[Erin]I froze in my place, my heart breaking as I stared at them eat each other’s faces. Nikolai snaked his arm to Sabina’s waist pulling her closer to him. I just don’t know what to do. I just stood there, dumbstruck. So this is what it feels like, watching the man I cared about kissing another woman instead of me. It hurts so much. It felt like someone had their claws on my chest and tore my heart out, and all I could do was stand there motionless having no control over what was happening. Nikolai seemed to have forgotten all about me. All his promises, the things he said that day. The ‘Not hurting me’ part while he buried himself into me. I am so naïve. A fool to believe the mere words of a man. Well, like what Tiara said, I should make myself stronger, and in that way, no one could ever hurt me. I felt something wet trickling on my face and immediately wiped it away. Taking a deep breath and steeled myself as I forced my feet to move. To take the first step forward of accepta
[Erin]“Ah, there she is. What took you so long?”Tiara groused soon as I am back to the training gym. It seems like I have been gone for quite some time that they huddled on the benches, looking so bored as though I am their only source of amusement.Hah! One day, when I hone all my moves, I’ll be making them my punching bag. Let’s see who’s going to have the final laugh. “Just got some…unexpected delays,” I say to Tiara, rolling my eyes as I am still pissed off over what happened just a moment ago, and then I open the cap on my tumbler, drinking my water before I face her again. This water never felt more refreshing. It tasted so much like success after standing for myself and not breaking down in front of that bastard. I loudly exhale, savoring the feeling that thirst finally got quenched. Then I wiped the water that dribbled at the corner of my lips using my forearms, watching Tiara get off the bench and starts walking towards the boxing ring. “Shall we continue?” She just gave
[Erin]“Micah,” I sobbed as I looked up at Micah and mumbled her name under my breath. My vision blurred with all my tears welling up in my eyes as my breathing shallows. I have never been in so much pain. I never cried like this, not even during my father’s death or when I was sold out in the auction.This feeling... it was like I was reliving how it felt when my mother died, and it was years and years ago that I could barely remember.“Erin, come, let’s get you to bed, alright?”Micah knelt down directly in front of me and took both of my hands in hers. She helped me get on my feet while I said nothing. I fear that I will break down all over again if I say any more words. Micah was leading me down the corridor, and as we went I was dragging my feet in penitence, but I made myself take a step forward nevertheless. These are the worst feelings ever, and if I let myself be drowned in them, I don’t think I’ll be able to recover.I took a deep breath, thinking about everything that I w
[Erin]The night ended nice and light after Micah and I shared everything we’ve been through. She also told me about this one time she had a run-in with Sabina, and just as I had suspected, that woman was pure evil. Micah claimed that she was minding her own business and doing her chores same as the other maids when she came in, dragging the hair of another girl behind her. At first, she thought it was one of those who were bullying her, but it was someone she didn’t know, and she found out it was one of those newly hired.Unfortunately, the poor soul accidentally spilled the juice she requested on her so-called designer’s dress. Sabina humiliated her in front of them, slapping her in the face, pushing her to the floor, and making her kiss her shoes for forgiveness. She did it without an ounce of guilt, and the maid cried her eyes the entire day, shaking to the bone with fear. Sabina even warned them all not to make a mess with her, or she’ll kill them.No wonder I hated that woman, e
[Erin]“No, promise I didn’t!” I instantly raised both of my hands into the air, turned around in a flash, and stared him squarely in the face as I defended myself against an accusation—a truth, which I certainly just did.But, hey, I'm not going to spill the beans to him about that. He had not yet gathered sufficient evidence, and in my view, a person should always be presumed innocent until they are shown to be guilty. I vouch for that, and I do hope that he did not see me.“Where were you then?” Tiara prodded, moving into my line of sight and glancing at me with much skepticism. On the contrary to what I believed in, this woman right here might be one of my problems in this dilemma. She’s an assassin, and I am sure as hell she had a good nose in sniffing out liars. The sudden realization to be in her presence made me feel a little uneasy for the same reason.Though like what she said when we were sparring, if my opponent knows about what I have been planning, then I need to act
Chapter 101: House of weapons[Erin] I woke up before the sun's rays touched the ground. Micah provided me with some balm to apply for my bruises, and also gave me some medicines to take for my aching muscles, both of which worked wonders. The wound didn’t hurt that much. Though it was still brightly visible, I couldn’t quite care about my looks. In fact, I like it is myself scarred. That way, I could piss Nikolai more. He wants his possession flawless, but this is my body, and he doesn’t own an ounce of my soul. I am still the one who gets to decide what I want to do in my life in this wretched place. Today I will be learning how to fire a gun, and I am excited all about it. I barely even slept last night, thinking about everything I learned yesterday. Tiara being an assassin and so much mystery as to those men running after me.I was staring outside my window, admiring the panoramic view of the wide stretch of lawn and into the forestland behind as the sun started to cast its summ
[Erin]“Spread your legs,” Akim murmured next to my ear as his body pressed close to my back. “Position your feet in a boxing stance, with the non-shooting-side foot in front, toes pointing forward, and the shooting-side foot behind, toes pointing slightly to the side. Put most of your weight on your front foot and lean forward slightly at the hips. Your body will “blade” the target, meaning you’ll be at an angle instead of facing it straight-on,” he went on, guiding my body to a proper stance, and I followed everything he said. I am currently carrying a Glock 17, which is an excellent choice for me due to the fact that it is pleasantly large enough to fit my complete hand and provides a better grip. Akim has previously given me a rundown of the advantages and disadvantages of working with firearms. The precautionary measures that I must adhere, particularly while it is loaded, to protect not just myself but also those around me from injury. Only then I need to take a shot when I ha
Chapter 103: Cat Fight[Erin] “Job well done, sweet cake,” Akim extolled right after I emptied the last bullet of my magazine. My shoulders hurt, but it was worth it after seeing that I hit all the targets, leaving them all in shreds.My plan somehow worked out just like how I envisioned it inside my head. I merely cast a cursory glance in Nikolai's direction, but I was happy to see that his face was going crimson and that he was gnawing his jaw while his eyes riveted to Akim.“Looks like someone is going to kill you,” I giggled like some giddy high school kid, lowering the rifle, turning to face Akim, and pressing my palm to his chest.“You’re going to get me in big trouble,” he chortled in response, taking my hand in his, continuing to act out his role throughout our travesty.“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I added flirtatiously and a little bit louder so Nikolai could hear me, running my palm down. The smirk on my face stretched wider soon as I heard heavy footsteps coming
[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