Minutes? Hours? Loretta couldn't tell how long she spent in the basement but by the time she opened her eyes again, it felt as though her soul was long gone from her body. She was like a lifeless being, just sitting in the dark and staring at no one in particular.She couldn't move any part of her body as she felt paralyzed. Her throat was dried and her inside was tightened.She was sure it was more than twenty-four hours since she was locked away, coupled with the night she had nothing to eat.The door was suddenly pushed open and the sharp edge of the metal pierced her arm. She was lying so close to it and got no mercy from whoever opened the door as he pushed it open even further, going deep into her arm, and in no time, the red liquid began to drip to the floor.She was too weak to cry out loud and could only whimper as tears flowed down her eyes. She was in pain but couldn't express herself.What a nightmare for her."It's time for you to leave this place. The boss requests for y
A few minutes ago...Loretta woke up after a few hours of sleep, finally getting back the strength she needed. Her wounded arm was bandaged and there was a tray of food kept aside for her.It was 1 am. She had no idea of the time Fabian would go to bed and would only find out when she left her room.She ate a little desert, drank some water, and climbed down her bed, holding the kitchen knife so firmly as she made for his room. Ending his life would mean a way of escaping for her.She couldn't spend another minute in the drug house. They would end her life without thinking so she had to put laws into her own hands and decide to find a way out for herself.She slowly opened the door while her heart throbbed faster as she peeped in. He was asleep on his bed. It was all perfect.She slowly tiptoed into the room and gently closed the door behind her, trying to make no sound to alert him of her presence.She walked to the bed and waved her hand across his face but he didn't open his eyes.
"Take her away and lock her up," Fabian commanded without answering his man who asked if he was okay. He was not in the mood for that and what he needed at that moment was a medic to treat his wound.He was getting very weak but he must not show his weakness to anyone. He is the boss and he must not be seen in a vulnerable state by anyone as a sign of weakness from the boss himself could bring doubts to his follower's minds."Yes, boss." One of the men echoed and stepped forward to grab Loretta to take her away, but he waited patiently as his boss took the knife off her throat.Loretta heaved a sigh almost in relief but she knew the battle was far from over. She was now being handed to his men and lord only knows what they are going to do to her this time as she has committed a deadly crime."Please." She said silently as the man grabbed her by her hair and led her straight back to the mansion where she would be locked up in the basement again, where her worst nightmare would begin on
A doctor was quickly called without delay by Mikel as soon as Fabian got back into his mansion. He took him to his room where he was to be treated and acted discreetly without raising much of an alarm so as not to make the men suspect that their boss had been stabbed badly."Do not tell a soul about this." He could still hear his boss's instructions vividly in his ear and he was not going to be the one to mess it all up."Hello Mr. Mikel, I hurried here as soon as I could, where is the patient?" The doctor asked Mikel as he rushed into the mansion with a nurse and his kits.Mikel signaled for him to tone down his voice so that he would not raise an alarm amongst the men. "Easy now, you are being loud, Doc." He said to the doctor with a low but firm voice which the doctor understood perfectly and comported himself."This way Doc," Mikel said and gestured to the doctor to move towards the room after the doctor had mouthed a sorry as he was not aware of the situation on the ground.Fabia
Loretta cried uncontrollably in the basement that she was thrown in. She knew she was done for now, she had harmed the Mafia and worst, failed at it woefully."What am I going to do now? What have I done? Is this how I am going to die just like that? A worthless death at that?" She asked no one in particular as she sobbed in the confines of her newfound bondage."What was I thinking? How did I even ever think of ending the life of the overall boss here? Why did I do that? Oh my goodness, is this going to be the end of me?" She asked further to no one as she continued crying uncontrollably without having anyone to comfort her.She thought about her father and how he must be doing in this hopeless situation they found themselves in, especially her.She wondered if there was now going to be any hope of her getting out of her bondage and the whole place in general as she had committed a grave sin."Is he even going to let me live one more day, not to talk about spending a whole six months
"Where is that girl right now?" Fabian asked as he held his stomach in pain but he did not show that side of him to Mikel as he tried his hardest to portray a strong boss who was not ready to let little things like a stab wound faze him."She has been locked up in the basement according to your instructions boss. We await further instructions on what to do with her today." Mikel responded with his hands behind his back in a respectful tone to his boss.Fabian grunted silently as he thought about what his little pet slave had done. He became inwardly angry at her for ever having the guts and the audacity to even think of harming him, not to talk about actually carrying out that thought in action.I should have just killed her on the spot when I caught up with her as she tried to escape. How dare she try to lay a finger on me? What gave her the mind exactly to do this and try to kill me?Fabian thought to himself as he tried to decide what to do with her but his thoughts only came back
"What's that noise coming outside the door, Mikel? Is that who I think it is?" Fabian asked Mikel who was equally surprised but not for the same reason that Fabian was surprised."I think the tigress is here sir, I think we are hearing it just about right," Mikel confirmed Fabian's shock with the shocking news of who was at the door.Fabian widened his eyes and wondered how that could be possible. The tigress? Here? What is she doing here? And at this time of the day? And worst of all when I'm in this condition?Fabian thought to himself in shock as he tried to figure out what to do and how to maneuver this impending drama that was definitely about to occur."The tigress? Why is she here? And at this time? What could have brought her here?" Fabian asked Mikel in pure confusion to Mikel's surprise as he wondered if his boss had forgotten what he ordered the previous day.Mikel realized that his boss must have forgotten completely about what he instructed him to do the previous day due
Would this be a good idea? Should I take the risk? I had to act fast so that my mother would not put her eyes on Loretta. She is going to do something bad to her if she discovers she tried to kill me.Fabian thought quickly as he put the equation together. Even though he knew the pet girl had done something worth ending her life over, he still wanted to keep her as his pet for some reason.He wanted to be dominant over her and show her that she belonged to him and he would not be able to do that if she was dead. He hated her at the moment so much that he wanted to have her killed too but he also at the same time wanted to show her his power."I am going to go forward with the meeting." Fabian suddenly said out of the blue which startled Mikel and he could not believe what he had just heard which had left him gobsmacked."What? You are going forward with the meeting? In this state boss? What if they find out that…" Mikel started saying in a way to convince Fabian against doing that, kn
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