DARLINGS: He’s cold-hearted, but he’s mine

3

JUSTIN

Being born with a silver spoon should come with a warning label, unfortunately, we were born with our path already carved out for us. Having to deal with the enmity that will forever brew within one's family, the fight for supremity that will never cease, the pressure of those that are counting on you, the high expectations of your loved ones, the danger of the inside and the outside world, and the ever crawling parasite-like humans that will always try to leach off you can be exhausting.

I woke up to the beams of sunlight that shone on my face. Accompanied by a throbbing headache was a feeling I couldn't quite place my finger on. I laid back on my bed for a few more seconds, my mind void of any thought whatsoever. But then I knew I needed to get up, I tried raising my hand in an attempt to shield my eyes from the blinding ray of sunlight that shone brightly on my face and that was when I felt something resting on my arm.

In shock, I glanced downward to notice a raven-haired human who seemed to be of the opposite gender resting on my arm. She was curled up beside me like a baby. My brow creased into a frown, as I watched the girl whose face remained anonymous to me even when she was that close.

I was too scared to move her hair away from her face, yet too curious to let her be. I wasn’t ready to accept this reality. I was dreaming and I knew it quite well. There was no way there would be a girl on my bed. I slowly used my other hand to move her hair away from her face and the view of her face made memories flood my head. Those memories were the memories of all that happened the previous night. The feel of her lips, her loud moans, the feel of her body against mine, and how tight she was, I could suddenly remember them all.

The blinding rays of sunlight that shone on my face seemed to be telling me that I was awake but yet I still couldn't seem to accept the reality of my memory. Was I imagining things? Is this some kind of vivid imagination? I knew it wasn't but I wished it was.

I gently moved her head from my arm and immediately checked my body for signs of any allergic reaction but all I saw was little bruises left by her fingers.

I couldn't quite comprehend all that had happened. How? How did she get into my suite? How did she end up on my bed? Putting on my trousers, I grabbed my phone and made a call to my secretary.

“ There is a woman on my bed, find out how she got into my room ” I stated and ended the call.

Then I went into the bathroom and took my bath. After which I dressed up and left the room. Someone was playing a mind game with me, and I needed to find out who it was. I wasn't ready to be a pawn in anyone’s game. The lady in my bed is indeed tempting but I’m not the type to get carried away by the stupid things that appear to be the weakness of many. I had a lot of questions and I needed answers. As for that lady on my bed, she had walked into the lion’s den herself and even the mastermind behind her reckless act will not be able to get her out.

*******

In a dark private room with interconnected computers sat Justin, and two other men dressed in black.

“ Here, sir “ One of the men, who goes by the name Evan said showing Justin a video on the computer. It was the footage of the hotel the night before.

The footage had already been deleted but luckily for them, they had their hidden cameras implanted around Justin’s suite for security purposes. Given his prominent position in the world and among his family, enemies are sure to play silly games at every chance they get.

*******

I sat back in my car contemplating the event of the previous night. My brothers, how far are they willing to go to pull me down? Even though the faces of the men in the footage were covered, I could swear on my life that the mastermind behind all that happened was one of my brothers or maybe both of them.

We were three different brothers from three different women. You could say my father was a promiscuous man. He was rich so he dared to do what no one would dare to do. Even though his first wife was the only wife recognized legally, all of his wives had a pretty glamorous wedding. But as the saying goes, whoever dares to do what no one else will dare to do, shall see what no one else will love to see.

Having to deal with the enmity that has been brewing within his family and the fight for supremacy among his sons and wives. His ever-flopping health due to the lack of peace in his home has forced him to be confined to a wheelchair when he least expected. His once strong heart which he thought could love three women had been stomped upon and broken by those women's selfishness.

He might be taking his last breath soon, so I asked once if he regretted the decision he took on a whim due to youthful exuberance but my question was met by silence. Maybe he did or maybe he didn't. Whatever the answer is, I don't care, because just like every other person, I wouldn't mind pointing fingers and judging the man who birthed me because his lousy life decision made my childhood traumatic and left me with a scar I had thought would never disappear until I woke up this morning to find a woman on my bed. Who is she? And why does this mysterious woman that might be a setup seem to be the answer I’ve been looking for? What do my brothers have up their sleeves? Whatever the answer is, I knew I would find out soon.

As I drove back to the hotel, I couldn't help but blame myself for what happened the previous night. I knew my brothers weren't trustworthy and yet I dismissed my guards and went to meet them alone. They might be my brothers, but they never miss an opportunity to show me that we are merely a family by name. My hold around the wheel tightened as I felt adrenaline rush.

I was close to an intersection when a thought suddenly clicked in my head and I swayed the wheel changing direction. I need to see my therapist.

*****

“ So, you’re saying you had s*x with this girl and your body shows no sign of any reaction? ” She asked rhetorically after I explained everything to her.

“ Maybe you’re healed, ” She said after a while of contemplation. “ Maybe the trauma of the past no longer has any effect on you. Maybe your days of suffering from PTSD are over ” She declared.

Her declaration made sense. Maybe she was right, maybe there was nothing special about the girl on my bed.

She stretched out her hand to me and I knew what she meant. Taking her hand in mine for a handshake, I felt the strange yet familiar feeling I get whenever I get involved in any kind of skinship with the opposite gender. I pulled back my hand almost immediately with my heart beating fast and my palm itchy with rashes.

I closed my eyes, memories I would have loved to forget flashing through my head. The voice I would pay millions to forget echoed in my ear. My heart palpitating in the fear of what happened back then. I knew I was free, and I knew history couldn’t repeat itself but my heart doesn't seem to agree. I’ve been scarred and even the millions I had couldn't erase those scars.

I slowly opened my eyes after I had calmed down and made eye contact with Evelyn, my therapist.

“ Maybe we were wrong, ” She let out. “ That girl is indeed a mystery. But that mystery might be the key to healing you. You have to keep her close “.

“ The key? ” I scoffed. “ Do you believe that? ”.

“ I don't know, Justin. I don’t have the answer you seek, and you don’t have it either, you’ve seen the best doctors and therapists in the world and none of them have answers, but now there is this strange girl on your bed and there are possibilities that she might be the key. What will it cost you to keep her close? ”.

“ But….. ”

“ There’s no buts needed on this issue. I’ve been your friend since childhood. You know very well that I’ve always had your best interest at heart. Let’s put aside the fact that I’m your therapist, and analyze this issue. Someone, who you suspected to be either one or both of your brothers drugged you and placed a woman in your room. If your suspicion is correct, then whoever it was has ulterior motives, since both of your brothers are aware of your condition. From the footage you saw and the memories you have of all that happened last night, the woman in your room also appeared to be drugged ”.

“ You were drugged and were in desperate need to release the heat that was building up in you, however, you can’t have any form of skinship with a woman. The longest skinship you ever had with a woman after the traumatic experience from your childhood left you short of breath. And then there was this woman in your room. She was also drugged and was desperate. Even if you hadn't given in to her, we both know she will keep forcing herself on you unless you lock her up somewhere but you can’t do that because you needed her as much as she needed you. Now, if your body had reacted to her touch like it just reacted to mine, do you think you would be here right now? ”.

What she said made sense. Whoever it was had planned to eliminate me.

“ But here you are, alive and well. And that leaves us with questions. Did the mastermind do it to eliminate you or is there something they know that we don’t? Who is this lady? Is there a probability that she is connected to your past? Whether yes or no, one thing is for sure now, she will be connected to your future and may be the answer you’re looking for. You just have to be careful. Two can play the game better, you know? ”.

“ But what if my body only accepted her yesterday because I was in desperate need of help and she was the only one available at that moment? ”.

“ You slept all night long without nightmares and woke up with her in your arms, do you still think so? ”.

“ I don't know. I’m not sure what to think ”.

“ You will never know if you keep sitting here. You wouldn't want her to be gone before you get back to the hotel ”.

As I zoomed back off to the hotel, Evelyn’s words kept echoing in my head. She was right, ‘ Two can play the game better ‘. I don't care what they have up their sleeve, I’ll show them who the master of the chessboard is.