It was over. That word kept repeating itself endlessly inside Madison’s head as she laid motionless on the sandy ground, Damien’s still form on top of her, and the feeling of blood gushing too. Her dress was getting wet, and as she blinked twice, trying to note what had just happened, she tried to move a bit, and the second she did that, Damien fell to the side, his arms outstretched and his eyes closed tight. “No… no…” Madison began to panic, wiggling her tied body, her eyes going to her legs as she searched for any sign of injury or bullet wound on herself, but she saw nothing. “No…” She mumbled to herself, her eyes straying away from her body to the one beside it, and that’s when she saw her worst nightmare in front of her. Damien’s bloodied body laid on the ground, his mouth slacking open, and he wasn’t making a move at all. Blood gushed from the side of his chest, and Madison tried to scramble to her feet, wanting to get to him, but she couldn’t. She was still tied, and th
“I have to see him, Mason. I have to….” These were the words that Madison kept on repeating all through the ride from the beach to the nearby hospital. The second the car stopped, just behind the ambulance that had conveyed Damien’s still unconscious body, Madison fumbled with the now freed car locks and hurriedly stepping out of the car, she rushed towards the nurses and doctors cluttered around the emergency vehicle. Mason was right behind her, calling out to her and begging her to slow her pace and calm down, but she wasn’t listening at all. Nothing he was saying made any sense. Nothing anybody said made sense. She just had to see Damien. She had to see him by all means, even if her whole body ached, and she could feel the pain of her battered body racking through her. “Madison, please stop. Don’t go there….” Mason shouted from far behind, but she didn’t stop walking until she was standing with the doctors. She watched as the medical team brought a stretcher and placed Damien
A WEEK LATER KATHERINE Stepping into the prison visiting room, chained and in tatters, Katherine scrunched her face in disgust when she saw her father sitting with someone by his side. It was his lawyer, and she almost let out a hiss the second she spotted the elderly man. She’d told her father countless times over the phone not to bring anyone when coming to visit her, but he had done what he deemed right already, and now there was nothing she could do. Nothing she could say too, except sit opposite them and listen to what they had come to say. “You can leave me now. I’m fine.” She spat out rudely at the officer leading her to her seat, and shoulder sagging, she began to walk towards them. The second she approached, the two men stood up, and with a smile plastered on her father’s face, he walked forward, arms outstretched, wanting to hug her. “Father, please…” Katherine mumbled, rolling her eyes as he took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. “Oh… I saw you two days ago,
A tear strayed down Madison’s cheeks as she glanced at Damien’s still form on the bed. She had her hands clasped in his left hand, and she brought his palm up, placing a soft kiss on his knuckles, pecking gently. Her tears streaming freely now, she sniffed as she broke into sobs holding his hand tightly. So tight that she didn’t want to let go at all. She never wanted to leave him. Her fingers tightening, she muttered a lengthy apology over and over again, wishing that it would be able to convey how sorry she was, but she knew her efforts were fruitless. Oh, how she wished she could take everything back. She wished she’d never tried to leave the country, and instead, she would have given him a chance. At least then, they would be together, and they would know how to solve Katherine, who was a menace to their relationship. If she’d stayed, maybe all these wouldn’t have happened, and she wouldn’t be in a hospital, by his bedside day and night, praying for him to wake up and loo
THE NEXT DAY The next day came by so fast that, for a moment, Madison feared the worst. Every second, she tried to blink, wanting to check if everything happening was real, and it was. Damien had woken up from his coma. The doctors had checked up on him and deemed him okay miraculously. When the doctors had marveled over his condition, wondering how he seemed to have fought over the gunshot wound, Madison tried to seamlessly stop herself from shedding tears every second, but all her efforts were useless. She’d tried so much, but she couldn’t stop the tears and giving up after she’d cried her heart out. She couldn’t even talk to Damien again because she was scared.What if all this was a dream, one she was currently having? This was a nightmare, probably, and she would be awake soon, but it wasn’t. She’d pinched herself so much that the fleshy skin of her wrists was filled with welts and marks, but still, she didn’t stop. She kept digging her sharp fingernails into her skin, t
As Madison’s lips merged with Damien’s, stray tears flowed down her cheeks, but she didn’t stop kissing him. Hell, she couldn’t stop! She’d been waiting her whole life for this moment. They'd kissed a few days back... She'd felt his lips on hers when they'd let their carnal instincts take over during their angry spat and the argument that had brewed but remained unconnected that day... Today's kiss was unique. It was unique, and she enjoyed it. She yearned for it. She cherished it and had even started it. Madison could only sigh in pleasure and happiness as Damien wrapped his bandaged hands around her softly, his grip tightening as the kiss deepened.Damn! He made her complete. He filled her. She was one and whole with him. Just like when they’d been young, carefree, and just in love, this moment felt like it, and she didn’t want it to end. With all the weight and burden from her shoulders lifting, her body relaxed into him. Her soul sang along with his, and she gave a soft, muf
KATHERINEHead held high, wrists and feets clasped in handcuffs; still, Katherine slowly walked into the visiting room with two police officers leading her in. Today was another visiting day, and her father had come yet again with another man, this time dressed in white lab coats, and she could already deduce who he was. A medical practitioner. Maybe he’d come to give her the results of the tests they’d carried out on her some days ago, and at the painful reminder, she looked back up at her father, who was already standing up from his seat. She tried to gauge his facial expression wanting to note if they had good or bad news, but the way he stared blankly at her gave nothing away. Instantly a chill ran down her spine, and she forced herself to swallow huge chunks of saliva. Never in her life had she felt scared like this. The constant headaches that plagued her day and night, the thorough body ache she got whenever she did a little strenuous activity, and the way her vision got
“You must ensure you take all your drugs and eat well. A nurse will be stationed for you since you requested home service, and she’ll dress your bandage every three days. Is there anything else you need, Mr Daniel?” The doctor asked for the umpteenth time that morning, and Damien shook his head before replying. “No, not really. As long as I have Madison here with me, I can assure you that all your instructions will be adhered to. I’ll take the drugs, and she will care for me very well. Thank you so much.” As he finished, he heard a chuckle bubble up from Madison’s lips, and she squeezed his still-bandaged chest gently. “Ouch… That hurts.” He jokingly said, but she just continued to laugh and waved him off. He wanted to look by his side and see the beautiful smile radiating on her face, but he couldn’t. He was still talking to the doctor, and he didn’t want to be distracted. He didn’t want to also miss out on any vital information. Finally, after almost a week at the hospital, he
~ They were drawn to each other in ways they had never experienced. It wasn’t a coincidence but an undeniable fated connection. Because when their hearts first collided, they knew their soul was already infused together. ~SOME MONTHS LATER “No way…” Madison’s hand shook as she held the white pregnancy test stick in her hand, her jaw dropping as she stared at the result she was seeing.Her hands shook heavily, and as beads of sweat flowed down her face, she began to walk away from the toilet and back to the bedroom she and Damien shared.“This has got to be a dream.” Madison muttered to herself, a tear falling down her face as she gently placed the stick on the table and continued to stare at it, but she could not comprehend what she was seeing.Her eyes closed; she tried to tell herself that, indeed, her eyes were playing some trick on her, so she had to close and open them again, but when she did… The pregnancy stick was still there.Showing two positive lines, indicating that she
“Are we there yet?” Madison queried, her hands flailing about in the air as Damien kept leading her to somewhere unknown, his hands covering her eyes.“Almost…” He chuckled heavily, and she just groaned lightly.She hated this suspense, and whatever it was, he wanted to show her it had better be worth it cause she was running out of patience.Discarding the worrying thoughts out of her head, Madison instead decided to use her sense of hearing to grasp the knowledge of where she was at the moment since she could barely see a thing.The light sand, which buried her feet now and then as they walked, signified that they were either at the beach or some park. It was the beach! She could hear the soft billowing sounds of water waves from afar, and with the cool evening breeze blowing past, carrying with it the scent of murky dust, she knew her assumption was right. But which one in particular? She wondered, and again why had Damien brought her to the beach of all places?Her curiosity soo
"I'm confident that everything will be fine." As they drove to the hospital, Damien kept assuring Madison, his hands intertwined with hers. It was as if he could sense her anxiety and the nagging reminder that she might get some bad news today. She'd avoided going to the hospital for years after being treated there when her child died. Since then, she'd vowed never to set foot in a hospital building to check on herself, regardless of whether the situation was critical. But, with Damien's constant words of encouragement and kisses on her knuckles every minute, she was doing her best to remain calm. They'd agreed to go to the hospital to be safe after she'd expressed concerns about not being able to have children, among other things. Damien, on the other hand, had suggested going to the hospital so they could both get some checkups and talk to the doctor. His suggestion was good, and she could use it... "What's going through your mind, my love?" Damien's voice jolted Madison out
“Morning, princess.”Madison groaned, her eyes fluttering open as Damien’s loud greeting roused her from her slumber.“Go away.” She mumbled, eyes still closed as she turned sideways on the bed, intent on continuing her sleep, but he just wasn’t having it.“No, I won’t. Wake up, princess.” He said again, using his hands to nudge her shoulders again, and she let out a frustrated hiss.“I think I can handle you calling me ‘princess,’ and the word alone will make me wake up. You know I like it.” She mumbled, hands rubbing at her eyes as she tried to gain consciousness of her surroundingsDragging the blanket with her, Madison pushed herself into a sitting position against the headboard, yawning and stretching.She looked over to where he was standing, and her lips fell open when she saw he had a tray in hand.A tray of food? What was in there? She began to wonder, but she didn’t need to think much because, soon enough, the smell of freshly fried eggs, bacon, and pancakes filled the air,
The moment Damien placed his lips on hers, Madison knew she was lost already.Finally, after her fears and worries, she was doing this. She was going to enjoy tonight, and since it was their first time since whenever, she just had to bask in it.Closing her eyes and letting out a hum the second he placed her on the soft king-sized bed they shared, Madison’s left hand wandered to his hair, gripping the strands tightly. She moved forward to deepen the kiss, feeling his hands also moving, and she let out a sigh when his thumb caressed the bud of her puckered nipple.He was still kissing her. Their tongues lip locking lightly, and every move he made sent warmth rushing through her body and made her heart race. Suddenly, Damien pulled back and smiled softly at her before placing a gentle kiss on her neck, and she heard him whisper, “Fuck Maddie. Your scent… it’s driving me crazy and… I’ve missed you so much….” He trailed off, his voice shaking as if sobbing and the sound tugged at her he
“Sure, I’ll come visit.”“We will come visit.” Damien chimed in, throwing Madison a wink, and she just laughed softly.His hands wrapped possessively around her waist, Madison leaned further into his arms, sighing satisfactorily as she bade her family goodbye.Watching as everyone got into the jeep Damien had provided to take them home, she continued waving at the moving car until finally, the vehicle was out of the mansion’s heavy gates, and it was just her and Damien standing outside in the cold.It’d been a long night, filled with eating, drinking, and dancing, and now it was all over, and as much as she had not wanted the event to end, she was rather grateful.She was tired, and she could do with some sleep as it stood. “Hey, lovebirds.” A familiar voice called behind, and they both turned back to check.It was Alvarez, and he was coming down from the mansion's stairs, bag and suitcase packed already, and Madison’s brow raised immediately, the sleep at the corner of her eyes disa
“…I still have a lot to say, but this toast would be incomplete without my late father, Mr Daniel. It’s so funny how everything that happened all till this day is somehow intertwined with the events of the past. I can’t say the memories are worthwhile, but then everything happens for a reason, and I know that wherever he is right now, he would be watching us with love, admiration, and pride. I am also proud, not because of my achievements or everything I might have gained in these past few years. But because of what I became after all these incidents. I would never have imagined this scenario, but I am grateful for it. This enmity and malice between our families have been long gone, but we still have to look out for each other, especially when the situation gets tough. However, it can only get better from here. That I know!” The sound of applause filling the room as Damien continued his speech had Madison’s lips quivering, and she fought the urge not to cry.The way he spoke was so e
“Hello, mother.” Damien smiled ruefully, his arms wide as he embraced Mrs Connor, and she dutifully fell into his warm hug.“Son…” She began, “You look so good and strong already. How are you doing?“ She queried with a raised brow, and Damien chuckled all the more.“I’m doing fine, as you can see, thanks to Madison.” He finished with a wink, and the pretty older woman laughed heartily.“Come in, come in,” Damien said again, his hands outstretched as he led her into his modest abode.Kissing her on both cheeks, he allowed her to wander in and turned to face the rest of Madison’s family.Her father, brothers and their spouses were all present tonight for the reunion party and from the look of things, there was going to be a full house.However, Damien reveled in it. He was more than happy that they’d all honored the invitation, and knowing that this dinner event would usher in many more to come, his eyelids twinkled as another waning idea flickered into his thoughts.“Hello, brother.” M
“I’ve been trying mother’s cell phone, but it hasn’t been going through, father. Where is she?” “Hello to you too, Maddie.” Mr Connor greeted, and Madison sighed, rubbing her left hand on her forehead. “Afternoon, father. How are you doing?” She politely asked, a smile flickering on her lips as he replied “I am doing okay. Better than ever. Your mother went to the grocery store nearby to get some things for dinner tonight and….” “Why is she still going out on her own father?” Madison abruptly asked, continuing, “Damien’s made sure she doesn’t have to worry about all these. You both… I mean, the household staff he hired should be able to….” “You know how stubborn your mother can sometimes be, and I couldn’t object. She wanted to go out and get the things she needed specifically. Just leave her be.” Mr Connor said, and Madison could only jet out a worried exhale. However, hearing her father’s cheery voice lifted her heart enthusiastically, and tears pooled at the back of her eyes.