CHAPTER 11- AUNT MAGGIEZAHRA'S POVI walked out of the Kashem estate gates to meet Dashiell who stood outside, leaning on the door to his luxurious, black Chevrolet Corvette C8, and waiting patiently for me.Our eyes locked as I began to saunter over to him, my black stiletto heels making a crunching sound on the tarred road. I swayed my hips unknowingly, allowing my long wavy hair that cascaded down my back to bounce up and down. I wore a tight, white dress that hugged my curves in the right places, the chest part pushed up my large breasts, and the high slit on the dress revealed my toned legs.Dashiell didn't take his eyes off me for one second. His eyes scanned my every move like a hawk waiting for mother hen to leave her chicks and go search for food."Good evening," I mumbled shyly, trying to avert his gaze. In response, he nodded his head and asked me to get inside the car.I looked gorgeous facially, but I was screaming inside my head at how embarrassing what just happened w
CHAPTER 12- THE ARGUMENTZAHRA'S POV I sat on one of the sofas in an empty room in Aunt Maggie's mansion. My heart was not only beating, but my mind was racing with so many thoughts. One of which was the question that Aunt Maggie asked Dashiell.I got up and paced around the room, unconsciously playing with my fingers to cease the anxiety attack that I was about to have.I heard the door to the room open to reveal Dashiell's handsome face coupled with that same sour expression. But, I couldn't look at him. However outrageous his idea to bring me here was, he didn't even prepare me for the silly questions that came with going out with him."She didn't mean any harm with that question," Dashiell said I scoffed and shook my head, "Okay, why did you tell her that I meant nothing to you?" I asked, almost wincing at the realization of that question popping out of my mouth.His gaze softened a little as he leaned back, "You don't mean anything to me," He replied coldly, his words shaking m
CHAPTER 13: YOU ARE ON YOUR OWNI leaned into the lounge chair on the balcony that led to my room. My mind was wallowing up my self-confidence as I thought of how I embarrassed myself in front of Dashiell.But, how could he say that we were nothing to each other? It's not as though I expected him to say we were more than friends, but the least he could have told Maggie was that we were business partners. I heaved a sigh and walked towards the strong, white railing, and started to overlook the estate's surroundings."Soon, all these will be yours," I heard a familiar voice say from behind me, startling me and bringing me back to the present. I turned around to find Malek smiling at me like he had just seen his favorite basketball team win the game.I put my hands on my waist and raised an eyebrow, "Excuse you? What's your deal, Malek?" I watched as he started to walk toward me, he took out a paper from his pocket and stretched it toward me. I eyed the piece of paper before collecting
CHAPTER 14: SECRET BUNKER As I was dragged toward Malek's secret bunker at the far end of our estate, I could hear squeals and excited gushes from the maids in the estate. They were happily moving around the chateau, throwing decorations and flowers everywhere, because apparently, today was Malek's mistress's baby shower. Barney didn't even bat an eyelid at me as he pushed me out of the chateau, and neither did the maids. I have never known any set of broke people who were more worthless than the maids at the Kashem estate. "Why are you doing this?" I mumbled in a choked whisper as Barney began to unlock the bunker's door.He said nothing and opened the door before shoving me inside, leading me to fall on the ground and then scrape my knees on the rough flooring.He looked at me before closing the door. "I am sorry, but I am just taking orders from Mr Kashem," he replied and then slammed the door.Then I was left lying on the cold ground in a dark, cramped, and smelly room that ha
CHAPTER 15: MALEK'S DEATHDASHIELL BLACKWOOD'S POV The smell of fresh cigarettes filled my nose once again as I tossed the phone to the nearby leather couch after getting off the call with Zahra.That insolent little bitch, Zahra Eres. How could she break off a plan that we shared a mutual understanding over a trivial matter? How could she be so immature? I got up and paced around my dimly lit study, which was draped with thick brown curtains, and designed with posh, black-leathered chairs.I looked towards Gotham who stood by my study door and waved him to come forward. "Get me another bottle of alcohol, and bring my new sports car around," Gotham looked surprised at my order, his eyes gleaming with suspicion, "Should I tail right behind you, sir?" He asked, but I shook my head to say no."Don't follow me," I answered, my voice laced with venom.*************I swerved left with one hand on the steering wheel and the other clutching a glass of Italian rum as I pulled over at t
CHAPTER 16: YOU KISSED MEZAHRA'S POV My eyes flew open to find everything around me in color white, and my thoughts drifted off to Malek crushing my hand and leading me to fall off the ladder."Am I in heaven?" I muttered under my breath. I soon felt a soft hand on my wrists and I shuddered in fear, only for me to get up and find Mrs Wilson sitting close to where I lay while gazing lovingly at me.She chuckled lightly and cradled my rosy cheeks, "No dear. You are in the hospital. You suffered some head injuries earlier, do you remember?" I nodded my head to say yes, but my thoughts were far away from the confinement of the room. If Mrs Wilson is here, that would mean that it was Dashiell who came to rescue me after all. I didn't want to ask Mrs Wilson directly but I just had to.But, before I said anything, she spoke up. "Your son, Salem is such a sweet little boy. He would have come to the hospital with me but my husband is watching over him at home," She said softly.At home? W
CHAPTER 17: TILL MORNING I could feel Mrs Wilson's eyes on me from the start of dinner till the end, but I tried to avoid meeting her eyes. What Dashiell did was so embarrassing for me to want to share, but I guess she saw everything so there was no need to hide anything. The atmosphere was getting tense with no one but us here as the heavy rain had prevented her husband and my son from coming home."Are you okay now dear?" Mrs Wilson asked, placing her palm over mine.I forced a smile, "Yeah, I'm okay," I replied and the air became tense again."I feel bad seeing you like this after witnessing what happened outside, and I won't say anything to support what he did but what I will say is that Mr Blackwood didn't have an easy childhood, and what he had gone through contributed to the emotional wall which he built around himself,""Well, he wasn't the only one who had a hard childhood," I muttered under my breath, unconsciously rolling my eyes.Mrs Wilson smiled, her eyes softening b
CHAPTER 18: BOIL THEMThe soft knocks on the door stirred me up from my sleep. I didn't open my eyes, but I could hear Mrs Wilson's gentle voice call out to me. "Zahra, dear, are you awake? My husband had to leave early and I do too, so I brought you breakfast," I opened my eyes to find my leg sprawled across Dashiell's body, and our faces inches apart. My gaze softened as I took in the handsomeness of his well constructed face. God really took his time to sculpt a man as handsome as him.As I began to stare at him further, ignoring Mrs Wilson's disturbing knocks, he opened his eyes, leading me to jump back and hit my head on the wall."Ouch," I whispered, caressing the place that had just gotten stitched.He furrowed his brows and eyed me suspiciously, before grabbing his shirt from the floor.By this time, Mrs Wilson had stopped knocking for five seconds, and before I knew it, she was back."Zahra!" She screamed nicely. "You have to open the door for me to bring you food," Dashi
Chapter 94: I'll Miss Tomorrow, Even When It Passes.Zahra's POV *Two Weeks Later*It had been two weeks since I learned to start walking again. Each day, every step came with its own pain—my muscles that felt too heavy, my balance that took forever to make my feet firm on the ground, and my lower abdomen that would ache every time Dashiell took me for a walk in the evenings, his arms on the small of my back, holding on to me like he knew how hard I would fall if he left me. Luckily, I managed to push through it all, ignoring the aches, until my body finally began to remember what it felt like to be able to do things on your own. Now, as I stood here in my bedroom, I could hardly believe that after all I had been through... I was still alive. After many near-death experiences and so many years of living in sadness, loneliness, and pain, I was still alive.I took a deep breath, smoothing my hands over the soft silk of the dress Siobhan had chosen for me—a dark green gown that shone
Chapter 93: Where It EndsZahra's POV*Three Months Later*I lay wrapped in a shroud, everywhere in total silence. I couldn't hear a thing, but I could see the blinding white light from a torn part of the shroud. Suddenly, a familiar, soft, and rhythmic beeping filled my ears, and in that instant everything went blank.Where was I? And why was everywhere so dark?I tried to stand up, but it felt like I was chained through the shroud. Through the torn part of the piece of cloth, I could see a speck of light trying to pierce through the darkness. As the light began to grow, I started to feel my body again, though every limb felt heavy, as though I had been asleep for a century.The light began to illuminate the whole place, swallowing the darkness that there once was, and I felt myself being broken free from the chains."Where am I? Where's Dashiell?" I tried to scream, but it only came out as a whisper.I struggled to open my eyes, blinking against the brightness. My head began to hur
Chapter 92: ALL OR NOTHINGDashiell's POVI stood outside Zahra's hospital room, watching her fragile figure on the bed, monitors beeping rhythmically, her skin even more pale than the white sheets that covered her. With every second that I stood there watching her, I was reminded of how close I had come to losing her because of Carolyn.I should have never let her come with me to Italy.My thoughts drifted back to when I got signals from Zahra's chip on my phone. Then, at the same time, Gotham called me that Carolyn's car started speeding unusually, and he started to move at their pace, but they started driving through long, narrow, and unknown roads. Then he lost them.How dare you, Aunt Carolyn?I was so close to losing my beloved because of your hatred for her. And, even if you didn't like her, what about me? Do you not care for me? Your own nephew?I sighed as I recalled getting to the scene where the signal was coming from, and we couldn't pass that area because of the car that
Chapter 91: ONE LAST TIMEWhere I came from, the world was a spiral of dull colors and muffled sounds. Pain shot through every part of my body, sharp and unwilling to leave. I could feel the warmth of blood still trickling down my forehead, sticky against my skin, and the metallic taste of it in my mouth."Am I alive?" I whispered as I forced my eyes open, squinting against the blinding afternoon light filtering through the trees.A voice echoed in the distance, but I couldn't tell who it was as it was very faint. I blinked multiple times, struggling to focus and understand what I was doing here. The car. Carolyn. The crash. I remember jumping out of it, trying to save myself, and now... where was I?With great effort, I tried to push myself up, my hands trembling beneath me as I leaned against a rough tree trunk. The dizziness was becoming toooverwhelming, and my body felt like my bones had turned into hammers, and they were hitting my body from inside out. "That's if you make it o
Chapter 90: Zahra's DeathZahra's POVThe next morning, I found myself reluctantly getting ready for Carolyn's tour. I'd chosen a hot pink bodycon dress that stopped around my ankle, paired with a pair of stiletto heels, and my hair pulled back into a simple ponytail. In case we stopped by a restaurant because I barely ate at the Thanksgiving dinner.At the beginning of the dinner, it felt mostly... peaceful, and I thought Siobhan lied to me about them being overly problematic. Until the fights broke out between Marcello and Isabelle. They tossed plates at each other, broke glasses, and yelled around. And, before I could manage to sneak out of the hall, one of Dashiell's cousins, Jana, caught me by the arm and pulled me aside with four of her friends and began to ask what Dashiell saw in me that he didn't see in other girls.I rolled my eyes as I brushed those thoughts off, stepping into the car that Carolyn had arranged for our use, but when I got closer, I noticed it was empty. I lo
Chapter 89: Carolyn's OutingDashiell's POVSitting at the head of the table, I watched my family members meet my gaze, the room silent as they waited for what I was going to say next.Domenico sat beside me, shifting uncomfortably in his seat and constantly glancing at me. I leaned over, lowering my voice just enough to be heard by him alone. "I trust you know why you are here. You are going to die, Uncle." I murmured, my voice firm. Domenico's face tensed, but he gave a small nod and looked away.Once everyone was settled, I rose to my feet, raising my glass. "Thank you all for coming to the annual Thanksgiving celebration," I began, my voice steady. "I am grateful for all your roles in making sure that our legacy grows and remains unified in purpose. We all have our duties as members of the Blackwood family. And, even if you are not of Ottoman descent, you will always be a part of us." I paused, allowing my little speech to sink into their brains. "Tonight, I'm pleased to share a n
CHAPTER 88: ONLY MY LOVE MATTERSZahra's POVDashiell pushed me back onto the bed, moving to kneel between my legs as his hands gently spread my thighs apart."You don't want to see my surprise? I'm offended." I joked, propping myself up with my elbow.He chuckled softly, pressing his lips against one thigh before looking up at me. "Would you be mad at me if I told you I had already seen it?" I gasped playfully, biting my lips as his tongue started to trail up my thigh. "But..." he continued, "I want to see you wear it. Maybe somewhere other than this filthy palace." he said, leaning down, his tongue flicking on my core through my panties."Mhm..." I moaned, curling my toes, which were pointed at the ceiling. He looked up, his gaze meeting mine. "Like that, love?" he asked, his voice low. He leaned down again, not waiting for a reply, his hands tugging on the sides of my panties before taking it gently and pulling it down my legs."So beautiful..." he mumbled, trailing his fingers
CHAPTER 87: ARRIVING AT THE PALACEZahra's POV"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be landing in Italy in forty minutes." The pilot said, his voice crackling over the speakers.Finally.My gaze shifted across the jet cabin to where Maya lay silently on Adela's lap, watching an episode of her favorite anime, InuYasha. Adela watched it with her, her hands massaging her scalp.It's been a week since Maya was found unconscious in Oregon. She was still at the hospital with Adela when we started packing for the Thanksgiving Celebration, but because she didn't want to miss it, she begged Dashiell to convince Adela not to stay behind with her, that she also wanted to see what the Thanksgiving Celebration was like. Dashiell agreed, but only on the condition that we took a doctor with us.I looked toward a different cabin, and eyed the doctor who was munching on a large sized burrito and eating ice cream while watching something on her laptop. She noticed me watching her and eyed me with a frown on h
CHAPTER 86: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SONDashiell's POVThe chill in the Oregon air seeped into my coat the moment I stepped out of the car with Zahra next to me. I felt her fingers brush against mine, as we walked through the hospital entrance. Inside, the sharp smell of antiseptic filled my nose. My jaw tightened as I spotted Blazer standing in front of a ward, waiting with a sloppy expression on his face."They are working to stabilize her," Blazer said as we came closer, keeping his voice low. "She's still unconscious. They aren't sure when she'll come around."I gave a small nod, and without saying anything, followed him down the long corridor that led to Maya's ward. "Liam's father called me earlier," he added, his voice barely audible. "He was the one who told us where to find Maya. He said Liam sent him a video of Maya chained up and bruised. The man was practically raving and rambling about unrelated things before we could get the location out of him."I let out a low hum. "So what