Chapter 84CATHERINE’S POVThe happiness I had quickly turned into frustration and rage filled me when I reached the cell room and found it locked. How could this be? It’s usually just closed, not padlocked. Who the hell locked it?! Since Sebastian knew he and his guards wouldn’t be around, he must have locked it and taken the key with him. What an idiot he was ruining what I worked hard to plan out.I growled in frustration, kicking the door. This was my moment, the perfect time to finally kill this girl and move on with my life. Yet, Sebastian had ruined it for me, as usual. Why? What had she done to make him so protective?Anger surged in me, hot and intense, like fiery blood. I kicked and banged on the door, even though I knew it was pointless to do so. Losing control, I pulled out my gun from my nightwear’s waistband and shot at the lock. But it didn’t break.I wanted to shoot at the lock over and over till it broke and forced open. But I managed to restrain myself. Rose said t
Chapter 85SEBASTIAN’S POVEarly in the morning, we left Amelia’s parents’ house for my castle. She couldn’t return, a choice I respected. I admired her bold decision to pursue medical school, furthering what she learned from her parents. I assured her I’d always remember her and encouraged her to call if she needed anything, though I knew her modesty might make that difficult. That explained her reluctance to accept the check I offered.I thought about writing a complaint to the Alpha Kings Association, asking for a divorce from Catherine if it turned out she fired Amelia unjustly. I’ve endured a lot, and though it wouldn’t be easy, I was willing to take the risk, considering everything Catherine had done. However, Amelia said she was at fault, so I put the idea on hold. But if Catherine did something else foolish, then I’d consider it without hesitation.After we arrived at the castle, the first thing I did was rush to the cell room and unlock it. I hoped Brianna didn’t know the do
Chapter 86BRIANNA’S POVEvery moment that passed, I yearned for my freedom. I yearned to know what happened to Amelia. Why I hadn’t seen her since that day?I wanted to talk to the maid who helped me, but she never spoke to me. She just carried out her duties like a programmed robot. Since the poison incident, all the maids now act weird, like they’re afraid and avoiding something. And I didn’t want to ask Sebastian for fear of unwanted consequences.Sometimes, when he read to me, I had this strange feeling he knew where Amelia was and was punishing her for trying to help me escape. I also felt like he was waiting for me to confess before confronting me about it. Because of that, I didn’t bother asking him.Surprisingly, armed robbers didn’t attack the castle that night I heard a gunshot at the door. Everything seemed fine, and everyone was alive, as far as I knew. This made me think I might be imagining things. I started worrying that I might be going a bit crazy because I was stuc
Chapter 87CATHERINE’S POVFor weeks now, I have been patient and had one of the maids monitor Sebastian to find out where he kept the cell room key.When he came back from his trip to get the green-eyed Amelia back, I was relieved he didn’t bring her back or confront me about the threat and the situation that got her fired. She turned out to be a smart girl and kept her tiny hole shut like I expected her to.Now that I was done getting rid of the maid, Brianna was next. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her. Just a little longer and she’ll finally be out of me and Sebastian’s life forever.The maid I assigned to watch Sebastian and find the cell room key told me he carried it everywhere. However, she mentioned seeing it occasionally on top of his nightstand when serving him meals in the guest room. This meant he left it there when he wasn’t carrying it.I could have told the maid to steal it, but Sebastian is clever. He’d find out, punish her, and she might reveal I sent her. I can
Chapter 88SEBASTIAN’S POV It’s tough to grasp. I feel so hurt and betrayed. How can Brianna want to escape again? I did a lot for her and made sacrifices, but now it feels like she doesn’t appreciate any of it. I should have known sooner enough that she was this ungrateful. I wouldn’t have wasted my time and energy.And Amelia. Her betrayal hit me doubly hard. After all these years together, it’s shocking she’d stab me in the back like this. Maybe that’s why Catherine fired her and she covered it up by lying to me at her place.God damn it!!And I have been pointing fingers at Catherine, angry when I thought she fired Amelia unjustly.I wanted to go to Amelia’s place right away, but it was late, and she should be at medical school by now. If she had a phone, I would’ve called and no doubt confronted her about this. I can’t let her or anyone in this castle mess with me or involve themselves in matters that don’t in any way concern them.Tomorrow morning, I’ll let Brianna go as I tol
Chapter 89SEBASTIAN’S POVPanic and confusion overwhelmed me like never before. My breathing got heavy as I anxiously looked around, wondering what to do next. I couldn’t think of anything else but to go and get help. I would have called an ambulance right away, but I didn’t have my phone with me.Quickly, almost like a madman, I hurried out of the cell room and then returned to the bars where Brianna lay on the floor, looking hurt and shocked. I wanted to help her, but I had to find help first for Catherine, who was either dying or already dead. I couldn’t really tell.“You saw what happened, Brianna. It was a mistake… I didn’t kill her. I was just trying to get the gun from her when she accidentally pulled the trigger,” I spoke quickly, stuttering, my words not making much sense.Then Brianna passed out. My chest heaved uncontrollably as if my heart was about to fly out of my chest. I ran my hand through my hair vigorously. I wanted to go in and help her, but when I looked back and
Chapter 90BRIANNA’S POVThe olive oil in the saucepan made a sizzling sound as I added chopped onions to it. Once they cooked well, I put in minced garlic and cooked the mix for about two minutes until it was fragrant. I was about to pour in the crushed tomatoes and peppers when the lights suddenly flickered, grabbing my attention.“Damn it,” I said out of frustration when the lights continued flickering. Since there was no one nearby to help with the fuse box, I turned off the cooker and decided to go check it myself.I checked, and everything seemed okay to me. None of the wires or other parts were damaged. So, what could be causing the issue?I restarted the main control switch, and luckily the issue was fixed. I went back to my cooking, and after adding the crushed tomatoes and peppers, the lights flickered once more.“What the heck?!” I cursed and turned to look at the kitchen light bulb when suddenly the image of Hermes appeared right in front of me.He had no clothes on, blo
Chapter 91BRIANNA’S POVHolding back a sob, I lifted my head from Sebastian’s chest. I didn’t know how long I buried my face there, but it was for a while. I was feeling better now, knowing it was just a dream and the stab in my stomach wasn’t real.“Thank you…sorry,” I said embarrassed, wiping my tears with the back of my hand. “I didn’t mean to waste your time or for you to see me in this state.”“It’s okay,” he gently lifted my chin and helped me wipe away the remaining tears. “Everyone goes through tough moments. Just remember, what you saw isn’t real and can’t haunt your thoughts unless you let it. I’m glad I could help. I’m here whenever you need someone to lean on.”I nodded, looking down. Now aware of our closeness, nervousness washed over me. A tingling sensation twirled in my stomach, and a strange feeling ran through my skin with him so close.“Are you sure you’re okay?” He held both sides of my face and leaned forward.Avoiding eye contact was hard; he was so close. When
CHAPTER 19“W…what do you mean she didn’t make it?...” My voice quivered as I tried to keep it steady. My breath was heavy, coming in short quick gasps that hurt my chest. “S…she’s dead, Lily,” the doctor hesitated before breaking the news with a heavy sigh. “She couldn’t be operated on due to lack of completion of the payment. Her body has been transferred to the morgue. I’m sorry. I did my best. I really did. You need to come now to identify her body and make necessary arrangements…” The weight of his revelation bore down heavily on me like a ton of rocks, crushing me to a pulp. I didn’t know for how long I stayed mute, feeling an acute sense of loss wash over me. My mother. My sweet mother…the only family I had left was gone. I won’t get to see her again. This was all my fault. If only I had gathered the payment and made it to the hospital in time, I could have saved her. She’ll still be breathing by now. Terrible regrets assailed me as hot painful tears burned their way down m
BRIANNA’S POV The pungent smell of drugs and antiseptics came streaming into my nose. Irritated, I grimaced, shaking my head to ward off the smell. My eyes forcefully slid open to find myself in an unfamiliar environment flooded with bright almost blinding lights with the walls painted white too. It didn’t take long for me to realize I was in a hospital, the beeping of the heart monitor and other medical machines I was hooked to the only sounds heard in the room. I groaned in discomfort, breathing out heavily as I tried to gently sit up on the bed. I felt so disoriented like I just woke up from a terrible coma. I tried to recall the events that led to me being here when the door suddenly pushed open and Sebastian stormed in. “Doctor! She’s awake,” he shouted, appearing relieved and overwhelmed with joy. He crouched in front of me, looking at me and touching me like I was made of glass. He was extremely concerned. “Are you okay?” He asked not waiting for me to answer before a
CHAPTER 152 SEBASTIAN’S POV Hermes started moving stealthily towards the car, forcing Brianna along with him, his eyes fixed on us without wavering. Brianna looked at us with a helpless gaze, silently pleading for us to help her. I felt really bad. My body burned with restlessness and the urge to do something. Anything. I can’t just stay back and watch Hermes take her away. I can’t afford to lose her again. I can’t bear living a minute of my life again without seeing her. I didn’t know if there was someone inside the SUV to drive them. I couldn’t see clearly. But Hermes was moving into the passenger’s seat with her. That meant someone was there or maybe he’ll climb into the driver’s seat after he got in. But whatever the case was, I didn’t want him to take her away again. I looked at Dylan in a silent, urgent plea. “We have to do something. We can’t just stay back and let him take her away again…” “I’m sorry Sebastian,” Dylan sighed in pessimism. “But there is nothing
CHAPTER 151 SEBASTIAN’S POV Dylan managed to gather all the association’s security troops in time. With an armoured truck, we burst in through the gates of his castle, taking the occupants mostly his guards by surprise. They didn’t expect us, especially by this time, at dusk. Dressed in bulletproof vests, we jumped down the trucks and shot several times in the air to frighten Hermes’s guards and force their surrender. The order from Dylan was to arrest, not to shoot. But I wanted to kill them all, most especially Hermes. Dylan knew I’d find it hard to adhere to his commands so he refused to give me a gun. Having arrived with five armoured trucks – three for the association’s troops and the other two for Hermes and his guards that will be arrested, we were almost thrice the number of Hermes’s guards. And the fact we came unexpectedly, they weren’t prepared at all. Looking around the place, I couldn’t see Hermes or Brianna. Where the hell was that bastard and where has he t
CHAPTER 150 BRIANNA’S POV I grimaced bitterly, looking away in irritation. “Let me go! I’m going nowhere with you…” But it fell on deaf ears as he started dragging me along with him to the castle’s exit as though I was some children’s toy. His grip was so tight I feared I might fracture my wrist if I tried to break free. “You killed her…” I swallowed with difficulty, tears falling out my eyes as the brutal scenario of how he killed his sister came rushing to my mind. “She was worried about you…she was only trying to help yet you murdered her in cold blood. You’re selfish! You have no heart! You’re a monster ….!! How can you murder your sister like that?!! You’ll never win me over… As long as I live, I’ll continue to hate you…” Exhaling loudly in frustration, he stopped and turned to me, the anger and rage in his eyes hot enough to burn me to ashes. I stopped talking and froze in fear, my breath fluttering in my chest. “Maybe it’s time I gagged that little hole of yours
CHAPTER 149 SEBASTIAN’S POV “What?....what is it?” I asked in desperate curiosity, eager to know the contents of the letter that left him in such a devastated state. “It’s from Hermes’s sister, Hera,” he uttered, rebuffed as he momentarily looked at the me and letter. “What did she say?” My curiosity peaked as I took a step closer to him. He looked into the letter. “She says that Hermes kidnapped a pregnant slave named Brianna Campbell and…” “That’s her!” I pointed out almost hysterically, interrupting him. “She is the one. Do you believe me now? Or are you going to doubt this one too?” I cocked a furious brow, a clear indication I was angry with his nonchalant attitude towards this matter. Even though this letter would help prove to Dylan and the rest of the committee that I wasn’t lying, I couldn’t fathom how it came to be. Why would Hera write and send it, implicating her brother? Hera and I weren’t very much acquitted. But merely seeing her was enough to tell an
CHAPTER 148BRIANNA’S POVPanic began to trickle in. “What…what’s the problem?” I asked her, my voice fragile and shaking “It’s always left unlocked since no one knows about it…I don’t know who could have locked it!” She exclaimed in frustration.My heart started thumping against my chest, the little hope I had crushing to pieces. Hermes was only a few distance behind us. If we don’t find a way to make it out any moment from now, he’ll definitely catch up with us. And I was already tired, hungry, and thirsty. I have held it for long. I didn’t know how much longer I could endure.“Come on,” she said as she took my wrist. “We can still make out before Hermes…”However, her words knotted in her throat the moment Hermes walked into the room.His eyes were dark and devilish, and his features hardened to a lethal frown as he glared at us. Tightly curled around his fingers was a pocket knife. He looked like he was ready to draw blood.I swallowed a lump that hurt my throat and thudded down
CHAPTER 147BRIANNA’S POV“What…?” The shock of what I heard threw me off balance to the extent that reality seemed to shatter. Did she just mention I was sold off to Hermes by a woman? Not just any woman but the one close to me? Close enough to be a relative?“What woman are you talking of?” Desperation and suspense clutched me as I walked to her and grabbed her by the shoulders.From the way she kept glancing around, struggling to recall, it was clear her memory was hazy. “Uhmm…. It’s been a long time so…I can’t really remember. The little I could see was she had curly shoulder-length hair and wore a floral dress…She looked like those types of women who’ll go the extra mile to look beautiful…I’m sorry but that’s all I can remember. I wish I could do better…”She didn’t finish talking when I left her shoulders and suddenly walked away from her. Shock siphoned blood from my body. I was too way to dazed even think or blink. Those descriptions matched Aunt Gigi’s perfectly. She had cur
CHAPTER 146SEBASTIAN’S POVMy face scrunched out of shape in rage as I scowled at him. I felt like throwing him a punch that would knock him back to his senses. Just how the flying fuck did he think I was lying over something this serious? The lives of my twin babies and the love of my life were on the line here, yet he’s telling me to seek therapy?!With all rage tearing me apart on the inside, I wanted to say something to him. Something that’ll cut through his scepticism and make him understand the gravity of the situation. Something harsh that’ll make him understand just how angry I am. But Khan, who was also in the office with us, stepped in to intervene, sensing the escalating tension.“My boss is telling the truth,” he said, keeping a calm demeanour as he explained. “The castle was attacked, and all my colleagues and the maids were killed. Not to mention my boss’s slave was taken hostage. They were all gunshot wounds, and with the way the operation was carried out, we’re convi