LOGINShare
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56DANIELLE'S P.O.V.
My first morning as Mrs Danielle Valentino was a sad and boring one. I might be the first in the history of newly wedded ladies to wake up on a couch, still in her wedding dress, with no idea where in the world her husband was. I rubbed my neck which had become stiff from sleeping on the uncomfortable couch and looked around the sitting room. The sitting area was a big space with white colored walls on which smart tv and speakers hung from. A few black cushioned couches were placed around a long glass center table. The A.C in one corner of the room hummed gently. I stretched and twisted my arms back and forth to relieve the tension in them. I stood up from the couch and trudged around the penthouse, trying to locate a room with my belongings. Once I found a room that contained my familiar pink suitcases, I sighed in relief. I managed to take off my wedding dress after much difficulty and I threw it on the queen sized bed. I opened up a suitcase in search of a fresh set of underwear and clothes. Once I found them, I headed for the adjoining bathroom to take a much needed shower. The water was cool and relaxing and I took my time to clean away the sweat from yesterday's dramatic night. I tried not to dwell on the crazy things I heard from Chase and the strange lady who Alisia said was Adrian's childhood friend, but some snippets from my conversation with those two surfaced in my mind. I shook my head to ward off questions that I knew I would not get answers to. After a few more minutes of soaking in the bathtub, I cleaned off the water on my body and got dressed. The extreme quietness of the house was depressing and my best antidepressant is food. I headed for the kitchen to ransack the refrigerator, but I was met with a completely empty compartment. I went through all the kitchen drawers, but I still came up with no food item.Just great! What kind of man is Adrian Valentino exactly?Who lives in a house without any item of food? Not even a jar of pickles or a bag of Cheetos? My stomach grumbled in protest to being empty. My day was going to be even more dreary without food. The sound of the doorbell dragged me out of my self piteous thoughts. I checked the intercom to see who was outside and I saw it was Alisia. Her hands were full, several shopping bags occupying them. I opened the door and watched her shuffle past me, staggering from the weight of the numerous bags in her arms."Good morning, sister in law" she greeted giddily."Good morning""How was your night?""Better than I expected" She placed the shopping bags on the kitchen counter. "Mother asked me to bring these to you. She wanted to be here but she has this meeting thing that she couldn't miss." "Oh. Help me thank her" "And these..." she said, placing another set of shopping bags on the living room couch. "...are from me. Congratulations on your wedding." She pulled me into a warm embrace and I was almost overwhelmed by emotions. I have longed for a hug like this ever since I woke up this morning. "I am so sorry about my stupid brother. He doesn't really understand priorities, you know. I can not believe he left you on your own immediately after the wedding." "It's okay. He had to deal with some business." "Business? When he has such a beautiful bride like you to honeymoon with? Adrian is even more stupid than I thought." "It's okay, really. I'm fine. I've just been really lonely and bored." "I'm glad I came. I can help you alleviate some of the boredom." "I'm glad you're here too." I chuckled. "Have you had breakfast yet?" "I haven't. I'm starving but there's no food in the refrigerator." "Adrian is hardly ever home. That man is a workaholic, always busy with work and never making time for other things that matter." I nodded my head in understanding. He sounded like my father. "Don't worry,though. Mama Valentino sent me here with some food. She asked our chef to make some special dishes." she said while moving to the kitchen. She fished out trays wrapped in foil and containers of food from the shopping bags and placed them on the kitchen island. I followed her to the kitchen, enticed by the delicious smell that wafts from the island. "These smell so good." I said. "And they taste even better, trust me." Alisia said. I pulled out a stool from the island and sit. Alisia fetched plates and forks from a kitchen drawer and placed them before me. "Which would you like first?" I looked at the dishes in front of me. They were unfamiliar but they looked delicious. "Anything." I said excitedly. "Okay, foodie" Alisia chuckled. She scooped an helping of a creamy looking food from one of the containers, opens a foiled tray, and scooped some of the food in it onto my plate. "Here you go, señora" she said. "Thank you." I appreciated and dug into the food. "Oh my God!" I moaned. "What? It's that good?" Alisia laughed. "It's incredible. What is it?" I asked. "It's Penne al baffo. It's an Italian pasta dish; one if the Valentino family's favorite." "I need to have more of this. God it's too good." "Help yourself to the beautiful spread." she said. I finished up the food and served myself a second helping. Alisia dished some food onto her own plate and sat beside me. We ate in a comfortable silence. Once we were done eating, I assisted in clearing the kitchen island of empty containers and placed the unfinished food in the refrigerator. Alisia made to clean up the dishes, but I stopped her. "No way. I'll do them." I said. "Don't worry about it. I'll clean them up." "You brought the food, the least I can do is clean up after myself." "Okay then, but I'll dry them" she said. Once we were done clearing the dirty dishes, we went to the sitting room. "Check out what I got you" she said excitedly, pointing at the shopping bags she had previously placed on the couch. I opened up one of the bags to see a big cream box wrapped in a red ribbon. I removed the ribbon and opened the box. Alisia laughed at the shocked expression on my face. Sitting in a flurry of wrapping papers is a red lingerie two piece. I picked up the sexy underwear and admired it. "Something to spice up your nights" Alisia said, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.I shook my head at her antics and laughed. The doorbell rang, interrupting us. I headed for the door and through the intercom, I saw Robert, my driver standing outside."Good morning, Ms Danielle" Robert greeted once I opened the door."Good morning,Robert. How are you doing today?""Very well, ma'am""Why are you here?""Your father asked me to deliver his wedding gift to you, personally." "Wedding gift?" I remembered now that dad had mentioned sending Robert over to the penthouse with my wedding gift. I was curious to know what Dad could have gifted me."My gift is here? Where is it?" I asked. Robert's hands were empty and there was nothing behind or beside him. "It's downstairs ma'am" he said, smiling."Really?" I asked, excitedly."Yes ma'am""Then let's go now. Alisia, let's go downstairs" I practically ran to the elevator and wiggled excitedly all the way from the 12th floor, where Adrian's penthouse was, to the ground floor. Alisia and Robert laughed at my obvious exhilaration.Robert led us to the front door."Where is it?" I asked looking around."There it is" he said, pointing to a car."What?" I squealed in delight. Alisia giggled beside me. I ran towards the sleek yellow sports car with the Lamborghini trade mark sign on it."Noooooooooo!" I squealed happily."Yes ma'am" Robert said, laughing."I've wanted this for forever. Oh thank you Robert" I said, giving him a big hug."It's your Dad that you should be thanking ma'am" he said."Thank you for bringing it here. Oh Alisia, it's such a beauty" I said running back to my new car. I hugged it in joy."Let's take it for a spin" Alisia suggested."That sounds like a good idea" I agreed. Robert handed me the keys to my car. "I'll be off now ma'am" he said, giving a bow."See you later, Robert.""Be careful and drive safe, ma'am. Don't make Sir Jack regret giving you the gift" Robert admonished."I'll be careful. Thank you Robert" I squealed as I opened the car door and sat in it. I breathed in the new car smell, my sadness and boredom melting away as I released a deep breath."It has such beautiful leather" Alisia admired, running her hands over the seats. "It's so beautiful" I said. I could barely believe I finally had the Lambo I had been begging Dad to get for me. It was such a beauty, I wanted to admire it all day long."Let's ride this thing" Alisia squealed. I started the car and listened to the revving engine. I drove down the streets of Manhattan, a big smile on my face.Related chapters
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER TWELVE.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V. I woke up with a start. The disturbing sound of footsteps made my sixth sense kick in. I slowly climbed out of my bed, opting not to put on my bathroom slippers to make tiptoeing easier and noiseless. I wondered who in the world could be in the house by this time of the night. I had been sleeping alone in the penthouse for the past two weeks because my new groom, Adrian, had been a no show since the night of our wedding. I had no idea where he was, what he was doing, and how he was doing; and I honestly couldn't care less. Alisia usually made my days in the house more cheerful and fun filled; she was especially helpful and assisted me with solutions to my hunger problems by bringing various dishes cooked by the Valentino family chef, on the orders of Alvida, my mother in law. Sadly, my evenings became dreary once she had to leave me on my own. Sometimes, to alleviate the boredom e, I would take my car out for a spin, an activity that gave me immense j
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V. "What are you going to do today?" Layla asked. "The usual. Laze about the house until evening, fight with my husband when he gets back from work, and then go to bed " I replied. "That sounds hectically boring" Janelle said. I shrugged. I changed my position on the bed by laying on my stomach then I propped my phone on a pillow to allow my friends a better view of my face. "How has life as a married woman been like?" Layla asked. "It has been wonderful. Just splendid. My husband and I love one another so very much." I said sarcastically. "I can hear the sarcasm dripping from your words. What's up?" Janelle asked. "It's been hellish, guys. Being married to this snotty human being has been hell on earth." "How come? He seemed into you at the engagement party. Even at the wedding, he looked like he was the happiest man in the world." Sofia inputed. "Maybe it's all in your head. I surely don't feel like the happiest bride in the world." "Seriously,
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V"What are you doing here?" I asked.Don't get me wrong, I did not mean to sound rude and inhospitable; my father would bulk in disappointment if he ever heard me speak the way I did; but I could not help the edginess of my tone.I was not familiar with this lady and our first encounter was not one I would call pleasant, so seeing her standing smugly there, at my doorstep, was irking."Is that any way to greet a guest?" she asked. I was very baffled by her audacity. Who did she think she was, speaking to me the way she did; like we were friends who had become estranged because of a fight. I had no idea who she was, my first time meeting her being on the day of the wedding. Seeing her standing there, entitlement oozing from her pores, head to toe, irritated me."Then again..." she continued, a sly smirk on her face, "...you don't seem like one who is well mannered." she insulted.I did not feel hurt from the shallow insult. Throwing jabs at my supposed lack of home tra
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V Bright rays of sunlight escaped the shield of the curtains hung on the window and fell on my face, causing me to stir from my slumber. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and stretched my arms with a loud yawn. The digital clock sited on my nightstand read 8:30 am. I wiggled my feet into my bathroom slippers and headed for the bathroom to brush my teeth. Once I was done clearing off the nauseating taste of the previous night's food from my tongue, I exited my room and headed for the kitchen in search of something to eat. As I entered the hallway leading to the living room, I heard Adrian's deep voice resonating from his room. He sounded angry. I made to tiptoe past his room to avoid him taking notice of me but I stopped still in my tracks as he yelled. "Fuck!" he cussed as he launched his phone across the room. I held my breath as I watched the device fall on the bed and bounce and I let out a loud sigh of relief as it settled in between the folds of the b
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER SIXTEEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V The sky was covered with dark clouds that gave a foreshadowing feel of a downpour. The house was cast in a cloak of stilling darkness, and cool breeze wafted through the open window. I breathed in the fresh air and sighed in satisfaction at the feeling of peace that came alongside my action. At first it drizzled, but after a few minutes, it began to rain heavily with thunder and lightning, signifying the torrential downpour of precipitation. I made a dash for the open window and thankfully, I closed it in time to avoid any of the rain water getting into my room. It was the first rain in the month of June. I gleefully scampered out of my bedroom and into the living room, excited to start my day, but my joy was brought to an ultimate end when I sighted Adrian. I checked the digital clock in the living room to confirm that my eyes were not playing a prank on me. The time read 10:21 am. He should have been out of the house long before then, so what in the wor
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V I applied a final coat of beige lipstick on my puckered lips, and rubbed one lip against the other to ensure an equal blending of the lipstick. I admired my reflection in the ceiling-to-floor mirror that I had discovered in my walk-in closet on my first day in the Penthouse, twirling and turning to confirm if my body hugging knee-length black dress was the perfect fit.Today, I was to make my first visit to the Valentino Company to familiarize myself with the company. Alfredo had made it very clear that my responsibility as the only daughter-in-law of the family was to learn the ropes of the company and assist my husband in the running of the company in the nearest future.Seeing as I was to be the the heir to my dad's fortune too, I had decided that taking up such a responsibility, instead of the punishment it seemed to be at first, would be actually very beneficial to me.I went through my collection of purses which sat on various bag compartments and finally dec
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V.The click clack of my heels making contact with the marble floor resonated in the quiet reception. I was visiting my Dad at his company to check up on him and tell him about the latest developments in my life."Good morning, Ms Dawson." the receptionist greeted with a bright smile."Good morning, Samantha. How have you been?" I asked."I've been very well, how about you?" she asked."I've been good." I replied.Samantha and I had been cordial ever since her employment into Dad's company. She was pretty and nice, a few years my senior, but she always accorded me the respect one would give their age mates. She was easily the most likeable employee in the company."Congratulations on your wedding. I'm sorry I couldn't be there. I'm sure you looked like a princess" she said."Thank you, Sam. It's okay." I said, giving her an assuring smile.I continued on my way to my dad's office, taking the elevator to the 11th floor. On getting there, the elevator opened with a ping d
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER NINETEEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V. It was a bright and sunny aftemoon. I had pulled aside the curtains that covered the floor-to-ceiling window which encompassed the entire length of a wall in the living room. The sun rays showered the living room with their bright light, reflecting on the marble floors, and illuminating the room with their natural light; this gave the room a warm ambience and I smiled in satisfaction at the beauty of the afternoon. My morning had been quite uneventful, having spent the early hours staying locked up in my room in an attempt to avoid Adrian, yesterday's stomach stirring moment still burning in my memory; and the later hours laughing my heart out to Andre and Rainbow 'Bow' Johnson's dealings with their crazy and dramatic family, work, and everyday life in Blackish, one of my favorite comedy TV series. After binge watching three seasons, I had gotten bored and decided to invite my friends over to the house. It would be their first time in the penthouse, so I fus
Latest chapter
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V I stirred from my slumber, my eyes blinking open reluctantly. The room was bathed in the soft glow of dawn and a lingering sense of unease clung to me. As consciousness found its way back to me, I felt the sting in my eyes which were heavy from a restless night. My eyes stung as I tried to focus on the familiar surroundings. A few remnants of the nightmares that had plagued my sleep replayed in my mind, their vivid images taunting me. A groan escaped my lips as I tried to sit up, the dryness and ache in my throat were evidence of the tumultuous night I had. The taste of fear lingered in my mouth, leaving me parched and exhausted. When I finally sat up, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I could still hear the faint echoes of my own screams and I took a quick glance around, half expecting to find shadows lurking in the corners of the room. The sheets clung to my skin- further evidence of my night which had been filled with restlessness. The room, usually a pe
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT.
ADRIAN'S P.O.V. It had been a month since the storm called Chase Sinclair, had hit our lives, leaving destruction and doubts in his wake. The air hung heavy, in my office, with the weight of unspoken words as Omar Zayn, my lifelong confidante and best friend, sat across from me. His eyes, filled with understanding, met mine, as if searching for the turmoil that had etched its mark onto my soul over the past month. The weight of the past month lingered heavily on my shoulders, and I couldn't shake the guilt that gripped my conscience. "Omar, I messed up big time," I sighed, rubbing my temples. Omar leaned in, concern etched on his face. "What happened with you two, Adrian? Last time I knew, you guys were solid. Tell me everything. Maybe there's a way to fix this." Omar said, his expression empathic. In a flash, I recalled the doubts that had plagued me and the message that had led to my questioning Danielle's fidelity " I doubted Dannie's loyalty, questioned her commitment
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V I woke up with a splitting headache. The piercing pain that seared through my head dragged me out of the depths of unconsciousness. As my eyes fluttered open, I groaned, clutching my throbbing temple. The room spun and my vision blurred as I blinked. "Where in the world am I?" I muttered while trying to make sense of my surroundings. As I tried to sit up, the sharp pain in my head intensified, sending shockwaves through my body. It felt like a sledgehammer had collided with my skull and I could hear the faint echoes of my own pained groans. With my muddled senses, I struggled to make sense of my situation. I continued to blink rapidly to clear off the dizzy spell until the dimly lit room slowly came into focus. Suddenly, I felt restraints on my wrists and ankles. "What the hell...?" I muttered pulling at the ropes that bound me and restricted my movement. On seeing that they would not budge, undiluted panic started to creep into my bod
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX..
DANIELLE'S P.O.V The weeks following my traumatic ordeal at the hands of Chase were a blur of hospital rooms and tests. I had also been offered therapy sessions, but I rejected them as the very last thing I wanted to do was revisit the torture I had gone through. However, I could not seem to run away from those days of captivity as even after I had long been discharged from the hospital, my mind was still trapped in the nightmares that had plagued me ever since that fateful day- the day Chase Sinclair had kidnapped me. It felt like I was trapped in a unending nightmare, unable to escape the memories of what had happened to me- memories of how my baby had almost been taken away from me. I was back in the safety of the mansion Adrian and I had gotten but the house which used to bring me so much peace now seemed as oppressive as it was comforting. I sat on the plush couch in the living room of our grand mansion, surrounded by my friends and family. Adrian was on a busi
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V. The hospital corridors stretched before me, a maze of sterile white walls, distant echoes of life, and busked whispers. Their white walls were an unsettling reminder of the captivity I had endured for far too long at the hands of Chase Sinclair. Determination surged through my veins as I made my way towards the women's restroom, a small glimmer of hope guiding me towards the next step in my escape. I walked with purpose and my steps were fueled by a desperate determination to reclaim my life from the clutches of the darkness that Chase had surrounded me with. My footsteps faltered as both anticipation and apprehension coursed through my veins and each footfall echoed in my ears as I made my way to the restroom. Every step that I took felt heavy with anticipation and my heart pounding in my chest as I neared the restroom. It was a moment that held the key to my freedom; the key to reuniting with my family and escaping the clutches of Chase once and for all. As
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V. Chase’s eyes bore into mine, and I could see the rage simmering beneath them. His gaze moved around the room, scanning for any signs of betrayal and then, suddenly, his eyes locked onto my shaking figure. A cruel smile pulled at his lips as he lunged towards me and on reaching me, he grabbed my hand with his grip tightening around my wrist. Panic engulfed me as he wrenched the phone from its hiding place under the pillow and he held it up, triumph gleaming in his eyes. “You really thought you could get away, didn’t you?” he sneered, his voice dripping with malice I stood there, transfixed to the spot by the fear that caused my heart to pound in my chest, my hands trembling. The stolen phone rested securely in Chase’s grip; a small but strong weapon that I had used against the man who had held me captive for far too long. Chase loomed over me, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and desperation. "You think you're so clever, don't you?" His voic
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THREE.
ADRIAN'S P.O.V The walls of my office seemed to close in on me as I sat there, utterly drained from the dual onslaught of my demanding position and the storm raging inside of me. The dim lights seemed to intensify the shadows that had taken a place in my life recently and the air felt heavy as the weight of my tumultuous life burdened me. The office room felt like a prison of polished wood and cold steel and the distant hum of the city just outside of the office walls did nothing to ease the feeling of being trapped. The room that was usually a place of productivity and creativity, had. now become a battlefield between my professional obligations to the company and my personal emotions. Rubbing my temples gently, I tried to erase the persistent ache that clawed at my skull, but I couldn't seem to find relief from it. Weariness weighed heavily on my shoulders, and burden on my heart as I could not seem to get away from the shattered pieces of my broken life. The weight of my r
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V. The days, weeks, or perhaps months, following my abduction felt like an eternity; I had lost track of time as those moments that I spent while being trapped in this desolate room passed in a hazy blur of fear and despair. Each passing moment was filled with fear, uncertainty, and a desperate longing for my freedom, every second spent in Chase’s clutches was a reminder of the very fragile line that separated both my life and death, every waking moment that I spent in that godforsaken room was tainted by the knowledge that I was at the mercy of a man I once called a friend; a man whom I had thought to forgive and let go of the hurtful things that he had done to me in the past; a man that had now turned into an obsessed captor; a man that had snatched me away from my peaceful existence. The room was always dark and even with the air conditioner, who’s hum served as the only other source of sound in the dreary space, it always felt suffocating as the only other me
Sweet, Sweet, Nightmare. CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY ONE.
DANIELLE'S P.O.V. I did not know how long I slept for, or how many days had passed by while I was in a state of unconsciousness; all I could remember when I slowly opened my eyes, the heaviness of sleep still lingering in my limbs, was that I had been taken against my will and the culprit of my kidnapping was none other than my former childhood friend and recently reconciled nemesis. As my vision started to clear, I found myself in a dimly lit room; it was not as small as the one I had previously woken up in, but it felt the same to me as I felt the sterile walls closing in on me. Panic coursed through my veins as the memories of the events leading up to my kidnapping flooded my mind. My heart raced and thumped loudly in my chest as the realization of my situation settled in once more. I would give anything to exact as much pain on the culprit of my predicament and source of my pain at that moment. Chase Sinclair! A name that I had once associated with friendship; a name that
