~ Daniella ~
As the song goes, “The sun still shines, the sun still sets,” so I had no excuse not to be productive this day.
After what happened last night, I developed a hangover. I remember we partied hard. We were more than tipsy when it was time to leave but Mr. Clyde (thank God for his impeccable timing), drove us to our respective abodes.
Although my head felt like it was being hit by a raging bullet train, I pushed myself to stand up. First things first, I needed to freshen up; take a long warm jasmine-scented bath, eat my breakfast downstairs and prepare for my day at my mother’s office. She did invite me to lunch today reasoning that she missed me and that we needed to catch up on things, business related. Not to mention that she wanted some juicy details while I stayed in the chateau.
I did the first two lists in one and a half hours. Tia Sofia really is an indispensable woman when it comes to cooking my f
~ Daniella ~“So, how was your visit with your fellow club member, Sweetie?” my mother broke my blank, lifeless state with a tap in my shoulder. I was in the pantry of the office making a morning coffee for both of us when she stepped in and ask that question.I know I had been acting like a zombie since I left Suri’s house, not to mention mute, and it seems my mother noticed it.“It was okay,” I answered her but honest to goodness, no, it wasn’t.I turned to face her with one mug of coffee in hand. Although I didn’t offer it to her, she took it with a raised brow.“Okay?” she parroted in a questioning tone.I took mine and sipped a little of the warm liquid.“Yeah,” was my scarce reply.“O-kay,” this time she stated it with a roll of her eyes. I just ignored it. “You know you can tell me anything right?”I smiled weakly at her. God
~ Daniella ~If I’m in a movie, I would consider myself in the film Cinderella with how I looked like wearing an almost similar royal blue ball gown. Imagine this was what Suri demanded on the designer for me to wear. The design was tweaked with a plunging see-through neckline that showed a bit of my cleavage. I didn’t need to wear any jewelry on my neck for it had a pseudo-necklace that was made of the same glittering fabric. I could easily say that I definitely looked like a Goddess now; a Goddess looking for some damage — in a certain man’s heart that is.Suri had her own gown, but it was her preferred mermaid style in gold beads and an empire cut neckline. It was definitely a different design as compared to mine, but a majestic creation nonetheless.My knees felt like jello when I stepped inside the Presidents Hall, the one that held Ms. Elaine’s wedding reception. That was two hours ago. Vincent was with me, steadying my balanc
~ Erik ~(Half an hour ago)“A man in love who allows his woman get touched by another man is the loser of them all,” Rohan aired out like a philosopher standing near a balustrade under a moonlit sky. I was a few feet away from him, arching my brow of his brainy quote.I have seen Daniella get passed on by different men again and again just for a stupid dance. This had me fuming inside so I decided to cool myself in a balcony that connected the ballroom hall.Damn this night.Damn this ball.Damn Vincent for bringing Daniella back here.And most especially, damn myself for being so complicated.I should have stood by her side the moment she walked inside the hall. I should have guarded her with all of these wolves. I shouldn’t have been so stiff.Now I am regretting my stupid actions.“She seems to be enjoying being
~ Erik ~Dark was the room Mr. Hyde had placed me in one day. I had huddled myself in a corner for probably half an hour confused and feeling lost. I don’t know why he placed me here, but I believe the reason wouldn’t be any better. He and his men had been my companion for a year since they spirited me away from the Dominican convent. I knew of their criminal ways. I knew of his psychotic tendencies. Not one instance had I seen good in them... good in him.Probably half an hour of staying, the door swung open to let in light.Finally my suffering in this deserted room ends, I thought to myself, but when a person stepped in, and not just any person, a woman in fact, I realized Mr. Hyde’s twisted game had just begun.The woman, most likely in her early twenties, sobbed as she cuddled herself in a makeshift bed. I don’t even know there was a bed until she sought protection in it.But I doubt a thin foa
~ Daniella ~In one scoop Erik lifted me up bride-style from the ground with his strong arms. I yelped of course with the suddenness of it but nevertheless surrendered myself with his subtle demand.As he strode to the bathroom, I combed the locks of wet hair out of his face and pulled the prosthetic make-up out of his neck tattoo.He didn’t protest with it and even allowed me to trace the edges of the spade.“What’s this tattoo mean, Erik?” I asked once we arrived in the bath area that was connected to the first section of the bathroom.This area had a different atmosphere.Why? Because it literally had no concrete roof except for a skylight that showed the pelting rain. The walls where covered with groovy tiles of Mediterranean art. There was a countertop some stretch away from us and a full length mirror beside it. From each side, there were silvery green plants that towered all
~ Daniella ~A whole day.That’s what Erik told me and true to his word, we really did stay for a wondrous whole day inside his room.He had instructed Mr. Ian through phone call to leave our breakfast, lunch and dinner meals including snacks outside the main door. He also issued all club matters directed to the Vice President and even those that pertain to Iopata set aside for the next day.Weirdly enough, not one of the club members called or texted him. I am not so sure if it was intentional or if they knew of my presence in their president’s bedroom, but the zero bother made me feel at ease. As of the moment, I don’t want to think about how Suri and the other’s had reacted on the advancement of me and Erik’s relationship.I doubt that they would be surprised though. I have an inkling that they knew something was up between the two of us right from the start.Erik and I discussed
~ Erik ~“How is she?” I immediately asked as soon as Amano stepped out of the private hospital room. Four hours had passed since the abduction of Daniella and I am yet to find out the details from Suri who had sustained a gunshot wound in her left thigh.I am extremely fidgety and itching to ki*ll someone right now, but since I needed to ask Suri first, I stayed the whole four hours in the waiting area.“Suri’s doing fine, Prez,” Amano replied with relief in his eyes. Just a few hours ago, he was beyond containment insisting on being by Suri’s side during the operation. Vincent had talked him through it and he had calmed down a little bit since then.“The bullet that had lodged in her thigh has already been taken out. She is under recovery now.”Good. Now I can go on asking her.“Can she talk?” I said, drawing wrinkles in my brows. “Is she allowed to? I need to ask her all that had
~ Daniella ~Clad in a well-ironed suit, Erik stood before me. He had an amused grin on his face, barely visible, but still there and he studied me from head to foot as if it was his first time seeing me.If it wasn’t for the chains that stopped me, I would have leapt into his arms and embraced him right then and there. I instead just stood still with my left hand pressed against my bounding heart and my right hand restrained by the cuff. A part of me was relieved that it was him, but a part of me was confused too.“You’re the boss?!” I exclaimed with furrowed brows, but I bit the inside of my lip thereafter when I thought that maybe my question came out wrong.“Wh-what is the meaning of this?” I inquired the second time. A tornado of questions attacked my head as I waited with bated breath for his answer.What came out from his mouth however cleared all of it in just a snap.“Danie
~ Daniella ~“Come guys! It is a group picture now!” Standing beside the podium, I shouted, straining my voice enough so that all Fancy Pants members could hear. Hired by Suri and Amano to be their wedding event coordinator, I had contacted a famous photographer in L.A. to capture the video and photos during the private event. The line-up of picture taking starting from the small entourage, parents and relatives had just finished. Now, it was the Club’s turn.Vincent, Karl and Alec were already in the dais, congratulating the newlyweds while Enrique was busily talking to one bridesmaid who was Suri’s distant cousin.Erik was sitting in one of the front pews in the chateau chapel, silent and rather too relaxed. Of all of the members, he was the one who hadn’t stood up and expressed his greetings. Well, at least not yet as Suri and Amano had been continuously surrounded by the jovial crowd.I straightened and rested a
~ Daniella ~It was the second day in the hospital when I opened my eyes. The first face that greeted me then was my mother, holding my hand that was free of an intravenous line. She sobbed quite vigorously. I had to try to calm her through a squeeze of my fingers on her flushed cheek. We talked after she quieted down and I was informed of everything with regards to my condition.Miraculously, I survived the car crash without any fatal injuries aside from some glass lacerations in my legs, bruises, a broken left wrist and a head concussion. The doctors wanted to make sure everything of my body processes were stable so they needed me on hospital bedrest for the next two weeks together with my scheduled wrist surgery.I was fine with that and stayed as per recommendation, but as the days passed by I noticed something was missing.Not one Club member visited me.No Erik, Vincent, Karl, Alec, Enrique, A
~ Erik ~Death had circulated my life since I was born. First was my mother, second were the strangers that Hyde had killed, and third were the Iopata dogs that I killed during our Club operations. I had known of death, too acquainted with it even that seeing a lifeless body unaffected me.The death of Rohan as expected didn’t have that much impact amidst him being a good friend of mine, but it reminded me greatly about what Daniella, my precious Sweet Rose, would soon face if she continues to get tangled up with the dealings of the Club.She was already drawn into danger because of Nikola. Experienced considerable amount of trauma due to what happened in the Iopata Mansion and Rohan. I don’t want those to happen again.Shit. I don’t want her to suffer or get hurt again.That exactly is the reason why I kept any news from her regarding Iopata and Nikola. I had instructed Karl, Vincent and the others
~ Daniella ~Nikola, if he somehow survived the mansion’s explosion and fire, must have been bidding his time. For five consecutive days, not one news of him or Iopata arrived. It was as if the man never existed. Karl had been constantly on surveillance with Iopata’s associates, but nothing significant came to the Club’s attention. With Sergio Svaneti gone, it was possible that Iopata had gone down too, six feet below the ground with its evil and destructive ways.But amidst the lack of threat, Erik’s recent possessive attention on me had quadrupled. Well, he was already one before but since the events in the Iopata Mansion, he had not let his guard down.Just as he said, he made me stay in his underground office, which by the way was an understatement. The office looked like a bachelor’s pad complete with everything a normal house needed. There was a kitchen equipped with the necessary materials and appliances for cooking. There we
~ Daniella ~Fire.A thick wall of it in the main foyer welcomed me and Erik when we reached the grand staircase. A quarter of the north wing facade had been destroyed leaving me to catch a glimpse of the garden wreck outside. Black smoke belched out from the rubble and whipped like a tornado in every direction. The atmosphere turned hot because of it. Very hot and it screamed a promise of suffocation.Panic climbed up my throat just seeing the situation before me, but Erik looked unaffected. He gripped my hand even tighter and pulled me to manage the stairs.He must have gone out of his mind, but with Nikola and Hyde possibly seeing us when we passed the open door of the drawing room, it was understandable. There were no other options available but to move forward.With my free hand, I covered my mouth to block out the thick smoke. Erik seemed too engrossed with getting us out that he didn’t care d
~ Daniella ~With Erik with me, I didn’t care much where we were. Even the fact that we were in Nikola’s bedroom. His bed. His sheets. His all. It didn’t affect me and it seemed Erik didn’t mind too.My legs still looped around his waist when he crossed the space and guided us to the foot of the bed. There, he laid me, but I didn’t climb up. I just stayed at the edge, lying but with my knees bent and legs spread to receive him.With one knee forward, he joined me, lining himself on my body and stooping low to lap on my heaving chest.I shoved aside his suit jacket and slipped my hands inside his abdomen to feel those hard, flexing muscles. Yes, I would have wanted to make love with him totally naked, but we were still playing with fire, under the enemy’s roof and in the enemy’s cold bed. In just a push of the door, we could be found out and I know it would be a bloody result.So, I just set myself c
~ Daniella ~Mr. Svaneti strode first out of the balcony with us following behind him. He had a noticeable limp in his left leg and he supported it with a metal cane engraved with the symbol of Iopata.As an old man, he wasn’t really someone to be feared with in terms of physical strength. It was possible that all the admiration, respect and submission under his rule came from his previous conquests in life. I don’t second guess his capacity to kill someone though, and I don’t second guess that he’d even feel guilty after it. No matter the warmth he showed me earlier, Mr. Svaneti as the Iopata Boss meant that he was the one responsible for all the misfortunes of many people.If I am to contemplate on it, his sons, yes, his sons were better fit to be feared by many. Not only do they have the blood to wreak havoc, they also have the youth, strength and intelligence to do so.It is just fortunate
~ Daniella ~The car ride going to Iopata’s safe house was a silent one. Of course, as expected of the son of a mafia boss, it wasn’t just a car ride. It was a limousine ride complete with goons wearing black suits as our bodyguard. There were four of them escorting us riding in a different shady vehicle, all armed and ready in case there’s a threat to their boss’ life. Mr. Startsev and Luca were nowhere to be seen, but I had a feeling I’ll be seeing them in our destination later.Sitting far to the left away from Nikola, I kept my mouth shut, not wanting to argue with his plans anymore.Earlier when he said that he will introduce me to his father as his fiancée, I vehemently opposed him and did it by not standing from the bed. Guess what he did after that? He pointed the same gun at me and threatened to fuck my lifeless body after I die. I was of course frightened to the bone and stood up as quick as I could. I saw a sinister smile
~ Daniella ~Clad in a well-ironed suit, Erik stood before me. He had an amused grin on his face, barely visible, but still there and he studied me from head to foot as if it was his first time seeing me.If it wasn’t for the chains that stopped me, I would have leapt into his arms and embraced him right then and there. I instead just stood still with my left hand pressed against my bounding heart and my right hand restrained by the cuff. A part of me was relieved that it was him, but a part of me was confused too.“You’re the boss?!” I exclaimed with furrowed brows, but I bit the inside of my lip thereafter when I thought that maybe my question came out wrong.“Wh-what is the meaning of this?” I inquired the second time. A tornado of questions attacked my head as I waited with bated breath for his answer.What came out from his mouth however cleared all of it in just a snap.“Danie