LOGINCatrina's Pov
My jaw went slack, a silent gasp caught in my throat. I stood frozen, like the world around me had gone quiet. The hum of the air conditioner, all of it faded into a distant buzz. All I could hear was the echo of the girls' voices chatting from behind.
"Move in permanently?" I tried to form a response, but my tongue felt like a foreign object in my mouth.
“ You don't have the whole time to start acting like a statue, don't keep Hulk waiting, you won't like what is going to happen” Charlotte snapped.
“Isabella, don't keep Leonard Conti waiting either, girls you have to dress up and move out”. Charlotte ordered further.
“Look at her acting like she doesn't know what she’s doing”. Isabella's face twisted in disgust, her eyes darting up and down.
“Yes, it's people like her that move around with charms holding captive of men that come in contact with them”. The other girl behind spoke like she's certainly sure of what she's saying.
“Tell me what did you do to Vincenzo that made him want you to move in permanently to his villa?” Isabella tightened her grips around my arms.
Her fingers dug in my arms the more I struggled to let go, suddenly, The door crashed open, and a sharp, clapping sound followed.
"Girls!" Charlotte shouted. The others rushed out, in a flurry of hurriedly motion.
****
A cold sweat trickled down my back as the car continued its journey. The minutes stretched into hours, each one a sluggish eternity.
I can feel my heart hammering against my ribs. I kept my eyes fixed on the passing scenery, but a distorted reflection of my own fear stared back at me in the glass.
The air in the car was thick and heavy, and every inhale felt like swallowing dust.
Hulk leaned in, I could smell the stale scent of his breath.
"You know I've always wondered what you taste like," he whispered, his voice a low, gravelly rumble.
My stomach churned. The words were a physical blow, a hot brand pressed against my skin.
His hand went slow between my thighs, came out slick with my juice, as he licked it off his fingers.
The fear I had been holding back finally broke free, a tidal wave crashing over me.
My breath hitched in my throat as he moved his face closer to mine, his hot breath a ghostly caress against my cheek.
I squeezed my eyes shut, wishing I could disappear.
“We are here,” Hulk announced.
I was so fascinated by the tall building, the compound, and the cars. I was almost tempted to ask if the building was close to the sky.
It was so beautiful I found myself overwhelmed by everything I saw.
You can't just stand there, Hulk fired at me, snapping me out of my imagination.
"Yes sir," I answered, giving a nod of my head. My feet dragged on the floor, slow, heavy steps to the door.
Hulk's massive hand dwarfed the doorbell, his index finger pressing the small button.
A high-pitched “ding-dong” echoed through the air.
The door swung open right away, revealing a middle-age lady standing right in front of the door.
“Welcome sir” she said with a broad smile across her lips.
“She's the boss' new mistress, show her to the guest room and make sure you give her a proper treatment before the boss arrives”. Hulk instructed as he turned towards my direction.
“Make sure to be a good girl, Vincenzo has zero patience for disobedience,” he sneered at me.
The middle-aged lady still looking down led the way through the door.
When I went in I found everyone walking and working busily.
“I'm Ma'am Hera,” the middle-aged lady introduced herself.
“I'm Charlotte,” I quickly followed suit.
“The guest room is that way at floor 10,” she continued, pointing her fingers to the left.
“You can take the stairs or the elevator If you want to, don't hesitate to call my attention. There's a phone in your room”. She spoke further, bowing her head.
“Okay ma'am Hera”. I replied with a smile.
This is the first time someone has ever been nice to me, I was muffled.
I ran my hand along the railing as I walked up the stairs.
The whole thing was so shiny it looked like it was made of gold, just sparkling and catching the light everywhere.
When I got to the top, the view of the living room blew me away. It wasn't just a room; it was like a sanctuary. Sunlight was pouring in from these huge windows, and there was this giant crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling like a frozen waterfall.
For a second, I smiled, picturing my daughter, Bathany, running around here and laughing.
But just like that, the good feeling was gone. A cold knot hit me in the gut. This place wasn't for a kid.
It was all so perfect, but the beauty felt cold, like a gilded cage.
This place is owned by Vincenzo, the sex lord. There's no way I was raising my daughter here.
My fingers curled around the brass handle.
I pushed the door open, my jaw went slack.
The room was breathtaking, it was like stepping into a hidden sanctuary.
On the bed, a lacey black bra and panties lay next to a small, silver vibrator.
A shiver ran down my spine, and I knew what they meant.
My heart thumping, I walked into the bathroom to wash up before Vincenzo arrived.
Dripping wet, I stepped out of the shower, a towel already up to my face.
As I lowered it, a mountainous figure filled the doorway.
His shadow stretched long and dark across the floor.
Julian you are mistaken, this will be my biggest plot of making you stay right in my arms I'll make sure I never let go of you this time.I grinned to myself quietly.I watched him hastenly drink every bit of the wine.I still held my glass cup almost lightly, turning my wine in circles, smiling.The drugs will kick in the next thirty minutes, I'll see if you can resist me. I chuckled.“Veronica…Veronica!” he snapped his fingers, pulling me out of thoughts.I shook in fear.“Yes, sorry I was lost. What were you saying?” I asked moving a little closer.“What are you thinking? You were so lost just now.”“Okay do you know what?” he said.What? I asked “You have to leave. I need to get busy with work. I don't have time for your games now.”I moved closer, I could feel his heat as my fingers brushed against his buttons.“But Julian,”He caught my hands, his grips tightening around as he held them high, “No but Veronica, you have to leave.” He shoved my hands away.“Julian, you have to l
I found nonna in her room. She was a lot better than when she was in the hospital. An old friend of hers was with her. It was Lady Rosa, a woman I particularly hated.They were laughing and sipping tea. Nonna had her legs wrapped in TED stockings and elevated on a stool. Her grey hair was full, lustrous and let down, a powerful symbol of the St Clair's matriarchs. I stepped into the room, making sure my bandaged wrist was fully visible. “Nonna,” I cried, approaching her. Her eyes fell on my bandaged wrist and she gasped. “What happened to you?”“I was attacked by that witch,” I said, collapsing against her.“What witch?” Lady Rosa repeated, amused. “Does she still believe in fairytales?”Nonna held my arm and inspected it. “Who did this?”“Catrina.”I forced some tears to slip down my eyes and sniffed.“She attacked you? Why?”I glanced at Lady Rosa.“You can talk, mi cara. Rosa knows everything about me.”“I confronted her that she wasn't really Maria. She got angry, pulled my hai
“Louis Rodriguez has been found dead.”I paused. “What? Found dead?”“We were able to trace him to his house where he's been hiding, with changed papers and all. Robbers attacked him last night and shot him. Per police report.”“Was it in fact a robbery attack?”“We don't have access to the crime scene or the investigation so far. That's the news being put out.”“Thank you,” I said. “Let me know if you get more information. Also keep track of those robbers.”The call ended.I was convinced it was not a case of robbery. The coincidence was just too much. I hurried in the direction of Catrina's room. She looked upset as she opened the door. “I didn't do such a thing. I have no reason to harm Veronica,” she said, walking away.I sighed. “Louis Rodriguez is dead.”She spinned, and her eyes widened in shock. “How? When? What the fuck?”I paced slowly. “They said he was shot by armed robbers last night.” I looked at her. “I don't believe they were armed robbers.”“I don't either,” she sai
I pulled the buttons of my shirt apart and downed the remaining glass of wine. Heck, it was hard saying no to someone as hot as Catrina. I walked over to the portrait of Maria in the corner of the room that had never left the room.“Hey,” I said, smiling and pocketing my hands. I looked at her calm face and quiet eyes that never did justice to the turmoil in her chest. “It’s been six years, babe. I almost thought…. I almost thought you came back to me.” My voice cracked. “Why didn’t you tell me a lot of things? What were you looking for?”“Our child would have been six. I should have been there for you better. I…” I pressed my palm against the wall. “I have so many regrets, Maria. And the only way I can forgive myself is if I find you somehow in all of these.”That was why I could never mess around with Catrina. She wasn’t Maria. And she would never replace her.There was a knock on the door. I ignored it. The door creaked open gently and I looked towards it. It was Veronica.I walke
He stiffened and I saw the visible fight between desire and duty. “I can’t.”That was the judgement he passed. “You should get some rest,” he offered, cushioning the blow of rejection. “You had quite a day at work and we might get busy in the upcoming weeks.”He didn't look at me when he talked. I wasn’t sure if he felt sorry for me, and I was struggling to understand how he could resist the same woman who he was going crazy for a few days ago just because her identity was different.It was a risk he had been willing to take. Why was I being treated like I was the one who walked up to him and insisted I was Maria de la Fonte?I wished I could tell him that Maria was not coming back again and he needed to stop dwelling in the past and forge ahead. But I had no right to say that to him. So I turned around and walked out of the room.My feet slapped the cold concrete as I walked away and it eased the aching of my feet. There was no way I would enjoy doing this same thing all my life.
I was feeling a bit elated about the conversation with Julian. It seemed we were about to crack the code about Maria’s disappearance and I was happy that I was the one with the most important clue. A clue everyone else had missed.“I’d like to come with you too,” I said. I thought of all the connections between me and this strange woman I never met. A strange feeling was growing in my chest. What if Maria and I were related in a way?We shared the same face. Our birthdays were only two days apart and I was raised in an orphanage. Yet still, the passcode to her laptop was my daughter’s birthday. I started to nurse the feeling in my mind that perhaps we were actually born as triplets and I had been stolen at birth.But who would do that? And why?Maria and Carlos were born in the mansion, supervised by a midwife and a doctor. No one would be able to take her baby from her without knowing. All these ran through my mind while Julian pondered on taking me to the address or not.“It’s risk







