I found myself seated on the bed as the three makeup artists stood around me. One of them kept gazing at me, scanning my face every second, which only made me feel uncomfortable."I think a light makeup look will do," I heard the guy, or whatever he was, utter, his hands placed at his jaw, while he addressed the other two girls, who took notice of me.I just wanted all of this to be over with, every single bit of it. My only focus was on finding Aunt Malisa and checking if she was alright. His attitude and behaviour were something I couldn't quite understand. The last thing I wanted was to be bound under the grasp of another man, to be seen as nothing in their eyes and tossed aside like nothing, but I thought things would be different after I signed the contract. Yet, I couldn't shake off the feeling of his actions today, which left me wandering in my thoughts of who he truly was, a hope lingering that the rumors proved false and it was all just gossip.Now that I was trapped with him
I watched as he walked further, taking a seat and opening up his food. His eyes landed on mine, still fixed on him, and I quickly retracted them, returning my gaze to my food."You must be Sierra, right?" he asked, causing my gaze to raise and meet his. It seemed he knew me; maybe Adrian had told him. But wait did he also tell him about the contract agreement and my current role here?"Yeah, I am," I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible."Hey! Be careful with that!" Adrian yelled at one of the maids who was holding a painting. His snap almost caused me to jolt in an instant."Just let it be, Adrian. We are in the dining room. And please learn not to shout at one of those maids again," the man uttered. "Alright, Uncle Gavin," Adrian responded as he continued his food, leaving a slight stun on me. I guessed he was the only one Adrian stood to listen to, maybe..."Sorry about that, dear," Uncle Gavin said, his eyes meeting mine."And why are you apologizing to her? I mean, shouldn
"Did you forget something, dear?" A voice caught my attention as I turned to witness Uncle Gavin waiting for me."No," I replied, walking out of the mansion. I was led to one of the cars, entering the back seat as I watched a man enter the front seat, whom I presumed was the Driver."Good day, ma'am," he uttered with a nod. I had little idea of his words; my eyes were still fixed on the mansion, hoping I could just catch a glimpse of Aunt Malisa.The driver started the engine as he drove off. Adrian and his uncle were seated in another car, which the driver maintained trailing.My eyes remained fixed outside the car windows, gazing at the city as the car moved through the streets. My eyes caught sight of my old apartment, and a reminder of my mom echoed through my thoughts, a recollection of a time before she had fallen ill when she would come out, turn to me with a smile. We would come out when the sun cast down with the stars bright and shining.I remember when I made a promise to h
Adrian stepped out of the car, calm and unbothered, as though the armed men were no more alarming than a doorman. Of course, this was his world, where violence was normal.The driver opened my door, jolting me back to reality. "Ma'am?" he prompted. My legs felt heavy and reluctant to move, but I forced myself to step out. The air felt thicker here, the tension palpable.The men didn't say a word, but I felt their eyes on me, assessing, judging. I wrapped my arms around myself instinctively, trying to shield against their scrutiny. My heart was racing, but I kept my face neutral, my head held high.I had to play the part, no matter how badly I wanted to turn and run.As I walked inside, entering the mansion and taking in the interior of the surrounding, which evolved with more men, a discomforting feeling washed over me.My feet screeched a bit as I almost stumbled, only to feel a steady hand helping me back to my feet. My eyes landed on Adrian."Watch your feet next time, and when we
[Demonic POV]I left a half-bow, as my legs came to a halt near Uncle Marc. I had no idea why he had called me up here. I had many things to fix, but he had interrupted them, informing me that I had to be here."Welcome, Demonic. I have been expecting your arrival," he uttered. I felt him leave a pat on my back. I raised my gaze afterward as my eyes landed on Adrian standing on the other side. His eyes darkened as they narrowed, staying glued at me.Really, I had little idea of why he held so many grudges against me. I had never seen him as an enemy or so. My only aim was to carry out my family's legacies and ensure some things were put in place. I had always wanted to protect him, ensure he was alright, and so I trained so hard. But yet, it all ended up as a waste, as I received his hatred instead.But yet, I hoped that one day, just one day, that anger would vanish, and he would understand that all my actions, which I had made lately, were for his benefit and nothing else."I had to
[Sierra POV]Adrian led me to one of the rooms, helping me sit on the bed.Dominic was here. Why? My mind raced, spiraling with questions. Shouldn’t he be back in the city? The entire reason I agreed to this trip was to escape his reach, but now he was here too.And yet, I couldn’t shake the nagging thought—if Dominic recognized me, I should already be dead. Did he not know who I was, or was he playing some twisted game?“What are you thinking?” Adrian’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. His eyes scanned the passage behind him before narrowing on me, dark and sharp.“What was that downstairs? Didn’t I tell you not to try anything?” he said, his tone dripping with frustration.“What do you mean? Is it my fault I stumbled?” I snapped, watching him scoff. "And why were you trembling anyway? It must be new for you, right? Well, you better get used to it and fast also 'cause now it seems we are going to be stuck here for a while." He said, standing up as he turned to leave."This wasn't pa
[Dominic POV]"Release!" I uttered as the bird flew out of the cage, flying up into the sky. I reloaded my shotgun, aiming with my right eye. "And dead," I pulled the trigger; the loud sound echoed as the bird fell down. I retreated the gun.I've always found hunting quite fun and a way to train my aim even more. Since I needed some air anyway, I decided to head out to the courtyard, nestled at the edge of the forest, just beyond the mansion's backyard."I see you still haven't given up on your typical hunting," a voice caught my attention. My eyes landed on Uncle Gavin."Well, it's just an old habit I find quite enjoyable," I said, gesturing as Uncle Gavin approached me, taking up one of the guns laid there. "Why don't I give it a shot also?"He uttered, as another bird was released. He aimed at it, pulled the trigger, and scraped through the air, missing the bird. "Seems my old age is getting to me," he said, retracting the gun and dropping it back on the ground."I'm sure you still
I returned to the mansion with Uncle Gavin by my side. My eyes immediately caught sight of Uncle Marc seated at the dining table. His eyes landed on me instantly."Good, you're here," he uttered."You called for me, Uncle Marc?" I said, giving a half bow."Yeah, you must be hungry." He questioned as I raised my gaze, thinking it was something important, but it was just about the food being ready.My gaze shifted to Adrian, who was already seated. I watched his presumed wife come out with some of the maids, bringing some food."Wait, she cooked?" I thought, my mind trying to make sense of what was taking place."Come, sit, Dominic. I had your brother's wife prepare lunch," Uncle Marc uttered.
Recalling things now, I could also remember her discussing with a man on the phone, the same time she had me kidnapped, as she also addressed him as "father."Could it be that this man was her father? But what does she mean by "don't harm Adrain"? Wait, don't tell me she was behind the reason Adrain arrived home in such a state.Should I really be jumping to such conclusions so fast? I hadn't even checked on Adrian yet to confirm things, but even so, I still find it hard to shake Elena's words."Don't hurt Adrain, Father, or else I will never forgive you for that. Just hold on and stay low while I handle things," she said, as I tried moving in closer, hoping to hear her words more clearly and maybe the response from the call. I accidentally stepped onto a metal plate, which left a clashing sound—one that brought a sharp turn from Elena.I hid myself away from her sight, leaving the area at that very moment as I distanced myself, stopping at a side."That was close," I muttered to myse
[Sierra's POV]"What do you think you're doing, Dominic?" Marc snapped, but Dominic remained persistent as his fingertips closed in on the trigger.In that moment, I caught sight of some men coming out of nowhere, armed with guns.But their actions afterward left me stunned as they stood in protection, their guns aimed at Dominic, ready to shoot."She is a traitor... I'm sure of it," Dominic uttered, declaring again."What has really gotten into you today? Don't forget she is now the sohoe the De Santos, and you should put some respect into that," Marc said, but even with all the words, they did little to Dominic as his eyes remained narrowed, locked onto mine."Are you going to speak, or do you want me to do that?" he started, making me wonder what he meant.I can't just say it's about the men at the club. I'm sure he doesn't know that; I have to stop showing any suspicious signs. But if it wasn't about that, what could it be?His expression changed for that moment, downcast, before
I heard a screeching sound, which caused my eyes to spring open. I found myself lying in wet mud as I tried to stand up. A sharp sting hit my head, and my legs buckled, causing me to stumble back down.Catching a glimpse, I watched a car drive off. I could hardly get a proper glance through the heavy rainfall blurring my vision.But I was sure it was one of Elena's dad henchmen."I will make sure to make them pay for what they have done. Those bastards, who do they think they are?" I thought."Adrian, sir..." I heard a voice that drew my attention. I had no idea that they had dropped me off right in front of the mansion.To know they even had the guts to do that, not scared if they were sighted and killed. Well, this was to be expected since I was dealing with Elena's father in the line.One of the men came rushing to my side as he helped me up from the muddy ground.I hated the sight of my own weak state. No, I wasn't weak; it was just them that played a cowardly trick. Being, i neve
[Adrian's POV]"Who the hell do you think you are? Do you know who I am?" I threatened, yelling only to cough out more blood as a punch sank deep into my stomach."And how does that matter?" the man who had punched me replied.How dare he lay a finger on me, knowing very well that I am Adrian De Santos? He must surely wish for his death so much.My thoughts went back to leaving the club with those men ambushing me. Now I found myself in this room. They had kept me here for a while now, hitting me repeatedly.But they were nothing but cowards. I would make them pay once I found a way out of here."The boss is on his way, Felix," one of the men walked in saying. "You should stop now. You know he doesn't like messy work.""So their boss is on his way," I thought to myself. Finally, I would be able to know who had the guts to have me, Adrian De Santos, kidnapped.Who could that fool be?The man retreated a bit from my side, but his eyes remained fixed on mine. It was as if he was ready to
"What are you saying, Sierra? Tell me, who was it? Who did you kill? Is it Dominic...?" Nate questioned, but how could it be Dominic?Even though I wished for his death so much, I wouldn't have been so stupid as to go for a straight attack."No, Nate..." I replied, "It's the men...""The what?""I killed them, Nate. I just killed the men from the club; they saw me, so I had no choice. Now, I don't know what to do. What if they find out that I was the one who... no, I can't let that happen," I mumbled, as many thoughts came hitting me, leaving me worried and causing my legs to buckle."Hold on, Sierra. Just calm down; nothing is going to happen. I promised to protect you from any harm. I can't surely allow anything to happen to you now," Nate said. But where was he when the men at the club had sighted me, when I had no other option but to take action and stop them by killing them? Just where was he back then?"What am I going to do, Nate?" I asked again, hoping he would have an answer,
"Wait, you?" one of the men questioned as I watched an exclamation state come over him."No, this can't be possible. They can't see me," I muttered in my thoughts. My legs trembled slightly as they retreated back a little. But where was I intending on running to? They had already sighted my presence."I need..." I stammered, lost of words to say. If possible, I could make them join me. No, that wasn't going to work, would it?"I can't believe this! So, you have been under our very nose all this while. We have to tell the boss. He will surely reward us for this..." the other man said as they left a nod to each other.The two men, without hesitation, left my side. Though I tried stopping them, it proved futile as I watched them leave the mansion. But what was I thinking? That it would be possible to stop them by pleading? They were the same men from the club that I knew. Now it assured me that this news was surely going to reach Dominic if I didn't do something immediately.I made my wa
"Come have a seat, dear," Marc said. As I sat down, I noticed some of the men seated tried avoiding a glance at me. "So now, let's begin," Marc announced after taking a seat also. One of the men brought out what seemed like a suitcase. In it were some files. "Here are the recordings of the companies as requested Marcellus, sir," the man said, handing over the files to Marc as he checked through them. "Good," he uttered. I had no idea what this meeting was for in the first place or why my attention was needed. "It seems the rumors are true, but surely they must have the guts, trying to cheat their way through the system laid down by the De Santos," Marc said, laying the papers on the desk as I caught a glimpse of the headings. It was just a file of some listed companies, even though I couldn't see the list there. "So, what should we do, Marcellus, sir? We are ready to take action and show them the consequences of going against you, boss, but only if you give us the perm
[Sierra's POV] I heard a knock at the door as I stood up, approaching the door. Opening it, I caught sight of a man standing at the doorstep. Guessing from his dressing, I was sure he was one of Marc's men. "Marcellous, sir, seeks your attention," he said. What does this old man want with me again? I recalled his words before I had left the basement the other time, saying that my attention was going to be needed soon, the words about me starting my work as the sohoe. But what work is that? One side told me it was something bloody, a path I saw myself unable to engage in. "I am coming," I replied to the man, shutting the door back. I stepped into the bathroom, splashing some water at my face. Glaring at the mirror, I released a breath. So this was it, the day I found myself unable to escape from. And now that Dominic seems to be gaining an upper hand in finding out secrets about Adrian and me, this was the time for me to act faster than I could before he finds out about me. I mus
[Adrian's POV] Walking through the hall, I found myself unable to believe what Sierra had just told me in the room. The fact that Dominic now knows. But what lingered in my thoughts was Elena. I couldn't deny one word that left Sierra's mouth, but she couldn't, why would she? I had suspected her at first about the stranger who had called me. I can't possibly suspect her about Dominic knowing as well. But then, how? Just how did Dominic know? It can't just be a slip from nowhere; someone must have let the cat out of the bag. What if it was the same stranger? I mean, what if he had called Dominic up, blurting out everything he knew? But that wasn't possible either. Even though I wanted to kill this so-called stranger, I am quite sure he was smarter than to let Dominic know. At least he claims he wants to be my ally, if that is as true as he had said, though. Still lost in thoughts, I found myself standing right at Elena's doorstep. Finding myself here already, I thought, "Why not j