SREYA FELT XAVER hesistate, his unwavering gaze holding hers.
Steeling herself, she straigtened her spine and gave him the 'go ahead' look.
"A conversation about Crystal wasn't want I intended when I accepted your offer for coffee, Dronian".
"But she's a conversation I want to have right now. So", She shrugged.
"Fine". He leaned back from the counter, folding his arms in front of him whilst looking her straight in the eye. "She's my fiancée. A fact, I'm guessing, you're already aware of".
"How did you guys meet?"
"Our families set up a date".
Everyone knew the Kirkgarde's thrived from arranged marriages.
"When?"
"When I was 18".
"Did you like her then?"
He paused, as if thinking about it for the first time, "No".
"Do you like her now?"
No h
A ONE HOUR dance practice for the wedding. And Xaver wasn't the least bit interested yet his Black Bugatti was smoothly pulling up in the parking lot.Passing through the entrance to the building, he tugged his tie loose and made quick work of removing his suit jacket, the frown on his forehead deepening a notch. Might as well get shit done with.The building was as large as a warehouse with the inscription "R. Dargenti Studio" boldly suspended above. The walls were a warm mix of nude and a deep brown. The Dargentis were as influential as they were Proud. Just like the Kirkgardes, their's was old money. A family business started years ago when Rosita Dargenti, a single mother of two, broke and helpless, discovered her love for dancing and choreography. An art which her children and those after them also seemed to take an interest to. I mean, who wouldn't when they were making that much bank.The Dargenti
SREYA CLOSED HER eyes and took a deep breath. Her heart was racing and she had a thick lump in her throat. Fisting her hands, she fought the urge to hit something.Standing in the theatre with a few doctors, Sre ignored the fact that everyone was staring at her, the silence from the heart monitor a steady reminder that they'd lost the patient. Releasing the breath she'd been holding, she began to pull her blood-stained gloves off and muttered a weak, "Cover him up".As she made quick work of washing her hands, she thought of the best way to tell the patient's wife that they couldn't save her husband. This was the most draining part of her job..having to announce a loved one's death. Lost in her thoughts, Sreya hadn't noticed Brenda Morgan's — a co-worker and friend— presence behind her.
AFTER THEY'D EATEN, Xaver literally kicked Sreya out of the kitchen to go rest, insisting on doing the dishes alone.When he was done, he walked to the living room to see Sreya cross-legged on the floor with a photo album he reognized sitting on her lap. When she heard him, she looked up, "Well, Look what I found"."I said 'rest', Sreya. And my definition of rest means sprawl on the couch and do nothing", Xaver countered as he joined her on the floor. "We clearly have distinguishable definitions of rest", she bit back as her eyes returned to the photos. "Okay, Your mom is on a whole new level of gorgeous. She'd make a straight woman biseuxal", Sre observed as her finger touched a photo of Clara in one of her many charity events.
Years ago in Tales. °^°Sreya's hands and clothes smelt like coffee. Or maybe it was the night air doing it's diurnal task of spreading the aroma of the caffiene emanating from the Coffee Bar she worked at, she really couldn't tell which. It was a little after nine on a Wednesday night and the moon already had one eye open, just awakening from it's slumber when the sun governed the day. It's bright light cast shadows on Blueberry Lane in Tales, unmasking the silhouettes of familiar figures roaming the streets and caressing the rooftops with bright light. Standing outside the coffee bar she worked at, Sreya's chocolate brown orbs eyed the milk white Swan that sat on her coffee; the art of frothed milk and espresso. To different groups, the Swan symbolizes a lot of different t
"SO.... WE'RE GETTING divorced".The mini space housing the four ladies was soused in silence as the opening of the restaurant door, the stiff shuffling of the waiters, the soft click of wineglasses, the sound of bangles colliding as a woman waved her hand and the subtle murmur generated by words seemed to fade into the background.They were seated into Sournas, their favorite spot for lunch. And dinner.Yazmine spoke up first, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes wide,"Oh my God, Lu. I'm sorry".Luna rolled her eyes, pushing away the pity she saw in Yaz' eyes.. Resisting the vulnerability. When she spoke her voice shook a little, "Don't"."How's Kyle?" Sreya asked quietly.Luna waved a hand, "Oh, he's fine. Excited actually. He's been kicking it", she finished her wine and she'd barely touched her food, "with a woman named Gwendolen Ruthlow", she lifted the
Years ago in tales^°^Darkness was the first thing Sre's brain registered when she woke. The second thing, a stretching blinding pain by the side of her head. The third thing, cold. The fourth thing, her nudity.She was naked.And she couldn't move.She blinked once, twice. Trying to remember what had happened before that very nude alarming minute. She remembered spilling coffee, talking to Fred, walking home... Panic surged through her as the
LU WAS COUGHING, Ariah's eye balls looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets and Yaz...Well, Yaz was yelling, "What!? Xaver Kirkgarde from zillionaire Kirkgarde family?"Sreya nodded."Wait", Ariah interrupted, "Zillionaire's a word?""Yes", Yaz, Sreya and Luna chorused. And Yaz turned back to Sre, anxious to drill her for more juicy info, "How on earth did you guys meet? Press Conference?"They were both public figures."Uhm. His grandmother, Edith. She's a patient at the hospital. Alzheimer's"."And?" Luna rolled her eyes. They needed to know how not why."Okay. We were first introduced in the hospital by the doctor taking care of Edith. Richard, remember him?"The trio nodded eagerly. They'd met Richard once or twice when they'd come to the hospital for purposes far fro
XAVER DIALED HIS little sister's number for the thousandth time that day, cursing under his breath as his fingers worked feverishly at his black tie.As expected, Dinah Kirkgarde didn't pick up. Again.Gnashing his teeth, Xaver tugged the tie loose and hit the call button, mentally calculating the long hours to Kruz—the city where Dinah lived—and back to Verum City.She answered on the third ring."Shut up. Facetime" and she hung up right before she facetimed him.A face that looked so much like his mother's lit up his screen and Xaver opened his mouth to chastise her for not answering any of his calls when she sent him the sweetest smile and let out an excited, "Xaver Elliot Gregory Kirkgarde! How long has it been?" Then she frowned, "Your nose is just as ugly as it was four months ago. You should be thankful Crystal agreed to marry you with your nose looking
"HOW MANY TIMES a day do pregnant women have mood swings?" Xaver inquired as he loosened the death grip his black tie had on his windpipes. Currently, he was seated in his car, outside his residence. The golden face that filled his screen frowned, "A gazillion times, why?" Xaver ignored her question, "Causes?" She lifted her thumb as she began to count, "Fatigue, anxiety, little to no sleep, hormones, et cetera" Xaver frowned. His wife wasn't anxious or sleep deprived so it must be the hormones? Or fatigue because she's always tired these days. "Any remedies for fast results?" Dinah wasted no time, "Exercise. Sweets. Stifling attention. Amazing foot rubs and body massages" Exercise. Check. Stifling attention. Check. Amazing foot rubs and body massages. Check. Sweets... Sounded like a bad idea. He's actually been m
{Freedom}XAVER'S CARE FOR speed limits flew out the window as he sped down tarred road, wheels racing towards John Bernards Hospital.He'd been working up a sweat in the gym when he'd gotten a call that Sreya was in the hospital, alive but unconcious. A humongous wave of icy relief had washed over him from head to toe, cooling his agitated mind and frantic nerves. He hadn't even bothered to take a shower, he'd only pulled a black shirt over his head and threw on jeans before running to his car. At least she was alive, she was all right... But was her mind okay? Would she be strong enough to pull through the trauma a second time? Will her heart be brave enough to heal like it'd done once?
IN THE IMMURING darkness, the private detective took an incredibly long drag of his cigar, upper eyelids drifting close as he felt the smoke heat his lungs and sheath his whole body in a buzzing satisfactory warmth.Sitting in his aweary Toyota, Gary ignored the harsh bite of the incredibly cold air on his nose and cheeks as he warmed his body from within. Gazing outside his window, he let his eyes roam the abandoned, crumbling building that had once been a mental asylum.The towering, desolate edifice illuminated by the faint, silver beams of the moon seemed ghostlier and more haunting than Gary remembered. As a long trail of dark smoke from his cigar ascended towards the pitch-black sky, he recalled the little he'd read about the deinstitutionalization of the yawning, tardily disintegrating building before him.Years ago, on a date that eluded him—Gary wasn't good with dates—th
Abused*:*Three weeks... It's been three weeks. Sreya's been counting. Every part of her exposed flesh was submerged in excruciating pain, so much so that it hurt to breathe. She felt weak and terribly drowsy.. As though, with each day that passed, she drew closer and closer to the stygian, dark gates of death. On some days, she came so close she could smell the rusty metal and taste it if she dared stick out her tongue.. But on days like this.. She realized that as much as she'd love to ecstaticly welcome her demise and surcease her suffering, she still had memories of Xaver, the girls and her family to keep her strong. She missed them so much and there was literally nothing she won't give to be with them at this moment. In the silence, the shrill
GARY HUTCHINSON LOOKED round his office with tired eyes and stifled a yawn. It was 8:37PM on a Thursday night and he was beyond exhausted. On some days, being a private investigator left you with some time on your hands.. On other days.. It didn't.Absentmindedly, he reached for the tumbler sitting beside his open laptop, swirling the yellowish liquid inside as he studied the picture of the young woman in front of him.Sreya Dronian. The Kirkgardes were willing to pay triple the price he'd normally charge if he could find her presto. The relationship between the doctor and the only heir to the Kirkgarde family fortune and business was roaringly overt and owing to this, their desperation failed to spark his surprise.Also, he wanted that money as much as he wanted to visit one of the best brothels in Verum City and soak himself inside a warm, willing body. Normally, Gary schedules his vis
PunishedΔ•ΔHe was... furious. Sreya could tell. From the sharp whooshing sounds of the whip slashing through the air, the explosive stinging, itchy sensation on her back and her broken flesh tinged with blood... She could tell.The candles were burning low again, casting scary silhouettes on the walls like they usually do. Through bloodshot eyes, she could make out series of ropes hanging on the wall..some, a little thinner than the others.. Sreya thought they bore an uncanny resemblance to BDSM tools.
LUCAS WAS LOST in thought, the paperwork on his desk already forgotten. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that Clara'd come in wearing a flimsy robe with nothing beneath or if it was her sexual, intoxicating scent that still lingered but he found himself on a trip down memory lane.They used to be so happy. So content. It'd been a hassle getting someone as terribly strong-minded as Clara to trust him fully but he'd succeeded and it'd been bliss.. A part of him still harbored hope that someday.. They'd be as happy as they'd once been but with every passing month that his wife barely glanced at him unless under public scrutinization.. Lucas watched the tiny ray of the light of hope at the end of the tunnel dim. Suddenly realizing he wasn't alone, blue eyes shifted to the door and he could swear his heartbeat picked up
CLARA KIRKGARDE LISTENED to the audible, oddly calming pitter-patter of raindrops on the windows as she proceeded to gently apply a layer of moisturizing lotion on her face.She was currently seated in front of her vanity, grey eyes trained on the mirror as slender hands made quick work of running a shiny paddle brush over her hair. When she was done, she dropped the hair detangler on the dressing table and embarked on the short journey to her bed. Relieving her naked flesh of the rose gold robe she'd been clad in, she shimmied under an immaculate white duvet and sighed in pleasure at the enveloping warmth and soothing softness. She yawned tiredly, eyelids slamming shut as she tried to sleep..But slumber evaded her and In less than a nanosecond, her mind
A WEEK AND a half.That's how long Sreya's been missing. That's how long he hasn't left his house. That's how long he hasn't shaved. That's how long he's not been answering calls or text messages. That's how long he's been.. Drinking.He looked like shit. And felt like shit.Dazed, he slowly swirled the golden liquid in his tumbler. Now, usually.. Xaver'd never turn to liquor whilst grieving. Matter of fact, it annoyed him when people did that but... You know when you're told never to judge other people until you've been in their position? Until you've walked in their shoes? You really shouldn't. Because.. He now understood why people turned to liquor. It kinda helps with the pain.. Numb it a little... Or it makes you think it's helping your pain.. And he needed that deception right now. Badly.His lips curling into a sad small smile, h