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
SOME DAYS LATER Madison placed the last washed dishes in the kitchen cabinet and quickly turned off the dishwasher. Whistling away and dancing about, a small smile appeared on her lips as she quickly cleaned her wet hands with a spare dry towel in the large kitchen. Her ears roamed about the lovely spacious room she was in, and her smile widened all the more as she began to think about the events of the past few days. It’d been six days or almost a week since Damien had been discharged and just four days since she’d packed fully into this mansion, and she was falling in love with the place every minute. Was it this kitchen she frequented, making unique, delicious dishes for Damien? Or was it the large garden she wandered to during the day to breathe some nice fresh air? That garden was like a safe haven for her, and the whole house was already growing in on her. She loved the building, his mother and sister loved it, and sometimes Madison wondered if this was where they’d spend
“I’ll leave you two lovebirds since I’m the only one here. Goodnight, Maddie, and thanks for Dinner.” Looking up at Alvarez with a broad smile, Madison replied, “Goodnight, Alvarez. Have a nice rest.” “Sure.” He responded, and shaking hands with Damien too while she watched, he bade his goodbyes and then left the dining room. Soon it was just her and Damien at the table, and drinking a huge gulp of wine, Madison turned to face him, a smile still plastered atop her lips. She caught him staring at her as usual, his fork in his mouth, as he chewed the steak on his plate. His eyes were filled with something warm, something that made her heart flutter inside her ribcage, and she blushed furiously at his blatant stare. He swallowed whatever food had remained on his plate before he leaned back in his chair, and sipping from his beer, he just dropped his cutlery and continued to stare at her. Trying to diffuse the tension between them, she asked with a chuckle, “What’s on your mind, Dam
SOME DAYS LATER KATHERINE Katherine sat still, staring blankly ahead as she waited for the visitors to come in. Ever since her say her had told her of Damien’s recovery, and the fact that he wanted to see her, she’d been quite shocked, and a bit uneasy, but her emotions had gone uphill just last night when she’d been informed that Madison, was also coming to see her too. She’d screamed, her hands tugging at her prison cloth and dirty hair, as she cursed and warned her father not to let that lady come see her in this state, but he’d only looked at her remorsefully. He claimed he had no say in who came to visit her, and worse still, the investigative authorities in charge of her case had approved of the visit, so there was literally nothing they could do about it. As he left her cell, bading her goodbye and begging her with tears in his eyes to take her drugs before sleeping, Katherine had immediately plunged into a mental decline. Her eyes turned red as memory after memory plagu
“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.
“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 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