CHAPTER 53BRIANNA’S POVI meant every bit of everything I said to Sebastian minutes ago. It was for the best. It was the right choice. Even though it did hurt me a bit. I won’t deny I was having feelings for him. But I have to cage and bury those feelings deep inside me for good before they burst out and I end up regretting. I couldn’t have him falling in love with me when our love seemed impossible. When my past was still haunting me. When his wife had her grip tight on my neck. I just couldn’t let him.After hearing his reason for not letting me leave, I felt lost. I didn’t know how to react or what to believe. Or what to think. It was all too overwhelming for me. Could he be telling me the truth, or was he just making it all up to keep me here? But he didn’t seem like the kind of person who would lie for his benefit. He was more than that.I paced back and forth inside the cell, like a mad scientist. I groaned, clenching my teeth until my jaw started to ache. I ran my fingers thr
Chapter 54BRIANNA’S POV“Leave us,” Catherine directed at Amelia as she approached the cell, her tone seeming terse and stern.“Yes, Luna Catherine,” Amelia left my hand, stepped a little away from the cell and replied with a slight bow. Then she said something to me in a voice slightly above a whisper. “I’ll be leaving now. The maids are unpacking your luggage and will come soon to accompany you to the bathroom to take your bath. Make sure to eat your breakfast and take two tablets from the medicine pack. Don’t forget what I told you about---”“Let me not repeat myself,” Catherine’s voice hardened impatiently. “Get out now!!”Amelia dipped to another reverential bow before scurrying out the door. And Catherine just rolled her eyes.She stood there, arms crossed, one leg forward, and her familiar stern glare in her bright blue eyes. I couldn’t help but wonder how and when she got injured for that thick roll of bandage to be tied around her wrist. She looked perfectly fine when I saw
Chapter 55SEBASTIAN’S POV“How long will the funeral service last?” Catherine asked while seated on the edge of the bed.“In the text message, it said it shouldn’t take more than three days,” I replied, looking at myself in the mirror as I slipped on my suit jacket.When an Alpha King passes away, the funeral services typically last for two or three days as the case may be. On the first day, family members, other Alpha Kings, and important guests gather. The second day is dedicated to the wake-keeping and ceremonial customs, which take place the day before the main event. During this time, candles are lit, incense is burned, and other symbolic rituals are performed to the moon goddess, asking her to accept the king’s soul and honour him as a king in the afterlife. On the final day, the main event takes place. The body is laid to rest on the ground. Eulogies and tributes are given, and after the closing remarks, a gathering will be held at his castle for a reception.Nolan was a fool.
Chapter 56SEBASTIAN’S POV“And what about her?” My lips thinned with anger as I glared at him. “Easy there buddy,” he grinned, sealing the whiskey bottle. “Why so flared up and defensive all of a sudden? She’s just a slave, you---""She might be a slave," I interjected, stopping him in his tracks. "But I'm in charge of her now. I'm her master, not you," I stressed. “So you have no rights whatsoever to speak about her or ask about her….just don’t mention her name ever again.”He scoffed incredulously, fixing his gaze on me with surprise and shock. Then, his expression shifted, and he reached for the filled glass on the coaster. With a fierce gulp, he downed its contents and wiped a stray droplet from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. Finally, he locked a cold, sinister stare on me.“I’m just here to make one thing clear to you. She was the prettiest and hottest of my slaves. And she still is. Finding a replacement for her has been fucking hard! So you better watch y
Chapter 57SEBASTIAN’S POVI had a black eye and my side hurt from the punches Hermes landed on me. He did hurt me. But I was satisfied to know I hurt him more. When I return to the castle, I’ll put some ice on the injury and ask Amelia for pain medicine to help with the discomfort.As we pulled up to my castle and parked in the garage, I noticed something strange. Normally, when I came back from a trip, the castle maids and sometimes Catherine would come out to welcome me. However, to my surprise, no one came out this time.We got out of the car and went inside. It was even stranger indoors; the entire place looked empty like no one had been living in the castle. I went to the freezer, took out an ice bag for my black eye, and called for Amelia and the head maid. But there was no answer. I furrowed my brow in confusion and concern.Is this what they always did whenever I wasn’t around? Taking the days off? I’ll definitely inquire about this and reduce their pay. All of them! And Ca
Chapter 58SEBASTIAN’S POVAfter spending last night getting myself drunk at a guesthouse, this morning, I came down with a terrible hangover. I was in no condition to drive myself back to the castle so I put a call through to one of my guards to come pick me up.During the ride, he explained how they dealt with the man Catherine was cheating on me with before letting him go. I commended them for that.Because of what happened yesterday, I forgot to go check on Brianna. With the maids absent, I was sure no one had attended to her yesterday.“Oh, goodness,” I murmured, rubbing my forehead to ease my pounding headache. It was all Catherine’s fault. I couldn’t help but worry about Brianna—did she eat, bathe, or take her medication, which was supposed to finish this week?Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!!“Boss, you alright?” my guard asked, noticing how troubled I was in the rearview mirror.“Yeah,” I huffed. “It’s nothing, just the hangover.”He nodded and continued driving.When we got to my castl
Chapter 59 BRIANNA’S POVKeeping track of time in this cell was difficult. The only thing I could do was look out through the small window with bars and watch the sun rise and set. That’s how I managed to measure the passing days.If I was right, it had been a day or two since Sebastian, Amelia, or any of the maids had visited. I hadn’t eaten, taken water or bathed since then. My stomach hurt so bad from hunger. But I had to endure. I’d survived longer without food before, after all.I could tell that something was happening out there. Something strange and unusual. But what could it be that made Amelia and the maids not visit? Sebastian even promised to be coming every day. But it turned out to be a lie. Perhaps this was his way of punishing me for trying to escape. For not reciprocating his feelings of love. No…no…no. Sebastian wasn’t that type of person. He might be on an important trip or in a meeting. Alpha Kings are always busy with such stuff. Or perhaps… this could be one o
Chapter 60SEBASTIAN'S POVAmelia put a call through to the psychiatrist like I told her to. She successfully scheduled a session for Catherine first thing tomorrow morning. That was the best thing for Catherine. She was losing it. I couldn’t bear living with someone who would always attempt to hurt or kill herself each time we argued. I didn’t want to be responsible for anyone’s death.With Amelia’s help, I managed to calm Catherine and gave her sedatives. She almost fell from the balcony, and the incident had deeply shaken her. If I hadn’t been there to calm her down, she might have had another of her panic attacks. Once she fell asleep, I hurried off to check on Brianna. Before I left, I made sure Amelia or any of the other maids around kept a close watch on her, in case she woke up and attempted something crazy and dangerous again.When I reached the cell room and saw Brianna, I was relieved to see that she was okay. She asked if I was doing well, probably because of the black ey
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