“You can’t be serious,” Emma breathed. Why would he continue to humiliate her like this? Hadn’t he and Vivian done enough? “You heard what he said,” Vivian responded. “You are nothing to him.” Will made a face at Vivian’s comment and she backed away. “You want me to kneel, and beg for my father?” Emma asked, angry tears in her eyes. “Fine.” Emma looked right into Will’s eyes. Her defiant stare was unwavering. She would face public shame for her father. He lay in a bed, unable to care for himself, but he was fighting for his recovery every day. She would fight for him. Before her knees touched the ground, Will reached out and grabbed her hand to stop her. Vivian narrowed her eyes with jealousy. She stepped into of Will, and pushed Emma down. “That’s where you belong! On the ground! You are beneath me, you stupid bitch!” She leaned over to slap Emma, but Will grabbed her hand. “That is enough,” Will hissed. Vivian’s eyes were wide. She was certain Will would be on her side
Matt stopped. Emma looked up and saw it was Will. Relief and dread flooded her. She hadn’t seen Will in a month, and there he was right when she needed him. But he had found her in a terrible position. His eyes were angry, but there was never a way to gauge his reactions. He could have been angry with her for all she knew. “I think she said she didn’t want you. Twice,” Will hissed, stepping towards them. Emma pushed Matt away and he ran like the coward he was. Emma panted, trying to catch her breath. Her heart rate was still sky high. She felt her chest would burst from the thundering under her ribs. She leaned against a wall and attempted to calm herself down. Her legs were shaky beneath her, and all she wanted to do was sink down to the floor and cry. “Have you forgotten our contract?” Will said to her. “What?” Emma was confused. “Have you forgotten that I broke that off?” “You’re not supposed to get involved with any other men,” Will answered, ignoring her question. Emma wa
**Trigguer Warning: This chapter includes graphic and sensitieve contents as the topics of violence and sexual assult. Please be advised.**Emma’s heart fluttered in her chest. *He wants me.* As hard as she had been fighting it, she was developing feelings for Will. But she knew she couldn’t allow herself to give in to those. Will couldn’t be capable of feeling for her the way she felt for him. “I don’t belong to anyone. I broke us up a while back, but you’re choosing to ignore that that happened. Fine. But in that case, I’m just essentially your employee. If I wanted to see or be touched by someone else, you don’t have the right to control that. Not anymore. Not after you broke your own rules and involved yourself with Vivian.” “Emma—” Will’s voice was stern. “Don’t lie to me and say you didn’t sleep with her. I just want to finish out these six months, graduate, and then take my dad from that house,” Emma stood up, ready to leave. “Where are you going?” Will gr
Emma’s last hope died with that phone call. Her attacker continued to assault her. He grabbed her breasts with forceful touches, and she kept kicking and screaming beneath him. His mouth trailed along her neck in slobbery, slovenly kisses and bites. “Such soft skin,” he commented. “And your breasts are perfect. Nice and young. Just the way I like them.” He went to put one in his mouth, but Emma squirmed and battled against him. With her freed legs, she pushed herself up and he fell back. She tried to get up, desperate for every chance she could take. However, he was so much larger. He pulled her back and pinned her beneath him. Emma was frantic with panic. She had to escape him. She just had to. “This would be easier if you held still and just accepted it,” he snarled. “I won’t! I don’t want this! Please stop!” Emma thrashed beneath him. He pinned her harder to the bed. Her strength was fading, and she realized with terrifying clarity that she had no chance against him. She thought
Emma couldn’t stop shaking. Tremors shuddered through her as she recalled Maurice’s grimy, sticky hands grope all over her. His sweaty, greasy flesh pressed on hers, his sour, musty breath, the fetid scent of his skin… they enveloped her and she wanted to throw up. He was disgusting, inside and out. Will sat her in the passenger seat of his car. His suit jacket wrapped around her and she clung to it like a shield. She was still quite exposed. Will scowled as he noticed. “Wait here,” he muttered. “I’ll be right back.” “No!” Emma reached out for him. “Please don’t leave me.” Will kneeled in front of her, his face close to hers. “I’m not leaving,” he caressed her face. “I’m just going to get something to cover you.” Will dashed away and moments later returned with a blanket. He tucked it around her, internally cursing at all the marks on her body. The car ride was tense and silent. The atmosphere was cold, but charged with Will’s anger. Emma stared out the windo
Will kissed her again. It was deeper and more passionate. His lips moved to her neck. He kissed each mark left behind by the attack as though he were trying to replace Maurice’s touch with his own. Emma’s heart and body were at war. Her body longed to let Will eradicate Maurice’s lingering touch. But her heart was still afraid. She wasn’t ready to be intimate this soon, and in such a vulnerable state, she’d lose herself to William Stewart forever. He was an ocean, and she couldn’t swim. Emma pulled away from him.“I can’t,” she whispered, but looked away from him. The lust in his eyes was always too much for her. She knew that if she looked at him now, she wouldn’t be able to resist him. Will moved away, his face soft with surprise. But within a few seconds, his expression morphed into his usual smirk.“You’re denying me?” he asked.“Please Will,” she pleaded. “I want to. But… not right now. I’m… not ready.” She didn’t expect for him to understand, but hoped that somewhere in his hard
Emma and Conrad continued their stroll through the pampered, manicured gardens. Rows of sunset colored tulips, romantic red roses, elegant orchids, and ethereal stargazer lilies stretched out as far she could see. She could spend in eternity in this garden. It was the most beautiful place she’d ever seen.“Come back inside with me. I’d like to show you something,” Conrad urged. Emma obliged and he led her inside to his study. It was a classy, sophisticated room. A rich cherry wood bookcase dominated the far end of the room. The other side had a large mahogany desk. A plush leather sofa sat in the center. Shades of red, brown and cream gave the room a smart, chic, and refined feel. It was perfectly Conrad.“This room looks like you,” Emma commented. Conrad chuckled. “Will used to say that when he was a boy. That’s what I wanted to show you, actually.” He sat down on the leather sofa and patted the space next to him. Emma giggled and perched next to him. He was flipping through a t
Will drove like a mad man to the private hospital. Emma insisted she come with them. Conrad was so sweet to her, and she cared about him. Will didn’t say anything, but he hadn’t stopped her from coming with him. Emma sat in the back with Conrad’s head in her lap. “We should have called an ambulance,” Emma commented. “Shut up,” Will said. He knew she was right, but he wasn’t thinking straight. The image of his grandfather fainted on the floor was burned into his mind. His heart raced. If something happened to his grandfather, he would never be okay. The butler had called ahead to the hospital. They were ready to received Conrad as soon as Will pulled up. The hospital staff took Conrad to the OR and directed Will and Emma to the waiting room. Emma settled on a hard plastic waiting room chair. Will was silent, but he couldn’t stop moving. He would sit with his head in his hands while one of his legs bounced. “He’s going to be okay,” he muttered to himself. “He has to
Six months later “Stewart Industries Landmark building construction was completed today. The twenty-story building boasts retail, commercial, and event space. The impressive building has already become a hallmark of the city with a silver tower as its crown. Glass windows glisten in the sun. And anyone in the city can enjoy the gorgeous public park that surrounds it. It is a gorgeous and shining collaboration of the best and freshest minds in the city. William Stewart has named the structure, ‘The Conrad Tower,’ in honor of his beloved late grandfather. The city awaits now for the building to open and for all the new opportunities it will create. This has been Susanne Winters for Channel 16 news.” They all cheered and toasted the completion of the building, gathered around Will and Emma’s living room. “Here’s to The Conrad Tower!” Will raised his glass. “And to all the people that helped make it possible! I wouldn’t have been able to do this without you all. Thank you.” They raised
The high from the success of the show had worn off, and Will felt himself spiraling. His pulse quickened; a sheen of cold sweat sprouted on his forehead. He held it together the best he could while around others. But alone, with nothing but his memories to accompany him… it was always the worst.As he arrived home and prepared himself for another lonely night, he was greeted by something unexpected. A large truck was parked in front of his home. Men moved in and out of it, bringing things inside.“…The fuck?” he muttered as he parked his car. “Excuse me,” he called out to them. “This is my home. What are you doing here?”“I hired them,” a voice said from the doorway of the house. He looked over towards the familiar voice, not daring to believe it. But there she was, bathed in the light from inside the house. “Hi, Will. I’m sorry if I startled you, but I w
Their days were filled with appointments. Every time they turned around, there was somewhere to be. Will had been discharged and had the company to take care of. With the building finally underway, Stewart Industries was thriving again. It was a rare moment that he got time to himself. And even when he did, everyone else was busy with their own hectic lives. Will floated around his giant, empty home. He went to work, came home, did his physical therapy exercises, and went to sleep. Alone. He found, in recent days, that alone was not a good place for him to be. Nightmares plagued his sleep, and he jumped at the slightest noises. Monsters had moved from under the bed and in the shadows to inside his mind.He hated it.Emma hadn’t been able to make good on her promise to move back. Things were hectic, and no one had time for anyone anymore. It had been almost two weeks before he saw anyone. They all called and messaged each other, but it wasn&rs
Will’s recovery was slow. The doctors had informed him that taking that bullet as such close range did a lot of damage, but it was the reason he wasn’t dead as nothing major was hit. He wasn’t out of the woods yet and would need a good round of physical therapy. The medical staff agreed that he needed to stay in the hospital for at least a week so they could monitor him. Emma and Alex fussed over him, making sure he listened and did everything according to the doctor’s orders.On the fourth day, he was restless and just wanted to leave. Alex was in the room with him, telling him off for not listening.“You’re being a brat,” Alex scolded him.“I just want to get out of this bed,” Will whined.“Try getting out again, and I’ll break both your legs.”“How very Mafia of you,” Will smirked.“Shut up,” Alex swatted at
Chaos exploded around them. Shouts and screams filled the air as Captain Whitlock ordered that Ghost be apprehended and an ambulance be called. Ghost dropped his gun and raised his hand in surrender as his fantasy came to life right before his eyes.“Beautiful!” he said over the din. “It’s more beautiful than I could ever imagine.”“Shut up,” Captain Whitlock spat as he wrenched Ghost’s hands behind his back. “You’re going to go away for a very long time. They may even make a case for the death penalty against you.”“I hope they do,” he said with a contented sigh. “I’ve done all I have ever wanted to do.”“Take this vile piece of shit. And read him his rights. This arrest needs to be perfect. I swear if this fucker gets out on a technicality, I’ll fire the lot of you!”An officer took Ghost a
Will turned around and the world moved in slow motion around him. About ten feet away from them, there he stood. Ghost. Denis. The man responsible for all the pitfalls in his life stood ten feet away from them, the sunlight glinting off the barrel of an ornate silver gun. How could he have been so careless?“Surprise,” Ghost sang.“How…” Will began to ask.“How did I get so close?” Ghost finished. “Without anyone noticing. Hmm…” he used the gun to scratch his temple for a moment and then pointed it back at them. “I’m the monster in the dark. The one under your bed. The one your parents warn you about. Oh wait… your parents wouldn’t warn you about anything. They’ve been trying to sacrifice you to the darkness for years,” he said with feigned contrition.“What do you want?” Will asked. His eyes darted around, looking for
They really thought they were smart, huh? They thought he would fall for their little traps. However, he couldn’t deny that they had presented him with the perfect opportunity. Will was serving himself on a silver platter. It would be so easy to just take care of him then. His ultimate fantasy could play out the way he’d always dreamt of. The very public murder of William Stewart was just something he couldn’t pass up.What reason was there even to hide anymore? They had revealed his identity. Everyone knew who he was. So, what purpose did the shadows serve him anymore? Perhaps it was time to come out into the light and end this charade. His last card against Will had been used up. He’d run out of games.“Let’s play,” he chuckled, loading his gun. “No plans. No backups. This is it.” His heart raced with elation as he envisioned a bullet ripping through Will. Hearing his loved ones cry as his body crump
The interview was a smash. The city was on high alert, and Ghost’s name was on everyone lips. The few times Sabrina went out, it’s all she could hear anyone talk about. She couldn’t help but feel a little proud. Captain Whitlock received dozens of calls and tips. Many people said how they knew Denis, and how there was no way he could be Ghost.Others said that they’re surprised they never saw the signs. Some offered clues and places that Denis used to frequent. He traipsed the city, following these clues. Most led to nothing. Just traces of an old that Ghost himself probably wouldn’t recognize. But there was one call…“Um… hi. Is this Captain Whitlock?” It was hesitant man’s voice.“Yes, how can I help you?”“I’m calling about Denis Ratcliffe.”Captain Whitlock received so many of these calls he was numb to them.
Will let the water wash over him as he tried to steady his frenzied heartbeat. The truth was that they were terrified. For Ghost to be so brazen as to just waltz into the police station and open fire did not bode well for any one of them. It was clear that Ghost was just as ready to end this as they were. He leaned his forehead against the cold tile, letting the rhythmic beating of the water of against his back soothe him.Soon enough, a shower wouldn’t be such an event. At least not the ones he took alone, anyway. Steam rolled off of skin as he emerged from the shower. Emma had laid out some clothes for him. Just a white t-shirt a pair of gray sweatpants. He laughed. Now that he was free and clean, he wanted to hold his baby.He went downstairs, back to the dining room where everyone was gathered.“Where is Lizzie?” he asked.“Right here,” Emma said. She stood behind him, holding a