"Valerie!"
The young lady zoned back to reality from where she stood behind the counter, to stare at the angry face of her manager pointing accusing fingers at her. "What's wrong with you today? Everyone has been complaining about you working like a snail, and it's bad for my business. I shouldn't have employed you in the first place, you youngsters are so lazy!" Jonathan threw words at her as if she was his wife, who was no different from him. The odd couple are in a toxic marriage, and it's not a secret to everyone in the restaurant that he's the cause of it. Not only was he accusing her of making business unsteady and slow today, the stench of his teeth made her shift back so as not to feel his spit on her face. He always spits whenever he talks. Just staring at him throwing insults at her made Valerie realize just how unlucky and pathetic her life was. The image of seeing that gun in the bag of her twin sister still lived rent-free in her head. She was worried because she didn't know what and why that dangerous item was in her possession. Years after years, things gradually started turning better for them. Valerie couldn't realize the source behind the money that Vanessa always comes home with. After-all, she was forced to believe that she had a steady job that was far from where they lived. That's why she never questioned anything that Vanessa did, until the past few months. Valerie wasn't bothered about the gun because she knew her sister, Vanessa, would never use it on anybody. But she could still remember the look on her face while she asked about that money. She was…scared for her life, which added to her anxiety about the whole ordeal. To make the whole matter much worse, her number wasn't going through when she woke up this morning and tried calling her. Despite everything that is going on, she's worried about her sister. She and Chad were the only people she had left. Watching her parents and brother die in that fire made her scared. If anything happens to Vanessa, she won't be able to live. "Are you hearing me?" She heard Jonathan say, and she didn't put up much fight with him. She still needed this job and losing it was out of the question. Although, she wasn't able to hear anything that he said in the last minutes, and when she looked at her left-hand side to see Jolene, her best friend. Valerie nearly burst out in laughter, but she held back before apologizing to the manager, who left with a huff and a relieved sigh left her lips. Jolene was the one who told her that Jonathan rains down spits when he's talking, and the look on her face moment ago made her forget about her problem moments ago. "What's wrong, miss girl? You don't look okay?" Jolene said, coming to whisper while pretending that she was taking an order for a customer. Valerie was working at a high-class restaurant that paid well. She met Jolene when they relocated to this part of the city and Jolene has been a great friend. "Vanessa left." Valerie simply said. "What do you mean by that?" Jolene scrunched up her face in confusion. Valerie couldn't blame her for not understanding, because Vanessa was never really at home. She just exists today and the next day she doesn't. This wasn't the best place to talk about Vanessa's disappearance. But Valerie knew that she needed all the help that she could get right now. Jolene's father is a cop, and maybe he might be able to help her. She tried speaking only to be interrupted by her phone ringing. It was Chad's homeroom teacher. She wasted no time in answering the call, and the information she got made her countenance change instantly. "W.. What did you say happened to Chad?" She asked, and nearly fell had it not been that she was sitting down. But it was just her phone that slipped from her hand, but Jolene caught it before looking at her. "You are scaring me, Valerie. What's wrong with you and what do you mean that Vanessa is missing?" Jolene asked, but Valerie was already getting rid of the apron before she took her phone from Jolene, her bag from the nearest table before leaving the restaurant. "Valerie, stop it! You are scaring me." Jolene held her back, but when she turned around Valerie was already in tears. "Val.." "Chad…he's in the hospital, something… please tell Jonathan.." "Of course, I will. Be safe." Jolene said. With that being said, Valerie left the restaurant only to hit a hard rock and nearly fell had it not been for the arms that held her, which made her know that it wasn't any rock. "I'm sorry…" She said, pulling away from the stranger when she came back to her senses to realize that she was in the arms of someone. When she looked up into the most emotionless pair of green eyes, staring right at her. All the hair on her arms stood on attention, and she felt goosebumps all over her body. She didn't like the sudden change around her, that was caused by this undoubtedly handsome man whose body language changed when he saw her face. "You…" Marco mumbled, when he recognized her. "Boss." One of his men stepped forward to do the necessary. It was her, the woman that was last seen with Ares, the woman that their capo was searching for. Valerie pushed herself away from him, before she rushed into the waiting cab that she saw. She rubbed her arm together to warm herself up, and also to get rid of this eerie feeling that she gets from just staring at that man. She didn't think twice about who he was, nor did she question the other two men that were at his side, all the young lady could think of was about her nephew. Meanwhile, back there at the restaurant. Marco has to put out a call for his men to follow her; he doesn't want to tell the Don yet about who he just met, until he's sure everything has been concluded. She didn't seem like an assassin, nor a spy sent by their enemy to kill Ares, but looks can be deceiving especially in their line of work. So, that's something that was left for him to find out who exactly she is, and what relationship she has with Ares."Miss.Blackfield, I think it's time to consider the fact that Chad needs to withdraw from school. His condition is getting much worse. Today he hit his classmate with a rock when he was just trying to be friendly. It's so annoying that we have to put up with convincing the parents not to press charges, but the school board of directors are looking into the matter, but for the time being. He should be at home."Valerie sat beside a sleeping Chad in the hospital ward, while going over his teacher's words. Chad was autistic and the impact of that was nothing to write home about in the school and everyone around him, because he was an oversensitive child.But Valerie knew that the teacher talking about Chad being violent wasn't his fault. His classmate must have tipped him off, he doesn't get violent that easily. Chad could never hurt a fly to talk more of hitting his classmate.She didn't think twice about the teacher's words anymore, because it wasn't just at school. The world was a mes
The following morning, Valerie had woken up and prepared Chadrick's favorite meal, which was scrambled eggs, oatmeal and milk for breakfast. She was still conflicted about the way she was going to tell him that he wouldn't be going to school in the meantime.Whereas, her mind was playing every scenario of how she was going to fully concentrate on work, and trying to keep up with checking up on Chad at their neighbor's place.Mrs Gemma was a sweet lady that didn't treat Chad like the others do, which was why Chad had no problem staying there, since it was just her, and her husband, who treated Chad like his son too. He has been a loving fatherly figure in Chad's life for years. It's sad how unfortunate good things rarely happen to good people.The couple didn't have children of their own, and neither were they planning on adopting. She prayed that a miracle would happen to Mrs. Gemma soon, because she truly is a sweet soul."Breakfast's ready, Chad!" She yelled from the kitchen, for C
"That will be all for your schedule today, Mr. Castillo?" Donovan heard his secretary, Destiny say, as he was done checking his phone while waiting for the doctor's medical report on Ares' today. The doctor and nurse that were in charge of him, would always send over a message if he didn't come over to see Ares every morning.But there was no message on his phone, other than that of Candy's stupid, unapologetic ass, demanding that he introduce her to his family and make their relationship official. He was annoyed. The only reason why she's still alive and breathing was that she gives a good head, and out of all the women that he had ever been entangled with, she's the one who knew and understood her place.But now she's tripping, which made him know that it's time he did something about her ass.He looked up to see his secretary's eyes fixed on him, one that he wasn't blind to see what she wanted from him. Women and their unending greed for money and fame. It hasn't been a month sin
"You should have taken me straight home, Donovan. What were you thinking?" Angelo yelled at Donovan for taking him to a hospital, when he should have done what was necessary by taking him home. But rather, he was stuck here at an expensive private hospital, without any idea of what was going on outside.Thankfully, the bullet wound didn't rupture any vital organs or arteries, seeing as he still had the mouth to shout at Donovan, who ignored him and was on call to settle the media team that was going frenzy with the attack at the company.Angelo sat up on the bed, not caring that the stitch might open up. It was going to take more than just a gunshot to bring him down. "What are you doing?" Donovan questioned his father, when he saw him going for his clothes. "What does it look like I'm doing?" Angelo sassed back at his son, before putting on his jacket while Donovan sighed at his action. Clearly, he could see that it hurt his father's reputation, for being publicly embarrassed both
Preview on ‘The Billionaire’s Dark Entrapment’ Manhattan, New York City. 10:pm. In the late night of midsummer, through the dark woods that surrounded the area. A petite young lady hurried through the dark, perilous woods, tears streaming down her face. With a terrified expression marked by bruises and cuts, blood oozing from a wound at the side of her face, she glanced down at her torn, thorn-adorned clothes. She seemed indifferent to her disheveled appearance, as if she was running away from a wild animal. One wouldn't think twice without figuring out that it's unusual for one to be found mountain hiking so late at night, especially in these dangerous woods. In haste to get to the road, to get help from whoever it was or whatever that was chasing after her. She froze down at the sound of a gunshot, stifling a whimper of fear with her hands. "Don't be foolish, Valerie. You know the rules. I won't hurt you if you cooperate and be a good girl, but perhaps you enjoy punishments
After a strenuous day at work, Valerie Blackfield opened the door to her scrappy-looking apartment that could barely fit two adults in, to see her twin sister, going through her things hastily.That was when her eyes scanned all over the room, to see that it was turned upside down. Her clothes littered everywhere, books? Everything was disarranged from its normal arrangement, as if a burglar came into her home, but this was no burglar's fault. It was Vanessa's."Vanessa!" She called, a smile rested upon her face seeing her older sister who was there. Despite the fact that she didn't know why her room was in this way, she had missed her twin sister who had barely been able to keep in contact with her these past months.As orphans abandoned to carter for themselves since they were fifteen. Valerie had grown used to her sister, they did everything together until life happened and Vanessa had to choose her path to follow, which was working for some organization that she had no idea about
The loud beeping of the heart monitor in the room was what made the enraged young man, standing at the foot of the bed, stare at his coma-induced stepbrother to believe that he was still alive.Donovan Castillo.Standing tall at 6ft 9, a billionaire tycoon at the young age of twenty-seven. He was able to achieve greater heights in business all around the world than men his age couldn't do at the age of twenty, when he took over the family business till now.He's the son of the famous business tycoon, Angelo Castillo. A fifth generational tycoon, whose wealth spread across all over the world. But after Donovan took over the business, the business took on much more advancement and earned him more respect and acknowledgment across the globe.At first, there were rumors that the Castillo family were involved in the underground mafia business, so that could explain the massive wealth they had. Also, their relationship with a few other mafia gangs arose the said rumors. But no one was bold