Alice walked out with her suitcase toward the man standing in the middle of the lobby. She stopped next to the director.
“Alice. This is Mr. Adriano Bernardi. You will go with him.”The director could not bear to look Alice in her eyes. She felt a lump in her throat. She could not bear sending Alice with this man, but she had no choice.Alice watch as the director walked and enter her office closing the door behind her and leaving Alice alone with this man. She looked at Adriano who was looking her up and down. He turned around and walked out without uttering a word. Alice had to hold back the tears that wanted to escape. As she exited the building she noticed strange men, standing outside. She almost bumped into Adriano when he stopped next to a man. Adriano glared back at her and then looked sternly at the man,“Get rid of all her information. Make sure there is nothing left and nothing to trace.” Adriano said, then walked toward the car.Alice frowned as she heard his words. She watched the man motioning with his hand toward the other men and they followed behind him into the orphanage. ‘Why are they going back, what information, and who is this person they are talking about? Were these men not supposed to go back with her and Adriano?’ She asked herselfAlice heard a scream. She froze. ‘What is going on?’ She thought as her head jerked back and forth between the man and the orphanage. Her blood turned cold when she heard gunshots following one after the other. Children screamed and pleaded as they cried for help. The sound was soul-wrenching. Horrified her eyes darted around. She felt her feet automatically running toward the orphanage, fearing what she would find. She wanted to help them, but she only made it to the steps, when someone grabbed her from behind and threw her over their shoulder. She cried, shouted, and pounded at his back while kicking to get out of his hold, but it was useless. He threw her in the back of the car. As she landed on the backseat, she leaped toward the door, but it was slammed in her face and automatically locked.“Let me out!” Let me out!” She screamed as she banged on the window. She heard the door to the other side open, and as she turned to the person, she felt a hard punch to the side of her head and lost consciousness. The dark room.Alice awakened to being surrounded by darkness. She blinked her eyes a few times, thinking that something was wrong with them. Overwhelmed with fear. She felt the coldness of the cement floor numbing her fingers. Alice jerked her head around. Her heartbeat started pounding with every passing second.“Plink - plink - plink”"Hello? Is anyone there?” she called out,Silence. Only the unknown sound echoed through the room. With widened eyes, she swept her hands on the floor in front of her and started crawling forward. Her fingers bumped into something hard. She curled her hand around the object. It felt like a boot. She instantly jerked her hand back and crawled backward until her back hit a wall. Alice felt a wetness on her hand. She hesitantly lifted it to her nose and smelled blood. Alice wiped her hands on her clothes to get rid of it. She closed her eyes and tightly held onto her legs that she had pressed against her chest. Alice held onto them for dear life. No one came for her that day. After hell knows how long. Her mind started playing tricks on her. She started hearing strange noises echoing through the room.“Go away! Go away! Leave me alone!” She shouted as she covered her ears, praying that it would stop.Alice squinted her eyes at the faded light that entered the room. Boots echoed toward her.“Get up and follow me.” The man said.Alice tried standing but collapse. She was so scared the door would close behind him leaving her trapped inside the room that when her legs did not want to comply, she crawled after him.He pushed a door open.“This will be your room. Your food is next to your bed. Eat.” Then he walked away. This was Alice’s life. She was beaten and given little food to survive on. No one talked to her or even gave her a reason why she was getting beaten and thrown back into that dark room. She only saw the man who adopted her once and never again. Was life playing a joke on her? To let her parents abandon her. Her finding a family in Kevin and then he also gets taken away from her. And now this? What is the reason for living when there is none? The only glimpse of hope she had left, was Kevin’s promise. But on that day as she was barely holding on. Khan told her Kevin was dead and even showed her the pictures. At that moment she lost the will to live. How could life be this cruel? She wanted to die and be rid of this earth and life forever. As she looked up at Khan, who was telling her not to die and to avenge Kevin, something changed inside of her. From that day on, that was her reason for living. Khan did half of what he promised. He still needed to tell her who killed Kevin. Every time she asked him who, he kept telling her the same thing. “You are not ready. I will tell you when the time comes.” But besides that, Khan treated her well. He was always by her side. He trained her and showed her everything she needed to know. Alice looked at Khan as the only person she could trust, he never gave her a reason not to. When she was in trouble, he protected her. But unfortunately, Alice did not look at the bigger picture. Khan manipulated her and made her blind to the truth.Adriano kept her hidden so no one outside the clan knew about her. When Alice turned sixteen, she was taken to Adriano. He told her to call him father and life after that was one big blur to her.“The real me had been taken over by pain and exhaustion day by day until there were none left to be taken.”Two days after the shooting, Khan wheeled Alice into the meeting room. Alice was on pain meds but still struggled with the pain in her leg and shoulders. Khan could only arrange for a two-day’s extension. He wheeled her toward the point of the table and took his seat.Alice looked around the table at all the shareholders, who were looking at her with shocked expressions.“Good morning, I am sorry I missed our appointment but like you all can see I had a little accident.”“It seems like a big one by the looks of you. Why did you not inform us of this?” One man said out loud what the others were thinking.Alice narrowed her eyes at him.“I am still alive. If I died, then it's big deal. This is only a minor incident. So, let's stop with the unnecessary talk and let’s talk business. I will not waste anyone’s time. We are all busy people.” They all nodded in agreement. “So, you have requested this meeting. Is there something wrong with the deal we previously discussed?”Mark Sanderson spok
Maisie threw her clothes one after the other on her bed. Tess was sitting on the bed feeling fed up with Maisie.“Everything you have tried on is beautiful. I do not get why you are making such a fuss about this dinner”Maisie stopped and glared at Tess for a second then looked back at the mirror looking at the dress she held in front of her body.“I don’t know,” Maisie said devastated, and sank with the dress to the floor.Clothes were laying scattered all over the floor.“Hey! Hey! “Tess called out as she climbed down the bed and crouched next to Maisie. “You can wear a plastic bag and you will still look gorgeous.”Maisie stared into Tess's eyes.“You're not helping you know,” Maisie said disheartened“Do you like him?” Tess askedMaisie looked confused at Tess then fell backward on the floor as she yelled out, “I don't know.” She sighed “We have been texting this whole week. He kept asking me to dinner and I kept declining him. Then he used the owed card on me…”“Okay, I am confus
When their night ended Luca insisted on walking Maisie back to her car. Maisie felt her heart doing somersaults inside her chest. As they walked next to each other their hands gently touched. Maisie had to contain the urge to take his hand in hers.“We are here, “Luca said pulling Maisie out of her thoughts.She folded her hands in front of her while swaying her body to try and get rid of the nervousness. She looked down at her feet trying to avoid his gaze.Luca was the first to break the awkward silence between them,“Will I see you tomorrow?”Maisie looked up seeing his sweet smile.“Tomorrow?” She asked confused.“Yes, tomorrow. But if you already have plans…”“No, no. I don’t have any plans” Maisie blurted out,Luca’s deep chuckle sends goosebumps over Maisie's body,“Am I allowed to pick you up at your place or are you still afraid of me meeting your parents?”“I - I.” She looked down embarrassed. How was she going to explain her family and her brother to him?“Hey.” He called o
After the meeting, Alice and Khan took the first flight back home. Alice was sitting in her apartment when she looked at her phone ringing on the coffee table in front of her. She had expected the call. Alice stared at the phone as it vibrated on the table. She let it ring until it went over to voice call. As expected the phone rang again. She leaned forward picked up the phone and answered.“Hello,”“Where are you?”“In my apartment?”“Is this some kind of joke? What gives you the right to think you can speak to me like this? Come home right this instance.”“I can’t,” The bitterness hearable in Alice’s voice.“Excuse me!” What do you mean you can’t? Alice, you better make sure you are here in ten minutes or I will send someone to come and drag you here. You know what will happen to you if I do.”“Father. How do you expect me to come to you when I can barely walk?”“Alice!”Alice felt her blood boiling. She hated this man to the core. But she had to contain herself until it was the ri
Kevin's eyes followed Alice’s. This was not the time for him to have an encounter with Khan, so he had to act fast. Kevin looked at Alice and continued“Think deeper Alice. Why are you trusting someone who killed everyone in the orphanage? He is using you. Wake up.” Kevin took a step forward not missing the confusion in Alice’s eyes. He reached out toward her hand. Alice's eyes widened. She felt baffled about what she wanted to do. Her body stood frozen as she watched him motionless. She looked stunned down at the crumbled-up paper he pressed into her hand. The warmth of his hand lingered a bit longer on hers before he pulled away.“It is up to you to figure out everything. I will always be here for you Alice. I never stopped loving you.” Kevin stared into her eyes saying nothing further. The genuinein his eyes telling her more than words ever could. She noticed him lifting his arm reaching toward her face but hesitantly stopped. He lowered his head then turned around and walked away
Alice never knew two days could feel like an eternity. The gates of the salt factory stood open so Alice could drive through. The place that was once filled with workers was now an empty deserted place. Alice looked over the rim of her sunglasses at the factory. She had read about this place in the newspaper once when the bank had foreclosed the factory and sold it off in an auction. Alice secretly bought the building knowing that it will come into use one day. Alice parked in front of the building and climbed out walking to the front of her car. A black luxury car stopped next to her. The driver's doors opened, and black leather sleek shoes were the first to be seen as it stepped on the ground. Jackson knew how to make an entrance so the more dramatic he made it the better. Jackson straightened his long black coat and took off his sunglasses. A slight smile formed on his face letting his light greenish eyes give off a glint in the sunlight. Jackson placed the sunglasses in front of h
"What? Why are you looking at me like that? Jackson asked.“Let's work together, from now onwards. I will only run things behind the scenes while you will be the leader.”“What do you have in mind?“First, I need your help to take care of personal business, but in the meantime, no one can know about our clan’s existence. We need to be like ghosts.”“What about Kevin? Don’t you think that poor boy will be heartbroken? Everyone needs a bit of love even you.”“No. After everything I have done… No. To avenge Kevin was my whole reason for living in the first place, but now that he is alive. I have to return the favor to those that betrayed me. I will pay them back in tenth folds in what they did to me.”Jackson stared at Alice's cold glare. Her eyes shone with pure hatred in them.“Who will fund our operation?” Jackson asked out of curiosity.“Me.”“Okay then. Sounds fun. I’m in. So, partner, what's the plan, and who is the target?”“The Berardi clan”Jackson’s eyebrows raised shocked by h
Alice glared back at him.“Don’t give me that bullshit. I will ask you again what are you doing in my apartment.”Khan leaned forward as his eyes were still focused on hers. His nose brushed against her. Alice stood her ground. She refused back down. A few seconds passed with the intensity rising between them. Khan pulled back and sneered.“You never learn do you.”‘Oh, I do, you just don’t know.’ Alice thought to herself.Khan turned around and walked back to the couch. He took a seat and crossed his legs.Alice leaned against the door frame while watching Khan.“Where were you?” Khan asked.“Why? Did anything happen at the company?”“ANSWER ME, DAMIT!” Khan screamed.It’s kind of intrigued Alice to see him get so wound up. She knew he felt like he was losing control over her and that pissed him off the most,“Khan. I went to see a client.” Alice said calmly showing him that the threats in his voice did not bother her in the least. She folded her arms as she walked up to him. Alice s