Author's Point of View...
Ericka stepped cautiously into the nightclub. It was dark and eerily quiet, which immediately unsettled her. "Elvira..!" she called out for her sister but there wasn't any response. "It's just a few minutes, where did she go?" As she took a few more steps ahead, she couldn't see anything. Some times she even bumped into empty chairs and tables. "This is weird...!" she thought, "Isn't this supposed to be a nightclub? Shouldn't it be loud and full of people? Why is it so silent??" She took a few more steps, her heels clicking against the cold marble floor. The vast emptiness of the space made it feel less like a club and more like an abandoned set. A chill ran down her spine. "What’s going on here? Did that scumbag set this up to scare me? He wouldn’t be that childish... right?" she had tons of guesses but no one seemed to match the situation better. Ahead, she noticed another door. Her palms were clammy, and a shiver crept through her body. She looked back to see if there could be any ambush or something but there was nothing but darkness. Taking a deep breath, she muttered to herself, "If no one’s inside, I’m leaving," and reached for the doorknob. As she opened the door, faint laughter echoed through the space. She froze, startled. "There are people here, after all." But the realization didn’t bring relief. The room was dimly lit, and she could say that this was an empty disco deck. Its flickering neon lights casting unsettling shadows on the walls, If not for the fear in her heart, she wouldn't have feared these kinds of childish things. That looked creepy though. Her steps faltered as she moved forward, hoping to find someone, perhaps Elvira. "If this place was empty, why the hell did she go inside...!" she wondered, cursing her sister a hundred times, "That thoughtless girl..." At the far end of the room, she spotted a group of men huddled together, their backs turned to her. She squinted her eyes to get a better look. "Who are they?" The men were dressed up in unusual attires, not in any formals or party dresses. They look more like thugs. Their presence didn’t look like a party, but something far more sinister. "Who are they? What are they doing?" her eyes drifted across the place, "Where is Elvira? Is Logan here?" Her instincts screamed at her to turn back, but the thought of Elvira being in danger kept her moving. She was trembling in fear and anger. "That stupid girl. What has she gotten herself into this time?" As she approached, the scene before her came into horrifying focus. Elvira was there—restrained by two men holding her arms, while a third clamped a hand over her mouth. Her muffled cries and tear-streaked face sent a wave of panic through Ericka. Ericka's jaw dropped and her eyes widened in shock. "Elvira...!" she choked on her own sobs. "What the hell is this?!" “Elvira!” Ericka screamed, but it was as if no one could hear her. For a moment, she wondered if some barrier separated them, but her mind was too clouded with fear to think straight. She watched helplessly as Elvira struggled against her captors, they were inching her up with their eyes filled with sinister lust and their twisted smiles showing they were enjoying her fear. Ericka’s breath hitched. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst. "This...this is a trap… Did Logan planned this!" she couldn't believe he could go to such depths. She gritted in frustration. "That scumbag...!" With that endless fear and desperation, she ran forward, only to slam into an almost invisible glass wall. The impact left her stunned. She frantically searched for an opening but found none. “Stop it! Let her go!” she yelled, banging on the barrier, but her voice echoed uselessly in the empty space. She could hear thier voices but couldn't go there. That was terrifying. She glanced around and noticed several other men lounging nearby, laughing and filming the scene with their phones. Their indifference enraged her. "What kind of place is this? What are they doing? Are they even humans! How could they enjoy something like this. They are monsters!" Summoning all her strength, she grabbed a small table from behind her and smashed it against the glass wall. It shattered, sending shards flying all over the place. Without hesitating, she sprinted toward Elvira. “Let her go! You monsters...!” she shouted, her voice trembling with both anger and fear. The men turned, startled, but their expressions quickly shifted to amusement. One of them smirked and walked toward her. "Is that another chick...?" “Did Logan mention there’d be a bonus?” he scoffed. “Who’s this one?” That place wasn't bright and they could hardly make out a shadow of a girl. They couldn't see Ericka clearly though. Ericka clenched her fists, realization dawning on her. She was in grave danger. "It was indeed Logan...! I knew it...!" "So this was Logan’s plan all along… to ruin her." What else could she even expect from a monster like him!! She held back the tears accumulated in her eyes. Her heart raced, but she forced herself to stand her ground. “Let her go!” she repeated, her voice cracking with desperation. One of the men sneered and shone a phone’s flashlight on her face, his gaze lingering on her. “Look at this one. She’s even prettier,” he muttered, stepping closer. The others leered at her, their eyes filled with lust. “Boss, let’s take her too!” one of them called out. Ericka’s body trembled, but she refused to back down. “You’ll regret this,” she warned, though her voice wavered. The man chuckled darkly. “Oh, sweetheart, what are you gonna do about it?” Ignoring her fear, Ericka fumbled for her phone to call for help. But before she could dial, her phone buzzed itself. She couldn't see the caller ID as one of the men snatched it from her hand. “You underestimated us, darling,” he taunted, leaning in to sniff her hair. Ericka jerked away, shouting, “Leave me!” The men closed in on her, their sinister laughter echoing around the room. ***********Author's point of view... The man who held the flashlight focused entirely on Ericka's body, and the spectators sitting in the lounge all gasped in shock. "That's a beauty..." they exclaimed, their voices dripping with malice and lust. Ericka was indeed a beautiful woman and to add to her appearance, the buttering up that the makeup artists had done to her was remarkable, making her look even more enchanting. "I want her...!" one of the spectators stood up and was about to come closer when another one pulled him back. "I am willing to pay ten million for her" Ericka's mind stirred. She thought Logan had arranged something to ruin her reputation but never in her wildest dreams did she think that he would actually sell her. How dare he...! she screamed in her mind. How could he disrespect a woman like that!! "If I ever get out of this place alive, I will kill you Mr. Logan Dawis...!!" she vowed to herself, gritting her teeth in disgust and anger. Her heart pounded as
Author's point of view...! Alex’s expression shifted, momentarily surprised, but his smirk quickly returned. If he had known this earlier, that the girl Logan wanted to ruin would be so beautiful, he wouldn't have arranged all this mess. He would have volunteered to help Logan with this instead. His lips curled upward as he stared at her beauty without even a blink. "Yes...she is telling the truth," Elvira cried out, "Just take her and do whatever you want, but please let me go...I... I am of no use to you..." Elvira begged. Ericka squinted her eyes as she inhaled deeply. She needed it so badly to maintain her patience. This girl was her sister...! She never once thought to protect her but was ready to throw her under the bus. However, Ericka knew that this mess was her to clean. This had nothing to do with Elvira, and if anything happened to her, Ericka couldn't forgive herself. "Let her go..." Ericka said, her head hung in despair. Alex's lips curled into a smirk, and he
Ericka's point of view... I struggled a lot to free myself but it was all in vain. They injected something into my veins and my head started stirring like hell. I was dying with dizziness. I forced myself to stay conscious but couldn't move a finger. Everything was out of my control. Maybe they drugged me with something. Alex grinned and scooped me into his arms. "Boss, let me carry her" his subordinate offered but he clearly refused to let his men touch me. I couldn't feel anything by now. He had been staring at me and I can see those eyes of his, filled with desire. This is not good. He was like a bloodthirsty animal who just got his satisfying prey and couldn't wait to bite. I could see his grin spread ear to ear, as he strode towards the entrance. From his shoulder, I saw his men scooping Elvira up. She was drugged too. Those creeps were touching her as if everyone of them wanted to tear a part of her body. Bloody monsters...! I gritted at my helplessness, at
Ericka's point of view... I stood at the grand entrance of the Dawis Mansion, its huge gates looming over me like an omen. I was angry but a bit nervous too. This family wasn't a small family that I could stand against. But that man had gone too far. I comforted myself. I had to do this. My heart raced, but not from fear. It was anger—a seething rage that boiled within me, begging for release. I clenched my fists, recalling every detail of the nightmare Logan had orchestrated. He must pay for what he did. I would make sure of it. I pounded on the ornate wooden door, my knuckles stinging with each knock. Before I could gather my thoughts, the door creaked open, and a handsome face popped out. I clenched my jaws together. How dare he...! There in front of me stood the man I wanted to kill right then and there. Logan Dawis...! He stood there, an ever-charming smile plastered on his infuriatingly handsome face. His dark eyes glimmered with amusement as if he’d b
Ericka's point of view... "Oh my...look here, dear, it's already so late, you should get some rest before your wedding tomorrow. It's your big day, after all, and you must look your best, isn't it?" I was jerked out of my thoughts as I heard that one word again. Wedding...! He still wants me to marry his son?? I...I...I can't believe this. I swallowed the anger in me and wanted to talk it out with Mr. Jonathan. "Mr..." I could barely utter a word when Logan chimed in. "Dad you are right. Look how tired she is. I think she should come in and get some rest. We can talk about everything later..." he hugged my shoulder and I snuggled away. Mr. Jonathan laughed, "I can't be any more happy than this...Oh Ericka, I am so glad that you came into his life..." he said, amused, genuinely delighted. I was rendered speechless. Logan continued his loving and caring facade, smiling at his father and me. He is just pretending, and I can clearly see that. What is he up to? I am su
Ericka's Point of View... I had a dream. A strange, hazy dream where I was in a fairy-tale setting, surrounded by flowers and soft sunlight. I looked ahead expectantly, shouldn't every fairy tale have a prince? And just as I anticipated, a prince charming appeared. He walked towards me, his figure blurry but his aura captivating. I smiled nervously. It was the first time that my heart fluttered inside my chest. That was a very unique feeling that I can't describe even if I write an entire book on it. The closer he got, the more I tried to focus on his face, but I couldn’t judge his appearance. Then, just as I was struggling hard to see him, he reached me, his arms encircled my waist, pulling me close. His lips touched mine, and it felt so electrifying, so real, that I froze momentarily. His lips were so soft and sweet that I wanted to bite them. It was a dream, right? I intentionally bit his lips and guess what, he didn't shout or yell at me just like a real prince ch
Ericka's point of view... "Sir...that wasn't me...I was...I was trapped...I was drugged....I didn't mean to offend you. I don't even know how I ended up here...Please believe me..." Though I controlled myself not to cry, my voice still trembled and betrayed me and I literally can't help it. My eyes were shut and I braced myself to whatever method he would use to lash out. However, nothing came out. I waited for his response or at least a grunt from him but honestly, he didn't respond at all. For a moment, I thought I was alone in that room. Slowly, I opened my eyes to peek at him and was stunned. He sat up, yawning and my eyes met with his well defined muscular chest. I gaped at him for a minute. Strangely I felt my throat drying up. I have seen many men before, not in orher way around but in telivision etc. But this was the first time that I saw a man so handsome, standing right in front of me. I gulped down awkwardly and slowly lifted my gaze up only to meet his narro
Ericka's point of view... “Do you want to get out of this situation?” Nathan’s voice softened unexpectedly, breaking through my sobs. I don't know where that came from, but I shouted at him. I never dared to talk louder before him let alone shout at him. "What...what can I do...what should I do...!" I screamed, choking on my sobs. I felt broken. I don't know if I still have a chance to get out. Though this might help me break off that engagement, I don't want to ruin Nathan's reputation too. He is innocent. Nathan didn’t flinch at my outburst. Instead, he grabbed the wheelchair beside the bed and moved to sit on it, his movements slow and composed. I was alert, just in case he needed my help. But he was calm and precise. He slowly grabbed the handles of the chair and slid down on it. He turned to me and drove in my direction. "You still have a chance," he said in a low tone. I looked up at him cautiously, hope flickering in my chest. Was he serious? His tone carr
Author's point of view... As Elvira walked in, she saw how affectionately the old lady held Ericka's hand while she was being ignored completely. She couldn't take it anymore. As the only daughter of the Hollow family, she was used to being treated like a princess, whereas Ericka, being the breadwinner of her family, was treated like a maid who would do anything. Elvira couldn't just see Ericka being loved. She just wanted that attention to herself. How could her cousin, a girl from a mediocre family, have that importance while the only daughter of the Hollow family was being ignored!! That's not going to happen...! That old hag must be blind to not see her!! She gritted. Moving forward, Elvira stood beside Logan. "Oh my, Ericka, you are here. We were all so worried about you last night, weren't we, Logan?" Elvira remarked, nudging Logan with a smirk. She just wanted to show herself quite dissolved in the family before the old lady. As if she cared a lot about her siste
Author's point of view... "No..no.... it's not like that" Ericka instantly tried to explain but the old lady brushed it off with a knowing gesture. "I know..." she grabbed Ericka's hand and continued, "I know very well about little Nati's temper, Darling. You don't have to tell me about it..." Ericka stared between Nathan and the old lady, stunned, clearly not knowing what to say. Amanda laughed and looked at Nathan who was glaring daggers at Ericka. Despite the anger, there was also a hint of surprise in his eyes. He never saw his grandmother taking sides, especially when it comes to him. She was never so friendly and happy before, laughing and chatting like how she did at that time. He was very puzzled about how Ericka could impress anyone by just being there without putting any efforts. "You know..." the old lady continued, "I was so worried about this boy..." Amanda turned her gaze back to Ericka, who was still so confused, looking as if she had walked into an alternate
Author's point of view... After getting dressed, Ericka walked out. A maid was waiting outside for her to receive her. Nathan had made sure she would always be tailed behind by someone to keep her safe. The maids and servants he planted in the Dawis mansion were all his people, all trained in martial arts and weaponry. After what had happened the day before, he couldn't help but feel unease. He was sure that someone from his family was trying to harm Ericka and that was because of him. He felt guilty. At least he had to keep her safe until he reached his goal. "Ma'am, this way please" the maid escorted her towards the ancestral quarters to meet the old matriarch of the family. Ericka looked around. Neither Nathan nor any of his men were anywhere to be found. She gulped nervously before asking the maid, "Have you seen Mr Dawis anywhere," the maid looked at her confused, Ericka instantly corrected herself, "I mean, Nathan?" That maid shook her head, "No ma'am. I haven't
Author's point of view... Ericka was stunned. It didn't take him a second to scoop her fragile body into his arms. Before she could understand what was happening, she was already in his arms. "You...Nathan...I am..." she stuttered, unable to speak normally. He stared at her and finally said in his ever so commanding tone. "You are sleeping with me..." Ericka instantly felt her throat dry. Sleeping with him? Is he serious? "But...I...I don't want to trouble you" she finally said with a futile effort to set herself free. He narrowed his eyes and snorted through clenched teeth. "Aren't you afraid?" Nathan asked. Ericka lowered her head. She was indeed afraid of closing her eyes. "Yes," She admitted timidly. "Then you can sleep next to me. You won't be afraid anymore." he said, his voice calm but unreadable. Nathan recalled the strange emptiness he had felt when she had chosen to sleep on the couch instead of beside him. "I'm just having trouble sleeping tonight
Author's point of view... The more Nathan thought about Ericka, the more intrigued he became. After he left the bathroom, Ericka closed the door and exhaled deeply. Was he going to kiss me? she wondered but soon smacked herself out of that thought. "He wasn't..." She confirmed. "He didn't even kiss me during the wedding, why would he do that now? He was just trying to intimidate me." she was sure that it was all because he was trying to scare her. Maybe trying to make her forget about the wolf. But that method was even more scary. She thought as she peeled off her filthy clothes, tossing them aside before stepping into the shower. The cold water cascaded over her, washing away the black mud that still clung to her skin. The air filled with the damp, earthy scent of mud as it swirled down the drain. With every drop of water that ran off her body, she felt her anxieties melting away. It was as if she had narrowly escaped death, and now, standing under the cool stream, a wa
Author's point of view... "Nathan...I...you..." Ericka stammered, staring devastatingly at his deep brown eyes. Her heart skipped a beat as the thought occurred to her about what he was going to do next. He isn't really wanting to bathe her, is he? She was so terrified at the thought that her entire body stiffened. If she was scared earlier by that huge black wolf, she was now even more scared of the handsome wolf in front of her. She looked like a trembling lamb before that wolf who was staring at her. He grabbed her wrist with almost no particular expression on his face. There wasn't a single bit of softness in his gaze, only disgust. Ericka couldn't understand what she did now to piss him off. "Do you really think that I would let you walk around my personal space like that?" he spat in his cold tone and Ericka finally understood what was going on. She looked down at herself, wherever she was moving, a line of mud appeared, cascading down her dress. She stared up a
Author's point of view... "Just put me down..." Ericka groaned, moving her body to jump down from Nathan's embrace. But his embrace only tightened. She tripped earlier and fell on a mud pit and was now covered in dark and stinky mud. Nathan was a clean freak and it was already hard for him to carry her and her protest only increased his annoyance. "What?" he spat annoyed. "I don't want you to touch me..." Ericka was fighting back the tears which were threatening her to run down. She was livid. If not for him, why would she have been here to begin with? If it were not for him, why would she have been in such a dangerous situation? It's all because of him...! She gritted. Nathan heaved a sigh. Maybe his wife was so scared that her mind was not working properly. "Ericka, calm down, you are safe now," Nathan said suppressing his anger, trying to calm her down, "Safe...?" she furrowed her eyebrows. As she recalled those deadly red eyes and that salivating mouth of that wo
Author's point of view... Jack jumped in fright as he saw his boss's piercing eyes. “Sir...I...Your orders are usually to not let anyone disturb you when you visit the ancestral hall, so I…” Creases appeared on Nathan’s forehead. Jack’s words made him realize that he had lost his composure. Without another word, he turned away and drove his wheelchair quickly toward the main building. Jack didn’t understand what was going on. "He doesn’t like his wife, right? So why is he so nervous?" he wondered as he rushed to help his boss. Inside the main building, Nathan’s father and the others were just about to leave when he saw them. He quickly scanned his surroundings but couldn’t see Ericka with them. “Where’s Ericka?” he asked seriously. Jonathan rolled his eyes in ridicule, his anger flaring at his son. “You don’t even know where your wife is, and you have the nerve to ask us?” Jonathan Dawis retorted coldly. Logan hesitated before walking, his gaze flickering t
Author's point of view... "Look, I don't know what you will do but I want everything to go well this time." Logan said in his commanding tone, while giving Elvira a shopping bag. "What is this?" Elvira asked curiously. She was wearing an orange off shoulder gown pairing it with a red shimmering jacket. The colors were bright, brilliantly matching her personality. She looked good but Logan was clearly displeased. "That's the dress you will be wearing when we will go meet grandma." Elvira wasn't willing to change her beautiful dress. Why would she when she clearly spent a fortune for getting it! "But why..." she protested, but she couldn't complete her question when Logan instantly grabbed her neck. "You don't have a choice...! Just do what I say." Elvira instantly nodded, "I...will.." He took a deep breath, controlling his unreasonable anger. He had been in a sore mood because of the incidents happened today. When he was calm, he explained the reason behind it. "It's