Rebecca opened her eyes slowly and her vision was blurry. She groaned and tried to stand up but couldn't, somehow she was too weak to. She closed her eyes again and when she opened it this time around, she could see clearly.
The smell of rose filled her nostrils and her brows furrowed. She managed to sit upright on the bed and her lips parted when she saw a posy of roses on the bedside table.
Her eyes scanned around the room and it wasn't somewhere familiar, it was totally strange.
"Where am I?" She muttered.
As she tried to think through it, she was hit with a strong headache and she yelled out in pain.
The door to the room immediately flew opened and a young lady rushed in.
"You are awake." The lady flashed her a smile. A smile which Rebecca could see through, she could tell it was a fake one.
She stared at the lady for some time, observing her. The young lady was dressed in a black suit and her hair was packed in a ponytail, the young lady was indeed pretty with her spotless face.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Rebecca asked immediately.
The lady didn't reply her, instead she touched the almost invisible ear bud in her ear and said, "Bring it over."
Rebecca was already getting impatient. She tried standing up again and this time around, she succeeded but it wasn't easy for her because her legs were hurting badly.
"Be seated." The young lady instructed with a frown on her face.
"Who are you?" She asked again.
"I am Kira, that's all you need to know for now." The lady replied.
"I didn't ask for your name, I asked for your identity. Why am I here? Where's this place?" Rebecca asked, staring around the room.
Kira was about to reply when someone walked into the room.
It was a young lady dressed like her also and she was holding a wedding gown which she dropped on the bed, and she walked away immediately after that.
As soon as Rebecca saw the wedding gown, recognition flashed across her eyes.
"Those fools injected you more than the intended dose and that is why you feel weak and can't recall what happened to you. This gown here will help you recall every single details. Take your time." Kira smiled at her and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Rebecca stood still, staring at the gown with squinted eyes. She recalled something immediately, she recalled putting on the gown and smiling widely. She recalled how unknown gun men stormed into the church when the priest was about to seal the union.
Her hands flew to her mouth immediately as she recalled how the men succeeded in taking her away.
FLASHBACK
The men sounded confident about the cops not showing up, maybe because they had everything sorted out.
"This lady here is your sister, right?" The man holding Yvonne asked, even tho he knew.
Eric nodded immediately.
"Then I'm sure you cherish her so much. You won't want to see her lifeless body resting on you and the bride's feet, right?"
Eric nodded again. He was already shaking due to fear.
"There's only one way to save her... bring the bride here." The man bargained, twisting the tip of the gun at the girl's head.
"No! No!" Rebecca yelled. "The cops will be here soon. Let go of her or get ready to cool your *ss in prison."
The three men laughed at her foolishness. "Cops? Do you think we came here unprepared?" The first man asked.
"We are running out of time." The second man whispered to the one holding Yvonne.
He cocked the gun, ready to shoot. "I'll count one to three. One..." He was still counting when Yvonne begged her brother in tears.
"Please save me!" She cried loudly.
"Two..."
"Here she is." Eric pushed his bride towards the men.
Rebecca slipped from the little altar stairs and landed on the floor in front of them. She couldn't do anything, she was dumbfounded.
"Eric!"
***
Her knees became too weak to stand and she fell on it. Hot tears bricked down her eyes as she recalled how he had chosen his sister over her.
She knew it wasn't entirely his fault but he should have tried to bargain with the men, he should have tried to delay them a bit till the cops arrives, not agreeing to give her away in exchange for his sister.
"Why? Why is this happening to me?" She asked rhetorically, more tears streaming out of her eyes like a river.
The door opened again and Kira walked in. She had a satisfactory smile on her face. "I knew you'd cry, you are so f*ck*ng weak... Well, I've given you enough time to reflect on your past. Now get up."
Rebecca was taken aback. "Pa-past? What...what do you mean by that?" She stuttered.
"The wedding, your ex fiance and Rebecca are all your past. From the moment you were brought here, everything about you changed..." Kira paused and flashed Rebecca a smile. "But then, I can help you escape if you want."
Rebecca stopped crying immediately. She looked at Kira expectantly and felt a glint of hope, but it was washed away when she thought of something. "Why would you want to help me escape? Aren't you working for the men who abducted me?" She questioned.
She wasn't dumb to jump on an offer like that. Why would her enemy want to help her escape, just why?
Kira twitched her tongue. "The thing is that your presence here will be nothing but a threat to me, that's why I'm willing to help you escape. You don't have to worry about anything, just accept to work with me."
She still wasn't impressed by Kira's explanation. She stared at her blankly and was about to speak when the door opened and a guy walked in.
As soon as he entered the room, Kira bowed her head in respect.
"Welcome, boss."
He ignored her greeting and stared at Rebecca whom was also staring back at him.
For the first time in years, he felt like a common person. He always had people greeting him respectfully and no one dares stare at his eyes, but this girl in front of him didn't care, she broke those rules.
He didn't seem offended about it because he knew she was unaware of who he was. He was sure she would get familiar with him soon.
"Hello, Rebecca." He flashed her a smile.
She didn't find him familiar, but the way he spoke to her sounded as if he knew her.
"Who are you?" She didn't waste time in asking.
"I am someone you don't know." He replied, still smiling.
"But then you know me, right?"
"Yes."
"How? Why did you guys bring me here?" She asked.
The guy sighed. He exchanged looks with Kira before looking back at Rebecca.
"Stop being inquisitive, Becca."
Rebecca's eyes twitched when he called her that. Tears were about to come out of her eyes but she held it. "Don't call me that!" She snapped.
Kira moved to her swiftly and dragged her up from the floor. "You do not get to speak to him that way! Apologise now!"
"Kira!" The guy called cautiously and Kira scoffed before letting go of Rebecca roughly.
She fell to the floor and her elbow scrapped the floor in the process, and it began bleeding slightly unknowingly to her and unknowingly to them.
She bit her lip in order to stop herself from yelping, she didn't want to look weak in front of the two strangers.
"She must be hungry, get her food and get her ready to meet him." The guy told Kira.
He took a last glance at Rebecca and walked out of the room with his hands dipped in his trousers pocket.
"From your behaviour, you won't last here." Kira glared at her before storming out of the room.
Rebecca didn't hold back her tears anymore, she let it out.
She wanted it to be a nightmare, she wanted it to be a dream. She wanted someone to wake her up and tell her to get dressed for her wedding. She wanted to go back to Eric.
Her cries were silent, but it was from the soul of a broken and sad girl.
Rebecca chuckled dryly. “What stage of deception is this, Kira? I thought you’ll stop playing smart with me now that I’ve signed the contract. What is…”“You think I’m lying?” “I don’t think, I know!” She flared up. “You’re trying to say my dad cheated on my mum and even had an illegitimate son.” Kira sighed in frustration. Having knowing Rebecca for a while now, she knew Rebecca would react this way, so she wasn’t surprised, she was only frustrated.“Yes, your father cheated on your mum, with multiple women. He wasn’t a saint, Rebecca, but he was smart enough to act like one around you. Of all the woman he cheated on your mum with, Danny’s mum was his favorite and he had plans to marry her secretly and send her to another country, but unfortunately he was murdered before he could do so.” Jake explained, taking over from Kira who looked already tired. Rebecca shook her head in denial. “No, I won’t believe this.” Her father showered her mum with love, they loved each other so d
Rebecca’s eyes flashed in surprise. “You want us to go to Paris?” She asked to be sure she heard well. Axel stared at her for a while before letting out a dry chuckle. “You act quite well, Becca. Seeing how excited you are to go to Paris, one would think you haven’t been there.” Her eyes narrowed. It was true she had been to Paris before, but how did Axel know? “You went to Paris with that son of a bitch for honeymoon.” He answered, even before she could ask. Busted. She couldn’t deny it. “Yes.” Her voice was low. “Then why acting like you’re eager to see the Eiffel Tower when you’ve seen it before?” She heaved a sigh. “Before I found out the real truth about Eric, I wasn’t really that into him. I tried so hard to love him the way I thought he did but it wasn’t just happening. I had to get married to him because he had done a lot for me, and I also wasn’t in any other relationship…” Axel listened patiently, waiting for all what she had been saying to make sense. “Aft
As Axel got into his car, he let out a shaky breath. He had been trying to hold himself, trying not to break down in front of anyone, or even alone. To everyone else, he was Axel, the dreaded son of Thomas Leonard, the one who carried his father’s legacy, but only him knew what he was going through behind the scene. He didn’t have a say of his own, neither was he living his life the way he wanted. Ever since he was a teenager, he had always followed Thomas’s order, thinking his father knows well, but growing up he understood that Tomas was using him for his own benefit. He wasn’t living like his son, but as a tool. While his two siblings decided what to do with their lives and how to live it, he was exceptional. Unlike them, he was a living shadow, reflecting whatever his father wanted him to. All he wanted was to study law and live happily but he could still remember the words his father told him when it was time for him to write the entrance exam.“Do you think you’ll be
Rebecca was taken aback by Kira’s words. If they weren’t going to the spa, where was Kira taking her to? And why did she lie?“Where are you taking me to?” She was calm, she didn’t want to get paranoid. Kira spared her a stare. “You’ll see when you get there. For now, I need you to stay calm, and just trust me. Okay?” Trust someone? Never again. But she had hope that Kira wouldn’t try to hurt her or do anything that would cause her harm.“Don’t make me regret this.” Kira returned her focus to the road. “I won’t.” Rebecca took a deep breath, hoping everything goes well. She was sure Axel would look for her if Kira tried shit.********* Axel stared at his phone for the umpteenth time. He had secretly texted Trent to call him and pretend something urgent came up, so he could leave, but Trent wasn’t replying his text, which was weird. He didn’t like the situation he was in. He was unwillingly having lunch in don Alessandro’s dining hall with the people he didn’t like seeing
“Are you insane?” Rebecca flared up. She was sure she heard Kira right. “Are you drunk or probably high?” Kira scoffed. “Relax. Stop making a big deal out of it.” “It is a big deal. The fuck?” She couldn’t keep her calm. Barely thinking of it made her cringe. Seduce Trent? Axel’s friend like a brother? “I can bet on my life that Axel didn’t plan this with you. Where on earth did you get such irritating thoughts from?”“Calm down.”“Don’t fucking tell me to calm down!” She snapped. “What do you take me for?” Kira hit her forehead in frustration. “This is the problem you have. Allow me to explain!” It took a lot for Rebecca not to say a word. Only the sound of her breathing heavily was heard.“I want us to go for spa treatment, just the both of us. But Trent would insist on coming along for your safety and I want it to be just two of us, so I could tell you about what I found out and also take you to the private investigator…”“How does seducing him help?” She cuts in.“Okay may
With Axel’s intense gaze on her, she felt pressured and it would be a shame to her if she didn’t reply the question. Slowly, she looked up at him. “Your actions, Axel, they speak a lot. Except you’re only pretending, and if that’s the case, I must say you’re doing a great job. You should consider joining Hollywood.” She didn’t intend to crack a mini joke, it just happened. She expected him to laugh or maybe chuckle, but nothing like that happened. His gaze remained hard and fixed on her, piercing deep as if he was staring into her soul. She shifted uncomfortably, wanting him to look away and when he didn’t, she looked down at the paper she was holding.“Are we still playing?” She had to say something to change the situation and the uncomfortable air.“No.” He replied curtly. His mood had changed and it made her wonder if she said anything wrong that instigated his change of mood.“Okay…” She stood up from the bed. “I should probably get going.” Axel didn’t say a word, in