I thought my aunt had died or perhaps something bad had happened when I approached our house. From a distance, I could see a fleet of luxury cars with heavily armed men standing at different points; they looked terrifying. I felt my stomach grow cold as I drew closer.
It was very recently that I noticed her pacing around the house, looking out of the window; sometimes she was very absent-minded. She had nearly dipped her hand in a frying pan with heated oil while she was deep in thought; if not for my timely intervention, when I asked her what the problem was, she looked me in the eyes and asked that we run away, that we moved to another city.
“Tessa, we need to run; we need to leave this city,” she had said to me, her grip firm as ever.
I could see fear in her eyes.
“Aunty Norah,” I said softly, sitting next to her. “We moved here barely a year ago; I just got this new job that pays well, and I finally get to have friends; why do we need to go somewhere else?”
“You won’t understand,” she said, looking away.
‘Then make me understand,” I nudged closer. “Why do we keep running?”
“We are not running; I’m just trying to keep you safe.”
“Safe from what? From whom, Is someone bothering you? We need to call the police,” I had said, reaching for my phone.
“The police can’t do anything. Absolutely nothing,” she said.
“What is going on, Aunty? Ever since you told me my Mum died in a fire incident and dad disappeared, never to be heard from again, we have been on the run ever since. I have not made sense of anything all these while because I felt losing your twin sister to a fire outbreak must have traumatised you. I did not want to bother you with questions or anything, but now I’m old enough to know what’s going on,” I had said.
She slipped her hands out of mine and sighed.
“It’s a long story,” she said, her eyes tearing
“Start from somewhere,” I said calmly.
“It all started when your dad got into a dirty business relationship with a man, and it resulted in your dad owing this man a lot of money, unknown to your dad that this monster was obsessed with your mother. He had made several advances at her, and she refused; her only crime was saying No to a billionaire and settling for a humble lettuce farmer. That man made life miserable for your parents. Every time he visited, he always took something precious. No matter how your dad pleaded, he would not listen. One cold night, while your dad was unusually away on the farm, that monster came visiting to demand his debt, Your mother was home and I was in the nursery babysitting you, He insisted that it was either your dad paid off his debt or he would kill him and have his men take turns on your mother, I had heard them arguing in the sitting room when I sneaked out with you from the back door to find your father. It’s a mistake I should never have made, I should never have left my sister behind” She paused, tears pouring from her eyes.
I was too cold to comfort her; I could feel my heart racing and the warmth of my tongue vanish. “So what happened?”
“I did not see your father on the farm. I managed to hide you somewhere safe and came back to the house to find your mother, only to see the building. she paused, choked with emotion.
“In flames,” she screamed.
I could hear her scream for help, but before we could get help, it was too late—she had died,” she said, her voice trailing off.
“And my dad,” I asked softly.
“I never saw or heard from him again till this day,” she said, her voice trembling.
“So who is this man, and why is he after you and me? I mean, he succeeded in killing my parents; what does he want from us?” I asked. I tried to control my emotions at this point because I hated how this was affecting my aunt so badly.
I have learnt that the ways of the world were cold and that I had to live life like I was on a battlefield; these were tenets that I groomed myself to live by, to face every challenge head-on, but this very chilling revelation from my aunt had me wondering if I was ready for what she would say next. I watched my aunt lower her head and tried to wipe her tears with the helm of her skirt when she began to cough.
Our conversations did not continue that night; she coughed until she was gasping for air. I had helped her sit close to the widow with the curtains spread wide open for fresh air to come in; we did not talk about anything else.
I approached the entrance carefully, observing the cold, expressionless faces of these men as I walked past them. I was terrified but maintained a defiant appearance. Once I got past them, I ran into the house to meet my Aunt on her knees, in front of a man who seemed to be in his late forties. She was begging him, but the minute she saw me, she got up and asked me to run away.
"Please, my baby, just leave; I will explain everything later!” she said.
"No, Aunt, I’m not leaving you here! Why are there armed men, and who is this man?” I asked.
“Oh, there she is, finally! I thought you said she travelled, so you lied to me?” The man said with a cold smile.
My aunt turned to face him.
“Just let her be Don Pedro; she is just a child,” her voice begged.
“A child? Last I remember, she just turned twenty-one; don’t you dare call my wife a child.”
I was beginning to get annoyed. His wife? This has got to be some sort of confusion, I said in my mind.
“Can somebody tell me what’s going on? And who are you, Mr. Whatever your name is?” I sparked.
“I am your husband, and I am here to wish you a happy birthday, darling!” He said with a weird smile, handing me a black box. “I got you a gift,” he added.
“I beg your finest pardon." I asked. Looking into his cold eyes.
“Is this how you accept a gift from your husband? No, thank you." He said again.
“You must be kidding! I mean, you are outrightly out of your goddamn mind!” I yelled at him.
I was losing my cool. I did not know who this man was, but I knew he was powerful from the way he talked, but he sure did not know what I was capable of. I looked around for whatever I could weaponise and found the left pair of one of my aunts rickety old cover shoes.
“Oh! She’s feisty! I’m sure you didn’t walk through that door with your eyes closed; one wrong move, and you will not like what happens next." He said with a kind of arrogance that drove me Mad.
"Well, you’re going to see crazy if you don’t get the fuck out of my house,” I held the door.
“Tessa, please calm down; let me handle it." My aunt said from a corner, completely shaking.
“You should listen to your aunt, wifey." He said again. Stretching out the small black box. “Take it”
“I don’t want anything from you, and today is not my birthday,” I spat out with my hands crossed, staring at him cold in the eye.
I did not like him. I did not like his presence, and I did not like how frightened my aunt looked.
“Did I hear her call you Tessa?” He asked, turning to my aunt, “You changed her name to escape me, tell her what her real name is, and be quick; don’t piss me off.”
“Me…Melissa Lorenzo,” My aunt whispered.
“I am Don Pedro Lorenzo." He said, “I am your husband.”
I was caught up with words. I didn’t know what to say next. This man’s audacity was too much for me to take it as I stared at him in disbelief.
“In that box are the keys to your new house with an address, a car to drive you around, and your wedding ring. It’s a blood diamond with a tracker; make sure you have it on at all times, I need to know your every whereabout, I was going to take you home with me today but I figured forcing you won't be deal." He said, stepping a bit closer—so close I could feel his breath on my face as he towered over me, his eyes deeply peering at me. “So be an obedient pretty little thing and do as I say; you have seventy-two hours to be in your new home, otherwise.” He stopped and pulled my aunt by her arm.
I tried to protest, but my aunt told me to be quiet.
“She knows what I am capable of,” he says, gesturing for me to leave the door. “I will see you in three days, wifey; take good care.”.
I watched him leave, his entourage and swamp of bodyguards driving off into the street and out of sight. The idea of being married did not sit right with me, but first, I had to make sure my aunt was okay.
The Devil is a liar! I had exclaimed in my mind.I managed to help my aunt to her bedside and fetched her a glass of water and her medicines. She had many questions to answer because a stranger couldn’t come and declare me his wife like I was a piece of furniture.No way. And Melissa? I hated the name as a word itself.I was boiling with so much anger I did not know when I kicked the bed bunk and yelled in pain.Breath in, Tessa! I said to myself.“Are you okay?” My aunt had asked. “You know we can plan our escape; we don’t have to do anything he says."Escape? Do anything he says? Why would I be compelled to listen to a man I do not know? I was triggered by that question.“Nobody is escaping to anywhere. I want to see how this plays out. If there is anything I need to know about the drama that played out, now is the best time to tell me,” I said before pulling a seat to the window side and sitting down.“How do I explain the situation now?” Aunt Norah started, “If only you had listen
I could still perceive his strong masculine perfume and wondered perhaps I had inhaled too much of him at the office earlier. I could still hear his voice in my head. His raspy deep voice rambling in my head, calling me his wife! I am not your wife, damn it! I unknowingly yelled out my thoughts as I walked into the sitting soon, kicking my shoes to a corner and switching on the light! There he was! My tormentor! “Tada!” He said, but there was nothing pleasant about that! I was still in shock and at a loss for words; I first looked around for my aunt. “Where is my aunt?” I asked, my fist clenched! He noticed. “Easy with the first honey; your aunt is in safe hands.” “What do you mean?” I asked before scampering around, calling out to my aunt. But no response or vision of her in sight. I panicked. I began to wish I had listened to her when she asked us to run away. I prayed this monster had not done anything to her because I wouldn’t know what I would do. “What did you do
Finally, some peace and quiet!The only thing I hated was the strong smell of that man’s perfume in the sitting room and everywhere else. He was driving me nuts, and I could no longer bear it. I looked around for my phone; I had forgotten where I had put it.I barely had time to breathe after that monster had left when the door swung open with such force that it banged against the wall. I jumped, my heart racing. I thought Don Pedro was back again, but it was my boyfriend, Sergio.He stormed in, his face dark with rage. I was taken aback because, I knew, Sergio was a soft and kind man who always had a smile on his face whenever he came visiting.The man who just stormed in was not the Sergio I knew.He was furious. I was scared. I was really scared. “I knew it!” he spat, his eyes charring with accusation.My eyes flashed in confusion. “Sergio? What—”“Don’t even try to deny it, Tessa. I saw him! The man you’ve been sneaking around with just left your house.”I frowned. My boyfriend
Don Pedro’s POV“Life would be so much easier if women reasoned like men,” I mumbled to myself as I adjusted my cufflinks in the rear-view mirror. Why are women so complicated, men are just very easy to come aroundIn my world, business was a chess game—calculated, strategic, ruthless, with no mercy. Dog eat dog; you either eat or be eaten.Men were built for such pursuits, their minds grounded for making decisions that built empires. Women, in my experience, were often led by stupid emotions, stubborn in their own ways, clinging to irrational sentiments. Love? Who believes in love in this day and time, such a joke!The whole infatuation irritates me.I smiled smugly at the thought of Tessa and how she was so determined, so infuriatingly headstrong. I wondered just how long her obstinacy would last under the weight of my plans to make her mine.I had orchestrated many plans in my life, each one executed with precision. Yet, nothing amused me more than watching a stubborn woman try
The so-called 72hrs that monster gave me had elapsed. I stood fixed in front of the mirror. My head replayed in slides, scenes of despair from two nights ago. There is something shame does to a person; it strips you of your worthiness; that small voice whispering in your head and telling you how unworthy you are—that's how I felt as I walked all the way back from Sergio's house. I felt so small and insignificant. I recalled how I had stood outside Sergio’s apartment, banging on the door. “Sergio! Open up!” Only to be met with silence. I had been here three times, loitering around and looking out for a shadow of him; he was the man I loved. I needed to know why he said all those things to me. By my third visit, I had met the caretaker, who informed me that the house had been sold and the occupant had evacuated earlier. It did not make sense to me. It was as if he had vanished. Something was wrong. I just knew. I swallowed the lump in my throat, hot bile heating up in the
Tessa’s POV“Where is that bastard!” I yelled, “Let me through”I screamed at the security guy, pushing through him.“Don Pedro or whatever you call yourself, You can’t keep her from me!” I shouted as I burst through the wrought-iron gates.I slapped the foolish guard when he tried to touch me.“Don’t you dare lay your filthy hands on me”I had come to the Lorenzo estate with one purpose—to see my dear Aunty Nora and get her the fuck out of there. But before I could reach the main entrance, two large men in dark suits stepped forward, blocking my path.“Miss Moretti,” one of them said in a flat tone, “you are not allowed beyond this point.”I was taking aback, trying to keep my voice steady, narrowing my eyes as I looked up at them. “I’m here to see my aunt. Now step aside.”They exchanged a look, one of them spoke into the wireless talkie he was holding, I could barely hear what he said, but he gave his colleague a signal and before I could protest further, one of the men seized my
“I’m sorry I didn’t quite grasp your name” she had said as she led me into the rest room.“Tessa” I said softly. “And yours?”“Regina” she said with a bright smile. “Let me help you with that”She moved to help me take off my clothes.Regina’s voice was soft, almost soothing. There was this calm reassurance in her carriage. In a way, her presence helped me cope with the madness in my mind.“Tessa, I know this isn’t easy,” she said as she carefully help me slip into my dress, adjusting the dress on my shoulders. “But everything will be fine. My brother… he can be difficult, I won’t deny that. But he has his sweet side too.”I forced a small smile, pretending I was okay when I felt like I was drowning. Because I was actually drowning. “Difficult?” I let out a light laugh. “That’s one politeway to put it.”If only she knew the devil she has for a brother.I loved her innocence. It meant, she was different from him.Regina giggled, shaking her head. “Trust me, I know him better than anyon
The reception followed immediately after. Now and then he would pinch of nudge at me signaling me to smile. At that moment, I felt like grabbing a nearby glass and breaking it on his head. His whole demeanour irritated me to my core. The fact that I had to breathe the same air as him had me feeling sick to my stomach. Such a needless extravagant display of wealth and status was not necessary for this sham of a marriage but then, only Don Pedro Lorenzo could pull such moves. My eyes ached at the sight of tables adorned with gold-trimmed dinnerware, I preferred silver. The set-up, as grandiose as the foolish man I married intended it to be, still looked tacky. They should at least use silver. I said unknowingly. But Not loud to hide my obvious disgust “Sorry?” he asked “Did you say something?” “No, I did not “ Thank goodness, Regina stayed close, her presence a small comfort. “You should eat something,” she suggested, offering to make me a plate. I shook my hea
AUTHORS POV The house was unusually quiet when Tessa returned from the shopping mall. She was tempted to kick off her shoes by the door, except for the fact that she was not in the comfort of the room she shared with Pedro. She sighed as the scent of grilled meat and garlic hit her nose, straying from the dining. Her body ached, and all she really wanted was a hot bath and to be left alone. But the silence in the air felt heavy—like something was waiting. She walked into the dining area and found Don Pedro seated at the head of the long glass table. The only sound in the room came from the clinking of his fork against the china plate. The light above him made his presence look even more imposing than usual. He looked up at her, chewing slowly, watching her. “You’re late,” he said flatly, setting his cutlery down. “Join me for dinner.” Tessa forced a polite smile. “I’m not hungry. It’s been a long day. I’d rather go upstairs and rest.” Pedro’s jaw twitched as though he wanted to s
AUTHORS POVTessa’s heels tapped softly against the tiled floor of the shopping mall as she made her way down the brightly lit aisle. She wasn’t dressed to be noticed—plain jeans, a white shirt, her hair tucked into a low bun—but somehow, she still felt exposed. Maybe it was the shelves lined with menstrual pads in front of her, or maybe it was the heavy cloud of stress that had followed her from the office. If there was a way she could discard Pedro's bodyguards outside the mall, she would have. But she couldn't.She sighed and picked up a familiar purple pack, scanning the back with little interest. It was one of those errands that needed to be done—quietly, quickly, and without thinking. She had no energy to waste. Her head throbbed from a day filled with tense emails and awkward silences with Pedro. All she wanted was to buy her toiletries and get home.Just as she reached for another item, a voice cut through the air behind her.“Tessa.”Her whole body tensed. She didn’t even ne
AUTHOR’S POV The corridor was quiet, save for the soft click of Regina’s heels on the floor as she walked to her room. Spending time with Pablo wasn’t a bad idea after-all. it was all she needed to stay sane and somehow he worked his magic on her and she was all smile. As she reached her door and turned the handle and went in, she sensed something was wrong—but it was too late. Franco was already in the room. Before she could process the shock, he slammed the door shut behind her and pushed her roughly against it. His lips crashed into hers with a hunger that made her stomach turn. She tried to push but he held her to the door, kissing her forcefully. Ravaging her lips with reckless abandon. In split seconds, he was holding her against the door with one hand while his other free hands was ravaging under her skirt in search of her panties. His forceful grasp were so strong, Regina found it hard to breath. She shoved him hard. “What the hell, Franco!” He stared at her, ch
AUTHORS POV Pablo arrived at the front steps of the Lorenzo estate just as the night encroached, it was just past 8pm. The floodgate lights bathed everything under it with bright light, giving the evening a cold, bright feeling, at least for Regina. As soon as Regina stepped out to meet him, he smiled. “I came as soon as you called,” Pablo said softly, his voice carrying a quiet concern. Regina looked at him, a little stunned that he had actually come. “I didn’t think you would,” she admitted, her voice uncertain, laced with doubt. He stepped closer, careful, gentle. “Regina, I can’t ignore you. Not for anything.” She blinked, a slow breath escaping her. There was a stillness in the air, as if the whole world paused for this moment. “Thank you,” she whispered, then motioned towards the path by the garden. “Do you mind going for a walk?” “Of course not,” he replied, his hand lightly brushing hers as they started walking side by side down the gravel path. For a few minutes, they
AUTHOR’S POVTessa didn’t want to be there.At the damn restaurant even though it was silent with minimal designs, dressed in soft candlelight and gold, with empty chairs and untouched tables that made it feel more like a theatre than a place to eat. It did not appeal to Tessa, all she wanted to do was get some sleep and maybe wake up later at night to help Camila with the pitch like she had planned in her head.Tessa looked around in disbelief. The place was completely empty—except for her and Pedro.Pedro sat across from her, wearing a smug look, his fingers drumming lightly on the table. “I booked the whole place,” he said casually like he could hear the questions in her mind, like he was announcing a weather forecast. “Just so we could have a private moment. No distractions. No one watching.”Tessa look around, unimpressed. In her mind, she muttered, Wasteful. Completely unnecessary. Her expression stayed calm, but her eyes were shooting daggers around.“You didn’t need to do th
“Knock, knock.”Pedro’s voice echoed in the stillness. Tessa didn’t answer, not immediately. She stared at her computer screen, half-pretending to finish up a report that had long since ceased to be her focus. She wondered why he hadn’t left yet. Was he going to just stand there? Was he expecting her to acknowledge him first? She wasn’t sure what it was that kept her there in her chair—but she was certain she did not feeling like going back home, she probably would have gone to Jamie’s but he told her he had a guest coming over to fuck him, Jamie was raw like that.The door swung open with a soft whistlelike sound.Pedro stood in the doorway, his tall frame leaning against the doorjamb. He had a wry smile on one side of his face, but there was also a mild annoyance in his eyes. “Everyone’s gone, Tessa. What are you still doing here? Planning on spending the night on that desk?”Tessa didn’t look up at him immediately. Instead, she glanced at the clock on her desk. It was gettin
AUTHOR’S POV Now, the day was over and night’s drawing near. The office was slowly beginning to get quiet, the busy sound of the air conditioner was the only sound left in the room by the time the last couple of staff members left the lounge. Most of the team had trickled out already, leaving behind their cold coffee cups and half-written notes on desks. There was this joy that seemed to engulf them after work closure. Perhaps they had happy homes to return to after a long day at work, and Tessa would stare out of the window behind her desk, the uniform way the various cars pull out of the parking lot, disappearing into the streets only to return the next day. She did not have a happy home to return to. So it was okay for her to envy them. In those quiet moments, she hated herself for how painful and bitter she’d become; at least she had not developed into an angry red witch, but she was not far from becoming a witch with how often darkness seemed to engulf her. She used to be
Regina forced herself to wear a warm smile, wiping away her tears repeatedly. “No, I’m fine,” she replied, her voice was flat and she hoped she was convincing enough. “I just… don’t feel well.”Dame Rossa’s stare softened slightly, but her voice remained stern as she continued, “before I say what I want to say, I would like to be honest with you, from where I stand, you dont look fine, and it’s definitely man problems”Regina tried to deny, but Dame Rossa motioned her to be quiet in the most calm manner.“I am not here to kick you while you are already down, You know, Regina… I didn’t just come back to Monterrey because I missed the weather or the old house or even the metropolis itself. No. I came back for something deeper. I came back because I made a promise to myself—and to your father, God rest his soul.Your father… he meant everything to me. He wasn’t just my brother—he was my best friend. And he loved you more than life. You were his precious baby girl. And when he died… I fe
Regina woke up to a damp pillow, the time on the table clock was an unmistakable evidence of a day spent crying, it was past 4pm. The sun was beginning no give way for darkness to take over as it’s golden beams slowly withdrew from drawn curtains, Regina did not notice the smudged tear stains on her cheeks. For hours, she had lain in bed, unaware of the numerous calls from Pablo, or the call from her masseuse. She recalled every word she’d overheard from Pedro and Franco—their conversation had cut deeper than any sharp object. In the midst of that agony, a disturbing thought crept into her mind: perhaps the Sabrina Franco mentioned in their discussion looked hotter than she did. Curiousity swelled within her, she dragged herself out of bed and strolled barefoot to the mirror.Staring at her reflection, Regina scrutinised herself: her hair was a dishevelled mess, her skin pale and lagged, and her eyes red-rimmed from endless tears. “Is this what it takes?” she muttered quietly, h