“Johnny! You’re here!” Josephine welcomed Jonathan at the doorstep and buried her precious son in a lengthy hug. It’s been ages since he last visited her. He finally came to realize how much he had missed her and felt guilty about not making time out from work to come to visit her often.
“Happy birthday, bro.” Jacob beamed and joined the hug.
Jonathan caught a little blonde head sneaking behind Jacob. With a big smile, Jonathan bend down and carried the youngest brother and kissed his cheek. “How are you, little champ?”
“I am not little anymore! I am a big boy now.” Jeremy complained, struggling to get away from his doting oldest brother.
“You’ll always be my little man.” Jonathan laughed and ruffled his fluffy blonde hair. He was the only brother who inherited their father’s dirty blonde hair, which made him look downright identica
Jonathan looked at the time ticking away on his watch. It was past eight PM. The sky rumbled above him, lightning slashing its way through the enormous somber and damp clouds. He turned up the temperature to sheath himself from the biting weather of London.He reached his penthouse after the fifteen-minute drive. After passing the biometric sensors, he opened the front door and the balmy scent of lavenders claimed his senses as he entered.The smell had helped calm his senses whenever he came back after a tough day at work. But now, it vexed him. It reminded him of Alexandra. The time he would bury himself into her silky hair and inhale the peace provided by her scent.Shaking his pestering thoughts away, he went upstairs, took off all his clothes, and stepped into the warm shower, hoping it would rinse off all his memories of her.She was never yours, Jonathan. Now fucking get over with it.He chanted this repeatedly in his head. For t
The sweet and serene smell of lavenders drifted by as she climbed downstairs. She explored the house like a curious nerdy child visiting the museum for the first time. The interior was themed ivory, gray, and black. The design was direct, with abstract paintings giving a touch of color to the white walls with less furniture taking up space, making it more breathable and minimalistic, clean, and aesthetically pleasing to look at. She found the place peaceful, just like the person who owned it. Jonathan waited for her on the couch, dressed in a fresh shirt. He changed the previous one since it got wet earlier. "Thank you. For the clothes." She said, and he curved his head in her direction. Her petite body was clothed in his gray sweatshirt and black boxer shorts, which were several sizes big for her. She clumsily pulled the shorts up to her small waist each time it slid down. Either he felt like pulling her into his lap a
Evan dragged herself out of the airport in her shiny red heels, which she had to wear for hours during the entire flight from Paris. At a distance, her weary eyes caught the glimpse of a tall man wearing a black button-up shirt that brought out his muscular build. He looked carefree as ever, with his hands resting in his jeans pockets. Many women passing by sneaked a peek at him, wondering if this handsome hunk was a celebrity in Hollywood. Evan's heart thudded at an alarming rate as he granted her his million-dollar smile. He should go to jail for being so effortlessly handsome! She braced herself and walked up to him. Halton helped her with the luggage and they drove to his penthouse. "How was the trip? Did you have fun?" He asked, his eyes glued to the road while she tilted her to the windows. Watching the luminous city fleeting by. "I didn't really enjoy much, to be honest." She an
A familiar warmth engulfed Evan’s body, a strong, natural musky scent woke her senses. She frowned, as she couldn’t move.Slowly, she fluttered her eyes open and greeted the bright, handsome smile of the brute that locked her in bed using his arms.“Good morning, Princess.” He drawled.Evan wondered where Angela had gone. She slept in the middle last night, and this shameless bastard took her place.”Where is Angela?”“Shh...” Halton placed a callous finger on her lips. “You’ll wake her up.” He said in a hushed voice. Evan craned her head over his shoulder and saw Angela sleeping soundlessly behind him. Tucked inside the cozy blankets. Evan’s face relaxed upon seeing her peaceful sleeping face.She tried to get up, but Halton stubbornly held her to the bed. “Let go of me!” She whispered in a
The morning sun poured down, trespassing the large windows and lighting up the four corners of the bedroom. Alexandra reached out her arm but frowned when she met with emptiness. She jolted up, sitting straight, and looked around, but Jonathan wasn’t anywhere in sight. She rose from the bed and descended the stairs after searching the upper floor. He wasn’t in the living room either. Something sweet-smelling wafted from the kitchen and, to her relief, Jonathan stood near the counter, making pancakes for them. Quickly, she walked up to him and encircled her arms around his broad chest. He turned around, pleasantly surprised. “Morning.” He greeted and kissed her forehead. “You are early today.” She commented. It was she who usually woke up first. He neatly placed the honey-coated pancakes on the plates, sprinkling some powdered sugar on them. “I wanted to take you out on a date.” He untied the apron from hi
Jonathan took them to an upscale restaurant in the city's heart. The place was overwhelmed by people who belonged to the upper society.Upon entering, the server showed them their reserved seat and Jonathan held her hand as if he was talking the most valuable treasure with him. People gave them curious glances at the gorgeous pair as they came in.Like the gentleman he is, he moved the chair for her to sit first before getting seated opposite to her.The server arrived with the menu in his hands, and Jonathan ordered all of her favorite dishes. He asked if she would prefer anything else, but she was more than impressed with his selection and went with it.“I’m glad you wore the watch I gifted you.” She said, smiling beautifully.“I’ll wear this every day from now on.” He paid attention to the watch and the intricate details on it. It was indeed one of the most prized
“Seriously? you ordered the dresses and shoes my size all in advance?” She veered her head to him so quickly, he thought it was a wonder it didn’t break.“You shouldn’t turn your head so quickly. You could break your neck, you know?” He reprimanded her as he leaned in and buckled her seatbelt, and gave a quick kiss on her lips before starting the car. They headed to the Winchester Manor tonight.Aunt Margaretta was beaming with joy when she heard he was coming back.“Do you think of me as high maintenance?” Alexandra asked. She was a woman of luxury who was born in a sea of wealth right from her birth.Clothes, shoes, jewelry, exquisite food, all the luxury in the world provided for her without her having to ask for it. This made her more materialistic to some extent, but she humbled herself over the years.“You are the high maintenance
Layers of notifications persistently tinged in Evangeline’s phone, yanking her attention from the TV show she was watching. She opened the message, and her eyes dilated as she read it.[Cindy: Captain Rob spread some rumours about you cheating on him and now he is dating Mariah!] Mariah was one of her co-flight attendants who couldn’t keep her runny mouth in check. She must be the one who spread the rumour extensively to please Rob. What a pair. Evan scoffed.[Cindy: Our co-flight attendants are calling you a gold digger! That bitch! We should do something about this!][Cindy: Are you quitting because of him?!]Evan sighed and stroked her aching forehead, too tired for all this drama taking place. She was about to reply to Cindy’s text when someone smacked her across the butt.“What the hell, Halton!” She rubbed the area, glaring daggers at the laughing bastard.&nb
One could hear in the bleak eerie hallways of the asylum the clattering of chains, as a man dragged it through the metallic floor. His black-and-white striped prisoner’s clothing had bloodstains on it. His pace was slow and wobbly because of the heavy chains attached to his legs and hands and bound skin rotting off along the rusting metal.“Sir, we brought him,” the guard said and looked keenly at the captive. He ducked his head, his lips drawn into a straight line, his eyes covered with his overgrown bangs so they could only see only the white portion of his eyes through it.“Good, bring him in.”The guard pushed open the interrogation room. A person inside could not see or listen to what was outside. The captive was silent the whole time, his eyes still down, looking at the guard’s legs as he followed and another guard closely stalking behind. In the middle of the dim room, there was a light bulb just above the wooden table, the only source of light in that entire room, with two cha
Their dilemma wasn’t over just yet. They had to gain the approval of one more person before their wedding ceremony, and that was Jonathan’s mother, Josephine.Alexandra insisted on building a better relationship with her upset mother-in-law. If Jonathan could impress her fearsome and bull-headed father, then she could coax Jonathan’s mother into accepting them too.Before their wedding takes place, she wanted everyone’s blessings. Including Josaphine’s and she would not shy away from appeasing Josaphine to gain her goodwill.***The place was the classic American home. A porch, a long veranda, high rooftops, and a yard that was big as a children’s park. It seemed like Josephine liked to keep the place uncomplicated and clean.Jonathan’s mother, according to his words, was the finest cook in the world. A woman who liked to do her own chores and leave them to the housekeeper. Who dressed simply, loved handling household affairs, and went to church religiously every single Sunday and pra
The soft silk sheets rustled as Alexandra stretched her arm to cuddle her husband. Her core was still sore from the slow-burning, passionate sex they had all night long. Letting out a groan, she buried her face into his neck which was specked with dark stubble. Oh, how she loved his beard. The rough texture was so satisfying to caress, and the feel of a stubbled cheek grazing her between her thighs was simply titillating.As she draped her long leg around his waist, a sharp, needle-like pain shot in her womb.She lifted the duvet and to her panic; she saw two blots of bloodstains on the sheets, mocking her. Her breath shriveled up in her throat and a malaise emerged in her womb.Swinging her legs to the floor, she rushed to the bathroom and removed her panties, and inserted her finger inside her, coating them with warm blood.“You will never be a mother.” The devil hissed, drawing out its forked tongue. “You will never get back what you’ve lost.”Her hand flew to her mouth to prevent
Sunrays poured through the tall windows of the church’s bridal suite, giving the white room a golden touch. The ladies were all busy tending to the bride’s wedding dress.Evangeline could barely breathe withch her bosom caged in the tight corset. “I will die.” She wheezed, holding on to the vanity table.“Oh, you won’t! I will see to it.” Catherine said, determined to make the dress fit. It seemed perfect when they tried it out in the bridal boutique.“I will become the first person to die for fashion.” Evan joked.Alexandra laughed, listening to this as she flipped a glossy page of a fashion magazine. She closed it and approached Evan to see what was going on with the dress.“I think it would be better if we pinned it first,” Alexandra suggested.“Pass me the pin, dear,” Catherine said, holding the edges of the corset tight.Alexandra skimmed through the small box of safety pins and passed it to her mother. Catherine pressed the ends of the corset securely and pinned them together. “
TRIGGER WARNING: The following chapter may be upsetting to some viewers. It contains violence and gore.***Blackness leaked into Gabriel’s subconscious like thick tar, impeding him from registering his surroundings for a few minutes. He blinked off the bleary vision and discovered himself in a bleak chamber, tied up in a metal chair with ropes that bit into his skin. The only source of light was the pale yellow lightbulb hanging above his head.He felt brainless, as one would get when drunk on spirit. He tried to recall where he was before ending up in this place. At the police station, the officers had locked him up for several days and questioned him for evidence. The trial was still ongoing, but an anonymous bailed him, giving the officers a hefty amount to free him. Gabriel didn’t know anyone who loved him so much to bail him out of jail, even after being aware of what evils he did. The moment he got out of the police station, a masked, who had bailed him asked to join him to me
The steel door shut before Anastasia with a rude screech and an ear-splitting rhythm of metal against metal, resounding around the cell walls and into her ears like pinballs. Anastasia gripped the metal bars and squeezed herself against it. “How long will I be here?” She asked.“Until someone comes in here and bails you.” The forty-something-year-old blonde officer sneered.She had confessed all of her crimes to the police this morning and stupidly thought they would let her go home. Home? Where will she go? Mama didn’t want her anymore. Papa will soon be prosecuted for all the crimes he had done in his lifetime.Kameron probably didn’t want her anymore, since their marriage was incomplete. Silvano was her only way out of here. She hoped he would come and free her.If he still loved her.“You smell like periods.”It was then Anastasia realized she wasn’t alone. A brunette prostitute, who was past her prime, hunched in the corner on the bench, covering her knees around her arms. She wr
All the guests who had witnessed the scene gasped in dread. Some of them, including Merideth Parker and Thomas Clarke, ran for their lives, realizing it wasn't safe to be in the presence of this maniac who just shot his wife. The metal gun slipped from Gabriel’s hand, his face sagged and his eye enlarged out of its sockets, seeing his wife bleeding on the floor. “C-Cathie…”His legs immediately took him towards Catherine, but Kameron lunged forward and boxed him in the face, knocking him to the ground and pinning him to the floor.Anastasia clung to her Catherine and cried helplessly, not knowing what to do. Alexandra stood there and stared expressionlessly at her mother, whose blood spilled out of her body. Catherine fluttered her eyes to keep them open. The tears in her eyes made those honey-brown irises shine like topaz as she gazed at Alexandra.If she was to die, she wanted to do it seeing her oldest daughter whom she had wronged all these years.Silvano came up to them and drop
Alexandra’s fierce, amber eyes bore right into Anastasia, who was on the verge of passing out from the built-up anxiety. Her weak knees buckled and she could barely pull herself together. The bouquet fell, the roses scattered, and she stared back at her sister in horror at what was yet to come.Placing a black-gloved hand on her chest, Alexandra put on an apologetic expression and swept her gaze over the audience. “My sincere apologies for the interruption, ladies and gentlemen.”Gabriel stood up and stalked towards her, his face heavy with anger. “What the hell are you doing here?!”“Can’t you tell? I was invited.” Alexandra lifted her chin, a gesture of disdain.The deep red shade on Gabriel’s face paled when he turned towards Kameron, who had a devilish smirk upon seeing Alexandra. “My heartily welcome, Lady Alexandra.” Kameron greeted.The audience broke out into a cacophony of mutters and whispers. They looked at each other with perplexed faces. What was going on here? And why di
“Looks like our beautiful bride is ready.” Kameron’s ridiculing voice broke Anastasia from her trance. She looked back at the woman in the mirror. Her doe-like brown eyes had turned red after she had mourned the night away. She had never shed a single tear for her grandfather’s death, but now misery had plagued her ability to realize the outcome of her past deeds. No one can escape fate. No one. “I am-,” Her voice had died out. She couldn’t ignore the pain in her throat. “Save that for the vows,” Kameron warned. He approached for a closer look at his bride, whose eyes were still glued to herself in the mirror. It was then he realized how beautiful she looked in the ivory white wedding dress. The makeup artist concealed all the wounds and bruises he had given her under that makeup. Her eyes seemed so clear and pure. She resembled Catherine physically, but her personality leans on the contrary. She wasn’t brave, nor had she had the unwavering disposition