18

18

GABRIELLE.

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Since you miss him so much, shall we check on him? Let's see if your little lover boy misses you as well! "

A knot twisted in my stomach, he wouldn't let me see Derek, not unless he was planning to do something awful.

He pulled out a laptop from his desk and switched it on, after that he took out from his pocket something that looked like a phone.

"Proceed" He spoke curtly.

His attention shifted to the laptop screen and I did the same, a deep sense of fear pitted in my stomach.

The screen was completely dark, soon enough, that changed when the lights flickered on.

It looked like a storage room, there was an unmoving figure on the ground, I almost didn't recognize him.

Derek!

My heart lunged to my throat, he was wounded, both of his eyes were swollen, there was dried blood on his nose, it was situated at a weird angle like it had been broken. He was naked except for a torn pair of trousers. The same he had worn yesterday morning.

Had it only been yesterday? It felt like forever since we've been apart.

Two large figures entered the room, guns in their hands.

My heart bolted with terror, Lucian was finally going to kill him.

"Please no! Don't do this!..." I rasped, my eyes shifted to Lucian, I was unconscious of the way my hands were somehow on his arm, tugging desperately.

"Watch! " His eyes were so cold, it held no hint of remorse about what he was about to do. He grasped my chin so I was now staring at the screen.

The huge men abruptly reached for Derek who was laying helplessly.

"No!" The broken sob left my mouth.

They were speaking rapidly, I couldn't hear what they were saying to him but one of the men suddenly hits him hard on his stomach with the base of his gun.

He staggered backward, a painful sound escaping his mouth.

"Please stop!" My eyes remained glued on the horrifying scene even as I begged desperately.

"Continue watching wife, we haven't gotten to the best of the show." He was unfeeling, all of these were nothing more than a game to him, a show which was meant to punish him.

Horror twisted tightly in my throat when one of the men produced a hammer, the other lifted Derek's hands, spreading his fingers widely apart.

I was sobbing and struggling in Lucian's vice-like grip, pleading mercy from a man who had none.

The hit came hard, the sickening sound of bones crushing made my stomach roiled, the finger was bent at a weird angle, it was ruined. The vicious hit came again, crushing another of his fingers.

Each continuous brutal strike destroyed something inside of me.

He was murdering Derek while I watched, and there was nothing I could do about it. He held all the power.

"Stop it!! What exactly do you want from us!! " I screamed at the man holding me captive.

"It isn't me, it's you wife." He paused, his hard gaze pinned on mine.

"I'm not the one doing this, he's only suffering because you said you love him, watch! Because you refuse to forget him! "

A single fat tear rolled my eye as I watched Derek being continually getting brutalized. His screams were constant. A low voice whispered in my head that Lucian was right, all this was because of me, the other part of me strongly argued against it, he was inhumane, everything was happening because of him.

"There is only one way you can stop this. "

I held my breath, even if he asked for my life, I would give it to him.

"Forget him. Completely erase him from your mind, he is no longer a part of your life. " He clenched each word.

Tears of bitter frustration rolled down my eyes, he caught it with a swipe of his finger, bringing it to the tip of his tongue.

"I promise that I will forget him, just let him go, don't let Derek die " my words were hurried and jumbled, my soul was already fallen apart.

He shook his head slowly as though in regrets if only I didn't know better.

"I wished I could believe those words, If only I can believe that you would never think about him, have dreams about him! " fury flashed across his eyes as he spat the last words.

"I swear! I'm going to..."

"You can only do that when he is dead! Only he is out of your head, you can begin to think of your new life, as my wife! " He cuts in sharply.

I shook my head in disagreement, he suddenly jerked me away from him and I almost stumbled to the floor from the force of it. He straightened to full height, making me feel even smaller.

"I will forget him! "

His nostrils flared as he inhaled raggedly, he took a step forward to snatch my arms.

"Prove it. And I'll let him go."

His eyes flashed with an emotion I couldn't recognize, but the power of it made my legs tremble.

"H..how"

I told myself that I was prepared for whatever might be his condition, I inhaled deeply, bracing myself.

"Give me a baby. Get pregnant with my heir."

My knees would have collapsed if not for the support of his arms, I wanted to scream and cry, desperately needed to flee this nightmare.

He wasn't done yet, he leaned closer for my ears alone.

"Each time I claim your body, you will profess how much you love me! "

He abruptly let go of me and my weakened knees collapsed on the wooden tiles, his eyes burned through me, waiting for my response.

I felt as though I would lose it, so much pain and bitterness flowing through my heart, I felt it would explode.

I nodded numbly, it was the only thing I could do.

"I won't have to remind you wife about using words, do I? "

I couldn't hold back renewed tears, my throat was too tight and sore to speak, but still, I managed.

"I will do whatever you want! " I whispered. I hated the flash of triumph in his eyes, I loathed my own helplessness even more.

"If you ever make a mistake, it wouldn't end with breaking off his fingers, I'll tear him piece by piece and gift it to you"

I numbly acknowledged his warnings. Once again, he won. Defeat was like bitter pills forced down my throat, he had all the cards in this game and he knew it.

I vowed that I wouldn't give up just yet, I would find a way out of this.

Even if it means destroying both of us.

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Mother answered on the second ring, I found the telephone in my room, I had to use it since I didn't remember bringing my cellphone with me.

The sound of her familiar voice had me choking on a sob.

I missed her, I yearned for the way my life used to be.

"Who is this? " She repeated.

"It's me " The strained whisper left my mouth, I heard her loud gasp of surprise.

"Oh, goodness gabby is that you? "

I nodded swiping at my tears, then I remembered that she couldn't hear me.

"Yes mother, I miss you! "

I didn't ask about my father and sister, they had to be perfectly fine after doing this to me.

"I miss you too dear! How are you doing over there! Are you alright? You sound different"

My first thought had been to pour out everything that happened to me, to completely break down and tell her that I wanted to return home. That I wanted to wake from this nightmare, that I craved what my life used to be and wanted it all back, but I didn't say anything.

Nothing would be solved by whatever I might say, she would only be filled with endless worries and sadness. I didn't wish that for her.

"I'm fine, just a little tired, you know that I'm only beginning to get used to this new place."

She wasn't convinced, her next question proved so.

"What about Lucian, did he hurt you?"

Pain brought fresh tears to my eyes, Lucian didn't hurt me, he crushed me, broke off my wings so that I could never fly again.

I heard mother's cry, I think she already guessed, her sadness made me upset.

"Of course not! We are still getting used to each other, it turned out I was afraid for nothing, I remembered something urgent, talk to you later? "

There was a notable pause from the other side of the line before she said those words I always heard since I was a child.

"I love you, baby. "

"Love you too...."

I heard a sudden noise behind me, just as I jumped around instinctively, the phone slipped from my hands.

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