CHAPTER 9: CONVICTED“David! Open the door! David!” Grace was in a hurry.Beads of sweat was trickling on her forehead. A look of worry past across her face. Her hair was loose behind her back, and she isn’t properly dress like she was used to be.“What is it?” A groggy voice came.It didn’t take her another minute. When the door was pushed open, she quickly get inside as if being chase.David looked at her as if she had grown two heads.“What have gotten into you?” He was frowning. “And you look scared. Is there a problem, honey—”“Don’t you dare call me that stupid endearment!” When she faced the man she used to get wooed, there are no blinded affection. Her face was boiling with anger. “Father told me what you did. How can you do this, David?! After all?! You betrayed us!”“Betray you?” David raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t betray you. Didn’t the authority find the drugs on his trunk?” He chuckled.“You know what will happen—!” Grace was frustrated. “But do you know that I have been
CHAPTER 10: MARRIAGE FOR CONVENIENCE “Mom, I hated this dress! It’s too bright and ugly!” Grace groaned.Her shrill voice echoed. Stomping feet reoccurred afterwards with her nonstop complaint with the red dress she wore. But regardless of her disgust, she couldn’t do anything same with Raquel, who sits there silently, because it is Mrs. Roswell, who arranged the dinner for them.She said that Grace is at age to marry, which made Raquel confused.Isn’t she and David had a thing with each other? “Keep your voice down, Grace!” Her mother hisses. “Keep still, if you don’t want me dragging you out of here, you got it?”“As if you can scare me with that.” Grace rolled her eyes.But Raquel was well aware why. All eyes are on them. There are whispers and bickering, some throwing them a glance filled with accusations—and she knew why. The rumor about her father being falsely imprisoned because of illegal possession of drugs are still hot on their eye. It is a big scoop for the media, but a
CHAPTER 11: BORROWED NIGHTS He was there. Eliot have his head on his palm, and he seems frustrated. Raquel hesitated at first, but taking the courage and following her heart, she take the initiative to be closer.How ironic that she tend to pushed Eliot away in fear that it could ruin everything, her life, her family and her name.“Are you alright?” Averse doubt, she behest what she was urging herself to.Eliot seems unwilling, when he raised his head to meet her eyes, “What are you doing here?”“I followed you.” She bit her lips. “I just wanted to make sure that you are alright—”“Really?” He was extremely cold. It was as if Raquel was facing a stranger, and not Eliot. “Yeah.” She trailed off and frowns.“Are you really worried about me or are you worried that I am not going to marry your sister, Raq?” His words condemned the proposal.But why was his resentment directed to Raquel? “I don’t know what you are talking about…”“Oh, spill it.” Blinded by his anger with Lauren, Eliot b
CHAPTER 12: THE SECOND SONThe next morning was a bliss. For Raquel, it was, but for Eliot, it isn’t.When she noticed the grim look plastered on his face, Raquel did not hesitate to ask, “Is everything’s alright?”Unlike her, Eliot was already fully clothed compared to the bareness they share last night, and the thirst they both patched up with flames. But his face seems to be I grave, grievance worries that she was oblivious about.Is it about last night? She don’t think so. When they did it, he doesn’t seems regretful, no remorse and lament that she could perceive as they make love to each other.If it is love making, and not just some sex he had been pursuit, because of his anger.“It’s my father.” Eliot brushed his hair, already messing the tangle knots that lay sprouted on top of his head. “Maids called, he had been diagnosed last night, and they said he is in the ER.”“Oh my god.” Worries flashed before her eyes. “Do you wanted to go to him? I can packed some things up, and let
CHAPTER 13: ARE YOU MY REAL PARENTS? “What if Eliot refuses to marry me again, Ma?” Grace worriedly asked.She was frowning, her forehead are ceased into lines as she looks to her mother.“Nonsense.” Mrs. Duke chuckled. “I know Lauren, and by the looks of it, her son doesn’t have much of a choice. It’s either marrying you or losing everything, my dear.”“You seems so sure, Ma.” Grace raised her eyebrows. Her eyes deems curious about her own mother’s relationship to Eliot’s own.Mrs. Duke chuckled, “Let’s just say that she owes me something.”“She owes you something—?”But a knock on the door stopped the pair.“Are you expecting somebody?” Grace looked at her mother.“No, I wonder who—”But they don’t need to wonder for so long. When it was pushed open, the stress looking Mr. Duke, Grace father showed up with a defeated expression on his face.“I’m home.” He said, weary, and he reeks of the smell of sweat and piss.The reminder of the prison and how savages they are for mistreating hi
CHAPTER 14: BIOLOGICAL BLOOD “Get a grip of yourself, Raq.” Raquel reminded herself after a few moment.She was inside a café. In front of her was a freshly brewed macchiato, yet she haven’t had the heart to take a sip from her mug. Jittery nerves, and with anxious look she throw outside of the window suggested that she had been anticipating for somebody’s arrival.And the fact that a lot has been going on in her mind since then didn’t help at all.DING.When the bell chimes that was placed on top of the door, she quickly whipped her head across only to be meet with a man on his mid-50’s.“Raquel.” He headed to her way.“Doctor Vergara.” Raquel greeted the old man. “Please take a seat, Sir.”“And I will.” Michael Vergara looked at her, studying the little girl he used to see before grow into a woman herself.He knew Raquel. He watched her grow as a toddler, cared for her, when she sick. Good memories, when he was still working for her family in the past. When she called, and invited
CHAPTER 15: BAD BLOODDavid did not ask what happened. After the confrontation, nobody speak. Nobody dare to bring it even. He just left, and everything was back to normal, except that he isn’t as harsh as before.He cooked, before he left, and Raquel couldn’t be feeling grateful for once. But that doesn’t mean she was already at ease.Staring at the paper on her hand, she let out a loud sigh, “Am I doing it, right?” She asked herself.The document she have gotten her hands onto contain the truth. It is her birthplace. Doctor Vergara gave it to her, before he left. He told Raquel that if she wanted the truth, then this place may be the key to every question she seeks.“But this is what I wanted.” She whispered to herself.Or more likely she was trying to convince herself to do so.Her phone rings.When she saw the name registered on the screen, her face hardened.It is her mother. The mother she grew up with, who had been feeding lies to Raquel.The call died down, but when she dialed
CHAPTER 16: HUNTED BY THE PAST“B—baby, ohh~” The woman let out a faint groans, when he move.Disheveled hair on top lay in a mess. Her back is bare, she is not hiding anything almost. Sweat trickled down on her forehead. Her lips parted as she take each stroke of pleasure. Tilting her head to the side, leaning it to his shoulder.Erika Montessano was in an utter bliss as Conrad Alexander Duke continue with his expertise hands and lips, travelling all the way from her chest.“G—god, you’re so fucking good, Conrad.” She shuddered, feeling how close she was to her peak.“Mind if I say how sweet you are, Erika?” His baritone voice sent shivers to her spine.Erika chuckled, “You always do, when you fuck me.”Erika and Conrad are batch mates. They have the same fate. He was thrown out for being a bad blood, a cursed, and Erika was sent away because she means troubles. If there’s something common between the pair, that’s how they understand each other’s loneliness, but neither of the two ar