CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~GABRIELLELucian returned later in the evening, just when I was just about to fall asleep, the door was pushed opened and he walked inside. He met my gaze briefly before he walked over to the wardrobe and started to take off his shirt.I pretended to be busy with the book in my hand, he couldn't know that I had waited up because of him. In these past few days, he always left for work before I woke up and always returned when I must have slept off. Why would a person work so much? Wasn't it too tiring? Truth was that I missed him. And it was way more than even I would ever understand. When I didn't want his attention, I had all of it. And suddenly, when I did, he was ignoring me? My eyes followed him until he entered inside the bathroom and I heard the sound of the shower running. I released a sigh I didn't know I was holding, it was of disappointment, heCHAPTER FIFTY FOURGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Gabby! My daughter!" Mother cried as her arms swept around me, she embraced me so tightly as though I was going to vanish."I'm here, mom" I whispered allowing myself to breathe in her most familiar maternal smell."I didn't tell you because I thought I should surprise you."She pats my hair and broke the embrace to smile down at me. Her eyes shifted to Lucian who was standing quietly the whole time and she allowed her gaze to scan me over once again."Are you alright?" She squeezed my hands. I nodded positively."Don't I look fine to you?"I could easily have turned out worse, I thought silently. I couldn't believe how close to getting caught I almost got. I thought that removing the pill from the drug packaging and putting them inside an unlabeled bottle had been the safest way to hide them because even if Lucian saw it, he wouldn't be
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVEGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Something was not right. I chewed on my breakfast softly wondering why I was feeling troubled. Lucian had gone to handle some business matters, he didn't go into complete details with me, but I thought it was weird that no sooner did he leave the house, my father followed. Dad had been in such haste that he even skipped having breakfast. Did something happen with the factory? Or maybe there had been an attack on any of the batch of products? Mom retired to her room, I couldn't help but notice that even she seemed distracted, after the way our conversation ended yesterday, I've been trying to get answers from her but she always waved it off each time. A beeping sound disrupted my thought, my eyes located the source of the sound, it was Phoebe's cellphone. She must have forgotten it on the breakfast table before she left for her room. Maybe it was an important call? With that though
CHAPTER FIFTY SIXGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I made the call to Lucian and he told me to remain where I was, that he was on his way back. A shaky breath escaped my nostrils, why did Derek send that text? Was he around here? Perhaps he was watching me this instant? I shuddered inwardly and started to drop my phone on the bed when my eyes caught sight of a shadow behind me. A half scream managed out from my mouth before the shadow moved in a blur, a cold hand was clasped over my mouth, turning my screams into muffled sounds. I bit the hand hard, a curse left my attacker's mouth as he spoke. "Do not move, don't scream!"My body froze at the sound of the familiar voice.His hand went tight around my mouth while his other hand had a firm grip on my shoulders, he slowly turned me around to face him. Slowly, he took off the black mask that shielded his face and I was staring into the familiar face. Derek.I studied him stil
CHAPTER FIFTY SEVENGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I stared at Derek blankly as he led us towards the door, different thoughts were running through my mind, each leaving me even more confused than the last.Here was Derek who has only ever loved me, Lucian on the other hand had caused me much pain and there was no guarantee that he would change, that he would get to love me in a normal way.It should have been very easy to make a decision, if I walked out this door with Derek, then I probably would never see Lucian ever again, I wouldn't have to live in the constant fear that he would suddenly snap and hurt me. Despite knowing all these, my chest still felt too stuffy, my stomach was cramped with unease. I felt as though I was betraying Lucian, I would be hurting him. I couldn't imagine how upset he would be, what if he abuses himself again? And what about me? Would I be able to go on with my life as though Lucian hadn't happened? I al
CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHTGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Time seemed to slow down as I watched Lucian enter and at the same time Derek pull on the trigger, my scream was useless, his left shoulder was now a bloodied color that left me horrified.At that moment, I met his expression, his eyes were blazing with fury instead of the pain I knew he must be feeling. His shoulder was bleeding, blood trickling down his arm, while my heart gnawed with concern, he also looked much more like a dark forbidding beast that had been set free and ready to attack.From the corner of my eyes, I saw Derek's finger tighten around the trigger, preparing to shoot again, I didn't think, I only acted. It was a foolish move but there wasn't another option."No don't! Please. " I rushed to stand in front of Derek, so I was positioned between the gun and Lucian. "Get out of the way!!" He yelled, his eyes told the rest of the things he didn't say, the confusion, f
CHAPTER FIFTY NINEGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I couldn't believe I said that.I didn't know if I would have gone ahead with it, but I knew that I would not be able to live with myself after this if Derek died from this incident.I tightened my hand around the gun, my heart pounding faster and harder until it threatened to break out. All the while, I heard Lucian's stare and knew the exact moment he gave in. He was bloody furious at me but I also saw the anxiety he had not been able to hide, he didn't want to guess if I would actually do it or not and it worked to my advantage."Fine!" He spoke in between gritted teeth, shoving Derek away roughly but not before giving him a cheap knee to the gut.I did not rejoice on my victory, it was still far from over, the danger was still looming and currently striding towards me in heavy steps. "Don't come closer!" I yelled, taking a step backward.He
CHAPTER SIXTYGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The tension in the car was too intense, it became too unbearable.I wanted to disappear under his prolonged hostile silent stare, time moved like a slow ticking bomb, the nervousness was killing me piece by piece. He should yell or question me so that I would brace myself of what to expect, but he did neither.The driver made a quick turn and I soon realized that the car wasn't heading towards our house.In fact, we were going farther away from it."Where are we going?" I asked nervously. My question was left unanswered. I looked at Lucian to realize that he was no longer looking at me, his head was tilted back against the car seat, his eyes were shut, his jaw was clenched tight, either to suppress anger or pain?? His chest rose and fell unevenly with each breath he took.He looked pale. A droplet of sweat ran down his temple.He wasn't alright
CHAPTER SIXTY ONEGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A sudden movement jerked my eyes open from a short slumber, I recalled that I had sat beside Lucian, somehow I must have managed to fall asleep.My gaze drifted upward to be met by a pair of stormy grey eyes, his stare was cold. Brutal. Unforgiving.I shot to my feet and took a step backward, almost stumbling to the floor in the process.He didn't say a word, but he didn't need to. The fierce hostility in his eyes told me that hell was about to break loose.I inhaled nervously under his watchful gaze and decided to speak first."How long have you been awake, how do you f..feel?"His silence made increased my worry, I didn't realize that a small fearful sound escaped from my throat when he ripped off the IV drip connected to his hand.His stormy eyes were like a brewing hurricane, one that was soon about to be unleashed, and I didn't want to