Halle really wished she could enjoy her weekend as she had planned to. In her five days and nights of horror, Halle pictured herself constantly on her bed, in a warm bath, a hot bath…under a hot shower. Yet here she was, practically paralyzed from exhaustion on her bed and waiting for an email. It was a bright Sunday morning, the best day of the week for Halle as she had absolutely nowhere to go, there were no classes or shifts at the Matten Bar. Everything should’ve been perfect and relaxing but Halle found her mind drifting as she brushed her teeth, as she took a shower, and put on her clothes, she still thought about checking her email. It had only been a few hours, Halle managed to get proper sleep but not nearly enough considering the amount of sleep she had already missed out on in the past week. Greta and Simon had left sometime in the early hours of the morning, she knew because she felt a peck on her cheek ad remembered the scent of roses, Greta’s favorite scent. She had
Their coffees came before Halle could ask the thousand and one questions that were in her head. Marta stayed quiet, and elegantly she opened the cup of coffee that was brought in a ceramic china mug with a little lid on it and added two spoons of sugar to it, and stirred. It was only after she had put the spoon down and taken the first sip of coffee did she finally raise her head to look at Halle. Halle waited patiently, the steam coming from the mug in front of her warmed up her face and the scent of the coffee was strong, earthy...It was quality coffee, Halle could tell from the scent that assailed her nostrils and calmed her nerves. “Mr. Stone highly recommended you for this job Halle, but I had to do my research first and be sure you were the right choice, after all, this matter is of the utmost importance,” Martha said with a serious tone and then took another sip and let out a blissful sigh. “Is Mr. Stone the person in need of a surrogate?” Halle couldn’t help but ask, Martha
“Do you think you’re better than the other girls who have worked their asses off to get here?” “Do you think you have any worth?” “You have no use, you’ll never have any worth!” “I have never loved you, you disgust me!” Halle woke up with a gasp and a choked cough. Her eyes were wide with panic and fear as she struggled to catch her breath and get her lungs to work properly. Her heart was pounding so fast that it was painful, her hand moved up to her chest as she groaned in agony, her clothes were drenched in sweat and even her forehead dripped sweat into her eyes. She looked around as she tried to catch her breath, rays of sunlight streamed through the curtains and it bounced off the white walls of her apartment and created a beautiful light. Her apartment. Yes, she was home. She was no longer in her country with her mother or the girls. She was home. Halle let out a shaky breath, her heart calming slightly as she kept looking around the bedroom, her eyes drinking in every d
The drive was long, the driver didn’t say a word to Halle in those three hours that they drove, instead, he kept his focused eyes on the road and didn’t spare her another glance. Was he shy or was he just a people person? Maybe both, Halle thought to herself. She spent the rest of the ride looking out the window, awed by the places they had passed and realizing just how little of the country she’s seen in the past three years she’s been here. There was almost no chance to do anything else though, with her crazy shifts and classes during the day time, the only days Halle knew she didn’t do anything were on Sundays and then she’d be too tired and lazy to go anywhere so she’ll spend her entire day on her bed. Today was a Sunday and here she was, on the road. They passed by skyscrapers, old buildings, and fancy neighborhoods, it didn’t take long for Halle to realize that they had left the capital, and strangely enough, she had expected that the Stones would live in the capital just li
“Would you like to have anything to drink? Or eat? Have you had breakfast?”While Martha bombarded her with questions about her comfort, Halle’s mouth was still slightly agape as she looked deeper into the details of the house. It was magnificent.“Is this where I’m going to be staying for the next year?” It was a sobering thought, it was just a house…but it also made Halle realize the gravity of the decision she had made.“Yes, except if you don’t feel comfortable living with Mr. Stone?” Martha’s brows furrowed with an emotion that seemed more like discontent. Halle swallowed and shook her head immediately.“No, of course not I was…just asking, you don’t live here?”“No, I don’t,”Halle nodded and moved her eyes down to her fiddling fingers, her teeth biting into her bottom lip like it was an offensive part of her body that needed to be chewed off and thrown away.Don’t bite your lip, flower.Woah.Woah! Don’t think about that!“I…sorry,” Halle smiled apologetically reali
“So you’ll be living with them?”“Yes,”“In the most expensive estate in the country?” Greta practically squealed out in excitement, her ass at the edge of her seat as she took a large gulp of the beer Halle bought her and then grinned wider.“Yes…” Halle fought back a grin at the woman’s excitement.Greta was two years older than Halle, they had met in college in the most unlikely of ways and soon they were inseparable, Greta was the reason why Halle hadn’t died of starvation when she had first arrived, as she didn’t know anything and she was just a clueless foreigner. Halle loved the woman more than words could describe and she couldn’t be more excited for what the future would bring the both of them. Halle felt somewhat lighter when the woman walked into her home for the first time in two years, Halle could smile freely at Greta because she knew that she could finally pay every debt.Greta was also a student and she was also sponsoring herself in school before graduating the
The sun was already up when Halle woke up that morning, its brightness and warmth caressed her eyes and made her groan in annoyance.She had forgotten to close the curtains again, she thought.“Wake up sleepy head, I think you’ve slept enough,”Great, now even the sunlight was talking to her too, it sounded smug and a whole lot like a certain redhead who sometimes acted like her life purpose was to make Halle sleep deprived.Wait… Greta?“Get up bitch or the next thing you’ll be getting is an ice bucket!” Greta said louder, her threat was enough to open Halle’s sleep-heavy eyes.It was so fucking bright!Halle hissed as she brought her palms up to her face just so she could block the light from hitting her eyes.“Oh don’t be so dramatic,” Greta was close to her the next second, pulling her hands away from her face and practically carrying her out of bed. Greta’s hand was behind her waist and under her legs as she took her off the bed and then placed her on the floor a few st
The drive was as long and as quiet as yesterday’s, Halle felt slightly uncomfortable and maybe a bit embarrassed. Maybe she should not have asked about Mr. Stone. It seems like everyone is bent on keeping whatever the famed yet unknown owner of Stone Corp was doing a secret even to her who he’d just hired. Halle wished she could play along, as a child she was very good at keeping her mouth shut. Her words were never valued and never believed, she held countless secrets, and in a way, if spoke to the right person she could’ve been able to destroy a lot of lives. People said a lot of shit in front of her because they felt or rather they knew she wasn’t capable of saying those words out loud to anyone. Halle pursed her lips and turned her gaze back to hard jawed Monty who was clenching the steering wheel so hard that veins bulged from his hand and neck. “Are you okay,” “No,” He said, surprising her, “I’m angry and no—” he shook his head, “I am not going to tell you the reason so don
“Do I really need to be blindfolded for this?” Halle asked with a warm chuckle. Xavier just grinned mysteriously in response, guiding her by the shoulders through what sounded like a set of heavy doors given the echo. “Patience, Flower. I promise, it’s worth the surprise,” he assured her, amusement and excitement dancing in his tone. Halle smiled and cooperated as he led her slowly ahead a few more steps. Her heart swelled, trusting Xavier so completely even when she couldn’t see. After everything they had endured, Halle knew without doubt he would never lead her anywhere dangerous again. “Just a little further,” Xavier coached. “Watch your step.” His sturdy hands on her waist aided Halle in navigating what felt like a small staircase. A few more shuffling paces forward and they finally halted. Halle quivered in anticipation. “Can I look now?” “One moment…” She heard the smile in Xavier’s voice just before he moved behind her and untied the blindfold at last. “Now you can open your
When Halle awoke late one night from another vivid episode of panic, Xavier recognized a shift had finally occurred. He gathered her quaking frame close while she wept, exhausted and heart sore. “Shh I have you, just breathe,” he soothed until the tension slowly left her muscles. Halle clung to him like an anchor amidst stormy waters even once fully awake. “I’m scared, Xavier,” she admitted in a small voice once sufficiently calmed. “Scared she’ll find us again.” Xavier steeled himself before answering gently. “Then it’s time I put real end to this. For your peace of mind, and our son’s future.” Halle’s arms tightened around him briefly at the implication. But she simply nodded bravely when she pulled back. “Just promise me you’ll come back safely. I can’t lose you.” Her palm cupped his bearded cheek with profound tenderness. Turning his head, Xavier pressed a kiss into her open palm. “I will always come back to you Halle,” he avowed passionately. His piercing gaze bore into hers,
Xavier paused in the open doorway, gazing at the scene before him – Halle curled protectively around their three week old son as he nursed, her expression tired but content, Damien was at the edge of the bed, curiously watching and asking questions, his wide eyes innocent and childlike, just like it ought to be. Xavier’s heart swelled at the simple domestic sight, still scarcely able to believe he had nearly lost them forever.Halle had begged for Damien to be close, so the second they left Halle’s birth country in Africa, he had Monty bring the young boy out from hiding and back with them, where he belonged. After Halle had been safely recovered and gave birth, Xavier wasted no time whisking her away to a secluded estate where they could focus solely on healing without fear of Martha’s lingering reach. And healing was no small feat after the trauma Halle had endured. Though her physical wounds were minimal, the psychological toll left lasting scars.She was plagued regularly by v
Halle drifted slowly up towards consciousness, clinging to the last visages of a dream where she was enveloped in tender warmth and comforting strength. Even semi-conscious, she instinctively recognized the sensations cocooning her now were real, not imagined. But after endless days and nights of torment, believing rescue could only manifest as a fantasy, Halle desperately avoided opening her eyes fully. What if this beautiful illusion shattered the instant she woke up? The possibility made her heart seize with renewed panic.No - the arms cradling her were solid, the scent of juniper and fresh rain surrounding her unmistakably Xavier’s. This precious peace was real, it had to be. Halle focused on steadying her breaths, mentally grasping for fragments of memory through the haze still clouding her thoughts. Flashes filtered back now – the frantic escape attempt, searing contractions hitting, Xavier appearing through her delirium of pain like a saving vision…the sweet sound of her chi
A FEW HOURS EARLIER… The scorching sun beat down as Xavier surveyed the sprawling, dusty streets from the backseat of the nondescript sedan. It had taken tremendous resources and calling in more favors than he could count to get boots on the ground in this remote country so quickly. But nothing could deter him from his mission – finding Martha and making her pay for taking Halle.Taking the woman he loved and then sending him papers to sign while at it. Xavier gritted his testy as he thought about the phone call he had gotten from his aunt, she’d sent papers to his mail…asking him to sign over everything to her, that was her endgame. If she couldn’t get it from Damien as she’d originally intended, she’d get it directly from the man himself. Xavier had agreed to her deal but…he wasn’t really going to sign those paper. Stone was his legacy and he’ll be damned if he let’s and overly ambitious bitch take over and ruin everything he’s built. His mind wandered inevitably to images of h
Too spent to argue, Halle permitted him to gently help her ease down onto the padded nest now warming her chilled legs. Though hardly ideal accommodations, at least she was off the frigid concrete floor. Monty seemed satisfied with his efforts.“I must inform the Don that you have been found before he burns the brothel down,” he announced. Before Halle could wrap her mind around the significance of his deliberate phrasing, Monty had disappeared back down the cellar corridor with a final instruction tossed over his shoulder – “Try to focus your energies, I will be back as fast as I can.”Xavier…was here, for her. Halle couldn’t hold back her relieve tears but of course that feeling was short lived. Then Halle was alone again with her body’s urgent demands. She closed her eyes, trying futilely to center her wild thoughts through the intensifying contractions. But it was impossible to find any inner calm or fortitude. Not with her heart pounding anew wondering how much longer until
Halle’s heart hammered violently in her chest as the first contraction seized her swollen belly. There was no denying it now – the terror and physical exertion of her escape attempt had triggered full blown labor. Her child was coming, ready or not, even as Martha’s henchmen battered viciously to break in.“Shit!” Halle cursed under her breath as she held her belly, the pain hitting her unexpectedly and making her whole body sway and her legs shake. Leaning heavily on the dusty desk, Halle fought to stay upright and quiet through the painful tightening. But despite clenching her jaw, a low moan still escaped through her gritted teeth. The dampness soaking her dress kept spreading. “Why are you so impatient…” Halle cursed through gritted teeth, trying her best to stay up right so as to prevent any complications. From down the cellar corridor came another resounding crack – the stubborn old door’s hinges were splintering rapidly under the men’s force. In mere minutes they would be
Halle awoke with a gasp, her heart already racing. Today was the day – the day she would finally attempt her escape from this nightmare. She lay still for a moment, focusing on slowing her breathing and gathering her courage. The gloom shrouded the cramped room, but Halle’s eyes discerned the packed bag hidden beneath her cot containing the supplies she had managed to secretly squirrel away over the past week. The last week had been utter torment, forcing herself to endure her mother’s assaults and the groping hands of repulsive men trying to lay claim to her while pretending total resignation. More than once she had nearly faltered, the will to fight slowly being crushed out of her. But she would gently caress the swell of her belly. She could not – would not – let this place and its monsters claim another child if there was any hope of escape.Moving slowly to avoid any sounds of creaking, Halle eased herself up to sit on the edge of the mattress. Her heavy, cumbersome belly m
The days dragged by in agonizing torture as Halle remained trapped in her personal hell. Time ceased to hold meaning within the dingy confines of the small room that had been hers as a teenager under her mother’s cruel control. The peeling walls oozed with memories of past suffering, the very air thick with hopelessness.And now, heavy with her unborn child, Halle felt more trapped than ever. Her mother’s daily visits always ended with fresh bruises blossoming on her skin, dark reminders of her powerlessness. When not enduring her mother’s rage, Halle spent the empty hours curled miserably on the cot, arms wrapped around her belly as if to shield the precious life within from the darkness pressing in around them.On the fifth night, Halle lay tense and sleepless, every creak of the old brothel putting her nerves on edge. She stared dry-eyed into the gloom, too weary even for tears. The baby’s steady kicks were her only comfort.When the familiar scrape of the main door opening reached