Fear shot through her like an electric current as her heart raced within her chest. The invasive need to scream erupted within her, yet she stifled it, aware that her effort was futile, attentive to the fact that being vulnerable would be a liability. Hope was the last sane thread she clung to. And now she was even losing that.The frantic pacing that had been going on for several moments suddenly came to an abrupt halt. Nothing could be heard, not even a single word uttered. The next thing that happened was the door abated again and someone entered. The room was still dark with optimal illumination coming from a tiny prison cell window which was situated very high up. Loretta strained her eyes in an attempt to recognize the person, to no avail."Still clinging on, I see," a voice said. This time she was able to connect the voice to the person. It belongs to Lucas, who is one of De Silva's inner circle members.Loretta's body went tense at the sound of his voice. Tasha had some strang
Lucas offered a brief, understanding bow, already assessing the intricacies of duplicity and manipulation involved in the game. How was he not able to discern the fact that the players were all being positioned? Fabian, Loretta, Tasha, and even this woman, all quite literally, acted as mere pawns of a game much bigger than themselves, a game that the woman played with great finesse.“Do you have any other orders for me?” Lucas ventured to ask.The woman’s voice was devoid of emotion as she answered, “Monitor her. And make sure that no one gets into her personal space. If someone is capable of discerning our true purpose, dispose of that person.”Once again, Lucas inclined his head and stepped backward. “I will ensure that it is done.”And with that, he exited the enclosure, leaving the female figure in the dim-lit passage. She did, for a length of time, remain immobile, her mind entangled in her machinations. She was sure that at some point in time, Fabian would come in search of Lore
Her mum laughed affectionately and seemingly understood Tasha’s stand. "Anyway, it is, after all, your day, my sweetness, so enjoy it to the fullest." She embraced Tasha again, then drew away from her to steal another look. "Fabian is a fortunate guy, and today’s the start of something amazing."Tasha returned the smile, even if her mind was occupied elsewhere. No one suspected the truth that she carried three weeks pregnant, not with Fabian’s child. It was a fact she kept out of her consciousness, and one that she was not going to let out ever. An image of De Silva, the child’s father, entered her mind. She had not told him, and they had no way she would. This one already belonged to Antonio, whether she liked it or not. Because she had put in too much effort to get to this stage, and no one would stop her from achieving the life she desired.Once her mother exited the room, Tasha faced the mirror once again, her hands skimming the loose corset. Biting on her lip, she drew a deep bre
At the reception, the atmosphere was charged with merriment and music. Tasha welcomed the attendees with a radiant face and thanked them for coming. However, somewhere deep within her, she bore secrets that were far from pleasant.As Tasha stepped out of the scene for a moment to gather herself, there was a quick buzz in her pocket that she found disturbing. It was Julian. He texted her saying “I hope you are enjoying your big day. But remember what I told you.”That sent an icy shiver down her spine. Without delay, she replied: “Don’t even think of me.”Yet, as soon as she delivered that, the consequences of her actions began to overshadow her reasoning. Julian wouldn’t listen to her warning and she had to be careful knowing De Silva was watching her every move.At that moment, someone interrupted her train of thought. “You look fabulous, Tasha.”Turning to the direction of the voice, she saw Lucas coming toward her, a smile on his lips. “Having a good time?”“Sure,” she obliged with
Tasha allowed herself to lean on him, aware of the burden standing on his shoulders. “I hope they will give us a chance to enjoy ourselves.”As the car neared the dock, Tasha felt her phone vibrate again in her pocket. She did not want to pick it up, rather compounding the feelings she had in the dynamics of the present and ignoring the black clouds on the corners of her vision.“Let’s just take it positively,” she said in her tone trying to put in some cheerfulness.“Sure,” he said as he got out of the car, but she saw that his eyes reflected a sense of fear.Joining their hands together and breathing heavily, they proceeded towards the vessel. Tasha, however, felt her other life folding on her. The extravagant decor was at odds with what she was carrying inside. Except for this night, she would bat this down. She was Tasha Antonio, the wife who was going on her honeymoon.When they got to the suite, Tasha exhaled slowly and appreciated the cuteness of the room for a bit. The designe
Tasha was overtaken by gloom. It was her. Sad that she thought there could be a marriage that would bloom into something real. But reality was beginning to quench that hope. “We’re not simply roles,” she adamantly stated. “We can influence what lies ahead of us. We can strive for our desires.”Fabian returned his gaze to her, yet his eyes were mixed. “I want to have that faith, but there are elements even beyond us. De Silva will always be above us. The pressure.”“Then let us change those pressures,” Tasha cut in, annoyed. “We can redirect. There is a way to achieve contentment. The only requirements are us.”He appeared to consider her for a moment as if searching for something in her eyes. “If I cannot get out of this, I don’t want to pull you down with me,” he said, letting out his breath calmly"Fabian, I know you aren’t the problem here. We are one team here, remember?" She tried to reach him and placed her palm against his arm. "We have to help each other." You may feel caged a
Tasha exhaled deeply as she was on the verge of making a suggestion. “Maybe some pressure can be relieved; at least for tonight, it can,” she spoke seductively.“Wha-,” he muttered, discombobulated by her response to the situation, even as the glint in the look he regarded her with did not betray his interest.“Let’s not stress ourselves with any of that. Just you and me without commitments or obligations,” she said, her heart racing. “We can go to our room and do something like that.”He drawled looking annoyed with her for a brief moment. “Gosh, Tasha. I…”“Breathe, Fabian. We can navigate those waters, together,” she said, getting closer, her voice dropping to a sultry murmur, almost tickling his ear. “I want to spend the night with you.”His breath caught and she noticed the conflict in his eyes. Tasha knew the haze was working; his walls were coming down. The racist alcohol that surrounded him was making him more receptive to her.“Uh uh,” he relented at last, thickly at that. “L
With that, she lowered herself towards him, aligning her body to his, feeling the heat emanating from him. The anesthetic had inevitably worked its trick and relaxed him thus making him more receptive to her charms so she would not waste any opportunity.With the escalation of kisses, it was a reaction that empowered her. She was reclaiming her agency, making sure that there was an expansion of their relationship beginning that night. Everything was progressing to the kind of life she was designed, a life in which she was more than a wife, she was a spouse- someone he cared about and someone who made him stick around."Allow me to give you some comfort." Tasha had said, at the verge of their lips, looking deep into his eyes, her voice hoarse and sexy, as if that was not enough. The promise pregnant the room with expectation.She shook her head again, blushing, as she dipped and embraced him without hesitation, the sedative clouding the distance. Tasha felt victorious; she had struck w
Chapter 163Weeks filled with anxiety and unsolved conundrums, deception, and intrigues had passed. The search for Loretta however had shifted into overdrive for Fabian in a dangerously obsessive manner. Each piece of information brought him closer to a revelation but still, every single one of them failed to prepare him for what would come.On a chilly autumn day, Fabian received a telephone call from an unknown caller. His heart raced as he picked up the call, fully aware that this could be the call he had been anxiously waiting for.“Fabian”, the voice on the other end sounded slightly familiar. It was the detective that he had hired to help him after Edward went missing. “We have a situation. We have located Loretta.”Fabian felt his heart race when a small house at the edge of the city came through after the address had been given. Without thinking, he took his keys and dashed to the door. The trip was a haze, all of it filled with thoughts of Loretta. What did they do to her? Wh
As he rode, memories came flooding his mind and brought him back to that time when all he was was Maria's assistant lingering in the shadows of her ambitions. He could remember how he would sit for hours on end and watch her enchant and flirt with Fabian; hear her laughter echo down the halls of their office.He had seen the moment of fate when Maria was wrapped in Fabian's arms, her eyes sparkling with delight, accepting him as her boyfriend. In that instant, Lucas felt jealousy mixed with frustration; how could she not see what Fabian was? He knew there was something wrong with the man she idolized depth of darkness behind the polished surface.Maria, you need to be careful," Lucas had warned her, his voice edged with concern as he faced her the next day. "I've seen the way he operates. He's not who he seems."But she had brushed him off, dismissing his worries with a wave of her hand. "You're just jealous because you're not in the spotlight, Lucas. Fabian is a powerful man. You can
As he walked down the streets of the city, he felt a surge of invincibility take over his body. He felt that no one could touch him after all, he had eliminated one of his major threats. Edward's absence would leave a huge hole, and Lucas intended to fill this vacuum with his ambition.He reached a secluded area, parked his car, and sat for a minute or so to collect his thoughts. He had to think now. Edward was out of the way; next came keeping Loretta in his grasp. She was the only way he could use both Fabian and Tasha to his advantage, and he wasn't going to let her get away from him.He whipped out his cell phone and sent a text to Maria. "Let's meet. We need to discuss the next move." In a second, he received a response: "Where?""The warehouse. I'll be there in 20."Lucas wheeled the car around and headed in the direction of the warehouse, his mind racing with possibilities. Loretta, he thought, considering how they might use her in their scheme. To be sure, she was a chip to be
At the accusation, Edward's face darkened as his mind raced to concoct this verbal assault by Lucas. "And what exactly do you think I did? I was trying to protect my family, just like you should be."Lucas tightened his fists in growing frustration. "Protecting your family? By disappearing? If you knew something about Loretta's whereabouts, you should have come forward. You have no idea what I've gone through trying to find her!Believe me, I know precisely what it's like to be helpless," Edward replied in a low-intense voice. "But you don't know the whole story. I couldn't come forward. Not yet."Lucas stepped closer, his eyes locked on Edward's. "Then tell me the story. What's going on? Where's Loretta?Edward cast a look backward toward the house as if to weigh in his mind just how much he wanted to involve Lucas with the fact. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and spoke. "I was taken captive, but I was able to escape. Those who abducted Loretta are still on the loose, keeping my ev
Maria's eyes flashed at him as her gaze narrowed. "I'm not obsessed. I just know how things work in this world. Tasha doesn't stand a chance against someone like me. I know his weaknesses. I know what he needs.""Is that why you're trying to bring her down? Because you think you can step in and show him what a real partner looks like?" Lucas asked, intrigued.Maria shrugged, and much of her confidence returned. "Exactly, I'm just helping him see the light. Tasha is just a pretty face, a distraction. I'll make sure he realizes that."Lucas watched her, impressed yet cautious. "You know this could backfire, right? If you push too hard, you might end up pushing him away for good."Not a chance," Maria shot back. "I know how to play my cards right. While Tasha's busy playing the perfect wife, I'll be working behind the scenes, turning his head. I will make Fabian remember who he is truly meant to be with."Lucas shook his head, feeling a mix of admiration and trepidation in his chest. "Ju
Maria crossed her arms, leaning in closer, a smug look on her face. "I'm just making an observation. It's just amazing to see how fast somebody can change their tune once they snag a rich husband. Isn't it, Lucas?"Lucas gave Tasha a worried look as if to say he didn't want to be part of this. Tasha drew in a deep breath, attempting to keep calm. "You don't know anything about me, Maria. This isn't about Fabian or the money. It's about being loyal to the people I care about. Something you wouldn't understand."Maria stepped back, her eyes narrowing. "Oh, please, spare me the moral high ground. You're not some saint just because you put a ring on it. Do you think marrying him makes you untouchable? I wouldn't be so sure.""Enough!" Tasha snapped, firm in her tone. "You need to stop with the petty jealousy and move on. Your constant need to undermine me is getting old.Jealousy? That's what you think this is?" Maria laughed again, her tone hard, unyielding. "I am just looking after the
She pulled her phone out and opened the contacts list before peering at the number of Lucas once again. She dialed his number and let it ring a few times before he finally picked up, his tone tired but alert. "Tasha? Is everything okay?"Not exactly," she replied, dropping her voice to a whisper. "I just spoke with De Silva, and he certainly made it clear that he's not letting go of our past. I need to know if you have any leads on Loretta. He's becoming a problem, and I can't afford to have him interfering.Lucas squirmed in his chair. "I've been doing some work trying to locate Loretta, but she's vanished into thin air. I'll keep searching; it's not concrete at this moment."Tasha felt a sense of doom. "We can't let him know we're working together. If he finds this out, he might screw everything up.I know, Lucas said his voice grave. I'm keeping a low profile, doing my best. For now, just focus on Fabian; he is your priority.I can't just sit around and wait. De Silva is unpredicta
Tasha set the glass down, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "I don't know what you mean," she said, her voice steady, though her insides were in turmoil.He smirked, a knowing glint in his eyes. "You've always been a good liar, Tasha. But remember… I can always tell."Her breath caught, but she hastily masked the fear with a small, nervous-sounding laugh. "There is nothing to tell, De Silva. I'm just… adjusting to everything. You know how stressful things have been."He raised an eyebrow. His fingers brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, a gesture that felt more possessive than affectionate. "Stress, huh?Tasha nodded, conscious of the weight of his scrutiny. She needed to be cool, needed to make him believe all was right with her world. But sitting as close as she was to him, feeling the heat emanating from his body and the intensity of his gaze, she wondered how much longer she could play the facade before he uncovered her betrayal.De Silva leaned back, taking the glass from
There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by a deep sigh. "We have to be smart about this, Tasha. If De Silva's onto us, we need to figure out our next step, fast."Tasha pressed her fingers to her temples, the weight of the situation closing in around her. "You think I don't know that? I can't afford to slip up again, especially with him watching my every move."."We need to keep calm and stay according to plan," Lucas finally said, his voice much more even now. "He doesn't have proof as yet, just suspicions. We'll keep everything low-key for some time; make it appear as if all is business as usual. We still have leverage De Silva doesn't know about our deal with Vinnie."Tasha tightened her jaw. "What if Vinnie talks? What if he gets scared and tells De Silva everything?"Lucas was silent for a moment before his voice dropped to a low octave. "If it comes down to it… we'll have to take Vinnie out before he gets the chance to open his mouth."Tasha's stomach churned at