CHAPTER FOUR
SARAH'S POVTWENTY-TWO YEARS AGOLoneliness. Silence. Chaos. Pain.All of these described my life as vividly as you can imagine. My life was a mess and the fact that I was helpless and could do nothing to fix it exacerbated my worries.My husband was sweet. He tried to distract me from my painful reality and succeeded once in a while to make me smile. But as soon as he was gone for the day's work, I was left with the emptiness and silence that had become my companion.Marcus and I had been married for seven years and had been trying to have a baby but couldn't. I had had several miscarriages already and was exhausted from trying. We both were. But we wanted children desperately.Things got worse.I had gotten pregnant again and hoped that it would stay this time, but it didn't. I lost the baby at sixteen weeks and this time, the doctor told me I couldn't have a child. Ever.The news broke me and I fell into depression. It was hard to get out of bed, to even bake,which was my favorite thing to do. I owned a small pastry shop but it had been closed for weeks.Marcus started drinking again, and gambling, so much so that it became a problem. He said it was his way of coping with the loss. If he was good at it and made some more money, I wouldn't be so bitter, but the reverse was the case. He gamed until he lost everything. I often wondered how he coped with the loss of his babies with more losses. It somehow made sense to him.I still remembered how it all changed. It was quite unexpected but I was grateful for it. I had finally picked myself up and decided to go back to work. I was done wallowing in self pity and was ready to heal. So I headed to the market for some flour and butter.That was when I met her.She seemed lost and confused and it was definitely a face I had never seen. Ours was a small community so everyone knew each other. She was a stranger."Excuse me." She had called after me. I stopped and turned to look at her. It was then I noticed her slightly protuding stomach. She was pregnant.A wave of jealousy hit me but I struggled to fight it. It wasn't her fault that I couldn't do what women were supposed to do. It wasn't her fault that I was unable to carry a baby in my womb. My jealousy soon became sadness."Can you please help me? I seem to have lost my way. Someone pointed me towards a motel but I've been walking for hours and I've just been going round in circles. My feet are swollen, I'm tired and my bladder is so full."My heart went out to her in that instant. She looked quite young but not so much younger than me."Are you here with it's father? Why isn't he helping you?"She looked down at her toes and her fingers locked in front of her underneath her stomach. "I'm not married, and I'm running away from their father." She replied, shocking me.She followed me home that day. She had walked too far from the motel and sending her back wasn't the best idea. My house was closer and we had an empty room which we had prepared for our baby that never came. She could stay for a while."What's your name?" I asked her after she had freshened up and changed into the clothes I gave her. We were eating now."Ariana. Ariana shepherd." She replied, gobbling her food."You wanna talk about why you're here in Mexico? You're obviously English."I'm from London." She replied and swallowed the bits of food she had been chewing. "Their..umm..their father doesn't want them. He wants to get rid of them so I ran away.""Them? You're having twins?"She nodded and continued to devour her meal."Why wouldn't he want the babies? That's crazy! I would give anything to be in your place right now. I mean--""You have no children?""None. And I can't have any. I've been married seven years, I'm thirty- six and the Doctors say it's impossible. They're against my trying again. I could lose my life."She stopped eating and stared Into my eyes. She probably pitied me."I'm so sorry you have to go through that.""It's okay. I'll be okay. You made the right decision keeping the babies.""Can I stay with you, just until I give birth? I'll leave when I do and I'll start over somewhere else. I'm very hardworking. I'm good with business and record keeping. I worked as a secretary before coming here. I promise you, I won't be a burden. Also, I have some money with me. I'll pay for the room if you want. I'll get a job if I have to." She asked under one breath.A laugh escaped my lips. She was so young and enthusiastic and hopeful. Having her around would definitely improve my mental health."Sure, I'll be happy to have you live here. You can stay as long as you need." I replied. "One question though, can you bake?""Barely. But I'm a quick learner."She stayed with me for months and helped with my business like she said she would. Things were beginning to look up. Marcus still gambled, but Ariana was so good with keeping money that he couldn't get to it. He gambled with his own money, which he didn't really have so his habit became less frequent.Ariana gave birth to two beautiful baby girls. They were so identical with beautiful cerulean eyes. They cried the same and both had beautiful chestnut brown,curly hair."I don't want to give them English names Sarah. They're Mexican." She replied with a laugh when I asked her if she had any names in mind."Lorena." She said, pointing to the twin that came out first."Leonora." She said to the second one.I couldn't hold back my tears. It was a really beautiful moment.She stayed with me for a month with the babies. My house was finally filled with joy and cheerful laughter. It felt surreal."I'll head out to the shop now." I said to Ariana one afternoon."Do you want me to come along?""No no. You stay and take care of the babies." I replied."Thank you so much for everything Sarah. You're such a wonderful person." She said, a glint of sadness in her eyes."Don't mention it. You're doing me a favour too. I got to know what it was like to have a baby cry in my house.She hugged me with tears in her eyes. "See you when you get back." She said.But that was a lie.I came back home to find her gone. She took Leonora with her and left Lorena with a note beside her."I'm sorry I have to leave like this. Please take care of Lorena. She's yours now. I lied about their father. He doesn't even know they exist. I left because he's married and his family as well as his wife's is quite powerful. His wife is after me. I'll be killed if they find out that the children are alive and I cannot be on the run with two kids. They deserve better. I'm already in trouble because of the affair so please Don't try to find me. I'll take care of Leonora. She should be with her mother at least. There's some money under her cradle, it's not much but I hope it helps."Ariana was gone, but she left me with a precious gift. My own baby. I would protect her with my life. No one would find her and take her away from me. I was a mother now.Chapter fiveLORENA'S POVI could hardly breathe. Fear had paralyzed my entire being. Was I really not going to see my parents ever again? Would I really have to live with this evil stranger who wanted nothing but to make my life miserable? How could he forcefully separate a woman from her family? How could he be so heartless?The men sitting beside me weren't making things any better. They looked scary with their black, well tailored suit and bulky build. They had dark shades on which aided their stern look and I felt so small in the midst of them.I had been screaming and kicking since the drive to an unknown destination started but they paid me no mind. I was exhausted now, too weak to continue my tantrums. It wasn't working anyway. Instead, I sat still, studying their faces and occasionally, the scenery outside the car window. The glass was tinted so I knew no one could see through from the outside. I could look freely.It was beautiful outside. I thought so the first time I left
Chapter sixJACOB'S POVThe soft bed was now a thorn in my flesh, like the prickly thorns on roses. I had been stuck here for months after the accident and since then, time seemed to crawl by. It was hard, laying here in pain and not being able to supervise my casinos and company. Being bedridden was the worst thing that could've ever happened to me, but there was nothing I could do about it. The doctor said I had torn the ligaments in my legs and I wouldn't be able to walk for a while, quite a while they said. I had to undergo therapy if I was to regain the use of my legs.I was getting better now though, or maybe I just got used to the pain. Pain was nothing new to me. I built my empire with my blood and sweat. I didn't inherit my wealth from my parents neither did they contribute anything into making me the man that I am. They were poor church rats and couldn't offer me anything, nothing close to the life I wanted. So, I had to work extra hard to acquire everything I had. I was a
Chapter sevenSarah's POVSo this was what hell felt like. This was what it meant for your entire world to crumble while you could do nothing but watch. Why did it happen so suddenly though? Why?Marcus laid on the bed, the covers drawn to his chin. He was bruised all over from the beatings he got but I had cleaned up his wound. His bloody clothes laid in a pile on the floor. He was hurt and that was the only reason I hadn't brought down the roof on him. It was the only reason I hadn't kicked him out and sent him to get my daughter back."Sarah..I know what you're thinking." He said, struggling to breathe. The blow to his rib was severe but we had no money to get proper treatment for him. He would survive it with some pain killers and rest. He tried to hold my hands and console me but my icy glare must have made him change his mind because his hands recoiled from mine now."I was going to pay back. I had a plan for the money but things didn't just work out the way I wanted it to.""
Chapter eight.LORENA'S POVI woke up with a slight throbbing on my head. It felt as though I had been smacked on the head with a baseball bat. Not that I really knew how that would feel like but, you get the idea.I tried to open my eyes but the sunlight seeping through the window was too intense and on top of that, I was facing the window directly. It had to be noon. I turned, facing the other way and tried again. My eyes were open but i became confused instantly. I could not, for the life of me, remember where I was. This room was a sharp contrast to the one I grew up in. The bed for one was soft and comfortable and it smelled really clean and fresh. The wall was painted white with some gray hues on places like the window and doors. There were plenty furnitures in the room. A couch, and a glass centre table, a dressing table made of mahogany that matched the wardrobe. Everything in the room screamed class and wealth.But whose house was this?The door opened and a very good look
Chapter NineANDREW'S POVI hurried out of the room because I was beginning to lose my composure. I'd tried hard to control myself and not get close to her, I couldn't let her know the effect she was having on me.I went downstairs to the dining table without waiting for her to follow. I couldn't bear to be next to her. The feel of her skin on mine moments ago still tormented me. Why did she have to try to hit me? I wouldn't have had to touch her like I did back at her house and I wouldn't be struggling to keep my desires at bay. In my mind, I'd already imagined the different ways I could have her.I looked down at my pants and noticed the bulge between my legs. "Shit!" I cursed under my breath."I'm only keeping her here so her parents can take my payment seriously. It's just collateral. If they had something else that was valuable, I would have taken that instead." I said to myself. But did I even believe that?I had already made the decision to stay away from love. There were lots
Chapter TenMARCUS' POVI felt shame and guilt ate at my heart, constricting my air flow. I was to blame. Me! It was all my fault.I knew about the Sanchez. They were filthy rich and powerful people with chains of company all over Mexico. They had a winery and casinos that raked in lots of money. I knew that because I frequently visited the casino and saw the calibre of people that went there. I guess I had gotten greedy.Why on earth did I think I could be that lucky? Lucky enough to win at the tables and hang out with the rich and powerful people. If luck was smiling at me then I would have been able to succeed in all the businesses I had tried to start, but they failed every time. I couldn't make anything of myself and ended up being the poor gambler who only drank and played games with stolen money from my wife. It was a wonder that she hadn't left me. It would have been better for her if she had but I knew she stayed to protect her daughter. We were the only ones who knew that h
CHAPTER ELEVENLORENA'S POV"Where are we going?" I asked, forcing my leg inside the only slipper that could fit me among Maria's pairs. I had kicked off the slipper I had on while struggling to escape from Andrew and his men and now I had nothing. Andrew didn't say a word. He acted like I wasn't speaking to him when he was the only one there.What the hell was wrong with this man? Why was he so arrogant?"Hello? He's hot and freaking rich!" A voice in my head said, silencing me.He picked up his phone and dialed a number. Immediately it connected, he said only a few words. "Make sure Sia is available, we're on our way." Then he hung up.Is that how he talks to people?"Hurry up Lorena, I'm a busy man."My glare must have sent chills through him because he suddenly turned to look at me for the first time since he walked In my room"We're going to get you some necessities. You don't plan on wearing this dress you have on for the next three years do you?" He asked, humour in his eyes."
CHAPTER 12LORENA'S POV.The awkward silence didn't make things any better, infact, it made the atmosphere a lot more tense. Silent stares were exchanged by the staff and shoppers at the boutique and you could tell what they were all thinking.The whole situation was starting to make sense now, I was a fool for not figuring it out sooner. He was Andrew Sanchez, the most sought after bachelor within and outside the country. Their influence spread beyond the borders of Mexico. The whole of North America knew him and his company. Women populated this demographic and the reason was clear; Andrew Sanchez was a Greek god.Andrew removed the woman from his person and took a step back. "Hello Trisha.""Hello Trisha? Is that all you've got to say to me after going MIA for two weeks?" She asked, a frown on her gorgeous face. The women here were all gorgeous. Of course, gorgeous men attracted gorgeous women."I can't talk now Trisha, as you can see, I'm busy."She turned to look at me and I swa