~JADE~
I was awake long before the knock came.Eva Axton was not only a nuisance to my mission but also a pest to my sleep.“Kim?.” My brows lifted to see the Asian maid outside my room so early in the morning.“I’m sorry. It's Mrs. Lopez. She asked that you get ready and come downstairs as soon as you can.”Eva’s escaping figure the night before flashed before my eyes and I swallowed and tried to fix the maid a smile.“Is everything alright?.”“I think you have nothing to worry about,” Kim reassured and turned away just as swiftly as she had come.I freshened up and made myself presentable in jeans and a lilac V-neck fitted top, then made my way to the common room where Mrs. Lopez was already waiting.“Good day, Mrs. Lopez. You called for me?.”The housekeeper’s eyes narrowed as they took in my outfit, then she gave a tight smile and handed over a package.My brows lifted to realize it was a new phone.“I have a phone, Mrs. Lopez.”“It’s a work phone.” She explained. “You have a day off every week and your previous phone would be given to you only then. But while you are within the premises or on duty, you are only allowed to use this phone.”I nodded, hiding my irritation at all the rules I had to follow and take note of. I hated being kept on a leash and being a glorified tutor to Eva meant I had to follow a truckload of them to remain.. employed.“The young miss would be ready in five minutes. I phoned the school to inform them you would be coming.”“Oh..” I uttered with a tinge of relief. At least Eva had enough decency to return and not run off with her friends, again.“I introduced you as Eva’s private tutor for her ongoing test project and the principal would meet you upfront to get you settled in.”The door opened and I squinted to see Eva three minutes earlier than calculated. She was fully dressed for school and did not look too happy to see me.The feeling was mutual. If only there was a way to fulfill the mission without having to babysit the brat.She scoffed and walked past us, stomping to the car.Mrs.Lopez excused me. I followed Eva and settled in the backseat, next to her.Her earphones were plugged in and she pretended I didn't exist throughout the drive. I made use of the free time to unbox and switch on the phone I had been given.After many turns, the chauffeur finally drove in through the gates of an expensive high school and Eva turned to glare at me.“I’ve upset Angel enough so I couldn’t turn down Mrs. Lopez’s instructions to let you come to school with me. What the hell was she even thinking to suggest that?.” She muttered the last words to herself and her brows tightened even further.I could hear her clearly but I couldn’t look away from her eyes. They were red and swollen like she had been crying. Eva had concealed them with thick makeup and no one would notice unless they stood close enough.I wondered what it was about.The car came to a halt and the chauffeur came around but the girl wasn’t done talking.“Now that we are here, Miss Chantel or should I say... Elena.”“Know. Your. Place. Pretend you don’t know me and stay as far away from me as possible! How embarrassing!.”She let herself out, almost hitting the poor chauffeur with the door, and disappeared at the entrance amongst a headful of noisy teenagers.I flashed an apologetic smile to the chauffeur and watched the vehicle drive away.“Hello? Miss Chantel?.” An elderly voice spoke up behind me.Slightly startled, I came face to face with a smiley middle-aged man. He was short and stocky and appeared to have been expecting me.Right. The principal.“Hello.” I returned with a smile.“I’m Principal James Dwyer. I was informed you’d be coming. Welcome to Aurora High.” He extended his hand for a shake and led the way in.Principal Dwyer excitedly gave a short speech on the school’s history and curriculum as he gave me a tour of the grounds.I followed, curious to see what sort of education Eva got there. I could vividly remember the scared look in her eyes when Angel threatened to have her removed from school the other day.I had recognized it. Fear; It made the idea of regularly visiting Aurora High a little less terrible.The girl barely dedicated time to her studies. I wished to know why she was so attached to school.“I would have you know that the school has given a foundation to some of the most talented artists in the industry today. Eva’s mother, Camille was an alumna here herself, same as Angel and Salvatore, the Axton brothers. You see, it’s no wonder why the Axtons decided to let Eva school here.”I paused. The Axton siblings had all schooled here. I had no idea.I glanced at the hallway in front which led to Eva’s designated workshop with renewed interest. I had heard about Eva’s late mother, Camille, the Axton couple’s only daughter, but I had yet to meet Salvatore or either of the Axton couple or relatives.“Miss Chantel?.” Principal Dwyer’s voice broke me out of my thoughts and I turned to him with widened eyes.“Yes? I’m sorry, it’s just… since meeting Eva, I feel sorry whenever Camille is mentioned…”“Oh. I apologize...”“Nah... it’s alright. I didn’t have the chance to meet her but I can tell that she was an excellent person.”“She was...” Principal Dwyer returned, his shoulders slightly slumped. “Last I saw her was many years ago. Eva reminds me so much of her.”I smiled tightly as I looked away from the man and stared straight ahead at the row of rooms where I was to reunite with Eva.Principal Dwyer’s grief brought a tinge of guilt, but I couldn’t resist the urge to ask a final question as we approached the doors.“And Salvatore?.”“Sorry?.” Principal Dwyer responded as if snapping out of a trance.“Salvatore…What was he like?.” I swallowed, repeating my question. We had reached the door of the workshop but the principal was yet to respond.He looked away with a tight-lipped smile. I noticed his hands grip the door handle a little too tightly before he let go and pushed it open.Not wanting to push my luck any further. I stepped into the room after him.Mannequins, industrial machines, and fabrics.Three junior-year high schoolers, all looked up from their work as we walked in and I frowned when I realized that none of them was Eva.“Where’s Eva?.”The words were out before I knew it and the teenagers looked at me like I had asked the most awkward question.“Anywhere but here.” The only male among the three scoffed.“Stop it, Jordan.” One of the females scolded and came forward. “Eva rarely uses the workshop. You might catch up with her on the leisure grounds or with the...crew.”Crew. Her friends.I thanked the girl and turned to Principal Dwyer. His expression was stern and unreadable. “Thanks for the tour, Principal Dwyer. I’m sure you must be busy. Mind if I get a little direction to the leisure grounds? I’ve taken up most of your time and I need to find my ward. Right now.”“Of course. But it's fine. Mind waiting in my office while I get someone to fetch Miss Axton instead?.”_____Principal Dwyer’s office was large and properly ventilated, but I couldn’t get my sweaty palms to behave.His secretary had mentioned casually that the grounds were only ten minutes away, but I had been waiting for almost half an hour with neither the Principal nor Eva in sight.Just when I had given up on sitting idly, the door flung open. Principal Dwyer and an unfamiliar man in security clothes rushed in.The Principal seemed to have abruptly aged ten years in scarcely thirty seconds. His face was pale and his shoulders, slightly slumped. Gone was the cheerful smile on his face and all that was left was a grave expression.“Miss Chantel… I’m afraid… Miss Axton’s been kidnapped.”~JADE~My lungs begged to stop and take a break, breathe in some air, but my feet had a will of their own.I ran after the security guard, into the school’s control room and shifted on my feet repeatedly as the guard fetched for the footage that had captured Eva getting hauled into a black van just in front of the school’s entrance by men in full black outfits, approximately forty-five minutes ago.I wondered how they had managed to get through the checkpoint at the gate without suspicion but another guard hurried in with the report that the security men at the gate were knocked out and still unconscious.“How could you all let this happen?!.” Principal Dwyer scolded the men, but their sluggishness was starting to get on my nerves.“We don't have the time for this.” I pointed out and did a rewind of the CCTV footage to have a better look at the van. The vehicle had moved fast, but I was able to pause the video at an almost blurry angle where the plate number was readable.“Call the po
~JADE~I looked at the corner where Eva was sitting, glaring after a police vehicle that had carted the boys away. After her statement had been taken down, she’d insisted it was a prank, in their defense. I knew she had done it for Nate, but It was a stupid call to make. It might have been a prank, but it could also have been a real kidnap. I shuddered to think that anything could have happened to her within those moments. “I would appreciate it if this matter is properly looked into, Officer. My ward was taken away without her consent. It’d be a hassle if such a nuisance is to be repeated ever again. Remember it could be anyone next time.” I urged the officer, against Eva’s plea. She stiffened beside me. I pretended not to notice. It was for the best.The chauffeur arrived to pick us up and Eva’s mood soured even further. She rushed into the vehicle, eager to get away from the scene and I thanked the officers for their help and settled in after her.“Did you have fun watching?.” Ev
~JADE~“Mr. Axton…” I didn't expect to see him or anyone else in the library. “Mmmh.” His presence sent me reeling with uncertainty on how to react. We had only exchanged words once, but our first encounter was not one to be easily forgotten.“Didn’t see you there,” I added, chasing the images of nudity far away from my mind and trying my best to sound completely natural.He kept the book in his lap aside and approached me, rolling the wheels just close enough to pick up my book from where it still laid on the ground and raise it to me. “It's Angel, Elena.” He didn't fail to remind me. I frowned, neglecting the way my name easily rolled off his tongue. It's been ages since anyone referred to me with that name. It brought back a whirlwind of memories, and subconsciously, I took a step back, away from him. Angel’s gaze was steady, his hold so strong that I found myself unable to keep up. Yet, something was commanding about his eyes; something so appealing that I couldn't look away
~JADE~I do not like the uneasy feeling that came with the knowledge that I was being watched.After that one time, there were no more notes slipped in through my door, but I could not relax; knowing there was someone out there watching me, monitoring my every move.The rest of the school week ran by slowly and I barely ran into Angel after our last encounter in the library. Kim explained that he had gone on a trip for a private art auction and It was a pure relief not to have any awkward meetings with him again.Every morning, I went to school with Eva who had been strangely quiet. Her arrested friends were yet to be released from the police’s custody despite their parents’ timely intervention. I had thought they would be released quickly on bail but although they were minors, kidnap was a serious crime and it felt good to know that the officers were not taking it lightly with them. Luckily for us, Principal Dwyer had kept the kidnap ruse incident under wraps with only the school st
~JADE~The bared part of my skin shivered in the night’s cold breeze. Nevertheless, I kept still, refusing to show any sign of discomfort to Vincenzo who had pinned his gaze on me the instant we arrived at our destination. The Raven’s High. A hotel well known for its heavily pocketed clientele. Lyra had been glad to hand over her client to one of the girls to doll me up and get me ready for the party. While Sapphire had returned home immediately.Beneath my black cat-eyed half mask that only covered the upper part of my face, my lips twitched. Even with his mask on, I knew I had pissed the arrogant man off and it wasn’t so hard to point out how.Vincenzo’s gaze dropped to my dress, a midnight blue dress that hugged my slender waist and wide hip, then flowed freely. His jaw clenched with irritation. “Are you in any way colorblind? I was specific on what you were to wear.” The last words came out rushed and angry as he looked around at the new vehicles arriving. Then his eyes darted
~JADE~“Did you let him go?.”“Speak bitch!. Did you let the Underboss get away?!!!!.”My head was blank. I could feel the life getting snuffed out of me. My eyes closed but Vincenzo was having none of that. He slowly released his hold on my neck and I gasped, completely sure that I had red lines around my flesh. An angry crowd of Mafia formed around us and he tipped up my chin, “You have one last chance, woman. Get back in that house and bring me that son of a bitch. I don't care what you have to do, but do what is necessary or I’ll be forced to show you the consequences of failure on my father’s behalf.“~I didn’t know how long I had been clamped up on the balcony’s floor but I slowly pulled myself to my feet. A silver case shone on the floor in the moonlight and I picked it up recognizing it instantly. It was his lighter case. He had dropped it behind. The case had an inscription on it “A” with the familiar symbol of an axe which I was sure I’d seen somewhere. I ran my thumb over
~JADE~“No!!!.” I jolted up from the bed panting and thoroughly drenched in my sweat despite the chilly air. I thought it would never come again but my parent's bloody murder had come to haunt me once more. This time, I saw Lucas walking away from us, and just as he reached the door, a gunshot got to him too, taking him away from me. I looked around the room and my racing heart tried to beat normally. I got up from the bed and discarded my clothes before stepping into the shower. Every dream had its purpose, but this was a reminder of my own. It's been seventeen years since my parent's death, but I have achieved nothing except paying off tiny debts. In the mirror, my reflection stared back at me, and my eyes wandered down to a scar on my wrist. Another reminder.The sun was still down and most of the mansion’s occupants, save for a few servants, were still fast asleep. I threw on a simple pant and tees, practiced my workout routine which I had abandoned since I stepped into the Ax
Déjà vu.It was only a week ago. Maybe a few days over a week, when I had wandered deliberately away from the path that led to my room. But, even one week was not enough time to erase the terrified image of the nude maid I’d seen from my mind. It was the same at this moment, except the maid was gone and I was the “nude, terrified one”. I scrambled off the bed with my heart racing at the stupidity I’d just displayed, but the damage was already done.The woman who had barged in was a tall, stunning brunette, with a beautiful heart-shaped face. Her gaze lingered on me for only a moment, unfazed at my presence, then she turned to Angel.“Missed me?.” She purred. Yes. Purred, because she sounded just like a cat.As I slipped my dress on, she approached him with a smile on her face. Angel’s face was indifferent, I couldn't tell what he was thinking at that moment. But two things were clear, he wasn't upset that she had barged in and he did not tell her off. “Zeta…” Angel’s voice trailed