Richard stared at the door that she just slammed. His mind was feeling with questions. Till then, he still had no idea why Elise’s mother hated him with so much intensity. Knowing that she had gone to the extent of getting a prostitute to set him up, made him angrier.He knew that he could easily out her in trouble with the evidence of what she did in his phone. But, he chose to lay low.It was better he just cleared himself for Elise to know that he was innocent and not a potential rapist as her mother had painted him to be.He stood by the railings of the balcony and stared into the now dark driveway.The streetlights at the other end of the road had gone off without warning and the entire neighborhood was plunged into darkness. Only a few houses switched on their security light posts outside their houses.Richard sighed heavily and went into the house.It turned out that Elise had just gone down to the kitchen to get a glass of milk so she could calm her nerves. She was already mak
“Yes, I did it. No, it did not work out as expected” A line etched between her brows. This was exactly what she had been avoiding. Telling David that the plan had flopped because her husband didn’t say anything about the accusations about Richard neither did her daughter show any change of attitude towards him, rather she kicked herself up in her room and refused to talk to anyone about it.“Are you saying that Elise has still decided to be with him even after that?” David asked, pained.“Yes. I tried to change her mind but she hasn’t said anything yet”Disappointment washed through David as he listened to her. The plan had been foolproof. How then did Elise not get fed up of Richard after the plan? He was silent for a few seconds before he assured Susan that he knew a better way to pull Richard down.……..The vacation lasted till the day after Christmas. The family went on tours to various sites and monuments around the city.The days rolled by and soon, the four of them were prepar
The following morning, Elise was out of bed as early as 5am. She needed to watch the sunrise and the back of the house seemed like a perfect spot for her to get her desire.She opened her door as much as she could without any noise, and tiptoed to the kitchen, where she let herself out through the back door.The air was cold. Very cold that she regretted that she did not come along with an heavy clothing. She wrapped the lavender robe closely around her small figure and ambled down the small pathway to an old, abandoned wooden seat at the back of the house. She sat in it and hugged herself tighter.She was not there for long when she saw the back door open and her mother stepped outside.From the way her mother stood, Elise could tell that she was looking for her, so she raised her right hand in the air and waved, “Hey, Mum. Over here”Her mother saw her and smiled. Then, she walked down to her and joined her on the cold, wooden bench.“Hi, Honey” Her mother greeted as she shivered d
Elise was very surprised because she wasn’t expecting it to be so busy and packed since it was about 8 o’clock in the morning and they were going to be on the first flight of the day which was by 9 o’clock.The four of them did a few clearance at some of the counters before they headed to the area where seats were. Just as they were about to settle some vacant seats, Susan beckoned to Richard .He rose from where he was seated to meet her. He leaned close to her and listened as she whispered an instruction to him. He left the waiting hall some moments later.James was engrossed in his phone and he was not aware of what was happening around him.Elise felt a little bit uneasy after Richard left because she caught an evil smirk pulling at the corners of her mother’s lips. She became uncomfortable in her seat as she silently prayed that Richard came back in one piece.Soon, their flight number was called for them to start going into the airplane. Her family was flying first class—and her
He explained that it would be more convenient for Richard as it was more easier and less demanding for him to keep an eye on Elise if he was always around her.“No!” Susan said immediately, frowning at her husband who sat at the other end of the table “I don’t know why you think that It’ll be better if Richard lived here with us.” She turned to eye Richard and she let out a long, drawing hiss as she rolled her eyes. She could feel anger build up in her chest and her breath quickened.She started to explain how she had a bad feeling that Richard would harm their daughter. She also reminded James that if he really wanted their daughter to end up with a good man, then Richard just be taken out of the way.“Out of the way?” James asked as he took a bite of bread, his eyes were on her.“Of course” She said. “I don’t know why you haven’t noticed this already. Our daughter is now becoming very fond bodyguard”James knew that she was going to notice it. It was hard for one to not see how Elis
When he finally arrived at Niko’s place, he rang the doorbell.A slender lady with red hair opened the door a few minutes later. She was sweaty and the underarms of her blouse was wet with sweat. She eyed Richard and asked him who he was.For a second, Richard almost believed that he was at the wrong house. But, he took a step back and checked at the figure on the number plate of the building. It read exactly the same as Niko had sent to her.It was 23b Erling Estate.Richard looked at the lady in front of him. She still stood by the doorway. There was an inpatient frown on her face.“I’m looking for Niko” Richard said.“Niko? Does he know that you’ll be coming over?” She asked, her frown got deeper as the seconds passed by.Richard felt uncomfortable under her stare and he balled his fists. “He does not need to know that I’ll be on my way before I set out to see him. Is he at home?”The lady’s eyes settled on Richard’s feet and she looked up to his face, her lips were drawn back in s
He pushed the door harder and slipped through the opening into the office. The last time he was here was that morning when his saviour, James Rodriguez interviewed him for the position of his daughter’s security. The office had not changed much over the months. He glanced around the large room.Rodriguez was not at his table, rather he was by the window, looking out at the backyard of the residence. He did not budge or move ever since Richard walked into the room. Rather, he stood still by the window.Richard shut the door behind him and greeted James In a slightly raised voice.James Rodriguez turned around abrubtly. His eyes had a haunted look.He gestured to the guest seat next to the table and urged Richard to sit. “Thank you for coming as soon as you could”Richard sat in the chair and nodded his head “I just had to, Sir. It sounded as though you urgently needed my presence”“Yes, I do” He opened one of the files on his table and took out a single paper. Then, he slipped it acros
Richard was still brimming with rage when they got to their destination. He looked out of the car window at the large building that was only some distance away from them.The building was painted in white, but it had some designs made in black on its sides.. it was large enough to accommodate a family of about twenty people.But from his sources, Richard found out that the building housed only Six people, including David who only visited the place once in a while.It was David’s family house and Richard was there to do exactly what David had always wished to do to him; cause him severe pain.Richard tire his eyes away from the building and focused on his men who sat besides him in the car.The air was tensed. His men could sense how angered he was and they tried their best to not provoke him further. They mirrored their Master’s mood and neither of them smiled at each other as they knew that they were on an highly serious occasion.Richard started to talk. His voice was a ice and his
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