[Cara]
Everything still hasn’t sunk into my pretty dumb head.
It’s as if the time itself seemed to have slowed down and the world stopped revolving around me. My body moved automatically without being told what to do. My eyes stare distantly, but not seeing at all.It feels like I am floating, my head wrapped around the cloud, and a knife lodged between my chest. Tweaking and twisting in a painful thrust, making it so hard to breathe.“Cara...”A low velvety voice echoed in a hush. My phantom moved closer to me from across the dim room, walking with a such regal bearing that its presence overwhelms me to the point of suffocation, stifling and bursting me into flames. Yet, at the very same time a kind of air I longed to breathe. To inhale and fill my lungs with his manly scent. I should be frightened after what happened. I should be wary of his presence and call the cops immediately. He could be a psychopath, a murderer, and an obsessed stalker.I am aware of the danger he poses, and I should be running away instead of waiting for him to come closer. But I didn’t.His shadows eventually loom over my huddled frame at the corner, crouching down and holding my face so tenderly.In contrast to his enormous physique, his touch was light and delicate, like feathers. Silky smooth and peppery despite the rough edges. Ensuring my safety as I least expected it.So familiar, but I know they are two different people. They don’t share the same voice, unfortunately.Tears haven't stopped falling down my cheeks, and I know mom was even more devastated than I am. I wanted to stay in her room but she told me she wanted to be alone for the night. So I came here, to my old bedroom in our mansion.She just lost the man she loved. A part of her heart.Her life companion. Her husband. Her best friend.Their marriage is not perfect, but they both love and respect each other so dearly that it makes me envious. They both acted like teenagers even in their fifties.While I just lost a great father. I saw it. The way that bullet went straight in between his eyes no more than a blink still haunts me and probably will for the rest of my life.“Why?” My croaked voice almost sounded so foreign to hear. Like some dissonant ghost bemoaning for justice and asking all the high heavens above why this has to happen. Of all people why… “My dad...you...that man...my life...everything.”Everything is in disarray and a mess as it continues to fall apart.Slowly, with his thumb softly caressing the side of my jaw, he tipped my head up, cupping my face into his enormous palm almost swallowing half of my visage. “It’s going to be alright. I promised.”He still wore that stupid mask and I wanted to snatch it away to finally see his face and confirm to myself that he and Damon are in fact the same person, as I had hoped they were. Yet, I know before I could even lay a finger on that darn mask, he would catch me again. He’s very much faster than I am as he had proved numerous times already.“How?” A rasping quavering breath clawed out of my lungs. “Things are not going to stay the same as they use to be. I lost my father, and tomorrow…tomorrow…” will be his burial. I couldn’t say it aloud. I couldn’t bring myself to. The words choked inside me, refusing to come out, drowned and preceded by the successions of sobs pummeling at the back of my throat as I heaved again.Crying.“Hush now, love.” My phantom pulled me into his hefty arms, securely wrapping them around me as though spooning up a neglected child.He calls me love. I know he calls me that before, but hearing him say that again whenever he’s not on the point of pleasuring me feels something a little too emotionally intimate on the matter. Especially now I’m on a train wreck. I don’t even know where to start pulling myself up together after this.The cadence of his heart sounded blissfully against my ear. An assurance that he is indeed real and alive. That I wasn’t dreaming or that being a delusional woman with staggering mental health issues caused by trauma.However, one of the things that had been killing me was his identity. “I don’t even know you. You won’t even tell me your name.”“There is no need for that now.” A gust of warm air caresses the crown of my head as he scoops me up into his arms. “Let me take you to bed. You must rest.”From the corner where I huddled myself, he crosses the distance to my bed with only a few of his long strides. Gently, my body sinks into the soft mattress as he lays me down, making sure I was comfortable enough before he released my grip and turned away. On the other hand, I don't want him to leave just yet.My hand instinctively shoots up, fisting the hem of his shirt, feeling his entire body goes rigid. “Stay with me…please.”His head tilt a little, glimpsing me sideways but said nothing. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have. You should leave now.” I quickly let my grip on his shirt go, realizing that it wasn’t the smartest move to let an intruder stay inside my room. I wasn’t even in my apartment, yet he still manages to follow me into my family mansion. Seamlessly passing through the plethora of guards stationed around and tight securities.To complete my dismissal, I shifted, turning my back on him, and pulled up the blankets to my chin. Forcing my eyes shut and squeezing out the leftover tears that lingered. There was no movement of him for a moment and I thought he may have gone already. Nevertheless, my breath catches my throat when the side of my bed begins to dip and softly bounce at the additional weight crawling next to me. An arm slips right under my neck while the other slithered to my midriff, palm resting flat on my belly button. He pulled me close until my rear pressed comfortably to him, molding perfectly to his hard physique.“Sleep now. I won’t go,” he whispered, placing a delicate kiss on the crook of my neck, and like an enchantment cast on me, my consciousness complied without qualms. Instantly lulling me to sleep.The next morning, I woke up alone in bed. No traces of him and the place where he left had gone cold already. Not a moment too soon, my mom came in. Even though she is still a mess, she already had her bearings despite the traces of lamentations that were clearly visible in her red-rimmed eyes and the crescent shadows that were sitting atop her cheekbones.She told me we should get ready and that dad is waiting for us in the memorial chapel for the last service and that we should stay strong together to face our guests. My father’s death was already on the news all over the place. One of Manhattan's most successful magnates shoots dead during a family dinner. My social media accounts were inundated with condolences, and some of them were directed to my personal messages. Yet, I did not open at least one of those. Save for Nancy who called me the moment she heard the news, bawling her eyes out.Damon was the one who prepared for everything just like he promised. Which I am truly glad of because I have no idea how to properly function these days, at least organize my dad’s burial.“Do you want to speak?” He asks, referring to my final message to my dad and to all the people who had come to pay respect to my father’s resting place. But I fear that if I open my mouth to the public, I would simply cry instead of talking. So instead of responding, I just look at Damon with a blank expression on my face and blink like I don't hear him. which he immediately comprehends what it is I am trying to imply. “Alright.”The service went in a rush. One thing I was listening to was Damon’s message to everyone, the next was my mom collapsing on the ground next to where my dad’s golden casket was being lowered six feet underneath below. While I stood motionless next to her, silently crying out for justice to whoever did this.I swear in his grave to find that very person and make sure he’s going to pay his debt.[Cara] A week has flown by, and I still don't have the energy to return to work, but I know I must. My employees depended on me for them to feed their families. So I couldn't let this grief consume me, or else many lives would suffer greatly. I couldn’t do that to my people.Most of my free time—which wasn't much—was spent searching for any possible prospect whom my dad had been afflicted with. Nonetheless, all those searches were futile and leads me to naught.Fortunately, I have Nancy to get me through my grief. She had been extremely patient and helpful to me. She doesn’t annoy me every now and then like she always does. Instead, she keeps checking in on my office, and I appreciate all of her efforts.Meanwhile, it has also been a week since I heard anything from Damon. It feels like he just popped out of our lives after the incident and my dad’s burial. It’s not that I am expecting anything from him, but he could have called at least once to see how I was doing. Well, now that my
[Cara]Without waiting for his response I dropped the call and slump back into my chair again. Suddenly felt drained just by talking to him.I thought he was the one who was going to pick me up, but instead, an armored black SUV was waiting on me on the ground floor of my building. Escorted by a plethora of men in black and another three SUVs tailing the one I was in with.I just shot Nancy a quick message about where I am going and she texted back, telling me to have fun. Like what fuck? What fun would that be?If not in bed… Oh, gross.…not.I’m totally mental.The trip went uneventful and excruciatingly long. I’m not even sure where this is going and these men sitting rigidly next to me felt more like robots than humans. It was already dark when we were on our way to Damon’s place.Fancy places and grandeur don’t appeal to me no more. However, my jaw locked in its place when my gaze fell into a glass monstrosity perched skywards on the hilltop. It is double the size of our mansion
[Cara]Nobody dared to stop me as I stormed out of this glass monstrosity. Or because Damon told them not to. Mom was shouting my name behind me, but I was too angry and hurt to even listen to her.How could they do this to me?Am I not to be trusted about such matters that they chose to tell Damon instead of me? Over their own daughter? Is that how keen and desperate they are to sell me? I know for the longest time they are trying to find me an eligible bachelor with tons of money to expand and strengthen our business domain, and also to ensure my future. But fuck! I never expected Dad to include my inheritance in this gamble, and for what? So that I would be forced to marry that fucking bastard. It was clearly stated in there that I could only access whatever was left in my name only by marriage to Damon-fucking-Montreal.Gosh! I felt so dumb and stupid.“Drive!” I hollered, directing to no one while marching briskly through the roundabout pavement where the SUV was still parked a
[Cara]I am not a crybaby. I am raised not to be one. A little spoiled, maybe, but never cry more than once about the same problem. I toughened up and faced it rather than breaking down every time it resurfaced in my mind. Nonetheless, the surge of emotions was just too much, too painful to be held close.Like a dam bursting into floods, my tears flowed into rivers soon as I throw myself inside my car.That insufferable bastard really had the audacity to follow me after delivering that horrendous news like it was nothing.Fuck him. Fuck them all!I breathed deeply, clutching the steering wheels until my knuckles turned white. I stared at the empty parking lot blankly.No, Cara.Pull yourself together.You’re one of the strongest person I know. Don’t let that hot-ass bastard ruin everything that’s left in your life.Certainly, dad had some explanation for this. Just have the courage to broaden your understanding, okay? Your mom is just as devastated as you were. Both of you were going
[3rd POV—Damon]It wasn’t supposed to happen, though he doesn’t regret a thing either. All of his defenses crumbled into dust when Cara kissed him. She opened up herself to him like a bottle of irresistible whiskey, pouring liquid of fire into his tongue.All he could think was to make her feel better, and now she was curled in his arms, sleeping tightly and soundly. The soft snore coming from her mouth was like a melody he couldn’t get enough of, and the way her lashes fluttered, touching her cheeks told him whatever dream she was having, it wasn’t a nightmare. Which is a good thing after everything she’s been through. He feels terrible for deceiving her, for having Cara think that he and her phantom are two different people, but he has to hide his identity until she’s ready to embrace his dark side.Damon slid off his mask, having no need for it, and stared at Cara’s sleeping countenance. He traces his thumb over the fine bridge of her nose, down to her pouty lips before a static r
[Cara]Four packets of condom sachets littered my room, which I had been staring at for quite some time, along with the mask and shirt he had left. For a moment, I thought he just forgot about them, or he could deliberately leave them on purpose to remind me that last night was real.Damn, does he always carry a bunch of them every night?Four rounds. I can’t believe we used all that.Heat crawled up into my face at the thought of it. No wonder I’m a bit sore down there, and my knees had gotten a little weak. His scent lingered around my room and on my skin. I remember everything and the incident I encountered with Damon and Liam. Those two pricks, I hope they bang their heads on against each other and damage their brain permanently. I was expecting another bludgeoning headache to come considering how much I had drunk last night. Strangely, I felt perfectly fine.Maybe the little exertion that happened last night with my phantom helped ease the alcohol out of my system.Now my nigh
[Cara]“Cara, the situation is getting direr. Mr. Torrel wished to meet with you to discuss his shares in the company. Some of our investors also tried to make an appointment regarding the same issue.”Nancy barged into my office while I was buried with other papers. Too much is happening right now for me to have a lackadaisical moment.“What the hell do they want?” I let out a groan, slammed the folder I was going through, and then shot a glare at my friend, who is, by the way, the head of the finance department.“Here, take a look at this.” She thrust a black envelope in front of me, and I stared at it full of suspicion as though, at any moment, a snake would jump out of it and bite me in the neck.The death threat I received last week wasn’t helping much with my imagination. It was stressing me out, and I know I shouldn’t take it lightly, knowing my dad had been assassinated right before me two weeks prior.Well, whatever this shit is. It’s not going to reveal itself just by starin
[Cara]I must be crazy...A fool.A dumb bitch no brighter than a dimwit. Damn! I hate myself.Fear crippled my entire body as I crept my gaze into the eerie surroundings I was in. Yes, I know. I wasn’t in the right mind when I followed the address written on the black card sent by my new anonymous stalker.How could I ever explain these things? Certainly, it was the same person that gave me a fucking death threat. It wasn’t the most brilliant move, and I realized I wasn’t as bright as I claimed to be.My sender knew precisely how to tweak my curiosity and used something like this to lure me out of my dugout.I wasn’t thinking straight. I didn’t even manage to tell Nancy where I was going. I just fling my dad’s phone back into my security vault in great abandoned. It was only halfway when I finally realized this dumb-shit I was doing and that I wasn’t in the right mind to pull my car in reverse.“Well, Melanie. You better start praying harder for me.” I breathed deeply, darting on t