“How can you do this to me?” Steffan yelled. Then he paused. “Just tell me the truth. Tell me how it happened.”“I don’t understand what you are talking about,” Racheal said, shaking her head.“Stop it.” Steffan yelled. “Stop f*cking lying! You are messing with my mind. Just tell me the truth.”“About what?” She yelled, crying, “I did not kill your sister.”“Maybe you did not mean to. Did you mean to stop Skylar from going on the trip like you promised your father you would with me?”“I did not talk to my father. I have not talked to my father since that last time Roslyn tricked me into doing it. I told you.”“How can you be like this?” Steffan was looking at her like he did not recognize her. He raised the document in his hand. “All of these results came back as positive. That was your voice on the call.” He scrolled through her phone, and turned it to her face. “Your call log even shows you had an outgoing call at that time. You somehow forgot to delete it like you attempted to
“Go call him.” Steffan said to Luna, but he was staring at Racheal fiercely.“It’s just the both of us now” Steffan said, as soon as Luna left. “For f*ck sake, say the truth.”“I am.” She shouted.She could see the veins in his temple and forearm begin to pulse. He looked away from her and walked towards the jewelry box on the ottoman. He pulled it open and stared. He took out a card. Then he leaned down again, and fished out all the pearls and gold necklaces.Then he pulled out another card. She stared at him.He turned to her with the card.“This is an address. This is what you killed my sister for, to know where your mother was buried?"She just continued staring at him.“Answer me.” He yelled.She jumped and began to cry. “I don’t know what you are talking about, I don’t understand any of this.”“Why can't you tell the truth? Your insistent lying is driving me crazy. You think that is your only way out? It’s not.”She kept quiet and racked her brain. Was it possible to do all
“I will take your life too.” Spencer Sherrod said, pressing the gun to Racheal's head.“Even in the face of death. You still chose to be tight-lipped?" She glanced up to see Steffan staring at her in bewilderment.“She is her father’s foot soldier.” Spencer Sherrod smiled bitterly. “Why do you think he gave her to us? It’s because he trained her well.”Racheal said nothing. She wanted him to get it over with already. If he did not kill her, this monster headache would.She closed her eyes, and waited.She felt the pressure in her head tightening, and felt Spencer moving his hand to the trigger.“Wait.” She heard Steffan say, and she opened her eyes. “Send her to Tourris instead.”Spencer turned to him angrily. “She killed your sister.” He yelled. “She does not deserve to live.”“You call Tourris living?” Steffan asked.His father seemed to agree with that because he pulled his gun away. Racheal looked from father to son. What the hell was Tourris, and what was going to happen to
07:00 am11-07-2021Tourris, Yin outskirtsRacheal arrived at the last turn.She suspected it was the last turn because she could see the bright light ahead. As soon as she turned left, she found herself in a large room. It had just three walls, the space for the fourth wall was empty. She could see the mountains from the empty space, and the strong wind blew in from there too.When she looked down in the room, she was horrified at what she saw. Most women here looked skinny. Way skinnier than those people back at that camp she had freed.The ones who were not as skinny had sunken eyes. She was the only person that felt like a human at all. She suddenly felt scared. She turned back, and ran the way she had come. She stood at the edge, and noticed that all the guards had left.She lay flat on her belly and looked down. The elevator was gone too. A strong gust of wind blew suddenly, almost taking her over. She gripped the floor tightly, waiting for it to pass. Then she stood
03:00 pm18-07-2021Tourris, Yin outskirts“Oh, shut up.” Someone said angrily in irritation.But Racheal could not stop, she rolled on the dirty floor groaning in pain, her head in her hands. Her headache had worsened to an unbearable point. If she had the courage, she would have jumped already, not because she necessarily preferred jumping to being here, but because she could not stand this headache.It blinded her, and made her nauseous. It was a crippling pain. “Maybe we can ask for tylenol the next time the wardens come here.” Emily said, gently pouring the bottled water they both shared down her brows. Racheal began to sob, the water was not even enough to drink, and here Emily was wasting it on her.“They have not been here with food yet, and you think they would bother with medication even if you asked?” Someone nearby said.Racheal knew she was right. But she wanted to hope. Hope was what would make her not just go for the jump.“Do you used to have them this bad befor
Racheal decided then and there to call Spencer Sherrod’s bluff. He must not know she still cared about Steffan. She would not let him twist her arm into a surrender. If his fear of that evidence was so great that he came all the way here, she was going to make sure it got into Steffan’s hands only. “Why do you think I care about someone that let you bring me here?” Racheal asked. “You heard him say I am dead to him. He is dead to me too.” “That’s a lie. You think I cannot spot it when you are lying?” “The way you did when you accused me of killing Skylar? You probably know I did not do it,” She said bitterly. Spencer shrugged. “I had a suspicion you didn’t, but that was my one chance to put you away. You would have ruined my plans at the rate you were helping Steffan find answers.” he smiled bitterly. “Whoever set you up did a good job of it.” “You cheapened Skylar’s death for your petty ambitions?" She gasped. "You are a horrible father.” “You will take that back,” Spenc
He stood up, hating himself for feeling so much for someone who deceived him all these months, the woman who betrayed him even when he was devoted to her. He felt shame for caring about the life of someone who had a direct hand in his sister’s death. He stomped towards Isaac angrily and gripped him by the shirt, lifting the man’s heel off the floor so he could look in his face. “What is it to you? Are you in love with her?” He barked. “No sir.” The man said with a stoic face, looking ahead. “Then what is your f*cking business? Why are you here? Telling me this?” “Because she is dying.” “How is that my f*cking business? Didn’t Skylar just die too?” He yelled angrily in the man’s face. “Yes sir.” “Then why are you f*cking telling me?” He yelled, his heart feeling like it might burst. “Because you are the last person I can ask for help. The other two people are out of reach.” He let Isaac go, and the man stumbled back, but quickly arranged his now rumpled shirt, and stood stil
He looked at Spencer Sherrod in shock. “You went all the way to Tourris?” He doubted the president had gone there at all since he got into the presidency seat. “Of course. You are my son. You expect me to just sit and watch you suffer?”He looked at the president in confusion. For many reasons, he was not buying this at all. “And did she confess to killing Skylar?”“I guess I was a fool to think she would. I mean. I had a gun aimed at her head that time, and she still would not admit it.” Spencer Sherrod said.He continued watching his father. He knew the man well. He would not go all the way to Tourris except for something very important. Something that was important to him.Could that something be the little woman? Was he abusing her like he did Malorie?He felt a shiver run down his back. He would strangle the man right here. Then he paused. What was wrong with him? He had not confirmed that his father truly did all this. Why was he feeling so protective over a woman that
“Mind Skylar’s head.” Steffan said, watching her get out of the car. Racheal cradled six month-old Skylar’s head in her arms and got out of the car. Steffan turned and walked ahead towards the courthouse. She knew he did not like this, neither did her mother, but she wanted to lead a new life from now on.She would only allow any dispute to be settled by the court no matter how long it took, instead of the torture, killing and all they had done up to the point that she had Sterling.“Maman," Sterling said, peeking his head around his father’s shoulders.“Yes, baby.”“Maman.” He said again, and she smiled at him. Steffan adjusted him in his arms as they walked into the building.It was an informal courtroom, and the biggest case in Xen. This case was what had disgraced Roslyn and made her lose the elections. Journalists waited outside for the final hearing.She and Steffan sat side by side after the judge took her seat, and the accused began to be escorted in by the cops. Roslyl
Racheal followed Steffan into his house quietly. His housekeeper greeted her warmly. She nodded at the woman. She was surprised to see Chef Bennett come out.“Dinner in five minutes, sir.” Then he paused. “Mrs Sherrod.” He bowed.“Make a place for two,” Steffan said. Those were the first words he had said, since she told him she missed him.“Sure, Sir.” Chef Bennett responded.“You kept him?” Racheal asked, as Steffan led the way upstairs. “You liked him.” He said simply.She said nothing more. He surprisingly led the way to his bedroom on the second floor. It was a dark masculine room, wide, dark and intimidating.She stood in the middle, unsure of how to act, or what to do next.He dropped his bag on the bed, and glanced at her.“I am sorry I hurt you.” She said. He paused, midway into sitting on the bed, then started to take his tie off.“That’s rare. Women never apologize.”She made a face at him. But continued anyway. “I was conflicted. I wanted to be with you, but I was
Racheal sat on the toilet bowl, staring at the pregnancy test kit. It clearly read positive. In denial, she took others. They read the same thing.She hurried back to her room and pulled on a dress. It would be stupid to make the same mistake twice. She sat nervously in the backseat as her chauffeur took her to the hospital.She waited nervously as her blood got drawn, and patiently waited for the doctor.She could not smile back as the doctor said.“Congratulations Mrs Sherrod. Would you like to see your baby?”She climbed the table, and stared at the ceiling as the doctor smeared a cold gel on her flat belly.“You are about seven weeks pregnant.” The doctor said excitedly. “Look at your baby.” She held her breath and turned.She could hear the heartbeat of the fetus as the doctor pointed out where the baby was in the sac. It was so tiny, she burst into tears.The doctor helped her up and soothed her, telling her it was OK to cry, that days like these were an emotional day for
The president is dead did not cover the horror of how Spencer Sherrod had died. He stared at his father’s coffin the next morning as the priest talked on and on. He had wanted to kill this man. He had wanted to kill him with his own hand, so why was he reacting this way to the man’s death?His mind kept going back to how Spencer had looked in the video he had seen. He was headed for a meeting, surrounded by his guards, edgy and nervous, and alone.The old woman had come from the crowd, begging an audience. He had hesitated, but asked them to let her through. The woman had hugged him, even as his guards had yelled that it was against protocol.One had even reached out to pull her away. Then flames. He shook his head as he remembered the explosion sound. They had quickly found out the woman was the journalist’s aged mother. The journalist Spencer had killed at Racheal’s office.He felt someone squeeze his arm. He looked down at the little woman. She was the only good thing in
“We should start moving. I don’t want Limuel’s men to find us here," he said as he stocked the fire. She dropped a plate of Ramen in front of him. He smiled up at her, and she smiled back.He did not mind if he lost all his wealth, and became doomed to this kind of life, as long as he had her. She was all he wanted now, all he had ever wanted really from the day he met her.“It will be a few hours still before we can start moving.” She responded. He nodded and picked up his meal. She walked closer and sat beside him. He turned to her, caressed her cheek, and kissed her lightly. She returned his kiss, enthusiastically, the way he remembered, the way he liked.He loved how much she loved his touch. They were soon grappling at each other, their meal forgotten. He squeezed her warm soft body as she moaned his name and dug into his back. He savored the warmness of her, the fullness of her curve, the lusty way she matched his thrusts, squeezing tight around him.He did not want to
Racheal sat shocked, staring at Steffan’s face, just barely able to see it in the near darkness. But she could see clearly enough the honesty in there. His blue eyes were clear and honest, open and pleading.“You should have said that when I wanted to hear it.” She said, shaking her head, starting to move away. But he held her.“I should have. I was a fool not to have.”“I even told you once that I loved you. You said nothing.”“I am sorry.”“Stop apologising. It won’t fix anything," she said, trying to pull away. She did not have to hear this, she did not want to hear this. It would make leaving him that much more difficult. It was easier walking away from a man who hurt her, and had never admitted to loving her even once. But now…“Racheal.” He said, taking her face between his hands. “I love you. I have always loved you. My heart stops at the thought of losing you. The day Isaac told me you were dying, the day you sent that divorce document, my heart completely stopped beatin
“I thought you changed. Apparently, you did not," Steffan said finally, looking away. “You are still as stubborn and careless as ever.”His words stung her.“Careless? You sound like I got some warning that a certain Limuel was after me and ignored it.”“I tried to warn you. I sent a dozen messages, tried to make an appointment,” he blew up.She shrank back. Well. There was no way she would have known. She had his number blocked, so there was no way she could have seen his messages. She still did not know how he had gotten her new contact number by the way. She could not think of any of her staff who could have given him her personal number.She knew he was in contact with Isaac, but could Isaac have given him the number?“After all that has happened to you, I don’t know how you can still put yourself in danger like this.”“One could say I was in danger, hiding with you in a storm like this. At least Maman would think so.” She said quietly, lowering herself to the floor. That got
“What are you doing?” Racheal asked as she watched Steffan walk towards one of the many couches in the room. He said nothing.He placed a bright flashlight she suspected he must have found wherever he found the axe on the floor, lighting the whole room up. He raised the axe, and began to hack at the couch.She stared at him in shock, at first not understanding what he was doing. Then she turned back, and shut the heavy bolt on the door. He had to make fire somehow, or they would freeze to death before the storm was over. Between the both of them, they could probably buy a million couches for this family.She walked further into the living room, past him, checking the whole place out. The only place that was open to them was the hallway, the open kitchen in the living room, and a tiny bathroom at the end of the hallway. All the other rooms were firmly locked. She was not very eager to ruin their locks like she did the front door.She walked towards the kitchen, and turned on th
“What? Why?” Racheal screamed in confusion as she watched Limuel’s guards pull a limp Steffan up.Then they began to pull him to pull him away, his tall frame causing his foot to drag behind him.“I had a suspicion he might come here.” Limuel said, pulling out a big cigar.“What did we do to you?” She asked, looking from Limuel to Steffan, who was being dragged away.“I have no problems with the Sherrods. Just you.”“What?” She asked just as she saw Limuel’s toddler run out of the house. The guards tried to stop the child who was not warmly dressed for the weather. The toddler screamed. He just wanted his father.Lukas Limuel turned at the commotion. “Let him through," he said, standing up. The child broke through the barrier of guards, and ran into his father’s arms.“I don’t have the time to explain anything. I hear your mother has suddenly returned from the dead. I believe she will pay a decent price in exchange for you as compensation for what your family did to us.” Lukas sa