“Greg is like a brother to me,” he replied, his eyes steady. “I don't want to put you in danger; I don't want you to suffer. That's why I'll prepare you to escape from his grasp. We'll implant a tracking chip under your skin so we can know your whereabouts. I'll train you in every way possible to get away. I know you're scared...”
“I agree!” I raised my hand, cutting him off. “You're right, that monster will never stop hunting me. It's inevitable that he'll catch me at some point. I don't want Patrick or my grandma to get hurt because of this. Your conditions seem like the best option right now.”
Greg sighed and sat beside me, nudging my shoulder.
“You're a strong woman, Mrs. Elisabeth, with a kind heart,” he grinned wryly. “You make him happy; you should accept his proposal.”
“You knew about this and agreed to this madness
POV: ELISABETH“Damn it!” I yelled as the tight handcuff squeezed harder on my wrists, hurting them. “Hell, how do you expect me to escape with this thing so tight?”“And do you think your ex-fiancé would leave it loose to make it easier for you?” Greg adjusted my hands, assessing. “Come on, apply the technique I taught you; twist your wrist to get free and escape.”“This hurts too much.” I whimpered, uncomfortable.“Mrs. Elisabeth, this pain is nothing compared to what he'll do to you and to Patrick if they catch you!” He stared at me sternly, then stepped back, standing in front of me. “Come on, you're not just trying to escape; you need to save those you love; free yourself.”“Easy for you to say.” I retorted nervously, squirming and gripping one hand with the other, trying to twist. But a
The training days with Greg were intense, especially when I managed to escape from the plastic handcuffs. He taught me self-defense techniques, like unlocking doors and freeing oneself from cloth and tape bindings, and he constantly reminded me:“You don’t need to be stronger than your enemy, just smarter and faster!”Greg repeated this while taking me to the floor of the mat several times, insisting that I get up and try again.“I’m starting to think you’re the one who wants to kill me.” I clenched my fists, bringing my broken nail to my mouth. “Dignity? We don’t have that anymore.”He laughed at my comment and replied, “Better a broken nail than a broken bone, don’t you think?” He extended his hand to help me up. “Does the chip in your skin bother you?”“No, I actually forgot it’s there.” I smiled awkwardly. “Are you sure it’s working perfectly?”“Yes, my team has been monitoring your every move and sending me detailed reports.” Greg nodded, indicating it was time for us to step back
POV: PATRICKMy phone kept ringing relentlessly until I entered the company, where Heloise and her brother, Celdric, were waiting for me in the meeting room. The new assistant, with wide, lost eyes, approached me.“Good morning, Mr. Morgan. I'm Melissa, your new assistant,” she said, stopping by my side and handing over various papers and folders. “I was instructed to give you these contracts for review.”I kept my gaze on the glass-walled meeting room; she followed my gaze, shivering nervously.“I'm sorry, Mr. Morgan, I couldn't prevent them from entering; they were very. insistent!” Melissa fidgeted anxiously. “Do you want me to call security?”“Mrs. Melissa,” I said impartially, putting my hands in my pockets and staring at her, wishing my sweet yet daring Elisabeth was in her place. “Two people entered my company demanding m
“And how exactly do you plan to do that?” I clenched my jaw nervously, watching her enjoy my reactions.“Oh, my love, I own 50% of the shares, remember?” she hissed, amused.“40% are yours; your brat has 10%.” I gritted my teeth, enraged, restraining the urge to lunge at her neck and snap it.“Didn't your secretary inform you this morning?” Putting her hand to her mouth, feigning surprise, she walked over to the desk and sat on the edge, subtly spreading her legs, letting the business skirt ride up a bit, revealing her thighs. “Celdric transferred his part to me!”“That changes nothing; I don’t need to accept your presence in the merger. We have professional mediators for that.” I ignored her, feeling my phone vibrate. Seeing a message from my sweet Lis, I smiled slightly.“I see, there's someone
“Yes, I am prepared.” I stared at him firmly. “How long?”“Oh, you businessmen, always concerned with time,” Nathaniel said, shaking his finger as he walked away. “It will take longer than you want and shorter than you imagine.”“That doesn’t answer my question,” I replied.“You’re asking the wrong questions, young man,” the monk answered vehemently.My phone vibrated, indicating a new message from Elisabeth. I opened it, happy to receive a file from her book, and started to reply when the monk stopped and turned to me.“We don’t allow the use of these electronic devices; they corrupt the soul with their noise,” he said, narrowing his eyes and continuing to stare at me until I put the phone away. “Excellent, can we begin?”Days passed. At the end
POV: ELISABETH“Several reports continued to appear in the newspapers, along with notifications on my phone. I increased the TV volume upon hearing Patrick's name:“The renowned and youngest CEO, Patrick Morgan, a businessman and owner of Seattle's most respected publisher, SoundStory Press, became embroiled in controversy that divided opinions. An intimate photo surfaced showing him with his ex-wife, skirts lifted, depicting an act clearly not consensual. Miss Heloise Forbs gave statements to the press to clarify the events, shocking the public with her words:'Patrick has always been domineering and possessive; unfortunately, his obsession with me didn't end after our separation. He tried to take control of the Forbs industry, forcing me to unlink my name to protect my dear brothers.' She paused, crying, waving her hand to hold back tears. 'My brother Celdric and I went to SoundStory Press to confront Patrick Morgan, who
I issued an internal memo to all collaborators and suppliers of SoundStory Press:“Dear partners,Over the years, the founder, and CEO of SoundStory Press, Patrick Morgan, has been a shining example of leadership, implementing policies based on respect, trust, appreciation, and development within our publishing house. His integrity and dedication as a leader have never been questioned, and many professionals who have passed through the company, as well as our supplier partners, have had the opportunity to grow under his guidance, achieving international recognition.Patrick Morgan has shown belief in the talent and potential of each of us. In this delicate moment, we ask that you not rush to judgment regarding the recent scandal involving our CEO. We will soon have clarifications on the facts, and until then, we kindly request the benefit of the doubt.Sincerely,Elisabeth LisSen
I walked towards the pool with a bottle of wine in hand, the warm night contrasting with the heavy load of thoughts on my mind. Where could he be? Why wasn't he responding? Had Patrick not realized his empire was crumbling?I nervously bit my lip, sitting at the edge of the pool as I sipped the wine, lost in my thoughts. That bastard had returned, bringing all my traumas and fears with him.“Patrick, you said you would protect me. Where are you?” I whispered to the stars, staring at the sky.Setting the bottle aside, I decided to dive in to relax the tension in my body, my anxious mind racing through various scenarios that quickened my heartbeat. I floated with closed eyes, immersed in my chaotic thoughts. There are so many unanswered questions. Who was Gabriel? Why was Heloise involved in all of this? Could it be true?Conflict after conflict. Why hadn't that damn man tried to kidnap me?