Chapter 2
It’s the next day, Chleo already dressed up and was ready to go out of the house and Mrs Wood stopped her, Chleo turned back and stood.
“ Where are you going?” Mrs Wood asked.
“ Well going out to search for a job as usual” Chleo replied.
“ No one will employ poor girl, your dad left a lot of debt behind and he was known so no one will want to employ a person who’s late father is having a lot of debt so stop troubling your self and go search for a maid job” Mrs Wood said and tears fell from Chleo eyes and she left the house in anger, Layla noticed that her mother was dressed up and she wonders where she was up to.
“ Where are you going to mum?” Layla asked.
“ I need ti look for a solution” she replied.
“ From who, from where? Mum! No one is going to help us” Layla asked.
“ From Mrs Thomas” Mrs Wood said.
“ No mum, Mrs Thomas will only make a joke of us” Layla said.
“ I know dear but only she can help us right now, we have not choice, we have to put our pride behind to search for a solution” Mrs Wood said and she was about to leave the house and Layla stopped her.
“ I will come with you mum” she says and they both left the house.
Chleo was on her way to search for a job and she saw a car that tumbled, she saw people rushing to the car to bring out the person and he turned to be the mafia Billionaire, Nathan Wilson, he was well known, he had a minor injury, the people called the ambulance and Chleo rushed to him to give a first aid treatment before the ambulance arrived, the bodyguard tried to stop her from going near to Nathan but Chleo kept on shouting that she was nurse and she only wanted to help, Nathan told his bodyguard to let her near him and she quickly treated him before the ambulance could come, Nathan state at her and wonders why she helped him, the ambulance came immediately Chleo treated him finish.
“ I am done. You will be fine, you need to take your medication on time” she said and Nathan stare at her.
“ You are a nurse. Where do you work?”Nathan asked and the nurse and doctors came to him and they’d took him away and they both stare at each other, Chleo ha Sri left because she was not chance to speak to Nathan maybe he could help her get work in one of the hospitals.
Mrs Wood and Layla got Mrs Thomas house and Mrs Thomas had ordered her maid to serve them, Mrs Wood was not looking happy.
“ Tell me Mrs Wood! Why do you need my help?” Mrs Thomas asked.
“ I need a loan from you, I promise you, I will pay you back” Mrs Wood said and Mrs Thomas laughed.
“ You need a loan from me? Tell me how will you pay me back? Your husband still have a lot of debt and you want to get a loan also. Come on that is so ridiculous. I am sorry to say this but I can’t loan you money but I can render to you help to pay off your husband debt and also become rich again so you can live your luxury lives again” Mrs Thomas said.
“ Well, I am ready, you can tell me about this help” Mrs Wood said.
“ Well, I’m sure you know about Nathan Wilson, he is very rich” Mrs Thomas said.
“ What help can he render to us?” Layla asked.
“He can render help to you but you will need to surrender your daughter to him to be his slave and I promise you that he is going to pay you off and you will pay off your husband death and also get back your house and start your luxury life again” Mrs Thomas said.
“ Living a luxury life without my daughter does not make any sense, I can’t sell off my daughter for slavery that is impossible, she is the only one I have” Mrs Wood said.
“ Well that is the only help I can render when you are ready, I will speak to Nathan” Mrs Thomas said and Layla thought of Chleo.
“ Mum! I guess I have an idea” Layla said.
“ Tell me, what is it because I can’t thinking of any right now” Mrs Wood said.
“ Chleo can be sell off of for slavery” Layla said and Mrs Wood smiled.
“ You are right. Why didn’t I think about this a long while ago” Mrs Wood said.
“ Well, we are ready Mrs Thomas. Thanks so much, so tell me when she should we bring Chleo to him” Mrs Wood said.
“ As soon as possible before he will found some one else, I will speak to him, you should not worry about that” Mrs Thomas said, Mrs Wood and Layla walked out and Mrs Wood think and Layla wonders what her mother is thinking about.
“ What are you thinking about mum?” Layla asked.
“ We have not been treating Chleo lately, I wonders how we can trick her to this” Mrs Wood said.
“ We have to look for all means mum. I guess I have an idea, why don’t I pretend to be sick that I have a terminal decease and we found out today and we need money to save my life then you will propose what Mrs Thomas said to her, I am very sure she will accept” Layla said.
“ We have to pretend to be nice to her so she can believe in us” Layla said.
“ Are sure this will work out?” Her mum asked.
“ We should try mum” Layla said.
“ You are right, we should try and I hope, it will work out” Mrs Wood said and they both left to go back home.
Chapter 3It’s already in the evening and Chleo got back home with the same result if not seeing a job, Mrs Wood already made the dinner and set the dinning, Layla pretended to be nice to her and she went to meet her when she was about to enter the room, Chleo though maybe, Layla wanted to argue with her.“ Layla! I am so tired and I am not ready to argue with you today” Chleo said.“ I am not arguing either but I just wanted to ask you how did it go, I mean your search for a job” Layla asked.“ I guess that is none of your business, I know you want to mock me “ She said in anger.“ I am not mocking you, I just want us to make peace and be one family, I know that I have offended you in many ways but can you please forgive me, I want us to live as one in this small tiny house, I also want to search for a job” Layla said and Mrs Wood walked closer to them.“ Yes Chleo! I want us to live as one family, I don’t want us to argue anymore, I don’t want to rest you bad or like an outsider any
Chapter 4Chleo serve Layla and Mrs Wood on the dining and she also serve herself, they eat and Chleo was happy as they eat together.“ Mrs Wood! I was thinking if I could refer to you as mum instead of Mrs Wood, i want to call someone mum, I want to fill motherly love” she said and Mrs Wood pull up her fake smiled.“ Why not dear, you can call me mum, we are now one family” Mrs Wood said and a help smiled.“ Thank you so much” Chleo said and Mrs Wood signal Layla so she can pass out, Layla nods her head while Chleo was concentrating on her food, Layla hold her head and she passed out, Mrs Wood stood up and Chleo.“ Layla! Are you ok?” Mrs Wood said and they took her to the room.“ What happened to her?” Chleo asked as they lay Layla on the bed and Mrs Wood pretended to be crying.“ I don’t know what happened to her but I call the doctor, I just hope everything is fine” Mrs Wood said and she called the fake doctor.“ I will try what I can as a nurse” Chleo said.“ I guess you can’t d
Chapter 5Mrs Wood, Chleo and Mrs Thomas got to Nathan Wilson house, they seated on the couch in the living room when Nathan walk down the stairs, Mrs Thomas and Mrs Wood saw him and they stood up while Chleo was lost in thought thinking.“ Good day Nathan” Mrs Thomas said and she smiled, Mrs Wood also smiled while Chleo was still seated.“ Mrs Wood this my foster nephew Nathan Wilson, Nathan this my friend Mrs Wood, the one whom I told you about that her husband ran into debt and she needs money but right now her daughter is ill and she needs money so sue brought her second daughter for money in exchange” Mrs Thomas said, Chleo noticed that, Mrs Thomas and Mrs Wood had already stood from the couch and she also stood up and their eyes both met and they recognize themselves.“ Nurse” He said.“ You” She said, Mrs Thomas and Mrs Wood were confused.“ What is going on here? Did both of you know each other?” Mrs Wood asked.“ Yes, she once helped me when I had a minor accident, she came t
Sir,sir,canyouhear me?” I call out to the man trapped inside the vehicle. The airbag had deployed. He’s restrained by his seatbelt and remains motionless covered in blood. Wearing gloves, I reach in and feel for a pulse. It’s faint but steady. “Can you hear me? You’ve been in a car accident, sir. We’re going to get you out of here and take good care of you. Can you tell me your name?” His lips quiver, but no sound emerges. Blood covers everything, so it’s difficult to determine the source of the bleeding. I push aside the deflated airbag to get a better look. That’s when I catch sight of a gun holstered at his side. I recoil at the sight of it, but then remember I’m here to perform myFrom above, I hear rustling and see Nathan, the EMT assigned for tonight’s ride along, making his descent. “What’ve we got here?” he asks, carrying a stretcher board and neck brace. “Are they alive?” “Yes, I’ve got a steady pulse on a white male, adult, early thirties. I can’t determine the extent of
His bruised lips form a half smile.“Nathan, is it true?” I say, leaning forward, whispering to him. “You’re Russian mafia?”“Done…nothing wrong.”I stare at him, but his eyes have slid shut again. No doubt the morphine is kicking in, mercifully easing his suffering. I struggle with what to do. I finally land on the fact that he’s innocent until proven guilty. If the cops have a case, they’ll make it and haul his Russian ass away. But he’s asking me to help him…what do I do?As if hearing my internal conflict, Nathan eyelids rise. “Framed,” he says, “I’m a businessman…graduated from…Cornell University.”Since when does the mafia attend Ivy League colleges? Who do I believe, him or the cops?“Look me up…” a slight smile touches his lips though his eyes remain shut. “Google me.”I chuckle despite the situation. “Believe me, I will, and if you don’t check out, the gun’s going straight to the authorities.”His tortured smile widens. “What…what’s your name?”The question catches me off gu
“You make it sound so simple,” I say. “Isn’t it?” “It’s complicated.” “That’s what makes it so “It?” “Us.” “Us?” I laugh. “Awfully, presumptuous of you.” He shrugs. I hold up a finger. “Onedinner,” I say. “That’s it.” He holds his silence neither agreeing nor objecting as he pins me with his unrelenting gaze. He does this a lot as if he’s drinking me in, studying every facet of me. I shake my head to break the trance I seem to fall under in his presence. It’s late, I’ve got to go home to get some much-needed sleep. “Alright,” I say, as I slowly rise from my chair. “Spokoynoy nochi, Mr. Wilson.” A wide grin splits his face, apparently impressed by my attempt to say good night in Russian. Yeah, so I learned a word or two. What’s the harm in that? I’m highly anxious as I ride the subway uptown. Silently, I berate myself for putting myself in this predicament. But Dr. Chleo invitation to watch the triple bypass surgery proved too irresistible to pass up. But amid the procedu
“You make it sound so simple,” I say. “Isn’t it?” “It’s complicated.” “That’s what makes it so“It?” “Us.” “Us?” I laugh. “Awfully, presumptuous of you.” He shrugs. I hold up a finger. “Onedinner,” I say. “That’s it.” He holds his silence neither agreeing nor objecting as he pins me with his unrelenting gaze. He does this a lot as if he’s drinking me in, studying every facet of me. I shake my head to break the trance I seem to fall under in his presence. It’s late, I’ve got to go home to get some much-needed sleep. “Alright,” I say, as I slowly rise from my chair. “Spokoynoy nochi, Mr. Wilson.” A wide grin splits his face, apparently impressed by my attempt to say good night in Russian. Yeah, so I learned a word or two. What’s the harm in that? I’m highly anxious as I ride the subway uptown. Silently, I berate myself for putting myself in this predicament. But Dr. Chleo invitation to watch the triple bypass surgery proved too irresistible to pass up. But amid the procedur
I meet his glass with mine. “Why thank you, Nathan. Maybe someday, when I have a social life, I’ll have a trophy husband onmyarm,” I say with laughter. Again, his expression falls. “Or, you could have me.” I pull back in my chair and stare at him. “We’ve known each other a whole ten days,” I chuckle. “How can you say things like that with a straight face?” “If one listens very carefully and watches for certain signs…you can learn all you need to know about a person in the space of one conversation. As a businessman operating within a very competitive environment, I must practice this skill on a daily basis to survive,” he says sternly. His smirk slowly returns. “You and I have had at least ten in-depth conversations, suffice to say, I know all I need to know about you.” I raise a brow at him. “All?” He chuckles. “All the important things. Regarding the minor details, that’s why we’re here tonight, so you can fill in the gaps.” I sit back and cross my arms over my chest. “Well, m
Surprisingly, Chantel nods like she understands.“You like her enough, though. Enough to parade her around like she’s yours. I wanted that so bad. I still want that,” she says softly.Ah, fuck.If I’m being honest, if Andrew and I had started our relationship in a normal fashion, we would have probably ended up here—with me having to break her heart because I just don’t see how I could trust anyone enough to give them my heart.But we didn’t. Our relationship’s backwards. She snuck inside my heart without me even realizing it and I can’t get her out.Cara was my friend. And we had a really good thing going, but I would have never let it go beyond that. I put up too many walls to allow it. There’s no way to explain it to her without making it all worse so I simply say I’m sorry.“I hate that I hurt you,” I tell her.She nods, hugging her arms around her body. “I’ll get over it. ”Sensing that she wants to be alone, I start walking for the door.“And Chantel,” she calls, “I’m happy fo
My heart clenches and my voice softens. “Who’s blood is it?”He laughs then. A cruel, awful laugh.“On that bullet? Mine.”I’m taken aback but I do my best to maintain composure. “I thought you said your dad gave that to you? Why did your father have a bullet necklace with your blood on it?”His countenance softens, and a glint of vulnerability pierces through his tough exterior. “When I was fifteen, I accompanied my father on a business venture. It was meant to be a routine deal, but those other guys got too greedy. The moment we set foot on their turf, all hell broke loose. John Luciano himself shot me, right in the chest.”“Is that the reason your family unleashed a hail of bullets within the sanctum of his private mansion? I remember hearing all about that in the news and thought it was just awful.”“His family, and every last blood relation he had. He had a chance to snuff out my old man and me, and we weren’t about to let that slip away without a fight. We went at them with a ve
Your lips are so fucking distracting,” is all he says before kissing me.He tastes like vodka and spice. I tilt my head up to give him better access and Nathan responds by thrusting his tongue into my mouth. His hand tightens on my neck while his other hand drifts down to my thigh, drawing me closer. Carlo suddenly pulls away and I moan the loss of his mouth on mine.He rests his forehead against mine. His hand is still around my neck. It’s carnal and possessive at the same time.“No one touches you but me,” he says firmly. “Say it,dolcezza.”My eyes narrow. “You’re being ridiculous.”Because despite that passionate, earth-shattering kiss, he still needs to know I am not his possession.“Say it, Astoria,” he repeats, his eyes burning like coals.“Move, Nathan ,” is all I say before he removes his hand from my neck and steps back.“Tori, I’d never harm you.”“I know that,” I assure him and he signs in relief. “But I am not your toy.”He walks closer to me and I start stepping back unti
“As you know, I’m my father’s first son. First children usually have a lot riding on them, and in my family, it was no different. He had a lot of expectations for me. He wanted me to be the best because I was meant to be his legacy. His successor. Growing up, I had to be the best in school, the biggest, the strongest. He pushed me to exceed all his expectations, and I tried my best but it was never enough. My younger brothers have always been smarter than me. Hell, Topher’s a fucking genius.” He lets out a wry laugh.I hold my breath. I don’t say a single word because this is what I’ve needed all this time. For him to open up to me. I just want to know who he really is.“It was like, I could never really measure up. But what I could do is try my fucking hardest when it came to the family business. When I was younger, I thought I was going to be the next Don. Then my dad placed that gun in my hand when I was fifteen and told me to shoot. Christian had to do the same when he was sixteen
Take off your shirt,” I command. “Use it to apply pressure.”He stares at me, uncomprehending.I cock my head to the side. “Do you want to die?” I ask calmly. He hurriedly shakes his head before doing as I asked. I smile. “Well done. Your arms next.”“It hurts, doesn’t it?” I ask, staring at him. “You should have thought things through before going after my girl.”“No!” Tori yells, distracting me. I look up at my girl, feeling something clench in my chest. Fuck. I can’t believe I almost lost her. “That’s enough.”“No, it’s really not,” I say, shaking my head.“Please, don’t kill him,” she says, her eyes welling up with tears.I clench my jaw. “Of course I’m going to kill him. He just hasn’t suffered enough, and I’d hate for him to bleed out too early.”“Carlo, you have. You’ve tortured him enough. Look at him.”I grit my teeth. This wasn’t what I had in mind for Marino. But I can hear the hysteria in her voice, the way it quivers. She’s been through enough. And it’s Tori. There’s not
I’m trembling uncontrollably too terrified to move or think clearly. What’s happening down there? With three cars, how many men is Sebastian facing on his own? I’ve got to help him!I set the gun down and fish in the backpack for a flashlight. I find it and switch it on to light up the space. I stick my arms through the sleeves of the shirt and pull on the jogging pants. The bag also contains wads of cash, a cell phone, false IDs for us, another gun, and some energy bars and water.I hear muffled noises, the crashing of glass, and the bumping of furniture being knocked over.“Oh, God, Ben,” I cry, clamping my hands over my mouth. I know Bash told me to stay insideI grab the gun out of the bag and stick in my pants pocket. I take the gun Bash gave and bring it to bear. I struggle with the door for a bit but manage to yank it open. I’m dripping with sweat as I shove the boxes aside.I pause as I stand in the closet, mentally preparing myself to do what needs to be done. I could be
I grit my teeth, I’d prayed it'd never get this far. But desperate times…I find the video and open it for him.He watches it eagerly, a slow ugly grin spreads across his face. “Send me this video.”My instincts tell me this is a huge mistake, but what choice do I have if I want his support? “Is that really necessary?”The color rises in his face. “You want my support, you give me the collateral I need. Who knows what this girl will do? She could be the very weapon used to destroy you!”“She won’t because there’s more at stake than just her career.”His eyes narrow as he glares at me. “What else?”“She’s pregnant, we just found out. Our child will serve as the guarantee on her silence.”His expression turns a degree more devious. “Yes, yes. This could work.”I feel like a fucking fiend for even suggesting our child could be used as leverage, but I know it’ll never come to that. This is just a bargaining chip to get what I need right now and that’s Victor Volkov’s backing.“You
Fine, fine, it’s your life.”“It’s our life,” I say firmly. “We’ll work through it, just not now. Can you give me that?”She nods. “Sure.” Her eyes brighten. “Can we go see Red Square now? I’m dying to see the iconic St. Basil cathedral.”“Let’s go.” I toss a few ruble bills on the table and rise. I grab my backpack off the chair as Chleo adjusts her jacket.We spend the rest of the day winding our way around the city, visiting several iconic landmarks.We strolled through the grand entry way with towering columns down toward the fountains. Before entering, Chloe had said she was exhausted, but she had a new burst of energy upon seeing the beauty of the park. Several friendly park goers offered to take our photo, so we’d have plenty to remind us of the wonderful day we’d enjoyed.Once again, seeing it all with Chleo made it magical and creates memories that I’ll always treasure. I look at the happy couples walking by pushing strollers with their babies. And I envision Chleo and
My legs give way and I crumble to the floor. Hot tears sting my eyes and roll down my cheeks. All this time I’d been strutting around here acting like I was God’s gift to the medical world, all the while Ben knew the truth and said nothing. I am so humiliated.I feel Ben near me. Hear his voice in my ear. “I’ll give you the world, Chleo, whatever you want. But don’t youevertake me for granted or try to dismiss me. Your career and the hospital aren’t the center of your universe…I am.” He then takes me by the hands and gently lifts me to my feet. “The private jet leaves for Moscow in 2 hours, you need to be ready.”Feeling utterly deflated, I allow Ben to lead me up the stairs to finish packing. I feel so utterly disillusioned and uncertain. What do I do with this information about the residency? What do I do about this pregnancy? I am so lost and torn.And now I must fly thousands of miles away to a place I’ve never been with this man whom I love but hardly Nathan chartered for our