Clair pov
We had waited until night fell to attack and spent the entire day planning our moves. Levi had told us that the bar opened at night and it most probably would be the easiest time to strike. I just hope that they didn't take Nolan elsewhere.
"But I don't think they will be stupid enough to take Nolan to her house. Everyone will know that we will look for him." Henry stated
"That's true," Austin responded. "We only have one choice. And that is to force one of their men to spill the secrets." He added.
"How?" I asked, feeling anxious, and silently praying that my baby is fine.
"We go to the bar, and abduct one of them," Austin replied. "And then after that, we decide what we do next. And Clair, I need you to recognise anyone who you saw in her house last night." He answered.
I gulped and nodded. "Okay. I'm ready to do anything for him." He said.
To say that Clair was scared would be an understatement. However, she was ready to face it. She has had enough in this hell hole. She has seen and felt enough pain in this grand mansion that she would rather describe as a dungeon. A dungeon where girls were violated over and over again. Naive, young girls the Mr. Stone and his gang kidnap from the countryside. Then they would simply sell them off as if they were cattle, and now, Clair has had enough of it. She too was a victim. She didn't know if it was her good luck or not that Mr. Stone liked her so much that he kept her for himself. Clair looked out of the window in anticipation. Lilli had told her that they would carry-out the plan tonight. By the time Mr. Stone returned from the funeral of his friend, this place would have been invaded.
Clair pov. I watched silently as they prepared to leave. My heart continued to weep for him. For us. But how could I give us a chance? He deserved the best things in the world. Not someone like me. Not someone who is still fighting to forget those horrible memories of being forcefully removed from your home. Or those terrible flashbacks of how me and the other girls were transferred in food containers by those heartless human traffickers. In addition to those unwanted memories, my sleep is haunted by nightmares of Mr. Stone. The one who owned me. Who enslaved me during my mid teens. I was barely eighteen when I got pregnant with my first child, Nolan. He is the one who fathered my child. But I refuse to acknowledge him as his father. He is not worthy of being called a father. And I most certainly don’t want to let my child know that he is related to such a vile man. I was lost in my own thoughts when Levi walked in front of me and extended
NarratorClair managed to fall asleep after a long time. However, her sleep was far from being peaceful. She tossed and turned on her bed. Little beads of sweat formed on her forehead due to her distress.She was running away from him. How in the world did he wake up from his eternal sleep? How was it even possible that he came back from death. Aren’t dead people supposed to stay dead? She glanced over her shoulder as she continued to run through the thick foliage of the forest. But as soon as she did, she wished she didn’t look back. What she saw made her heart want to jump out of her rib cage.There was this ghostly figure running after her – no galloping after her on all fours. It’s face was Mr. Stone’s, however it was rather pale and it looked as if it was partly decayed. There was blood and drool coming out of the corners of it’s mouth. It’s clothes were torn and tattered and pieces of fabric flew with the breeze as
Clair pov.It was always fun to spend time with the gang. They always made the place more active and enjoyable. And with our mother figure pestering Henry and Lilli for grand kids, the fun is doubled. Austin and Adira left for their two week long trip right after we all had breakfast.I made sure that Nolan had a good breakfast before I started to have my own. He was giggling as he toddled across the vast dining room, while Henry’s mom pretended to catch him. His little giggles always made my lifeless flutter with excitement. He was such a blessing for me. If not for him, my nightmares and traumatic memories would have made me want to give up on life.“Aww.... Little Nolan wants to play.” Henry’s mom cooed.“Clair, dear. Can I take him to the play room. It would be easier for you to eat.” She asked looking at me hopefully.I giggled. She didn’t really have to ask.“Of course Gabby aunty.”
Clair pov. I hastened towards the living room where I knew Lilli would most probably be waiting for me. She most probably would be already searching the university website, looking for a suitable course for me to start. But I was wrong. She was nowhere to be seen. Shrugging, I dashed up the stairs. If she was not in the living room, she most probably would be in her room. I walked up to her room and was about to knock when I thought I heard her sobs. Furrowing my eyebrows, I leaned against the door to be sure of it. “Henry.... It has been over a year now. Why isn’t it still not happening?” It most certainly was Lilli’s voice. She was......crying? But why? “Hey ....babe. I’m sure it will. With time.” Henry tried to c
Narrator. Days passed by, and by the time Adira and Austin came back from their honeymoon, Clair had successfully taken care of all the awareness programs that they had planned while Lilli and Henry looked after the business and other matters of the empire. Adira and Austin went through the files and they were satisfied to see that everything was in place as they wanted them to be. It is not that Austin and Adira doubted their capabilities. They were certain that they would prove themselves to be the best people to be around. Henry, Clair and Lilli waited for their approval in the office as they flipped through the papers. “Great. You guys have done an excellent job.” Austin uttered, nodding with a satisfied smile on his lips. “Yes. This is commendable Clair. I
Clair pov. Still feeling anxious about tonight, I walked briskly from the office towards my room. I closed the door as soon as I entered and let out a whoosh of breath, hoping to calm myself down. But my heart was still frantic. What if I panic there? What if those memories make it so hard for me to enjoy? Or worse. What if I stumble across someone who knew I was the girl Mr. Stone used to keep for himself? My anxiety skyrocketed at that thought. No. No. That cannot happen. No one should know that it was me. No one can know about my past. I started to feel dizzy and I felt as if the whole room was spinning. My breathing laboured. I took desperate deep gasps of breath as I held on to my head and leaned against the closed door. The whole room felt hot, despite the turned on air conditioner and little beads of sweat soaked my shirt.&nbs
Narrator Clair went into shock and remained in her crouched position as the minutes passed by. Since Nolan was with Gabby aunty, his little voice was not there to pull Clair out of her mental turmoil, like he usually did. Clair continued to cover her head from what might attack her l, though in reality she was completely alone in the room. However, she felt that she was being attacked. She felt that Mr. Stone was back to get revenge on her for killing him and keeping his child away from him. She felt that he might once again hurt her. And this time he wouldn’t let her live. “Please....don’t.... Let me go.” She sobbed through her whispers until she finally lost consciousness. Minutes ticked by. Henry’s mother enjoyed having little Nolan in her room. She was expec
Clair povWe had waited until night fell to attack and spent the entire day planning our moves. Levi had told us that the bar opened at night and it most probably would be the easiest time to strike. I just hope that they didn't take Nolan elsewhere."But I don't think they will be stupid enough to take Nolan to her house. Everyone will know that we will look for him." Henry stated"That's true," Austin responded. "We only have one choice. And that is to force one of their men to spill the secrets." He added."How?" I asked, feeling anxious, and silently praying that my baby is fine."We go to the bar, and abduct one of them," Austin replied. "And then after that, we decide what we do next. And Clair, I need you to recognise anyone who you saw in her house last night." He answered.I gulped and nodded. "Okay. I'm ready to do anything for him." He said.
Clair pov"Remember?" I asked. My voice sounded more like a tiny squeak. My heart raced. Was he really recalling his past memories?"Yes. At least some of it." He smiled at his father. "Dad…" he croaked and tears started to roll out of his eyes."It's okay son." His father's voice was shaky when he spoke. Obviously, both of them were overwhelmed with emotions. As I glanced in between them, I felt my own eyes well with tears, which I quickly wiped away with my hands."But…..why am I here? The last thing I remember was pushing you away, because Pamela was going to hit you with a chair." He frowned. I sighed."I guess you received the blow for me." I mumbled. He mouthed a wow and laid silently on
"Why did you do it? What did I do to you? What have you gained by hurting me?" I continued to scream until she managed to place a punch on my abdomen. I staggered back, however, I was quick to recover and glared at the vile woman, who was seething."I hate you! I hate your entire family! I hate your mother! She married the one I love! He should have been mine!" She screamed, shocking me beyond words could describe.What? My aunt had a crush on my father? Her own sister's husband?"What the fuck!" I cursed under my breath. She was insane!"Gah! Why the hell would you care anyway! Inhaled seeing them together. And it was hell to witness their love each and every day!" She was gritting her teeth so hard that I could have sworn that her teeth would fall off."I couldn't bear to see them in love. I hate them and I hate you! I had to see them die! I had to….." she trailed off. However, I was now alerted. She had to see them
Levi povHis shirt was soaked in the crimson colour of his blood. He would apparently be in pain, however it seemed to be the least of his concerns. His chest heaved as he gasped for breath."I...I don't know." He gulped.I narrowed my eyes on him. I knew that he was lying. They had to know."Boss…..whoa!" Another male voice caught my attention. A scrawny young man, with dreadlocks walked out of another room. His eyes darted from me to the two who were at the base of the staircase. His eyes widened, most probably realised that the man was injured."Hey! Stand back! I swear I won't hesitate to shoot!" I warned them, as I pointed my gun at him. I heard a thud. When I looked around, the man who was beside Pamela had dropped her body and ran up the stairs."Shit!" I cursed. He got away."Stand back!" I warned the man with dreadlocks."Okay, okay. I'm just working for money. Like I am
Levi pov.They had opened the bar for the night, so only a few people were inside. I made sure my Glock was in place and well covered with my jacket. It was pathetic that they didn't check if I was armed. Well, perhaps they were too new at this. Good for me.I scanned the surroundings. Since the place had opened a few minutes ago, workers were still trying to set the place up. The disco lights lit the place up in multiple colours. The place slowly started to get crowded, as groups of young people started to enter the place. Making sure that my fake beard and hat was in place, I tried to look for anyone who might know the owner of this place. The workers here will certainly know something about her.One person was already at the counter ordering a drink. I walked over to the counter and ordered a drink for myself and glanced at the man beside me. His drink was in front of him, but he didn't seem to be in a hurry to down it. He had his face bur
Narrator "Be careful son….." Jack told his son for the nth time, fearing for the safety of his son. However, he didn't try to stop him, since he knew that he wouldn't stop even if he pleaded. Besides, only Levi seemed to have an idea of where they had taken Clair. "Of course I will dad." He promised, patting on his belt, where he had hidden his loaded pistol. When Austin secretly handed it to him when they left, he had never thought that he would be in a situation when he would have to use it, so he had kept it hidden under his clothes in his luggage. However, he was now ready to use everything he had learnt from Austin to save the girl he had fallen in love with. "Maybe we should get help from the police ." Jack stated. Levi sat in the front seat, thinking about it. "Wouldn't it be a waste of time?" He asked. "No. What would you do alone, Levi? It will be easier to face them if you have someone on
Narrator"No way!" Levi hissed, staring at Clair with widened eyes. She nodded, pausing her lips."There is no doubt. It is her." She replied. Her heart was still pounding hysterically in her chest."Hey, come on, let's go home. The afternoon sun will bake you in a few hours if you're going to stay out in the open." Levi's mother called, standing a few feet away from them, as she waved frantically at them to follow her."We are coming." Levi called and they followed them back home."I never thought I'd actually come face to face with someone like that." Levi mumbled under his breath. "Let me kick her ass." He added in a silent whisper."No. Let her be. She has sold me off and now, I believe she doesn't have any right over me." Clair replied, sighing, secretly hoping that she doesn't have any clever ideas."If you say so." Levi sighed. "What is her name?" He asked, making Clair chuckle.
Clair pov.To say I was nervous for the rest of the day would be an understatement. I couldn't focus on anything. So I excused myself and retreated to my room. Besides Nolan needs his nap, so Levi's parents didn't seem to suspect anything.As soon as I entered the room, I changed Nolan's clothes to a fresh one and put him to take his nap, and it was only then I could really think about what I had seen.It definitely was her. My aunt. But what was she doing in this village? And if she is with that person called Miggy, I honestly wonder what kind of research they were doing? To start some projects? She most certainly doesn't seem like the person who would start anything good. I didn't have a good feeling about it.I needed to find out what she was doing. If she was involved in whatever 'project' Miggy was about to start, I am almost a hundred percent positive that it wouldn't be anything good.Or maybe I shouldn't meddle in it
Clair pov"I don't know if he will remember anything." The therapist said, sighing. "I cannot say for sure. I mean it may or may not work." She said, making me bite my lower lip, frowning in concern. It was exactly what I had feared. He might never remember his past."Is there anything we can do to help? Anything?" I asked, hoping to hear a positive response.She sighed and leaned back. The creases on her forehead meant that she was in deep thought. The therapist had asked me to meet her separately after today's session, while he waited for me in the waiting area."Why don't you take him to his village? That might help him remember his past?"She suggested. I nodded in response and thanked her before leaving.We had taken Levi to be checked as soon as things got settled. Austin paid the amount his 'boss' demanded, and Levi started his training sessions. He had blended in with the Mafia family. About two months have pa