Chapter 11BRIANNA'S POV “You look so beautiful,” his vibrant eyes ravaged me, and assessed me, almost undressing me. Those were Hermes’s words the first day he met me at the local store. That fateful day, I blushed till my cheeks ached and my face reddened to the colour of blood. I shrugged it off as I nervously stood, pretending like I didn’t hear him. When an Alpha king calls his slave beautiful, then there is a hidden agenda. What were his plans? Why was he taking me to this party? Even though his wife wasn’t around like the maid assumed, he could surely go alone. “I have prepared her as you told me to, my lord,” the maid lowered to a respectful bow. “Thank you,” Sebastian said as his gaze returned to me and I flickered mine away to avoid meeting his. “You did a great job.” The maid smiled as she made her way to the door. That was the first time I was seeing her smile. But I could easily tell it was unnatural and hard for her. Sebastian strutted to me, his gait majestic, gra
Chapter 12 BRIANNA’S POV I never wanted to come to this auction in the first place. Sebastian made me. I had a bad feeling about the whole thing and now, that bad feeling was playing out before me. “If Sebastian doesn’t know the value of a pretty slave like you, I very much do,” while still holding me in such proximity to him, he smirked and leered at me like he did on the day of the auction. I knew that look. That smirk. It only meant one thing and that thing was what I hated the most. Hermes was a champion at it. But thank goodness we were in a public place. “Please let me go,” I cried out, struggling so hard to free myself from his grip. I could already feel the pain slowly kicking in my elbow. “I promise to leave at once.” He only looked at me and bubbled out a scorn. Just being so close to this harasser prickled my every being. At that moment, I was ready to do anything to get away from him. To get away from all this. “Come here,” his hands slid from my elbow to my wrist as
Chapter 13BRIANNA’S POVI thought Sebastian forgot about me. I thought he abandoned me. Thought he left me to relive my dark past in the hands of the cold-blooded brute kneeling behind me. But to my surprise, he came to my rescue.His eyes popped out in shock on seeing what his fellow Alpha ruler was about to do to me. His nostrils flared and his hands clenched in rage.“Come on, Sebastian,” the brute withdrew from me and stood up to face him. “Don’t be so greedy. If you want, we could share her tonight,” his lips curled up to his ears in a sinful smirk.Without thinking twice, Sebastian rushed at him and thudded his smirking face with a heavy blow that sent him colliding into a full-length mirror by the side of the room and sprawling on the floor.I lay frozen on the bed, tears blurring my vision and my body trembling in shock and fear when Sebastian suddenly scooped me into his arms and carried me out of the room.The usual me would have declined but I was so broken I saw myself sna
Chapter 14 SEBASTIAN’S POV “Catherine, it’s not what you think,” I took cautious steps toward her, trying to clear what negative thought clouded her mind. I didn’t know what she had seen or how long she’d been standing there but I know I wasn’t doing anything bad with Brianna. I was only checking out the bruise on the side of her lips that spoilt, filthy bastard - Nolan had inflicted on her. “You lying son of a devil!” She cursed, her face swollen with anger. “Not only did you take that slave girl to the cocktail party, but you also tried to kiss right her in front of me. You're shameless, Sebastian."“I didn’t try to kiss her,” I defended, even though it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to do so. She was so close and smelled so good. But I resisted every urge to kiss her. It was the wrong thing to do, especially with what happened at the party. “She had an accident. An injury on the side of her lips. I was only checking it out.” “You take me for a fool,” she shook h
Chapter 15 BRIANNA’S POV The next morning I woke up earlier than usual. The endless sprouts of dark thoughts that filled my head had kept me up throughout the night. Preparing as fast as I could, I rushed down to the back garden. I didn’t want Sebastian to arrive before me. It’ll be wrong for someone considered a slave. I had to walk a few distances before I could make it to the back garden. It was a stone's throw away from the back of the castle. On reaching the garden, Sebastian was already there. I noticed he was wearing a pair of wireless earbuds and looking at the garden, the expression on his face peaceful and calm. The garden was a beautiful site to behold as the soft rays of the morning sun bathed it. It was a haven of vibrant colours and intoxicating scents. The blooming flower beds, fluffy carpet grass, delicate vines and shrubs, colourful butterflies and bees that pollinated the flowers, the lovely tunes of the birds and the gentle rustlings of the leaves in the wind we
Chapter 16BRIANNA’S POV*****After Hermes deflowered me mercilessly, I felt broken. So broken I could barely walk. My womanhood stung with so much pain that seared my waist and thighs. Blood smeared my thighs. I had managed to wash them off before slumping into the bed.I huddled and buried myself on the bed, whimpering uncontrollably as my tears wet the sheets, the scenario replaying in my head like a horror movie even though I tried hard not to think of it.Days passed and even weeks. I wasn’t sure since he locked me up in his hell hole. My daily routine was to wake up, wallow in agony, nibble on the food brought by the castle maids, knit some pieces and watch the rise and settling of the sun from the window. The last two were the only activities that managed to untangle me from my web of gloom. It's been a bit long since I saw Hermes. And I was happy about it. I wished I’ll never see him again. But my wish didn’t come true.One evening while I was peacefully watching the sun dip i
Chapter 17(CONT’D FROM PREVIOUS CHAPTER)BRIANNA’S POVDespite everything that happened, I still couldn’t bring myself to dance for him. I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t picture myself swaying, twisting, and wriggling my body just to impress him and make his cock rise. It seemed absurd to me.I could feel his glare burning through me. I could feel his anger spreading like a pandemic across the room, threatening to wreck it apart. But I was adamant. I will give anything to leave his disturbing presence. Anything! Anything but dance.The song finished playing and in an instant, he rose, his devilish gaze already melting me to ashes. Sheer black fright swept through me. What was he planning on doing to me this time? In this state, I could barely survive another round of his defilement and ill-treatment.“I warned you, Brianna,” he threw his words at me like stones. “I made it all clear to you but you still stayed stubborn. Now you’ll suffer the consequences of your action.”I watched as
Chapter 18SEBASTIAN’S POVThis garden held a special place in my life and heart. It held memories that are forever stuck with me like glue. Almost every morning, I like to come here, play my music and let the serenity envelope me. I let the calmness take care of me. Pamper me. It was more than a garden to me. It was my antidote. My escape from the world threatening to swallow me whole.In our two years of marriage, Catherine never knew of my special connection to this place. No one knew. Except... Brianna. Now that I've brought her here and told her.I had brought her here, thinking perhaps the music and serenity will wipe away every pain. Every trauma. Yesterday’s dreadful scenario at the cocktail party. Wipe away everything that burdened her. But I was wrong. The moment I saw those glistening tears on her pale, heart-shaped face, I knew it did more harm than good. Perhaps, it was a mistake bringing her here. Perhaps, I shouldn’t have plugged those buds in her ears. But the song was
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