Luciano“Luciano… wake up, here are almost home,” It was my strawberry’s sixth call in her silky voice that was now mixed with agitation. I was waiting for her to call me ‘honey’, then I will open my eyes. I knew she said it by mistake but my heart did skip a beat when she said that.My face was buried in the crook of her neck and I was embracing her closely. She also had her arm snaking around me, securing me in her embrace. “Luciano, I know you’re up, stop acting with me. The captain is calling you,” I heard Martin coming in the cabin and requesting for my presence but I was being stubborn. She must have caught me smiling. I liked being a kid with her. At least now I could be my younger self with someone.“Not until you call me with that nickname you gave me this morning,” I insisted, sniffing her velvety scent and grunting calmly. God, this scent never fails to dr

JenniferI was dampened in sweat. My hands were badly shivering. I was tangled with ropes. As soon as I began gaining consciousness, my anxiety started to kick in. I felt like screaming but my words didn’t make a sound, it was all in my head. I kept begging for help but nothing occurred to make me feel safe. Where was Luciano? Security? Anyone? We only went to take a picture up in the hills.But suddenly… My breathing was short and heavy. The scene hit my chest like a gunshot. I could recall a hand covering me from behind and I lost to unconsciousness before I could repel the grip due to chloroform. Before giving in, I saw Natasha struggling with the same. And now, I was here, to some unknown place—with or without Natasha. I inwardly prayed for her wellbeing. I wished I could open my eyes and look around my whereabouts. Even if I did, there was nothing but utter blackness. No, this wasn’t

LucianoI fetched my phone from my breast-pocket, dialling Charles’ number. He picked on the first ring. “Good evening, Charles speaking, what can I help you with?" He asked as the line connected. "This is Bernardi..." I informed. He must have recognised by now which Bernardi he was speaking with. My voice was enough."Master?" The tone changed."Yes, Luciano Bernardi," I further made it easy for him."It has been long hearing from you. I thought you left it all behind..." He spoke without giving any thinking first.When I gave him silence, he realised the embarrassment. His tongue stopped working for seconds, "I'm sorry. Are you looking for any reservations?" He asked.“Yes, I would like to make a dinner reservation for sixty-seven,” I informed him, nonchalantly. Dinner reservation meant asking for the disposal of dead bodies. Mario counted the corpse that died in the

JenniferI could be unpredictable to an extent that it started to tease me. These days my mind had been testing my own heart. Everything felt weird, everything I did was weird and I had no reasonable explanation for this ridiculousness. Last night, I woke up to Luciano’s face and My God, how relieved I felt to be around him, This feeling happened to arrest me for the second time. The look the feeling brought would have been all over my face and I knew it was too late to mask as Luciano saw it all. But after a couple of minutes of talking with him, my past memories started to kick in my system and I was left with pain again. Kidnapping, being his captive, running away, coming back to him, forced to marry him for the sake of my family and now, growing an unforeseen foetus in my womb. It wasn’t easy to forget what he did to me. Though my heart had started to fight for him but my mind rejected his affection at every po

Luciano Yes, it was time. It was happening. She was about to deliver the baby. Nine months had gone in a snap and here we were, rushing to one of my hospitals while she shrieked to death. Death? No, I shouldn’t think like that, she’d be back with our son in her hands; healthy and safe around me. We were in the car, she was holding my hand while kept screaming, ‘I’m gonna die,’ repeatedly, and to some extent, I was vexed but still I did my best to make her feel better. I even told her everything’s gonna be alright as she was in my arms and I was taking her to one of my cars but she sobbed hard while the baby continued to struggle to be out of her vagina. He was literally around the entrance. I couldn’t stop chuckling when strawberry whined that she knew our baby was exactly on me because of the impulsiveness. I couldn’t define how much I felt the awe of her at that moment. It