Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 24: back in hell . Arabella’s time had run out. She accelerated gently, so not to alert her son, watching the rain patter on the window, and prayed that she hadn’t done something stupid by not using her card at the diner. Please, please, please. Let there be one last thing, just so she could alert Gael. One last… Ah! Ahead. A gas station, with the lights flickering. Arabella accelerated even further, the engine purring to keep up with her, and with sharp indications of his right taillight, took the next exit, pulling in and ushering Hudson out. She could faintly see the car that was tailing her taking the exit as well. Her heart thudded in her chest, fear coating every single one of her nerves at the realization that she had been caught. But at the sight of the young teenage boy behind the counter, she felt tears prick her eyes. “I am so sorry.” She whispered to the boy. “There’s a scary man chasing me. Hide my son behind the
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 25: sacrifices to be made . Jonathan drew his hand back and slapped her. Arabella sprawled, gasping as she placed her palms out on the floor to steady herself, willing herself not to whimper as the glass tore through her palms. “Fucking bitch. Fucking bitch. Did you fucking think that you coudld get away with me? Fucking whore, spreading your fucking legs for that idol. Is that what you turned to, Arabella? Turned to being a fucking prostitute so you could take care of yourself? Does the idol keep you around because you know how to take his cock? Is that what’s happening?” The pure rage in Jonathan’s voice made Arabella tremble, staying put and looking down, not wanting to anger him even more. Jonathan stepped back, breathing heavily, before he drew his leg back and kicked the crumpled form of Arabella once in the ribs, before once in the face. The resounding crunch that Arabella heard and the feeling of…wetness from her nose made h
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 26: risk it all . Being a maid was a generational thing in the Winston family. Her grandmother had been one, her mother had been one, and now she was one as well. Her father, who had been a driver for the rich families they served had drilled it into her head that despite the fact that every single person had been servants, she’d be the one to break out and let the Winston family finally experience other professions. Willow wasn’t too sure about that. If that was true, she wouldn’t be stuck serving family after family. She served a different family, one with a coldhearted head of house, whose shouts shook the entire foundation of the house and made all the other wait staff tremble in fear. Master Jonathan, they called him, and Wheein was utterly terrified of him. But there was one other person in the house that she didn’t mind, and it was Master Jonathan’s poor wife. Miss Arabella, though the title was nothing but show, as the woma
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 27: anything for her . Gael stared at the screen, his heart pounding in his chest. His mouth was dry as he looked at the other man, who glared at him, holding the phone at a distance while his other arm tightened around Willow’s throat, lifting her. The teenager gasped, thrashing and kicking and Gael realized that she was trying to claw her way out of the other’s tight hold. “Ahem.” Jonathan murmured, angling the camera so he couldn’t see Willow’s anymore, clearing his throat to get Gael’s attention. “Jonathan,” Gael murmured, low, hoping that his voice hid his tremble. “This issue is between you and me. Just us. Leave her alone. She’s an innocent kid. She has nothing to do with this.” He said lowly, urgently, hearing the way Willow’s gasps seemed to be further and further apart as the other’s hand tightened on her windpipe. “Is she?” Jonathan seethed, looking positively evil as he glared at the camera. “Then why the fuck did I
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 28: help . His shoes pinched his ankles. They were one of the nicer pairs, the ones he rarely wore out aside from award shows, and they were just as uncomfortable as any of the functions he actually attended. Given that there was a light sheen of sweat and he looked like he was about to puke up a kidney, it was safe to say that he was very uncomfortable right now, aside from his shoes being ill-fitting. “Breathe, Gael, hm?.” His wonderful makeup artist peeked up at him from underneath her straight bangs, harriedly patting a sponge against his face. Jana had been rather happy that she would be able to stretch her fingers and finally make him look nice for the public, but given that he was sweating all her hard work away, he wasn’t so sure that she felt the same way. “I’m trying,” He grumbled, but it lacked the heat, and instead came out breathy, too nervous. There was a reason that he didn’t do interviews–aside from just hating th
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 29: awry . Gael slid off the chair, onto his knees, and bowed, tears fully streaming down his face at this point. He could hear Irene’s slight gasp, the cameras whirring as they focused and centered on him. “To Willow’s family– you raised a strong, smart girl, and I’m so sorry her life was ended so quickly. She was doing something good for me, for us, and she lost her life, and I will be forever in your debt. To her family, to Willow, I’m so sorry.” He said, aware that his tears had yet to abate. He pulled himself back up to his kneeling position, eyes focused intently on the lens of the camera, moisture slipping down his features. “I ask for your help. I ask that you help me find Jonathan Baldwin and hold him accountable for the murder of an innocent teenage girl, and for the abduction and abuse of the love of my life.” He said, his voice surprisingly steady. He knew the photo he had given the director would have been put up, Jona
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 30: faraway . At first, it was like a warmth. A gentle warmth that caressed the nape of her neck, traveling up to her head. But as the temperature around her neck grew, so did her awareness–and the warmth was nothing more than her brain trying to convince her that there was no pain. She groaned as she was jostled, head hanging over something, and she swore she heard a little ‘shh’. She couldn’t open her eyes just yet, headache fierce and mouth dry–but whatever cloudy, submerged state she was in, it seemed to be dissipating from her. She almost longed for it for a moment, given that the pain that she was experiencing was quite uncomfortable, but she hadn’t had this much lucidity in such a long time. She could hear now, not feeling like she was dunked underwater. The crunch of gravel under someone’s shoes, the quiet breathing. There was a chirp, and suddenly, Arabella was being shifted away from someone’s arms, into a container. Th
Stranger! Please be my Child’s Father .Chapter 31: two sides of life . The police receive intelligence that a person of interest is en route to their location, and tensions rise at the checkpoint. As the suspected vehicle approaches, officers prepare for a potential encounter. With a stern hand signal, an officer instructs the driver to pull over. The driver complies, slowly coming to a halt on the side of the road.The atmosphere is charged with anticipation as the officers cautiously approach the vehicle. They exchange quick, hushed words about the situation. The suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous, and the police are on high alert.With the driver's window rolled down, the officer at the driver's side cautiously asks for identification. As the driver reaches for their documents, there's a sudden, unexpected twist. In a split second, the driver seizes the opportunity and bolts from the vehicle, leaving the door ajar. The officers are taken by surprise but quickly