Chapter 3 Two

Arabella jerked awake.

She shrieked, wheezed as well as clutched her throat with a hand as sweat dribbled down her face.

With her free hand, she searched for the switch of the bedside lamp while knocking off something on the nightstand.

Her eyes rounded as light flooded the room, and she huddled on her bed, rocking from back to forth.

It was back.

The nightmare was back again to haunt her.

As much as she tried her best to forget everything that happened that night, it seemed almost impossible as it got even more intense.

For the last two years, she thought it had left her, only for it to happen again today.

She wondered about the crime her father committed each night after the nightmare. It was one question she always asked herself, but she never seemed to get the answers.

Arabella grimaced and ran a hand through her dishevelled hair.

She climbed down from the bed and stepped towards the window side as the sleep seemed to have vanished from her eyes to be replaced by the fear, pain, and grief which were her companion now.

She tugged her hair as the urge to scream invaded her senses. But she managed to control her raging emotion.

Not the tears, though. Her vision clouded, and she sniffled as the first tears rolled down her pale cheeks.

She bit her lower lip as it trembled while thinking about how messed up her life was.

Ever since the incident six years ago, she has been on the run like a wanted criminal. Not that she was a criminal, but she knew that if he could find her, he would carry out the threat he made to her father that night.

Arabella was aware her father was right. After all, no matter where she ran to, he always managed to track her down, and each time, she only managed to escape by sheer luck.

Regardless, she wondered how long her luck would hold out for her.

She shuddered at the thought of what would happen if he eventually found her.

She had no friends or relatives... No one would look out for her if she were missing. Not even her colleagues at work.

She was a loner, and everyone knew her as that. Besides, she had been working for only three months at the Peace Blossom Plaza to make any reasonable friends.

"Geez," Arabella mumbled, and a bitter laugh escaped her lip. She wiped her cheeks with her palm and glared at the ceiling, which looked like it would give way soon, before staring out of the window.

Moreover, how could she even have friends when she never stayed in one neighbourhood for too long?

She was twenty, and yet she was still running from him.

Arabella's mind flashed back to the night her father was murdered in cold blood.

***********

Tears trickled down her face as she continued running through the lonely streets of New York City. It was nighttime, and she needed to find the place her father had told her about before he was murdered.

"Papà." She whimpered.

Tears clouded her vision as the image of her father's blown-off brain emerged in her mind.

She let out a deep breath and blinked her eyes several times while trying to navigate her way.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she bumped into someone.

The person moved to grip her, but she dodged the hand he extended toward her and hurried away.

She was exhausted and famished. Yet, she couldn't stop running, or they would find her too.

She had stopped looking back since she darted out of the house for fear of being followed.

Arabella darted into a corner and let out a sigh.

Her brows furrowed as she stood in front of an old, abandoned warehouse. Using the back of her hand, she wiped off her tears and fetched the paper and keys from her ripped jeans back pocket.

She squinted and blinked as she gazed at the writing on the paper. She was glad the moonlight was out to help her make out most of the words. Otherwise, it was a little too dark, and the lamppost did nothing to illuminate the surroundings.

She glanced away from the crumpled paper with her and looked at the place.

Arabella walked towards the metallic gate and inserted one of the keys into the hole of the padlock.

She nudged the old rusted gate open before stepping inside, not forgetting to close it back after her.

Her eyes widened as she stood by the closed door. The lights in the warehouse were on, and she wondered if anyone was inside.

"Hello..." she called out.

But she got no response; only her voice echoed back to her.

Arabella's brows knitted as she noticed the several black bags lying on the large table in the middle of the room.

Her heart palpitated, and she clenched her hands as her legs moved towards the table on their own.

With trembling hands, she opened one of the bags and lurched back in fright as numerous dollar bills poured out of it.

Her hand clasped over her mouth to stop the shriek that threatened to spill out.

She grasped a sheet of paper that fell out of the bag and skimmed through it.

It was then it became more apparent.

Her father was aware of what was happening. He knew he would leave her in the cruel world, and he had attempted to make everything easier for her...

Arabella jerked, snapping out of her thoughts as she felt a twinge in her hand.

Her eyes narrowed, and she glared at the woodpecker that interrupted her thought as it flew away.

She shook her head as her eyes went to the old wall clock, then back to the swaying trees. The thought of her father leaving many things at her disposal didn't calm her.

Instead, it made her break down in tears. She missed her father. She missed him so much, and she wished she could get a second chance to see him again.

**********

Alessandro, otherwise known as Sandro by his close friends and family, tossed his head back, and a moan escaped his parted lips.

The whore that knelt before him gazed up at him with a coy smile, and the corner of her lips crinkled.

Her tongue slipped out to lick the tip of his díck before taking him in her mouth fully.

Sandro grunted, his fists in her curly red hair as she worked her magic on him.

It wasn't long when he found his release, and he shot all his loads into her mouth.

He sighed satisfactorily, but the whore wasn't done yet.

He had paid her to pleasure him for the whole day, and she just started giving him fellatio.

He groaned as a knock sounded on the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. He had told his secretary to cancel his appointment for the day; he wondered who was about to interrupt the erotic session he was having.

"Come in," Sandro said as whoever was on the other end banged the door more.

He shoved the whore straddling his lap aside, and tilted his brows as one of his security agents strode into the room.

"Care to explain what this interruption is all about?"

"Sorry to interrupt you, Signore. But I brought you some information." He said, still bowing his head.

"What is it?" Sandro's eyes narrowed. His voice was icy.

"We managed to track down the signorina in the new neighbourhood, and we found where she's currently in."

Sandro grinned. "She can run, but she can't hide from me."

"Take the others with you. Find and make sure she doesn't escape this time. If not, I would have all your heads served to my dogs. Is that taken?"

Giuseppe trembles with fear. He gulped and swallowed the saliva in his mouth. He was familiar with Sandro's punishment and wouldn't want to be a scapegoat of his.

"Yes, Signore." Giuseppe stuttered before turning to leave.

"Wait," Sandro called, stopping him in his tracks.

"Bring the bitch to me alive. I would punish her myself."

"Okay, Signore," Giuseppe responded and scurried out of the room to carry out his task.

"Finally, Arabella, you've got nowhere to hide anymore." A smirk formed on Sandro's chiselled face, and a wicked glint danced in his green eyes.

"How about we continue what we were doing?"

Sandro's head snapped to the whore, Lizzo, as she appeared in the doorway leading to the bathroom.

"Yes," He flashed her a toothed grin. Not because he was happy about what she was about to do to him, but because of her.

Arabella... He couldn't wait to wrap his hands around her tiny neck and snap it.

He couldn't wait to mete out all the punishment he had swirling in his head to her, and lastly, he couldn't wait to meet her.