Well, that wasn't enough to fool Kendrick. He hadn't tried to make her open up. He wasn't planning to in any way. One thing he had learned about her was her dislike for being pestered. And despite knowing many ways to make her speak, because he knew she eventually would, Kendrick just felt the need to let her be. He would find Devon, wherever on the whole planet he had gone to. He didn't even need to find him. Devon would eventually show himself.It wouldn't take him long. He would always appear in his office doorstep. If not for him, then for his newfound obsession. "Master, the doctor would like to speak with you." The Butler appeared from his side, breaking him off his thoughts. Kendrick gave a nod and sat on the bed. "Tell him I'll go home. He should prepare the necessary things."He didn't see the need to linger in the hospital. It almost felt like a waste of time. Apart from waking up, eating food, taking drugs, and falling asleep, nothing else happened in his life these da
The bodyguards outside all stood in a single file as they left for the elevator. Kendrick followed after. He took the same car with the Butler and in no time, they were on their way back to the mansion. It was like a ceremony. The servants were gathered outside the large door. Everyone was there to welcome him back. Everyone except Hailey.Kendrick's eyes wandered around the house. His gaze even went in the garden's direction. If he would see her coming from that side. To welcome him too. However, it was only his wishful thinking. He didn't need to think whether she was out. She didn't go to the diner the last few days. She hadn't resumed to the diner since her headache episodes. The Butler had been communicating with the maids every day. They had confirmed that she never step foot out of the house.After getting past the servants, Kendrick's eyes wandered around as he entered the living room. Still, no sign of her. The living room was empty, too quiet. Was she upstairs? If she
A dark chuckle left Kendrick's lips and he shook his head. Now he was determined to dig her out from wherever she was hiding. She had a price to pay and also an explanation to give. Seeing no reason to linger in the study room as he had nothing there to do, Kendrick turned to go out. And before he reached the door, he halted and frowned. The Butler must have brought the reports. Did he hide them well? Well– he shouldn't wait there and wonder. He had to find out himself. So he turned around and headed back inside the room, going straight to his work chair. When he drew out the drawer, his eyes were met with the reports stacked upon one another. And the white bag that contained his drugs sitting on them. This was not the best place to hide them. It might be a good idea even to have them shredded. But that could wait. Right now, he had more important things to take care of.Where was Hailey? Therefore, with that in mind, he left the study room for the stairs again, his eyes wander
Kendrick let out a chuckle at her words. He released her and muttered in her ears. "You want me to wait until you finish hiding?" Her body tensed again and she let out a soft yelp as if surprised.Kendrick hadn't meant for his words to come out that way. He'd let things go even if she was hiding. He saw no point stirring any irrelevant dispute over this minor issue. Although it didn't feel as minor to him. She shouldn't avoid him no matter what reason she had. "I– I wasn't hiding," Hailey protested. "I wanted to finish this before coming out." She turned around while explaining herself. Her lips held an unusual smile. Kendrick hadn't expected to see her smile. And on her face were patches of white flour everywhere. Even her apron was smudged with the white substance. And his eye fell on his own hands. The hands he had used to touch her. They were also stained by the flour. Her short laugh made him lift his head and his eyes went to her back to glimpse what she was doing. She had
Hailey's soft laugh suddenly reached his ears and he stared down to find her giving him a helpless look. "Hand me the red-looking one and the yellow one," she instructed. "You're going to love a mix of strawberry and vanilla." Strawberry and vanilla. Wasn't that a weird combination? Kendrick's eyes surveyed the bottles again. He found the said colors and retrieved them before closing the glass."Is that healthy?" He couldn't help but ask as he handed her the bottles.She only replied with a nod, that small smile still on her lips. "You're going to love it, I promise." She stopped in front of the machine and said.Then she uncapped both bottles and placed a drop of each in the creamy mixture. Kendrick's lips stretched into a smile and he approached her again. "Yeah, I'm going to love it," he whispered against her ear and wrapped his arms around her. Well– she stiffened. "But you know what else I'll love the most?" He continued. However, before he could go on further, she let out a s
"I'm not." Kendrick held her glare. She was taking the guilt so far. He didn't need her to feel guilty. Not when she'd go to this extent to deprive him of his things. What would she do if she knew the actual truth?Of course, he wouldn't let her know. He wouldn't even imagine how she would react. "Just give me my computer back. It isn't like I won't take my drugs." Hailey looked as if she wanted to argue. She gave him a tired look in the end, and let out a sigh. "You're right. Maybe I should give it back to you. You'll take your drugs. I don't see how you'll even get to overwork yourself." Kendrick instantly knew the meaning behind her words. Those drugs. They were more like sleeping pills. He wouldn't get any work done even if he wanted to. His jaws clenched and he shut his eyes, only to open them to find her smiling again. She was giving him a taunting smile."I'll let you have your computer." She waved her hand. "But you can't go to your study until you eat the cakes." "Oh, I
He placed it on his working desk, then his eyes caught the drawer. Did the Butler come inside? He frowned. He was sure he had closed it properly. He contemplated whether to shred them now or leave the job to the Butler. The papers were still sitting there, he shouldn't waste any time now.But he would waste her time. His eyes went to the door. Hailey was waiting downstairs. The papers could wait but he wasn't certain her temper would.One moment, she was scared. The next moment, she was smiling. And the next, she would look as if she wanted to burst.Was this a malfunction indicating that there was a high chance she'd revert to her old self? She had given him her words. And Kendrick assured himself for the umpteenth time that she wouldn't. He wasn't one to sit and ponder when he had the means to get his answer. And he questioned again. Would she even open up? He left the study room and went downstairs where he found her holding a small plate with three cupcakes on it. The cake w
"Master, I thought you might need this." The Butler held out a bottle of water to him.Kendrick rose up from the couch and went to sit on the swivel chair. He brought the white bag out of the drawer and picked out each pill from its tablet. Then he took the water bottle from the Butler and swallowed it with the drugs. "I want you to destroy these reports." He nodded to the white papers still inside the opened drawer."Yes, Master." The Butler picked both papers out and gave a nod.And as the drugs began taking effect and his eyelids started becoming heavy, the Butler brought out a shredder from behind the shelves. And through his blurry eyes, Kendrick could see him plucking its fuse in a socket. After that, he dropped the reports inside them and the sound of the machine eating out the papers was the last to reach his ears before he fell into a deep sleep. It wasn't good to keep having them around. The fewer people knew, the better it would be. He had also made sure none of the ser
Sharelene stood in a corner, watching everything unfold. The family was in a frenzy. She could only see fear in their eyes and hear the fright in their voices.As the staff wheeled Hailey out of the emergency room, a deafening silence fell upon the hallway. And Ken...He hadn't been himself since they came here. He hadn't been himself since a few days back when he learned Hailey was kidnapped. Neither would he speak to anyone, nor listen to those that tried to talk reason into him and advise him to take it rationally. Since a few days back, he was the complete opposite of the man she had met many years ago and had a second chance of getting close to again. The man that would always keep calm no matter the circumstances...He was nowhere to be found. Ken was completely different from that man she knew. In her mind, she'd almost gotten what she wanted... Or more specifically, what her family wanted. But now, staring down at the ring on her finger, it was as if the engagement neve
```````And every day, Kendrick lived in guilt. For the next several months, every minute of his life was consumed by guilt. It took him weeks to gain her mother's favor, and even months to regain her grandfather's. He would come back every day, hoping that her eyes would at least flutter. Her bump kept increasing at an alarming rate. His every day was filled with fear and trepidation. And one day, her eyes did flutter. He was supposed to feel joy, but not at a chance that more trouble loomed ahead. Her pregnancy was due and not a week after that, the babies arrived. His real fear resurfaced at that moment. The fear that they would never be able to hold their bundles of joy together. The fear that he would never get the chance to tell her that he loved her. However, she proved the doctors wrong, chasing away his fears. Now, staring down at the babies, her utmost gifts to him, Kendrick had never felt so much contented in his life. He'd never been able to wipe off his smile sin
***Kendrick paced in front of the Emergency Room. His heart was in his stomach and his hand never left his hair. It was as if she'd been inside there for hours now despite being wheeled in just now.No amount of self-reassurance could calm him. No one attempted to offer him reassuring words even. They've all been in the same dilemma.Her mother wouldn't stop crying and he couldn't find the heart to offer her those words he'd yearned so much to hear. Hadn't it all been his fault? Hailey was pregnant. How was that possible? When they arrived here, it was the first thing the nurses said after taking her vitals. But Kendrick still found it hard to digest.And the fact that the child would definitely turn out to be his only made him more confused. It made him angrier with himself. "Ken, what is going on here?" Rushed footsteps sounded in the hallway and he glanced sideways to find his parents as well as Sharelene. "What are you doing in this place? Is someone wounded?" Asked his f
~~~'Hailey.'Kendrick's hands trembled and his grip on the gun threatened to loosen. Staring up at the balcony where she was being held captive, he fought not to let the rage take over. The rage that became multifold the moment he sighted them dragging her here. Her body was limped. She looked worse than how she'd looked in the video. And an almost similar-looking lady, whose face was cascaded with tears, was being held at gunpoint beside her. Was that her mother? "Don't worry, Mr. Reid." Standing with them were the three shareholders. "She isn't dead yet. But she'll soon be, if you don't follow our commands."Mr. Weimar and the rest. Kendrick's assumption hadn't been wrong. They had a hand in this. "Already, you've broken one of our rules," scoffed one of them. "We thought we told you to come alone. Coming here with your friend is like seeking more trouble. Will Mr. Carter be competent enough to fend for himself?""Shit! Buddy, these stupid old fools are underestimating me," De
***"Hailey, listen to me!" Rob grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to look up. "This is important, you have to take it."Nothing was more important to Hailey right now than getting away from him. Not only did she fear these drugs he had brought her, but she also feared the way his demeanor had changed ever since he returned with them.Of course, even if Rob was really trying to save her, there was no way she was going to cooperate with him.Yesterday, he'd secretly taken her blood, waking her up. And he returned this morning, looking agitated and somehow angry at her. "Hailey!" Rob's hold became tighter. "You must take these drugs immediately. I can't get you out here if you don't. Please, Hailey." He softened his voice. "Just take the damned drugs, you'll feel better. We both will feel better.""What exactly is wrong with you?" Her mother's voice faded in the background. "Leave her alone, she doesn't want to take them. Please I'm begging you, don't torment her any further."While he
Maniac.Hailey lifted her hand weakly to send a slap across his face, but her hand went limp and fell mid-way."M–Murderer." She pushed his chest. "Just go, leave me alone.""Hailey." Footsteps approached the room and Rob said frantically, "Please hold on." He touched her forehead. "You're sick. I'll get someone to treat you. I'll get you out, I promise."Then he sprang to his feet and left, closing the door behind him. Hailey was left wondering how such lunatics could be left wandering among normal people. She sniffed and waddled back into her mother's embrace. How blind had she been to associate with these kinds of people in the past?And how could she put a stop to these endless noises and intense headaches? She didn't want to remember? She didn't want to recall whatever they had shared in the past. ***'Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum.'Kendric
...The hours dragged on, and from the tiny cracks in the wall, it seemed night had come. Still in her mother's embrace, Hailey shut her eyes to keep up with that pain.Both hands were wrapped around her stomach and she'd shiver now and then. As much as she'd like sleep to overtake her, it didn't. The exhaustion weighing her down didn't let her achieve that. The exhaustion caused by the aches all over her body. Her head pounded constantly, the voices also became louder each time she was left to her thoughts. Those hallucinations were neverending, and very soon she was afraid that they'd burst out, damaging more parts of her brain.The darkness slowly disappeared and the creaking sound of the door made her aware that morning had come. Another day of torture and pain."Hey, wake up!"Before cold water or anything worse could be splashed on her, Hailey leaned away from her mother's embrace who was also awake."Take your food!" The man burly man threw a food box and a water bottle at them
***"Ken, you have to save me. These strange men have captured me and they won't release me until you come. If you don't come alone, Ken, they're going to kill me and my Mum. They have laid traps for you, Ken—"Hailey was cut shut by a hard slap across her face. Bound to a chair with ropes, cold water was splashed on her face. She licked the side of her lips, tasting the metallic liquid; the only thing that kept her from fainting."Damnit! Woman. I told you to leave the trap part out! Are you deaf or what!?" The man holding a camera in front of her shouted. "Now, let's take another video. You will say everything you were asked to.""Stop wasting your time, Man," the portly man said and walked forward. "I don't think this lady is willing to cooperate.""I told you she's a stubborn one," Chloe scoffed from a corner."Now listen to me, Young lady." The portly man approached her and lifted her chin. "If you keep acting this way, we can't fulfill our promise to you. Give us your cooperation
***"Buddy, this is serious. How could she just disappear into thin air? Is there a chance that they're hidden somewhere in this city?"This city? Probably not. Kendrick had turned the whole city upside down. He'd deployed every force he could think of. They'd searched everywhere; every warehouse, every dilapidated building. There was no sign of them. It had been three days and there wasn't any traces of them. He'd driven to the cemetery that day, hoping more than anything that she hadn't spent the night there. And his prayers turned out to work. Only that, what actually happened was worse than spending a night in the cemetery. The sight of her phone by the cemetery gates was all he needed to know that something bad had happened. She was abducted. And there was still no traces of the suspects. Her sister and that guy. "Damnit! This is all screwed up." Devon paced for a while before sitting on the couch. "You didn't tell me you've taken her back. You never should have allowed her