Vincent's hand clenches to fist as he watches the CCTV footage of how the old man stole the bag that contained one point five billion of narcotics inside of a hotel room that was supposed to be delivered to his client; Mr. Stevenson, the night before the old man decided to steal it. "How does this fucking old man get away from the five of you huh?!" Vincent abruptly shouted to his five stout men assigned to guard the hotel room until the transaction is over that day. The five men are now bowing their heads—sweating hard, and uncontrollably swallowing their saliva. When no one dared to answer Vincent he lifted his swivel chair and threw it to them. "Do I pay you for stupidity huh?!" The other associates didn't budge. They are used to his anger. The five men are still lucky because their boss wasn't holding a gun. After all, if he had one on his hand, the five of them would probably soak in their blood on the floor
"Enjoy your stay, Miss Oakmont." Celestine groaned after someone forcefully pushed her inside of a dark room making her sat on the cold floor. Tears welled in her eyes when she heard how the man locked the door, not leaving a space for light to shine through the room. She hugged herself as her shoulders quivered. She can't see anything, she feels like she has gone blind. She can't even hear the slightest noise outside. It's as if the darkroom tarnished her ability to think and feel. Celestine clenched the hem of her shirt when the wind whistled giving her goosebumps. She closed her eyes and had accepted that this might be the last day of her life. "I love you, Dad," she whispered to herself. Vincent massages his temple with his eyes closed. There's so much on his plate right now but on top of all that was Fernando. He heard a knock on his door. "It's open." Niccolo entered his office. "Boss,
"Ouch." Celestine felt a pinching itch to different parts of her body and it's driving her crazy. She's been slapping her body for God knows how many hours and until now she's still doing it. Every bite of mosquitoes is giving her goosebumps and it's making her feel uncomfortable. "I don't want here anymore," she said to herself as she threw her head back to stop her tears from rolling down her cheeks but no matter how much she tried to stop herself from crying, her mouth quivered and she started sobbing. "Daddy..." It is gut-wrenching. She never did imagine that one day she'll be caged inside of a darkroom like she's on a death row waiting for her turn. She's a model, she is supposed to be living her best life right now but she's here—staring blankly at the darkroom with nothing but her clothes on and her desperation to come out of here. She misses her father. She hopes that whenever he is right now, he's fine. Celestine no longer fee
When Celestine felt the touch of cold water on her face she felt relieved. Being kept inside of a dark, dirty cell felt like she's been inside of it for years and she had forgotten the feeling of cold water. She looked in the mirror and could barely recognize herself—her cheeks and lips that used to be pinkish were now pale and dry. Her eyes that used to be the most beautiful part of herself are now looked gloomy and tired. Her gaze went to her bruised wrists and caressed them. She felt the urge to cry when she also noticed the red dots all over her body due to the mosquitoes that did nothing but bite her every night. She looked at herself in front of the mirror. "No." She shook her head. "I know you can. You have to be brave. I know you can," she whispered to herself. She was startled when someone kicked the comfort room door. "Make it fast, woman!" Celestine wiped her wet face using the hem of her shirt that she has been wear
While sitting inside the van, Celestine felt the pain in her handcuffed wrists. She did not bother struggling to get out her hand from the handcuff because it would only bruise her wrists even more. She was unable to move because Alice forcefully tied her ankles using a cable tie a while ago. Celestine thought that Alice would blindfold her but she was thankful because the woman didn't do it. "What did Boss say?" Alice asked the man in the front seat as she lights up her cigarette. "All of us will meet at the hotel," the man replied to Alice. Alice looked at Celestine. She knew her because almost every famous magazine had Celestine's face as a magazine cover. But as she stared at Celestine she could no longer recognize her. She was far from the beautiful Celestine that Alice knew. ‘Vincent seems to be doing a great job to make this woman suffer.’ Alice said in her mind. Alice blew smoke on Celestine's face to annoy her. And it
Celestine slowly opened her eyes. It was strange for her to feel softness against her back after waking up that is far from the hard and cold floor of the cell that became her bed for a couple of days. She stretched her body and buried her face on the soft pillow. She missed the feeling of comfortableness that was taken away from her since Vincent took her with him. She wrapped the soft blanket around her aching body and closed her eyes again. She wants to give time to what she's feeling right now because anytime it will be taken away from her. As she closed her eyes her mind wandered and thought of Vincent. She can't deny that she got affected by the way he acted earlier. She can't get her mind off the way he caressed her aching wrists. He does that with an evident fastidiousness and she can't seem to forget the way it felt. "No, this is not right, Celestine. You shouldn't feel that towards him. He's a murderer or worse a drug addict!" she scolded he
"Celestine! Open the goddamn door! Celestine!"A loud shout and a series of knocks woke up Celestine who was sound asleep in the bathtub. What brought her back to her trance was the familiar voice shouting outside the bathroom. She immediately sat up and hugged herself. She wanted to curse herself when she couldn't find a towel that she could cover to her body to open the door for Vincent."You'll open this or I will open this fucking door for yourself?!""N-No! Uhm, just wait for me outside! I'm taking a bath!" Celestine shouted as she couldn't figure out what she should do. She swallowed hard when she heard nothing from Vincent after that. Celestine didn't know what Vincent was doing and he went suddenly silent but she's praying that he wouldn't have thought of barging inside of the bathroom because the last thing she wanted to happen right now is for Vincent to see her naked body.Celestine's eyes widened when the bathroom door suddenly opened and in h
When Celestine finally sat in the passenger seat, she inhaled Vincent's familiar scent inside. It was evidence that Vincent was indeed the owner of the car because his perfume engulfed every corner of it. Celestine did not try to speak because she knew that she would only look like a fool if she talk to Vincent. After all, the man would not talk to her. Instead of attempting to talk to Vincent she just stared at the glimmering light on the road. The cars didn't move fast so she felt more uncomfortable being with Vincent in the same place as the two of them we're not talking but she couldn't do anything, she has no right to complain because her freedom is in Vincent's hands and it is in his decision when to let her go. But she doubt if he would do that. "Don't embarrass me later," Vincent said that broke the silence that enveloped them earlier. "What do you mean?" she confusedly asked but he didn't answer her and became silent
"V-Vincent..." All she remembered was throwing the gun somewhere and she ran towards Vincent. His eyes are wide open as well as his mouth. He's not moving. She tried to wake him by touching his chest yet after minutes of sobbing and trying to save him, nothing happened. His chest is not moving, it was as if he is asleep but his eyes is open. He's not breathing anymore. "N-No, Vincent. Wake up, c-cmon... Wake up p-please," she whispered to his ear even though she knew to herself that no matter what she do, it's already too late. She hugged his body and she sobbed in his chest, hoping that it was just a bad dream even though she still can feel the intensityof the gun when she fired it. "Celestine, let's go. C'mon, you need to leave now. Any minute from now Vincent's men will come to check on what was happening here. We need to go now." Celestine looked at the woman who suddenly speak. It was Sophia. "S-Sophia..." Sophia's eyes is roaming around the mansion checking if Vincent
"Clean the cell, leave no trace of his blood there, burn the gun, his clothes, and his apartment," Vincent authoritively said as he was washing his hands on the sink. His men immediately nodded his head after hearing what his boss had said. They were having a good time talking while eating until they heard a gunshot coming inside of the cell. Everything happened so fast that the the only thing they know was thinking that their boss had planted a bullet in Kingston's head but it wasn't what they are expecting because when they go to see the cell, it was Kingston who is holding their boss' gun. "What the fuck are you still doing here? Didn't you hear what I asked you to do?!" Vincent shouted when he noticed that the associate is still standing next to him like an idiot. Vincent's shout was enough for the associate to get back to his senses and get out of the bathroom and do what his boss asked him to do. Vincent closed his eyes firmly and threw his head back while he is clenching
"Let me go!" She had been screaming yet no one seem to hear her, they are ignoring her. She is inside of a van with five men inside, all of them are wearing masks and they are all silent. There is nothing that could be hear inside except for her screams that don't seem to bother the five men. She closed her eyes firmly and stopped trying to untie her wrists on her back for a moment. She has to remind herself that she had been in this position before, her getting kidnapped by the enemies is something that is not new for her and instead of feeling scared she should think of a way to escape from them, though it might be impossible to do that because what is the strength of a woman compared to five strong men surrounded her. "Good thing you finally get tired of screaming," the man driving the car said while he is chewing a gum. She opened her eyes. "If you think that Vincent will come to save me, you better think again. You got the wrong person. I am not Sophia, you should've taken h
"Fuck," Kingston murmured when he tried to make a movement. His body is sore from all the punches that he had received. He doesn't know how long Vincent had been keeping him inside of the cell because he couldn't see any light from the outside. All he wanted was Vincent's men discovered a new hobby and it is to beat him up every fucking minute. He spit blood on the cold tile floor then he tried his best to move his body for him to comfortably lie on the floor. As he was trying his best to move, he is holding his breath firmly. He can endure the pain but his body needs a rest. He never felt so restless his entire life until Vincent kept him inside of the cell that makes him feel like he is visually impaired. "Fuck this," he continued cursing as he was trying his best to quicken his movement so the pain he might going to feel will be all at once yet his body is not cooperating. He can feel the tiredness of his body. Every inch of his being wants to rest yet in his mind, he keep tel
Celestine stopped walking as soon as she figured out that Saoirse is no longer following her. She turned around to see what her manager was doing and she found her a bit far from where she is with a devilish smile. At first, she is hesitant to call her attention but then she remembered why somehow she wanted to have this conversation with her manager. "Hey! Everything's fine?" she asked loudly, making sure that despite the distance between them she will still be able to hear her. Saoirse who was startled by her voice immediately composed herself, remove the devilish smile on her face, and act as if she had done nothing wrong then she jogged towards Celestine's direction. "Sorry, I just had to reply to that important text message," she explained as soon as she reached Celestine's side. "Anyways, I know a place here where we can talk privately." What Saoirse just said made Celestine's eyebrow raise. She's not in her manager's side for months now unlike before that they are usually t
"Good morning, Miss," the maid greeted as soon as she opened her eyes. Last night, she wasn't able to sleep. She doesn't know if it is about the temperature or is it about the idea that Vincent and her isn't fine. But between the two, she choose to believe that it is because of the room temperature. "W-What time is it already?" she asked as she was helping herself to sit on the bed. The windows in her room is open yet the sunlight is not hurting her skin, giving her an idea that she woke up early today. She looked at the maid confusedly. Maids are not allowed to enter the room, not just her room but in any room without asking for permission that she is confused for why the maid is inside of her room the moment she open her eyes. Even though she wants to point out about the maid tresspassing inside of her room she just decided to shrug the idea off. She wanted to start her morning in a good mood since she slept with a heavy heart last night so instead of scolding the maid she just p
"H-Here's your coffee." She slightly tilted the tray that she was holding. Vincent lick his lower lip and run his fingertips to his scalp. He doesn't have an idea of how he supposed to deal with her after knowing almost everything that she had done. He couldn't believe everything that is on the papers. He couldn't believe everything that Kingston said. Everything is an act of betrayal. Everything isn't true. Celestine planned it, she tried to be in control of his life and he never did question her, it also somehow his fault yet it wouldn't justify the fact that she is the mastermind. She did what she did and he wouldn't let her fall for her stupid game anymore. She might had already plan how everything is going to end for him but he will change it. He will change the ending and it is him who will have the loudest laugh in the finish line that she had prepared for him. "I didn't ask you to bring that to me." He turned his back on her then he pulled his sleeves up. She, on the othe
Celestine hit her shoulder when she felt a mosquito pinching bite. Its blood was on her palm. It's dead. She grimaced, disgusted by the blood that is on her palm. She looked away from her it and wipe it on the hem of her t-shirt. The blood in her palm is something that doesn't freak her out anymore like she used to. Seeing blood anywhere becomes a normal scenario for her ever since she met Vincent. She glance in her palm and even though the blood wasn't there anymore, she can still see it; her hands that is covered by blood. She closed her eyes firmly to keep herself calm but instead of avoiding the idea that her mind had made up for her, she smell the blood. She can smell it. Blood that almost smells like hers, the scent that she's been trying to get out of her system. That smell, it was so familiar. A shovel suddenly entered her mind. The dried red stain in the shovel is what brings her back to the past that she's been trying to get off of her mind but couldn't. "Miss, are
"Did you already sent the letter?" The man slightly nodded his head. "Yes, Sir." "Are you sure that she will receive the letter?" "Certainly, Sir," he answered with great confidence. "Good. Go back to your work now." He rest his back on the backrest of his couch. The letter successfully sent to Celestine, he just hope that the letter reach her before Vincent get to read them. Just when he thought he can finally have his fifteen minutes break, his phone suddenly rang. He pushed himself to reach for the phone on the other side of his table. He picked it up and put the phone against his ear. "Who is this?" he asked. "How are you, Bonifacio?" said the man on the other line with a devilish smirk lingered on his lips. That voice, he knows that voice very well, he know it so well that he immediately recognized the person calling. "Venedict," he said. Venedict chuckled. "Guess you still remember me." He clenched his jaw tightly. They haven't heard anything from Venedict sinc