Almost thirty minutes have gone by since I ordered Oliver to assist Adeleine. That woman is unbelievable. The fact she entrusted her life to me is the most unforeseen thing I've ever encountered. Now I'm fucking accountable for her safety.
I must admit that the moment I first looked at her, I glimmered something unfathomable. She's just so damn beautiful. Her beauty is different than all the other women I've known. However, judging the scenario earlier proved her life in the hands of her husband was in dire straits. Unfortunately, I knew our encounter would soon end because my life was not a game. I have a cruel fate, and someone like her doesn't deserve to be part of it. I need to send her to a safe place as soon as possible to ensure she will not be involved in any danger.
For now, I have a grave job, and this is paramount.
I was standing in front of the man who murdered the former president of Viasco Corporation, Macario Alejo— the man who has done so many good things for me and the whole town. Macario became a father figure to me when I lost everything and trained me to survive, especially in those days when demise was inevitable. He gave me a purpose when I was nothing but rubbish in the eyes of many, but now he's gone because this man in front of me betrayed us all. His name is Fredrin Harrington. He was once our ally, but his greed blinded him and made him commit such a horrendous thing just for his selfish gain.
He was sitting in a chair with an ugly scar on his face that went from ear to chin. The stain of blood seeped into his white shirt, and he had a huge gash on his right cheekbone while his hands and feet were tied down with thick rope. His hair was disheveled with glassy eyes from weariness.
With my burning gaze at him, I ambled to the right corner where the long table was set up. In it are two bottles of champagne with two guns and some weapons. I took the knife from a steel alloy and wiped it with the white towel hanging off the table's edge. It glowed under my touch as if ready to penetrate through flesh in one fell swoop. After a fleeting moment, I put it down on the table, grabbed my bourbon glass, and poured myself some of the bubbly.
"Thought you stopped drinking."
My eyes darted toward the voice and met Fredrin's cold stare. "Figured it wouldn't kill me."
"You're still a pompous ass even after all these years." He sneered, eyeing my weapons.
"Actually, I'm more of a pragmatist and a very reasonable one at that," I said, sipping my drink. "Unlike you. Well, I have to commend your mind for creating such a stupid idea. Sluggish and predictable. You just proved how idiotic you are."
He laughed evilly as if my words were humorous, but it soon vanished.
"You think so? Then why didn't you save him?" He asked, with his grin slowly stretching. "Or perhaps the truth is I'm just smarter than you, that you failed to read my plan."
I only gave him a smirk before I took another sip of my drink and grabbed the gun from the table. "It's not hard to decipher. You just made a rubbish scheme that's not worth the effort." I took a few steps until I caught a vein on his forehead and a pulsing one on his neck while looking at me.
I stopped before him and punched him harshly enough to make my hand sting. With his head bent forward and a trickle of blood coming out of his mouth and nostrils, he looked up and glared at me furiously with no words. He pulled at his restraints while struggling to sit up, making his chair shake violently.
I stepped back, enjoying the scene, until I pointed the gun in his direction. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Fredrin. How could you fucking kill the man who raised you? You let them manipulate you for selfish gain in return for nonsensical fidelity. Now you're here telling me you're smart for doing that?"
Without any stain of hesitation, I pulled the trigger and fired twice, hitting each bullet straight into his right and left arm. Another blood-curdling scream fled his mouth, making me grin cruelly while listening to his cries reverberating around the room.
"Shit!" He yelled as the agony took over his features with the blood oozing out of his wounds. "Screw you!"
"Your life now is screwed 'cause you chose to die with the hope of gaining glory. But you gained nothing!" I pulled another trigger, and another hole emerged on his shoulder. The second shot landed perfectly on his knee. "You killed innocent people, but don't think of any moment it will change what you are, loser."
After my articulation, I decided to leave him there bleeding in a chair, envisioning his body rotting away without any trace of mercy until nothing remained but a carcass. I don't want to slay him now nor end his torment. I wanted him to lament his fate with every drop of blood he spilled because even if he died, the detriment he caused could not be undone.
I walked into the restroom. While washing my face, a flashback of memories appeared across my mind. It was the day I found Macario's body in his office, mutilated with blood-soaked everywhere and pooling beneath his lifeless form. It was unbelievable at first, but Fredrin was the one who killed him. And this is why he deserved to be tortured. He wrecked us with his greed, and I can't wait to see him dead. Maybe then I will move on and continue living without the image of his face looming over my head. But not now.
After a minute of contemplating, a man's figure emerged behind me. It was Oliver, panting heavily.
"Sir! Ms. Adeleine is missing."
My eyes turned to him sharply before my feet took hold of their own pace to find her.
Back to Adeleine's POV No words escaped my mouth as I gazed at the man in front of me incredulously. It was the man that Courtney had been torturing ever since he decreed Oliver to assist me. I was just curious to see him, but I never expected it was the man who once abused me. I don't remember his surname, but I am perfectly certain his first name is Fredrin. Aside from my husband, this man is one of the evils who wrecked me, and I will never forget his face. "How could you manage to be so elusive?!" I yelled until our eyes met. My mind couldn't process the view that I was seeing. "I know my husband helped you escape. Admit it!" My hands quivered in both pain and rage as I glared at him with so much abhor. The memories of those hell nights were still vivid in my mind, and it was so depressing that I could still feel them on my skin. He looked terrible, badly injured by a couple of bullets and all the physical abuse he'd gone through. His clothes were covered in blood, and his
Morning finally came, and I woke up feeling woozy with the hangover. It took me a few moments to realize what I did last night.Holy shit!My hands moved to my mouth to cover it up when the scenario began playing in my head like a movie. I was so drunk that I lost control and kissed Courtney without his consent. How am I ever going to explain to Courtney about this? I even recalled how he kissed me back, and that thought alone made my cheeks turn red. But no! I have to act like it was nothing, that my action was unintentional.I tried to regain my composure as I sat down on my bed. There are three paper bags on the floor beside the bed. I checked out each one, and they were full of clothes for me. A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I imagined Courtney buying these clothes, which only proved how caring and considerate he was. That thought lasted for a few seconds when I glimpsed the clock and realized it was already ten o'clock in the morning.I stood up and took a bath to get
Courtney glanced at me with incredulity, probably assuming my words were hogwash. But those solemn stares of his evanesce into a quizzical one. "Be careful of your words." He took a few steps and halted before me. He lifted my chin and stared deep into the depths of my eyes. "Remember, it takes strength to give in. And your misery won't decide it for you." His grip on me loosened, and he stepped away. I was stunned for a moment until he walked out of the room. It took more seconds before I decided to follow him outside. "Courtney, wait!" I called him out, but my words seemed to have no effect on him. He didn't stop or slow down. Instead, he just kept walking. The hallways are wide and spacious, so I had little trouble keeping up with him. He was going way too fast for me, and it's not as if his feet moved in rhythm. But I am persistent 'cause I followed him upstairs with no further thought until we reached the room where our quarrel started. "I've given up already. Whatever consequ
Back to Adeleine's POV It's been one week, and my recovery was much more rapid than I thought possible. Even though Courtney urged me to use the knife and prove my words, I'm not blaming him despite the upshot. To be frank, I'm grateful because I was able to experience the feeling of being taken care of by someone genuinely. It's hard to describe how liberating that feeling is, but I'm happy it lessened my burden. That's one good thing about this treacherous life I'm in. Two diligent doctors, each specializing in different aspects of my well-being. While one meticulously tended to my physical health, the other delved into my psychological well-being. During their meticulous care, Courtney never failed to make sure I was okay. Through his soothing voice over the phone or reassuring visits, he ensured I never felt alone in my journey toward recovery. Words aren't enough to elucidate his kindness, and even without many words from him, the genuineness could still be felt by his actions.
The trepidation inside me was like a hefty stone weighing down on me. No words fled my mouth, especially when the image of my abusive husband flickered across my mind for a fraction of a second. But my imagination vanished from the moment I heard Courtney.“All of you come here!” He called out in his clear yet strong voice. I was dumbfounded to see more than ten men coming out from different spots. Their moves were quick and precise as they all stood before him, awaiting the decree. So, does this mean men are around while Courtney taught me how to shoot? I hadn’t noticed their presence earlier, not even for one second.“We’re facing an unknown adversary. I need you to adapt. Mobilize our elite units. Make sure half of you will accompany the Python Team. The rest must stay here and take every precaution.” His commanding tone was still calm despite the grave atmosphere, but only because he knew how to control himself. “And later, I’ll give you a signal once I summon Chief William. We mu
Back to Adeleine's POVI am walking in the hallway with Oliver. He told me to follow him and said we would meet Courtney, but he did not mention where that was going, so I assumed it would be somewhere outside of the building. "Did he mention where we were going?" I asked while surveying every corner that we passed. He swiveled around. "He didn't. But don't worry, you can ask him later."He let out a short smile before turning around again and walking down another hallway.This isn't like the first time we met. The previous meetings were awkward, with both of us being strangers trying to get along with one another. The truth is I prefer being alone with Courtney than with him. I just couldn't explain it, but his eyes gave me the creeps. They looked cold and calculating, making me feel like a lab rat. I couldn't open this matter to Courtney because I didn't want him to worry about me.To divert my attention from these thoughts, I decided to take my phone out of my pocket. I was surpr
The weight of the gun in my hand seemed to grow with each passing moment as I stood in the heart of the sprawling lawn behind Courtney's grand mansion. The green expanse stretched before me, the grass swaying gently in the breeze. Courtney and I moved here right after the incident. He trained me well for one week now on how to hold a gun and shoot properly, load the weapon, and handle it at all times in case of any unwanted dangers. One week has passed since the last incident when Oliver attempted to abduct me and bring me back to my husband. He deserved to be behind bars, locked away from the world he'd manipulated. His treachery had cost lives, shattered alliances, and left them with nothing but rage. Courtney showed me the evidence—the encrypted files, the coded messages inside the Redstone Building that he used to fool everyone. These memories still haunted my dreams like some kind of bloody nightmare. But thanks to Courtney, who never failed to ensure I was doing well. He may n
Our arrival at El Bistro Piazza, renowned as one of the wealthy Italian restaurants, was swift and seamless, taking us merely fifteen minutes. Nestled in a parking lot adjacent to the entrance, we traversed through the revolving glass doors; Courtney wrapped his right arm around my waist, guiding me toward the nearest counter. The restaurant's interior exuded a grandeur that left me astounding, boasting lofty ceilings, walls adorned with rich dark wood, and a plethora of exquisite artwork on display. It's filled with classical music, which I rarely hear from a restaurant. The interior comprised vintage black leather booths lined up along the walls, interspersed with plush velvet chairs and elegant glass tables, creating a harmonious blend of old-world charm and luxury. There are also paintings, photographs, and sculptures scattered in every corner. At one end of the restaurant, there's a wall with bookshelves lined with books.A female receptionist approached us, engaging Courtney in