LOGINThe night was filled with nothing but laughter, peace and joy music blasting every angel of the compound left right and center, people chatting happily and freely walking around with drinks in their hands.
Ladies wore bun shorts patrolling the environment looking for men to absorb their millions. It felt safe for everyone but for Daniella it didn’t. She sat quietly inside the car, her tiny hands placed carefully on the car window, she just stared outside, looking at everyone dancing and laughing. “Stay here” her father had told her earlier “I won’t be long” he added and walked away with Gideon. She had only nodded and sat down inside the quiet dark car without making a move to come out. Seconds turned into minutes and then an hour had gone, Daniella was getting tired of the boredom that was almost eating her up. She looked out the window trying to find her dad with her eyes “Papa” she called out softly but couldn’t see or hear him She looked further again and then her eyes landed on him. He stood a few steps away from the main crowd talking with someone. Daniella couldn’t see the outline of the person clearly, only their figure. Something about it made her uncomfortable because she could see her father raising his voice a little bit. She shifted in her seat trying to get a better view of what was happening. And then everything happened so fast, it felt like the world ran as fast as it could from Daniella’s point of view a shadow appeared from nowhere and within a blink of an eye a blade went straight into her father’s chest. Daniella’s body went still, her eyes popped out, her breathing seized she opened her mouth but nothing was coming out she was mentally suffocating. Her father didn’t scream, he didn’t shout, he slowly turned around his eyes landing straight on the car window watching his precious daughter struggle with what she just saw, he smiled, his eyes pure red, his heart bleeding and within seconds something crazy happened. A hand from behind digged into his chest and harvested his heart and just like that Derrick went still. The world paused, the music faded, everything went silent, all she could hear was her heart. Then the rain began, it started with drops and then it grew heavier Daniella slowly reached out to the door handle pulled it open and stepped down. Her legs fell on the wet ground as she walked towards him “Papa?” She called out, tears building in her eyes No answer, no movement nothing Her legs trembling as she walked towards him placed her hands on his still body. He was cold as ice blood clot everywhere. “Papa” she said, shaking gently. “Papa please wake up, you’re so cold you’d catch a cold” she called out again her heart beating. Her vision grew blurry, the tears were now pouring out Her papa who always responded whenever she called was lying still ignoring her. She shaked him even harder. He didn't flinch let alone move; he was gone, really gone. And just then she felt it, a presence behind her she turned slowly and just then she saw him a young man around 19 years old more like a boy holding a heart, blood dripping off it he was traumatized shaking down to his bone marrow as his eyes stayed fixed on the dead body, his hands dripping from the dark red blood. He held her father’s ripped heart in his hands. At that point nothing else mattered, not the rain, not the people at the extreme end just the young man she looked at him from head to toe making sure to to forget his face he’s the one who killed her father!. *BACK FROM THE FLASH BACK* “Aharhhhhh!” She shattered the table lamp beside her, her heart beating heavily as the trauma from her childhood blazed her memory. After a whole 13 years there he was the man who murdered her father, he was well strong and healthy she scoffed angrily staring into thin air her heart beating, her mind blazing the world REVENGE to her brain. She could never forget that face of "Christian Harper” , her father’s murder. A knock on the door brings her back into reality “Uhm are you okay?” The woman’s voice screamed from the other end “Yes, yes” Daniella twisted her voice a bit “Alright, get ready madam wants to see you” Daniella stood up, put up her usual fake smile and opened the door following the lady who had come to call her. ***************************************************************** Christian’s mother walked ahead of her showing the her around without slowly down “This is the main hall, you’re not to enter here without being instructed” They moved her legs blazing fast “And here this section restricted do not ever come in here” she looked at Daniella with all seriousness and she nodded her face still. They moved into another hallway. “This is where you’d work most of the time.” “That’s the lobby and over there is the library, you’re to clean it daily” she moved further and then stopped “That’s my son’s room, you’re not to enter it without permission and never go in when he’s around, is that clear?” She warned. Daniella nodded but her eyes lingered on the door for a while before shifting her gaze. They walked down the stairs and headed to a different section. “That’s the kitchen, and over there is the party hall” Mah’s pointed The tour was getting Daniella confused but she didn’t care she only smiled staring at the woman And after a while the tire ended. Soon the house went silent, From Daniella’s window she watched his mother get into one of the cars parked outside the house and was driven away which simply means she was home alone. A smile lingered in her face as she stood up from the bed It was time to get to work, the main reason why she was in this house. She walked outside and followed the trail earlier trying to look for Christian’s room and luckily she found the door. Looking both sides and checking for cameras she found none and quietly slipped into the room. “Hmm wow…” her eyes popped out on hitting the huge magnifying view. The room was something next after heaven, it was huge, expensive and looked adorable. “Not bad for a serial killer” she thought It was already getting late she needed to search the room to find any documents that could implicate Christian and then she started. It was already 30 minutes now and all the documents she had scroll through she found nothing and just when she was about to pack up the documents back she heard Christian’s voice just outside the room “What! He’s back?” Her heart started to beat and just when she could move an inch she turned the door knob spines around and in that moment the door flew open….The footsteps outside the house grew louder.Daniella stood in the middle of her father’s old bedroom, still holding the recorder. Her heart was pounding, but for once, fear wasn’t controlling her.She knew the truth now.Her uncle had killed her father.The only thing she didn’t know was who had helped him.Christian moved toward the door and quietly checked the hallway.“Three men,” he said. “Maybe more outside.”Daniella looked at her uncle.“Who are they?”“I don’t know.”“You’re lying.”Her uncle’s eyes met hers.“I don’t know who Adrian sent.”“Adrian?”“He’s been trying to get the ledger for years.”Christian turned sharply.“You said Adrian wasn’t the person behind Crown Meridian.”“He isn’t.”“Then why does he want the ledger?”“Because the ledger contains evidence against him.”Daniella frowned.“Evidence of what?”Her uncle hesitated.“Things he did after your father died.”Christian stepped closer.“And the man who helped you kill Daniel?”Her uncle’s expression changed.“
Daniella didn’t speak during the drive back to the old house.She sat beside Christian in silence, staring through the window while her uncle drove ahead of them. Every word he had spoken at the training compound kept replaying in her mind.I created Crown Meridian.I killed your father.I trained you to become a weapon.She had spent thirteen years believing her uncle had saved her from the monster who murdered her father. She had trusted every lesson, every warning and every piece of information he had given her.Now she couldn’t tell which memories were real and which had been carefully constructed for her.Christian reached across the space between them and took her hand.Daniella looked down at their joined fingers.“I don’t know who I am anymore.”Christian’s voice was quiet. “You don’t have to figure that out tonight.”“He made me.”“No.”She looked at him.“He trained you. That’s different.”“It doesn’t feel different.”“It is.”Daniella swallowed.“My entire life has been bui
The drive to the training compound felt longer than it should have.Daniella sat in the back seat beside Christian while Elena remained in the front. Her uncle drove without saying a word.The silence was suffocating.Daniella kept staring at the back of his head, trying to reconcile the man she knew with the confession he had just made.He was the man in her childhood memory.The man standing over her father’s body.The man whose face she had spent thirteen years trying to remember.And he was the same man who had spent those thirteen years training her.Christian reached for her hand.She hesitated before allowing him to hold it.“You don’t have to do this tonight,” he said quietly.“Yes, I do.”“Why?”“Because if I stop now, I might never be able to face it.”Christian squeezed her hand.“Then I’ll be there.”Daniella looked at him.“I don’t deserve you.”His expression tightened.“Don’t say that.”“I lied to you.”“You didn’t know the truth.”“I still entered your house planning t
Adrian’s voice still echoed through the cellar.“You should never have opened that door.”Daniella stood completely still, the black ledger pressed against her chest. Christian was beside her, his gun raised toward the staircase, while Elena stood behind them. Her uncle remained near the metal safe, watching the darkness above.But Daniella wasn’t thinking about Adrian.She was thinking about her uncle.For years, he had been the person she trusted most.The man who had raised her after her father’s death.The man who had taught her how to fight.The man who had taught her how to read people, manipulate situations, control her emotions and never hesitate when the time came to hurt someone.He had taught her everything she knew about revenge.And now she was beginning to wonder why.Christian’s voice broke through her thoughts.“We need to move.”Daniella looked at him.“Where?”“There’s another exit.”Her uncle immediately shook his head.“No.”Christian turned toward him.“Why?”“Bec
They barely made it out of the old Harper estate before another explosion shook the building behind them.Daniella stumbled as the ground trembled beneath her feet. Christian caught her around the waist and pulled her toward the waiting car.“Get in!”Elena climbed into the back seat while Daniella and Christian got in front. Christian started the engine and sped away from the estate.For several minutes, nobody spoke.Daniella looked through the rear window as smoke rose above the trees.Her mother’s hand rested on her shoulder.“You’re really alive,” Daniella whispered.Elena gave a small, sad smile.“I am.”Daniella looked at her reflection in the mirror.“I don’t know how to feel about this.”“You don’t have to know yet.”“I spent thirteen years thinking you were dead.”“I know.”“I missed you.”Elena’s eyes filled with tears.“I missed you too.”Daniella turned around.“Then why didn’t you come back?”Elena looked down.“Because the first time I tried, someone found me.”“Who?”“
Daniella couldn’t breathe.The woman standing in the doorway looked exactly like the woman from the photographs she had kept hidden in the back of her wardrobe for most of her life.Her mother.Elena Cruz.Alive.For thirteen years, Daniella had believed she was dead.She had mourned her beside her father’s grave. She had asked questions nobody answered. She had spent years imagining what her mother might have said if she had survived.Now she was standing less than ten feet away.Daniella’s lips parted.“Mom?”The woman nodded, tears already running down her face.“Yes.”Daniella took one step forward.Then another.Christian immediately caught her hand.“Daniella, wait.”She looked at him.“What?”“We don’t know if this is safe.”The woman shook her head.“He’s right.”Her voice trembled.“You can’t trust anyone here.”Daniella stared at her.“You’re my mother.”“Yes.”“You’re alive.”“Yes.”“Then why did you let me believe you were dead?”Elena’s expression broke.“I didn’t have a
“I want you to go undercover.” The moment the words left Christian’s mouth, Daniella genuinely thought she had heard him wrongly. She stared at him from across the office, her brows slowly pulling together in confusion while her brain tried to process what he had just said. “W
The knock came at the door, just as Derrick had finally put Daniella to sleep, his heart froze for a moment, but he forced himself to relax. But then again his mind started to play the what if game, I mean it was past midnight who would be visiting this late. He swallowed as he heard the loud ba
“This will be your room” the older woman spoke as she pushed a door at the end of the hall way open Daniella walked in her eyes observing the entire room, she said nothing to the woman and only nodded. “Don’t you speak?” The woman asked honestly Daniella has been too quiet for her liking and it w
“Stand straight. If you slouch again you’d walk out of that door and never return.” The girl behind Daniella adjusted herself immediately.“I’m sorry,” she whispered, turning her face around to make sure she didn’t embarrass herself in front of the other girls. “Sorry? Really?” another voice scof







