The test

She wiped the tears off her cheek as she heard movements outside the dungeon. It was quite dark and only the lights in front of the dungeon gates lit up the passageway.

Standing up from the cold rough floor, she walked to the metal gates, roving her eyes around the passageway.

Just then, his broad figure appeared in front of her, wearing a black hoodie and black shorts.

“Ryan,” she cried almost immediately as he took the hood off his head.

“Sam,” he called sympathetically as he touched the metal gate.

“I..I thought you left,” she burst out emotionally.

“I tried to, but I couldn't leave you here. Sam, I need to break you out of here. You need to be free, I can help you escape out of here,” he offered with enthusiasm.

“It would pose a big risk to you and I. I have nowhere to go, no family of my own. If I escape, your family will come after me, they'll find me with their last breath,” she panicked as she looked deep into his eyes.

“I'll protect you.. I'll keep you safe away from them. We'll go somewhere far away from this place,” he emphasized.

“I..I can't,” she cried and wiped the tears that escaped her cheek.

He slammed his fist angrily on the gate.

“Why are you proving obstinate, uhh? Or is there something keeping you here?!” He voiced out angrily.

She moved backwards as she saw his eyes filled with aggression.

“Sam, is there something I need to know about you?” He asked curiously as he looked into her eyes deeply.

Just then, movements were heard and he dashed away immediately. She hurried back into the room and sat on the floor, turning her back to the metal gate.

“Hey,” she heard the masculine voice of one of the guards.

She remained silent and tucked her rough hair behind her ears.

“Your attention is needed,” he said as he opened the gate.

She stood up from the floor immediately and walked out of the room. Two guards were waiting beside the dungeon gate and she walked alongside them as they led her out of the dungeon.

Ryan hid behind the dungeon walls, watching them lead Samantha back into the building. He followed behind slowly, curious of what would happen next.

**

She was led into Ryker's bedroom where she could see Mrs Clyde, sitting beside Ryker on the long black couch.

She was made to stand in the middle of the room and the bodyguards left.

“A doctor will be here soon, I want you to take your bath and dress up properly. He'll be here to run a test on your infection, let's see what we can do about it,” Mrs Clyde said.

Samantha knelt immediately and her face broke into a smile.

“Thank you ma'am, thank you so much,” she said with joy.

“Do as she had said,” Ryker ordered with a stern voice.

She stood up immediately and Mrs Clyde sent in a maid who aided in helping her bath.

She was offered a good meal, after which, she dressed up in a white silky nightie and sat on the bed. She could see Ryker and his mom discussing in low tone, after which, the doctor came in.

He was a fair skinned middle-aged man, dressed in a doctor's coat. He had a brief discussion with Mrs Clyde and Ryker before turning his attention to Samantha who was sitting on the bed.

“Shall we?” He asked with a warm smile on his face as he walked to the bed.

She nodded and laid her back flat on the bed.

“You can leave, we'll send for you when we need you,” Mrs Clyde said to Samantha as soon as the doctor was through.

She stood up and walked out of the room while adjusting her dress. As she stepped out, she bumped into Ryan who was eavesdropping at the door.

She tried to exclaim but he hushed her and pulled her away from the door. He dragged her into a quiet passage and pushed her to the wall.

“What did the doctor do with you?” He asked, his face only a few inches away from her.

“He..he did a test. Mother says it was about my infection, I think I'm getting a cure soon,” she said with a smile.

“Come off it, nothing good ever comes out of these people. I know my family too well,” he said.

She kept silent and stared at him in stupefaction.

“What do you think is going on?” She asked seriously.

“I believe they're using you, my family is up to something and I believe it's of no good,” he said anxiously as he paced to and fro in front of her.

“You're overthinking,” she said, staring at the side of his face.

“I need to find out, I believe there is something I need to know,” he said thoughtfully as he turned to look at her.

For a moment, he got lost, seeing how beautiful she looked in her nightie. She had freshened up and smells so good tonight. Her hazel eyes hit up at his eyes and they both stared at each other for a moment. Memories of the other night filled his brain and he gulped, racing his eyes to her red lips.

Seeing how he gawked over her body, she looked away awkwardly and turned her back towards him.

“Are..are you leaving?” He managed to ask.

“They might send for me at any moment,” she said. “And besides, I..I don't wanna be seen around you too much. It might upset my husband, and I don't wanna flare him up anymore,” she lamented.

He stood still as he tried to digest her words. He looked away from her in disappointment and rubbed his hand over his brown hair.

“It's.. it's fine..,” he said and walked away immediately.

Watching him walk away, she gulped and tucked her hair behind her ears. What was he thinking? That she would fall for him because of a single mistake? She thought. There is no way she was gonna keep having an affair with Ryan right under Ryker's nose. No matter how mean Ryker was to her, she was determined to be faithful and possibly win his heart, she said to herself and walked out of the passageway.

**

“From what I can see, she has every possibility to conceive,” Doctor Jean said as he placed his instruments back in his briefcase.

“Really?!” Mrs Clyde's eyes glowed with joy.

“Yes, the infection didn't affect her womb. We should wait for the test result before concluding, though. But trust my assessment, she's fertile,” he confirmed and Mrs Clyde turned to Ryker whose hand was resting under his chin.

“Thank you, doctor. Just the news I wanted to hear. We'll keep in touch,” she said and shook his hands firmly.

As soon as the doctor left, she gave Ryker a warm hug.

“We're getting there, Samantha will bear your child,” she said with a smile.

“But I can't sleep with her from the look of her vagina. It disgusts me,” he lamented.

“Son, there is no time to cure that infection. You need to start right away,” she said and he shoved her hands off his shoulders.

“You want me to share in her disease??!” He barked and stood up angrily.

“No..no..I don't mean it that way,” she explained calmly as she walked towards him and placed her hands on his shoulders again.

“Look at me,” she ordered.

He gruntled and looked at her hesitantly.

“We’ll use the insemination method,” she suggested.

“If we inseminate her, she'll suspect what we're up to. She isn't supposed to suspect that we're using her to achieve an aim,” he said thoughtfully.

“I’ll sort that out, first of all, you need to prepare for your first outing with her tomorrow. Don't forget, Ryan laid a threat, and he might carry it out. Before he strikes, we should be a step ahead of him,” she said with a smile as she stroked his cheeks.

He nodded and she kissed his lips lightly.

“You know I hate sharing you with any woman. More reasons I hated Vanessa, because she seemed to have stolen you away from me,” she continued with a smirk as she placed her hands around his shoulder.

“No woman can separate us, mother. I love you so much,” he said and kissed her lips deeply.