Chapter 3
~ Dylan ~
'Mr and Mrs Charles' She quickly responded.
The name… it rang a bell, reeked recognition.. a fearful one. My breath came in shorts and I felt dizzy immediately, an unusual feeling settling in the pit of my stomach. I clasped both sides of the hospital bed.. my mind working its way on the easiest way for me to escape. The nurse rushed to my side, pinned me back to the bed.
I jerked my shoulders. 'Get your fucking hands off me!' I growled.
'I can't let you leave here under my watch, especially when you're not fully recovered. If you don't want to see those people outside, say it. I'll have them leave immediately' the doctor interfered.
I inclined my head in affirmation. 'Fine.. I don't wa…' I stopped mid sentence when a third party butted in.
'How can he mention that to you, Doctor? He's our son. What son wouldn't want to see their parents?' the voice came from the ward's entrance.
My throat constricted and I slowly gazed upwards to look at her.. I would recognize her anywhere even in ashes. I spent fifteen years of my life living with her, dancing to her whims and caprices even when it wasn't convenient for me. I did all she wanted because I was so desperate to show my appreciation to her family for adopting me… Her eyes had a mischievous glint as they stared back at me. There she was, alongside her husband. The duo who had planned to sell me off to a pimp because of their son.
I shook rather violently, the color draining from my face.
'W.. what a..re you d…doing here? How did you f..find me?' I stuttered. For four years, it was hard for them to get a trace of me.. How's it possible now that they know my whereabouts?.
'Doctor. Could you please give us a second? I'll like to talk to my son privately' she pointed out, unnecessarily emphasizing on the last three words.
As always, she's the one doing the most talking. Her husband only stood behind her like some kinda robot, waiting for her order before he can say a word. It has always been like that with the Charles.
The doctor casted one last glare at me, mouthed an apology then cowardly reached for the door, he motioned for the nurse to come along as well. Wasn't he the one who promised to send them off if I'm not willing to see them??
'son of a b*tch' I cussed under my breath.
She sat at the edge of the bed, covered my shivering hands with her cold palm. An act that made me cringe inwardly.
'Oh dear. It's been a while, hasn't it?' she scowled mockingly.
'What do you want from me?!'
'How do you mean by that son? You ran from home. We looked for you relentlessly, hoped you'll come back home some day. Now that we're finally reunited, isn't it worth some happiness?'
I grimaced. Happiness?? Hell No!! So far I'm concerned, nothing good is going to come out of this situation… 'How did you even find me?' I asked again.
'You are all over the News, Dylan. The whole of Carlifonia must have heard about the accident by now.. A reporter was amongst those who saved your life. I guess. I was worried about your well being. I had to take an emergency flight down here' she shrugged her shoulders lazily.
'I'm fine. I don't need you worrying about me' I gnarled. 'After all these years, I didn't expect that you'll come for me again. After all, you must have sorted out other means to save your son!!'. I blurted out.
Her lips stretched into a thin line. 'What do you mean?'.
'Drop the fvcking act!! I heard it all that day. You planned to sell me off to a pimp' the statement came off my mouth louder than I intended it to.
The lines on her forehead creased in confusion. Slowly, she inclined her head. 'You know, I was wondering all these years, why you ran from home.. happens you heard things you aren't supposed to..'
I smacked my lips. 'No.. I heard things that'll make me know the real you! You should have sought other ways, pushed me to take a job, get a loan.. just something else! But you chose to sell me off?. What mother would do that to her son? Is it because I'm not a real one?..'
She smirked, shooting me a murderous glare. 'I raised you up all these years. That's the least thing you can do to appreciate my generous act..' she flipped her hair to the side, flashed me a forced smile. 'My dear son, it's better to let go of the past. Come back home. We miss you. Your brother is fine now. So you can be at peace. No one's going to sell you off' she added.
I squeezed my eyes shut. 'Forget about me. I'm not following you back home' I adamantly said.
'You are honey, you've got no choice now. I promise, you'll be treated at home'
A devilish smirk crossed her face at the words.
I blinked rapidly, anxiousness made my palms sweaty.
'You can't take me out of here,.else, you'll be arrested'. I weakly pulled out the IV from my arm, causing drops of blood to pour from the spot in my arm where it was previously inserted.
'Careful there, you're going to hurt yourself' she said, a fake sympathy plastered on her features. She was a good actress, I know it already. So, it is impossible for her to get to me this way.
I let my hands hold the edge of the bed for support as I climbed off.
'Come on, Dylan. Where the hell do you think you're going now?' her husband who has been mute all the time finally said something.
'Far away from you two' I spat out, trying to balance my bare feet on the cold floor.
'It's too late, honey. You've no where to go now'...
A small push sent me falling back onto the bed. Strong, firm hands pinned me to the bed, the more I struggled, the tighter the hands held me..
I felt a sting by the side of my neck as a needle was forcefully pushed in. It was as though all the air is being sucked out of my lungs. One last jerk, the firm hands released me. With blurry vision, coupled with a burning sensation on the side of my neck, I crumbled to the floor, straining my vision to find an escape even when I know it's all useless.
Her laughs was the last thing I heard before giving in.
Chapter 4~ Dylan ~I woke up feeling an unbearable pain on both sides of my head. My butt cheeks remained on a hard, metallic surface, my hands were tied to the back and a twine knotted my ankles to the arm of the chair. This was more like an abduction.. No… This was an abduction. My eyes darted around the dim room. There were no fans, no bulb, no furnitures either. The paintings on the walls are mostly peeled off. The source of illumination came from outside, sipping in through the only window in the room. It was dirty and smelled like dust. A pile of clothes and documents were scattered across the room. Seems like it's more of a dumping ground.An excruciating ache shot through the whole of my body, triggering the one I felt in my head. My sight caught small bruises on my elbows and the back of my palm. I groaned helplessly, trying to psychologically soothe myself from the ache.I glanced around, searching for any instrument that can help cut the binds. I froze at the sound of appr
Chapter 5~ Dylan ~I twirled my hand, relentlessly trying to loosen the tight knot on it. It was as if with every attempt I made to free myself, the rope tightened. After several attempts, I was able to succeed but not without getting a huge red mark around my wrists. I reached for the blindfold, yanked it off my sight. My aching palm soothingly rubbed my throbbing eyes, relieving them slightly of the after effect impact of the blindfold. Blurry, black lines swam before me till I was able to adjust my eyes to the dim lighted room. I frantically attempted to undo the twine that tied my ankles to the metallic chair which came off a bit easier than I expected. As soon as I was free, I opted for the door and scurried out of the room, I winced fearfully when Darkness welcomed me again…'Where's this place? Where did they bring me?' I muttered to myself. Straining my eyes in the darkness, endeavoring to find an opening, something that'll assure me there's a way out of here. I followed my
Chapter 6Weeks Later~ Christain Forbes ~It happened that I eventually followed the men weeks ago to the 'family hospital'. As soon as I recovered, they made arrangements for me to settle back home. When I say home, I do not mean the slum I've spent nearly five years of my life living in, instead, it was a luxurious mansion, filled with maids and guards, expensive furnitures, cars and everything a billionair's house should possess. It wasn't until I met the mysterious Chairman Forbes that I started to understand what was happening. I was the lost son of the Forbes. The only son of my father and the heir to the family's heirloom. It all started out in a surreal manner but again, it started to make sense to me. Why I was in an orphanage home, why I was abducted, why they tried to lure me off to another country. I guessed right. I was a threat to their existence. I was no longer lost and I'm forever grateful for that. Neither my boss nor Lauren checked up on me all the while I was in t
Chapter 7~ Christain Forbes ~Pale blue eyes peered into mine as we sat across each other. The dark circles under her eyes indicated she's been deprived of a good sleep maybe.'What do you have to say?' I urged her to speak.Her lips pressed into a thin line before she spilled it. 'I'm having problem at the hospital'.My brows furrowed and I rested my elbow on the desk, leaned on it to have a closer look at her facial features. 'Why?'She rolled her eyes, her perfectly pouted lips nibbling against each other.'You should know better than anyone else'I cussed under my breath when the realization dawned on me.. that son of a bitvh. It's like he's got some nerve after all the wrongs he did. 'I'm sorry this is happening to you but my father informed me he already took care of things, so, he shouldn't bother you anymore…' I trailed off. 'Well, he's a difficult man, Mr. Dylan. He's threatening to fire me. He wouldn't even let me engage in any hospital activity. He's making everything d
Chapter 8~ Christain~'I expected you to recognize me right away. If not my face, my voice at least' he snickered.'Cut it out. What are you here for? Abduct me again? Slice my throat open or persuade me desperately to leave?'His facial appearance hardened.. He tapped the space beside him. 'Come Sit. We have a lot to talk about. Dear brother'My anger turned into astonishment as I cocked my head. 'Brother? What right do you have to call me that?'He tapped the sofa once again. 'If you really want to know then sit.. I'm afraid my neck would fall off from staring up at you if you remain that way'I folded my arms. 'Your presence makes me down to earth uncomfortable.' 'What are you proposing? That I leave?''Yes. Please do.''Aren't you interested in what I've got to say?'I shook my head. 'Forget it. I don't want to listen to whatever you've got to say' I bawled.He adjusted his suit. 'You should be interested. A little piece of information can save your life'My chin jutted out stub
~ Lauren ~The aura that welcomed me when I surfaced into his office was quite scary and unusual. Regardless, I set my bag on the table and settled on a seat.'You asked to see me. Is there a problem?' I asked since he's not talking to me first.'What do you think, Lauren? You think I'll remain calm after all I did?' he bawled, causing me to jump in my seat.I'm not able to grasp what he's really trying to say.'I don't understand you. What are you talking about?'He scowled, his eye balls bulging as they stare into mine.'i don't want to believe you've not heard about it'I shrugged my shoulders. 'Whatever this 'it' is, I sure haven't heard anything'.He shook his head scornfully, reached for a Newspaper on his table and threw it at me.My mind broke in to puzzles. He's never been like this towards me. What's with his change in behavior?'Are you going to read that or continue staring at me?'I got a grip on myself, transferred all of my attention on the papers he threw at me. The fi
CHAPTER 10Days Later ~ Christian ~'Sir, the interview is today' I was reminded by one of the workers who took upon himself the responsibility of acting as my Personal Assistant for the past six days. He mentioned he'd stop once I find one for myself.I inclined my head affirmatively. 'When did you set the time to be?''It's starting by 2:00pm sir' he responded.I took a quick glance at my wrist watch and frowned.'It's two already'He smacked his lips. 'It skipped my miind to tell you before hand. I'm sorry sir'I wheezed out a breath.'I'll accompany you there' he offered.I adjusted my tuxedo and approached the room where the interview is to take place.I have decided to personally handle this interview so I can get a suitable working partner for myself. If someone was to choose for me. I might not be so satisfied.'How many people applied?' I asked as I settled on the chair. 'Four hundred sir but I picked out specific ones that are certified for the job, using their CV and expe
~ Lauren ~I predicted what was coming next when he slammed my profile on the table, skidded his chair away and walked out. He was unpleased with my presence in his office or newly acquired company...'Ma'am, I'll accompany you out' the man who had called me in said to me, his hands pointing to the exit area. I said nothing more and obliged.I bowed my head in shame as I walked out of his office, a failure. Thinking hard, I wonder what could have changed with Dylan. He was such a naive, innocent. How did he change into this so fast??I had thought he loved me too much that he wouldn't be able to say no to me. I had assumed he'd welcome me back into his life with open arms despite my insecurity of what I've done to him. All this now is all the confirmation I need to know he hates me.How do I explain this to Gabe? That I could not convince Dylan to have me as his new personal assistant? I let out a small, bitter laughter. How would he react if he finds out I was specifically ordered o
There are no real friendships, no true relationships, and even if the feelings somehow turn genuine, they're immediately muddled by the talks of business and incessant urges to tie the knot in marriage if the family is a favourable one. Only if the family is a favourable one. If it isn't then they do everything to ruin those feelings and create discord between the ones involved. It was a messy life filled with pretense, politics and numbers. It made me sick to the bones. My father has apparently disowned me because I have yet again disappointed him after he fixed a wedding for me without my knowledge. I found out at the last second and fled, causing a effect I didn't quite expect and I didn't regret either. Apparently, I underestimated the publicity of this particular event and it spread pretty quickly that the daughter of one of the most influential businessmen in the country ran away from her wedding. People were quick to point fingers at my father, accusing him of forcing his
Raising a kid isn't exactly easy, you know," she said. "We're not suffering yet, but we're struggling. I would very much like to walk away from her, give you the middle finger and pray you die in an accident on your way back, but I can't." I flinched as she said those words. I forgot that she was also quite emotionally violent when she wants to be. "Why not?" She chuckled at my question. "Weird. Normally, one would be happy when they realize that they can't be cursed to death." I shrugged. "I can't say that I don't deserve it. Sometimes I wish for the same thing too." She gave a surprised look before continuing. "We need help, and even though you are a heartless, devilish, godforsaken, rotten, disgusting piece of shit, you have the ability to help us. You are rich and we aren't. Raising my daughter has been the greatest joy of my life even with our current situation, so raising her in a comfortable environment where she would be happy promises to bring even better joy. Despite t
The aroma of sizzling seafood pleasantly assaulted my nostrils as I looked around in search of the blonde beauty I came here for. I found her at the far corner of the restaurant sitting by a window wall and staring directly at me. I tensed up for a few seconds at the intensity of her stare but eventually relaxed as I walked towards her table. Even if I'm apologetic, I still have a reputation to uphold. I'm not gonna appear weak in front of her. "Hi, Donna," I flashed my best smile at her as I sat down on the seat opposite hers. "Hi," she said, her melodious voice filtering into my ears like a song. "It's...uh...nice to see you again," I said awkwardly. "I can't say the same, sorry," she shrugged. "I'd rather be with my child right now, or working." "Speaking of your child," I looked around her. "Where is.....your child?" "You don't know the gender, do you?" she asked and I shamefully looked away. I couldn't bring myself to answer that. "Well, she's okay, and happy where she is."
AUDREY HEPBURN I calmly exited my room once I was done with my exaggerated preparations to meet Donna. The maids gave me an apprehensive look as I made my way down the stairs before bowing respectfully as they hurried past me to do their jobs. "Good morning, sir," they said before heading in multiple directions and focusing on their chores. Even then, I could feel the tension in the air caused by my presence. "Everyone's acting like I'm the first person to attempt a murder on planet earth," I thought as I rolled my eyes. "There's a woman literally being called the worst human in the country and they just wouldn't ignore my little transgression." "Good morning, Audrey my boy," a calm sonorously thin voice greeted from behind me and placed a small frail hand on my back. "You look good today." I turned around with a sigh of relief as the old but beautiful nanny Helen graced me with her beautiful smile. She's been my nanny ever since I can remember and devoted all of her life to raisi
AUDREY HEPBURN The alarm clock blared in my ear causing me to slam it quiet with a groan. Rolling over on my bed, I let out a sigh. "I don't want to leave my room today." Just like every other day, I don't want to have to leave this room. I don't deserve to. My world has been turned upside down since that incident with Christian and sincerely, it's all my fault. I can't even blame it on anyone else. At the time, it seemed like the best course of action but now that I think about it, attempting to kill your step brother just because of a misunderstanding is quite extreme and malicious. Especially if it turns out that the woman you believed to be your mother was a lying bitch and you were infact biological brothers with the same step brother you tried to kill. That just brings it to a whole other level of terror. That was exactly what I did and now I feel like shit. For the most part of my life, I've always seen Christian as my step brother. I've always envied him, hated that he
There are no real friendships, no true relationships, and even if the feelings somehow turn genuine, they're immediately muddled by the talks of business and incessant urges to tie the knot in marriage if the family is a favourable one. Only if the family is a favourable one. If it isn't then they do everything to ruin those feelings and create discord between the ones involved. It was a messy life filled with pretense, politics and numbers. It made me sick to the bones. My father has apparently disowned me because I have yet again disappointed him after he fixed a wedding for me without my knowledge. I found out at the last second and fled, causing a effect I didn't quite expect and I didn't regret either. Apparently, I underestimated the publicity of this particular event and it spread pretty quickly that the daughter of one of the most influential businessmen in the country ran away from her wedding. People were quick to point fingers at my father, accusing him of forcing his
He was mocking me," I retorted. "Who in their right mind, would risk their reputation and business influence over a murderer's nobody daughter. For all I know, he might just be thinking of using me for some publicity stunt, and the last thing I need right now is more publicity." She sighed again. "From my standpoint, it seemed like he was genuinely trying to help. You were the one being difficult." I swallowed hard, the truth of her words hitting me but my obstinacy wouldn't let me succumb. 'I was trying to protect myself.' 'You've been so hard on yourself lately, Tiffany. Please, relax. Open up to someone who seems to understand more. He said nothing wrong' earlier, You turned his words against him and made it into something offensive." "Didn't you hear him yelling at me?" She let out yet another sigh. "It's hard to not be frustrated when the person you're trying to help isn't letting you help." "I don't need his help," I hissed. "I don't want anything to do with him." She let
I placed my hand in my pocket and slowly brought out my business card, then proceeded to carefully lay it on the table before backing away. "Call me when you've calmed down," I said as I headed out. "I'm sorry for the things I said." "Yeah, get out," she hissed. "And make sure to close the door behind you." With a heavy heart and a little anger at her reluctance to listen to or believe me, I closed the door behind, letting out a sigh before making my way to the car. My phone rang as I opened my car door and the caller ID was Courtney's, making me think twice about answering. I really am not in the mood for her requests and taunts. "What?" I asked as I reluctantly answered the call. "I assume it didn't go well?" "It's none of your business," I retorted. "What do you want, Courtney? I'm busy." "Well, first of all, stop using that tone with me," she warned. "Second, I think we can still find ways to help clear her name." "Nevermind that," I sighed as I got into the car. "She doe
"Would it kill you to say thank you?" she rolled her eyes as she revved her car engine. "You know what, never mind. Thank me by funding my newest project. Surely that's easier for you than saying the words, right?" I ignored her as I adjusted my clothes and walked away from her car. I crossed the road swiftly and headed for the house with my head down, hoping that she doesn't recognise me before I approach her door. I knocked on the door, praying again that the door opens before she realizes that I'm the one. It seems like luck's on my side as she opened the door while looking behind her. "Delivery?" she asked, her eyes still focused on something behind her. "Hi, Tiff." She froze at the sound of my voice. She remained frozen for a few minutes, as if trying to convince herself that she hadn't just heard my voice. "I know you heard me," I added as the silence stretched longer. She slowly turned her head to look at me and immediately gasped. "Oh, hell no." She tried to close th