“Max! Run!”
Lottie used all the strength she had left to warn Maxine. She has to help her escape. Otherwise, who knows what that geezer will do to Maxine?
Who knows what their mother will do to Lottie?
That’s scarier.
As soon as she heard Lottie’s voice, Maxine forced herself to run as fast as she could. When she looked back, two of George Lucas’ men were still chasing after her.
She saw an open door, and Maxine entered it without thinking twice. She sat on the corner, leaned on the wall, and hugged her legs.
After a few more minutes, the hallway fell silent. Maxine slowly stood up and walked to the door. She made sure not to make a sound.
She peeked outside carefully to check if it was safe to go out. When she was sure the villains had already left, she fixed her clothes and attempted to go out.
Before she could, someone pulled her back inside. The room was dark, but she was sure that whoever it was, it was a man.
She landed on his lap, and her hands landed on his chest. Maxine could feel the man’s masculine physique, but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t make out his face.
Surprisingly, the stranger turned her over on the bed and positioned himself on top of her. “Save me, please. Save me, and I’ll marry you,” the man whispered between labored breaths.
Maxine Winther wanted to refuse. She tried to push him off her, but his voice weakened everything in her, including her resolve.
The man started devouring her, kissing her lips until she could taste blood. He licked and sucked her neck until it began leaving marks.
He didn’t stop until he was satisfied.
And, on that night, Maxine Winther lost something precious to her. What’s worse is that she lost it to a stranger. Not even someone she loves.
When Maxine thought it was over, she tried to stand up, despite her shaking legs. In one swift movement, she pulled the blanket to cover her nakedness.
However, even before Maxine’s feet touched the floor, she was pulled back by the waist. Just like that, he started with her over again.
The mysterious man didn’t stop until it was almost dawn. Maxine was exhausted and fatigued, but when she noticed that he was already fast asleep, she tried to escape.
Maxine didn’t bother knowing who the man was. He was facing the other way, and she was afraid he’d wake up if she checked.
All she wanted was to escape hell and find her sister. She needs to know what happened to Lottie after she helped her escape that geezer.
She exited the room, ran down the stairs, and headed to the exit of the hotel. When Maxine stepped out, her eyes flickered from the sun’s blinding rays. It made her feel weaker. It made her feel the pain from last night even more tormenting.
Wanting to go home in a hurry, she hailed a cab and told the driver her destination as soon as she was inside. On their way, Maxine fell asleep. She only woke up when the driver tapped her knee and told her they’d arrived at Grayson.
Back in the small apartment, Lottie couldn’t sit still as she hadn’t heard from her sister since last night. She’s worried, and Lottie’s certain their mother will kill her if she finds out Maxine didn’t come home.
Stella Winther, their adoptive mother, would look for Maxine whenever she woke up. The woman was sick, and she'd been bedridden since they moved to Virginia.
“Lottie, where’s Maxine?” Stella asked. It’s already past 7 in the morning, and she still hasn’t heard her daughter’s voice.
Rattled, Lottie approached their mother and started massaging her legs. “She’s coming home soon, mom. They just had to do some cleaning at the club last night, and they just finished,” she lied.
While coaxing Stella to calm down, she tried calling her sister again. However, up to that hour, Maxine’s phone was still unattended.
“Lottie! Lottie!”
Upon hearing that voice, Stella pushed herself to sit up, “Maxine? Is that Maxine?” she asked. She did come, and Lottie let out the breath she'd been holding for a while.
“You, bitch! Where have you been?” Lottie sneered. She glanced back to check if their mother had heard her.
“It’s a long story, sis. Just be thankful I’m home now,” then she walked past her sister, sat on the edge of the bed, and hugged their mother. “How are you, mom? Are you feeling okay?”
“I was worried about you. I didn’t hear your voice the whole night.”
Maxine apologized and kissed her. After some explaining, she headed to their room, grabbed a towel, and took a shower.
When she went out, and even before Lottie could say anything, she headed to her bed and lay down. “You owe me an explanation,” Lottie told her, crossing her arms over her chest.
Maxine pushed herself up to hug her sister, “We’ll talk tonight, but let me sleep for now. I’m dead tired.”
Lottie let go of her when she noticed the dark circles under her eyes and the marks on her neck. ‘She seemed really tired,’ Lottie thought before walking out of their room.
Several hours passed, and Maxine woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. It’s already 7 in the evening. It’s time for them to prepare and go to work.
While preparing, she started telling Lottie what had happened that night. Maxine knew she wouldn’t stop until she said something.
However, she kept mum about spending the night with a stranger. She doesn’t think it’s appropriate to tell Lottie about that.
Yes, she lied to her sister.
She told Lottie she fell asleep in the room where she hid. She also told her the marks on her neck were by George Lucas before she could escape him.
When their neighbor, Gloria, arrived, Maxine and Lottie bade their mother goodbye. They also reminded the woman not to forget their mother’s medication, like they always do.
After half an hour of travel, the sisters stepped into Purple Spade and saw the owner, Randy, leaning on the bar. The man pressed the cigarette on the ashtray as soon as he saw them.
“Where were you last night when you suddenly disappeared?”
Maxine walked up to the man with a hand on her waist, “Why don’t you ask your favorite manager?” Then she turned and glared at Doug.
Randy looked over his shoulder and saw the man looking uneasy. He gestured for him to come over, “What happened?”
“S-Sir, last—“ Doug’s voice was shaky and stuttering. He kept fiddling with his fingers while trying to explain to their boss.
Everyone listening was starting to run out of patience. First among the crowd was Lottie, and so she stepped up to steal the show.
“Doug received a payment from George Lucas. He let that geezer take Max out. He even put a sleeping pill in her drink and carried her out through the back door,” she narrated, looking smug as she looked straight at the culprit.
Randy jumped at Doug and grabbed his collar. He was so mad his eyes were bloodshot. “Why did you do that?” he roared.
Shaking, Doug tried to explain and defend himself. Before he could utter another word, Randy punched him in the face. He fell to the floor along with bottles and glasses that hit his face.
“Leave, now! You’re, fired!”
Doug pushed himself up and wiped the blood dripping from the side of his left eye. Dragging his footsteps, he headed for the exit, but before he was out, he glared at Maxine.
As he passed by her, Doug pointed a finger, “I’ll kill you!” he threatened. But Maxine wasn’t scared of him. She never will be.
It’s been a month since the incident with George Lucas. She had not seen Doug since he left Purple Spade, and Maxine was relieved that he did not put his threat into action. Maxine stopped by the road next to Purple Spade and lit a cigarette. It has been her routine since she started working as a stripper. She was about to flick the cigarette butt when a silver Chrysler Pacifica stopped next to her. Before she could react, a burly man jumped out, grabbed her arm, and covered her mouth. She tried to fight back, but the man overpowered Maxine, and she lost consciousness. The man dragged her into the vehicle and drove off. In a little apartment back at Grayson, Lottie received a call from Randy. The man was looking for her sister. Worried sick, Lottie tried calling her, but to no avail. She tried to get in touch with Maxine until dawn, but her phone was still off. Unbeknownst to her, the woman she was trying to call was still asleep. She was sitting on the cold floor and leaning on
“We’re here,” Salvo announced. Sean turned to Maxine, but she wasn’t moving. He poked her arm to try to wake her up. But she just let out a soft moan, and he stiffened. Still unable to wake the woman up, Sean shook her shoulder. Maxine moved but slipped sideward, and her head landed on Sean’s lap. “Sir?” The driver called again, wondering why Sean was still in the car. But the man just raised a finger to hush him. The man in the front seat nodded, opened the door, and went out. Sean, on the other hand, stared at the woman’s face. He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and ran his finger to her nose bridge. Maxine scrunched her nose, and he chuckled. Maxine was beautiful. There was no doubt about that. Her eyelashes were long, casting shadows on her cheeks. Her nose was slender with a high nose bridge. She has olive skin, and her cheeks have a natural blush. When Sean saw her at the asylum, Maxine was a mess. She wore an oversized tee with holes everywhere, fitted ripped jeans,
“You, whore!” Jim was furious. He was in disbelief that the woman who killed his grandson was standing right before him. Raising a cane, he tried to hit her, but Sean stepped in. He got hit in place of the murderer. “Oops! Grandpa! What are you doing?” “What are you doing, Sean Andrew Hartmann?” the old man growled. “She killed your brother. Why are you protecting her?” Sean raised his hands in surrender. Then he grabbed his grandfather’s cane to put it down. “She may have killed Scott, but she's still my wife. Gramps, we just got married? Can you at least let me spend a few more hours with her before you murder her?” Jim was about to say something when someone else spoke, “Where is my son?” It was Emilie, his stepmother. “You’re stepson!” Sean corrected. “Whether I gave birth to you or not, the moment your father married me, I became your mother!” Emilie scolded. “Enough!” the old Hartmann yelled. “If you want to be considered a mother, make sure you learn how to discipline yo
Maxine was mad.She could feel her hands shaking violently and her head throbbing. Looking at the man, she couldn’t identify what type of monster he was.He came to her nicely at the asylum, only to tell her that she was a murderer. He introduced her to his grandfather and stepmother only to let them know that she was the one who killed Scott.Now, they were talking about what was causing all this, yet, he won’t listen to her. ‘How stupid is he?’ she thought to herself.After a moment of silence, Sean let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, continue your story.” Maxine glared at him, and he smiled unknowingly. “I swear I won’t say anything. I’ll just listen.”Convinced by what he said, she sat properly to continue her narration. “As I said, he was friendly to everyone. He’s a regular customer of the club, and he’s known as ‘The Young CEO.’ To be honest, we really thought he owned Mystic.”“That night, he was already drunk when he came. A waitress named Verna welcomed him, and he requested a VIP
Sean walked to the stairs, his hands crossed over his chest. He nodded at the door under the stairs, and then he turned to the woman, “You’ll sleep there. I already asked Martha to have it cleaned. Just ignore the books. They won’t bite anyway.”Exhausted and frustrated all at the same time, Maxine just nodded at him. When he headed upstairs, she quickly crawled inside.The walls were bookshelves. Inside was a desk and chair pushed up to the wall to give space for the mattress.The young Hartmann may seem like a monster, but he was kind enough to add a pillow and a blanket. They were already spread on the floor, waiting for her.Maxine crawled to the mattress and pulled the blanket to cover herself from head to toe. She was worried as she had not spoken to her sister or their mother yet.Meanwhile, inside the master’s bedroom, Sean covered his lower body with a towel after showering. He looked at the mirror and smiled, weirded about everything that happened.Everything Maxine said mes
“Good morning, Mr. Hartmann,” a middle-aged woman greeted Sean, then her eyes landed on Maxine, and the man noticed that.“Let’s talk in the office, Lucile.”Maxine and the woman called Lucile followed Sean. When the door closed, the woman positioned herself next to Sean.“My schedule,” he asked, and Lucile quickly opened the tablet and read everything from there. Sean nodded and pointed at Maxine, “Give her a black card. I need her to buy something for me.”“Yes, sir!” Then Lucile excused herself and headed out of the office.Sean looked at Maxine. She was standing near the door, looking at her feet. With the light shining through the glass wall, she looked like an angel. But a frail one.He first saw her from the pictures shown to him by his private investigator. Maxine looked lovely in them.In one picture, she was wearing hot pink, three-piece booty shorts. She also paired it with hot pink high heels. She’s not wearing any makeup, but her beauty stands out.That was the Sasha embe
Emilie froze after hearing that awfully familiar voice. She slowly turned around, praying she was wrong, but her soul almost left when she confirmed it was her stepson.She wanted to run away and leave the scene, but it was too late. All the guards at the mall had already surrounded them.“Who gave the two of you the right to make a scene on my property?” the young Hartmann asked in his most authoritative tone.Maxine looked, surprised by what he said. She did not even know the entire mall belonged to the man.Even the salesladies who assisted her earlier were surprised to know that she was Mrs. Hartmann. Both girls were suddenly envious of her.“S-Sean, I-I’m sorry,” Danielle’s voice was shaking. Everyone could tell the man’s presence spelled danger for her.He clenched his fists, not taking his eyes from the woman. Thankfully, Danielle was a woman. If not, he would have punched her. He was fuming mad because he saw how she hit Maxine.Letting go of his wife, he slowly turned to the
Maxine sat on the wooden bench near the elevator. After a while, Lucile joined her with a cup of coffee. “How are you feeling?”She sighed before smiling lazily, “I’m okay. I just didn’t like the idea of slapping Danielle because of what they did.”“Young lady, you’re being too nice,” Lucile commented. “Those two were children of the devil. They don’t deserve anyone pitying them.”“Really?” she asked, and Sean’s assistant nodded incessantly. “Have they done something to you before?” She asked out of curiosity.However, before the assistant could respond, the boss emerged from the office. “I’ll tell you some other time,” she whispered before she walked up to the man. “You’re leaving now?”Sean nodded in response and headed for the elevator. Maxine quickly followed, but he raised a hand at her. “Use the stairs. I can still smell you from here.”Embarrassed, she pushed the door to the fire exit. Maxine ensured she washed off the stink from the water earlier. But if Sean could still smell