Chapter 1
1160 Words
Ten years ago
The silence in the room was ear-splitting as six pairs of eyes glared at the figure sitting at the far end of the 8-seater table.
“Do we have to kill her too?” The voice from the far end of the table said breaking the stillness of the office.
“Why can’t we,” another said as a smirk ran across his face. “I’m pretty sure she’d be glad. She has no family or relatives. Who’s she gathering all the wealth for?”
Others nodded their head in unison as the smoke from the cigars held in their hand filled the room. One could die by spending just a minute in there
“She has no relatives…isn’t that the more reason why we should let her go?. No father or husband or child”
A sudden burst of laughter from everyone filled the room. They all looked at each other mocking the figure
“We’re not here to debate whether or not to kill her. We’re here to decide how to kill her. With Arnold lurking around her it has been quite difficult”
“Don’t you think we’ve done enough ?”
“What did you say ?” someone stood up angrily and jammed his hands against the table. “This girl threatens the very existence of us. She shouldn’t have meddled if she wanted to live”
“Calm down. I just think killing her seems a little extreme. We all loved this girl like she was our daughter…why can’t we…”
“Now she’s our only threat. You killed her father…our friend. What’s stopping you from killing her also? Starting to feel ashamed” he spat. “ Giomi” the figure barked.
A grim figure in a black suit and Gucci glasses walked firmly towards him. With each step, the room shook. He halted and bowed his head slightly showing a tattooed snake on his neck.
“Have your men follow Mia. Kill her without mercy”
******************************************
Tic tic tic
The sound of the clock filtered through Mia’s ears. She turned and looked at the clock. It’s 6 am. It’s time to wake up.
She lifted herself from the bed and sat down putting her pale feet in her ash slippers
A sudden realization dawned on her…
“Mia…” a male voice growled from the other side of the bed. He got up and pecked her shoulder moving his lips slowly from one point to another on her slender body. “You’re home now. You’re not going to work today. Take a deep breath and stay with me longer”.
Mia turned and smiled. She kissed the figure and tucked into the bed again cuddling in his muscular arms.
She closed her eyes tightly and went back to sleep. Her head felt empty. Her stomach churned for food.
Tick Tick Tick
The echo was rising with every decibel. It filled her head. It created a deafening sound in her ears. She turned and looked at the clock again. It was 6:12. She growled and shut her eyes tighter this time.
Tick toc tick toc tick tick tick
The ringing soon turned into a musical chime piercing into the depths of her eardrum. Creases appeared on her forehead as beads of sweat rolled down her body. She tightened her toes and squeezed herself into a round ball.
Mia rolled on the mattress turning her head from side to side. She felt a throbbing sensation in her head. Her heart pounded furiously as if it wanted to come out of her chest. Everywhere felt dizzy. It was as if the whole world spun around her.
The ominous clock close clicked on and with every tock it sliced each second inexorably, apportioning the hour in small increments and advancing on to that dreaded time when her nightmare will be at its peak.
“Mia…Mia!!!” the figure shook her continuously trying to snap her out of her thoughts.
Mia looked up at the clock
It’s 6:30
Yet it felt like she just spent the last two hours rolling on the bed. She got up and looked out the window. The rays of sunlight slipped through the open curtains and rested perfectly on her face.
“Morning sunshine,” he said as clasped her from behind. “Noticed you didn’t sleep well. Are you alright “he swung her slowly as if he was moving to a musical tune.
“Not really” Mia gasped turning around and giving him a peck on the lips
“I wish we could stay in. I miss the times we would just have fun and play around all day”
“Oh, c’mon” Mia chuckled. “That was eighteen years ago and it lasted for about three days”
“That was the period I saw you in your happiest moment.”
“Well, the society is breathing down my neck. I can feel their rage slip through every time I walk down those halls or have a meeting with them. I’m going to make them pay for killing my father but I don’t want them to hurt my beautiful boy”
“Enough of that sad gloomy talk. It’s Camden’s graduation today and this is the first time in all his life that you’re going to his school”
“Yeah…he’s been talking about it nonstop for quite a while”
“Aren’t you bothered you’re being trailed or something”
Mia let herself loose and walked to her closet. There were not so many clothes in there. This wasn’t her usual home.
“For how long will I hide in fear? I’ve put Camden through so much preparing him for what’s ahead. Sometimes I feel so imposed so much on him as a child”
“No no princess. You did a great job by telling him everything. This way he can prepare for the future and whatever happens”
“You should get going. Camden would be worried when he wakes up and does not see me in his room”
“C’mon now cupcake. He’s eighteen today. Don’t you think he’s getting a little old for that? You’ve tried as a mother. For eighteen years you made sure that no matter how busy you were you’d always laid beside him in the night. Can’t I have you to myself sometime?” the figure rolled his eyes and sucked in his lips.
Mia chucked and glanced seductively at him. “I really wish we could tell him that you’re his father. Why can’t we tell him?”
“For both your safety. Bye pumpkin. I’ll call your secretary on my way out” he replied with a smirk.
Mia never realized that will be the last she’ll see of him. She gave him one last squeeze and sucked in the smell of his red vintage shirt. He always smelled of toffee.
- Writer
