ROCHELLE Death stared at me!The afternoon sun was setting, casting a warm glow over my favorite park. This was where I had spent countless hours, running through its lush greenery as a child, dreaming about my future. But today felt different. The vibrant colors around me felt muted as if nature itself was mocking me. I sat on a weathered bench, gazing out at the expanse of trees whispering in the gentle breeze. It was the calm before my impending storm… a storm I had been preparing for since the shooting incident at Aries' and Adrien's house.I was about to leave town for good, and yet, here I was, drawn back to my favorite spot one last time. My heart ached with a mix of nostalgia and loss. I had experienced so much in this place—love, betrayal, and now, the bitter taste of uncertainty. As I sat there lost in thought, I heard footsteps approaching. I looked up, my heart nearly skipping a beat as I recognized the figure striding toward me. Delight. “Fancy meeting yo
ADRIEN She's missing!I was poised to step out of the spacious confines of our luxurious penthouse when the front door swung open with a hurried creak. Mr. Robert, Rochelle's father, stormed in. His expression was a blend of anxiety and urgency, his usually composed demeanor shattered like fragile glass. I halted, my brow furrowing deeply as a knot of apprehension twisted in my stomach."Mr. Robert?" I greeted, masking my surprise with a veneer of cordiality. "What brings you here unannounced?." I didn't remember us booking an appointment with him… except Aries did without informing me."Where’s Aries?" came the terse reply, Mr. Robert’s voice uncharacteristically shaky as his eyes darted around the living room as if he was hiding somewhere around.“He went out to make a supply run for a client. You know the drill,” I replied, noting the way Mr. Robert’s face fell further, drained of its color. “Is everything okay?”“Have you seen Rochelle? Please, Adrien, I need to
ADRIEN The more we look, the less we see!“Adrien? What brings you here?” Ben asked, feigning a smile. But it faded when he noticed the tension etched on my face. “Is everything alright?”“Actually, I’m here to ask about Rochelle. I haven’t been able to reach her. Have you seen her lately?”Ben’s brows knit together as he leaned back in his chair. “No, I haven’t seen her since we had dinner together a couple of days ago. She was fine when she left that day.“Are you sure about it?,” Mr. Robert asked, curious.“Well, to be honest, she seemed more anxious than usual, but we all have our days, right?”Rochelle anxious? The thought filled my heart with dread. “Anxious about what?”“Oh, I don’t know… Something about personal things, but she brushed it off when I asked. She always finds it pretty hard to open up,” Ben remarked with a slight wave of his hand. “I don't know why.”“Does she have any close friends you could connect me with? Someone you think she might have confided in?” I p
ARIES Someone killed her!The sound of Robert’s footsteps echoed through the house, each step radiating anger and determination. Adrien and I sat in the living room, discussing the next course of action in Rochelle’s disappearance. The tension between us was already hard to miss.We knew it was only a matter of time before her father showed up again, demanding answers that we didn't have. And when the door slammed open, his presence felt like a storm brewing over us."Where is she?" Robert’s voice thundered, cutting through the room like a blade.Adrien and I exchanged a glance. There was a flash of unspoken understanding between us, the kind that only came with years of working together, loving together, and surviving together. We knew exactly why Robert was here, but his fury was sharper than we anticipated.“You already know we’re doing everything we can to find her, Robert,” I began cautiously, standing up.Robert’s face contorted with anger. “Everything you can? Don’t
DELIGHT He messed with the wrong assassin!The fresh soil smelled of damp earth and death, and I couldn’t help but smile as I watched the workers shovel it over Rochelle’s decapitated body. Finally, she was out of the way. Rochelle Robert, the perfect, sweet, innocent girl who thought she could steal Aries and Adrien from me was gone.Revenge doesn't get any sweeter, surely!Welcome to Delight's world! Hahaha!I clutched my coat tighter against the cold wind, but inside, I was burning with satisfaction. No more pretending. No more forced smiles when she walked into the room. No more watching the way the brothers looked at her, as if she were the center of their universe.I had endured too much shit for too long!This was my moment.As I stood at the edge of the cemetery, far enough not to be noticed, my phone buzzed in my pocket. The vibration jolted me, but I was too immersed in my thoughts to care until it buzzed again. Sighing, I pulled it out.It was an unsaved number…“I know
ROCHELLE Back from the dead!The sharp smell of disinfectant filled my nostrils, forcing me to stir. My body felt heavy, as though weighed down by an unseen force, and my eyelids fluttered open reluctantly. Bright fluorescent lights above me pierced through the haze in my mind. Slowly, the sterile white walls, faint beeping machines, and the unmistakable scent of antiseptics painted a grim picture.This was a hospital.My mouth felt dry, like sandpaper, as I tried to speak. “Is… anyone there?” My voice barely rose above a whisper, hoarse and weak. For a moment, I wasn't even sure if the sound had left my throat.Muted voices drifted in from outside the room, unintelligible but reassuring in their human familiarity. Someone was out there. I wasn’t alone. But as I lay there, motionless, the panic began to creep in. Why was I here? How did I get here? The questions screamed louder in my mind with every second.I glanced around, desperate for answers. There was a small wind
ROCHELLEI don't understand anything!I don’t know what woke me up first—the soft creak of the door or the heavy presence in the room. My eyes fluttered open, and for a second, I forgot where I was. Then it all came rushing back: the hospital in Mexico, the sterile smell of antiseptics, and the dull ache in my body.But none of that prepared me for the man standing near the door. He was huge—easily over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and muscles that seemed ready to tear through his black shirt. He had the kind of build you’d see on bodyguards or mob enforcers. My heart raced as I tr
ROCHELLE Another dead body!I could tell something was wrong the moment Dos Santos stepped into the room. His calm and confident demeanor was replaced by a stiffness in his posture and a tension in his eyes. Dr. Alvarez, who was checking my vitals, noticed too.“I'll be right back,” he said to me.I watched as he moved toward Dos Santos, and they began speaking in low tones near the door.They were speaking in Spanish, fast and hushed, and while I couldn’t catch much, I knew it had to be about me. Their occasional glances toward me as they spoke only confirmed it. I tried to focus, to make out a word or two, but my Spanish wasn’t good enough. All I could do was watch, anxiety knotting in my stomach.When Dr. Alvarez finally returned, his face carried a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll send Nurse Isabella to attend to you later,” he said, his tone overly cheerful. “I'll see you later,” he added.“Is something wrong?” I asked, my voice laced with suspicion.“No, not a
ROCHELLE I escaped, but…..I felt the blood drain from my face as that sickening feeling settled in my stomach. “What do you mean? Please, just let me go,” I said desperately, my voice rising.The leader took another step toward me, invading my space. “Relax, darling. We just want to have a little fun.” He reached forward, his hands grazing my arm, and I flinched, horror coursing through me. Just when I thought he would let go, he forcefully kissed me. And then, he grabbed my boobs.“This is going to be fun,” he laughed.I wanted to scream, to call for help, but I knew it was useless even trying. It looked like they ran the show there, for no one who saw them treat me the way they did even bothered to look a second time.“Please! You don’t have to do this. I’ll do anything!” I cried, fear bubbling up inside. But they were enjoying my terror. Their grins were wide and unsettling, the cruel glimmer in their eyes telling me all I needed to know about th
DELIGHT Out of sight!I stared at my phone for what felt like the hundredth time that day, my patience thinning with each passing second. Aries and Adrien had promised to call as soon as the arms for Edgar were ready. It wasn’t just any arms deal—this was for Edgar, the ruthless Mafia lord of the Red Sect, and he was breathing down my neck with threats that didn’t feel empty.I couldn’t understand it. Aries and Adrien were never this careless, especially not with Edgar involved. They had assured me they’d handle everything, and all I needed to do was show up and pick up the supplies. But here I was, waiting like a fool, trying to calm my nerves.The silence was maddening. I tapped my phone, pulling up Aries’ number first. It rang and rang, but he didn’t pick up. Next, Adrien. Same result. I left a voicemail, trying to keep my tone even though I was fuming inside.“Aries, Adrien, it’s Delight. Where the hell are you guys? Edgar’s losing his patience, and so am I. If
DELIGHT Out of sight!I stared at my phone for what felt like the hundredth time that day, my patience thinning with each passing second. Aries and Adrien had promised to call as soon as the arms for Edgar were ready. It wasn’t just any arms deal—this was for Edgar, the ruthless Mafia lord of the Red Sect, and he was breathing down my neck with threats that didn’t feel empty.I couldn’t understand it. Aries and Adrien were never this careless, especially not with Edgar involved. They had assured me they’d handle everything, and all I needed to do was show up and pick up the supplies. But here I was, waiting like a fool, trying to calm my nerves.The silence was maddening. I tapped my phone, pulling up Aries’ number first. It rang and rang, but he didn’t pick up. Next, Adrien. Same result. I left a voicemail, trying to keep my tone even though I was fuming inside.“Aries, Adrien, it’s Delight. Where the hell are you guys? Edgar’s losing his patience, and so am I. If
ADRIEN The only way out!I felt a knot in my stomach as the cops carefully searched through our things. I could practically feel the tension in the air, like this whole encounter was a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.After what felt like hours—although it was likely just a few minutes—the officers stepped back into the living room, empty-handed but not defeated. “We know you two have your hands dirty,” the lead officer said, fixing us both with a steely gaze. “You’re not as smart as you think you are. We will be keeping our eyes on you.”Aries scoffed. “You can’t prove anything against us. You’ve got nothing. We’re innocent. You found nothing on us, remember.”“You can play that game all you want,” the officer replied coldly. “But mark my words, we won’t be far behind you.”“Hope you keep up with the pace of the game,” Aries smiled.“We shall see about that,” he replied.With that, they turned and left, the door clicking shut behind them. The moment we were al
ADRIEN A City on FireThe tension in the city was thick enough to cut with a knife. I could feel it in the air every time I stepped outside. The streets that had once buzzed with life were now filled with an ominous silence, interrupted only by the distant sounds of sirens and gunfire. Each day brought new reports of gang wars escalating, innocent lives caught in the crossfire. My heart sank further with each headline I read or news bulletin I heard. This was no longer a city; it had become a battleground.Sitting in our living room that afternoon, I glanced over at Aries, who was scrolling through a news article on his phone. His face was set in a frown, evidence of the weight pressing down on his shoulders. Both of us had seen what this life did to the people of this city, yet here we were, playing our part in it. “Look at this, Adrien,” Aries said, his voice gruff. “Another shooting last night. A seven year old girl. Just like that, her li
ROCHELLEI broke the ice!The rhythmic sound of my heart thumped loudly in my ears as I lay in bed. I couldn’t shake the burning memory of dinner with Prince Herold from last night. The disdain he had for women echoed in my mind like a haunting song. How could someone so powerful be so disgustingly ignorant?Just as I settled deeper into my thoughts, a heavy bang jolted me awake.“Open the fucki
ROCHELLE Racist!As Dos Santos led me back toward the car, I couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment. I had finally seen them again, and now I had to leave? Why was everything so complicated?The ride back to the mansion felt like a blur. I sat in silence, mulling over the events of the day. Deep down, I wished things were different, that I could just walk up to Aries and Adrien and tell them I was alive, that I was okay. Once we returned home, the maids were already waiting for me, dressed in their crisp uniforms, ready to prepare me for dinner. I had little choice in the matter; I could feel their urgency as they moved me to a lavish room filled with expensive beauty products.“Please, who is this boss?” I asked one of the maids while they applied makeup, but she remained silent as always, only smiling at me. It frustrated me to hell, honestly.“Is he important? What does he look like?” I couldn’t help but press. Again, I was met with silence and mo
ROCHELLEI saw them… Aries and Adrien!I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the large window of my room. The sun streamed in, painting the walls golden. For a moment, I forgot where I was. My memories raced back, grabbing hold of me like a vise. I was no longer in my own home, but rather a mansion I didn’t recognize, hidden away in Tijuana, Mexico.Every morning was the same. I would stretch, taking in the lavish surroundings that felt eerily like a dream. I looked around a
ADRIEN More questions than answers!We moved from clinic to clinic, asking questions, scanning records, but still no sign of Rochelle. Frustration began sinking in, gnawing at the edges of our hopes. At one hospital, we were met with the same disheartening response—they had no record of her. I could feel the spark of hope dimming, giving way to doubt. “What if the sheriff was right?” I asked Aries, dread pooling in my stomach. “What if she really is gone? What if it was another person's autopsy result that was mistaken for Rochelle's?”A lot of what ifs.“No!” he snapped, determination coursing through him. “I refuse to believe that. Rochelle is strong. She wouldn’t just disappear into thin air without leaving us a clue as to what happened. Come on, don't tell me you've given up”“I don't know what to say,” I admitted.“Then let's talk less and act more,” he said. “We have a long way to go before we can call it quits,” he added.There was nothing to admire about his faith… bli