DAMIEN’S POV
I drove like a madman, around the New York traffic towards the location her phone pinged on my screen. It was late and I wondered why when I returned she wasn’t home, and till now, she was yet to return. The red dot that indicated her location was moving fast and I worried that she might be in grave danger. Or worse, she’d run away.
No, she wouldn’t do that. Do you trust her that much? Did I? I thought as I drove to her. “Alfred,” I called when I returned from work to find her bedroom empty and the whole house devoid of her voice. He appeared before me almost immediately. “Where is Elena?” I asked, confusion creasing my features. He looked equally as flustered as I was confused. “Uhh,” he began to stutter. “She had said she wanted to go shopping when I informed her of the black card you’d left her, she asked for a ride and I let her have the key to one of your cars, Mr Vance.” “What time did she leave?” I asked. “She left at around 3 pm,” he affirmed and I frowned. If she went out that early, then she should have been back by now. Dismissing Alfred, I decided to pull up the credit card details. It would show me which stops she’d made when she paid for her shopping. It showed all the stalls she’d shopped at and then one place caught my eye. Nightebird. It was a nightclub. One that was popular, not only for its elusive and shady ways of doing business, from drugs to girls, to the kinds of people that frequent there. Riff raffs, fuckboys, perverts looking to prey on innocent clubgoers, their victims. What was she doing there? I had to go find her, now that I was sure of her location. Grabbing my keys, I headed back into the night, pulling out her phone location on my car screen to monitor her movements, in case she left the place. Secretly hoping she’d leave. And she did. Because I noticed. That’s when I saw the dot first move rapidly, then stopped. My heartbeat picked pace when it began to move again, this time faster than before. I changed gears, driving faster than the speed limit. I didn’t car if the cops pulled me over for that or jumping the red light sign. I needed to get to Elena, and fast. I hoped she was safe, which was unlike me. Please let her be safe, I pleaded to no one in particular. As I neared the area that Nightebird was located, I noticed a black Venza, one that was striking because it didn’t look like a car that was common in this side of town and also because of my signature license plate. One that was unmistakable. She was around here somewhere and I pulled over, parking at a discreet area. I got off, transmitting the pinging location from my car screen to my phone and following the trail. Then it stopped and I sighed, somewhat relieved that she was no longer running. I headed towards where the new location, I was close. She was in for a lot of trouble when I found her. That was when I heard it. Her scream... She was in danger, and had been on the run to save herself. I felt my blood boil with rage and a pump of adrenaline as I rushed towards the sound. I heard it first before I saw it, her helplessness as she pleaded to be let go. The attacker, a man I could tell from his outfit and his shabby hair, knelt before her, loosening his belt and leaning in to kiss her. He was cackling devilishly as she whimpered and squirmed. I saw red. Without realizing it, one leg went in front of the other till I reached them and yanked the guy from Elena. “You motherfucker!” I shouted, landing a punch on his face without giving him any chance to respond. He reeled back then anger marred his face when he saw me. “You__” I didn’t et him finish as I rushed him, dodging his feeble attempt to hit me, landing one blow right below his jaw. He fell back to the ground and I pounced on him, giving him punch after punch with gritted teeth. “Don’t you. Dare. Lay. Your hands. On her. Ever. Again,” I spat as I landed each blow. He struggled to fight back util after a while, he couldn’t, laying unconscious, almost lifeless on the ground. That was when my anger dissipated, my anger slowly melted away and my eyes cleared. I turned my gaze to Elena who was laying on the ground, weak but still awake and rushed to her, pulling her into my arms as I asked if she was fine and checking for any sign that she was injured. She smiled and opened her mouth like she was about to say something, but suddenly went limp, losing consciousness. I sighed as I scooped her in my arms heading towards where I had parked the car to take her home. How was she both feisty and yet so pure, naïve? Talking up a storm with her wit and yet so innocent? What was she thinking, coming here alone? I reached my car and made sure she laid comfortable in the backseat, then immediately put a call through to Dex. “There’s someone I need you to pick up for me,” I said as soon as he took the call. “Make sure he’s still alive when I get there.” He sighed. “What’s it this time?” I didn’t give him an answer to his question, only the address to pick him up from. “He’s tied down in my Venza. When he’s out of my car, have the boys scrap it. See you in an hour, same place.”ELENA’S POVI could hear loud voices and arguments. We were in a club and I blinked wondering how I ended up here. But I ran towards the sound, rushing in quickly to find out what was wrong. I saw Charlotte and Adrian on one side of the room. Adrian was shielding my sister with his hands with a look of disdain in his eyes toward the other person in the room. “HEY!” I shrieked and the three pairs of eyes turned to face me. “What are you doing?” I questioned the intruder. “He’s just a stalker,” Charlotte was quick to speak. The new person cursed loudly. “What the fuck? You’re calling me a stalker. You’ve been such a bitch the last couple of days. You think I won’t tell her?” he threatened and Charlotte’s eyes grew wide. Even Adrian’s expression darkened. “Leave here, now,” she commanded, finally bold enough to throw jacket guy out. When he won’t budge, she screamed, grabbing a bottle and smashed it against the table. Jacket guy’s expression changed to shock and he backed away. I st
DAMIEN’S POVI drove like a madman, around the New York traffic towards the location her phone pinged on my screen. It was late and I wondered why when I returned she wasn’t home, and till now, she was yet to return. The red dot that indicated her location was moving fast and I worried that she might be in grave danger. Or worse, she’d run away. No, she wouldn’t do that. Do you trust her that much? Did I? I thought as I drove to her. “Alfred,” I called when I returned from work to find her bedroom empty and the whole house devoid of her voice. He appeared before me almost immediately. “Where is Elena?” I asked, confusion creasing my features. He looked equally as flustered as I was confused. “Uhh,” he began to stutter. “She had said she wanted to go shopping when I informed her of the black card you’d left her, she asked for a ride and I let her have the key to one of your cars, Mr Vance.” “What time did she leave?” I asked. “She left at around 3 pm,” he affirmed and I frowned
ELENA’S POVThe walls felt like they were closing in on me, the disco lights feeling larger and weirdly nearer than usual. I turned around, trying to get a good look of my surroundings, but it seemed warped and hazy. I felt a hand snake around my hips and moved to flinch, but maybe my reflexes was too slow or the hand was too fast, but it stayed. I needed air, I was suffocating. I heard a voice say something, it sounded like the guy from earlier, although I couldn’t make out what he was saying. “You wanna get out of here?,” I read the movement of his lips, or the three I could see saying the same thing. I giggled cutely, clearly inebriated and all I could do was hum absent-mindedly. Suddenly the arm held me tighter, feeling me up, the man’s voice closer and louder, yet still incoherent. I was starting to feeling nauseated by the feeling. That was when it hit me and I could tell, this guy just drugged me. That could only mean one thing. I have to get out of here, away from thi
ELENA’S POV I turned from him, my food lay cold and forgotten as I made to leave the room, when I stopped abruptly.“Here’s what will happen. I’ll be the best trophy wife out there. I will not work more than I have to. I will not go to work tomorrow, and when I do resume office, I will not be filing paperwork for you. I’d rather sit with Hilda instead. I will look good for the camera, and you will not, till our contract is through, until I allow it, so much as move an inch near me. Am I clear?” I didn’t want for him to respond but I left him. I sighed when I returned upstairs to my room. I didn’t realize that with Damien Vance, things could escalate from a zero to a hundred real quick. But it was possible and it happened. And now that what went down had happened, I could relax. And almost immediately, all the nerves I had not realized I had, with all the adrenaline rushing through my veins, all came rushing in full force. I collapsed on my bed. I couldn’t believe I had the streng
ELENA’S POVI slowly raised my head, unsure I heard right. That’s new. And odd, very odd. “What do you mean?” I asked, surprised. “I mean what I said. I realized that having you in the office isn’t so productive and efficient as I’d hoped,” he reasoned, and my ears perked up excitedly. Was this what I’m thinking he’ll say? Will I be free from him and have my peace for few hours? Please, Lord of everything true, grant me this one wish, and I’d never ask for anything. Pleasee, I’m begging you, God, please. “I know, right? In fact, it was counter productive.” “I’m thinking of moving you to the filing desk till we can sort you what you can do,” he replied, cutting through a fillet before popping it into his mouth. My body sagged, dejected. Not exactly what I was hoping for. “Are you fucking kidding me right now? The filing desk? To do what, send a fax? Staple paper? What am I, some kind of printing press?” I fumed and shot up from my seat in indignation, I suddenly didn’t feel hun
ELENA’S POVThose shivers stayed on for longer than I expected. The longer I sat in his office, watching him work before he decided he was done for the day and it was time for us to return home, the more the butterflies in my belly remained unsettled. They kept squirming and moving about restlessly while we sat in the car, and I had to look away the whole time so as not to embarrass myself. As soon as the elevator from the basement car park reached his house, I didn’t wait for anything and sprinted straight towards the front door. I didn’t care if he was calling for me, and I didn’t wait to hear. All I could think of was getting very far away from this man and not looking back. Not until I’m in the comfort of my room. I don’t think my heart can handle being around him. As I shut the door of my room behind me, only then did the tension I felt around him all day ease off. I dropped to the floor, perplexed. What is going on? Why am I feeling this way, all because of one word? Good g