The frigid droplets of the shower cascaded down Asher's back, a chilling embrace that seemed to mirror the iciness creeping into his situation. With one hand pressed against the cool surface of the shower wall, he surrendered to the relentless downpour, allowing the water to weave through his hair and trace a delicate path down his spine.Things had only just gotten tougher and his life was in ultimate danger. Totally. Completely. He replayed the close encounter, the near miss that could have spelled the end. They'd tried to kill him today. Again. They had been this close to getting him and assuming he'd entered that plane… Boom! Mission accomplished. Today's attempt on his life had been more than a mere warning; it was a stark revelation of the lethal stakes now at play.He shook off the thought. He had to be careful now. He had literally entered the lion's den and he had only Garfy and his personal driver in Italy here. Asher rest assured himself that they were all he needed.In his
Asher smelt the parfait and shifted back immediately. There was definitely cinnamon.“How'd you know?”“I have similar allergies. I recognized there were small amounts of cinnamon in the bruschetta. I get strong nostalgia when I eat anything cinnamon and when I did, I stopped. But you had loads so I noticed the puffiness in your face. Do you have your injection?”“I think it's upstairs”, Asher said, but he was starting to feel dizzy. She shoved hers into his pocket.“Thanks”Asher stumbled to bathroom and brought out the injection. His eyes whirled, the place starting to get blurry. Sharply, he injected himself. He slumped to the bathroom floor, breathing heavily.“Where's Emilio, Luna?”, Maria asked, noticing she was alone.“He went upstairs”She smiled and went up the stairs in search of him. Luckily for her, his room door was open. She brought out the hidden knife from her boubou. She opened the bathroom door slowly but it was totally empty.“In search of something ma'am”, Garfy as
The hospital night guards patrolled the expansive compound, their powerful torches slicing through the thick darkness. With each deliberate step, they scanned the surroundings vigilantly, their eyes sweeping over every shadow, ever watchful for any potential threats lurking in the obscurity of the night. The beams of light cut through the inky blackness, sharply, making it hard for Sofia and the kidnapper guy to move.“You only move when I tell you to, got that?” "Ahumm", Sofia hummed in response, her fear palpable as she nodded in silent agreement, unwilling to risk provoking the mysterious kidnapper who wielded a cold, menacing metal weapon against her body. The glint of the sharp edge hovered threateningly at her side.The mysterious kidnapper maintained their grip, keeping Sofia on the edge. Both figures crouched by the side of the car, shrouded in the darkness. The air hung heavy with tension as they awaited the passage of time, their senses attuned to the night, the only compani
“Arghh!” Luna's agonised cry reverberated through the room as she crashed onto the unforgiving floor. The air hung heavy with tension, and Paolo's face contorted with anger. With a swift, forceful motion, he yanked Luna back to her feet, his grip unrelenting. The room seemed to pulse with an eerie silence, broken only by the sharp sound of Paolo's hand delivering a punishing slap across Luna's face, leaving a stinging imprint. The atmosphere lingered, thick with a mix of pain, fear, and the unsettling aftermath of a violent encounter.“Arghh!”. Blood trickled out of her mouth. She panted heavily, failing to get up as she tried. “Don't you ever disrespect me like that! You hear me?”“Knock, knock”Paolo turned to see who was at the door. Asher stood outside at their front door made of glass. Paolo was shocked to see Asher.“Get upstairs!! Fast” Quickly recovering himself, he went to get the door himself. The door was glass so he was sure Emilio hadn't heard or even seen anything. He h
“What?!”“Listen to the voice note we just sent you”The call ended and Asher clicked on the notification that popped up immediately after.“Hello Boss. It's me, Sofie. I was kidnapped and I don't… Shut Up. Now, you heard her yourself. Those documents you see right there are to be signed within the next 24 hours or she's dead”Asher, with rage filling up inside him, entered his car and dialled the investigator's number.“Hello?”“Mr. Emilio, how are you?”“I'm sending a number straight to you, find out the location and report back to me immediately”. After concluding the call, he took a deep breath, attempting to regain composure. The weight of the conversation lingered as he made his way home, each step echoing the unresolved tension. Upon reaching the house, he ascended the staircase with deliberate intent, the rhythmic creaking of the steps underscoring the gravity of his emotions. Vincenzo called out to him, noticing his stern expression.“Anything the matter, son?”“Nothing Fath
“Are you okay, ma'am?”“Who's there?”, Sofia said fearfully, still in the blindfold.“It's the police ma'am. Are you hurt ma'am?”“I'm fine”.“Where are the men?”“I think they went that way. But they must have escaped by now”The investigator directed his men towards where Sofie had pointed. Some of the policemen helped Sofia out of the ropes and led her to their police truck outside.At the police station, Riccardo waited in a black Sevan with four other escorts including bodyguards.“Signorina!” Riccardo exclaimed as soon as he saw her. They hugged."Oh mio Dio! I thought they'd hurt you. I knew something was wrong the next day when you didn't arrive from the hospital as you promised. I called the police station and that's when the investigator told me you had been kidnapped. What happened?”“It was a false alarm, Signore Riccardo. I was kidnapped”“Come on, tell me everything that happened in the car.”Sofia entered the black Sevan and the two cars of the convoy led the way. They
“Is she safe?”“Yes Signore”“And unhurt?”“Yes Signore”, Riccardo said, over the phone. Sofia was in her bedroom taking an evening nap. Asher nodded his head. He was sure she was fine because he had followed up with the investigator yesterday.“Any problems with business?”“Not at all sir. Nothing new exactly sir, just going as smoothly as you left it.”“I see.”“Yes, Signore. I sent you a report for this week. You ought to have received in your mail”“Yes. I am yet…”Just then, a household maid came close to whisper something in his ear.“Your father wishes to see you sir”Asher nodded in approval and dismissed the young maid.“Signore?”“Yes, Riccardo… give a minute or two. I shall get back to you”“Yes, young master”Asher ended the call, wondering what it was again that his father wanted him for.“Emilio, come. Come and sit”, Vincenzo said as his son entered the study room.“Good evening, Father”“Evening, mio figlio. How are you doing?”“As always, Father, I'm very well”“I tho
“I was so frustrated and nothing seemed to be right anymore. I sued the doctor and even sued the hospital. But Rosa didn't come back. It didn't change the fact that she died, Emilio. Nothing could bring her back. You were the only living memory I had of her. The last memory she'd left”Vincenzo took a deep heavy breath in. The atmosphere in the room had become sober and emotions hung loosely in the air.“I'm sorry for bringing those memories Father. I should have never asked”“No Emilio. You deserve to know. Your mother was so special to me, I refused to remarry. But my mother didn't think it was proper for me to raise you alone. So when you turned two, I married Maria, a choice made by my family of course. And the next year, you went missing. Never to be found until more than twenty years after. And boy am I glad to have found you”, Vincenzo said, putting his arm around his son.“Me too, Father”“Imagine if I died without finding you”, Vincenzo said laughing. “Rosa would have killed