CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Sharon woke up on the cold floor of her room, her eyes were puffy and swollen from crying

She had cried herself to sleep

The only reassurance she has was provided by her mother's text that morning

“I'm okay, Claire got me out”

Her mother would not give her the details, she obviously didn't want her to worry, didn't want her to know the extent of her pain

She had probably passed out inside that room more times than she could count.

Sharon could already picture her bleeding on the floor, cold, beaten, broken

She stood up and sat on her bed, thinking about it all

Luca was just like her father, cold and merciless. She thought she had escaped hell, but she realised she just entered some other monster’s cage

She wasn't going to let it happen for long

Sharon opened a box, and picked up the bottle of poison, the bottle of liberation that her mother didn't have the guts to use.

She held it in her hand

“You're not going to make that same mistake Sharon

You're going to fucking kill him

You're going to kill him so that your mother won't have to relive it too, relive the thought of you living a cold miserable life”

She stomped her fist hard on the mattress

You're going to kill him so your mother wouldn't have to roll up the sleeves of your jacket and see bruises”

You're going to fucking kill him!”

She put the bottle away, and began to mentally organise her next course of action

She needed to make it to the kitchen before breakfast was served

She stood up, took a shower, dressed up and wore a smile on her face that masked everything underneath

“Stage two of killing Luca asshole Pavilochenki is officially in session”

“Good morning Clarette”

Sharon's sweet voice echoed throughout the kitchen as she strolled in casually

Clarette was setting a cup of coffee on a tray, along with toast and jam

“Good morning Young mistress, I assure you that your breakfast will be ready in no time”

“Oh I'm not here for that dear, have you forgotten so soon?”

“Pardon me Young mistress, but it seems I've forgotten indeed. Please remind me”

Sharon poured her lips as she took a cube of sugar and placed it into a ceramic cup

“Well, I want to learn to cook and make coffee, and bake, you get the idea”

“A small smile played on Clarette’s face. I thought you were joking, I'm sorry

I will do well to give you the tutorials you need, but first you need to have your breakfast”

Sharon thought hard. If Luca found out she was taking “cooking tutorials” he would get really suspicious.

There was no logical reason for it, no logical explanation behind it. Why would a woman who he treated like shit want to cook for him all of a sudden?

He would definitely smell something fishy. Sharon couldn't risk that.

“I don't want to bother you too much Clarette, I'll just watch and learn while you work”

“Are you sure Young mistress?”

“Well my mother always said I was a fast learner”

“Very well then, let's begin”

**********************

“Business Tycoon Accused of Domestic Violence”

That would be a nice headline

Mr Pavilochenki said as he took a sip of his tea.

To be honest, when Claire told me they didn't get along so well, I thought it had to be the usual couple problems, but I never expected it to be this deep

“Nothing is ever as it seems boy, always remember that”

He took another sip of tea

“This is Progress Donald.”

Donald nodded

It was progress, because Mr Hillary Gray would need a magician of a lawyer to get him out of what the Pavilochenki's had in store for him

Even if he did get out, his reputation would be ruined for life

“There is one problem though, Mr Gray has a strong influence on the media”

Donald stated plainly

“That's true, but have you considered the fact that your grandfather thought this through from the beginning?

“The real Times news specialises in these sorts of things. I'm sure they've had their suspicions. Mr Gray won't see it coming”

And when he does it will be too late. He has no influence over them, so he will be unable to help the situation”

Claire had handed him solid evidence without realising it, for no definite reason. She was willing to betray her friendship, one that she had built from scratch, for him?

She was more stupid than he had initially thought

He couldn't begin to imagine how bad she would feel if she found out it was all a lie

“You're dismissed, see if CeCe will spill some more secrets”

That was it, his grandfather had no real intention of spending time with him

He needed to work harder, he needed to piece the puzzle together quickly

And he knew just the person to call

Luca's secretary sat across from Donald in a restaurant. The frame glasses rested perfectly on the bridge of her nose.

In her petite hands, she held the menu, and looked at it for as long as she could

“Aren't you going to order anything love?”

She looked up at him

“I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my boss’s brother invited me on a date out of the blue, I have work to do

And I'm not your anything, don't call me love”

“So feisty, you know I might be your boss someday, you better start treating me nicely”

She gave him a fake toothy smile

“Yes boss”

She said between clenched teeth

“What would you have the waiter asked”

Donald looked at her, then his eyes travelled back to the waiter

“My girlfriend will have what I'm having”

You cheeky bastard, I'm not your girlfriend

“But you are love”

“Why am I here?”she asked

Donald cleared his throat

“Well remember our conversation last time?”

“Of course”

Donald leaned in, that his face was just a few inches away from her

“Let's say I also beat my wife

Aside from the downfall I would experience if the media found out—”

“What's the fastest was to destroy my reputation completely?”