“Who are you people and what could you possibly want from me? A lowlife woman? Please let me go, I beg of you,” Phoebe started pleading as soon as the car had gone some distance. If they were going to kill her, they could go ahead as she was already dying a million times from the fear of the unknown. Her mind ran wild as she tried to figure out where all this was coming from but she was unable to pinpoint it. She has always lived a simple life and made sure to avoid creating enemies so why exactly was she here? She was very certain that they had mistaken her for someone else but how was she going to convince them? Having so much on her table already, she wasn’t ready to go through whatever fate the real victim was to go through. Yes, it was a selfish thought but who wouldn’t be under such conditions?
“Please let me go, I beg of you. I won’t say a word about this to anybody, I promise.” Her pleas must have amused one of the men as he broke into a weird laughter. Phoebe paused as she wondered what the laughter was about but then the voice began to speak. “You must be very stupid to think anyone would give two fucks if you go missing. Do you think anyone would notice your disappearance? Oh yeah, except for that excuse of a father you’ve got,” he hissed with so much hatred that Phoebe was left wondering who he was and why he was talking like he had a beef with her. The men she’d seen were nothing close to being familiar so why then was he addressing her with so much spite? How does he even know about her father? Concluding that it was useless begging these people as it was a waste of time and the energy she didn’t have, she decided to resign to fate and wait for whatever was in store for her. The vehicle drove in an uncomfortable silence for hours and the silence made her uneasy as her mind conjured up stories to back up her unexpected kidnap. Her first guess was Trevor. Did he send people to abduct her? Or even kill her? Why? To keep her hidden forever? That single thought disrupted the peace she was starting to feel as her heart resumed thumping, this time at a much faster pace. Trevor doesn’t seem to be that kind of a man. Do you even know him? Her mind opposed again. If she’d learned anything in the past few months, it was that Trevor didn’t care about anything aside from his family name and was willing to go to any length to keep it safe. And keeping his fling with her a secret fits well into that description. Phoebe’s mind was still in turmoil when the sound of a gate opening pulled her back to reality. She’d lost track of how long they’d been driving but sensing that they must have gotten to their destination, she braced up for what was to come. “Come on out, lovely dear,” one of her abductors said in a sugar-coated tone as soon as the car’s engine died down. The man sitting behind her pulled her out and was immediately helped by a second pair of hands who came to grab her other arm. She tried to break free from their grasp but they were no match for her. She had no idea of what the place looked like thanks to the blindfold. They guided her into what felt like an empty room or a hall from how their footsteps echoed. As if they were machines being controlled, they stopped abruptly and let go of her hands simultaneously. Phoebe raised her head as she tried to look from under the blindfold but it was useless as she was met with pitch darkness. What now? She wondered as her breaths came out in pants with her heart banging like it was going to break out from her chest any minute. She was sure to have a heart problem if it continued that way. Goosebumps broke out from her skin as her ears picked up the sound of one alighting from a staircase. From the sound the shoe made as it made contact with the floor, to the way the atmosphere of the room changed, Phoebe was certain that it was him. “Mission was successful, boss,” one of the men that had brought her in remarked but to Phoebe’s disappointment, was met with no reply. After some minutes that felt like hours, she was soon standing face-to-face with this person of power. “Remove the blindfold,” an unfamiliar male voice gave a single order, and the blindfold was untied at the go. Phoebe winced as she shut her eyes involuntarily from the light that assaulted her eyes. She’d been in a haste to see the man behind the voice that she hadn’t taken precautions. Slowly, she opened her eyes again, one at a time, as they got accustomed to the light. The fancy chandelier that was the source of the light was the first thing that caught her eye. Glancing around her surroundings, her jaw dropped as she admired the place. The whole place screamed luxury. Tearing her eyes away from the beautiful view, she turned to the person who wanted to give her high blood pressure but was greeted with yet another beautiful view. Her kidnapper was a six-feet tall man who looked to be in his early thirties. He had an ear piercing that looked so hot. As opposed to his face which gave a bad boy vibe, he was wearing an expensive suit that fitted so perfectly to his skin. Another thing that caught Phoebe’s attention was the way he smiled. It was so contagious. But why was the weirdo smiling? Her lips which were already curling up in a smile froze midway. The face she'd admired only minutes ago changed into that of a horror movie monster. She felt the urge to smack off that smile from his face but she didn't as his men were standing behind her. “Who are you? I can't recall having met you before so what is this nonsense about?” she barked but her words must have amused him as his smile broadened exposing his one-sided dimple, making her frown deepen. He trailed a finger down her chin making her pull her face away from him, making him chuckle in an expensive way. Phoebe couldn’t help but wonder what was wrong with the handsome psychopath. What exactly did he want from her? Was he hired by Trevor? “Leave us alone.” He ordered with his eyes boring holes into her skin.A devious smile clouded Trevor’s features as he ended the call, casually walking to his closet and getting dressed in comfortable clothing. Even though that wasn't the news he had expected, he was happy that a plan was in progress. Mary just called to inform him that the trio were back from their vacation and their plan would kickstart the following day. Trevor wasn't entirely comfortable with the plan as he wanted to be an active character rather than some backstage viewer. He’d wanted to be the lead but Mary was able to convince him otherwise. Knowing that it was hard for him to give off his child easily, Lucas would always have his guard up around him but he would be more unsuspecting of March who was a mere servant and in their eyes, harmless. Moreover, she was living together with them and knew more about their lifestyle amongst other valuable information that would be useful to them. Very soon, both Phoebe and Ivan would be back where they truly belonged: in his mansion and h
Warmth spread through Lucas as he listened to her confessions; the fact that she trusted him filled him with joy. Leaning towards her, he sealed his lips with hers in a rushed kiss, his hands cupping her face like she was the most fragile thing to exist. “I would love and protect you for the rest of my life,” Lucas promised as he stared deep into her eyes, his heart swelling with joy as her eyes gleamed in delight. For a moment, they remained that way, staring deep into each other’s eyes and searching for hidden promises, ones that their lips were unable to utter. “You mean the world to me, Phoebe.” “And I would love you too, husband.” Phoebe broke the silence as she kissed him, but then, Lucas moved away from her, causing her to groan in protest. A growl tore from Lucas' lips as he restrained himself from kissing her, moving away from the bed instead. Phoebe tugged at her wrist, her brows knitting slightly as she raised her brows at him but he only chuckled in reply. He proceeded
Annie furrowed her brows as her mind drifted into thoughts. Most of what Trevor said made sense. For one thing, Lucas has been nothing but a jerk to Phoebe and even though Phoebe claims to be alright whenever she asks, Annie found it hard to believe. There was this aura about Lucas that was repulsive. This thing about his gaze which was out of the ordinary….animalistic. He seemed to be a sadist. And knowing who Phoebe was, it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn she was suffering abuse and was keeping it a secret. She was a sweetheart and all it would take would be for him to say the right words and she’d be right there at his feet. Staring at Trevor, Annie was thrown into confusion. Even though he wasn’t the best candidate either, he seemed much better. Gentle, easy-going, and loving, the best contrast to Lucas. Moreover, he was also Ivan’s biological father. A dozen times, she asked Phoebe if she wanted to keep that secret for the rest of her life and it seems that was exactly what
The next morning, Trevor took the first flight to New York, with his plans fully mapped out and ready to kickstart. After a series of thoughts, Trevor found out that becoming friends with Lucas wasn’t a bad idea after all as that way, he could easily get access to his home. All he needed to do was play along for a while and once the prey becomes unsuspecting, he strikes. A smile crept up his face and tugged at his lips as he relived the plans he had mapped out. It would only take a matter of time before Phoebe would be back to being his. And Ivan too. As much as he wanted to blurt out to Ivan that he was his biological father, he had to be reasonable…well, not like he hadn’t tried before. He knows that the child would only believe whatever his mother tells him and so, he needed to win Phoebe over and make her fall head over heels in love with him first, and she’d be the one screaming to the whole world that she was his. ****Trevor’s mind drifted to earlier that morning.**** As Tr
Mrs. Maddox strutted into the house feeling like the queen of Paris. On sighting her son seated casually on a sofa and eating breakfast, she gave off a low sigh. “Looks like you have fully settled into the role of the fallen CEO.” “Yes, since you decided to trust strangers over your son,” Trevor shot back in a bored tone. He wasn’t upset with his mother and in fact, felt pity for her as she was dancing to Ethan’s tune. A brief silence ensued between them as Indigo handed Mrs. Maddox a cup of tea. She sipped from it before she continued. “I heard you plan on buying Adex’s family company. How long do you think it would take for you to build it to such length as Maddox's empire? You know, the space is still vacant and you can come back to your position if you want. My only proposal is that you treat your wife and unborn child better. You and I know how your father would have reacted if he were alive and saw all of this. Trevor knitted his brows as his mind drifted away. With
Hello?” His tone sounded bored and Phoebe couldn't help but feel bad for him. She knew exactly how he was feeling. “Hey.” “Called to say sorry about the other day. I shouldn’t have wrongfully accused you. And also, thank you so much for finding Ivan.” Trevor expelled a strained sigh. “I was just doing my job as a father,” He said with a fake chuckle, his voice breaking here and there. A silence ensued between the two, their breathing being the only sound that sailed into each other’s ears. “I saw the news about you stepping down as CEO of the Maddox Empire,” Phoebe continued as her heart began to thump against her chest. “I know it’s not in my place to ask but….. are you okay?” Trevor chuckled, but it lacked humor. It was instead filled with so much sadness that Phoebe suddenly felt a prick in her heart. “Of course I'm fine. It took me long enough to know that I have been chasing clout all my life. I gave up everything I held dear, my lifestyle, my friends, you…. all