VINCENTI arrived at the event hall, already regretting my decision to come. The hall itself was over the top—just like my mother. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, spilling light onto the gleaming marble floor. White and gold drapes cascaded from the walls, and tall floral arrangements, bursting with roses and lilies, lined the edges of the room. The centerpiece was an elaborate display of her name—Da'ana Powers—in gold letters, draped with ivy and soft twinkling lights. Her brand launch, which was disguised as a welcome party.Of course, it had to be something that screamed for attention.I made my way through the crowd, nodding mechanically as her friends—glossy, air-kissed women in designer gowns—swooped down on me with their greetings."Vincent! Darling, look at you!" One of them cooed, air-kissing both my cheeks like she’d known me my whole life."You’re so much like your mother!" another chimed in, her voice syrupy sweet.I forced a smile, nodding politely, though I co
VINCENTI sat beside Katerina and she took my hand in hers, still smiling. It was like she could not stop smiling, and I could not stop staring at her. That smile looked amazing on her face, her scary. What in the world was this woman up to now?The hall buzzed with anticipation, the kind of tension that builds right before a show starts. People milled around, sipping champagne and making small talk, glancing toward the stage where my mother was set to make her big entrance. The murmur of conversation filled the air, a mix of curiosity, gossip, and excitement. Katerina sat close enough that I could feel the warmth of her arm against mine even as I held her hand, though we hadn't said much since finding our seats. I glanced over at her after looking around for a couple of seconds—almost a minute—taking in the way she casually held her glass, looking serene while the room buzzed around us. But she also looked different. Good different or bad different? I had a feeling we were about to
KATERINA"This is what you've been planning…" Vincent did not ask, he simply stated it, and I just answered his question with a brief smile in his direction."Why did you not inform me?" He asked, sounding offended. I sighed, finally pulling my eyes away from the spectacle in front of me which consisted of Da'ana looking for where the video was being projected from, and then it just started being projected on different walls, then the crowd going crazy and her cousin bawling her eyes out."I did not inform you because she is your mother. I do not trust that you would not be emotional when it comes to your mother in stuff like this. Also, I could handle it myself." I answered. He nodded."When have I ever given you the impression that my loyalty lies with my mother and not with you?" He questioned, looking really disappointed. I shrugged."Years ago. I do not like repeats."His expression was blank but I could tell that I had struck a nerve. I swallowed, facing forward and trying to fo
VINCENT"Katerina! Katerina, stay with me. Are you okay?!" I yelled in her face, shaking her furiously in an attempt to wake her up. Her eyes peeked open and I realized just then, how tightly she had been shutting her eyes.I pulled her up properly and she blinked, placing a hand on her ear as she looked around with her chest heaving up and down from the way she was breathing fast.The atmosphere in the hall had shifted in an instant. One moment, the crowd was buzzing with anger and bad wishes for Da’ana, and the next, chaos erupted. I stood frozen, trying to control my heartbeat as the sharp sound of three gunshots rang out, cutting through the chatter like a knife. The crowd, previously vibrant and full of energy, froze in shock before erupting into panic.Guests screamed, their faces pale and wide-eyed, some dropping their glasses, the champagne spilling like a torrent on the polished floor. People stumbled backward, pushing against one another as they tried to escape, their rants
KATERINAOne minute, I was walking and the next minute, I was swept off my feet in bridal style and rushed towards Vincent's car. Vincent shoved me into the backseat of the car with an urgency I had never seen in him before. He barely managed to close the door before snapping at his driver, “Go. Now!” The car jolted forward, and I grabbed the seat, my pulse pounding as the city lights blurred past. I could feel Vincent’s tension radiating beside me, his hand gripping the edge of the seat. “Vincent, what’s going on?” I asked, trying to make sense of his panic, but he didn’t answer immediately. He kept glancing over his shoulder, out the rear window, and it was then that I realized with panic that there was a car coming after us."Vincent!" I said again, louder this time. He finally looked at me, and there was something in his expression that made my stomach drop.“It’s her,” he said quietly, his voice tight. “My mother’s following us.”I didn’t understand at first. Why would Da’ana b
KATERINAThe trees loomed above me, their branches twisting like skeletons against the black sky, and I could feel the ground beneath my feet, damp and unfamiliar. My heart was pounding, my breath coming in short, panicked bursts as I tried to make sense of where I was. But nothing made sense.I spun around, disoriented, trying to make sense of these figures but always coming up short. The shadows were moving toward me, slow at first, but with purpose. I tried to shout, to demand who they were, but my voice came out weak, almost swallowed by the air. “Who are you? What do you want?” My words echoed, but there was no answer. Only silence, and their steady approach.I backed away, but they were closing in from behind as well. My chest tightened with fear, my skin prickling with cold dread. “Please… someone… who are you?” My voice broke, tears welling in my eyes as the figures drew closer. There were more of them now, emerging from the shadows, their forms starting to take shape, coming
VINCENT"Sir, please can you spare twenty dollars for me and my baby? I really need to get something for both of us—" I turned to look at the person who was asking, and my eyes met a woman who looked like she was not even done being a teenager. She carried a little child in her arms, and quite frankly, the child looked very malnourished. The woman in question had fiery red unkempt hair, but was still freakishly beautiful, just like the baby.Without saying anything, I took out a few dollar bills from my pocket, not bothering to check how much. I knew it was a couple of hundred dollar bills which I had taken with me last minute as I hardly liked to carry cash around.Her hands were shaky as she accepted the money with moisture gathering in her eyes. I took out a card almost immediately too and handed it to her.After she had collected it, I told her, "That's my organization. They take care of people like you; you will get shelter and good food, coupled with education for your child wh
VINCENT"Who the hell are you?" I barked, struggling to hold myself from from combusting. She straightened, flipping her hair over her shoulder then swallowing, she told me, "Hi, I'm your new baby mama. My name is Angie." She had a nervous smile on her face which fully indicated that the lady was fucking lying to me. I was still a man known for self-control, so I decided that a trivial matter such as this was not going to make me lose my temper.Angie was cute. She looked like she would not be doing this if it was not for the money involved. She shifted her foot from time to time, trying her best not to look nervous but ended up looking it anyways.She was average height, dressed in an raunchy manner, and not even half as pretty as my firecracker. Another fun fact, I was pretty sure now that I had not seen this women in my life.I walked up to her, my steps menacing and fucking slow until I got directly in front of her. "You laid your hands on my girl because of your stupid lie?"He