THE BILLIONAIRE'S GAME OF CHESS

Briana's Point Of View I was awakened from my sleep by my alarm clock. I snarled and returned to my bed. I turned my phone to silent this time to prevent any annoying calls that might spoil my wonderful day. I had previously assured myself that I would not put myself under any stress for the day. It was going to be a day of staying in my room and not going outside. That was the only time I could rest before my parents returned from their holiday in the Maldives. I was sleeping when I heard a loud knock at the door. I did not pay much attention at first because I assumed everything was a dream. I heard the same knock again, and this time it was louder. At that point, it occurred to me that it was not a dream after all. It was more of a reality. I dashed into the living room, still wearing my pajamas. I suspected my parents were knocking. They were the only ones capable of banging on the door that way. At the same time, I realized it was impossible because my parents had previously stated that they would be staying in the Maldives for a few days. “I will be there shortly. Take it easy,” I yelled at whoever was banging on the door without knowing who it was. As I opened the door, I was surprised to see that it was not my parents, as I had expected. To my surprise, I found my boyfriend, Omarion, and my best friend, Tasha, at my doorstep. I looked into Tasha's eyes and all I saw was a broken heart. Her eyelid was full of tears, ready to fall. “What is going on, Tasha, Omarion? You two do not seem excellent,” I said quietly. I was completely terrified when I saw them. Omarion had never arrived so early at my house, let alone with Tasha. “Can someone please speak with me? What is going on?” I sobbed like a pitiful widow. My heart was pounding like war drums. Words could not express how shocked I was to see people I cared about acting in such a way. “Whatever happens, I will always be there for you. I promise not to leave you alone in the dark,” Omarion said as he approached to embrace me. My brain was sending a message to my heart. I could sense danger even from a distance. Unfortunately, I was unable to identify the source of the problem. What about Tasha? She was not making matters any better. Her constant tears were tearing at my soul. I got away from Omarion. “So this is it. I have had enough of your s**t. If you are not ready to speak up right now, you might as well leave before I do something stupid.” “It is about your parents,” Tasha finally mustered the courage to say. She spoke quickly, as if a gun was pointed at her. “What about my parents?” I asked, anticipating. I moved closer to Tasha and grabbed her shirt. “Tasha, may I ask you again, what about my parents?” When I realized she was not ready to speak, I decided to call my parents. I called a thousand times, and they did not respond once. I checked my social media accounts and texted them. Unfortunately, the situation remained unchanged. Suddenly, I received a notification from a blog about an automobile accident that claimed the lives of some elderly couples. My hands quivered as I read the headlines. Deep down, I wished it had not been the news I expected. Behold, I saw my parents' photos on the news as the couple who died in a private car accident. My phone immediately dropped to the ground as I screamed. My neck veins almost popped out. Tasha and Omarion worked together to calm me down. I could not speak because I was in shock. My vocal cords seemed destroyed. “Please tell me it is not true. My parents cannot be deceased. I spoke with them yesterday before they flew to the Maldives,” I asked Tasha. I have plenty of questions that I may never get answers to. “I am deeply sorry, Briana. This morning, we learned about it. We had to get here fast. We were concerned that you might have hurt yourself,” Tasha explained as I rested my head on Omarion's chest, crying my eyes out. I cried until I had used up all of my tears. “I wish they had listened to me. I warned them not to go on that trip, but no one listened.” I complained. I had a terrible nightmare a few days ago, and I warned my parents. Unfortunately, they believed I was joking. I was confident that none of this would have occurred if they had heeded my warning. It only made matters worse when I realized I could not do anything to reunite my parents. Just when I thought my investigations were complete, I heard another knock on the door. Without waiting for my response, two men in black suits entered the living room. Tasha and I exchanged knowing glances as we glared at each other. We had yet to figure out who the men were and what they wanted. We had yet to discover who the men were and what they desired. One of the guys asked me. “Is this the Marshalls’ mansion?” I replied reluctantly. “Yes, but who are you? You have not introduced yourself to us.” My patience was gradually dwindling. I was afraid I was going to do something stupid. “We came in peace, ma'am. We represent the Keystone Bank. Before your Father's untimely death, he approached our firm for a loan, using this house as collateral. Unfortunately, he failed to keep his end of the bargain. As a result, we will confiscate this mansion,” one of them explained. And when I questioned them, they showed me some documents to back up their claims. When I heard the shocking news, I began to lose my mind and vision. I could not recognize anyone anymore. My situation worsened when my vision went blank. I staggered until I collapsed on the floor. That was the last thing I recalled!