Max
Clara was the center of attention, so I pulled Celine aside to see how she was doing. It was easy for her to be forgotten now that all their attention was on Clara, and I did not want her to feel left out or neglected. So I lent her my shoulder to cry on. I loved hugging her, so this was a perfect excuse to be closer to her.
I was serious when I declared my love for her a few weeks ago, and have been dating like teenagers since then, sans the sex, since I did not want that to color our relationship. Yeah, I know suddenly I’m “Mr. Prim and Proper” who treats ladies with utmost respect and reverence. It was like I was a changed man.
It is not without difficulty that I go back to the hotel each night, and every time with blue balls*. Celine would give me the most mind-blowing, melt your socks off,
MaxEver since Clara chanced upon her kidnappers, everybody has been on high alert. The kidnappers had threatened to take Celine this time to make her uncle, Nicholas Jacobs, agree to their nefarious plans. They wanted to smuggle drugs across international waters using the containers that Navio International, Sebastian’s company, ships across the globe.The FBI had advised them not to make rash decisions and go into hiding, to appear as normal as possible and pretend that everything was normal.How can everything be normal when Clara and Celine’s life might be on the line? Why does it seem that universe is trying to conspire against their relationship from happening?Wasn’t it hard enough that Celine’s dad, Nathan, does not want to acc
Weeks later, when Clara had gotten used to having a shadow, she decided that she to visit her sister so they could go shopping. They each had their own bodyguard, and Clara made it a point to hire women because she knew their capabilities and their attention to detail, not that the men weren’t competent, but the guards could come with them into the restrooms and fitting rooms with no one batting an eye. It was harder to shake them and disappear, but Clara gave in and just accepted she would never be free unless the kidnappers got caught. And even though she was very annoyed, she knew that the men in their lives meant well.They’ve gone to several stores, and Clara noticed the guards were looking around suspiciously. Something had set them on high alert. So when they went into a coat store and tried on several outfits, Clara exchanged their jackets, claiming Celine’s yellow jacket looked b
CelineI wanted to appear strong to everyone, so I pretended I was okay even though I was shaking deep inside. My mind was playing tricks on me, and everywhere I looked were the men wearing black grabbing Carmen, again and again, just like when they were kids. It was like a movie on repeat where the screen kept going over the same scene repeatedly. The only indication I had that I was having hallucinations was that I knew the hand latched on to Clara’s was real, and I held so tight I knew she was uncomfortable. I wouldn’t let go. I will never let go because I did not want my sister to disappear.’I know I am a mess because everyone keeps asking if I was okay. We were waiting for our ride at the entrance of the mall when it got worse. We were supposed to report to the police station to prepare our statement. Our car was taking a long time becau
MaxCeline, we’ve almost been joined at the hip for the past couple of weeks until today. When my sister, Clara, had the hair-brained idea that they should go shopping and that none of us, which meant Sebastian and me, should go with them. So instead of working all day, I follow their trackers around like a stalker watching the screen, making sure they were always together. I began seeing red dots everywhere when I realized the two dots I’d been watching all morning were getting separated.The thought of losing Celine made my heart stop. The threat from the kidnappers was coming true, and they made good on their promise that they were taking her. ‘No!’ I screamed in frustration and fumbled with my phone. I had all the phone numbers of their security detail and was thinking of calling Celine’s personal bodyguard, Sandra, when
CelineWeeks later.My sister came in yesterday in a huff. She was angry at someone because of something, probably Sebastian. Not that I could understand anything anyway because she kept on cursing and asking why he would do that, but would not explain. After her tirade came the guilt trip, blaming herself for everything. It’s her fault, she’s not worth it, that sort of stuff.I know she is not used to sharing her problems with anyone, but now that we found each other again, I will teach her how to reveal her problems to me.The thing I gleaned from Max was that Clara had felt like everyone had forced Sebastian into proposing to her early. Max knew that he wasn’t coerced because like Clara, nobody can force Sebastian to do anything he
Max was supposed to stay at Celine’s house ever since Clara instructed him to, but her dad was not agreeable. So each. night, he would pretend to leave and stay at the hotel just so he could camp outside in his car to guard Celine. They had guards littered everywhere, but Max did not want to leave Celine’s safety in someone else’s hands. He trusted no one. In his mind, everyone can be bought, coerced, or convinced to abandon his post with the right amount of money and conviction.But ever since the failed kidnapping attempt, Nathan finally relented and allowed him to stay over and occupy one of the rooms away from where Celine was sleeping. He still wanted Max out of his house, but the thing is, he was not there when they almost got kidnapped, so he was not really responsible. He vowed that even with Max sleeping near his daughter, nothing would happen between them.
At the beginning of the event, Celine felt apprehensive about her and her sister attending Navio’s Annual Party. ‘Maybe we should just stay at home,’ she suggested. But Clara won’t have it. They needed to act normal if they wanted to catch their kidnappers, and if they disrupted all their schedules just so they could hide, then that meant their scare tactics won. This was also the first time the couple would have their relationship out in the open, and she was looking forward to it.Ariana informed that she and her security team scoped the Dining hall at the hotel, making sure all the exits are monitored and covered. If someone wanted to attempt something, then this would be the time. When everybody was pre-occupied, it was easy for the bad guys to blend in. Everybody was on high alert. With all the high-ranking officials and guests attending the party, Clara was not the only one wh
The house was eerily quiet when they got home. ‘Mom! Dad! I’m home!’ Clara called out as she came in through the door.That should have been an indication that something was wrong because the front door had been left unlocked, and none of the regular security guards were around the property. To which she just assumed had blended in with the background. But her excitement at getting away got the better of her, and she was not thinking with caution.Her mom, dad, and sister sat on the sofa in a neat line, with their hands behind their back, their mouths covered with tape. The gun that clicked and was pointing at the side of Clara’s head made everything fall into place. The kidnappers had a backup plan, and they were waiting at her parent’s home. They took the whole family hostage as a last-ditch effort to gather them up a