DANIELLE'S P.O.V.As I watched Adrian practically fly out of the room, a thousand thoughts ran through my head. I wondered what the hell was going on and who Alisia, at first dashed into the room the way that she had and why her older brother followed suit in her action by dashing out of the room in the exact same way."What in the world is happening, Alisia?" I asked, the confusion that gnawed at my person caused my eyebrows to crease.Alisia did not answer with words but instead gestured to me by stretching out the hand that held her phone. I collected the mobile device from her hand and looked to see that the phone's screen was on and it had been opened to a page which on further inspection was revealed to be a news article whose headline caught my attention.There, written on the page of the news article, was the Valentino name. It was nothing out of the ordinary for the family's name to be mentioned on blogs, news articles, or news papers, seeing as our family was the most influe
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The phone call went more successfully than I thought it would as almost immediately after ending the call with the writer of the article; after pouring out all of my thoughts about the demeaning and defaming things that said person had written and inevitably spread through out the entire expanse of social media, slamming the evidence that Alfredo had found with the help of one of the company's technicians, threatening him that I would be suing him for defamation, and finally, telling him that he would only be dragged harshly through the mud for his audacity to say the things that he had; after saying all of that to him and receiving an ardent apology from him after claiming that he was only the messenger of evil and not the perpetrator itself, Alfredo announced that all of his posts about the supposed questioning of the Valentino company's integrity had been taken down.Alongside taking down the posts, the writer also put up a written apology, apologizing to the Vale
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.What word could I use to define the crushing grief, the suppressing anguish, and the painful distress that I was feeling?How could I describe the aching tuttering of my heart and the torturous squeezing of my chest?How was I to determine the best way that I could use in outlining such an intense experience that tore through my body, my bones, and even the very core of my being?Heartbroken!That was the one word that could be used to properly and efficiently quantify the mind numbing emotion that I was feeling at that moment. I once read in a magazine, while getting my hair done on a particular day several months ago, that it had been scientifically suggested and proven that heartbreak felt the same way that physical pain does."A broken heart is a metaphor for the intense emotional stress or pain that one feels at experiencing a great loss or a great longing." the magazine had read, "Most people have experienced a broken heart, and there are multiple possible caus
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.I felt it as blood rushed into my head, causing my ears to ring, loudly, and my eyes to sting painfully. My chest constricted and squeezed in anguish at the news that had just being broken to me over the phone, and my heart beat rapidly and very quickly causing air to go in and come out of my nostrils in uneven breaths. My hands, as well, were not exempted from the consequences of the news that Alisia had just broken to me over the phone as they trembled violently, causing my phone to shake and nearly fall off from the weak grasp of my fingers."What did you just say?" I asked, my voice coming out in a weak a d tired whisper.I hoped, with all of my heart, all of my might, and all of my being, that I had not properly heard what my sister in-law had said earlier during the phone call. I wanted what I head heard to be untrue; I conjured up explanations for why what I heard earlier should have been wrong and unreal.Maybe my ears had been playing tricks on me; Maybe I w
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The process of donating my blood was a less easy and more stressful procedure than I thought it was going to be. After volunteering myself to be the blood donor, I had no idea what go expect because I had never done so before, so when I was asked, by the doctor, to follow one of the nurses whom he called away from the ensuing pandemonium in the lobby, I followed without asking any questions.The nurse led me to a laboratory where I was then handed over to a medical laboratory scientist who explained to me that my blood would have to be tested first before the donation to see if Alfredo and I had the same blood group or if our blood groups were compatible. I then watched as she tied a tube like item tightly around my upper arm and cleansed an area of my arm with a cotton wool which was soaked in methylated spirit.When the needle pierced through my skin and into my vein, my eyes were closed very tightly and I held my breath in trepidation. As soon as the needle had pi
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.What was the term 'Luck'?How could one explain what Luck was?How could one actually fully comprehend all that it entailed?Luck could be portrayed as chance considered as a force that could cause good or bad things to happen. It could also be characterized success or failure that was apparently brought about by chance rather than one's own actions.In other words, luck was chance that forced either good or bad things to happen without one being actively involved in making the choice between either one of the two occurrences.I could very well say that, all through the stages of my life, I'd had strokes with both sides of the coin when it came to luck. As a person, I had grown up blaming all of the unsatisfactorily occurrences that happened to me on bad luck while the great things that I had achieved were praised on being as a result of good luck. Throughout most of my life, I had experienced more good occurrences than bad because I was very much cuddled by my fathe
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The night unfurled herself as she roused from the temporary slumber that she had been forced to take by the bright sun, and announced her arrival by casting her dull glow upon and wrapping the earth in the embrace of her dark folds.Two days and nights, very much like the present one, had passed since the incident that had taken place at the Valentino mansion, and like the earth had been subjected to by the night, I had been left in the dark about the details of the incident by my husband and the entirety of his family.The events of that fateful day were still, very clearly, ingrained into my memories and whenever I recalled what had happened, it caused me to burn with curiosity to find out why the things that had happened that day had gone down the way that they had done. More than anything, I wanted to find out who the strange woman who I had seen was, and why she'd had such an effect on the Valentino family.I wished that I could call Alisia and have her off-load
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.After nearly a year of being married to Adrian Valentino, I had come to realize that he loved to do things that left me both surprised and breathless; whether it was from him saying something, so ridiculous, that I was tempted to throw him out of the room, or from him exhibiting his level of expertise and experience in all things coitus related; whichever of the two ways that it was, Adrian Valentino always managed to leave me winded up and shocked.When Adrian had asked me, in a deep and husky voice laced with an emotion that I did not know, the question; "Can I kiss you?"; I had not expected it. So when he pressed his lips onto mine, I had been rooted to my spot on the couch, with my eyes wide open like saucers, because definitely not expected it either.His lips were soft and gentle as they moved against mine; they moved slowly and lightly on my own lips, much unlike the fervid and aggressive claiming of my lips by his own that usually came alongside our make outs
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