Hello Serene, Theodore greeted with a warm smile on his face. Serene nodded back in response sitting down on the chair.
It's about your mom, Theodore added. I seem to have picked up a location, but her actual whereabouts remain unknown. Though, my people reported they've seen a middle aged woman passing by an alley several times.
But, it's yet to be concluded that's your mum since she has always covered herself with a scarf. But we brought some pictures, he said handing her some photos.
Serene picked it up and stared at it for awhile. She had a feeling it was her mother, she unconsciously traced the picture, tear drops fell onto the picture. She hadn't seen her mother for a long time. She didn't attend the wedding, her father had always used her as a leverage, always using the fact that he held her and he could hurt her to threaten her. If she had saved her a long time ago she wouldn't be in this situation.
But seeing her alive and well made her feel absolute calmness in her heart.
Sniffing, she looked out the window, she thought for awhile, she had to divorce Lucian and fast and also save up money to leave the country with mum. But it won't be easy, she knew that too well.
Theodore stared at the woman before him, there was a visible mole on her neck, his eyebrows furrowed. He tried to remember, he had seen that mark but where? he asked himself.
Then came a voice almost like a whisper, please help me find her?, she said finally breaking the silence, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her voice shaky, I'll do anything to repay you back, please just help me find her, she begged clasping her hands together. He watched the sobbing woman in front of her.
After a couple of minute, he finally spoke up; " I'll help you find her, i promise i'll bring her back to you, alive and healthy but you know, in this life every good deed ought to be payed back. No good soul would do something for free for you without expecting something in return.
She knew exactly what he meant, but she could do anything to leave, to get her mum back even if it means selling her soul to the devil and with that she nodded in agreement. It was of no use, there are things that ought not to be pursued. She had spent the last five years loving him and praying that he would come to love her in the same way only for her heart to be broken.
Those pictures she received, the news, it was on the headlines. When a man cheats, the wife gets the blame that she's not satisfying her husband. They don't know—only she knew how hard she's tried to please him each day. Those days were the most miserable days of her life. But now, she couldn't care less she was done.
Thanking him, she left and boarded a cab home. Theodore watched her departing figure, a sly smile appearing on his lips. He had to capture her heart and get her trust.
There were plenty of time, he had to wait for the right moment. He looked at the pictures on the table something wasn't right.
He heard from her that her father held her mum hostage. But she was wandering around and freely. He took out a cigarette and lit it placing it in his mouth, he took a deep drag.
He looked outside, the weather was a bit dull seemed like it would rain. Then he stood up and left.
All through the ride home, Serene only looked out the window, her mind seemed to be elsewhere. Did Dad let her go? Her mind went back to those pictures. But if Dad's no longer holding her captive why haven't she come to see me, she didn't appear on my wedding day.
Then the car came to an abrupt stop, jolting her back to consciousness. "We're here ma'am", the driver said. Thanking him she handed him some notes and left the car.
She stared at the villa on front of her, she couldn't help but mumble curses under her breath. She'd do anything to leave and with that resolve in her mind she walked inside the compound. But as she knocked on the big metal door in front of her. There was no response, it had just started to rain and she was getting drenched She knocked this time loudly then she heard a voice it was the butler, "Sir, has ordered that you sleep out.
She was a bit confused, she thought of how she had wronged him. She had never done anything to him. She brought his food to the office. After that, she couldn't think of anything else. She tried asking again but this time she got no response. It was windy and the breeze was cold, she sighed to herself and looked around but there was no shelter. She had nowhere to go,he had completely cut her away from the outside world.
Perhaps, did he find out she was with him, she asked herself —there was a probability but these questions remains unanswered. She shivered, her teeth chattering, it was getting late. She was drenched, she had no one. She figured out, it was a punishment for disobeying his orders. But could he be any cruel. Her hands trembled, she could pass out any minute. Her head ached badly, her body was struggling to keep it together. She had reached her limit.
Struggling, to get up she only had one alternative and that was to beg for forgiveness. She couldn't bring herself to do so after his betrayal. But to survive, she had to throw away her dignity.
She could feel every bit of consciousness slipping away.