Dark,Daring and Dangerous

In the beginning...

DARK, DARING AND DANGEROUS

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DIVINA WRITES?

DEDICATION

TO OZIKO PEACE IFEOMA

?LEOPARD↔️ANNABELLE?

IT ALL STARTED FROM A WEDDING WITH OUT A BRIDE.

PROLOGUE

'WHAT'S THIS?'

'WE MARRIED?' HE SAID.

'MARRIED?'

'YES.'

'YOU'RE JOKING RIGHT?' THE SERIOUS LOOK HE GAVE HER SAID HE WASN'T.

'YOU'RE NOT? NO, THAT'S NOT TRUE.'

'WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?' HE ASKED. SHE STARED AT HIM HORRIFIED. HAD SHE TRULY MARRIED THIS MAN?

'BUT, BUT...'

'YOU SIGNED THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE AND WE WEDDED.' HE SAID. 'DIDN'T YOU KNOW THAT?'

'NO.'

'NO?'

'YES.'

'YES? WHICH IS IT? NO OR YES?' SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. SHE BEGAN TO PUT THE PIECES OF THE SCATTERED PUZZLE TOGETHER. IT ALL CAME TO HER THEN. SHE GASPED IN SHOCK AT THE REALIZATION OF WHAT SHE'D GOTTEN HERSELF INTO. SHE SWAYED VIVIDLY. HE HELD HER, STEADYING HER. 'TIANA? TIANA ARE YOU ALRIGHT?' SHE TRIED TO SHAKE HER HEAD, BUT FAINTED INSTEAD.

CHAPTER ONE

SHE WALKED INTO THE HALL DISCREETLY. SHE STUDIED THE ENTIRE HALL AS SHE WALKED PAST. WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE? WHY HAD SHE COME HERE? SHE WASN'T HER. SHE WAS HER CLIENT'S DAUGHTER, IRENE. SHE WAS ANNABELLE CHIDIEBERE. SHE WAS A PRIVATE DETECTIVE WHOSE SKILLS WAS GREATLY VALUED IN MONEY AND IN KIND. SHE TWISTED HER HEAD A BIT. IT WASN'T STIFF OR ANYTHING. BUT SHE SUSPECTED IT WAS THE NEATLY MADE BUN. IT FELT HEAVY. SHE WAS NOT USED TO SUCH, MORE ACQUAINTED WITH HER SHORT BROWN HAIR HANGING DOWN, BARELY TOUCHING HER NECK MOST OF THE TIME. SHE RESISTED THE URGE TO PULL THE HAIRDO, AND FREE HER CAGED PERSONALITY. WELL, DEFINITELY NOT HERE OR NOW EITHER. SHE WALKED INTO THE PARTY. IT WAS A LARGE GATHERING.

SHE STOOD AT A CORNER AND STUDIED THE ROOM FOR MORE DETAILS. THERE WAS AN EIGHT STEP CAKE, STACKED IN A SLANTED WAY SO THAT THEY SEEMED AS IF THEY WOULD FALL AT THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH. IT WAS SNOW WHITE AND SEMI NUDE. THE CAKE WAS TOO LARGE FOR A BIRTHDAY. SO IT WAS MOST PROBABLY A WEDDING OR SOME HUGE OCCASION OF THE SORT. BUT WHY HAD IRENE COME HERE SECRETLY? WELL, THAT SHE HAD BEEN PAID TO FIND. SHE ACCEPTED A FLUTE OF CHAMPAGNE FROM A PASSING WAITRESS AND SIPPED A BIT.

WHEN THE CEREMONY BEGAN, HER GUESS WAS CONFIRMED. IT WAS INDEED A WEDDING. SHE SEARCHED THE CROWD FOR IRENE AND FOUND HER. SHE WATCHED HER CLOSELY, NOT WANTING TO LOSE HER. SHE NOTICED THE LADY TALKING TO A FEW OTHER LADIES AND CONCLUDED THAT THE LADY CAME WITH FRIENDS. SHE WASN'T GOING TO BE A SPOIL SPORT AND CUT HER FUN BY TELLING HER MOTHER. SHE'LL JUST HAVE TO STAY FOR THE WEDDING AND DO IT AFTER. AFTER ALL, SHE WASN'T DOING SOMETHING ILLEGAL. MAYBE HER MOTHER DIDN'T LIKE THE COUPLES GETTING MARRIED. FEW MINUTES AFTER THE CEREMONY BEGAN, A MAN ON SUIT MET UP WITH THE LADIES. HE SPOKE TO THEM FOR A FEW MINUTES. ANNABELLE BECAME SUSPICIOUS AS TO THE SUDDEN EXCITEMENT AND MUFFLED SCREAMS OF HAPPINESS. HE INDICATED THAT THEY SHOULD FOLLOW HIM. IRENE STARTED OFF WITH THE OTHER LADIES. ANNABELLE FOLLOWED THEM, CURIOUS AS TO WHERE THEY WERE GOING. THEY LOOKED TOO EXCITED TO BE GOING TO THE RESTROOM. SHE TAGGED BEHIND THEM AND HEARD THEM TAKE NUMBERS. IRENE WAS NUMBER NINE. WHY WERE THEY TAKING NUMBERS AT A WEDDING? SHE CONTINUED WITH THEM DOWN THE CORRIDOR TO A LARGE ROOM. SHE HOPED SHE DIDN'T LOOK SUSPICIOUS. SHE WATCHED AS THEY HANDED THEM WHITE DRESSES. WHAT WAS HAPPENING? WERE THEY BRIDESMAIDS OR SOMETHING? SHE RECALLED SEEING NO BRIDESMAIDS OR BRIDE, NOT EVEN A GROOM. WHAT WERE THEY UP TO? WHAT WOULD REQUIRE SUCH COSTUMES? PROBABLY AN AUDITION. MAYBE THEY WERE SHOOTING A MOVIE OR SOMETHING. MAYBE. THAT WOULD EXPLAIN WHY IRENE HAD COME HERE WITHOUT HER MOTHER'S PERMISSION, ANNABELLE DOUBTED SHE WOULD LET HER DAUGHTER BECOME AN ACTRESS. WHAT MOVIE WERE THEY AUDITIONING FOR ANYWAYS? WHAT ROLE WERE THEY AUDITIONING FOR THAT HAD TURNED THEM, COURTEOUS LADIES INTO SQUEALING GUINEA PIGS? THAT SHE HAD TO FIND OUT. SHE JOINED THE LINE AT THE LAST MOMENT AND SMILED AT THE COORDINATOR, THE MAN ON SUIT. HE LOOKED AT HER INTENTLY BEFORE RETURNING HER SMILE.

'NEW MISS?' HE ASKED.

'YES.'

'NAME?'

'TIANA.'

'YOU'RE NUMBER SEVENTEEN.' HE INFORMED HER POLITELY. SHE NODDED A THANK YOU AND FOLLOWED THE LINE. THEY ENDED UP AT A DRESSING ROOM WITH TWENTY CUBICLES. THEY WERE LABELLED WITH NUMBERS. SHE FOUND HERS AND HEADED INTO THE ROOM. CUBICLE SEVENTEEN WAS BEAUTIFUL. THOUGH IT WAS SMALL, IT WAS NICER THAN HER ENTIRE FLAT.SHE OPENED THE NEATLY FOLDED DRESS AND WAS STUNNED WHEN OTHER THINGS TUMBLED OUT WITH IT. SHE BARELY MANAGED TO STOP HERSELF FROM SCREAMING. SHE HADN'T BEEN EXPECTING IT. SHE PICKED THE PARCEL AND OPENED IT. THERE WAS A PAIR OF WHITE SHOES, GOLD JEWELRIES AND A VEIL? DO BRIDESMAIDS WEAR VEIL? MAYBE IT WAS A NEW TREND THAT SHE WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH. OR MAYBE IT WAS PART OF THE ACTING. SHE PEELED OFF HER DRESS AND SLIPPED INTO THE WHITE DRESS. IT WAS LONG, GLITZY AND BEAUTIFUL. THE DRESS DIDN'T EXACTLY FIT, JUST A LITTLE TIGHT. BUT, SHE'D HAVE TO MAKE DO WITH IT. SHE SMILED INTO THE MIRROR AND AFFIXED THE VEIL TO HER HAIR. SHE'D NEVER LIKED JEWELRIES SO SHE DIDN'T BOTHER WITH THEM. SHE PUT ON THE WHITE ELBOW LONG HAND GLOVE. SHE STARED AT HER REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR AND LAUGHED LIGHTLY.

THIS WAS EXACTLY HOW SHE'D ENVISIONED HERSELF ON HER WEDDING. FROM THE DRESS TO THE SHOES. IT WAS LIKE THE PERSON WHO DESIGNED THE ATTIRE HAD STOLEN HER DREAMS AND MADE IT INTO REALITY. SHE GATHERED THE OTHER STUFFS INTO THE PARCEL BAG AND WENT OUT OF THE CUBICLE. THE MAN ON SUIT WAS STANDING THERE, JUST ABOUT TO KNOCK.

'I SAID FIFTEEN MINUTES?' HE SAID. SHE STARED AT HIM.

'SHE'S LATE.' SHE TURNED TO THE OWNER OF THE VOICE. HER HEART MELTED AT THE SIGHT OF HIM. HE WAS DOWN TO EARTH GORGEOUS AND SEXY. HE WAS DRESSED IN A BLUE SUIT. HE HAD BOTH HIS PALMS IN HIS POCKETS.

'WHY DIDN'T YOU WEAR YOUR JEWELRIES?' THE MAN ON SUIT DEMANDED. 'OR PUT ON SOME MAKEUP?' HE SAID.

'I DON'T LIKE IT,' SHE SAID SIMPLY. THEY STARED AT HER, A LITTLE BIT SHOCKED. THE MAN ON SUIT LOOKED AT HER FUNNILY.

'SERIOUSLY?' HE SAID IN DISBELIEF.

'LET ME SEE HER,' GORGEOUS AND SEXY SAID. THE MAN ON SUIT STEPPED OUT OF VIEW SO HE COULD SEE HER VERY WELL. HE LOOKED HER OVER LIKE ONE WOULD DO WHEN PICKING A NEW CAR, ASSESSING HER. SHE SAID NOTHING. 'SHE'S THE BEST.'

'SIR?' THE MAN ON SUIT ASKED LIKE HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT.

'HER, I CHOOSE HER.' HE SMILED AT HER. 'YOU HAVE A NAME?'

'TIANA,' ANNABELLE SAID.

'HMMH,' HE SAID AND TURNED AWAY. ANNABELLE WONDERED WHAT SHE'D BEEN CHOSEN FOR. PROBABLY TO PLAY A PART IN THIS MOVIE? SHE GLANCED AROUND. THE OTHER GIRLS LOOKED SO DEJECTED, EVEN IRENE. WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPY?

'LUCKY YOU,' THE MAN ON SUIT SAID WITH A SMILE. 'SIGN HERE,' HE TOLD HER. SHE TOOK THE PEN AND SIGNED THE PAPER. IT ALL BEGAN HERE, THE GREATEST MISTAKE OF HER LIFE.