LIADisoriented, I blink awake to an empty bed. My hand shoots out, finding for the familiar warmth beside me. Panic gnashes me as it meets empty cool sheets. Then the sound of the shower from behind the bathroom door drifts my way and I calm down a bit. I'm surprised because Karl never showers this early. He is a notorious alarm clock sleeper. I have an ongoing theory that he is most capable of sleeping through an alarm clock. I yawn and stretch, the sleep fog still hovering over my head. As if on autopilot, my legs follow the sound of the running water, slipping past the door of the bathroom. I head straight to the vanity to get ready for my morning routine where I catch a glimpse of exposed pipes where an upper vanity should be. For some reason, my brain doesn't acknowledge this. Turning the faucet on, I greet Karl with a cheerful, "Morning" as I splash water on my face. "What's up, today?" I ask. "Why are you awake earlier than usual?" My lips curve into a smile. When he doesn
LIABefore my panic can fully consume me, he adds. "I will be back soon." Only then do I come down from the mountain height of fear. I thought he meant he was leaving me here all by myself. I nod my head. "If I ask you where you are going, will you tell me?" He replies curtly. "You don't need to know," and I repress a sigh. What was I expecting? A loud, jarring sound that has me clutching my chest infuses itself into the air. My eyes move towards the origin of the sound before Grumpy sweeps a flip phone on the wooden table just by the door. No wonder the ringing tone is so loud. He barks a single, "Yeah." A bit of silence then a curt. "On my way." Then he snaps the phone shut.Without a glance in my direction, he tosses a sentence over his shoulder. "There is a gun in the table's drawer. You know the rules, Heiress. Don't open the door until you confirm it's me." Then he is gone leaving me in a deafening silence. "Be safe." I let out in a whisper but he is already out of the ro
I dig my thumbs into my eyes as Xan talks my ear off. Damn, he is one hell of a talkative. "...you are fucking reckless, Nickolai. Taking up an illegal broker's job isn't enough, you have to add a bodyguard to the mix." "I need money, you know that." I groan. "Besides, Hannah is behind on her bills and the hospital keeps sending threats to cut off her treatment," I tell Felix. "You should have asked me about it." He says. "We are family, Niko. Hannah is also my younger sister and I spend a reasonable amount of quality time with her than you." Yeah, true. He does spend time with Hannah more than him due to his job, he is mostly out of the country. I just scoff, unable to tell Xan that I will break my legs first before I ask for help from anyone. A habit caused by being alone since I can remember. Besides, the recession is hitting everyone hard. Xan barely has his head above the water just like me. I can't do that to him knowing he won't reject my request. "Okay. Okay." I surrender
The chilling tremor still ripples through me six hours after the incident. Everything happening around me seems like a page ripped out of a horror movie. Seeing a decaying, dead body wasn't on my list of anticipated list when this year started. Frankly, a lot of things that have happened three months into this year. To be more specific two weeks up to this moment wasn't what I envisioned my year would be. I started this year with places I want to go and things I want to do with Karl. But right now, I'm just glad if I make it through the next morning. I held the old lady, Sarah as she cried and twisted over her daughter's already decaying body. It was an unpleasant, gruesome scene and my heart broke into tiny pieces for her. Seeing a dead body is one thing. Having to see a mother grieve over her child is a torment on its own. I can never console her no matter how much I tried. My small time slip in and out turned into hours. As the crowd started to form in from of the apartment
My thoughts become juxtaposed as I descend the stairs with Grumpy right behind me, his hand pressing firmly against my lower back. My heart beats frantically against my ribcage, I fear it will burst free. My breath is in short ragged gasps. I don't feel my legs as they have turned numb and just going in the direction Grumpy leads me towards like a robot. My arms swing beside me limply like a pendulum out of control. The faint sound of footsteps manages to echo over the roars of my blood. The men have started descending the stairs and I fear that they will catch up with us soon. We are going to get killed and it will all be my fault. Because I can't listen to simple instructions and I can not be not dumb. If only I stayed in the hotel room, if only I hadn't helped the woman, if only I hadn't been such a fool to let a reporter take my interview. I have done some pretty dumb things in my life but this...this tops everything. Not to think that our lives depend on this. Grumpy knows wh
For once, I yield to Grumpy's instruction. I don't move. I don't make a noise. I just stay where I am while I pray to whoever god is out there that Grumpy makes it back to me. I don't let my mind wander and think the worst-case scenario like it usually goes. I just stay crouched into a ball as time goes by. Even when my leg starts screaming in pain, I don't lift myself. The pain seems to work wonders on my mind because it doesn't do its usual haphazard, utterly draining thoughts. It zeroes on the pain I feel in my ankle and my leg. Still, fragments of these thoughts slip into my head. Is he dead? Is he alive? Is he coming back to me? Is he able to successfully cut the tail off their back? Perhaps, he's gotten tired of my stupidity and decided not to come back for me. He can't deal with me anymore so he left. I don't blame him if that's the decision he takes. My mind keeps going back and forth. My lips trembling. My body shaking with silent cries I wrap my arms my arms around my leg
Everything happens faster than I can keep up. With each day that goes by it feels like I'm drowning. I just lost my father and it doesn't help that I have cameras shoved to my face every angle I turn and I'm not left alone to mourn him properly. I have arched my head than I can keep count and a permanent ache now tortures my neck. I have had my back patted more than I like. And I have been looked upon with sad, pitiful eyes that make everything much worse. I'm not alone throughout the process. My stepbrother, Gareth and my father's good friend, Uncle Stanley are here too. But for the most part, I feel so lonely and burdened. Grumpy left the moment we arrived at the hospital that day. While Uncle Stanley broke the terrible news about my father's death to me. I knew his job here was done since he brought me safely to New York but a part of me wished, he at least said goodbye to me. Now, I'm in the hall where my father's memorial will take place.To me, everything seems rushed, but
I briefly close my eyes, inhaling deeply before I turn around. What's wrong with you?" Gareth asks. He doesn't wait for my answer before he continues. "They are about to announce Father's will." He says, smiling momentarily when a camera swindles to us. Unlike me, Gareth has been thriving pretty well with the commotion going on. He's been having countless meetings, preparing to take the mantle of the new CEO of Rodriquez Brands. A position that I don't care for. I just want to be out of here as soon as possible. "Okay," I say tightly and head to the room where Father's will is to be announced. I manage to enter the room before my legs give up. My breath comes out in a labored gasp. My head spins and I feel like a weight is lunged into my chest. I am on the brink of breakdown with the myriad of emotions overwhelming me. It's too much than I can take. Too much. "Are you okay?" A voice cut through the stillness and my spine straightens