"I need some time to think about it." Leia finally says, her tone calm and indifferent. Mark pauses before he sighs with what seems to be exasperation."Fine Leia. But my offer stands. Don't take too much time thinking about it." He croons in her ear. Leia can practically taste his impatience.She doesn't reply as she hangs up on him. Exhaustion seems to weigh on her bones, making them feel heavier than usual. With a groan the brunette curls up in her bed and falls asleep, thoughts of Mark's offer still bouncing around her Brain.The next day finds Leia sprawled on her couch with still no answer to the veritable problem that is Mark's proposition.Leia can see the pros of working for Mark. It would give her an edge when it came to interactions with him and most importantly it would give her the precious information that she needs. But she can also see the cons. The numerous cons."Ugh…" the woman moans as she flings her arm over her face."All this thinking is going to give me an aneu
(Twenty minutes earlier)Leia slowly walks into the house, her eyes searching for the masters of the house.Her lips twist when she doesn't catch sight of them. Even the servants are missing."Hello?." She calls into the seemingly empty house, disconcerted when nobody replies. Her voice seems to echo in the silence and the eerie quality of it sends a shiver down her spine.The clacking of heels breaks the quiet. Leia looks up at the lounge balcony and catches sight of the matriarch of the sky family leaning against the railing.The frosty woman glowers down at Leia, not unlike the way a person would stare at a particularly irritating bug before squashing it under their boot.Leia gulps in trepidation. Claire looks very angry. Leia doesn't think she's seen her this mad.Lifting a trembling hand, Leia gives the older woman a shaky wave."Hello, Claire." "What are you doing here?" The woman sharply says. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife.She angrily gestures a hand to t
Mark doesn't startle at the sound of Andrew's voice. The man blinks in shock at the sight of Mark caressing the face of Leia.Beside him, Claire whimpers and clutches his arm, her nails digging into the flesh from her fright."W-what's h-he doing here?" She finally stutters, her face awash in terror. Andrew swallows in trepidation. He doesn't know why Mark was here but he can only guess. And his suspicions only fill him with dread.Finally, Mark turns to face them but what they see stuns them because Mark doesn't look angry. He's smiling. The force of his grin stretches his mouth, his eyes wrinkling as he beams at them."My…. I didn't think I would ever be grateful to you for anything but today both of you have exceeded my expectations!." He says with a cheerful voice.His expression melts into a blissful one "To think she had the gall to have another man's child." He muses."An abomination! For that bastard! How dare she!" He yells before suddenly throwing his head back and laughin
She can still hear the words of the doctor ringing in her ears which had been related to her after she woke up from her slumber. "We're sorry to inform you but you suffered a miscarriage after the accident.'It doesn't feel true. It feels like a nightmare but the pain in her head from the stitching on her forehead, with the many layers of bandages on her head and the heavy feeling in her stomach tells her that it isn't.She slowly brings her hands to her stomach, her fingers feel stiff as they press into the padding of flesh.The doctor told her that she's been asleep for two days and that she was lucky to not be in a coma but she didn't consider this mews to be luck. Leia can't help but feel that a coma would have been better than waking up to the mess that is her life. She can feel tears pooling in her eyes because she's finally alone now. She has nobody else. Fate has finally taken away the last thing that she has. Her poor unborn child. Her breath hitches as she sobs in angui
Leia blinked at the kneeling figure of Claire, disbelief clear on her face. She didn't think she'd ever seen the proud sky matriarch cry before, at least not in front of her but there she was bawling her eyes out in the pouring rain with only a flimsy coat, her clothes already soaked.Leia opened her mouth to say something but the words wouldn't come. Fine, she would wait for Claire to speak.Finally, the older one managed to compose herself enough to speak."Leia please….don't do it." She rasps. Leia tilts her head to the side."Why?" She asks with genuine curiosity.Claire blinks at her, stunned. "What?"' she questions."Why should I stop? Why do you suddenly care if I die tonight?" Leia whispers in a monotone voice. Claire's face immediately crumbles, her eyes filling with more tears as she sobs."I'm sorry! I'm so sorry Leia! We didn't mean for this to happen I swear." She cries. "I know I have no right to ask you this after all I've done to you but I didn't mean to hurt you lik
The gates gleam in the evening light. Leia just got discharged a few minutes ago. The itchy feeling of the removed IV tugging for her attention every few seconds. She has a sense of deja vu as she stands outside Mark's obnoxiously large mansion. Remembering the last time she was here and how she had practically begged the guard to let her in was something she'd like to bury. At least this time she doesn't have to listen to bitchy comments about her supposed infidelity. With a resigned sigh she walks in. She settles into the chair Mark had drawn for her, resolutely ignoring his glaring attempts of being a good host. It's only two of them in the opaque dining room. Leia wonders why they aren't in his office. He clears his throat as he settles in his seat, right across from her. "You can have anything you like. I even made the chefs prepare your favourites." He says as he gestures to the spread on the table. Leia ignores his words, using her middle finger to push her plate away
Outside the sky Mansion Leia breathes a sigh of frustration. She thinks that she would have handled the situation with her in-laws better. She winces when she remembers Andrew's episode in the drawing room. He was so angry but scared.From the fear alone they must have done something truly horrible. Oh well, she doesn't have the time to consider their issues at the moment. She has other things to do.Speaking of the devil, Her phone vibrates in her pocket. She immediately fishes it out and unlocks it.She stares at the flashing unknown number for a second before picking up. "Hello." She says on the phone as she starts walking down the street to put some distance between her and the house."Meet me at the park tomorrow at noon." A mysterious voice says. He doesn't give her any time to respond before hanging up.Leia grimaces before hailing a cab. She needs to get some sleep and prepare for what's going to happen next.The next morning arrives and Leia dresses as inconspicuous as she c
Everything happened within the blink of an eye, that all who heard the story found it hard to believe. The people whispered throughout the city, just how unbelievable the situation was. Just recently she had lost her husband to the law and today, Leia had gone mad, it was a juicy topic for everyone.As everyone gathered before the Sky cooperation escorting the army of medics as they restrained Leia, Leia was on a rampage. "Let me go, let go of me, I don't want you touching me…," she screamed non-stop while the cameras and light flashes before her eyes. "I want to see my husband, where's my husband, I want my child and my husband," she continued. At the hearing of a child, the journalist went crazy. They press their recorders forward, hoping to get a bit more juice out of Leia when another set of sirens flood the area. "Alright, everybody back away," they say, forming a barricade around the ambulance. The chief officer walks out from his car, and makes his way towards Claire. "
Leia clung to Opal, her body trembling as tears streamed down her face. Her friend lay in her arms, pale and fading, her life slipping away with each passing moment. The atmosphere seemed to close in around them, as if walls were pressing in on them, bearing witness to the tragedy that had unfolded.Amidst her heart-wrenching sobs, Leia's tear-blurred eyes rose to meet the gaze of the man who had just tried to take her life. It was the big boss, his face bruised and battered, his trousers stained with blood. He regarded Leia with disdain, his lip curled into a cruel sneer. He pointed the gun at her once more, his voice laced with a chilling determination."Second time's a charm," he hissed, his finger tightening on the trigger.Leia's world seemed to freeze at that moment. She closed her eyes, expecting the deafening gunshot to be the last sound she would ever hear. Death felt imminent, a crushing weight that pressed upon her chest.But then, the sound she heard was not the gunshot sh
Kasen and Leia stood in the dimly lit, small brick-walled room, their hearts pounding in their chests. The air was thick with tension, and the sound of trickling water echoed through the enclosed space, a chilling reminder of their predicament. Leia's eyes darted around, desperately searching for an escape route, but there were no windows, no doors, just cold, damp stone walls that seemed to be closing in on them. Her breaths came in short, panicked gasps as the water steadily crept up from cracks. She couldn't swim, and the rising water terrified her. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to cry. She sniffled a sob, trying to control her emotions. Kasen, determined to keep them both calm, reached out and gently touched Leia's shoulder. "Hey, Leia, listen to me," he said, his voice steady but laced with concern. "We need to stay calm and think this through. Panicking won't help us." Leia nodded, though her tears continued to flow. Kasen helped her press her back against t
Mark's eyes cracked open slowly, adjusting to the sterile, white surroundings of the hospital room. His head throbbed with pain, and every movement sent waves of discomfort through his body. He tried to remember how he had ended up here, but the events leading to this moment were a blur.As his vision cleared, Mark noticed two police officers standing by his bedside, their faces stern and unwavering. They were ready to question him, to unravel the web of events that had led to this tumultuous situation.Before they could begin their interrogation, the door to the hospital room swung open, and Kasen entered, his expression sombre. He walked over to the police officers and said something in a hushed tone. They nodded and reluctantly left the room, leaving Mark alone with Kasen.Mark tried to sit up, but the pain in his body made him wince. "Kasen, what's going on?"Kasen pulled up a chair and sat down, his gaze fixed on Mark. "I'll just talk to the inspector, it won't take long," he sai
The smell of gunpowder filled the air as bullets continue to whisk past them. Opal dove into the ground, escaping some shots merely by luck. "Retreat! Take cover!" She yelled, realising that in their current position, they could stand toe to toe against Mark's men.As they rushed backwards, a bullet sunk into the shoulders of one of Opal's men, ten impact making him to fall face down and roll. Opal quickly hopped over a rock, finding cover behind it as she rested her back against it, her chest heaving with exhaustion. She retrieved her gun and reloaded it, holding it tight with both her arms as she prepared for anything."Opal! I'm here, come out and fucking face me!" His voice resonated through the air, meeting her ears. He sounded like he was close, she wasn't sure how close, but close enough. Closer than he should be.She takes in a deep breath, "Fuck off!" She yelled back, hoping to deter him."Face me you coward!" He spat, his voice laced with anger."No!" She replied, her tone m
Mark and Leia had been running for what felt like hours, their breaths ragged and their hearts pounding. They had stumbled upon this cave in a desperate bid to escape the clutches of the big boss and his relentless henchmen. Now, as Leia rested her back against the damp, rocky wall, her chest heaved with exertion. The darkness of the cave enveloped them, offering a sliver of safety in an otherwise perilous situation.Outside, the big boss had ordered his patrol to scour the area, leaving no stone unturned in their search for his fugitives. The tension in the cave was palpable as Mark and Leia strained their ears for any signs of pursuit."So what now?" Leia asked. "They're after us."Mark sighed, knowing that what she was saying was true. "I don't know. Maybe we can wait it out in this cave," he replied.Just then, Mark's sharp eyes caught a flicker of movement at the cave entrance. He nudged Leia, and she froze, her fear mirroring the uncertainty in his eyes. The henchman who had jus
Although they had gone far, much farther than they could imagine, Mark's fears still caught up with him as he constantly turned back to look of her was safe from harm or not. Luckily he was with his phone as he speed dialed for back up, he couldn't wait any longer and it was times to put his plans into actions. "Everyone will pay he murmurs to himself out of anger. He couldn't possibly tane note of all those who had wronged him but there were a considerable amount that he remembers and couldn't wait to get his hands upon, one of them was his dearly most beloved cousin. Finally he reaches his safe place the place he had agreed upon to meet with his mean I'm order to get things in order. Everything was far behind but he could still see the flames from afar and Leia still choking from having inhaled a huge amount of it was coughing repeatedly to his disappointment. Finally he makes a turn and has Leie get down as they would continue the rest of their journey on foot, and Leia althou
Leia's breath could hardly breathe as she gasps for air repeatedly, her resistance knows no bounds as Mark couldn't help but fear, still he couldn't let her loose because he knows what she's capable off. She struggles against the restraints binding her to the ornate bed frame to the point where she had begun to bleed due to the injury on her wrist. Mark couldn't help but feel guilty as he found no one but himself responsible for her behaviour. Her eyes flickered with a wild, haunted look as they darted around the dimly lit room. "Let me go, let me go right now you madman, just you wait, I'll kill you as soon as I get away from here!" She promises Mark much to his fear. He couldn't possibly believe the words coming out of her mouth and feared the worst. Now she's become dangerous to both herself and himself. Mark stood at a cautious distance, not knowing what to do, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and fear. "Please calm down Leia, everything is going to be fine, I'll get yo
It took more than a while to calm Leia down as she would continuously try to wiggle her way out until she was finally subdued by Mark and fell asleep. Everything looked like hell for Mark wouldn't couldn't help but hope for the best to happen as it pained him to see Leia in this pathetic state, so much so that he refused to leave her bedside when she fell asleep.Everything was a disaster at this point and he just couldn't take it anymore. "Boss," his subordinate called for his attention. Mark couldn't help but feel irritated and yet he couldn't simply ignore their request as he knows that there's more to this interruption. With a heavy sigh he rises from the chair and follows them outside to hear what it is that they have to say. His men look rather worries while he was getting angry and the mere thought that they refuse to speak after calling him out. "Are you mute, hurry up and say something," he yells at them. Finally one of them volunteers to do the talking to which he appr
Despite his happiness, Mark's worst fears were about to become a reality. He dashed through the hallway, shoving whoever dared get in his way as he hurried for Leia's room."Is she okay, how is she, is she in good shape, is it something serious?" Mark suddenly questions in a rush. He couldn't wait, especially not after waiting two days already for either of the ladies to wake up. His joy at the moment knows no bounds as he hurries to enter into the bedroom, the only stopping him is the doctor in his way. "Should I kill him?" Mark questions himself while he stares at the frightened woman who seems to repeatedly block each route he tries to take. "For god sake Mr. Sky you have to calm down," the woman yells. He couldn't possibly believe his eyes and eyes as he stared at the puny woman who seemed to lack a lot more flesh than Leia had. "It'll just take one twist and she'd probably pass on," he tells himself as she stares at her, examining what to do about this sudden disturbance.