They reached Zared's house and the workers came along with Riley's packed luggage for a week. "I'm so excited to spend this week with you" "So am I" Riley replied to Zared. Lily was sitting on the bed, she wasn't crying or screaming or asking for help, she just sat there, she sat there thinking what will help her escape this hell, she was scared as any other person might be in this situation. The man who she met with earlier didn't agree to take anything from her as an exchange to let her go, no matter how much she bribed him. He said whatever she offered, he would get the double of it if he didn't let her go from the person who was the reason she was here. Lily saw no other way of getting out of this situation but she still tried, she tried looking here and there, examining the room, the door, the window, the restroom, hoping to find something that would help her to escape in any way. It was no use requesting the man to let her go because he would just tranquillise her a
all the thoughts that blurred everything else was " imagine having a husband who sells you to a mafia for a week to enjoy with his side chick. Doesn't that sound pitiful?" He pitied her, a mafia, mafias dont pity anyone, yet here he was, pitying her. She realised how worse this had to be for a mafia to pity her. She pitied herself as well after all.The man tightened his grip, just a little bit, around her neck. "What was the question?" Lily gathered up her courage and asked him.A chuckle which sounded more like a cough left the man's mouth. "You must think I'm an idiot." "I was...I was just processing...what you said." His eyes softened only a bit before turning dark again, one wouldn't have been able to notice it if they were only a centimetre away from him than Lily was right now. "What is a guy like me?" A few beats passed before Lily responded, she thought about what she meant when she said that or she said that at all because the information that cane after was a de
This was the first time she had gotten it, she had wanted everything to be her first when it was from her husband. Her first kiss, her first love bite, her first hug and what not. She never wanted anyone to get close to her but someone who knew her, understood her inside and out, someone who read her emotions thoroughly and acted bass on them, someone who was meant to be her better half. But it was all gone now, there she was standing with the love bite, which hurt but not more than her heart right now, she looked at it and goosebumps appeared on her skin as she recalled the closeness between them. She stood there looking at her reflection in the mirror. She had no will left to leave now, she knew if he could do this, he could do a lot of other things to her as well, but she knew nothing would work, there was nothing that would help her escape. Sitting and crying on the bed was all she could do, it was all she had done all her life. The sun was going to set soon and she was
He let his tongue lick the spot he left a bite at earlier and turned his head to the other side of her neck and started sucking on it. Lily struggled to get out of his grip and continued pushing him screaming at him to let go. He didn't budge like before, he was stronger than her and her pushing him didn't affect him at all. She stopped struggling when she realised she was only wasting her energy, tears were flowing from her eyes, she stood there crying while he kept on sucking the spot trying to make it darker, he kept sucking on her neck at different spots while she stood there sobbing helplessly. Alexander pulled away and looked at her. Tears were still fresh and her eyes and nose were extremely red, her eyes looked like they were almost bloody. She stared at him for a while and he did the same, none of them uttered a single word for a while until Alexander spoke."Giving up already?"Alexander received a slap on his cheek as soon as he finished his question. Though the slap di
He took a deep breath before looking down. It looked like he was thinking of something, it looked like he understood what Lily said, every word. It looked like he knew the feeling which Lily was talking about, like he was familiar with it. His mouth almost opened to apologize to her but the ring of his phone distracted him.He looked at the caller id and pulled his brows together. He picked the call up and his eyes widened as soon as he heard what the person on the other side said. A scoff left his mouth as he averted his gaze to Lily. "Take care of it, tell them I have her hostage, make sure they know it's me, Alexander Guerra." He was staring at Lily the whole time and he was still staring at her when he hung up and returned his phone to his pocket.He held her hand and pulled it away from her face harshly. "Stop crying! You think I would believe you and your stupid story ?! The news is out, some man reported you to the cops and everything had already spread on the internet. This
“I need to change.” Lily said, looking straight in to his eyes. “Why didn't you do that when you were inside ?” “I didn't know you'd be here again, move.” Lily attempted to make her way to the bathroom once again when Alexander blocked her way. “What difference does it make?” He said, stepping forward towards her. She moved back as he continued to move towards her. “Just, let me go, stop bothering me for a second and let me breathe.” She held the headboard for support so that she didn't fall backward. Alexander stroked her arm, his hand traveling from her arm then forearm then her hand, he pulled her hand away from the headboard making Lily fall back on the bed. He hovered above her as she struggled to push him aside. “Give up, love. You know you're just wasting your energy, rather use it on something else.” Lily turned her face to the side as he moved his face closer to her’s. Alexander held her face with one of his hands and made her look at him. He crashed his
Two more days passed by, Zared was with Riley in the private bar once again, he sighed as another question popped up about Lily from Riley. “My love, you don't have to worry about her. She is alright, I told you I talked with her on the phone today.” “I know…but, it’s just, nevermind.” “Right, just relax, nothing is going to happen, she is totally fine and safe, you don't have to worry about her so much.” “It’s just- I am trying but I just keep getting this weird feeling.” “How about we go on a long drive to the countryside ? It will be peaceful and you’ll feel fresh.” “I guess.” “Don't think about it too much, she’s absolutely fine, I can-uh video call her for you tomorrow but that will be-” “Weird, yes, very weird, you know what, let’s just forget about it.” Zared nodded and side hugged her as and took a deep breath. Riley having some weird feeling about it made him a bit more conscious and the dread of her getting to know that he was one who abducted Lily was
She closed her eyes and pushed back the flashbacks threatening to come forth, her eyes filled with tears but she tried hard to push them back as much as she could. She pushed back all of it with a deep breath as she asked him“Why did you help me?” “I-nothing-just, I don't know, actually.” “Did Zared- no- he couldn't have.”“What ? Zared what ?”“Nevermind. You must want something, something from me as well, that is why you helped me, it was a stupid question, I know.”Aaron thought of all the stuff she had to go through to think that a person would never help her out of kindness but to get something in return, his heart clenched as he looked at her, her vulnerable face, the one she was trying to hide, the voice cracks she was trying to cover, she couldn't even be in shock or trauma in front of anyone because she wanted to hide it.“What would I want from you ?” He asked.Lily’s head turned to his.“No-I- what I mean is, why would I want anything from you, I just helped you because
There she was-sitting on the floor by the window, knees drawn to her chest, her arms wrapped tightly around them. Her caramel hair was unkempt, strands falling over her pale face. The moonlight washed over her frail figure, making her look even smaller, more fragile. “Lily…” Aaron’s voice was soft, cautious. She didn’t move, didn’t look at him. He stepped inside, his chest aching at the sight of her. Slowly, he lowered himself to sit beside her on the floor, his shoulder barely brushing hers. His heart ached, ached that the man who had caused her nothing but pain is still continuing to do it even after his death and Aaron couldn't do anything about it. “You don’t have to say anything,” he murmured, staring out at the same moonlit view she seemed fixated on. “But I’m here. I’ll always be here. I just want you to know." For a moment, it seemed like she might respond, her lips parting slightly, but then she closed them again, her gaze dropping to her knees, it made Aaron tak
He couldn’t shake the feeling, couldn’t silence the voice in the back of his mind screaming that Zared wasn’t gone. Zared was sharp, calculating, a man who wouldn’t fall so easily. But Aaron had no proof, no real reason to believe it-only a gnawing instinct buried deep in his chest. "He’s alive," the thought whispered again. But Aaron forced the thought away, shaking his head slightly before turning his attention back to Lily. She was still sitting there, small and fragile in the dim light, and he realized she needed comfort more than he needed answers to the questions clawing at his mind. “Hey,” he said softly, nudging her knee with his. “How about some hot chocolate? It won’t fix everything, but it might make this night feel a little less heavy.” Lily looked up at him, a ghost of a smile flickering across her lips for the first time that night. “Sure, thanks.” Aaron stood, his movements careful as if not to disturb the fragile calm that had settled between them. A few
For one fleeting moment, Lily felt him there-with her, surrounding her, a warmth that would linger in her heart long after she walked away from his home for the last time. "Oh, what have you done Zared." She said aloud. "Why did you have to do it, it was all your fault for turning your fate, why make me suffer by doing this." She sat on the couch with her head in her hands. Clara's home was dim when Lily returned, the faint glow of a lamp spilling light into the hallway. Her steps were slow, almost hesitant, as she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Aaron was pacing near the window, his phone clutched tightly in his hand, while Clara sat curled on the edge of the couch, her head snapping up the moment the door creaked. “Lily!” Aaron’s voice cut through the silence as he rushed towards her. “Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?” Clara stood, her eyes wide with concern. “You didn’t answer your phone. We thought… we thought something happ
The clock on the wall ticked loudly, each second stretching longer than the last. Clara sat on the couch, clutching her phone tightly in her hands, her thumbs hovering over the screen as if another call might suddenly bring an answer. “Aaron…” she said quietly, her voice trembling. “It’s been hours. She’s not picking up. Where could she have gone?” Aaron stood by the window, his back to her, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached. His phone was already gripped in his palm, the screen blank after too many unanswered calls. “She wouldn’t just disappear like this,” he said, his voice sharp, his frustration barely contained. “Not without telling someone. Not after everything that’s happened.” Clara’s eyes shone with worry as she whispered, “What if something happened to her, Aaron?” Aaron turned, his expression softer now as he looked at her. “Don’t think like that. She’s okay. She has to be.” But even as he said the words, doubt gnawed at him. Without another word, Aaro
Lily hesitated but eventually said, "Did you see how he did it?" She looked up at Aaron. "Did you see how he was found ? Laurent, the pictures on the news, they were so disgusting, he had...you must've seen." "I did." Aaron noticed the disgusted look on her face. He once again recalled how he had done it. How he had screamed like the goat when it is sacrificed, how his eyes went rolling behind showing only the white part. How he had joined his fingerless hands in front of him in order to be forgiven. "Maybe he deserved it...Zared, for what he did, Karma, they say?" She asked. Aaron nodded in response but remained silent. He knew he was betraying her, betraying her trust, taking advantage of the situation she was in, the trust she had at this vulnerable stage of her life. In the quiet of the room, Aaron’s guilt festered, hidden beneath the surface. Lily didn’t need to know the truth-not tonight, and maybe not ever. But that was for him to decide after. Aaron's mind was in t
His hand moved to the doorknob, twisting it slowly until the latch clicked open instead of knocking in case she was asleep. Peeking inside, he expected to see her resting, maybe curled up in the blankets. Instead, he found her awake, sitting stiffly on the edge of her bed. The moonlight cast a silvery glow across her features, making her appear ethereal and distant. She was staring out the window, her expression blank yet hauntingly sad, as though she were lost in a memory she couldn’t escape. She didn't deserve this, didn't deserve such a tragedy, she was way too nice for this world, for Zared. He didn't deserve her agony, her tears, her sleepless nights. Aaron hesitated again but finally stepped inside, giving a soft knock on the door to announce himself. The sound made her blink, breaking her trance. She glanced at him, her gaze piercing for the briefest second before it dulled again, returning to the view outside the window. Without waiting for an invitation, Aaron move
Lily didn’t respond to Clara. She stared out the window, her mind replaying every second she’d spent with Zared, searching for answers that would probably never come. She thought about what thoughts must have consumed Zared when he decided to end his life. Was he thinking about her? Was he blaming her? Was he guilty of what he did? Or he just couldn't bear the thought of her leaving him? But again, why would she hold so much importance in his life for him to give it all up. His family, the company, his friends-though Lily knew none. Maybe it was a punishment? From god ? Maybe he wanted Zared to die in exchange of Laurent, maybe because he killed him? Maybe this was his revenge? She shook her head shooing all the thoughts away. The three of them were now back at Clara's house, the silence was comfortable, no one wanted to talk, Aaron, however wanted to comfort Lily, make her believe that it wasn't her fault. He knew she must be blaming herself, she was the last person to t
Lily, Aaron, and Clara walked briskly down the sterile, cold hallways of the hospital, their footsteps echoing, at the end of the corridor, where Zared’s parents and Aaron’s parents were standing together, faces etched with grief. The moment they approached, Lily saw Zared’s mother, her tear-streaked face crumpling further. “He’s already been moved,” Zared’s father said, his voice hoarse. “To the freezer. They’re preparing him for the funeral.” Lily froze mid-step, her heart sinking. She hadn’t realized how desperately she’d wanted to see him one last time. Her lips parted, but no words came out. “Why so soon?” Aaron asked, his voice laced with disbelief. “It’s the procedure,” Aaron’s father said, his voice heavy. “Once the body is declared and cleared, there’s no waiting.” Lily clenched her fists at her sides, overwhelmed by a mixture of grief and frustration. The chance to say goodbye was ripped away. All she had now were the memories-and the haunting, unanswered qu
A single tear rolling down his cheek before he collapsed back onto the bed, lifeless. "No,no,no,no." The news anchor’s voice filled the silence. “Zared Williams, known for his innovative contributions to technology and his efforts towards hi company, was pronounced dead at 10:47 p.m. Doctors have confirmed that his death was caused by the disconnection of critical life-support machines. Despite being close to a full recovery, it appears Mr. Williams made the decision to end his life. What the doctors are calling an apparent suicide." Tears welled in Lily’s eyes as her chest tightened painfully. She turned to Clara, who was still frozen in place, her hand trembling against her lips. “This…this isn’t real,” Lily murmured, shaking her head as if trying to wake herself from a nightmare. “It can’t be.” Clara finally looked at her, her eyes glistening with tears. “It is, Lily,” she whispered. “He’s…he’s gone.” Lily stumbled back, her legs weak beneath her. The weight of the news c