"A great wind is blowing and that either gives you imagination or a headache."
-Catherine The Great-
***
As soon as Victoria got back home, she quickly headed over to the restroom to throw up. The image of what happened was still fresh on her mind.
She might not grow up in the most peaceful, harmonious environment, but it was the first time she had ever seen something so violent in her life.
It was too much. The sight of blood was enough to turn her stomach upside down. However, what Ian did, killing another man so easily. It frightened her.
“What in the world did I just see?” She murmured to herself. She spent quite sometime in the bathroom, trying to pull herself together. Before, she was too shocked to even react. When her mind cleared up a bit, she took a deep breath and wondered what she should do.
Ian was right, she couldn’t go to the police and told them what just happened. She was in
"Pretending the past doesn't exist is as bad as living in it."-Nora Roberts-***Ian looked particularly bothered that evening. He was cleaning his gun with a displeased expression on his face. Lucas who had just returned back from checking their shipment approached him and noticed something wasn’t quite right with his friend.“What’s wrong? You look quite bothered. Did something happen yesterday during the party?” He asked. Ian shook his head and answered.“No, it wasn’t during the party. It was after the party. Someone was targeting me while I was driving with Victoria. I couldn’t find out who it was just yet since I had to quickly leave since Victoria was there.”“Do you want me to go there right now to clean it up?” He asked.“No, it’s too late. The police must have noticed it. It’s best if we lay low right now and forget about
"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."-Richard Bach-***“Andreas, my goodness. What are you doing here?” Victoria smiled brightly as she saw the curly haired man. The man stretched out his arms, asking for a hug.“Torry, I miss you little sister!” He hugged her and Ezra was starting to feel highly uncomfortable with the amount of emotional moment in the room. He thought he should just leave before he puked and the siblings were left on her own.“Stop calling me, Torry! I’m not a child anymore. Each time I hear that name I get flashbacks from childhood and that’s not exactly what I want at this stage of my life.” She declared with a slightly annoyed expression.“Geez, seems like what happened in the recent years has changed my little sister, a lot. I heard what happened to your husband. I’m
"All seasons have something to offer."-Jeannette Walls-***“Where are you going, madame?” Darius asked as he walked into the living room.“Oh, Darius, you’re still here? It’s Sunday, I thought you’re going to take a day off.” She placed her hand on her chest, slightly startled by his sudden appearance.“Forgive me for startling you, madame. There are a few things I need to take care around the house so I think I will be here all day. No need to pay me overtime, it’s my own decision.” He replied back with a warm smile.“Okay then, do what you want. To answer your question, I’m going to meet my business partner, Octavian.” She said as she put on her shoes. Upon hearing his name, Darius eyes darkened slightly, but Victoria was too busy to notice it.“Will Jasper drive you there, or?”“No, no. He is taking a d
"From small beginnings come great things."-Proverb-***20 Years AgoIt was raining heavily that day in London. Wilfred was on his way home when he stumbled across a small orphanage on the street side.Usually, he would just ignore it but that day, something was a little different.As a man who always trusted his intuition, he told his driver to stop the car. The driver seemed quite confused by his decision but he followed it anyway.Wilfred walked into the orphanage and decided to take a look around. He was immediately welcomed by one of the nun who cultivated it.“Good evening, sir, are you looking to adopt a child or are you here to visit?” The nun asked politely. Wilfred smiled back at her in his normal, friendly manner and replied,“Oh, I’m just here to take a look around and make a little donation at the end. If you don’t mind, that is.” He explained.
"I thought about how there are two types of secrets. The kind you want to keep in and the kind you don't dare to let out."-Ally Carter-***Victoria wanted to have a slow Saturday morning since she had been so busy throughout the week. They had just launched their new flavored cigar and were waiting for the customer’s reaction. It was mostly positive in the beginning, but some also questioned the company’s direction.Their customers had mostly been some old, conservative men who wanted to show off by purchasing expensive cigar. However, the launch of their new flavors brought a lot of questions and confusion.On the other hand, they were able to attract the attention of new customers, mostly new money or third generation of some old money families. She knew she would have a long meeting on Monday, that’s why she wanted to relax while she could.As she was running on her thread mill, she heard a kn
"I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music."-Albert Einstein-***“Ah, look at you. My beautiful business partner. I am so glad you agreed to our date today. What would you like? I will get them for you.” He told her as soon as she stepped into the restaurant. Victoria couldn’t believe she was doing it.She had zero intention of going on dates with anybody after Wilfred and truthfully, she did not even think about finding a new love at all.Yet there she was. Dressed in a violet dress, looking like an absolute beauty.Anyone who saw them together would assume they were dating. It was the part that scared Victoria the most.“We can skip all the formality and just get this date done and over with, shall we?” She took a look at the menu and told him what she wanted.Then he called the waiter and made the order. While they were waiting, Ian started questioning her in a laid back manner.“Since we are on a date right now, I think it’s fair for u
"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."-Will Rogers-***When he was eighteen years old, Darius returned to Darlington manor and started working for Wilfred.As expected, he made an excellent servant to him. Not only to do the chores around the house, but he was also a trained dog who was skilled in combat and weapons.The investment Wilfred made within this man finally came to fruition and he had proved himself well throughout the years.One day, Darius was simply doing his daily duty of managing the household and did the tasks assigned by Wilfred to him when he was called to meet the old man.He didn’t expect anything. It was a normal gesture for Wilfred to call him whenever he needed anything.Only this time, things are different. There was someone else beside him. A woman Darius had never met before.While he spent most of this time being apart from Wilfred so even though he knew about his business from the inside out, he had absolutely no clue about Wilfred’s
"Women are like roads, the more curves, the more dangerous they are."-Mae West-***“Vodka on the rocks, please.” Ian ordered as he entered sat in front of the bar. Once he got his drink, he brought it to a table where a red haired woman was seated. She was looking down on her drink and lifted her face up as soon as he was seated. Her icy blue eyes met his.“What are you doing here? How do you know where I am?” She asked with a slight Russian accent that she developed from her mother.“It has been a while, Catherine.” Ian spoke as he took a shot of his drink. She was about to stand up and leave when he grabbed her hand and held it so firmly it was impossible for her to leave. She turned her head around with a displeased expression.“What do you want?” She asked as she tried to release her hand.“Sit down, there is something I need to talk about with you.&
"There is always a choice, even if the alternatives don't appear to be equal."-Garth Nix-***After Darius rescued her, they were supposed to go to where Ian was. However, in the middle of running, Darius suddenly grabbed her hand and made her look at him in the eyes. The sudden gesture surprised Victoria.There was something in the man’s eyes. It was a deep longing and a little bit of pain in his eyes.“Darius, what are you doing?” She asked, confused.“We need to hurry back to Ian.” She continued.“Madame, I can’t live like this anymore. I can’t keep watching you get yourself in danger because of that man. You deserve better, Madame.” He finally admitted it directly to her face.“Darius, what do you mean by that? This isn’t the time for jokes. We have to get out of here.” She reminded him calmly.“I am being extremely serious right now. There are still things you don’t know about me, Madame, but if you want to, I can help you disappear. I can help us disappear.” He proposed.“What
"Love is like the wind, you can't see it but you can feel it." -Nicholas Sparks-***A month had passed since Victoria was kidnapped. They made a few adjustments after that day starting from the security and Ian had been quite brutal and launched several attacks on his enemies to ensure none of them could hurt Victoria.It had been a rather chaotic month and Victoria didn’t even go out that often except for work because she was worried for her own safety. But one day, she was getting sick and tired of it so she approached Ian with a sulking look. She told him,“I can’t do this anymore. I need to get out. I’ve been suffocating with this kind of life.” Ian who could understand her perfectly agreed.“Okay, I know I’ve been too strict with the security lately but it’s for your own good. However, I also know I can’t keep you all locked up so you know what? Let’s have a vacation.” And that was how she ended up on the private jet on her way to Athens, Greece.He booked a five-star resort in
"I belong to the people I love and they belong to me. They and the love and loyalty I give them, form my identity far more than any word or group ever could." -Veronica Roth- *** Victoria walked out of the building and rushed over to Ian side. When Ian saw her, he was relieved. Darren was baffled because he didn’t expect her to be out of the room so quickly. There was a man he had never met before, it was Darius following behind her with a huge gun on his hand to guard her so no one could shoot her as she approached Ian. Once she was safe in Ian’s arm, it was time for Ian and Victoria to flip the situation. “You have crossed your boundaries, Darren. You dared to kidnap my wife, my woman. You will be paying for it.” Without thinking twice, Ian pulled a gun and shot him. Even though Darren also had a few big men around him, none of them could protect him from Ian, who carried his own army of soldiers with him. It might seem to easy, but time slowed down for Victoria who witnessed
"Unexpected events can set you back or set you up. It's all a matter of perspective." -Mary Anne Radmacher- *** Victoria and Ian was attending a business party held by his associate. It was a grand party with a lot of guests, quite crowded but since the space was vast, it didn’t feel suffocating. Victoria was wearing a beautiful sapphire dress with silver crystal on the top part. It fit her curves perfectly. She was innately more of an introvert but since she was married with Ian, she made the attempt to keep up with him here and there. Since she was also in business, it wasn’t that difficult. But the long time spent with socializing was taking a toll on her. She needed some alone and quiet space from the hustle and bustle of the party. She headed to the bathroom and tried to gather her thought together. She washed her hand on the sink and reapplied her lipstick for the evening. The only thing on her mind was she wanted to go back home because she wasn’t feeling her absolute be
"Taking bold, focused action creates explosive results."-John Di Lemme-***A few months had passed since Victoria got married to Ian and she was slowly getting used to the married life again.A lot of things had happened and she was starting to see the difference and compared her current life with her old ones just as a self-analysis.During her first marriage, she was the youthful princess of the household and this time, she was the queen. It was definitely different, but it didn’t matter since she enjoyed both sides. Ian was a surprisingly gentle husband considering his personality.It was not something she would expect from him. The relationship between the two of them had indeed became a lot closer than before.As Victoria tried to keep an open mind about the relationship and did her best to understand Ian.They were already married anyway, what other choice did she have but to try and make it work?Darius had also been on his best behavior. He helped her a few times during work
"Nothing is more common than mutual dislike where mutual approbation is particularly expected."-Samuel Johnson-***“It’s a pleasure to meet you again. I almost couldn’t believe myself when Ian agreed to have dinner with me. It has been a long time.” Darren greeted them with a huge smile on his face. Victoria politely smiled back at him while Ian pulled her seat so she could sit down and then he sat down in between the two of them.“I appreciate your invitation but I believe we shouldn’t waste each other’s time as much. Tell me, what is the reason for this dinner. Surely you wouldn’t just invite us out on a good whim, would you?” Ian didn’t even bother to hide it. He could be a little impatient indeed.“I just thought maybe we could have a better relationship moving forward. Nothing wrong with rekindling with an old friend, now, is there?” The waiter came before they could make a reply and they made their order first before continuing with the conversation.“Sure, but I am sure that
"Schemes are like fruit, they require a certain ripening."-George R.R. Martin-***“What is this?” Ian asked when Lucas came with an invitation letter in his hand.“It’s from Darren Quinston. The man is inviting both you and Victoria to have dinner with him.” Lucas replied.“What? Why would he do something like this? That man has never reached out to me in the last few months.So why would he suddenly take interest in my business after I am married?” He questioned even though Ian already knew the answer deep down. Darren was definitely scheming something.Even though the two of them already made a treaty to stay out of each other’s business, something was definitely shifting in the time when Ian was busy with Victoria.It was something he couldn’t predict yet but he knew right away he needed to be careful about the way he handled this.One w
"The best romance is inside marriage. The finest love story comes after the wedding, not before."-Irving Stone-***Darius couldn’t sleep that night after the wedding day. His mind kept wandering toward Victoria and he wondered if she was doing the deeds with Ian at the moment in their hotel room.Just thinking about it was enough to drive him mad and he wasn’t even the reactive kind. He always managed to compose himself since it was all that was necessary, but this time, he found it difficult to just remain idle in his room.It was so difficult for him to suppress his feelings. He hated the thought of that man touching her.He couldn’t stand it, he decided to go to the balcony and pulled up a piece of cigarette and lit it up. He didn’t like smoking for the most part but this time he thought he definitely needed it.As he reflected back on what happened, he recalled on how beautiful she looked in her wedding dress. She looked like an angel. Victoria has always been beautiful but she
"All, everything I understand, I understand only because I love."-Leo Tolstoy-***Victoria was getting ready for her wedding day. She didn’t think she would end up getting married again so soon after Wilfred passed away, worse, to a man who wasn’t even an option for her in the first place. Someone she didn’t think she would want to spend the rest of her life with.Even though she had some feelings for him, she wouldn’t say she married Ian for love. However, she was not dreading the marriage as well because she knew all the technical aspect of it had been taken care of through the prenup.He had also agreed that her business would still remain with her so she didn’t have to worry about him trying to take over her business at all.He had hired an entire team of makeup artist, hair dresser and stylist to help her throughout the day, it reminded her of when she was married to Wilfred, only this time the pressure was so much less since the age gap between her and Ian wasn’t that much so