inborn and harmless. But why did my heart feel heavy? I couldn't stop myself from worrying for her. This has never happened before. “You are making me dizzy." Salvatore snorted. “Don't look at me and you will feel better." I retorted. Just then, the room lit up and I was caught in a car headlight. "They are here.”
KATALINA “Kelvin, no!" I woke up covered in sweat despite the fully functioning AC unit in the room. While still trying to figure out where I was, I heard a soft thudding and traced it to the door. Someone was knocking. “Tomorrow, you will serve your punishment. Remember you promised to obey." Huracio's deep, and grungy voice whispered into my ears. Startled, I abruptly turned around but saw nobody. I was alone in the room. Remembering my situation, my back suddenly got covered in more chilly sweats. What is he going to do to me? Asking him to punish me instead of Kelvin was easy in the middle of a panic attack. Now that I had my wits around me, I was filled with dread. I didn't know if I should trust him to honor his words, but as long as he spares Kelvin, I am willing to bear it. But having just woken up from a nightmare, where he was squeezing life out of Kelvin while dangling him in the air, I wasn't sure he could be trusted. What if he punishes me and still hurts Kelvin?
KATALINA I was reading a fashion magazine before the secretary brought in the tea. Confused and feeling weird in my mouth, I sat down and continued. A while later, the office started feeling warm. I looked up and saw that the AC units were still working. I didn't even need to look up, if I listened carefully, I'd hear their humming vibes. Thinking that it was because I refused to remove the trench coat, I decided to bear with it as I didn't want to be half-naked in front of him. Another 4 minutes, and it started feeling like I was wrapped in an oven. Sweat gathered on my forehead, and I started feeling dizzy. It would be stupid to end up with a heat stroke while in a fully air-conditioned room. I let the trench coat slide down my back, halfway. The cooling breeze of the AC nearly made me moan. I turned to look at him. He was in a three-piece suit with his white shirt buttoned to his jugular. But it didn't look like he was feeling hot.I picked up the remote for the unit close to
KATALINA My pee was scalding. But the more it came out, the more itchy I felt. I didn't want to touch it, but it felt so good. I couldn't stop the moans and gasps that came out of my mouth. “Felt good, right?" He chuckled once I was down peeing. Looking down with shame, I stood up and gingerly stepped out of the wet patch on the floor. “Touch it." “What?" My head snapped up. He wanted me to touch my pee? Why? “You feel itchy, don't you? Touch it." My eyes widened in realization. There was no way I was doing that in front of him. I needed to beat whatever drug he fed me. “I will make you clean the floor with your mouth if you don't touch it, right now." He growled. He suddenly grabbed my hair and hit the back of my knees with his leg. My knees folded forward, and I fell on my knees. It was so fast that my face was inches away from the pee before I realized what was happening. “I will do it! I will do it!" I gasped as fear overwhelmed me. “Good girl." He let my hair go and st
Huracio It's midnight, but Houston never sleeps. The night is cold and the breeze is biting as autumn is just around the corner. Standing in front of the hotel’s balcony, gazing at the city lights. The sounds of cars consistently breaking into my thoughts, — I closed my eyes and let my spirit fly. In five years, this is the first time I am in tune with everything around me. I can feel the ambiance and see the details. I feel alive. A few hours ago, Stone returned with a report. Katalina is staying offshore on a relatively safe island, and Emilia is preparing to move to Poland. “We can't let her leave. As long as she is here, Katalina will not be too stubborn.” I told him. “Boss, do we really have to go this far?” Stone finally asked the question I knew was eating him up since I activated RedNote. “What do you think I should do, Stone?” I gave him an enquiring look. “...” Not knowing what to say, he brought out another file and h
Katalina“You have to help me!” I grabbed Hoseok's hand once Huracio got into his car. To my exasperation, Hoseok just shrugged casually. “He can't do anything to you as long as I am here.” This over pampered man had no idea what he was messing with, but he was all I had. I must somehow make him getting moving.“No, Hoseok. You don't understand. Huracio can do and undo. He will find a way. Please, help me.” “Let's go back and talk about this. But first, are you Catherine, or Katalina?” He sneered, his gaze filled with suspicion. Knowing I had no choice but to come clean, I ran my hands through my hair in despair. “It's a long story.” “Kata, what will happen now?” Emilia stepped forward. She was pale and scared. “I don't know. I honestly don't know.” Back in the apartment, I told Hoseok a watered down version of what really happened, and lied about why I needed to escape. “He is that kind of man?” He gasped when I told him that Hur
HuracioIt felt strange. Having Katalina standing against me. Her blazing eyes filled with fear, yet courageous. I would have applauded it, but at that moment, we were not on the same side. “Am I?” I chuckled. Before arriving at this place, I had a sense of urgency, but the moment I saw her, my tumultuous heart calmed like a still lake. Just looking at her made me feel at peace. The kind of peace I haven't felt in a long time. “We are divorced, Huracio. I am in a new relationship and you are also engaged to be married. What do you want from me?” She continued. “What do I want from you? Kitty, you are mine, you will always be mine. Have you forgotten that?” “Mr Ignatius. Catherine is my girlfriend and I do not appreciate the tone you are taking with her. Like she said, you guys are divorced. So, she is not yours.” Kim Hoseok growled. I almost laughed at his words. “Divorced? When? Where? Kitty, I will never let you go. Even your corpse will
HuracioThe first time I saw her, it was at the TopLink building two days ago. Salvatore is systematically dissolving the Alkim’s estates and my job is to find the safest way to liquidate assigned assets without raising any alarm whatsoever. This was why I visited the TopLink building. Just as I entered the elevator that led to the CEO’s office and it was closing, she was coming into the corridor. When I first saw her, I thought it was an apparition. I thought I was being haunted again. I didn't mind. I have long embraced the occasional echoes of her voice that seeps into my ears randomly. Her laughter that flusters in the wind anytime I go to the beach, or her smiling face that dazzles me in my sleep. Sometimes, when I am having dinner, I would imagine her sitting across from me, eating and complimenting my food. It didn't matter that back then, she did the cooking and I did the compliments. So, when I saw her, I thought maybe I had finally somehow made her materializ
Katalina“Katalina?” His voice trembled. “Katalina is that you?” He took a step towards us. His face turned pale, his bright eyes were blazing with shock and confusion. His chest was heaving, and I could see the sweat oozing from his skin as it soaked him up. My god, what is he doing here? Every hair on my skin stood at attention. I suddenly had the urge to break free from Hoseok's grip and run, but he wasn't letting me go. “Mr. Ignatius. Are you looking for me?” Hoseok, though holding me with an iron grip, turned to the apparition in front of me and asked. Oh, how is he real? Hoseok can see him too?“I just…” the ghost started saying, but stopped. His gaze was on me and I couldn't help but shiver. “Katalina, you, how is this possible?” He asked with eyes filled with confusion. “Who is Katalina?” Hoseok asked and to my relief, he noticed his guest's gaze on me. He instantly stepped between us. “Mr Ignatius. You are mistaken. This is Catheri
Katalina “...”Batum, Batum… My heart throbbed. For a moment, all I could see was Huracio's face. The tone, the gaze, the intensity, the possessiveness… My body shivered and my brain went blank. I couldn't help it. “Hugh!” Dean straightened up and cleared his throat, bringing me back to my senses. Realizing that I just got dazed while staring into Dean's eyes, I turned red, hoping that he wouldn't misunderstand. “I…” “You sure know how to pick them, Ms Cook.” An unfamiliar voice came from my back. Turning around, I found the Asian girl from the restaurant incident walking towards me with a radiant smile on her face. “You again?” I titled my head to the side, wondering where I knew her or how. I initially thought she was acquainted with Williams’ girlfriend, but that lady was nowhere to be found even though Williams was standing a few feet away from me. “Yes, me aga…” “You are quite something, Catherine.” Bella interjected with righteo
KatalinaWhen I told Emilia how things went down at the office, she nearly blew a gasket.To avoid Hoseok, I blocked him everywhere and made sure that my schedule was filled up with field work. Three days later, I received an email from the HR office, notifying me of actions taken. Grace was fined and her salary was deducted. She was ordered to write an apology letter which I will never see, and my resignation notice was acknowledged. Earlier in the week, preparation for Master Kim-yung’s 60th birthday went into full swing. Everyone in the office was talking about the gifts to buy for him. Since I was leaving in less than two weeks, I felt no obligation to join in the discussion, and when I was told of the contribution to be made, I completely ignored them. Hoseok came to my place twice. Emilia was the one who attended to him both times. She made it clear that if he should show up ever again, she would call the cops. Then, he showed up at my son's school
“What the hell is going on?” Grace stood up, banged the table, and yelled, the moment Freddy left the room. “Yeah, what is going on?” The woman from Headquarters stood up, facing my department Head of HR. “How come the CEO’s office was able to gather evidence, but you weren't? Are you trying to humiliate me?” “It's a misunderstanding, Ma’am. I will quickly look into it.” The man stuttered and got to his feet. “This meeting will be adjourned.” Headquarters HR snorted and left the room. The silent man beside her hurriedly packed up her things and hurried out too. Suddenly, it was just the three of us from TopLink that remained in the conference room. “Catherine, don't think you have won. Hoseok can not protect you this time around.” Grace stood up and snapped. Though her words were sharp, I could see the wariness that entered her eyes the moment Freddy stepped into the room. He was gone, but he remained. She was worried. I rolled my eyes and walked a
10 on the dot, I was seated in the conference hall, facing four people from the HR office. Two are from TopLink, while the rest are from the headquarters. Grace was also present, but she looked so smug, no one would believe she was just a special assistant and not one of the company's executives. Last night, I convinced myself that I wouldn't be scared, but seated there, facing those cold looking people, my heart couldn't help but tremble… “Having gone through your complaint letter, we have done our investigations and found most of the complaints here unfounded. There is no evidence to support your claims.” The woman from Headquarters solemnly said. “What do you mean? There are many people who witnessed these things. Did you ask them or just decide that whatever Grace says is the truth?” I couldn't help but snap at her. I turned to TopLink’s head of HR, but his eyes were glaring at me. “Sir, how come they can't find any evidence?” I continued, unfazed by his angr