ISHTARI was Minerva again, and I registered it in my head. This was only a dream, but even while I was aware of it being a dream, I couldn't control the narrative. I was simply a pawn in a bigger— way bigger game.I looked up at the sky outside the house where I was. It was a full moon already, but cloudy skies surrounded the moon, and there were no stars in sight. It was quiet, way quiet, and all I heard was crickets and my sighs.I saw myself waiting for someone. My fingers tapped aggressively against the wooden floor, and my heart wouldn't stop racing. All my thoughts were faced in one direction, and the person I was waiting for dominated over my mind. There was a yearning that I couldn't explain, and as time slipped by, I found myself looking towards the direction of the door, my eyes lingering on it and the want burning me alive.Anticipation could be my greatest enemy yet. I found that my legs wouldn't still so I tried to take control by walking around the room instead. It was
DAMIAN.I must have fallen in love with her a little more after her drunken fit from last night. My God, she was adorable, and I was worried that she'd get sick. I had reprimanded Reiss that morning, probably way more than I should, for getting her in trouble.She wasn't a kid, I know, but it left me tossing and turning for a while, knowing that I was enough protection for her. Even when I remembered all the things I was keeping from her, I couldn't help but feel like shit. Like real shit because she didn't deserve it, any of it.We arrived yesterday, and things fell back into place, not us though. I was stuck in the middle of making small and big decisions like should I ask her to dinner this evening? Should I make her a cup of coffee this morning?Would it be too much if I looked at her and said she was beautiful? I wanted to do everything I wasn't supposed to do. Even now that I'd barely left her for five minutes, I still couldn't manage to swing my thoughts away from her. Ishtar h
ISHTARThe sun streamed through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room as I went about my household chores. Dishes clinked together as I washed them, the rhythmic sound serving as a backdrop to my thoughts. But in reality, my mind was a thousand miles away, far from the mundane tasks at hand.My thoughts were consumed by Damian, his presence lingering in every corner of my consciousness. The moments we had shared during our recent vacation in Samoa played on a loop in my mind. The laughter, the stolen glances, and the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled were etched into my memory.Meeting his friend was also a part of it. I couldn't pull my mind away from those thoughts and the happiness I felt when it happened. Why, then, did I still feel like something was missing? Like I was left in the dark, and every moment I thought I'd crawled out of, it just became that I sunk deeper.Something about Damian didn't add up, and I was tired of making all these excuses in my mind. The
DAMIANI placed my phone screen down after responding to Ishtar's texts, and I was still curious as to whom she was letting in, but some issues were more pressing— like the situation that I was in right now.That wait wasn't over, and from the look of things, it didn't seem like it'd end anytime soon. I was pulsating in my seat, my feet relentlessly tapping as I waited in the quiet restaurant. The paper was crumpled up in my hand, and I straightened it, trying to see if there was any information I needed. It felt like I was so close, but I had also taken a few steps back. I barely even understood what was going on anymore, and that somehow granted me the strength to wait longer— because I knew that I had to find answers; there wasn't a way in hell I'd leave with nothing. I'd spend the night here if I had to.As desperation was always followed by frustration, my blood seemed to boil hotter as minutes passed by. My legs wouldn't stop shaking either, so I stood up and began to rummage
ISHTAR"It's okay, it's all gonna be fine," I muttered as I patted his back. "Abby would be so surprised when she walks in on us like this." I loved being in his arms. It felt like the nicest thing to happen to me in a long long while, and I missed him so much. I missed us. I was so captivated by his scent that I leaned in and let myself fall deeper into it, my eyes tightly shut as I continued to hug him.Our moment ended when Abby called out to me. She'd been in my room to shower, and now she was out. Finally, they could meet. I reluctantly pulled away from Damian, but something felt different — like he pulled away first. His hands slid down my back. "Abby?" I called out as I turned, my face flushed. I was nervous, and I knew she'd tease me a lot for it when we were alone together. "Meet Damian."Damian. He was quiet. Awfully quiet, and it terrified me to turn to me. I sucked my teeth and moved my feet unsteadily. I could feel it cooking inside of me already. Unrest, sadness, everyt
ISHTAR."I hate it so much when those billionaire families come on TV to shove their wealth in our faces!" I spat, tying my hair by the mirror while the static sound of the television filled the room."Right?" Abby quizzed, darting her gaze toward it. "What kind of name is Kincaid anyway, and why must we be aware that he's taking over PRIDES conglomerate?""Like it even is my business," I groaned, rolling my eyes. "Let's sell the television, Abby. You're leaving anyway. I'd search for a job immediately after."Abby stood up, walked to the TV, and slapped the top of it. It made a violent, roaring noise. The impact resounded through the walls of the room. "This thing? Sell this thing?"I shrugged. "For a few bucks? I mean, it has to be worth something, right? We're out of everything edible." I rubbed my belly. "I could eat you right now, Abby…but you probably taste like cobwebs and mint."Abby's brow furrowed, and she contemplated giving me a response for a while. Next to her was her ba
DAMIAN."Here, Mr. Kincaid, come on in," Alfred ushered and I followed him through the gates of the mansion that was now my home.Compared to the lush greenery of the place I'd just left, the towering buildings that lingered around were numerous, choking even. All owned the same light brown and cream color; one could barely tell them apart.We arrived inside the building. Its minimalistic furnishing wasn't the worst. The living room alone could accommodate six more people, including Alfred and me."What do you think of it, sir?" Alfred asked, his voice shrill. The last time I'd seen Alfred was when his father worked for me about seventy years ago. He was a boy child then— From generation to generation, they've served me. Each first male of his family led that legacy. It was the pact I'd made with his ancestor when the unfortunate incident happened."It's not the worst," I responded, taking off my cufflinks and placing them on the marble table before me. "I still can't get over seeing
ISHTAR.We held each other's gaze for a brief moment. The unusually handsome man had a look in his eyes that I couldn't understand. His chiseled jaw clenched, and he balled his fist without tearing his gaze away from me."Is this your way of hitting on young girls, you cunt? Get out of my way!" I yelled again. He didn't seem present even though he was looking me in the eye. The next thing he did was to lunge his arms at me hurriedly. I froze."Don't fucking touch me!" I yelled as I slapped his hand away. "What are you doing!?"His brown eyes had lost focus, and he aggressively muttered something under his breath. I got terrified by the second, and he didn't seem to back down.He reached out again, aiming for my neck, this time with bloodshot eyes. I'd never seen a person look so scary. The veins in his head popped out as his thick brows furrowed.The store's ventilation did a number on his brown shoulder-length hair, swaying it. If he didn't look like he was bent on murdering me, I'd