Tower, that name sounded too familiar to be forgotten. In fact, it had been his secret shame, something he had done in the past and regretted.
***
Six years ago
Nathan sat all by himself, recluse and with hate. He stroked his bruised hand just to feel something. His mother had bandaged the hurt fists before he was sent to the academy for healing, a subtle term for the mental hospital. He was believed to be suicidal and not in the average way.
He had taken it upon himself to get into fights and visit dark alleys to get hurt or maybe die.
It was not working well.
"Howdy."
It was the other patient. The small box could only contain that or less. His roommate was a man in his forties, the golden age. He had a full beard, fairly unkempt and had grown his hair to achieve the rockstar look. He looked a bit skinny too. Other than those, he was alright.
Nathan ignored the man's
"Rolling Stones gather no moss"How to get to her? It was the only question Nathan could ask himself. She had remained to herself with her eyes glued to her phone.It was like she didn't even care he was here."The files!" His mind got working.Nathan doubted the files having his signature would be in the house but he had to give it a shot.Talk about way over your head!"So...Now that Boulderfist is yours what do you intend to do with it?"Adriana gave him a bemused look crossing her slender legs in the most intimidating manner."What makes you think I want your company? If it was left to me I would have it to the ground but he has other plans."Her answer got Nathan more curious,"Who? Your father!"She didn't reply. She stared back into her phone and began to type."About your father—I didn't mean to betray him, my…"A knock cut Nathan short.
"Two can't play Cupid's game"" This...This and this"Nathan nodded absentmindedly as Adriana threw files at him. His mind was still transfixed to what had happened earlier.The wordsBoulderfistwhich he had erect on top of the building for the price of thousand was tossed down like it was nothing. Nathan remembered Thomas' smile as the wordsTowerwere reconstructed in its place."Are you even here?" Adriana quizzed seeing he was lost in thought."Nothing..."Adriana questioned no further. She instructed him on what he had to do even if he knew it all. It was part of her torture.The conference room had been refurbished to meet her standards as it was her new office."Don't just stand there...Go and get something doing." Adriana spat clearly irritated.Nathan nodded in submission and went out.
"love is a drug, can be used and abused"The bed felt like a bush of roses with prickly thorns tearing at her skin.Adriana tossed around, shivering as her sleep became a plagued nightmare.Sweats drenched the bed and her grunts and pleas for help went over the top."No!" She suddenly shrieked getting a breakthrough from the demon.Nathan got in as quickly as he could and joined her at her bedside.His room was opposite Adriana's."It's alright." He pacified her, clutching her tight in his arms.Adriana's fingernails bit into his skin like pine needles but he hardly cared. Her soft skin touching his, intoxicating."What the hell are you doing?" Adriana demanded when she came around.She was as of before a scared child waking from a bad dream but now, her bossy demeanor had returned."I thought...""Leave my room," Adriana ordered.There was one problem though, Nathan did not want
"Hard to get, easy to lose."Nobody. It had been taken away. The chalk drawing on the floor told Nathan however where her body had rested.Ignoring the bright yellow tapes that clearly had no trespassing allowed, Nathan reached the site of the crime."Why did you do it?!"A policeman came forward humming lightly to make his presence known to a grieving Nathan."I'm sorry for your loss." He expressed."Are you?""It's my job." The man sincerely made known."All I need is some answers, Mr Nathan."What answers could he want?"If I can be of any help then, sure!""Miss Claire mentioned you before she took her life, Did you have a relationship with her perhaps, More than Just Friends?"Nathan banged his hands to the floor hearing such disgusting words the man spewed."Are you insinuating that I had a hand in this?!"The man jotted down something."No Mr Nat
"Choose your stand, fight for it.""I think you made the right choice." Mrs Romero honestly answered."Really?" Adriana quizzed, doubting her hearing.She had no idea why she had taken such a drastic step towards her father. She was going to ruin him and for a man.No! You have to fix this.Not that she would have the opportunity to fix her mistake.Nathan was a smart ass and would have a plan of his own to sidetrack hers just in case she failed.Adriana assumed he had already told someone if he hadn't even recorded their conversation and handed it to a trusted friend in his stead already.She was freaking out."Adriana!" Her mother recalled her back to reality." Sorry Mother but that was done in the heat of the moment, I wasn't thinking right."" I think you were doing the right thing." Mrs Romero maintained.Adriana gave her mother a groan and continued to pace around
"Love is a game you can't win neither can you lose."The afternoon as a tiring one for Thomas. Nothing interesting had happened apart from the fact that he had paid a Hitman he sent after a blackmailer.The girl Claire was dumb as hell. Threatening to reveal his involvement in murders he had a hand in if he didn't relinquish the company back to the right hands.Nathan!He knew very very that Nathan was a threat now if Claire had even slightly revealed her research to him."How did she even father so much dirt against him?" He said, aside.His phone pealed and he slid the screen to see who.A private number. It better not be the hitman demanding more money."Hello?" Thomas greeted."Hello Mr Thomas." A baleful voice acknowledged."Who is this?" Thomas asked, now relaxed.It wasn't the Hitman so who was it?"Just someone in need of a favor.""What kind
"If love was an object, it would be a kitchen knife."Adriana pushed away, sanity coming back to her in a rush."Nathan, if we cross this line, there's no going back."Seeing he did not care, she walked out on him."Wait, Adriana!" He begged following closely.Adriana turned to face him, her eyes basked in tears."Why me? I've always hated you and I'm sure the feeling was mutual.""For some time, yes but when I was with you Adriana, I felt somethingthat I haven't felt in a long time.""What did you feel?" She asked, more in a hush."I felt loved."Adriana burst into a fit of laughter making her cheeks huge."I've always had fantasies of what it would be like if we met differently, if I wasn't a bitch and you never met my father.""But it can be different now. I'll say it again Adriana, I've never felt this way for anyone before. I just want you in my life."By this time, they were already ne
"Ever heard the tale of Cain and Abel?"12:00 AM THE D-DAYAdriana tried calling one more time. She had been at it all night and was exhausted. She didn't even realize she had slept despite all means she had tried not to.The number you are trying to call is currently switched off.She angrily tossed her phone on the bed. The force made it boomerang back at her. It hit the ground before she could catch it, sending a loud echo in the room that killed the silence."What do I even care?" She ranted to herself."I need some sleep. I'll think about it tomorrow." She muttered to herself.She laid on the bed and cleaned her eyes to get some sleep.Just then, her cracked phone lit up. Silent but someone was calling. Nathan was calling.7:00 AMThomas hovered over his daughter.His shadow making her subconscious sense she was in danger and she roused."Dad? What are you do
Rodriguez noticed his wife staring at him and decided to scold her for not helping."You know honey, you always insist on doing everything but today, you don't seem to want to help. Are you alright?"She was stunned."I'm alright. I just don't see the need to go with them. We can go on our own.""Nonsense. You hardly relate with anyone, I'm doing this for you.""Are you sure or is it something else?" She spilled before she could think straight."Ok. What's wrong?" Rodriguez demanded, getting closer to her.She could barely breathe seeing him so close to her. Her self defense instinct went haywire.She almost compulsively took out the knife she has hidden on her to protect herself.She hadn't slept last night, not with the fear that he would kill someone and when she did, the terrible nightmares interfered."Maybe you shouldn't go." Rodriguez put in."I'm going!" She almost yelled.She had to keep a w
Nathan left the doorway he had leaned on to earlier and approached Adriana.He had given her enough time to grieve.The cops had already left and all that was left of the murder was the bloody words on the floor."What do you want to do now?" Nathan asked a frozen Adriana."I don't know." She answered and looked around the house that took her in. The only place she could call home for three years and now that she knew she was not alone, This happened. Fate would not just stop fucking with her.She remembered the words her late mother had engraved to the ground with her own blood.Ro!What could it mean?"Are you ok?" Nathan inquired.Was she ok? Why would he even asked that... Someone she knew just died and there was a high chance she could have if she hadn't gone with him.She couldn't blame him, he must feel awkward from the situation and sensing his relationship with the Contreras, it was
She followed him closely, mad on his trail despite hiring a cab."Drive faster!" She nudged the old man.The man nodded and stepped on it.The rough road made her hold on to her swollen stomach feeling each bump the car suffered affect her aching back and the baby inside.Soon, they arrived at a village.She couldn't understand what her husband planned to do here but she had a gut feeling, evil looked close by.She instructed the driver to stop when she saw her suspect turn around in their direction, his eyes were bloodshot, they had no mercy.He flimsily checked around even peering in her direction but as the good Lord would have it, he dis not approach the vehicle that had been following him for minutes.She saw her husband pay a bulge in his back pocket and proceed to where he was headed.That was the gun,She could swear.Maybe she was right, Rod was in some kind of trouble. She had to know what
Fuck! Pick up the phone you bastard!Rodriguez tried Nathan again only to be cut off again.What could he do now?, He thought.The Contreras had disappointed him and now Nathan was spending time with that girl.If Adriana managed to get just a fragment of who she was, she would question the Contreras and there was no way his name would not be given out.Shit! Why was this happening to him?His enemies had tripled. If only he has put an end to Adriana the time he met her.Nathan would surely be trying to make her remember her past but the problem was where they would be.Rodriguez had sixty percent certainty that he would take her back to their family.Of course, Rodriguez snapped his fingers finally getting his shit together.Now all that was left was to send Chale spying while he went to have a talk with the Contreras.He pulled up a gun from his drawer, the cold metal made him
"Hello, Dr. Suarez."Mrs Romero wasn't expecting a call from Dr. Suarez this earlyThere could only be one reason why he was calling, For her, this was the moment of truth, she was ready for anything."It's about the DNA results."Mrs Romero remembered to take deep breaths in case it didn't come out as she had expected."I don't believe this but Ema shares your DNA."Mrs Romero choked on her own saliva.This was definitely not what she had imagined."Dr Suarez... Ema... is Adriana?""Yes." The man replied."Excuse me." Mrs Romero said before putting the call on hold and running around the room like she was on fire."She's alive!"Her newfound joy took the wrong turn when she remembered that Ema wasn't in the hospital anymore.She vividly remembered watching her go with the wrong people.It shattered every good moment she had planned to share with the world - her workers.She retu
"What will I tell father," Ema thought as she walked back to the reception.She had been so rash that she accepted to go on a date with Nathan.It was stupid but yes, she complied.Seeing her father in such a foul mood at the reception made things a whole lot awful go her."Dad..." She made her presence known to him."Ema, why did you run off like that? Are you ok?" Mr Contreras demanded, examining he like he was sure she had been molested in his office.The punk's lips was a devilish temptation and the sparks she felt when their body met was alarming, apart from that, Ema knew she was untainted."I'm fine Dad.""So what did he tell you?""You got your job back."She expected her father to be shocked or doubtful but instead, he was angry."What! How!""I don't understand you Dad, Didn't you want the job back?""Ema, I want you to tell me the truth and now, What did he do? Did he say anything?""No...
Gasps and look of pure shock was all Nathan said as he walked up to his office.The surprised looks of his workers were funny at first but with him receiving it everywhere, it was becoming disturbing.It was almost like no one wanted him back.He wasn't the most social but at least they could pretend to care.Nathan got over their stares, focused on getting to his office.He adjusted his black three-piece suit and unlocked the knob to his office.The place was just like how it left itExcept for the position of his office chair.Nathan wasn't a fan of that check so he tried to change it himself.At that moment, someone knocked on the door before opening,A woman in her mid-twenties walked in, caramel-skinned and very lanky, the model body structure."Good morning Mr. Tocci, I'm the new secretary" she informed in a professional voice."Good. I'd like to have an appointment with the top workers in t
So now she's awake.Nathan watched Ema stretch out her hands and run her eyes before she opened them to reveal the darkest chestnut brown orbs.This kind of beauty only belonged to his wife. If she was truly a lookalike, they couldn't share exactly the same features."Where am I?" Ema mumbled, shocked to see herself in the hospital."The hospital. Isn't it obvious?"Ema turned to see who was talking."Nathan…""I see you know my name. Do you like it?"Nathan got up the bed he was in and approached her.Ema could feel her breath slipping away when he got too close for comfort.He was so close to her face that she could see his peach soft lips were natural."You must be Ema, Ema Contreras," Nathan noted.Ema ran her hands her short hair just to get the awkwardness of the situation out of her mind.What she didn't understand was why he was talking different. His stance had even changed. She suspected
Nathan flinched feeling a sting in his wrist. He forced his tired lids opened. His eyes burned not used to the light.The first question to pop into his mind was 'where was he?'He sat up and his arm stung again. He turned and ripped away the needle that caused the pain.He could now make out that he was in a hospital but he couldn't make out why.I survived.Nathan remembered being shot. He checked the spot to see the bullet wound.It was odd to just see a scar in place of what was supposed to be a fresh wound.He let his finger linger around the scar wondering why it healed so fast.He got out of his bed trying to stretch and ponder on what was happening.Someone at the left whimpered, like they were in pain.He turned to where the noise came from."Adriana!"He rushed to her bedside.Her face was squeezed and she continued to breathe heavily.It had to be a nightmare."Nathan!"