The next few days blurred into one another, like watercolour strokes blending on a canvas. Amara found peace in the simplicity of her days, losing herself in the vibrant swirls of paint she spent hours on and the comforting presence of Martha. Her emotions remained stormy, but amidst the chaos, she was slowly discovering ways to piece herself back together. Sometimes he’d wake up and find herself in an unfamiliar room, strange and lonely. Yet, as the days passed, she started relying more on her conscience than her fears. And strangely, whenever Rhys was home, the nightmares were less frequent. She’d feel someone beside her bed every night, dreamily stroking her hair, running their gentle fingers on her delicate skin. But when she’d open her eyes, the bedside would be empty. There would be lingering coldness left on her skin. She’d wonder if she once again imagined things. But the wrinkled sheets on the other side, how could she possibly imagine them? Moreover, the chilling sensat
Rhys growled throwing his phone on the passenger seat, his head spinning with both fury and white-hot rage. He underestimated Francis. Not only he lost two of his shipments worth billions but now the bastard was making a council to throw Rhys off the underworld. Rhys almost pitied the man. He’d make him scream and cry when he’d get his hands on her. Slowly killing him and torturing every single council member who dared to go against him. There were two rules Rhys go by—never have mercy on his enemies. And second—always follow the first rule. Rhys knew the day he stepped foot in this mafia world that this was not going to be easy, and he was not the boy to do easy things. He preferred challenges, thrilling and dangerous ones. And his trust in himself brought him near the pillars of success, as most feared man in underworld and worldwide. He had both the looks and money to buy anything, with just a flick of his fingers. Women, cars, houses, buildings, he could even buy those two lost
The ride to the mansion was torturous with his protective grip on her thigh as he drove with one hand on the steering wheel. Amara could feel him seething underneath the cold mask of his expressions. She swallowed hard, feeling scared for some reason. She was scared cause she didn’t knew what would happen to Martha, but other than that, Amara was strangely calm. Throughout the ride, her thoughts now and then moved to Martha. Was she alright? Her eyes widened as she gulped fidgeting with her fingers on her lap. Rhys's grip on her upper thigh loosened slightly as he absent-mindedly caressed the skin. His platinum ring shone under the moonlight as his long fingers glided over her flesh.The action was so intimate and lingering that it made her wonder if Rhys was doing it intentionally or was it just a gesture of his possessiveness. It took him more than an hour to reach the mansion. As they neared, her heart did backflips. From the distance, the mansion seemed quite–calm before the sto
Rhys paced around the room worked up. He regretted it. How could he be so blinded by his desires and anger that he hurt her? Again. Rhys felt like he just ripped his own heart apart. He shredded it in millions of pieces and each piece was now piercing his skin. He ran his hand through his hair sighing loudly as his eyes moved to Amara. She was asleep, after crying and screaming for more than an hour. He didn’t know what triggered her panic, but he knew he was the one to blame. With a heavy heart, he averted his eyes from her and walked to the window. Looking up at the night sky, he wondered what could have happened to Amara for her to be so scared and anxious. Adrian hadn’t told him anything, he just said she was in an accident, and at that moment too Rhys felt like dying. But now he knew there was more than it looked. There was no way she’d have nightmares—same nightmares—and the words she repeated. Pulling out his phone he dialled the only number who could answer him. The call co
Amara woke up with a sharp headache and heavy chest. A hazy film of dilemma lingering over her head as she blinked her eyes open. For a long moment, she took her time looking at the time and remembering what happened before she fell asleep. Just like someone poured cold water on her, her whole body suddenly froze. She did not fell asleep, in fact she fainted. She couldn’t remember what really caused her to pass out, but only thing was going on in her mind. Martha. Amara scolded herself for being so careless. How could she forget about Martha? Overtaken by the anxiousness, she quickly swung her legs off the bed when the door of her room opened. Amara stilled, shocked and taken off guard before she knew, she was tearing up and tried to stand up only to limply fall back on the bed. “Hush, hush! Everything’s fine, my child. See, I’m here.” Martha mumbled embracing Amara and rubbing her back. Amara held tightly onto Martha.“I thought…I thought…” Martha rubbed her back, telling her Rhy
Amara spends two days in her room, completing the painting. On the morning of the second day, she found herself wide awake staring a the ceiling lost in her thoughts. Last night, she once again had the same nightmare but this time, it was not just a nightmare, she saw Rhys in her dream, as her knight in shining armour. Her feelings for him were confusing and yet she couldn’t understand them wholly. The next day was warm and sunny unlike the last few gloomy days and she was more than ecstatic to roam in the gardens."This is so much fun!" Amara giggled. "Is it now?" Martha said looking over at Amara. The young girl looked so carefree and happy. Once again today, Martha had tied Amara’s hair in a braid bun, but today there were no flowers. She still managed to look ethereal and angelic. "I wonder when they’ll grow…" Amara pouted looking down at the freshly planted plants. Martha rolled her eyes. "They’re still babies. Just like people they also need care and nurturing to grow." Swea
Adrian’s povMy fingers curled painfully around the glass. The golden burgundy liquid burned my throat yet I couldn't stop consuming it. The burn helped tamper the shake of my thoughts. "Are you sure about this, Adrian? You should think again." I lowered the glass with much more strength than intended. It clanked heavily on the tabletop. It was getting harder and harder to leash my self-control. After the night I confessed my sins to Rhys, I could still hear his words lingering in my head.'Divorce her. You do not deserve her.’ I curled my fingers and clenched my teeth. "Yes, this is the only way I can keep her safe." Abigail’s eyes widened. I couldn't afford to lose her again, I wouldn't let that happen. "Just because your brother threatened you, you’re divorced—" The man Jun hired to investigate replied. "He did not threaten me!" I growled. My heart clenched at his words. “Letting her go is not an option—““I can not keep her too, Gail! I do not deserve her—““Who said that? Y
Amara nervously fidgeted with her fingers as Rhys stood right beside her. The guard told them Adrian just arrived. And after so many days, Amara wasn’t sure how she should feel. All the emotions seemed to envelop her. Martha was in the kitchen preparing the drinks. And now they stood in the lobby waiting for Adrian. Amara's heart raced as Adrian entered the room. Her mind was flooded with memories of his soft touches, the smiles, the shared glances, the tender moments. But now, as he stood there in that impeccably tailored dark blue suit, looking just as dashing as she remembered, there was an unfamiliar tension in the air. She had expected to feel joy at seeing him again, but all she could manage was a forced smile.Adrian's light eyes met hers, and he offered a small smile. Whereas she was still, Adrian could feel his heart bursting out. The small piece of jewellery in his pocket seemed to be piercing his skin. But he decided. Today. And every day. Amara was his. Rhys however felt