The Billionaire's Obsession

|Ilaria's POV| My eyelids felt heavy, making me struggle to keep my eyes open. Blurry figures appeared in my vision which was going out of focus sooner than I could comprehend my surroundings. My whole body felt as though it had been tied to heavy rocks and I was being pulled down— I felt immobilised, not in control of anything. I could hear voices...distant and cold, almost as if my head was under water right now. And just when I was getting comfortable in this unknown abyss where nothing made sense, a voice spoke up from near me... "Ilaria, are you aware of your mental illness?" It was of a man, sounding as though he was my friend but I knew he was anything but. Illness... That word sent a rush of anger through my body, reminding me of my circumstances, bringing hazy memories back to the front of my mind. I forced my eyes to flash open, instantly irritated by the influx of light but I blinked frequently and focused my vision on the white coat wearing man who was sitting on a metal chair a few feet away from the bed I had been tied to. The room smelled like disinfectant and bleach, all white walls and white roofs. There were machines beeping near my head and as I looked around slightly, I realized that my forehead felt heavy because of the patches that were stuck on my skin, something to do with mental stimulation probably. There were no windows in the room. Just the bed I was tied to, with needles and patches sticking into me, keeping my vitals monitored. And the only person aside from the bald headed doctor was a young nurse, having the same unfeeling emotion as the doctor on her face as she stood holding a writing pad in her hands.She stood in front of one of the machines that were stuck to my body but unlike the rest, this one did not bring me any comfort. "Ilaria?" He called out again, "I asked you if you know anything about your mental illness?" He asked, enunciating every word slowly, as if I was some child. I glared at him heatedly, the only act of rebellion I could give out in a state like this, before somehow managing to find my voice as I spat, "you can rot in hell, monster!" He gave me a disinterested look before turning his emotionless eyes towards the nurse, "add another 20 volts." He stated, almost as if it was a routine statement for him to use. My head snapped towards the nurse's direction, considering the fact that it was the only body part that I could move, and panic shot through me like a volcano as I saw her nodding her head and her finger went onto the machine in front of her and she pressed a few buttons. My eyes widened when she looked at me once before pressing the confirmation that popped up on the screen. I couldn't even scrunch my eyes shut in order to prepare myself for the life threatening, excruciating agony that followed. Electricity ran through my entire body, almost at the speed of lightening, and I could feel my teeth rattling in my jaws and the needles that poked into every part of my flesh wildly. I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth and I felt as though my spirit would leave my body if I was subjected to anymore of this torture. I screamed, I cried, I asked them to stop. But one really cannot plead to souls who have lost all traces of humanity, can one? They watched me shake and wither on my bed long after the shock had stopped inflicting upon my body. And as I laid there, sweat ridden and scared, I stared up at the ceiling and wondered if this white, meaningless room, is what my life will be like from now on.And just when I felt that the pain was gone, a frozen ice pack is slapped onto my forehead with a harsh force, making a hiss escape my lips as I feel a warm drop of tear...or maybe blood, leaving the corner of my eye. "The cold will get her cognitive thinking back on again." The doctor voiced, "this is what she asked for." What who asked for? And as if to answer my question, the clucking sound of high heels against the marble floors rang through my ear— suddenly every single sound was making me want to rip my own hair out. Entering the room was the one woman whom I hated with my entire being because I knew exactly what she is capable of. Tall, and fair skinned, Amber Princeton was nothing if not poised. Her short blonde hair were straightened today, gracefully touching her collar bone while parted in the middle. Her eyes, the same colour as the sky above a sea just before a torrential storm were staring at me with a biting indifference. As if I wasn't her niece stuck in this mental hospital, suffering because of her. As if I was never her friend. As if I meant nothing to her, if not a means to an end. "Oh, dearest Ria..." she cooed, staring at me with a sickeningly sweet grin, wearing a black skin fit velvet dress and a pearl necklace that I distinctly remember being in my mother's neck all the time. Anger rushed through my body seeing her flaunting my mother's necklace like she hadn't done what she did. Like she wasn't the reason for the death of my parents. I struggled against the restraints holding me back as I growled as harshly as I could, the machines monitoring my heart rate began to beep loudly as I glared at the woman heatedly. "Get me the injection!" The fat doctor called out to the nurse who quickly followed his commands like a hired monkey. "No! Get away from me!" I screamed and groaned and grunted, but to no avail whatsoever.And as the needle pierced the flesh of my neck, I felt my eyes rolling back into my head and I was once again sent to the land of my dreams. A place where everything was fine. |Cassian's POV| The ding of the elevator doors made me look up as I stepped off of it and found a steaming cup of coffee waiting in front of me in my secretary's hand. "Good morning, Mr. Evans" I met the gaze of the red haired woman, and gave her a curt nod, taking the cup of coffee from her. "Donna, how are the numbers today?" I asked as she fell into a confident stride beside me, as we walked through the sleek corridors of my floor of the office. My employees greeted me as I passed by them and I gave them small nods, acknowledging them but not giving them much attention. "Excellent sir, after the sale that went through yesterday evening, the people on social media are calling you the rising star." She told me with an elaborate gesture about making a headline with the use of her hands. I stopped right outside the door to my office where her cubicle was and she leaned against the glass before giving me wiggly eyebrows, "so?" She said biting her lip with a giddy smile. I knew what she wanted to ask about but I still pretended to be clueless, "so, what?" I asked, quirking my own brow. Donna gave me a playful glare. Now, I was not exactly impressed by many, and not many people dared talk to me in any manner they wanted to, however, Donna was different. The first day I met her was about two years ago when I was taking interviews for the position of my secretary and had instantly hired her within the first ten minutes.The reason was that this thirty something woman was simply resilient, fierce, and knew how to get anything done that I wanted. Plus, she was extremely resourceful and thorough. Hence, she had lasted as long as now. I planned on keeping her for as long as she wanted to work and I made sure to pay her handsomely for her services— more than enough to ensure that she would be able to afford a luxurious lifestyle in this city of Manhattan and private schooling for her ten year old son, Jacob. "How did the date go last night?" She asked, her expressions almost scary to a point where I knew that I was no longer allowed to dodge the question. I pursed my lips together and sighed, "look, it was good and everything, but to be very honest I would rather just focus on my work rather than a woman right now." I told her in all honesty, knowing well enough that she was not going to like my answer. She rolled her eyes, throwing her head back in exasperation before she looked back at me with a defeated look in her green eyes, "do you know how difficult it was to make Irene agree to the date with you? And now you're just going to blow her off?" She asked me. I gave her a look which told her exactly what she needed to know. She threw her hands in the air, "I can't with you! Good god! So much for being the most eligible bachelor in all of the Tristate Area!" She scolded me with a shake of her head. I chuckled. I was only five years younger than her but this woman sometimes treated me like her ten year old son— something which would have irritated me if it wasn't from Donna. "Alright," I said once I had my laughter reigned in, "tell me what's on the agenda for today." I told her in all seriousness. I did not accept lagging when it came to work. "Well, you have a ten o'clock interview with Forbes for their Top Men In Business segment, everything is already arranged in your office and you will find a photographer waiting for you inside. After yesterday's deal, they want you on their cover." She informed me and I had to resist the urge to groan.Interviews and photo shoots were such a huge f*****g waste of time! Instead, I nodded before taking in a long sip of my coffee and turning towards my office. "All the best!" She sang as I entered through the glass door and I had a feeling that she was going to enjoy my moments of misery for as long as this bloody interview lasts. I stepped into my very spacious office, with a marvelous view of the New York City skyline through floor to ceiling windows and in the middle of my office was a short statured, tawny skinned man, waiting for me with a camera in his hand and lights and reflective panels set up all around the office to capture the perfect photograph. "Mr. Evans!" He gave me a megawatt welcoming smile, approaching me with his hand outstretched in front of him. I reluctantly shook his hand, considering the fact that I hated skin contact with those that I did not know but still gave him a forced smile. He didn't seem to notice as he quickly ushered me towards my desk. "I am Andy, and I am with Forbes. I will take a few photographs of you around this office, and then we will select the best one from the lot." He told me. "Cassian Evans." I introduced myself, putting him at ease with an easy going smile. "Right, so," he said, clapping his hands once before going over the basics of posing for the camera, how to keep my body involved in the picture, what to do with my facial expressions and other similar details. "Andy," I said, interrupting him with a sarcastic grin on my face, "not my first rodeo buddy." I reminded him, "we can get to work." And saying that, I was striding towards my desk before seating myself down on the edge of it. He looked slightly embarrassed and I refrained from smirking as I watched him scurrying to get everything in place before he could start clicking pictures. All of the state's media outlets, if not the country's, did not call me the Prince Charming of America if not for my perfect poise and image in the media, and the business skills that followed after.I was a heartthrob of millions and I knew it. And so, with my game smile in place, I began posing for Forbes cover page worthy photographs. |Ilaria's POV| I slowly blinked open my eyes once again, still under the daze of heavy medication and the so called treatment that I was being subjected to in this mental hospital. I slowly looked to my side and just moving my head caused a small whimper to escape from my lips. "Oh, honey, you're awake." I heard a familiar voice coo at me. Sounding sweet and innocent but I knew exactly the kind of person she was. I looked up to find my aunt stating down at me with a devilish smirk on her lips. She reached out to trace my hollowed in cheek with the back of her fingers as she looked down at me with fake pity, "sweetest, Ria." She whispered, "it truly hurts me to see you in such a condition..." Her words made me want to break out of these stupid restraints holding me to this bed and strangle her f*****g head! She was a cruel, vindictive woman, who would sell anyone or anything for a pretty dime. She was a murderer and the main reason why I was stuck here and an orphan today, in the first place. "And you know exactly what you have to do in order to get out of this dump, sweetheart." Amber said to me, her voice sounding almost like a well wisher's, "you just have to be a doll and sign over on the transfer of your father's shares of the Princeton Industries in your uncle's name and then, I will stop this madness and give you the life that you truly deserve." I glared at her heatedly but nothing came out of my mouth. I knew that I would only be wasting words if I said anything.I licked my lower lip, needing to feel my face and body reacting to my thoughts, especially since I felt like I was losing all sensory and motor functions, the longer I was kept here. "Ilaria, don't be so difficult." She asked me once again, "I mean, I will give you all the riches you need. I will even let you finish that photography course that you loved so much..." A bitter tang of loss tasted on my tongue as I realized how far away my old life seemed to be from me now. The time when my parents were alive, when my aunt and uncle hadn't infested in our lives and hadn't plotted against my family. The time when I was a simple girl learning business from my father and gaining a social standing in the New York's Upper East Side society with my mother's help. I was making a name for myself, I was doing good in the world, and then one day, one car accident later, I was being transported out of the country to wherever I was right now. My life changed overnight, and I had no one else to blame but the woman standing in front of me and her family. "Are you even listening to me?" Amber called out, slapping my cheek lightly and my fingers curled into fists. But alas, my wrists were tied against the edge of the bed so there was nothing that I could do. I raised my eyes to look at her again, and finally forced the words out in my thick and croaky voice, "I will never give you and your murderer of a husband a dime of my father's money." I spat. Anger visibly flooded her eyes, her blue eyes turning almost dark like the depths of the sea while her hand slashed through the air before it smacked against my cheek with such harsh force that it nearly knocked the wind out of my lungs. I snapped my head back to gasp at her after the impact and realized that in the vulnerable state that I was in, she really could do absolutely anything to me. My eyes roamed through the room and I realized that the doctor and the nurse were gone and it was just her and I in this room— not that they would have been of any help whatsoever."Well, if you would not agree, then sadly, I have other ways to make things run according to my wishes." She sneered and with vicious strides towards the machine controlling my electric shocks, she turned the setting to the highest and my eyes widened when I saw her push the black button. Jolts of shock surged through my body, turning all the blood in my veins into acid. My body shrivelled and arched against the mattress, only restrained by the restraint holding my waist to the bed. I shook and screamed and almost bit my own tongue in pain, tasting my own blood. And slowly, I felt myself drifting towards unconsciousness...or maybe it was death...I didn't know. ——————— I could feel my body moving. The crunch of thin gravel beneath me fell into my ears. My head lolled side to side and the salty smell of the ocean along with the thrashing of the waves tickled my senses. My irises moved underneath my heavy eyelids as I forced myself to open my eyes. Memories from before I lost my consciousness were roaming through my head as I realized that the last thing I remembered was being electrocuted by Amber. My eyes flashed open at that and I was shocked to find what laid ahead of me. I was in a wheelchair, nearing the edge of a cliff, and from it, all I could see was the ocean. My head snapped back up to find Amber pushing the wheelchair towards the edge and I looked at her in horror. "What are you doing?" I gasped, realizing that as before, I was still restrained to this wheelchair. Not that I would have been able to do anything if I wasn't. I think all of the electrocution cut off circulation to certain parts of my brain which were required to give function to my limbs. Right now, I felt like my body was just weighing me down. Utterly useless.She smirked at me, her eyes focused towards the edge of the cliff, "did you really think we would grovel at your feet for those shares?" She asked with a confident smirk, "we tried giving you the easy way out, but you didn't want it. And now, we would make sure that we get those shares by any means necessary. Your death will simply be a step in the way, and with no one to claim those shares as their own since your whole family is dead, the shares will fall right into your uncle's lap, by default." My eyes widened as I watched the edge of the cliff approaching with horror. I shook my head, trying to struggle meekly against the restraints, trying to stop her. "Please, you can't do this!" I screamed, "please don't do this!" How could someone be so greedy? So selfish. "Goodbye, Ilaria." And that was the last thing I heard before she threw my body into the ocean. Time slowed down for me, the wind blew past me, I saw the water rippling beneath me, the woman standing behind watching me fall with a grin on her lips, and everything felt as though it had been delayed. And as my body made contact with the water surface, I scrunched my eyes shut and felt my hands and legs releasing from the restraints of the wheelchair. Oh, if only I knew how to swim. Water rushed into my lungs and my eyes burned with the salt in the sea water. And slowly, my body began to sink down towards the waterbed and suddenly, my head hit against one of the rocks. The last thing I saw before losing consciousness once again was a hand shooting through the water towards me