Threats
Adrian's POV I sat in the car, waiting patiently for Miguel to get done with the brief introduction, but it seemed he was taking things too far. I had to stop him. The expression on her face when she set her eyes on me was indeed priceless. Astonished at the way she looked at me, I couldn't help but wonder if she had thought it was all going to pass away like that. If she had thought so, then she was dreaming and needed to wake up. As the prideful man that I was, I sauntered right to where my assistant stood. "Hello, Mrs. Gonzalez" I greeted, emphasizing the name so she could realize what she had gotten herself into. Her silence made the atmosphere awkward, and a moment passed before I realized that we weren't going to make any progress if I didn't take the first step. "Miguel" I called, walking towards the door and pushing it open. "Let's go in." "Alright, sir" Miguel replied and followed me in. It was then she snapped out of her daze and tried to block our path, but it was already too late. I made sure I sat comfortably on the sofa before putting my full concentration on her. "You can't just claim to be someone I don't know and barge into my house like that" She shouted, her bloodshot and her face etched with anger. "I don't know who...." Before she could complete that sentence, I waved the marriage certificate before her eyes, and she kept shut immediately. "You forced me to marry you at the courthouse yesterday" I began, my voice low and firm. "I've thought about it and I've accepted my fate. So, as the legal wife of the Gonzalez family, you'll have to live with me. I came here to take you home with me." "No, no, no" She refused, shooking her head vehemently. "I'm sorry, but I wasn't myself when I did that. I was hurt and I was searching for a way to vent my anger...." "So you chose me," I said, cutting her off again. "You chose me to vent your anger and forced me to get married at a time I never planned to." "It was a mistake, and I'm sorry" She cried out and clenched her fist. "We could sort this out without having to do things this way." I chuckled amusingly and said. "The only way you can make up for this is by taking responsibility for your actions." She couldn't utter a word for a while, and I didn't plan on giving her the chance to refute my words. Most certainly, I had come prepared to win the case. "Being forced into marriage affected my mental and emotional state" I continued. "You'll have to remain as my wife till death do us part." "No way!" She screamed. "I didn't sign up for this." I waved the marriage certificate before her eyes again. "You did. You signed up for it with your actions and hands." "But I already told you I wasn't myself when it happened" Luisa argued, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry about your health. I can pay you to get yourself treated." Without warning, Miguel burst into laughter, clutching his stomach hard. I let him laugh all he wanted until I detected the displeased look on Luisa's face. "That's enough, Miguel" I ordered. "Yes, sir" Miguel replied. "I'm sorry. It's just so funny how you believe you can pay off the money bag himself." "Miguel" I called, and glared hard at him. He shut his mouth up and sat back properly on his chair. I returned my gaze to Luisa, who was drawing an imaginary circle with her toes. "Luisa" I called, and she looked at me. "You're coming home with me now. As your husband, I have the right to make such demands." "Mr. Gonzalez, you don't have to keep dwelling on being forced. We can still annul the marriage since nothing has happened between us" Luisa argued, her voice full of urgency. "We can go to the courthouse now, and we'll both be free." "I disagree" I retorted almost immediately. "I want us to remain married." "And I'm saying it was all a mistake" Luisa shot back. "Annulment is still an option." Damnit, I cursed inwardly. She was quite stubborn. I wanted an obedient and submissive wife, but I guessed she could be tamed. I didn't want to use my ultimate card to deal with the situation, but since she was so bent on annulling the marriage, I was going to have to use it. "If you refuse to move in with me, I'll have no choice but to call the cops on you" I stated, my tone full of conviction. "You'll rot in jail for your actions. I'm sure that won't be good for your career." Yeah, I had made my findings, so I knew she was a TV personality and a model. That was another problem. The Gonzalez Family detested picking a wife from the entertainment industry, but that was then. I was the one in control now, so the choice was mine to make. Luisa stared at me for a while with a blank expression on her face. I could tell she was thinking about my threats carefully. "Unless you agree, you're going to spend the rest of your life in jail" I added with a tone of finality. "You don't have to do this" Luisa pleaded, and clasped her hands. "What about my career? What would people think of me?" "You don't have to worry about that" I replied. "I'll protect you from them. I don't make such promises unless I have the power, which I do. Your safety is guaranteed and your fame will remain intact." "No, I don't want that" Luisa disagreed, and inhaled sharply. "I don't want the public to know about us. I want us to keep our marriage a secret from the public. If you can accept that, then I'll accept my role as your wife."Suspicions Luisa's POV Go to jail and ruin my whole career? No way! I'd rather stay married to him. He wasn't bad anyway; I was certain I would be fine. Still, I felt uncomfortable. I should have known rich men were hard to please. Can't believe I'm married to a stranger, because of my foolishness. "We're leaving now" I heard him declare, and my thoughts ended abruptly. "I beg your pardon?" I exclaimed. "You heard me" He smirked, and stood up. I took a step back and stuttered. "I... I'm sorry, but I have to pack." "Don't worry about that. I already have that in control" Miguel chipped in, his eyes on his phone and he typed on it. "I already texted someone to come help you with that." "But, sir...." I trailed off, seeing the angry look on his face. "What's it?" He walked up to me and grabbed my chin. Honestly, I hadn't seen that coming. He leaned forward and whispered into my ears, his breath hot. "You should know my name by now." "Huh...." The words stuck in my throat and
A trap Adrian's POV "What is it?" I asked sharply, annoyed by the interruption. One of the things I valued greatly was table manners. A fearful glint flashed through her eyes as she stuttered in reply. "My... My manager is at my house. How do I tell him I've moved out? If he finds out about this, my career is over." I exhaled heavily and dropped my cutleries on my plate. At one point, I shrugged. "You insisted on keeping our marriage secret, so you have to deal with it yourself." "What?!" Luisa exclaimed. "What are you saying? I'm not the one who insisted on moving in today?" "That's not my problem" I fired back. "I didn't force a ring on your finger." Luisa stood up abruptly and banged her fist on the table. Her cheeks were burning red with anger. She wanted to lash out but was probably short of words. "Have your seat and finish up your meal" I ordered. "You're not my father" She snapped and walked away, dashing to the stairs. My cutleries hung in midair as I sighed deeply.
His territoryAdrian's POV"You're making a big mistake, you know" I let out a deep scowl."Nah... This is a golden opportunity for me" Ortega retorted nonchalantly. "I had my men keep an eye out for your assistant. That was how I got to know you were coming. It's so stupid of you to have come here alone.""Well, I guess you still have that mentality of you being the most powerful" He added."And what's wrong with that?" I berated. "I'm undeniably the most powerful.""Not for long. I'll be taking that title away from you tonight" Ortega declared with a frosty voice, his eyes narrowed. "Have your seat."I remained adamant but had to comply when his men cocked their guns. I needed to make him have a little taste of victory before turning the tables. That way seemed interesting.I crossed my legs on the sofa and smirked. "Now, tell me, Mr. Ortega, what do you want?"The man chuckled amusingly and stood up. He walked to a desk and picked up a document. He walked back to me and dropped it
Chapter 9PrideLuisa's POV"Oh, no!" I exclaimed as my stomach grumbled for the umpteenth time.Thankfully, my manager had called to tell me he had left my apartment. I was relieved. His call had saved me the trouble of telling a lie.I rolled on the bed and punched the pillow to vent my anger. That silly man thought he could play me like a fool. I wanted to suck it up, but the worms in my stomach were uncooperative. I needed to snack on something, but my pride wouldn't let me leave the room, so I decided to get some sleep.A few minutes passed, and my eyes were still wide open. I lowered my so-called pride and jumped out of bed. I tried wearing my footwear but changed my mind instantly.I glanced at the wall clock and it was just five minutes past eight. I walked to the door and opened it, I peeped out to make sure no one was lurking around, before tiptoeing out of the room.Soon, I found myself at the dining table. It was already cleared up. The only option I had was to head to the
RegretsDiego's POV"Mr. Sanchez, the report you asked for is ready" Michelle stated the moment she walked into my office.I looked up to see her walking seductively as usual. Ever since Luisa ended things with me, she's been hellbent on finishing what we started, but the truth was, whatever I felt for her during those times was just pure lust.She wasn't even close to my type. Unfortunately, I had a high libido; I couldn't resist her. My life had never remained the same since Luisa left. I couldn't even do anything properly.I wanted her back. I just hadn't figured out a way to get to her. Wait. I could use.....A loud bang jolted me out of my thoughts and my eyes settled on Michelle, who had a deep frown on her face.I was furious. "Did you just bang your fist on my desk?"Michelle snorted in disgust and folded her arms with a challenging posture. Took me a lot of courage to take my eyes off her body figure."You've been spacing out lately. Is it because of that bitch?" She question
SnitchesLuisa's POVHow come I didn't know he worked here? I'd never paid attention to the company's name itself, or was it a transfer? He looked so terrible, but I didn't feel even an ounce of pity for him. What was more shocking was the fact that he worked for my husband, the CEO himself.It was hilarious, I must admit.His pleas were so absurd. Now, I regretted telling the bodyguards to allow him to speak. He has further ruined everything with his last statement.Get back together? In his wildest dreams. I'd rather become a penguin than be with someone as useless as him again."Please, Luisa. You know you love me" He pleaded desperately. "I know you still do. You're just angry.""There you go again; making me feel like I was the obsessed one" I stated. "What you're asking for is beyond my capabilities. It's best you move on and find someone else to love you, or you stick to your assistant. She can satisfy you in bed, can't she?""It's you I want" Diego argued. "Unlike you, she's s
Testing her patienceAdrian's POV"You have five minutes to tell me the truth" I stated.Hmph... She thought she could hide it from me. I had already received a text from the bodyguards before she got here."Tch..." She clicked her tongue. "Fine. He's my ex-fiance.""Oh," I smiled mischievously, leaning my back against my seat. "Was he the man who made you force me into marriage?""I didn't force...." Luisa trailed off, her cheeks burning with anger."You want to say something?" I questioned with a teasing tone.Luis's inhaled sharply and snarled. "Can we not talk about that again? We've gone past that.""Nah... We haven't" I refuted. "It was never my intention to get married like this, so I'll always remember.""Fine. Suit yourself" She snapped and folded her arms."He's going to get fired" I declared nonchalantly."What?!" Luisa spat. "You can't do that."I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why? He caused commotion in my company, didn't he?"Luisa hesitated a bit before responding.
SpitefulLuisa's POVI was so furious that I didn't see the person coming my way until I bumped into something hard."Ouch!" I screamed in pain, ready to transfer my aggression to the person who was not at fault."Are you okay?" I heard a soft male voice say. It kind of reminded me of Adrian, which fueled my anger.I swatted his hands away and pushed him aside with the little strength I had. "Get out of my way."Surprisingly, he didn't stop me. I walked into the elevator and arrived at the first floor as soon as possible, but it seemed today was going to be quite dramatic.Guess who I met standing outside the elevator? It was Joyce, Diego's secretary.Initially, her face was etched with surprise. It instantly morphed into a look of contempt."Hello, Luisa. It's been a while" She greeted with her chin slightly raised. She thought she could intimidate me. One thing she wasn't aware of was the fact that I wasn't scared of anybody but myself.I didn't have friends, so I didn't feel entitl
HopelessValerie's POVMy eyes shot open, and my chest heaved. Sweat beads trickled down my face as I tried to recall the details of the nightmare.Wait. Was it even a nightmare?"Oh, the princess is awake, huh?" A male voice whispered, his voice laced with mockery.At that moment, my senses woke up and my sharp gaze settled on the two men standing...No, they weren't standing. They were obviously kneeling before me. The two of them were shirtless, revealing the snake-like tattoos on their bodies. The one who spoke was blonde haired with grey eyes and a slender physique, while the second one had black hair with a touch of grey on it. His brown eyes was filled with mix of disdain and lewdness. His sturdy build was the most scary thing.What the hell was I doing with them?"Who are you guys? Where am I?" I questioned, my voice hoarse. A sharp pain shot through my head as I tried to put together the scattered pieces of images in my head. I couldn't help but wince in pain."Oh, she has a b
DisappearanceAdrian's POV"Tch... You bitch" I cursed, almost biting my tongue.I couldn't understand how we managed to bump into her without getting a warning from James.I shifted my gaze to Miguel. "What did he say?"Miguel shook his head slowly. "Nothing. He isn't responding.""If you're talking about the friend you left outside, he's probably dead by now" I heard Valerie say, and my blood boiled in anger."What do you mean?" I snapped.Valerie snickered. "Exactly what you heard. I already made plans just in case Jude and the waitress messed up. My men would have ambushed him by now. Now, back to our discussion. I have my terms and conditions."I frowned with a disturbance in my heart. "What terms?"Valerie smiled. "It's simple. You ditch that kitten, we get back together and you announce it to the world. Also, you help me get my company back."I was stupefied. "You're insane!" I snarled."I know" Valerie retorted. "Do you agree with my terms and conditions or are you going to re
TwistValerie's POVFlashback......"I hope that dirty waitress does her job perfectly well" I snorted, eyeing Levi suspiciously. I was still yet to understand why he decided to stick around after stating clearly that he wanted nothing to do with us anymore."She will" I heard Jude say. "She knows the consequences of failing.""Good," I stated, my eyes fluttering around the room we were in as I marveled at the scent of luxury. "How could she even afford this kind of suite in a club?"Jude chuckled. "She's the club owner's favorite and his bed warmer. What more can we expect?"She was already enjoying her boss, but it seemed her greed was insatiable. I mean, why else would she agree to my proposal?I laughed, shooking the thought of it off my mind. It was her business anyway. My only concern was to get what I wanted without mistakes."Good riddance" I smiled. "How many rooms do we have here?""Two" Jude replied curtly. "We've already prepared one for the mission. You can use the other
A Bomb DetonatorAdrian's POV"Don't forget we had a deal" Jude chipped in, glaring hard at the young lady. "One word from you, and you'll be dead."I smirked, studying her body response. "He's surrounded; he can't touch you. His words are just empty threats. Tell me the truth and I'll have you protected by my men till everything is over."The overwhelmed lady broke down in tears, her body trembling. "I... I.... don't know" She stuttered, falling to her knees.Javier was getting impatient. He walked up to her and cocked his gun, pointing it to her head. "You don't what?" He snapped. "Don't even try to scream or you'll be meeting your maker the second you do."The lady covered her mouth with her right hand, breathing heavily. Her body was drenched in sweat, and her skin was burning hot."Speak!" Javier barked, and the lady whimpered."I'll tell you" She stated. "But you have to promise to let me go. I'll pretend like nothing ever happened."I burst into laughter, stunned by her confid
The SearchAdrian's POV"She switched dresses with her" Javier stated the obvious, infuriating me further.I banged my fist against the wall, letting my anger control me. The next thing I did was to land a punch on the wall mirror, shattering it into pieces. I ignored the blood dripping from my knuckles and landed another blow on the next mirror."That's enough, Adrian. This is not the best way to solve this" Javier warned sternly.But I was too livid to listen. I swiftly threw a punch at him, but fortunately, he dodged. I didn't have enough time to withdraw my fist before he grabbed it and threw me a punch in the face."Get yourself together, man" He shouted in anger.I grabbed the sink and leaned on it for support."Shut the fuck up!" I cursed, spitting out blood. "I can't even find her. Who knows what they've done to her? How do I face her after this?""You're overwhelmed, Bro. I've never seen you like this" Javier revealed soberly. "You're forgetting it's a live video. They haven'
ImpersonationAdrian's POV"Where the hell is she?" I cursed silently, looking out for Luisa and the man she danced with. I couldn't believe my carefully mapped out plan to make sure she danced with someone we were familiar with failed woefully.As I searched for her, something kept tugging at my heart - the image of a lady behind a cat-like mask. The lady I danced with. We didn't exchange a word, but her smile kept me troubled.Who exactly was she?I felt a light tap on my shoulder, making me turn swiftly, on high alert."Chill, bro. It's me" Javier whispered. "I'm sorry that happened. I've checked everywhere but I can't seem to find her.""Tch..." I clenched my fist in anger. "What about the man she danced with?""Also nowhere to be found" Javier replied with a solemn voice.Instantly, my eyes caught sight of a familiar silhouette, dressed the same way I last saw her."Wow!" Javier exclaimed, staring at her. "Where did she go?"I ignored him, walking up to her. I grabbed her tiny ha
A SyringeLuisa's POV"Tch... Who made such a rule?" Adrian gritted his teeth in annoyance as he grumbled with a low voice. "This is the first time such is happening."I couldn't respond, because it was my first time attending a masquerade ball. I never really knew the rules.My eyeballs suddenly widened in realization.I turned to Adrian. "Who's the host?"He shrugged. "No one knows. There's a familiar signature on it; one that I'm used to. If not, we wouldn't be here.""Wow!" I exclaimed in amazement. It sounded daring but dangerous."Everyone get into position" The MC stated, signifying the commencement of the first dance. "Make sure to stand on the large blue flowers on the tile. It will help you guys maintain a reasonable distance."Blue flowers? Oh... There were imprints of blue and white flowers on the floor."Shouldn't we go join the others?" I asked, but Adrian squeezed my hand in reply."I won't let my wife dance with a stranger" He muttered.I read his lips, which left me
Dance PartnersLuisa's POV"You look stunning" Anna complimented with much sincerity, her eyes glittering with praises.She was indeed a top-notch make-up artist, who knew exactly what was good for her clients. I, myself, couldn't believe what I was seeing, my eyes fixed on the mirror."Of course, she looks stunning. It's my work of art" A sissy voice chipped in, full of pride.It was the fashion designer who helped with the dress fitting. Orlando, or what was he called? The guy couldn't just stop blabbering for a second. Nevertheless, I was grateful. Though the diamonds were too much, I still appreciated it.I didn't dare to think of reprimanding Adrian for spending his money on his wife. The masquerade ball was indeed not for the weak."Oh.. we have fifteen more minutes before the ball starts" Anna mentioned, her eyes on the wall clock. "The ride to the event center is five minutes."A knock on the door grabbed our attention. It was one of the maids in the mansion."Master demands f
A Dangerous JokeLuisa's POVThe tiny hope brewing in my chest turned to dust the moment the pervert pointed a gun at my belly. I was too young to die.Again and again, I kept falling into the hands of an enemy, and Adrian kept on being threatened, having to go the extra miles for my sake.Guilt washed over me as I watched them argue back and forth. I couldn't even summon the courage to make a sound, let alone speak out."Don't you dare try to hurt her" Adrian snarled."I will if you don't do as I say" Jefferson retorted."This is bullshit" A man standing next to Adrian cursed. "How dare you harass a woman? You haven't changed one bit.""And I'm guessing you're still that little kid who can't fight for himself" Jefferson fired back."You bet" The man replied."Enough!" Adrian commanded. "I'm done listening to your rambling. What do you want, Jefferson?"The pervert's lips curved into a mischievous smile. "I don't know who this woman is to you, but I know what I want.."A moment passed