Her father gave her a puppy dog look and he nodded. Then, the next moment, the both of them burst out laughing.She wanted to tell her dad that he shouldn’t have taken the risk of returning home in a public vehicle because he was becoming a known figure and he could be recognized in public but she chose to be quiet again.Elise led her father to one of the couch in the living room and she whipped her head around to face her friend. She smiled apologetically. “I’m so sorry, Stacy” She said as she gestured towards her father “I got so carried away by the sight of my father that I forgot to introduce you both to each other”Her father waved it off “It’s nothing.” He smiled at her.Elise insisted that she should have introduced them both and she asked Stacy to come over to where she sat with her father.After Stacy joined them, Elise cleared her throat loudly and stood up. She grabbed one of Stacy’s wrist and said, “Dad, here is Stacy. She’s one of my closest friends at school. She’s a r
The conversation felt really awkward and strained for both of them.It seemed like they unanimously decided not to talk about the issue that had caused Elise to choose not to talk to Richard for a week.Richard did not want the phone call to linger beyond what he could handle. He only wanted to tell her what was on his mind and then, end the call.“How is your health? Do you still have the sleep complications?” He asked gentlyShe replied him and after a minute of trivial talk, he told Elise that he was going to travel the following day.She was quiet and did not say anything.Silence dominated the call as both of them remained quiet, waiting for the other to talk. When Richard saw that she was not doing to say anything, he asked her if she heard what he just told her.She affirmed it and told him that it was okay if he wanted to travel.“Are you sure about that?”“Yes, Richard” Elise said, fighting back the urge to cry. The last seven days without Richard had been hectic on her and n
The following day, Elise decided to get some beach outfits from fashion store that Stacy had recommended to her. Shortly after they arrived there, Stacy excused herself so she could visit her optician at a clinic down the same street.Elise remained inside the fashion store for about, half an hour as she made her choice over numerous brightly colored bathing suits and beach outfits.…. ….As Richard walked down the aisle of the large coaster bus, he spotted a vacant seat at the extreme end and he made his way towards it. He settled into the seat and dropped his bag on his thighs.His dark sunshades were still on his face and he was pleased that he had remembered to take it along. Richard always wire a frown whenever he was out in public and he loved the confused look that strangers always threw at him. It gave him a feeling of mystery.Now, as he leant his head on the small glass window of the bus, he did not care about impressing any random stranger or trying to get them to wonder wh
Richard spent a few more days at his master’s house. Before he left his master Kai was already strong enough to go out of bed and he had already started moving around his house without any help. There was a small temple that he had built over 30 years earlier, that was long before Richard became a part of his life.The temple was where he held his meditation sessions. He spent a lot of time inside the temple, searching deep into his mind and talking to himself. He had asked Salome to lock up the temple because he was ill but now that he regained his health back, he resumed his activities at the temple.Richard was pleased with Master Kai. The morning that he was about to leave his master, they had an intimate conversation together. The sun was high in the sky but the trees and bushes vegetation around the small house made everywhere cold. Occasionally, they would hear the loud cry of a wild animal from the nearly woods.The entire place was cold. Unusually cold and dusty too.Master
He had noticed that she was not as chatty as she used to beShe kept her eye on her phone and was reserved ever since they arrived at the airport.He opened one of his bars of chocolate and took a bite of it, and he deliberately stained his lips with the chocolate. Elise took just one look at his face and started to giggle like a toddler.She laughed so hard because each time she explained that he had the dark, chocolate on his upper lips, he would only end up wiping the wrong place. He smiled within himself when he saw that his plan had worked out and Elise was now out of her shell.When they got back to where Susan and James were, the passengers for their flight were instructed to get into the airplane, and they were just in time to join the others.Throughout the period of the flight, Elise’s mother made it a personal goal to attack Richard. She was fuming because of their sitting arrangements. Richard took the window seat and Elise occupied the seat besides him.Just across thei
That morning, it was James who drove himself and his daughter to the suburban part of the city; that was where his mother was buried.His wife’s fears were how her daughter would get on a public bus, but James repeatedly asked to put her mind at rest. He had plans on driving his daughter with a car that he had rented from one of his friends. He kept it a distance away from the house the previous day.Shortly, after the argument about him taking Elise along with him to his mother’s grave, He excused himself from the house and left for an hour. Before he left the house, he urged Elise to be prepared. He told her that he was going to take her on an actual date.Soon, The doorbell of the small house rang.Susan headed to the door to check who it was while her daughter, Elise, trotted behind her to know who was at the door.When they opened up the door, it was Elise’s father, James. He was wearing a grey colored suit and he had his arms behind him.His face lit up as soon as he saw Elise
When Susan met the other woman and asked to have a word with her outside the rowdy club house, she took one look at Susan before she turned away and gulped some beer from the bottle on her left hand.From where Susan stood, she could see the bloodshot eyes of the younger lady and she knew the best way to get her.Susan smiled to herself. She was more than prepared. After spending more then an hour at the club without any fruitful moment, Susan was determined to not let the lady slip out of her hands.Susan shoved her hand into her handbag and took out a small bundle of money. She waved it the younger lady’s face.The other lady froze. Her mouth dropped open as she stared at the money. Her eyes went round with surprise and her expression softened.Susan leaned in close to her and repeated her request.Instantly, the other lady agreed. She took one long draw of what she was smoking before she threw it to the floor and stepped on it.Susan smiled.She couldn’t believe how easy it was for
Richard left the room in search of Elise. The pain and hurt he had seen in her eyes was too much for him to overlook.When he got to Elise’s room, he knocked several times but he did not get any response. The only indication that someone could be inside the room was that the lights of the room had been turned on. Richard saw it from the space which was under the door.He stood by the door for almost half an hour and when he finally made up his mind to go back to his room, he heard a light sob from the room. Then, he heard some sniffing. It was Elise.She had been crying inside the room.Richard felt his heart shatter as he listened to her quiet sobbing. He leaned close to the door and groaned, “Elise, I have no idea who that lady is. I am being very serious.”There was no response.He pressed on, “Please, I need to talk to you. You have to believe me. I would never dare to rape anyone”He stood there, his ears closed to the door, as he waited for a movement within the room that would
The next few days went by in a whir of emotions for Elise and Richard. As Richard drove down the sunny road, Elise’s nerves were palpable. She fidgeted with her fingers and sighed deeply. “Are you okay?”Elise spoke up, her voice laced with worry. “My Mom is going to be disappointed in me, she had always envisioned something else for me.”Richard turned and met her eyes. “We have nothing to lose, Elise. We love each other, and that’s all that matters. Elise, don’t worry. It’ll be okay. We’ve got this.”“I just don’t want her to be disappointed in me. I feel like I should have told her before now,” Elise replied, her voice wavering.Richard took one hand off the steering wheel to reach over and take Elise’s hand.“She loves you, Elise. She’ll be happy for you once she sees how happy we are.”Elise squeezed Richard’s hand and smiled. “You’re right. I’m probably just overthinking it.”As they arrived at the residence, they were welcomed by the high gates that led to the luxurious mansi
James’ wife, Susan, had been sitting quietly during Richard’s announcement, but as soon as he spoke the words “Hûlio is my father,” her eyes widened in shock. She had always assumed Richard was a lost cause, coming from a poor family and with no connections to speak of. But now, it seemed, he was from a wealthy bloodline.Susan’s first instinct was to make up for her previous bad character by offering something valuable to Richard. “Richard, my daughter Elise is also unmarried. I propose that you take her as your wife,” she said, smiling sweetly.Richard was taken aback by the sudden proposal. He had been secretly dating Elise for months, but Susan didn’t know that. He shook his head, declining politely. “Thank you for the offer, but I cannot accept. I have other plans.”Susan’s smile faltered for a moment before she put on a gracious façade once again. “Of course, I understand. We will do everything we can to help you reconnect with your family,” she said, still trying to make up for
The rich office of Hûlio was a grand affair, decked with lavish furnishings and ornate decorations. The walls were adorned with artwork and photographs of his family, giving a glimpse into the life of luxury that he lived. A large mahogany desk dominated the center of the room, on which sat an array of expensive gadgets and trinkets.Hûlio sat at his desk, pouring over old family documents when Rue entered the room.“Sir, I received a rather peculiar email today,” she said.Hûlio looked up from the papers and raised a questioning eyebrow.“It seems that an anonymous person claims to have found your lost son,” Rue continued.Hûlio’s eyes widened in surprise. “My son? But he was kidnapped when he was only 10 years old. How could he be found now?”“That’s what the sender of the email claims, sir. They are requesting a meeting at an open field to prove their claims,” Rue explained. Hûlio leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette, his thoughts racing. Could this be real? Could his long
As Elise stepped into her room, she closed the door behind her, making sure that her boyfriend Richard’s palm tree-patterned shirt was folded and placed beside her bed. The dim light from the bedside lamp created a peaceful atmosphere that made her feel relaxed. The apartment was small but cozy, with walls decorated with various paintings of the sunset, flowers, and the Eiffel Tower. She walked towards the mirror, and she could see her reflection, appreciating how her olive-toned skin glowed. She was wearing a cream tank top and her hair was tied in a bun.As she began her skincare routine, she applied her favorite cleanser in circular motions, ensuring it was thoroughly massaged into her skin. A faint fragrance of lavender from the lotion she was using soon filled the room. She enjoyed the calmness of the room as the music from the speaker on the shelf played softly in the background.As she continued massaging her face, her phone rang. Elise hesitated, assuming it was probably her
As Elise cuddled close to Richard, she felt the warmth of his body and the softness of the blanket they shared. They made small talk about the movie, commenting on the plot and the scares. Despite the creepy atmosphere, they both felt relaxed in each other’s company.However, as Richard stayed up after Elise went to bed, the mood in the room changed. His thoughts turned to the stranger he had bumped into at the airport, and the picture of his face kept flashing in his mind. The news about Sly being a direct heir of Hulio Adiento added to the sense of unease in the room. The image of Hulio’s face on the TV screen sent shivers down Richard’s spine as he tried to make sense of the coincidence.Lost in thought, Richard eventually headed to bed with a sinking feeling, wondering what the next day would bring.As Richard stepped out of his house, the sun was shining brightly in the sky, and a cool breeze blew across his face. He closed the door behind him, took a deep breath and started walk
It was not long before avoiding his work calls and watching the news in fear that he might be wanted by the police. His room was dark and messy, with clothes piled up on the floor and empty bottles scattered around. He didn’t care about anything anymore, not even himself.His thoughts were disturbed, swirling around in his head like a storm. He couldn’t believe what he had done, and he didn’t know how to face the consequences. All he knew was that he was a monster, and that he deserved to be punishedAfter two days of locking himself in his apartment he decided to speak up about what he has done and he visited his family house very early the following morning.One thing that had always in endeared him to this house where he spent most of his childhood was that it reeked of wealth. Sly’s family home was a mansion surrounded by lush green gardens, a swimming pool, and a fleet of luxury cars parked outside. The front door was adorned with a grand entrance, and the marble floors shimmer
It took a while before he could lift her off the wet ground and trudge through the quiet woods to the main road where his police vehicle had been parked. He carefully opened it up and out her in the back seat before he ran over to the other side of the car and got into the driver’s seat.He took her to the hospital immediately, where she was treated for her injuries and given a rape kit.As she lay in the hospital bed, Elise’s mind was consumed by the horror of what had happened. She couldn’t believe that Sly, someone she had trusted so deeply, could have done something so vile.The following morning, Hanna laid on the hospital bed, her body feeling violated and her mind consumed with the memory of the brutal attack. Her eyes were closed, but she wasn’t asleep – she was lost in thought, replaying the incident over and over in her head.The room was quiet except for the soft hum of medical equipment. The walls were painted a pale blue, and there was a small window that looked out onto
He tugged harder on her belt, her body pressing up further against his. He grabbed her hair in his fist and balled it up. He drew her head back and looked at her. She began to cry, to plead.“Please don’t,” She said. “Please.”“Shut up.”He kissed her again and this time, he inserted his tongue in her mouth. By pleading, she had left herself open to this. Again he pulled her head back roughly. “Kiss back,” he said.And I did.When he was satisfied, he stopped and tried to work the latch on Her belt. It was a belt with a strange buckle and he couldn’t figure it out. To have him let go of her, for him to leave her alone, she said, “Let me, I’ll do it.”He watched her.When she was done, he unzipped the jeans she wore.“Now take off your shirt.”She had a cardigan sweater on. She took that off. He reached over to help unbutton her shirt. He fumbled.“I’ll do it,” She said again.She unbuttoned the oxford-cloth shirt and, like the cardigan, She peeled it back from her body. It was like
He stated down at her with so much intensity in his eyes.It terrified the hell out of her as crossed both legs over her and sat on her thigh.“What are you trying to do? I need—” She got cut off as his strong palms came heavily on her mouth, sitting out her voice. “Hanna!” Sly growled. “Can you not see that I am madly in love with you?” He said His voice reverberated through the woods and bounded back to them.Cold sweat trickled down the Hanna’s neck as she locked eyes with himShe was numb.He released his hand from her mouth.I screamed. Quickly. Abruptly.The struggle began. She rose her feet in difficulty.He covered her mouth again. He kneed her in the back of her legs so that she would fall down. “You don’t get it, Hanna. I have fallen in love with you and if I don’t taste you first I will not be happy when I leave the island” He said in a bitter voice She struggled some more, trying to push off his weight from her almost tired body.His threat rang out into the air. It was