"What?" Olivia froze.
Her relief was short-lived when she realized it wasn't Roman. Panic sets in almost immediately.
"Who the hell is that?" she was reluctant to look closer. The sight of blood on a dead body was not something she wanted to observe.
Declan was breathing heavily. He shook his head and stroked his hair. "Get the tarp, Livy ... get some tapes and plastic, whatever we have ... hurry!"
She ran down the stairs. She wasn't thinking anymore. She just did what Declan told her.
"Oh ... God!" Declan muttered to himself. He rubbed his face with both hands. He was sure it was Roman when he first saw the dark images on the CCTV monitor.
He checked the pockets of the dead man in front of him. He took everything he could find from the corpse. Gil was dead. Blood was still leaking out of his wounded head through the soaked cap. Declan would've seen a clearer image through the monitor if he hadn't worn that cap. Or not. His
The silence was deafening. The clock on the dashboard said 3.30 AM. They had probably been cleaning since 12 AM. She could still smell the blood though she couldn't pinpoint where it originated. She scrubbed herself clean almost to the point where she scratched off the first layer of her skin. But the scent remained. They drove for almost an hour when Declan pulled to a construction site. She took a glance at the sign as they entered the area. It was one of his company's ongoing projects. They were building a factory. Heavy equipment was parked all over the site. The land was dug up in the middle. She started to get the idea of what Declan was planning on doing. "They're scheduled to dump the soil in the morning ... they had done the inspection yesterday. I'll dig a shallow grave, and they'll cover it up with tons and tons of soil in the morning," he sounded confident. She looked at him with an empty stare, still unsure about everything they were doin
Declan ... my love ...If you're reading this ... that means I'm gone ...I have been contemplating this decision for the longest time.Our last meeting convinced me there is no hope for me ever to be together with you again.I don't want to live without you, especially when you love someone else on this earth.God knows I tried to do that, and it's killing me inside. It might as well kill me forever.Damien is such a sweet boy. He doesn't deserve this. He doesn't deserve an unhappy mother who's always bitter and angry because she couldn't be with his father, who has no love for either of us.He doesn't deserve to be in a world where he is not loved and treated like he didn't matter. I couldn't give that to him because I can't convince you to be the father he deserves.So I'm not leaving him behind. He is mine. He is my heart and soul.I promise this won't hurt. Not as much as knowing that you don't love me.I hope you find what you lost wit
Somewhere in Chestnut lies the body of a mother and son that had yet to be discovered. They had to go on knowing this and not do anything about it. They had to act as if everything was normal and they were leaving for London as scheduled. Their bags were packed for a month's stay, they left their instructions to their employees and gave their house staff a paid leave. Declan leaned on the doorway while Olivia was already waiting in the car. He looked around one last time to see if they had everything they needed. His eyes fell on the Blue Flame. He had bought the piece from Roman early on when he didn't know what it truly meant for any of them. "A blue flame represents many things to many people. It represents illumination and enlightenment. It could mean destruction and renewal, spirituality and also damnation ... it depends on which aspect you can relate to." Roman's voice echoed in his mind. "While blue is a color that presents coolne
The moment they arrived in London, a call came in. The family lawyer informed them that their brownstone house in Lancaster had burned. The lawyer would contact the insurance company, and an investigation was underway. Declan left the matter to his lawyer's hand. He told them they could not return because they had just arrived and Olivia was not feeling well. They will have to do all interviews and communication through video calls. A few days after that, the news broke. Bodies were found in a family home in Chestnut. A mother and an 8-year-old boy they assume were her son were found in their car. It seemed like they had been dead for a few days. The police were looking for the husband. The scene indicated that the two deceased people had died from asphyxiation, an apparent murder-suicide inside the car. However, the car was already turned off when they found them. Someone was already there and failed to report the incident. Gil Isaac was now a wanted man.
Blood ... blood everywhere ... it puddled on the floor and seeped through the grout between the white marble tiles. Moving slowly towards the rug. Splattered on the wall from the two gunshots through the back of his head. She was standing by the stairs when it happened. It happened so fast. She tiptoed closer. He was face down, the thick red liquid dripping from his brain, gushes out of the bullet wounds on his head, and the smell ... she looked away. She couldn't bear to come any closer. She gasped, covering her mouth with both hands. There was no way he was still alive. She saw his head explode and his body fell to the floor like a dead log. Even in the dark, it was clear to see the two shots went straight through his skull from a close range. It felt like a terrible
It's been a while since she last went on a solo trip. She used to love doing it back in college. To travel to strange places she had never been, to learn the cultures, the food, meet new faces that she probably will never see again, to be anonymous where no one recognizes her or knew who she was. She finds it easier to connect with people without them knowing personal details about her. People are much friendlier, less judgmental, and not interested in prying on her private life when the encounter is brief, the conversations are on a need-to-know basis. No need for false pretenses. No drama. They will go about their day with a smile on their faces and a feeling of delight after meeting a nice stranger. But this was the first time she had ever been on a cruise ship. She booked an ultra-premium cruise line for a trip to Bhorma wher
Classy elegant semi-formal Chanel dress was the one she chose for her first dinner on the cruise. She recently purchased it for the sole purpose of her trip. She bought a few items for the vacation and even the tags were still attached to them. Blue is her favorite color, deep dark blue that matches her skin tone and her dark brown hair. She didn't want to be overdressed for the occasion, but she didn't want to be underdressed either. Ludus Oceania was a plush establishment, everyone must look like they belong in that ship. She always tries to dress the part. She grew up in a middle-class family, then she became a beauty queen and appearance was everything. Everything she owned, or put on her body was nothing less than posh. Olivia enjoys the finer things in life, it's what she had been accustomed to for some time. She had a cert
In her younger days, she would've stayed for a few more minutes to see what his game was. Too many of them didn't really have anything to offer personality-wise, and she was experienced enough to see that within the first 15 minutes of conversations. She's tired of first impressions that lead to nowhere, unimpressive sex at best, and weeks sometimes months of trying to get rid of them because they seem to like her more than she likes them. More than that, she has Declan now. The love of her life whom she married when she was 25 years old. The end of her search for the perfect man that every girl wanted to spend the rest of their lives with. Declan was hers. Her husband was the man who was able to convince her that she didn't want any other man in her life. He fulfilled