betrayal and love go side by side

REBIRTH OF ESMERALDA

.

Chapter 4: betrayal and love go side by side

.

*Esmeralda*

I plop down on the deserted ground already tired of running.

Glancing back, i heaved out a sigh of relief seeing as Mercedes hasn’t caught up to me yet.

What if she wants to release me?

My hope gets raised up thinking that but I quickly weltered it away not wanting to give myself any aspirations.

I used to hold Mercedes in high expectations as she was the only sister I had. She had always protected me from harm ever since we were little.

And now ... everything just seems so unbelievable.

The fact that Mercedes would actually try to have me killed makes my heart ache.

Heaving out a huge sigh, I decide to try running again. I drag myself along the way as I stood up sluggishly looking around for any signs of humane presence.

But none.

Shaking away dreadful thoughts, my legs continue moving forward on its own not giving my brain any chance to process my awaiting death.

No way Mercedes would allow me run away in plain sight. She would definitely come for me.

I think again as I look back hastily but still no sign of her yet.

What was happening? I didn’t understand what was going on at all.

How long have Mercedes planned this?

She wouldn’t just have hatred lying around only popping up when our father died. She must have definitely resented me since the very first day I was born.

But for whatever reason?

Breathing in and out heavily, I try to move forward but I suddenly can’t again.

The bearings I had received were taking its toll on me.

About to give up and plop back down on the ground, I look around one last time but then my eyes shimmered in disbelief seeing a tarred road.

“Finally oh my gosh.” I whispered out of sheen relief quickly running towards there.

Hopefully a passing driver might just see me and might definitely help me.

What are the odds?

Soon I get to the side of the road and wait there hoping for at least one vehicle before Mercedes gets to me.

I look down at my clothing and realize I look no better than a church rat.

There’s going to be a lot of washing up to do if I do get out of here. I thought to myself scrunching up my nose in distaste.

Sighing I glanced up at the road again impatiently waiting for a hope. Would I even get to—

Screech!

Lines of the crunching of gravel as the car tyres pulled along the shoulder of the road pulled me out of my thoughts as I stopped worrying finally seeing a vehicle heading towards me.

My eyes widened as I realized it was a familiar one at that.

I regained my composure and stretched out my hand wiggling my fingers out of happiness.

Because I wasn’t just excited to finally see someone … I was excited because it was my boyfriend and future husband.

Maverick Gunner.

The vehicle stopped just few meters away from me abruptly as the car door opened just few seconds later.

“Esmeralda?.”

Maverick calls out, his voice depicting surprise, as he slams his car door shut walking towards in long strides.

Maverick, my Maverick.

He was, well, different from all others. He was handsome, not perhaps in the conventional sense, but he had that appearance which could make him stand out in the crowd.

He was fair, almost pale white. His unfathomable, golden brown eyes contrasted exceptionally with his light toned face. His eyes were as deep and expressive, where you could get lost if you stared long enough. His face had that faraway look in it, which cannot be described in words.

Often, you could see a hint of arrogance in his sparkling eyes, which would disappear as suddenly as it emerged. He sometimes spoke too fast, which perhaps revealed how much ego he concealed within himself.

Above all was his frame and his stature.

He was not extremely muscular, with 8 pack abs or 16 cm biceps. However, he could stand out in a crowd, which was mostly due to his way of carrying himself.

Perhaps he was the kind who had girls swooning over him. Or perhaps, just one in a million, who was “nothing special, but all the same unique”.

Whatever he was, he was still my Maverick who I fell in love with.

Not many get to love the person set up with them in an arranged mating.

Perhaps I was lucky enough that Maverick loved me and I, him too.

Maverick stretched his palm towards me as he got to where I was. “Esme, what-what are you doing here?.” He asks looking me up and down. “The whole city has been looking for you-fuck!! I have been searching for you!.” He speaks loudly.

“Mercedes.” I whispered.

He paused as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tilted his head for an explanation. “What are you talking about?.”

“Mercedes— she, Mercedes, she d-did this.” My words broke up and all I could say were stuttering sounds.

I was only confusing Maverick further because he couldn’t say anything, just stared at me blankly.

He sighed reaching out to take my hands and squeezed it in between his. “Esme, what is happening? Why are you out here? How are you out here?.” He says looking around before turning back to me. “And why do you keep on mentioning Mercedes? Your sister is back at home looking for you.”

“No, she’s not.” Hot tears streamed down my face, and I squeezed my eyelids shut in the hope my tears would stop so I could explain to Maverick what was actually going on. “She’s, she’s not, she’s there.” I say pointing backwards with my fingers.

Maverick scrunched up his face in confusion looking behind me. “There is a wave of emptiness behind you, Esme, what are you talking about?.”

“Mercedes!!.” I yell at him out of frustration. “She’s the one who brought me here.” I say gesturing at the emptiness he was referring to. “She’s the reason why I’m here, I wake up in an abandoned shaft and she’s there, she captured me, Maverick and, and we need to go back there and—.”

“Alright, alright, Esme, I think that’s enough.” Maverick says forcefully cupping my cheeks to face him. “Your body temperature seems over the top so I can’t take anything you are saying seriously right now, maybe you hit yourself on the head somewhere… and .”

“What?.” I whisper. “Don’t talk to me like I’m crazy, I’m telling you my own sister had goons kidnap me and take me here and you are telling me that I’m delusional?.”

Maverick sighs. “I don’t know, Esme. This is just so absurd. I cannot believe you when you are looking like this and you are rambling off like someone running a fever.”

“I am like this because I was ransacked like a piece of dirt.” I scoff pushing him away. “And if you can’t believe me, then let’s go back to the city, inform the police so I can lead the inspectors back here. At least they won’t think I’m spilling bullshit.”

I say and step aside walking towards his car not before Maverick drags me back to standing in front of him.

“Not so far, princess.” He says holding my arm grip tight.

“Maverick!.” I shook my arm trying to remove his but couldn’t. “What are you doing? Weren’t we going somewhere?.”

“Yes.” He replied coldly. “Back to Mercedes.”

I stop struggling in his arms the moment he said that and looked him in the eyes and for the first time Maverick was looking at me with so much coldness I had never imagined that, that day would eventually come.

“Maverick, what’s — what’s going on?.”

“Just shhhh.” He says in a low tone as I feel something pierce me.

A needle.

Perhaps, syringe.

A wave of drowsiness hit me and I finally got the discernment of what was happening.

“So you are in this too?.” A small whisper leaves my lips before my eyes shut close.

.

.

TO BE CONTINUED

.

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter. And if you can, please support me by dropping a comment or gems <3... sincerely, Kam!!.