DANIELLE'S P.O.V.I sighed in exasperation, turning on my side to glare at the source of my irritation. The familiar tune of my ringtone, which was blaring through the speakers of the mobile device, caused another surge of vexation to swell in my chest. Deciding that I'd had enough of the disruption, I pulled my phone off of the bedside drawer where it was placed, and angrily silenced the call before placing the device on airplane mode to prevent any further disturbance of my peace.I then dropped the phone back on to the drawer and turned to the other side of the bed, closing my eyes and hoping that by doing so, I would finally return back to sleep. Unfortunately, I could do no such thing as the disturbance came in another form- in the form of a gentle rap of knuckles on my door. I let out a frustrated sigh, and rolled onto my back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in a gentle plea to those who lived high up on the heavens. I was desperate for my sleep, and these disruptions kept
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.With Jay at the wheel, the car moved smoothly along the tarred road, and I watched through the car window as the trees passed by swiftly. I could have tried counting them to take mind off the thoughts that soared in my head, unobstructed, but they moved too fast for me to be able to count. I let a sigh escape from my lips before placing my forehead on the cool glass of the car window. Seeing as I was unable to do anything to clear my mind, I guessed that I would have to allow those several thoughts take their course in my head.As I allowed my thoughts to have free reign over my mind, I recalled the last conversation that's I'd had the previous night which was the dialogue I had with Adrian right before I had gone to bed."You should have found a chance, or created one. There is no excuse, at all, for not telling me about those things, Danielle. It concerns me just as much as it concerns you, and need I remind you that the house in question is my own property?" I hea
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The car drive back to the Valentino estate was silent; neither Jay nor I were used to speaking to one another whenever we were in the car together. The silence allowed for my numerous thoughts to permeate my head and I, once again, allowed them to have free reign over my mind. I thought back to the encounter that I'd had with Mason Haze who was my close friend and course mate, Melody Haze's twin brother; right before I entered the car which Jay had parked in the campus' parking lot and had been seating in wait for me.Why did he grab my arm the way that he did?I thought back to the way he held on to my arm to stop me from leaving, recalling the way his fingers wrapped around the skin of my arm; I recalled how his grip on my arm was firm enough to alter my movement but at the same time, gentle enough to avoid hurting me. I remembered his smile too- the way that he had flashed me a bright smile with his pearly white teeth seeming to sparkle underneath the sunlight.Wh
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The days spent in the Valentino Mansion rolled by in a blur of early morning trips, with my new person driver, Jay, to the NYU campus in the heart of Manhattan; sometimes, dreary, and other times, fun days at school with my course mates and friends; silent car rides back to the estate with Jay; feasting, alongside my in-laws, on the chef, Etienne's, food for dinner; late night recaps with Alisia, my sister-in-law turned sister; and then finally, to end the day, heading to bed after the day had been quite well spent.Very soon, without even being fully aware of it, I had spent nearly three months at their estate. It was a long time to be around them, because even though they had become my family, they were still new and unfamiliar to me; but I could not quite complain about spending so much time with them as during my time with them, as much as I'd had sad and overwhelming moments, I'd also had my quite share of fun as well as merriment.During that time spent with th
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.While I was growing up, Dad and I lived in Houston Texas for about six years of my life, before we moved to the thriving city of New York were Dad kicked off his business and expanded his company. In Texas, Dad and I were surrounded by religious neighbors who either dragged Dad to church with them, or gaslighted him into attending their religious services and gatherings. Surrounded by these people, I learnt a lot about religion and the existence of a supreme being. I also learnt that apart from this supreme being, there was another who had craved and coveted the same powers that were characterized to that supreme entity, and him alone.This covetous being was later dethroned and deposed from his position as the second in command and eventually was sent away from the mighty and beautiful garden above to the very depths of the earth where ember and fires were the norm. The deposed being was called and referred to as the Devil, and he made it his life's mission to make
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.If there was one thing that I had come to learn over the years that I had spent around my best friends, the couple of months that I had spent with the Valentinos, and also the few months that I had spent knowing my course mates who had turned into friends and had fastly become an important part of my life; it was that no matter how much money one had, or how famous one was, or even how glamorous one was, he or she could never be able to do without friends and family.My life was a perfect example to refer to that statement with if ever one needed to refer to an example while talking about this as while growing up, I had it all; a super rich and famous Dad, pretty shoes, expensive purses, tons of make-up as soon as I was old enough to use them, a whole walk-in closet full of clothes, a driver that drove me to and from school everyday while I was still in middle and high school, and even while I was in college, a live-in chef who served as both a grandmother to me and
DANIELLE'S P.O.V."I'm so sorry, but it has to be done." Alisia said."What are you doing, Allie?" I asked, my eyes squinting in question."I'm sorry." she only repeated in answer.I was baffled by Alisia's consistent apologies- so surprised that I could not even properly comprehend what was going on. The surprise took me by storm and the only thing that I could do was to stay, rooted yo the spot that I was standing on by the surprise, and watch as my sister in-law slowly backed away from her place beside me, bolted out of the room, and closed the door; the sound of the heavy door slamming close reverberated in the room before being closely followed by the sound of the noisiness caused by the door's lock being turned.It was too late to do anything by the time I realized that I had just walked myself into a trap. To say that I was confused, by all that had happened and all that was going in that moment, would be an understatement. I was way past confused and the consequence of my bew
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.If there was one good thing about being locked in a room, it was that said room was the pantry which had been stocked full of various food items but most especially snacks. At least I would not be hungry while I bid my time in the room of apparently no escape.Through the aid of my phone, I had been regularly checking the number of minutes that Adrian and I had spent locked up in that room while hoping that my in-laws, Adrian's family, would decide that they had kept us in the sparsely ventilated room for too long and come to the agreement to release us. However, as the seconds rolled into minutes and those minutes in turn rolled into hours, I came to the realization that Adrian and I were going to be kept captive longer than wither one of them thought we were.I had tried several and various means of getting the both of us out of the room. These things included knocking profusely on the door in hopes of a passer by hearing, shouting at the top of my longs so as to c
DANIELLE'S P.O.VI stirred from my slumber, my eyes blinking open reluctantly. The room was bathed in the soft glow of dawn and a lingering sense of unease clung to me.As consciousness found its way back to me, I felt the sting in my eyes which were heavy from a restless night. My eyes stung as I tried to focus on the familiar surroundings. A few remnants of the nightmares that had plagued my sleep replayed in my mind, their vivid images taunting me.A groan escaped my lips as I tried to sit up, the dryness and ache in my throat were evidence of the tumultuous night I had. The taste of fear lingered in my mouth, leaving me parched and exhausted.When I finally sat up, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I could still hear the faint echoes of my own screams and I took a quick glance around, half expecting to find shadows lurking in the corners of the room. The sheets clung to my skin- further evidence of my night which had been filled with restlessness.The room, usually a peaceful haven
ADRIAN'S P.O.V.It had been a month since the storm called Chase Sinclair, had hit our lives, leaving destruction and doubts in his wake. The air hung heavy, in my office, with the weight of unspoken words as Omar Zayn, my lifelong confidante and best friend, sat across from me. His eyes, filled with understanding, met mine, as if searching for the turmoil that had etched its mark onto my soul over the past month. The weight of the past month lingered heavily on my shoulders, and I couldn't shake the guilt that gripped my conscience."Omar, I messed up big time," I sighed, rubbing my temples.Omar leaned in, concern etched on his face."What happened with you two, Adrian? Last time I knew, you guys were solid. Tell me everything. Maybe there's a way to fix this." Omar said, his expression empathic.In a flash, I recalled the doubts that had plagued me and the message that had led to my questioning Danielle's fidelity" I doubted Dannie's loyalty, questioned her commitment, and worst o
ADRIAN'S P.O.VThe walls of my office seemed to close in on me as I sat there, utterly drained from the dual onslaught of my demanding position and the storm raging inside of me. The dim lights seemed to intensify the shadows that had taken a place in my life recently and the air felt heavy as the weight of my tumultuous life burdened me.The office room felt like a prison of polished wood and cold steel and the distant hum of the city just outside of the office walls did nothing to ease the feeling of being trapped. The room that was usually a place of productivity and creativity, had. now become a battlefield between my professional obligations to the company and my personal emotions.Rubbing my temples gently, I tried to erase the persistent ache that clawed at my skull, but I couldn't seem to find relief from it. Weariness weighed heavily on my shoulders, and burden on my heart as I could not seem to get away from the shattered pieces of my broken life.The weight of my responsibi
DANIELLE'S P.O.VI woke up with a splitting headache. The piercing pain that seared through my head dragged me out of the depths of unconsciousness. As my eyes fluttered open, I groaned, clutching my throbbing temple. The room spun and my vision blurred as I blinked."Where in the world am I?" I muttered while trying to make sense of my surroundings.As I tried to sit up, the sharp pain in my head intensified, sending shockwaves through my body. It felt like a sledgehammer had collided with my skull and I could hear the faint echoes of my own pained groans. With my muddled senses, I struggled to make sense of my situation. I continued to blink rapidly to clear off the dizzy spell until the dimly lit room slowly came into focus.Suddenly, I felt restraints on my wrists and ankles."What the hell...?" I muttered pulling at the ropes that bound me and restricted my movement. On seeing that they would not budge, undiluted panic started to creep into my body and coursed through my veins an
DANIELLE'S P.O.VThe weeks following my traumatic ordeal at the hands of Chase were a blur of hospital rooms and tests. I had also been offered therapy sessions, but I rejected them as the very last thing I wanted to do was revisit the torture I had gone through. However, I could not seem to run away from those days of captivity as even after I had long been discharged from the hospital, my mind was still trapped in the nightmares that had plagued me ever since that fateful day- the day Chase Sinclair had kidnapped me.It felt like I was trapped in a unending nightmare, unable to escape the memories of what had happened to me- memories of how my baby had almost been taken away from me. I was back in the safety of the mansion Adrian and I had gotten but the house which used to bring me so much peace now seemed as oppressive as it was comforting.I sat on the plush couch in the living room of our grand mansion, surrounded by my friends and family. Adrian was on a business trip and they
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The hospital corridors stretched before me, a maze of sterile white walls, distant echoes of life, and busked whispers. Their white walls were an unsettling reminder of the captivity I had endured for far too long at the hands of Chase Sinclair. Determination surged through my veins as I made my way towards the women's restroom, a small glimmer of hope guiding me towards the next step in my escape. I walked with purpose and my steps were fueled by a desperate determination to reclaim my life from the clutches of the darkness that Chase had surrounded me with. My footsteps faltered as both anticipation and apprehension coursed through my veins and each footfall echoed in my ears as I made my way to the restroom. Every step that I took felt heavy with anticipation and my heart pounding in my chest as I neared the restroom. It was a moment that held the key to my freedom; the key to reuniting with my family and escaping the clutches of Chase once and for all.As I pushe
ADRIAN'S P.O.V.I sat at my office desk which was surrounded by a sea of important documents related to the impending project that the company was about to start. I was engrossed in the stack of documents that were spread out before me as the impending project demanded my utmost attention.A knock on the door resonated in the room, interrupting my work. The door to my office creaked open, and Karen, my secretary, poked her head inside."Mr Valentino, it's already closing hours," she announced, her voice gentle. "I'm heading home for the night. Do you need anything else before I leave?"Her words jolted me back to reality. Closing hours? I glanced at my watch, realizing that I had lost track of time. I couldn't believe how late it had gotten as time seemed to have slipped away while I busied myself with analyzing every detail of the upcoming project meticulously."Oh thank you, Karen. I had no idea it was that late. Go ahead, call it a day. I'll be fine here for a while longer. You can
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.Chase’s eyes bore into mine, and I could see the rage simmering beneath them. His gaze moved around the room, scanning for any signs of betrayal and then, suddenly, his eyes locked onto my shaking figure. A cruel smile pulled at his lips as he lunged towards me and on reaching me, he grabbed my hand with his grip tightening around my wrist. Panic engulfed me as he wrenched the phone from its hiding place under the pillow and he held it up, triumph gleaming in his eyes.“You really thought you could get away, didn’t you?” he sneered, his voice dripping with maliceI stood there, transfixed to the spot by the fear that caused my heart to pound in my chest, my hands trembling. The stolen phone rested securely in Chase’s grip; a small but strong weapon that I had used against the man who had held me captive for far too long. Chase loomed over me, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and desperation."You think you're so clever, don't you?" His voice was a venomous hiss,
DANIELLE’S P.O.V.The days, weeks, or perhaps months, following my abduction felt like an eternity; I had lost track of time as those moments that I spent while being trapped in this desolate room passed in a hazy blur of fear and despair. Each passing moment was filled with fear, uncertainty, and a desperate longing for my freedom, every second spent in Chase’s clutches was a reminder of the very fragile line that separated both my life and death, every waking moment that I spent in that godforsaken room was tainted by the knowledge that I was at the mercy of a man I once called a friend; a man whom I had thought to forgive and let go of the hurtful things that he had done to me in the past; a man that had now turned into an obsessed captor; a man that had snatched me away from my peaceful existence.The room was always dark and even with the air conditioner, who’s hum served as the only other source of sound in the dreary space, it always felt suffocating as the only other means of