Nora’s POV Dad rose to his feet, walking over to his liquor cabinet with his puppets hovering around him like fools. “You’ve got some guts now, and I love that,” he said, holding the glass of liquor Alaric had poured for him. “But guts don’t win—strategy and ruthlessness do,” he continued, sipping his liquor. “Then, you should be restless.” I said, rising to my feet and walking to where he was. I hijacked the glass of liquor from him and raised a toast before taking a sip. “Because, I have got both”. He giggled, trying his best to hide his anxiety, but no matter how hard he tried, I could see it in his eyes - how much he feared his empire crumbling. “Well, let’s see if you can survive all alone in the jungle” he scoffed, taking his glass of liquor back. “Cheers to the Tigress’ adventure” he raised the glass in my direction, like a silent and mocking toast. I rolled my eyes in disgust, walking back to my seat. “Enough of the chit-chat. Tell me why you called me here” I requ
Nora’s POV That morning, he had called for me and as usual, I headed to his study room knowing fully well why he had called – another mission awaited me. But I noticed something strange as soon as I entered the room. His soldiers were always around him wherever he was, but that day, they were all out of sight. It was just the two of us – two sworn enemies who lived under the same roof, waiting for the perfect time to strike each other. Immediately, I sensed something was wrong. “He never dismissed his shadows – they were always around him like loyal dogs. But why today? What could he be up to?” I ruminated, scrutinizing him with my eyes, trying to see if I could figure anything out. “Come over here and have your seat” Dad’s voice interrupted my thought, momentarily pulling me out of my doubt. I made my way to where he was seated and sat on the chair opposite him. “You have a new mission, but since you have established the rule of you knowing why your victims must die before
Nora’s POV “You have seven days .... just seven days to kill that man and afterwards kill yourself. That’s the only thing you can do to uphold your honor after you die” he made known, grabbing his box of cigarettes and relaxing in his chair as if nothing had happened. He lit the cigarette, stuck it between his lips, before puffing out smoke. I just stared at him – at the man who called himself my father. The man who didn’t hesitate to sentence his own daughter to death. He had always caused me nothing but pain since my childhood. He never made me feel at peace, he never cared about how I felt– all he cared about was himself, his gang and his empire which I planned on turning to ashes in his lifetime. He always made me feel love was a weakness, but he was wrong. Falling in love with Liam didn’t make me weak – it made me human. It made me realize there was another reason to live apart from bloodshed. But that man sitting in front of me, wouldn’t understand that. I wasn’t goin
Nora’s POV “Who is dying this time around?” I pondered, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Just then, my mind trailed to Liam. “Liam” I muttered underneath my breath, my breath hitched in my throat as I ravaged through my bag and got a hold of my phone. With fear of the unknown gripping my heart tightly, I dialed Liam’s line, wanting to ensure he was fine, but he didn't pick. I called him repeatedly, but he still didn't pick up and that got me more terrified. Realizing he might be the one being held captive in the Judgement room, I dropped my bag and took to my heels - running to the execution room as if my life depended on it. I immediately forgot the pain I was feeling and all that was on my mind at that moment was to ensure Liam was okay. I was terrified at the thought that he might be in there. “What if he has been shot dead before I get there?” This thought crossed my mind and I increased my pace, not minding the pain I was feeling in my lower abdomen. Just a few steps aw
Nora’s POV “Shot him? What the hell did you make me do?!!” I screamed, letting go of my hold on his shirt and pushing him out of my way. He staggered, but he was quick enough to steady his stand before he could fall. “Sir!” I heard his men shout, rushing to him like loyal dogs wagging their tails at their owners. Breathing heavily with tears streaming down my eyes, I rushed to where Liam’s lifeless body was. I knelt beside him, hurriedly tearing the polythene his face was covered with. As I did, I was praying silently – hoping it wasn’t Liam, hoping that I was being pranked. My hands shook as I ripped the plastic bag away from his face. There he was – pale, still, bloodied with pain etched on his face. My hands grabbed his cheeks, patting them with my trembling hands as I tried jolting him awake. A loud scream of pain which almost tore my lungs apart erupted from my mouth. “Liam! Liam, please wake up. Don’t do this to me. I beg of you” I cried, my tears dropping on
Nora’s POV My eyes fluttered open to meet with a dim, sterile light. The smell of drugs and antiseptic filled my nostrils, making me slowly become aware of where I was. I was lying on the hospital bed, putting on the usual patient gown and I could feel the weight of the blanket tucked firmly around me. I looked beside me only to find a beeping monitor and IV line taped to my skin. I managed to get myself to sit up. I felt a slight headache as I tried remembering how I had gotten there. And then, that dreadful memory came. “Liam” I whispered, as my eyes widened in shock. My hands trembled, and I hurried to my feet, yanking the IV line taped to my skin. Barefooted, I rushed to the door, wanting to go in search of Liam. I flung the door open, only to reveal Vanessa who was standing in front of me. “Nora, where are you off to? When did you wake up?” she asked out of concern, her eyes fixed on me. I was less concerned about how worried she was, all I wanted to know was where he
Nora’s POV. My eyes flung open to find myself behind bars – the same bars my father always locked me in as a child whenever I got on his nerves. There was a basement in our house, where he built a cage that felt like an actual cell in the police station. It was mine and my mother’s torture room, where we were told to reflect on our mistakes wherever we offended him. I had always obeyed his orders, just so I wouldn’t end up in that room again, but there I was - not knowing for how long I would be there. I tried to move- to sit up, but I was too weak to do so. Painfully, I forced myself to sit up and rested my back on the wall. Even though I was trapped and was in pain, I was still worried about Liam. “What would happen to his body? Will Vanessa be able to give him a befitting burial on my behalf?” I was worried because I knew I wouldn’t be getting out of that prison anytime soon. I dragged myself to the iron bars, banging on it with the hope that the noise would attract any
Nora’s POV. I could hear it – those heavy footsteps of his. They were distinct and I could identify them among thousands of footsteps. “Why is he coming to see me now? Is it time for me to die now?” I thought, dragging my weak body up from the floor where I had lain. Each of his footsteps created a terror within me. It seemed like as each day passed in that dungeon I was locked in, my rebellion slowly diminished – replaced by the fear I once had for him. I saw his shadow slowly approaching, stretching across the hallway like a warning. The closer he neared, the more the memories I had tried so hard to bury rushed to me – the first time I held a gun, the day he made me kill my mother, the time he laughed while I cried and the day, he made me choose between love and my loyalty for him. I backed away reflexively, my hands trembling beside me. I hid myself in the corner of the room, my eyes turned away from the iron rods and fixed on the walls before me. I didn’t want to see h
Nora’s POV. “What do you mean his corpse disappeared?” I asked, my heart beating heavily in my chest. “That day seven months ago after you left the hospital, one of the nurses reported Liam’s body missing. At first, I didn’t believe it until I confirmed it myself. There were no traces of forced entry into the morgue, the security footage was wiped off- nothing" she explained, her eyes widened. Gone? Liam’s body is gone? What the hell is going on? Who could have taken his body away? Could it be ....... “Are you sure it wasn’t my father?” I asked, as he was the only suspect I had in mind. Liam never had friends, talk more of having beef with anyone.“No, he isn’t the one” Vanessa confidently said. “Why? Why do you think he isn’t the culprit? What makes you so confident?” I asked, staring at her intently. “Because he is also in search of the body” she announced. “What are you talking about?” I asked, astonished. “The day after his body disappeared, your father and his men
Nora’s POV. I stepped back, shaking my head slowly. “No, Vanessa. That’s not possible. How can I be pregnant?” “I swear Nora, the result confirmed that you were. When you collapsed that day upon hearing about Liam’s demise, I ran some tests on you since you complained to me about having abdominal pains. And when the results of the tests came, it was confirmed that you were pregnant” I snorted, shaking my head. “I still can’t wrap my head around this. Okay, let’s agree I am pregnant like you said, so where is the baby? Where is the baby bump?” I asked in a low voice. “That’s exactly what I don’t understand too. Maybe you miscarried while you were locked up in that cell. Did you at any point in time bleed?” Vanessa asked, my hands held in hers. I slowly wrung my hands out of hers, pacing up and down the room, with my hand rested on my forehead. I thought about it- those days I spent in the dungeon, did I bleed? Then it hit me. Come to think of it, it had been months
Nora’s POV. “No....” my breath hitched, shaking my head. “I will marry anyone of your choice except for him”. “You will, darling” my father replied, his voice as sharp as a blade. “It’s not like he loves you, but his grandmother chose you and he had no other option than to agree”. “His grandmother chose me? Why would she do that? I haven't even met her before. So, why me?” I asked, perturbed. My father rose to his feet, walking round the cell. “Well, I have no idea. I am only acting upon her request” he replied nonchalantly. “You are just acting on her request? So, you are telling me to marry a man I do not love – someone I have not seen before? Can’t you just say no?” I asked, my calm voice now slowly turning into a volcano. “Love? You don’t have to love someone before you marry them. Sometimes, you don’t realize you love someone until you marry them and start to share the same bed with them. So, my dear daughter, you will grow to love him.” I stared at him in total disbe
Nora’s POV. I could hear it – those heavy footsteps of his. They were distinct and I could identify them among thousands of footsteps. “Why is he coming to see me now? Is it time for me to die now?” I thought, dragging my weak body up from the floor where I had lain. Each of his footsteps created a terror within me. It seemed like as each day passed in that dungeon I was locked in, my rebellion slowly diminished – replaced by the fear I once had for him. I saw his shadow slowly approaching, stretching across the hallway like a warning. The closer he neared, the more the memories I had tried so hard to bury rushed to me – the first time I held a gun, the day he made me kill my mother, the time he laughed while I cried and the day, he made me choose between love and my loyalty for him. I backed away reflexively, my hands trembling beside me. I hid myself in the corner of the room, my eyes turned away from the iron rods and fixed on the walls before me. I didn’t want to see h
Nora’s POV. My eyes flung open to find myself behind bars – the same bars my father always locked me in as a child whenever I got on his nerves. There was a basement in our house, where he built a cage that felt like an actual cell in the police station. It was mine and my mother’s torture room, where we were told to reflect on our mistakes wherever we offended him. I had always obeyed his orders, just so I wouldn’t end up in that room again, but there I was - not knowing for how long I would be there. I tried to move- to sit up, but I was too weak to do so. Painfully, I forced myself to sit up and rested my back on the wall. Even though I was trapped and was in pain, I was still worried about Liam. “What would happen to his body? Will Vanessa be able to give him a befitting burial on my behalf?” I was worried because I knew I wouldn’t be getting out of that prison anytime soon. I dragged myself to the iron bars, banging on it with the hope that the noise would attract any
Nora’s POV My eyes fluttered open to meet with a dim, sterile light. The smell of drugs and antiseptic filled my nostrils, making me slowly become aware of where I was. I was lying on the hospital bed, putting on the usual patient gown and I could feel the weight of the blanket tucked firmly around me. I looked beside me only to find a beeping monitor and IV line taped to my skin. I managed to get myself to sit up. I felt a slight headache as I tried remembering how I had gotten there. And then, that dreadful memory came. “Liam” I whispered, as my eyes widened in shock. My hands trembled, and I hurried to my feet, yanking the IV line taped to my skin. Barefooted, I rushed to the door, wanting to go in search of Liam. I flung the door open, only to reveal Vanessa who was standing in front of me. “Nora, where are you off to? When did you wake up?” she asked out of concern, her eyes fixed on me. I was less concerned about how worried she was, all I wanted to know was where he
Nora’s POV “Shot him? What the hell did you make me do?!!” I screamed, letting go of my hold on his shirt and pushing him out of my way. He staggered, but he was quick enough to steady his stand before he could fall. “Sir!” I heard his men shout, rushing to him like loyal dogs wagging their tails at their owners. Breathing heavily with tears streaming down my eyes, I rushed to where Liam’s lifeless body was. I knelt beside him, hurriedly tearing the polythene his face was covered with. As I did, I was praying silently – hoping it wasn’t Liam, hoping that I was being pranked. My hands shook as I ripped the plastic bag away from his face. There he was – pale, still, bloodied with pain etched on his face. My hands grabbed his cheeks, patting them with my trembling hands as I tried jolting him awake. A loud scream of pain which almost tore my lungs apart erupted from my mouth. “Liam! Liam, please wake up. Don’t do this to me. I beg of you” I cried, my tears dropping on
Nora’s POV “Who is dying this time around?” I pondered, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Just then, my mind trailed to Liam. “Liam” I muttered underneath my breath, my breath hitched in my throat as I ravaged through my bag and got a hold of my phone. With fear of the unknown gripping my heart tightly, I dialed Liam’s line, wanting to ensure he was fine, but he didn't pick. I called him repeatedly, but he still didn't pick up and that got me more terrified. Realizing he might be the one being held captive in the Judgement room, I dropped my bag and took to my heels - running to the execution room as if my life depended on it. I immediately forgot the pain I was feeling and all that was on my mind at that moment was to ensure Liam was okay. I was terrified at the thought that he might be in there. “What if he has been shot dead before I get there?” This thought crossed my mind and I increased my pace, not minding the pain I was feeling in my lower abdomen. Just a few steps aw
Nora’s POV “You have seven days .... just seven days to kill that man and afterwards kill yourself. That’s the only thing you can do to uphold your honor after you die” he made known, grabbing his box of cigarettes and relaxing in his chair as if nothing had happened. He lit the cigarette, stuck it between his lips, before puffing out smoke. I just stared at him – at the man who called himself my father. The man who didn’t hesitate to sentence his own daughter to death. He had always caused me nothing but pain since my childhood. He never made me feel at peace, he never cared about how I felt– all he cared about was himself, his gang and his empire which I planned on turning to ashes in his lifetime. He always made me feel love was a weakness, but he was wrong. Falling in love with Liam didn’t make me weak – it made me human. It made me realize there was another reason to live apart from bloodshed. But that man sitting in front of me, wouldn’t understand that. I wasn’t goin