CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO
GABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"Please wait here! don't go anywhere." Devin told me. "But..." I started, but he was already gone, I watched anxiously as he blended with the slight crowd. What was that sound all about? Why was Derek here? Was Loretta alright?I was too nervous to standby and wait any longer, I hurried after him, and at the same time, I could hear the sound of sirens. I finally found Devin, he said the first thing I noticed was the bloodstain on his hand which spiked my anxiety, I looked behind him but there was no sign of Loretta, nor Fred. "What happened? Where are they?" I barely finished talking when my eyes fell on the paramedics walking out with a stretcher, I couldn't tear my eyes away, not even a blink. The person lying unconscious was Fred. Was he dead? god no!Without a word, Devin grabbed my arm, hurrying us out of the mall and more security that werCHAPTER SEVENTY THREEGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"You have to take me with you." I said, his reaction was immediate."No, you are staying here" He asserted, frowning.I had only an hour to reach the location Derek had given to me. I was to come alone or he promised to kill everyone I cared about.Derek seemed to have lost it, I was scared for Lucian's safety and my family's as well. I wanted to meet Derek, maybe I could make him change his mind, things don't have to end tragically between us."If he doesn't see me, he's going to kill them! We can't risk it, Lucian!" I urged as he yelled something to Devin about preparing the car. I started to speak again when he grabbed my arm, tilting my chin to meet his gaze."I'm not about to use you and our baby as bait!" He glares at me. "You are going to sit your pretty ass down here while I go get the job done! I will be back in an hour and I promise you that nothi
CHAPTER SEVENTY FOURGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I could only seat helplessly as Devin drove us farther away from Lucian.He started to answer a call and I turned away in frustration. Tension was building its root inside of me until I felt like I would burst from it all.I inhaled deeply closing my eyes, there was no option left but to believe Lucian and wait for him to return unharmed."What the..." The startling sound left my mouth when the car suddenly screeched to a halt.My head spun to meet Devin's grave expression and knew instantly that something was wrong, I was almost terrified to ask."What happened? What's going on?"Devin stared at me, his expression filled with urgency and uncertainty. "One of our men reported to have spotted Vladimir, why would he arrive in New York all of a sudden?"Vladimir Petrov? Why would Lucian's rival be here, dad and Vladimir were part
CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVELUCIAN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It was too late, there were already inside the building.Fuck!The cold rational part of my mind registered one thing, there was nowhere to run!They were no doubt searching for us across all the rooms right now!"We need a plan now!" Devin spoke.There wasn't much time to think but the last thing I wanted was for Vladimir to use my sister as leverage against us, or worse, she could end up injured or dead.I met Loretta's panicked gaze, she shouldn't be going through this all over again. I doubted she would ever forget this event and had never been so thankful that I had found out Brie just in time and sent her home.A mixture of rage and panic filled me as I suddenly thought if I didn't make it out of here, I would never get to see Brie ever again, never hold our baby in my arms.No!All the more reason I had to get out of
CHAPTER SEVENTY SIXGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I collected fresh flowers from the garden as I had been doing for the past two weeks. Has it been two weeks already since my world fell apart?Yesterday, I had visited the cemetery along with mom, we were all going through a tough phase, Phoebe was still convinced that I was responsible for our father's death, we haven't seen or heard from her after dad's funeral service. Mom told me that she was only confused and grieving at this stage of her life, and it was easier for her to just put the blame on another person but I had also been thinking about it every single night and hated to admit that if I had allowed Lucian to kill Derek back then, he would have been beside me right now.Words could express how much I miss him and it hurts so much.I finished arranging the flowers and walked to join Loretta and Devin."Anyone could have done that, why do yo
CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVENGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It started off as another dream. I could see Lucian calling out to me, his lips were moving but I couldn't make out his words. I was pleading with him not to leave me while holding on to him."I won't." He murmured in my ears and it dawned in my brain, Lucian had never spoken in my dreams before..."Brie, open your eyes!"Suddenly, the grip I had onto him felt too physical, all too real. With a gasp, my eyes popped open, and then I saw him.Lucian!I froze. Staring at him, my heart pounding hard and loud against my rib cage.He was sitting beside me, looking very much awake and vital. This had to be one of my many dreams, or my head was playing cruel games with me.I blinked twice, my vision dimmed and cleared but he was still here, staring at me. A bandage was wrapped across his head, he looked slightly pale but his grey eyes ha
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHTLUCIAN~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Months went past, soon it was spring once again, we had lived the past months to the fullest and I could say it was the best of my entire life.I lay in bed fully awake and conscious of my wife's warmth and familiar smell. It was the best fucking place to be. Not until the sound of low whimpers which soon transformed into full-blown cries reached my ears. It seemed Brie heard it as well as her eyes fluttered open almost immediately."I'll get her baby, you stay in bed." I kissed her forehead, kicking the blankets off my body as I walked right to the crib only a few feet away.There she was.Our precious Jasmine. The name suited her just right. She was the only perfect and innocent thing I had a hand in creating. Her eyes were shiny with tears, her little face was red from all the crying as I gently picked her up and her pink blanket. My protective fatherly instincts
CHAPTER ONEGABRIELLE**"Gabby! Are you done with the preparation! The guests are arriving any time from now!" Mother busted inside my room, her voice sounded panicked.I was frightened too, her mention of the guests only made it more severe.Her eyes searched around until they found me, where I stood opposite the mirror, it held a hint of approval as she approached where I stood. My blond hair had been brushed until it shone under the bright lights in my large room, I was dressed in an expensive royal blue evening gown which complimented the color of my eyes.The bright red lipstick made my lips seem fuller than it was. "Oh my goodness! You look so beautiful" She complimented softly.Her eyes which were the same shade as mine watered as she suddenly engulfed me into an embrace."You are strong, I know you can go through with this" She squeezed my shoulders.I wanted to yell
CHAPTER TWOGABRIELLE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~There were voices engaged in discussions as I walked behind Phoebe, all too soon we reached the dining room.I kept my eyes cast downwards, my legs feeling like molten plastic."These are both my daughters, this is your betrothed Lucian "My head snapped upwards the moment father uttered those words, he was also the first person my eyes located. If anything, he looked nervous which I've never seen him ever before.There were at least more than ten people sitting over the large wooden dining table, but my eyes found him.My heart jerked hard against my chest. The burning grey eyes continued to hold mine and I couldn't tear my eyes away, those eyes held power that threatened to consume me. The heat simmering in those orbs was making me uneasy.His coal-colored hair was kept long, almost brushing against his shoulders, his jawline cut shaper than any I have ever seen, hi