***TWO YEARS AGO***
"Excuse me." I gasped, my voice breathless as I approached the nurse at the reception desk. Beads of sweat trickled down my forehead, evidence of the frantic sprint I had just made from my studio to the hospital."Um, excuse me, ma'am," I stammered, struggling to catch my breath. "I'm looking for Diana Miller. Is she here?"The nurse glanced up from her computer screen, her eyes scanning the monitor. "Are you... Rihanna Jones?" she asked, her tone slightly skeptical.I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "Yes, that's me. I received a call that my best friend is here. Can you please tell me where she is?" My words came out in short bursts, a mixture of anxiety and concern evident in my voice."Ms. Miller is stable." The nurse reassured me, her voice calm and composed. "But before you can see her, there are some questions the police would like to ask you."My heart skipped a beat as soon as I heard the mention of the police. A surge of panic coursed through my veins as my mind raced through the countless possibilities of why Diana would be involved with law enforcement. "What happened to Diana?" I blurted out, my voice trembling. "Is she in trouble? Did something bad happen to her?" I was all she had in this world. She had grown up in an orphanage, without any parents or siblings. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her."Please come with us, Ms. Jones," one of the officers said, his tone firm yet gentle. Reluctantly, I followed them into a small room, accompanied by a hospital staff member."How are you related to Ms. Miller?" The first officer asked, his voice stern but calm."She's my... I mean, I'm her best friend," I replied, my thoughts racing with worry. "We've been friends for ten years,l. " I added."Have you noticed any unusual signs in Ms. Miller?" the officer continued, his gaze fixed on me."What do you mean by 'unusual signs'?" I asked, my eyes darting between the officers and the hospital staff, my anxiety growing."Signs of depression? Anxiety?" the officer clarified, his tone serious.My heart started to race even faster, my blood boiling with anxiety. Slowly, I shook my head. "Diana has always been full of life," I said, my voice trembling. "Even when she was unjustly fired by her boss, she didn't let it get to her. What's going on? You're scaring me, please." I pleaded, tears welling up in my eyes."No need to be scared, Ms. Jones." The staff member reassured, but her words did little to ease my uneasiness."What do you mean by 'fired unjustly'?" the other officer inquired, his voice curious.I was at first skeptical about answering their questions but then I realized that nothing could go wrong after all they protect the citizens."About a week ago, she was fired by her boss after working so hard and having sleepless nights for years. The bastard fired her saying he no longer needed her service." I clenched my jaw as memories of that day she had walked in crying telling me about how her boss had fired her resurfaced."Where did Ms. Miller work? Who is her boss? And what work did she do?" They pressed on."She worked at Clarkson's Pharmaceuticals." I said, sure that they already knew what the name of her boss was, the owner of the multibillion-dollar company. Everyone knew that bastard. "David Marchetti, I believe that's the name of her boss." Both officers exchanged weird glances."I don't really know the full details because medicine and drugs are not my line but, Diana had been working on the discovery of a cure for some rare disease since she was in University, and apparently finding this cure could get her a lot of money." I said taking a short pause."David Marchetti somehow found out about her research and offered her a contract with the advantage of better equipment and technologies to help with her research. She accepted his offer 'cause Clarkson's pharmaceutical was her dream. Only for the bastard to fire her after she succeeded, saying he no longer needed her service. She worked on this research for five years and all was taken from her overnight."I paused for a moment to process the unfairness. "And to make matters worse," I began, "there was some sneaky clause in the contract that gave Clarkson's Pharmaceuticals complete ownership of her discovery."A heavy silence hung in the air as if the weight of the situation was too much to bear. The officers, their expressions stoic, finally spoke. "Thank you very much for your cooperation, Ms. Jones." They said in a formal tone.Feeling a mix of anger and curiosity, I couldn't help but ask, "Are you going to tell me what happened to Diana now and why the police are involved?"The officers exchanged a glance before delivering the devastating news. "Ms. Miller was found in her apartment. She had attempted to take her own life."My heart sank into the depths of my stomach, a wave of shock and sadness washing over me."Wait, what? Diana tried to take her own life?" I couldn't contain the tremble in my voice, overwhelmed with shock and concern."Fortunately, her neighbor found her in time." the staff informed me.She led me to Diana's room and as soon as I saw her lying vulnerably on the hospital bed, I burst out in tears."Oh, come on, don't be such a baby," Diana teased, pulling me into a comforting hug."How could you even think of leaving me?" I sobbed into her shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me anything? Why did you pretend to be fine when you were deeply affected by what happened? I'm supposed to be your best friend!""I'm sorry, Rih. I wasn't thinking clearly. I would never try to leave you. I mean, how would you survive in this wicked world without me?" She tried to lighten the mood with a joke.I lightly hit her on the shoulder. "It's not funny. You almost died, and here you are cracking jokes.""I'm sorry. I promise I won't do that again. Never again, I swear it."*************PRESENT***Diana made the difficult decision to forgive David Marchetti and move forward, but I couldn't bring myself to do the same. I couldn't forgive that bastard who had almost caused me to lose my best friend. So, I resorted to what I knew best - hacking.For weeks, I tirelessly worked on infiltrating Clarkson's Pharmaceuticals' highly secure system and archives from the comfort of my room. It was a daunting task, but I eventually succeeded in gaining access to the company's crucial documents.My mission was clear - find and delete the formula and production process for Diana's groundbreaking discovery.I had slyly asked her the name of her invention a few days prior, so I knew exactly what I was searching for.However, what I didn't anticipate was that David Marchetti would have given the cure an alternate name. It threw a wrench in my plans, leaving me with no other choice but to wipe out every single file on their system.While I felt a twinge of guilt about my actions, I knew deep down that it was the retribution he deserved for using and hurting my best friend in such a callous manner.Two hours was all it took them to track me down. I was kidnapped, and beaten and if it weren’t for that masked man, I wouldn’t be here today. He had rescued me, throwing me the keys to free myself from the chains that bound me.After my escape, I immediately fled the country with Diana. But even in our desperate attempt to stay safe, tragedy struck. That relentless man, unable to locate me, ruthlessly took the lives of my parents.And now, after two long years filled with fear and uncertainty, we meet again. I know deep down that he is incapable of forgiveness. Men like him never let go of their grudges, and I’m certain that he won't rest until I’m six feet under.But before I allow that to happen, I am determined to seek justice and avenge the death of my parents. After all, that is the reason why I came back to the country. I won't let their sacrifice be in vain.As I slowly reached for the Swiss knife under the counter, my gaze remained fixed on David's face. I hoped he wouldn't catch on to what I was doing. The shock that had been on my face earlier disappeared, replaced by a mix of irritation, disdain, and hatred.To be honest, I had plans for what I wanted to do with the knife. But as I felt the cool, silver metal graze my fingertips, all those plans suddenly seemed illogical.I called her Slicy, and she made me feel safe. Just his intense gaze alone was enough to make me shrink in fear. But having Slicy by my side gave me the courage to stand my ground. She had quickly become my favorite possession, the one thing that made me feel a semblance of safety in these past years.I had bought Slicy after my parents' death, hoping she would help me send him to where my parents were and maybe even have him say hello to them for me. But now, with him standing before me after years of dreaming about this moment, I realized that I may have underestim
“Dane.” I heard a voice whisper, its authority unmistakable even in its distorted state.“Yes, boss.” Came the submissive reply, the voices drifting in from outside the window, down the street. I was sleeping in an uncomfortable position. Something was biting away at my wrists but I couldn’t open my eyes and investigate. The bliss of uninterrupted sleep beckoned, a rare luxury without Katie’s pil—candies. Just as I began to slip back into unconsciousness, a deluge of icy water cascaded over my head. I jolted upright, gasping for air. For a moment, I believed I was drowning, submerged in a body of water. In my panic, I tried to leap from the bed, only to find my legs and hands bound by chains, rendering me immobile.Confusion clouded my mind as I struggled to comprehend the situation. What was happening?My disorientation persisted, but then like a crashing wave, my memories came flooding back. I had been abducted. That was the last thing I remembered. Casting my gaze around I realiz
David’s POVThe first knife I flung at her with precision, finding its mark between her legs, grazing past her left thigh by a mere inch. The second knife, landed on the crown of her head, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.Everyone in that room knew damn well how fucking skilled I was at throwing knives. It didn't matter if the target was near or far, big or small—I never missed. But with her, it was different. I didn't want to cause her harm; I just wanted to strike fear into her heart before moving on to my next move.Yet, she remained unafraid. Her once-piercing screams of terror vanished in an instant. Her eyes locked onto mine, a defiant glare that pierced through my very soul each time the spinning board forced her back into an upright position. It was as if she saw right through me, saw the intentions behind my actions. And that pissed me off. I needed her to fear me, to beg for her life. There was an immense satisfaction that swelled my ego when people screamed and pleaded for m
Rihanna’s POV"Why don't you come in?" David's words echoed in my mind, accompanied by a repugnant smirk on his cruel face.What exactly was I supposed to do if I entered? Join the woman pleasuring him and perhaps chew off his dick?My body throbbed with agony because of him. The twisted game he played with my life left me barely able to move, waves of pain coursing through me.I stood defiantly at the entrance of the room, my eyes locked onto his, seething with anger and the deep-seated hatred I felt.Heaven forbid I step into that room while he was exposed. Who knew what twisted ideas lurked in his mind? If he could hurt me with knives, he was capable of far worse, even rape."Leave us," He commanded the lady after a moment. In an instant, she hastily departed, passing by me outside the room.He shamelessly rose from the bed, and I averted my gaze from his indecency, hearing a low chuckle escape him. I dared not look up until I was assured he was decent again."Sign this," he demand
David’s POVThe look in Rihanna’s eyes shifted from despise to surprise. Not shock or fright, as if she had finally caught on to something. Did she finally remember me from that night or was it something else? I hated that look in her eyes, it felt as if she could see right through my facade and knew I couldn’t harm her, no matter what."I don't have all day!" I snapped, taking another step closer, my imposing figure towering over her in an intimidating manner."I want to read the contract. You asked me to read it." She said, taking a fearful step back, yet a scornful glint remained in her eyes as she held my gaze.It frustrated me that I couldn't fully understand her. She seemed so easy to read, yet at the same time, so difficult to comprehend. One moment she appeared terrified of me, and the next, she looked at me confidently, filled with derision."You lost that chance the moment you defied me." I growled, pulling the gun from Dane's back and cocking it, aiming it at her forehead
Rihanna’s POV“First of all, you’re quitting your job at the cafe.” David announced after a brief pause. And although I’d already quit my job, “Why do I need to do that?” I challenged, trying to get under David's skin. I knew he was dangerous, but I wasn’t about to make things easy for him. It wasn't about being fearless, but rather about frustrating him enough to let me go. Although I knew the chances of that happening were slim to none."Don't question my decisions." He growled, his emerald eyes shooting daggers at me. Those daggers felt sharper and more sinister than the knives he had thrown at me earlier. "From now on, you work exclusively for me."A heavy silence hung in the air as I watched his anger radiate off him. I had never met someone so easy to provoke as David. Maybe I could find a bit of amusement in this hellhole."Alright, but you going to pay me? Like wages or something." I questioned, locking eyes with him in the frigid, spacious room that barely resembled a livin
David's POVI was sitting in a comfortable chair, positioned across the table where Rihanna lay. Absentmindedly, I lightly brushed my index finger against the top of my lips as I patiently waited for her to wake up. It had been well over an hour since Allen had completed his work on her, yet she remained in a deep slumber. I glanced at my wristwatch once more, the seconds ticking away, and almost instantaneously, she began to stir in her sleep.A soft groan escaped her lips as she gradually shifted into a sitting position."Where am I?" Her voice croaked, and she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. In a sudden surge of energy, she leaped off the table, her eyes widening with alarm, her hands frantically searching her body as if desperately searching for something."Ah! So you finally recall where you are." I responded, my voice maintaining a cool and composed demeanor."What have you done to me? Am I on the other side? Is this hell?" She questioned, her voice filled with fear a
Rihanna’s POVI had to take a moment to process what David was saying. "Hold up, you're asking me to steal someone's identity? You do realize that's illegal, right?" I glanced down at the photograph I had found in the folder. The woman in the picture looked completely different from me, and now I was supposed to pretend to be her.David replied dismissively, "Sweets, that term only applies to regular folks like you. It doesn't exists for someone like me."I shook my head in disbelief. "No way. I can't do this." The idea of abandoning my own identity and fully embracing someone else's was absurd to me.But David was adamant. "You can and you will. There's no negotiation here. Remember, you have no say in this. You need to work at S&Co, and this is the only way to do it without Nicholas figuring out my involvement."I couldn't help but worry. "What if they find out? What about the woman? Where is she? Did you have her locked up somewhere? And what if I get into trouble?"“They won’t beca