BellaI didn't care at that moment who spoke. I was glad it wasn't Hardin. I had three men after me and I had favourites. It was all fun and games as I simply watched, until..."Two hund—" Bruce began but was rudely interrupted by Xander's growl."Stop it, Bruce," he charged in Bruce's direction, ready to strike. He did have some kind of anger issues that only popped up when it had to do with me. He became a hungry tiger."No, you—""No! All of you, just stop!" I shouted with my eyes closed. "I am not some property to be bought and taken home. I am not your slut! I have had enough of your rants." I said on a final note, walking out.They could have killed themselves in there and I couldn't have that. I had gotten their acts up to here and I was done. Xander didn't want me anymore but he wouldn't let Bruce either. Hardin would never stop and I let reality hit.At that point, I did what seemed right and best. I left. After calling Bernice's phone a million times over and receiving the a
Mr. RiveraI paced the full length of the not so large barn, my freshly polished shoes crunching on the straw covered floor. I wrinkled my nose and flared my nostrils slightly at the stench of the environment which I wasn't used to.I stopped right in front of the young woman as I watched her fearful eyes follow my every move."I'm sure you are aware of the very reason why you are here," I said in a low and intimidating voice. I took a step closer, towering over her. I leaned over her chair, grabbing both sides and bringing my face level to hers. "You have been a thorn in my flesh for the longest time but Xander— oh that boy; he won't let me have access to you but you know what, he finally did," I said with a sense of authority, letting out a triumphant laugh into her face.She nodded weakly with her eyes pleading and it only infuriated me even more.I stood up and snapped at one of men. He brought out a stick of cigarette and lit it while it was in between my teeth, the loud clacki
XanderI glanced at my cracked phone on the floor like it was the cause of my misfortune. I proceeded to break it off completely as I stomped on it with the hard sole of my shoes, grunting in frustration with every step.My father sure knew how to get to me and I was never going to play right into his stupid trap! I paced around my office again, running my fingers through my hair.It had been hours and nobody could tell me where Bella was, every lead was a dead, empty end. The news came on again— a young lady was abducted right in front of the Cuisine restaurant.Everyone had heard the story and watching it made me even angrier. I had made sure the restaurant was closed down until she was found!I ripped the television off the wall and flung it aside. I grabbed my keys from the table and stormed out of the office, making my way to the underground parking lot. "Get me a new phone," I instructed one of my men.I drove to the 'den'. It was a bar but not the kind that was visited by the
Xander"Argh!" A deep, resentful groan escaped my throat as I struggled to surpress my rage. He was one step ahead, but not for long. "When I see that man, I'll kill him!" I said through my tightly pressed teeth."Take a deep breath, Xander. We have to focus on saving Bella. The man is deadly. He could kill her first."I wiped my face with my palm in frustration as we proceeded outside the barn. "If he dares, he'll eat his own body parts for dinner until he gives up."I said it and I meant every word."We'll find her. The man can't hide forever," Luke said, placing his hand on my shoulder.My phone pinged again and this time, it was a call from a number with no caller ID. I stared at it for a moment before answering. I waited for the caller to speak first, not uttering a word."Hey, Xander. This is Beck. I heard about Bella. Meet me at the old factory close to the river. I have some information you might need," he said in a hushed tone."But how did you—?" I began but the line went d
Xander"I see you've brought company. How thoughtful," my father said with a dark smirk on his face. "Oh, Hardin. You too? Tell me, what does she have that you all want?" He caressed Bella's thighs and she squealed uncomfortably.I wanted so badly to stop him but I knew if I moved an inch, I'll be looking at pieces of my body scattered all around the floor in the freezing room."Let her go, Mr. Rivera," Bruce spoke first. "Your reign of terror ends now."My father laughed to his heart's content. It was cold and scornful as he motioned one of his men to hand him a tiny remote."If it isn't my 'son'," he said, making air quotes with his fingers. "How are you, Bruce? You see, I wish it was that simple but it's not. This is as much about teaching you all a lesson as it is about my money.""Dad, if you do anything to her, you'll pay for it," Hardin answered, moving his leg a little."Why do all my sons choose to go against me? Xander's shared you some of his guts, right?""What do you wan
BellaThrough blurry eyes, I watched as the scene before me went on. What was I supposed to do? I could barely walk, let alone jump in front of a bullet for the man I loved.Bruce had just strapped me in tightly with a seatbelt. I was starting to think it was so I wouldn't intervene. I was tired. This day came with events I couldn't have imagined or even dreamt of.Watching a friend get shot and almost die in Xander's arms was the least of the things I thought would happen that day. Watching his father die wasn't any better. "It started off great! It was supposed to be a good day!" I whispered, tears rolling down my bloody cheeks.All these thoughts ran through my mind in a split second as I watched Bruce get ready to blast Xander's head off. I didn't want to be a part of that. I never wanted to come in between brothers; everything that was happening in that moment was the reason why I ran away in the first place.The deafening bang from Bruce's gun echoed through the air and I don't
Xander "You're going home with me," I told her, opening the door to the driver's side of the car and getting in. "But I—" she opened her mouth to refuse. "It's not up!" I said, raising my voice. "...for debate," I continued in a low tone. I wasn't in the mood to banter words. She'll be safer with me and I wouldn't have to worry. Bruce fixed me with a frosty look as he got in and sat beside beside her. I couldn't care less about what he thought. I looked up, about to start the car and saw Hardin kneeling beside the man he once called father. I guess it didn't matter how much he claimed that he hated him. His father was still his father. Not mine anymore though. I couldn't feel much since I spent most of my life away from him anyway. Knowing that I wasn't the true first son of the Rivera family didn't hurt— I had absolutely nothing to lose. I started the car, causing Hardin to look into the blinding headlights. I was ready to drive away. I was fucking tired. "You can'
XanderI opened my eyes to the warmth of the sun that made its way through the curtains. I didn't know when I slept off after thinking all night about my deal with Bruce.I sat up, my arms reached above my head and my fingers interlocked as I pushed myself, causing my spine to arch slightly and give off a cracking sound to relieve my aching body.“Good morning,” she whispered into my face from the side and her morning breath made its way right through my nostrils, causing me to jump to my feet really fast.It was then I knew that she slept beside me, in my bed!“Lil? What the fuck are you doing there?!” I shouted, as she went back to her lying position, her tousled curls forming a sharp contrast to the pure white sheets. “Nobody sleeps in my bed. Are you insane?! Get the hell up!”She jolted to her feet and watched me, tugging at her fingers and pouting her lips.“Bu— but Xander…”It always surprised me how she seemed like a smart, independent woman on the outside but was a huge pain
Daniel Scarlet Vine loomed before us as we stepped out of the car, its neon sign pulsing in the night like a heartbeat. A club for the elite, it was said that a night with one of its infamous escorts could cost more than a middle-class man earned in six months. Courtney slipped her arm through mine as we approached the entrance, her touch light but possessive.“Please protect me from the men in there, Tom Cruise,” she teased, her voice laced with irony.I ignored her, keeping my eyes ahead. We navigated through the throngs of dancers on the floor. A tall man in dark glasses materialized without uttering a word. He nodded for us to follow, and we did, threading our way through the maze of bodies until he led us to a secluded game room.The room was empty, save for the remnants of someone else's night—a pool table with a triangle of balls still in place, a table tennis setup with the net discarded, and empty cups scattered across the surface, the aftermath of a game of beer pong. Anoth
Daniel I pulled away the moment the car started moving, scrubbing my lips against my sleeve as if it mattered. The woman beside me, who I'd just kissed, was smiling widely, her eyes dancing with amusement."Don't even think about saying anything," I snapped, but I knew she wouldn't care."You really know how to put on a good show," she chuckled, her voice light, teasing."Oh, shut up.""Is that how you treat a woman you just kissed so passionately?" she mocked, her expression exaggerated, almost playful.I didn't respond. Instead, I turned to the window, watching the city blur by in streaks of neon and darkness. It was a Friday night, after all. People were pouring out of office buildings, heading to bars, clubs, wherever they could lose themselves for a few hours.But I couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the office. About that text from Bella.Bella had texted me earlier, asking me to come by. I wasn't planning to—there were more urgent things on my mind. The text above h
Bella I spun around just as the door flew open, and the sight before me made my heart drop. There she was—Lilian—bound and gagged, struggling to speak but only managing muffled, frantic noises. A huge man with a buzzcut was dragging her inside, his muscles bulging as if they could snap her in half. He was trailed by a much smaller, wiry man, nervously shifting his weight from one bony arm to the other, his tank top a strange choice for someone so frail. “Here she is,” Buzzcut announced, tying Lilian to a chair with a roughness that made me wince. Xander slipped his phone back into his pocket, nodding in approval like this was the most normal thing in the world. “What’s... what’s the meaning of this?” I stammered, confusion and horror swirling inside me. “Why is she... Oh my God, is that her bone sticking out of her leg?” I gasped, the sight turning my stomach. “She’s the one who sabotaged my dad’s company,” Xander said, his tone cold. I shot him a glare. “You mean my compa
Bella“What are you doing here?” My voice came out in a breathless whisper, shock rendering me immobile.Xander was in my apartment, perched on a chair as if he'd been waiting forever. His disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes told a story of their own. He was still wearing the shirt from earlier, now stained with sweat, as if he’d thrown it on in a rush after our... encounter. But if he was in such a hurry, why hadn't he followed me? Why was he here now, looking like someone I barely recognized?He didn’t answer. Instead, he toyed with a loose thread on his sleeve, eyes cast downward.“Answer me, Xander!” I demanded, my voice rising. I wasn’t in the mood for one of his games, but there was something off about him. Something... different.Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “As you were running after David, I asked you something. You never gave me an answer.”My shoulders relaxed, just a little. “His name is Daniel.”“And I don’t give a fuck what his name is,” Xander snapped, his voice sud
Bella“You pushed me away like you always do, Xander. You make me feel like I’m someone to you, then trash me. I’m a woman and I have needs. I want surprise flowers and a new dress with a note that says, ‘Dinner at nine’. Daniel was there for me. It’s the least I can do.” I said all of that in one breath before dashing out. I made for Daniel’s house, speed walking without taking a single moment to see how Xander reacted. I kept scratching my hair like I had lice. The rain wasn't helping either. I was drenched but it didn’t matter. I didn’t know what I was going to say to him when I found him. I just wanted to look into his eyes and feel them.I didn’t have to walk too far. I stopped at the glass doors to the popular bar. I watched him take a huge gulp of his cheap beer before yelling at the bartender to get him three more. What had I done? I broke him.“Daniel, I didn’t know you drank,” I said in a low voice, standing a little away from where he sat at the bar counter. He didn’t look
Bella“Ma’am?” Rita, Xander’s assistant, called out to me, and it looked like she had been watching me for a while but I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice. “What are you doing here? You have someone here as well?”Thank goodness she gave me the sweetest lie ever. All I had to do was nod slowly in agreement. Nana was someone to me too so it wasn’t really a lie.I gave off a sigh of relief. I should have known Xander was never one to give away flowers to random women. I gave her a quick smile and turned to leave. I couldn’t face Nana after lying on her grave and I didn’t have any flowers to offer too.“You’re leaving?” Rita called out. She clearly wasn’t someone who knew how to mind the business that paid her and that was to drop off the flowers.“Yeah, I remembered that I left something really important at the office. I’ll need it tomorrow. You know how the boss gets.”I didn’t really forget anything at the office but I wanted space and I didn’t want to go home. Lately, the a
Xander“Hi Xander,” the private investigator I had hired two days ago, said over the phone. “We have found the person who sabotaged your wife’s company. What should we do with her?”A woman, huh? I didn’t think it would be a woman. I pulled the phone away from my ears slowly. “Maybe Beth?” I thought, peering out the window. I thought it was Hardin for sure. I guess I judged too quickly.Whoever it was, I decided that I had to teach her a lesson. Just a small one to teach her and everyone else, to stay away from my woman. “You know what to do. Hand her over to my men and they’ll take it from there."I hung up the phone and dialed another number immediately. “They’ve found her. I want her alive but in a state that will please me. If she can still walk, you’re fired.”I was about to leave the office when Hardin pushed the door open and walked in. He appeared furious but I really didn’t care. “What?” I asked him, grabbing my keys off the desk. I had somewhere to be and I could sense that
Bella"You're late!" He roared when I got to the company three minutes after eight. "This is why your company's struggling. Work starts by eight. What are you teaching your employees?"What the..."It's only a few minutes after—""It doesn't matter. I see you grew lazy when you stopped working for Versa Link. I'll have to teach you discipline, again because I won't have you acting however you want in my company." His company? Isn't it our company? I ignored curious glances from everyone as I walked to the board room for the introductory meeting. I took my seat at the designated area and took a deep breath.I was about to open my laptop when the doors opened and he walked in. He was late by a minute. I squinted my eyes at him but I couldn't afford to let my emotions show so I fixed my face."Good morning everyone. You are all aware that Versa Link now has control over Rivera group. I look forward to working closely with you all."I noticed exaggerated giggles and smiles from some of th
Bella His name is Daniel! I shouted in my mind but that was the least of the current problems. “Unless of course there’s a reason why you can’t?” He continued, leaning towards me. What was he trying to get out of me? “He’s one of the best people on our team.” I really hoped that was going to cut it. “He’s hardworking and intelligent and—” “I have a head of operations myself and as you know, I don’t employ lazy or unintelligent people. Mine will serve excellently.” Damn it! “Unless there’s another reason why—” “I can’t, Xander. He has been loyal to the company. He stuck with us through the good and bad. I can’t just kick him out. That will be utterly unfair.” My palms were already sticky from the sweat I produced in the well ventilated room. This man drove me crazy. How do I tell Daniel that he's fired from the company? I hope Xander changes his mind and there’s some humanity in that broad chest. He stood up and buttoned his suit. “I have a meeting soon so make this quick.”