[Erin]
I stared myself at the image of my own reflection on the full-length vanity mirror. Wondering if that woman staring right back at me is, well, me.I could be hallucinating and mistaking someone else’s as me for all I know. However, the reflection copies every movement I made, and I am sure even the way I breathe could mimic it perfectly. I shifted once again, bending my upper body in order to get a better view at what the dress looked like from behind.Micah was right. This wasn’t a kiddie dress fit for a ten-year-old. In fact, it was actually a kind of dress that children should never see.If I say it is skin-tight, I mean, it could probably pass as duct tape plastered on my skin so obscenely, and if I move so recklessly, the onlookers would definitely see what I am hiding with my soul.And that thing, so-called underwear, surprisingly worked out well for me. To be honest, when I initially placed it in, I honestly believed it migh[Erin] What I don't know is if I was just hallucinating or if Nikolai's voice really did make my room shake. I could feel my heart pounding loudly even without turning around to look at him. Micah’s body trembled with fear as she fastened the final clasp on my sandals before standing up and bending herself into an exaggerated bow.“Please forgive me, master,” she whimpered in a low, almost inaudible voice, begging for forgiveness as though she had committed a grave crime against Nikolai.I blinked, unable to move. My back snapped, and my body stiffened. My heart went crazy in my chest soon. I felt a warm heavy breath fanning at the base of my neck.“I told you to get ready in two hours, but it took you more than three. Didn’t I make myself clear?”My breath caught in my throat as a pair of enormous hands grasped both of my arms, his low and dangerous tone resonating against the lobe of my ear, his lips sensually grazing the tip, causing an involuntary s
[Erin]I now understand what he meant by saying I should have remained at his side like an obedient doll that he considers me to be. Well, scratch the part where I say that I am obedient because I am obviously not, and the only reason I am doing all of this is that he scared the very crap out of me.I still have no idea where we are going, but judging the amount of cars and armed personnel convoyed around tells me something that this trip isn’t just an ordinary out of the mansion kind of thing, and it doesn’t sit right in my gut.I am not a fortune teller, but hell, only a blind person could not see the tension hanging between Nikolai’s furrowed brows and Akim's rigid figure in the passenger's seat, as well as the persistent grasping of his gun concealed within the holster attached to his side.The car is heavily tinted, and I bet it is also bulletproof. I have no idea what Nikolai does for a living, but having me as his prized purchase
[Erin] Nikolai’s head thrown back, his eyes close and mouth gaping. Large veins protruded from the side of his throat, and his grip on my waist became increasingly tight. As my fingers moved up and down the length of his shaft, a deep sigh rumbled against his chest. The white pearl of his thick precum glistened on the tip of his grith. Almost immediately making, my mouth watered at the sight of it. His threat of having his shaft right inside my mouth gives me ideas, but I haven’t done that before, or even a thing like this. This situation right now is bizarre enough for me to lose my mind over what hell is going on, much less care about where the hell we are and the people around us. Whether the glass wall is thick enough to block out all of the strange noises Nikolai was making or whether he doesn’t seem to care at all, I have no idea. My face is burning hot, knowing exactly that Akim was also there, listening, I guess. “Faster doll.” Nikolai
Chapter 34: Welcome Back[Erin] After Nikolai's statement, the rest of the trip passed without incident, and I became completely deafeningly quiet. I was hurt. Of course, that was so silly of me. Like, how am I supposed to forget that? What is it about a simple gesture from him that causes me to believe that something has changed between us? Or the way he would treat me? How can I ever forget that painful truth about how my life thrives beneath the soles of his feet?Yes, I couldn’t ignore the fact that he made me feel things that I wasn’t supposed to be having. That I should drill it up into my head how Nikolai made my life miserable and depressive. He took away everything from me.How can I ever forget that?The corner of my eyes suddenly warmed, and my vision blurred as I held back the tears threatening to fall down my cheeks. Yes, I know. I've tried to convince myself that I have no choice but to carry on with this miserable existence of mine. But every t
[Erin]Nikolai was right. We were late. The tunnel that we came to was the passage right to this place. A whole new city right beyond the one that I know of. But the thing is, it is more like an underground dome, completely hidden in plain sight. The sea of grass I saw right above this place was its facade.Floodlights were put throughout the dome, providing artificial illumination throughout the whole structure. My eyes couldn’t keep from roving around the place. My mouth opened as I kept my distance close to Nikolai as we paved through the throng of people.Bewilderment is an understatement.Aside from that, this place is massive and could take up the whole city. The thing that really baffled me was that there were lots of people holding another person on a leash like they were some pets. One more thing, they only wore pieces of strings that only covered their genitals, and their bodies were adorned with dangling pieces of jewelry and glitte
[Erin]The collar around my neck just fit right. Not too tight, not too loose. It has a soft cushion underneath the cold silver circlet, don't wouldn't feel cold against my skin.Nikolai acted so nonchalantly right after he put the thing on me. He even petted the top of my head like some good dog obeying its master. All I could do was shot him a hateful stare before I pushed myself up and dusted my dress. Adjusting miserably to at least cover with little modesty, and followed right behind the beast. Conjuring up a million ways to murder him inside my head.He humiliated me in front of everybody, and then, in just a span of ten seconds, his aura wholly changed into a whole different persona. Now, he wasn't even giving me a single glance. If ever I act out in haste in this place, I'll be good as a lump of dead meat. Just like he said, no one will ever look after him.Akim, later on, joined our little procession as we made our way towards the grandest establ
[Erin]My lungs hurt as I inhale deeply. My heart caught in my throat as I dragged my feet closer to the table. My knees were trembling, and they could barely hold on to my weight as I walked. Nikolai just steeled his stare on my face, waiting for what I would do next. As if I had the luxury of escaping.I felt like bursting into tears, but my eyes had run dry like a desert. The loud drum rolls erupted in the background, its bass thundering on my chest as and felt my ears’ going to bleed.The spotlights on the stage danced, projecting flashes of beams in random places, and I had to shield my face from the beams with my arms as I forced my knees to bend down and sit directly next to Nikolai’s feet.His enormous hand immediately went to my head, fondling my hair just as the red heavy curtain slides open and a man wearing a maroon tuxedo and a mask. He got a square-ish jaw, a prominent chin, and no mouth. Covers the entire face and is heavi
[Erin]I still can't believe Nikolai spent so much money on that type of stone. Well, it is actually a rare diamond in vivid color pink as it explained why it has become so expensive. It just hurts me that a piece of stone—beautiful at that—even cost more than a life of a person, and it sickens me. But, who am I to object? I have no say in this place. I am merely an object merely used for entertainment, a decoration to be flaunted for everyone to see.As I push all of those dismal thoughts out of my mind, I direct my focus towards the stage, where the circus was doing death-defying acrobatics as part of their closing ceremony to express gratitude to all of the purchasers who participated in today’s auction. Honestly, to say the least, I say that I am entertained. Those fire breathers, hula-hoops jumpers, and contortionists bending their bodies inside out. Making me wonder where they put their bones?I was enjoying the show when I sudden
[Erin] The smell of poppy and roses filled my senses as I set down a basket of them right in front of a lead grey tombstone just. The wind around me gushes in chilly temperature, picking up the autumn leaves, swirling into the air, and ruffling my hair in the process.“I miss you, Pa,” I whispered, pushing back the tears pricking at my eyes as I stared at his name engraved in bold black characters.It has been five years since that tragic day, but still, it played back inside my mind like it happened yesterday. I remember it so vividly that the horrific memories haunted me in my nightmares for years. I was traumatized by the sound of gunshots, I froze whenever I see blood and trembled even at the subtlest banging noise. Nikolai had always been by my side, calming me down whenever I have panic attacks, when I woke up screaming in the middle of the night, and when I sometimes get so violent to the point where I didn't realize I was already hurting myself and the people around me. One
[Vereena]If there's one thing I could use to my advantage, it's the element of surprise. He didn't know I am capable of manhandling a person, and he doesn't know that I am nimble for my size.Taking a deep breath, I drew my elbow and pummeled it hard into the soft flesh right under Mikael’s ribs. His pained grunt blows on my ear utterly caught him off guard. Twisting against his grip, I tried knocking his gun, but he was able to pull the trigger. My head spins and my eardrums rang deafeningly at the proximity of the blast. My action messed with his aim, and instead of blowing my head off, the molten hot bullet seared through my shoulder blade. “Fuck!”I'm tired, but adrenaline shot through my veins, and in one swift motion, I bring my knees to his gut. His grip finally loosens on me, and I quickly remove myself away from him. Pivoting on my heels, I watch Pa’s terrified expression, Nikolai’s bellowing voice sounded muffled in my ears just as the crossfire started.I ran to Pa, rain
[Erin]“Linda, come on.” I tug the terrified woman’s hand right after I shot those men dead. I am still trembling, my fingers could barely hold the handle of my gun, but I keep my head leveled, knowing that if I gave in to my panic, we would both likely be killed.Fortunately, Linda was too terrified to even asks me a question. She just obliged, nodding excessively as we both wade along the wall. I keep my vigilance high, gun right before me, the safety pin unlatched, and with the knife poised, ready to stab anyone that would jump right in front of us. Linda creeps closely behind me, holding the hem of my dress like a little child to her mother. As we rounded the corner, three more men emerges through my line of sight. However, before I could pull the trigger, a hand clasps around my gun, knocking it out of my grip. My quick reflexes took over me, slashing the knife into his face. He hadn't anticipated my attack and he stumbled backward, clutching his bloodied face, but I didn't let
[Third Person’s Point of View—Nikolai]“Took you damn hell long enough.” Nikolai groused in annoyance to Akim while he slightly limped on his legs towards their posts just outside the palace.The blast detonated from the bombs he planted all over the place the night during Erin’s ball. He had planned it all along in case the Seraglios won’t heed his request upon taking back his wife. And he's right. That leeching son of a bitch double crosses not only him but Tommaso as well. Nikolai couldn't help but be amused by the thought that the old man got swindled by the own boy he took in years ago. But that amusement immediately faded when the realization hit him that Erin is the one that suffered the most. Trapped in the middle. “I thought you’re bidding your time,” Akim responded, handing him a bulletproof vest, and arming him with guns. A part from the medic team also came to his side, examining the cuts and bruises he got but he immediately dismisses them with a single flicker of his
[Erin]I snatch the lighter off the table, cracking it a few times before it sparkled into flames. I first melted the rope around my ankle, ignoring the heat and blowing the fire out before it could burn me alive. The ties loosens and I was able to free my feet first. I can now stand with ease but my hands were quite difficult to release since I cannot hold the lighter properly to burn it from my wrists.There must be something in here.I rummaged through his drawers and closets, trying to find anything until I found a Swiss knife buried under the layers of scratch paper. I flicked the blade and quickly dropped to the floor, sandwiching the handle in between my feet then started sawing the rope. It takes longer than burning it, but eventually, I finally cut the rope in half. Using the Swiss knife, a picked the lock on the doorknob, just like how Tiara taught me. Surprisingly, without her guidance, I managed to twist the knob and unlock the whole thing. I wanted to celebrate but, I st
[Erin]“Move bitch!” Mikael’s voice roared at my side while I struggle to keep my footing as he drags me harshly into the stairs. I tried not to trip, one hand holding my belly, cursing the bastard.I have no idea where he was taking me, but as I look over my shoulder, I could no longer see Nikolai, just the thick cloud of dust and the loud gunfire reverberating. Nothing left but chaos and it’s everywhere.We came to the corridor, but instead of going to the wing leading to my room, Mikael was taking me to the opposite. My feet strained from following his brisk steps. “Where the hell are you taking me?” My attention went down the hallway we were weaving. I have never been to this place in the palace. “Let me go!” I cried, clawing Mikael’s wrist, but the bastard just won't budge. Damn it! He steered me through the darkened hallway, and then we stopped in front of a door, he twisted the knob and kicked it open. Mikael forcedly tugged me, hurling me inside.A yelp tore through my th
[Erin]He could end this now. He could talk to Mikael and hope to change his mind. The bastard told me once that he cared for Pa, and he respects him as he was the one that took care of him and pulled him out of the gutter.Guards surged inside right behind him, circling around us with their weapons drawn, most of them pointing at Nikolai and the rest at Mikael.“Mikael!” Pa barked out furiously. His eyes fixed on me with perplexity. “What do you think you’re doing!? Get that gun away from her!”Instead of listening, Mikael only snickered and bared his teeth to everyone, ignoring Pa’s order.“What are you all standing at!? Take that cretin immobilized at once!” He snapped his fingers and turn to his guards before he finally notices Nikolai standing in the middle and fixed his eyes on him in bewilderment. “And you, what the hell are you doing in my place?”He doesn’t know?No one spoke, not move. Even a pin drop could be heard in between. But the tension was so palpable in the air that
[Erin]Weeks passed and I still have no news about Nikolai. And yes, I am turning five weeks pregnant. I told Linda to book me an appointment with an OB under an alias last day. I asked Pa if I could go out, and have leisure time for myself outside the palace and he let me. Though not without a dozen of guards following me behind. I went to the clinic for a short visit to make sure that everything was going well with the baby, and the doctor provided me with several medications. Vitamins and other supplements to maintain the health of my bones and to provide the vital nutrients for the growing baby inside my womb. For the first time, I heard my baby’s heartbeat. It was so loud that it bounces off the wall and I couldn't help but shed a tear thinking how Nikolai could have missed such a precious moment. Pa didn't know yet, and Linda is getting suspicious each day since I am having terrible morning sickness every now and then. It is only a matter of time until my belly started showi
[Third Person’s Point of View—Nikolai]Mikael Seraglios was the only one who stepped down from the chopper before it lifted back into the air and rounded the sky. “She’s not here,” Akim growled beside him, but Nikolai held up his hand to calm him down and motioned him to go according to his plan.Huffing angrily, Akim complied and take the speedboat to a safe distance right after Nikolai sets foot on the island.Something is definitely wrong.His shoes sunk into the sand and the soft waves crashing on the shore somehow counterfeit the tension burgeoning in the atmosphere.The armed men immediately went to surround him, pointing the nozzles on their guns, keeping their fingers on the trigger. “Where is she?” Nikolai didn’t hesitate to ask soon as he came face to face with Mikael.“Back in the palace. Living like a princess.” He shrugs and pushed his hand down to his pocket.Erin’s absence is quite understandable, knowing that the Seraglios know how to play their card, but what he was