SophieEarlier that evening.Sophie had been leaning against the wall, listening to the children playing. Her phone rang and she frowned. A number she was unfamiliar with popped up on the screen.She answered.A woman’s voice. Unfamiliar but the woman identified her by name.‘Your mother has been shifted to another facility,’ said the voice curtly.Sophie reached out for the wall, shock and disbelief warring in her.‘How…? I mean, when?’ she whispered. The last time she had checked which was that afternoon, she had been told the same thing; her mother was unconscious. So what had happened in between?‘It was on the orders of Mrs Delano.’ went on the hateful voice.’She sent word that your mother had been treated enough; it was getting to be too expensive.’The phone was abruptly cut.***Her palms sweating, her breath coming in harsh gasps, Sophie dialled the hospital.Almost at once, she was speaking with a nurse; yes, her mother had been discharged from that particular ward and was b
ProserpinaAll of a sudden, I heard Lucien bellowing my name and raced out, guessing what must have happened. Sure enough, Ria was in his arms, her small arms wound around his neck as he glared up the stairs.She must have gone running to him to inform him about Sophie’s cruel words.From his stance, I knew he would not hesitate to kill anyone who had dared to hurt his little daughter and I rushed down to him. Pulling him into the study, I tugged Piers who had also joined us.Leaning against the door, I stared into Lucien’s hard grey eyes. There was a well of darkness in them and I sighed.I had to make a decision and I knew what I wanted to do.LucienHe stared at his wife. She looked beautiful, he thought longingly, with her hair in a messy braid, she should logically look unattractive with the strain of tears and grief on her small face but no. Proserpina looked magnificent, her chest heaving, her eyes dark with passion as she stepped forward.‘Ria.’ She spoke in a firm, soft voice
ProserpinaIn a day's time, we were winging our way back to Hollowford, seated in the same aircraft that had transported us here. I was sad to leave the beautiful house but I was truly longing to be back to Hollowford where I had lived with my husband for so long…Snuggling up to him, I sighed. He was immersed in his tablet, tapping away, his face a grim study of concentration. His cell phones lay near at hand and every so often, he would glance at them.Beatrice had accompanied us. Sophie was left to return with the rest of the staff, by road. I had wanted to bring Paddy along with us but Lucien had brusquely shot down the idea.The maids were also accompanying us and I knew they were somewhere behind, seated in the back. Ria and Piers had initially run around the large aircraft but one stern look from their father had made them subside. Now they were asleep on the large bed in the spacious sleeping quarters. I sighed again, rubbing my hand over my stomach. I felt slightly queasy and
Lucien He was aware of the harsh breaths he was taking to control himself as he followed his wife who was swinging her hips saucily as she walked ahead of him‘F*ck,’ he thought, urgently, ‘But he needed to get his shaft into her sex quickly or he would ejaculate right here. She could tease him to death sometimes, she knew just how to bring him to the edge and then leave him, with a teasing, dimpled smile on her lovely face. He would make her pay.’He reached out, placing a rough hand on her rounded ass and squeezed hard. Immediately, she turned in alarm.“Lucien.’ She hissed,’ there are people around…’They had reached the washroom and he pushed the door open, every movement a jerky one as he felt himself grow harder by the moment.Uncaring for her protests, he pushed her in and locked the door behind him.‘Take off your blouse,’ he said hoarsely,’ I want to punish your tits.’***She trembled in the tiny space of the cubicle but knew better than to protest. He had a wild, compelling
SchwartzHe stopped as he crossed the foyer of the building housing the offices of a local influential politician who was on Lucien’s payroll. A figure in a black skirt and smart jacket, her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck, seemed vaguely familiar. Slim and tall, her dark brown hair and the way she moved her head made him pause.He knew this woman, he thought, frowning.She turned at that moment and it came to him.Of course, Aiyana Laughing Water Preston, the beautiful Native American FBI agent who he had met by accident at the psychologists’ when he was undergoing counselling at the clinic of Dr. Ethan Hale. It had been immediately after the death of his beloved Fionella and she had also been there for personal reasons.***He smiled and stepped towards her. She half-turned and watched him warily. Then recognition flooded her beautiful oval face and she smiled, stepping forward, her voice husky with pleasure as she said,“James Schwartz, isn’t it?’She put out her hand and he s
Proserpina We were back at Hollowford in the mansion I had grown to regard as home. There were some changes that had been created in the structure of the house; Shah had been shot in the hallway outside the children's rooms. Lucien had had the entire place remodelled and now, the children had rooms on the same floor as he had his large penthouse suite bedroom. Ria was super excited to discover that now her father was just a hop skip and jump away. Piers commented on the view being good. Neither of them said a word about Shah and the terrible night the house had been attacked. But their unspoken glances, that strange bond shared by twins, alerted me to the fact that they remembered and mourned her in their own childish way.Lucien was planning something for our anniversary; no, not our wedding anniversary but the anniversary of the day we had first met. It had come about when I had casually mentioned it one night as I lay in his arms, stroking his hirsute chest, playing with his flat n
Proserpina I swallowed hard, my face turning pale as I met my husband’s eyes. He had the look of a man who was doing his best to control his temper. His thick fists were clenched tight as he held himself rigidly.‘Wife,’ he growled,’ I want to talk to Schwartz.’ And as I opened my mouth to speak, he said, his voice a roar,‘Get the f*ck away from here, woman. I said NOW!’I stepped back, hurt by his tone and turning, fled inside, trying not to cry.That he had judged me without listening to me hurt me deeply. After those torrid nights of passion we spent, did he still not understand how I felt about him?That for me, no other man mattered but Lucien Delano?He had watched them from the windows of his study. Somehow, he never felt comfortable when his wife was with Handsome James who was his best friend.F*ck, he could not tolerate seeing his wife with ANY man.But this day, it was different. Proserpina was looking as lovely and youthful as ever, with no makeup, her hair in a high pony
Lucien He strode into the cool interiors of the house, bellowing his wife’s name,‘Proserpina!' He thundered, 'WOMAN!’‘I think Mumma is in the kitchen' said Ria and then, clinging to him, burrowing her face in his neck, she went on in a small voice,‘I think she heard about Alfred.’Proserpina stormed out of the kitchen, her hair flying behind her like a black banner.“RIA!’ she shouted, ignoring the fact that the little girl was pretending to be asleep on her father's broad shoulders,‘RIA St. CLAIRE!’Lucien’s lips twitched despite himself.His wife looked so adorably fierce but he knew that he only had to grab her in his arms and all that violence would peter away.But Proserpina refused to meet his eyes now as she commanded icily.“Do you know what your precious daughter has done?’And then, taking a deep outraged breath, she went on,' She has broken the nose and a couple of teeth of a boy who works on the grounds…’And when Lucien continued to stand with the child in his arms, s