Mikael's Penthouse
Venice, Italy. 11 p.m.
Mikael growled softly, chuckling in awe when he saw a sexy woman coming out of her bathroom using a towel that only covered her chest and buttocks. It was as if the woman was purposely making Mikael feel tormented.
“I hope you don’t mind if I use your bathroom, Mike.” The woman whispered softly into his ear, tossed her blonde hair around Mikael’s neck and face, and then briefly kissed his cheek.
Mikael smiled sarcastically, “I don’t mind whatever you do, Linda.” His hand moved quietly to grab her waist.
Linda’s slender waist felt so right in his hands. Mikael couldn’t wait for the moment when she would lie under him with erotic sounds that teased his ears.
“I’m quite happy that you haven’t forgotten my name.” She raised an eyebrow and followed Mikael’s order by sitting on his lap—pressing the sensitive point of his groin.
“Didn’t we just get together two days ago?”
“Yeah,” Linda nodded her head, “but I believe you’ve changed more than five women in the last two days, right?”
“You seem to know me quite well.”
“I am.”
“Then I guess I don’t need to explain anything to you, do I?” Mikael lowered his head, kissed Linda’s neck, “You don’t mind how I fuck?”
Linda nodded resignedly, surrendering herself to Mikael. “Do it as hard as you can. I’m starting to like the way you are.” Linda whispered happily.
However, the cell phone ringing interrupted him when he was about to climax.
“Shit!” Mikael moved quickly, got up, and left Linda.
“What?!” Linda snorted, looking at Mikael with annoyance.
Mikael knows that leaving a woman just to pick up a phone call is wrong. However, he is Mikael Williams. He doesn’t follow the rules. He makes his own rules.
“You know what the consequences are if you bothered me, right?” As soon as his cell phone was pressed to his ear, Mikael immediately greeted the call with a cynical voice.
Whoever contacted him, it seemed that person was ready to receive his tantrums.
“Mr. William, there is something you should know.” On the other end of the line came the voice of Orlando, one of his confidants.
Mikael stood tall in front of his penthouse window. His stocky back, which is adorned with several tattoos, looks so well-built with muscles and long scars along his back.
“What?”
“Hernandez sent a video containing a car accident. He said that you were in the accident.”
“Are you trying to joke with me?” He almost threw the cell phone towards the window, “You bother me just because of useless things? Shit!”
“Hey,” Linda muttered under her breath. She got up and started walking towards her. Her hands reached out to wrap around Mikael’s waist, hoping that her touch would bring him back.
“Mr, we also heard that your twin brother just came to Italy to see you.”
Michael’s blood froze instantly.
Throughout his life, dealing with Hernandez was not difficult. That jerk had never won against him. Mikael always finds a way to beat his stupid game. However, he seems trapped in his own game this time.
“I will kill him if he hurts my brother,” Mikael muttered in a low voice.
His heart was beating fast. He began to doubt the contents of his mind.
“Should I send the video to you, Mr William?”
“Are you crazy?!” Mikael shouted angrily, “make sure that Michael is safe!”
Mikael quickly hung up on the call. He pressed several buttons on his cellphone screen to look up Michael’s contacts. Hoping that he still keeps his twin brother in contact.
Unfortunately, after he found Michael’s contact, he called him as fast as he could, but it turned out that his cell phone was not active.
Various bad thoughts began to dominate his heart. His hands trembled in panic.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Linda walked closer, touched his neck and rubbed it gently.
“Get away from me, Linda!” he said sarcastically.
He doesn’t fucking care about Linda and all the fun things they had planned all night. Right now, Linda was not an important thing that he should care about. Even if he could, he wanted to kick her out because he was fed up with everything.
Not long after, his cell phone rang again. The screen showed one name he had ignored for a long time; Mommy.
Usually, Mikael prefers to reject his mother’s calls or let the call disconnect by itself. However, he accepted the call this time because something kept bothering him—making him afraid of something that he still can’t be sure of.
“Mom? What is it?”
“Mikael,”
Cry. His mother was crying.
“What going on?” He was still waiting for his mother, hoping that he would not hear any bad news.
“Where are you?” Her voice was shaking.
“What’s wrong, Mom?”
“Michael… Michael had an accident. Can you pick up Michael, Mike? Please make sure that he is okay.”
Mikael felt as if his footing collapsed in an instant. His mother’s request had clearly shown that Michael was not okay. His twin brother is in danger because of the mistake he made.
While his heart was racing thinking about Michael’s condition, a video message was sent to his cell phone.
Mikael hung up on his mother. He squeezed the phone while rubbing his face in frustration after watching the video.
This time he had made a big mistake…
Mikael immediately grabbed a black shirt that he threw carelessly on his bed. He ignored the look of confusion displayed by Linda. He doesn’t care about this woman at all. But before his feet stepped out of his room, he threw a check in his name. “Fill it according to what you want.” He muttered as he left her—without knowing that Linda was smiling cynically at him
***
Throughout his life, Mikael hated the smell of hospitals. Everything related to the hospital always makes him sick. However, he had to force himself to come to the hospital where Michael was.
Whatever happens, he must save his brother. No matter how dark his life is, he will not let Michael become a victim of his life.
“This way, Mr.” Orlando—one of his confidants, gave a hint. He walked in front of him, directing Mikael to a long hallway dominated by white.
The steps that were initially going fast began to slow down when his eyes caught a letter at the end of the hall. ‘Body Death Room’.
He eyes closed for a moment, then he exhaled slowly.
Late. It’s too late.
“He’s not survived?” Mikael’s feet began to stop walking.
“Mr William… he is not survived.” Orlando looked confused.
“I will kill Hernandez!” He said as he turned to leave the mortuary room which he still had not had time to go to.
“Mr,” Orlando chased after him, holding his hand, “there is something you should know.”
Mikael was sure that his face must have turned red with emotion. He couldn’t explain how crazy his mind was when he realized that his twin brother was gone.
All his life, he never imagined how his life would be without Michael.
Even though they didn’t look like twins in general—too much to be compared with one another, Mikael still couldn’t accept the fact that for the rest of his life, he would never have the chance to talk to Michael again. He will not be able to bear the sin because his twin brother has died because of the mistakes he made.
“We need your signature to a surgical procedure on Miss Claire Thompson, Mr.”
As if Michael’s death wasn’t enough to shock him, suddenly Orlando held out a piece of paper containing the approval document for the surgical procedure.
Michael’s eyes went blurry, his mind went blank, and his heart skipped a beat, “Claire Thompson?” he muttered.
Mikael’s hands shook when he received the document that Orlando gave him.
True, the name listed in the document is Claire Thompson. It’s been 20 years since he last met Claire—a woman who became the adopted daughter of his family. And Mikael swears that he still hasn’t forgotten Claire’s full name, even though she probably hasn’t remembered him for the last 20 years.
“They managed to save Miss Claire, but her condition is critical. Her leg was injured badly enough. She will be paralyzed. And her eye was also injured by a splinter of glass.”
Orlando’s explanation made Mikael’s blood boil even more.
In his heart, he swore that Hernandez would pay for his suffering. He will not survive his anger. Mikael would have killed him, destroyed him with his own hands.
Mikael raised his head and looked seriously at Orlando, “do your best to save her.” He started to move his finger to sign the agreement, “if she doesn’t survive, then I will not only kill Hernandez, but you too!”
William's MansionNew York, USA, 20 years agoAll his life, Mikael thought that there was nothing more ridiculous that his parents would do than separate him from Michael—his twin brother. However, he turned out to be wrong. Because six months after Michael stayed in Arizona to treat heart disease, now his parents brought home a blonde-haired girl who hid behind his mother’s feet when Mikael looked at her with disapproval.Oh gosh, have they both not been busy enough to take care of Michael so they decided to bring another child?“Mike,” his mother reached out, motioning for Mikael to walk closer to her.Mikael shook his head. He snorted while crossing his arms in front of his chest.“Come here. Mommy wants to introduce you to Claire.” She said as she pulled Claire’s hand so that girl wouldn’t hide behind her.Mikael raised an eyebrow when he looked at the girl who was shorter than him. Her body was emaciated, she wore a simple white dress that looked shabby—very typical for the appear
Venice, Italy. 1 a.m.Mikael Alexandre William walked with firm steps towards a passage connected to the main hall. His eyes stared intently—ignoring everyone who bowed respectfully to him. The dark atmosphere in the tunnel made his eyes look even more terrifying. Tension enveloped the room, making everyone shudder as if they knew that tonight's meeting would not go well after they heard the shocking news from their leading family."Mr William, all the secret leaders are ready at the meeting place," Orlando spoke while walking behind him.Michael turned his head and nodded slowly. His steps moved decisively—staring straight at the room at the end of the hall.Two guards immediately opened the door for him—bowing respectfully to him.As soon as Mikael entered, an eerie silence immediately took over the room. Everyone was silent. No one made a sound. As if they were worried that the sound of their sighs might provoke Mikael's anger. It was as if they already knew what consequences they w
New York, United States of America. Six months ago.Claire's eyes could not move from Michael, who now looked so dazzling in his dark blue shirt. Shiny short black hair frames his face, which has a distinctive brown skin that is so exotic. His sharp nose and strong jaw emphasize his appearance, which looks perfect as if he is a special sculpture God likes most.Claire's body began to tremble, reacting to the look in Michael's eyes on her. From that look, she knew that Michael admired her appearance, giving silent praise for the perfect looks that Claire had put on tonight.Claire covered her lips with one hand while her other was stretched out in Michael's grip. Her heart skipped a beat as Michael's feet began to kneel in front of her.“You know that I've known you almost half my life. And at the same time, you also know me for a long time. We spent our youth together. I always share happiness, sadness, disappointment, and everything that happens in my life with you, and you do the sam
Venice, Italy, at 7 PMFrom the first time she woke up from fainting until a week later, Claire was asked to stay in the hospital. Two days ago, the bandages on her eyes were allowed to be opened, but it turned out that Claire had an infection that caused her eyes to hurt when exposed to light, so the doctor closed her eyes again for an undetermined amount of time, maybe in the next week or two.Every day Michael accompanied her. They are still in Italy and have not returned to Manhattan because Claire is still not allowed to travel long distances with her condition still not fully recovered.Until now, Claire still didn't dare to ask about their accident that night. The memory of seeing Michael bleeding and moaning with his eyes closed still terrifies her.Almost every night, she dreams about this terrible incident. And that dream always ends with the same thing; she saw Michael smile and walk away from her as if he had gone far away from her.Every time she woke up from that dream, s
Venice, Italy, at 8 PMMikael Alexandre William bowed his head before his parents. His mother, Josephine, cried hysterically in John's arms after he told her everything he had planned.Throughout his life, Mikael had never felt this guilty before his parents. It felt like a burst of rage had burned through his heart—drowning him in guilt.“I know you probably won't like my plan. However, this is the only thing I can do to protect Michael's fiancé.” Mikael said in a calm voice. He clenched his fists tightly when he saw Josephine staring at him fiercely—hatefully.“What are you doing, Mikael? Are you playing with Claire on purpose?” John hissed sharply.Mikael exhaled slowly, "why am I playing with her if you've been playing with us all this time?"“What are you talking about? Claire and Michael are engaged. She should know how her fiancé is condition.”"Now she's engaged to me." Cut Mikael decisively. His eyes flashed sharply, showing that he was serious with his statement.“Dear,” Jose
Venice, Italy, at 1 AMClaire took a breath in uneasiness. Her heart was beating fast with anxiety. There was a fear that took over her heart—making her lose confidence.In all the time she had known Michael, she had never felt this restless. Because so far, Michael has always maintained her trust. There was never any drama of infidelity or betrayal in their relationship because she and Michael are loyal people.But tonight, Michael is with a woman.Michael disappeared as soon as she woke up, then she called Nancy and asked her to look for Michael. However, Nancy said that Michael left two hours ago—which means he's been gone since she was asleep. Claire asks Nancy to call Michael because she doesn't have a cell phone, but she hears a woman's voice as soon as she talks to Michael.Michael was with a woman at 1 p.m.“Miss, do you want something to eat? Maybe you can't sleep because you haven't had dinner yet.” Nancy touched his shoulder.Claire shook her head slowly, “I don't want to ea
Mikael almost swore when he saw Claire nod her head after hearing his question.Shit. Claire Thompson is a 27-year-old adult woman who is still a virgin.This fact hit Mikael hard—made him forget the desire that exploded in his heart after he came home from his penthouse without finishing his sex with Linda—just like their last meeting.Mikael lost control of himself when he saw Claire sitting on the bed.He imagined Claire when he kissed Linda—he even imagined Claire when Linda did a blow job to him. Then when he came home, he found Claire sitting alone. His desire just peaked so that he lost his mind kissing Claire unconsciously. Even his hands moved along her body, touching her neck, shoulders, and feeling the softness of her skin.However, upon discovering that Claire was a virgin, he was at a loss for words. Speechless.“Michael? Where are you?"Claire's voice pulled Michael from his reverie. He rubbed his face, then exhaled slowly. "I am here. You don't need to be afraid.” He sp
Claire opened her eyes slowly. She frowned for a moment but finally managed to keep her eyes open.It was late enough when Michael called a doctor to their mansion to help her remove the bandages. According to the doctor's instructions, the lights in her room had been deliberately turned off. And it worked! She managed to open her eyes even though sometimes they still felt a little sore."How do you feel? Does your eye hurt?” A blonde-haired female doctor asked while dripping a liquid into her eye."It still hurts, but it's much better than this afternoon when my eyes hit the light," she said.“Would it be fine if she slept without the bandages? She often had nightmares and cried herself to sleep. I'm worried her eyes will hurt again.” Josephine said worriedly.Claire turned her head to look for her whereabouts. Her eyes heated up when she saw Josephine and John William—her adoptive parents standing not far from her. "Mom," she muttered, holding out her hand."Oh, dear." Josephine wal
Mikael’s Mansion.Yonkers, New York, US. A few months later.Mikael gazed at the sprawling grounds of his mansion, which had begun to bloom with flowers, with butterflies fluttering freely.Claire had started planting flowers in their mansion’s yard two weeks ago, and the blossoms were beginning to bloom in the spring, transforming the once-dreary mansion into something beautiful.Mikael had been away from that building for nearly six years. Even though there were still servants cleaning and maintaining the place every day, it had felt gloomy when they first moved in a few months ago.However, Claire only took a few days to make significant changes to the mansion. Cecilia's laughter echoed in every corner, bringing a new light that Mikael had never imagined before. Claire had begun to do her part—adding magical touches that his mind struggled to comprehend, but his heart could feel.And now, as spring had arrived, everything was starting to grow lushly—especially Mikael's heart, which
Chapter 117 Perfect Family in the MorningMikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 9 AMClaire nearly jumped in surprise when she felt a cold kiss on her neck in the midst of the chilly air. Her hands moved to push the man away—the only person allowed to do such a thing to her.“Mike,” she groaned irritably.“Are you going to keep hiding under the blankets until the afternoon?” Mikael chuckled and continued showering her with cold kisses along her neck and face.Claire opened her eyes and pouted. When she turned her head, she didn’t find Cecilia there and concluded that she had woken up late, meaning Cecilia was already awake.“Get away from me!” she said while pushing Mikael away, even though she knew her refusal was futile.“Do you really want me to go?” Mikael raised his eyebrows.Claire rolled her eyes as she noticed the drastic change in their interactions.She had known Mikael her entire life, but she felt unprepared for all of this. Waking up to see Mikael’s handsome face in
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 1 AMOnce again, Claire woke up with soreness between her thighs, and the memories of what she’d done replayed in her mind. Her eyes weren’t fully open yet, but she knew it was still nighttime—the sun hadn’t risen, unlike a few days ago when she awoke.A large, warm hand wrapped around her waist tightly, keeping her from falling off the sofa in the living room. A thick blanket covered her bare body, and she knew that the man behind her was also still undressed, even though he was awake.She could feel the gentle strokes along her back and steady breaths against her neck. The man hadn’t said a word, but Claire knew he was awake, or at least hadn’t slept since she had immediately closed her eyes after their last... game, however many hours ago.She had been right to worry—she’d lose control again if she let Mikael talk to her at night. And yes, she had lost control once more.There was no denying that she missed every touch from this man. Ther
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 9 PMSnow once again blanketed the streets of New York, which were adorned with Christmas lights and bustling with pedestrians going about their activities. Some chose to step aside, seeking warmth from the cold, while others continued to stroll, enjoying the frozen snowflakes falling around them.Amid the hustle of New York, Mikael opted to sit in the main room of his apartment with two mugs of hot chocolate—one for him and one for Claire.The cool air from the balcony door, which wasn’t fully closed, made the room feel cold—typical of the chilly end-of-year weather.Mikael had endured many terrible years, but it seemed he would close this one with a sweet gift—Cecilia.“This is the best year-end I’ve ever had,” Mikael smiled.Sometimes, he forgot the last time he had smiled, but in the past few days, he had lost count of how many times he’d smiled because it happened so often.“Good for you,” Claire responded flatly.Sometimes, Mikael wond
Michael’s GraveManhattan, New York, US. 9 AMClaire stepped forward, clutching a bouquet of white roses she had bought just before arriving at... her destination.“Mom,” Cecilia reached for her hand, prompting Claire to turn and offer a brief smile to the little girl.“That’s okay, Cecilia.” Mikael crouched in front of Cecilia and lifted her into his arms when he noticed she felt scared.Claire had never taken Cecilia to a cemetery before, but Cecilia had seen graves on television, and it always piqued her curiosity.Cecilia didn’t have anyone to visit in Canada, so she never went to a cemetery. But now, she was in New York, and… she felt like she had to visit one of the graves she missed the most—Michael’s grave.“Daddy, I’m scared,” Cecilia said quietly, hiding her face against Mikael’s chest.“Aren’t you here with Daddy and Mommy?” Mikael kissed her hair softly, “You don’t need to be scared, right?”“Yes, Daddy.” Cecilia nodded but kept hiding her face, making Mikael chuckle affec
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 11 PMTime passes day by day, and Claire feels unable to stop them. The end of the year is approaching, but she feels she still can’t leave this year behind—a year that has brought her many surprises and… happiness.She is living in Mikael’s apartment.They sleep together in the same room, on the same bed, and under the same blanket. However, nothing happens between them except… sleep, in the literal meaning.It’s not that Claire wants anything else. Honestly, she still can’t believe what she did with Mikael on the nights following the moment she killed Anderson with a gun in her hand.That night, she was completely unhinged and couldn’t think clearly. Everything she discussed with Mikael drove her further into madness, and they ended that madness in an even crazier way. However, she would try to control herself not to do that again… at least until she was truly sure about her decisions and what she wanted to do next.Now, she lives with Mik
Williams MansionManhattan, New York, US. 1 PM“Oh my God,” Josephine Williams gasped, covering her mouth in surprise when she saw Claire standing at the mansion door.“Mom,” Claire gave a brief smile and reached out to hug her.They had met briefly yesterday, but that encounter meant nothing to either Josephine or Claire. At the time, everything was chaotic, and Claire’s only concern had been calming Cecilia, who was crying hysterically out of fear.“My dear,” Josephine sighed as she hugged Claire, “I’ve been waiting for word from you since last night.”“Sorry to make you worry, Mom. I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me.”“I know you’re fine,” Josephine released the hug and cupped Claire’s face, looking at her closely. “I just needed to hear from you. It’s the only thing that could ease my mind.”Claire smiled and nodded. Years had passed since her childhood, but Josephine still saw her as a little princess she would always worry about. Claire hadn’t understood Josephine’s mind
Mikael’s Mansion Manhattan, New York, US. 10 AM “Do you like these eggs, Cecilia?” “Can I have more?” “You want more?” “I want! I want!” “Sure, Princess! You’ll have mine, and I’ll make another one for you.” Claire blinked as the voices broke through her sleep. She opened her eyes for a few seconds, but the pull of sleep soon coaxed them shut again. Sunlight poured through the large windows at the center of the room, illuminating the sofa that faced the balcony. Despite it being late in the year, the day was bright enough for the midday sun to break through and gently warm Claire’s still-closed eyelids. She stretched, feeling a familiar ache from yesterday morning—the same kind of soreness she used to experience years ago. As much as she wanted to forget what had happened last night, Claire couldn’t deny that when she closed her eyes, all she could think about was the way Mikael had kissed her, letting his hands roam her body—touching her with tenderness and passion. “Daddy,
Mikael’s ApartmentManhattan, New York, US. 4 AMMikael still couldn’t believe what had just happened.Yes, it was hard for him to truly accept that, at this moment, he was lying next to Claire, who was curled up, shivering under his arm. Her eyes were closed while her body, from her waist down to her feet, was covered by the thick blanket he had given her after they had finished their long, wild sex.Claire’s confession had made Mikael lose control. He didn’t know how else to express the madness in his heart but through a kiss, a reflex to Claire’s long confession. However, that kiss had only ignited a fire within him, pulling him back into the burning circle.And the more surprising thing was... Claire accepted his touch.Mikael leaned down to kiss Claire’s shoulder and whatever else his lips could reach—her head, her forehead, and the nape of her neck, which was covered by strands of her red hair.Claire had stopped coloring her hair since Mikael wasn’t sure when. But he remembered