Arranged Alliance

A very happy night where three lost friends meet again, or maybe the last time. You never know. It was night, the hotel named by beautiful night, yet it wasn't beautiful at all.

A car stops in front of the restaurant, a beautiful women came out of car in her hands there was a little baby boy, a handsome man came beside her and put a hand on her back, smiling at his mother and he's son who came in this world 10 months ago. They both went with smiles plastered on their faces. They got to a reservation table with three chairs in a room. It is one of the most expensive restaurants in London, moon night.

After they seated another person came, her beautiful skin has a light makeup on. She wore a short white dress paired with white shoes. She was a gorgeous woman with a cute baby girl.

She was holding a prom. In the prom there was a cute little baby. She was staring at the stranger with her big doe eyes. The girl started laughing and they all laughed at her cuteness. His mother put him beside her and sat between her best friend and husband.

The restaurant was from when they were children, they love to come here. They even have so many words, quotes, curses written here and there was a painting of them when they were kids. All four of them arms on each other shoulder, smiling brightly like there never going to happen to bad them. Like there was never sadness between them. Only love and friendship.

They were talking about something about her father, he was on a business trip and he would come back in the morning. They all talked about their childhood memories they have, after spending the whole night they all went out of the restaurant and sat in their own car.

It was their best night, yet it became the worst night ever in their life.

His parents were laughing, singing and glancing at him. But suddenly it changes into screaming, crying and pleading to God. The car was hit by a truck and there was no one who could help them. They were alone in abounded forest.

His parents were barely moving, he was crying. But no one came to hear his screaming.

His father got a little conscious, his forehead was bleeding, he opened his eyes and saw his son was crying. He looked at his mother who was all bloody, heads down and clutching him to her heart, his father eyes were wide he started waking his mother, shook her, shout at her but she doesn't or can't respond. His father got out of the car, limping on the road looking for any help but no one came, the truck which hit them was also gone.

His father hears him crying, he pulls him out and tries to shush him. He again tried to shake her up, but it was hard, he felt he was devastated. His mother's head bumped on the car window; his father could see the glass shred was on her forehead. His father put him on the cold road as he cried hard and pulled his mother out and laid her beside him. His father carries him and pulls him in embrace to shush him only his father cries silently and tries to realize the cruel scene in front of his eyes. They were so happy and laughing and now they are crying. His father closed his eyes and clutched him to chest. my beloved wife. his father while clutching him to his heart. Silent tears streamed down his face. Oh Nicholas!

Her mother in the car was in the back seat with her in her hand, she was sleeping and her mother smiled looking at her, her eyes couldn't go anywhere else only to see this beautiful, fragile girl. But the car came to a halt and all the windows got shattered. Her mother covers her with her body so she can't get hurt. Her mother looks for the driver, but he was nowhere to see, a crimson color liquid come Infront of her mother eyes. Her mother was bleeding from everywhere. Her mother barely can get out of the car with her in her mother's arms, clutching to her chest and looking for the driver. Her mother glanced at her then looked for the driver but he was nowhere to be seen.

Suddenly from behind her mother hears some voices and her mother glancing at her, tear streamed down to her mother face of fear. It was abounded area and restaurant is far away, the footsteps coming closer to her, her mother take one glance to her, take deep breath, throw her heels and ran as fast as her mother could the man was also running behind her mother but no matter what he does he can't come to her. Her mother ran, ran and ran until her legs gave up and fell on her knees, her mother looked at her and she was sleeping soundly as a cry left her mother mouth Oh, Nora! Please don't wake up. Not this moment. She looks behind her the man was far than she can imagine or see. Her mother was so injured that she barely can walk yet her mother ran only for her. Only for Nora.

Her mother saw some lights and run there; she looks behind, the man was not behind them now. There was a park, her beautiful and elegant white dress now was blood red, and her face was wet with tears and blood splattered on her face and hair. She was also injured in the head and leg. Barely can bear her pain anywhere, her mother sat under the tree hugging her and sobbing in her head. Checking her pulse, she was breathing yet her mother was taking her last. The last thought that only came to her mind was. Oh, Nora! Please live. Her mother hugged her and closed her eyes and then never opened them. Her mother took the last breadth holding her to her chest, and her arms went limp and Nora was in her lap now. She was crying.

And that's how Sophia was gone with weeping Nora in her hand. People started to gather and took pictures and made videos, made Nora shush. Nora opened her wet eyes, at first, she just stared at them but then started to cry maybe she also got to know that her mother was dead. The police and ambulance came and took Nora and lifeless Sophia.

David also came there after hearing the news, he was shocked to hear his only daughter crying and weeping he tried to shush her. And eventually she slept. David hugged her chest and watched Sophia going in the ambulance, feeling lonely he tightened his grip on Nora's. He closed his own eyes, taking all its in. My beloved wife. I can't let you go. And that's how Sophia was gone leaving only her daughter behind, Nora Duke.

His father James holding Nicholas watching nurses to get his mother Lily to ambulance, they laid Lily on the stretcher. James doesn't let Nicholas touch anyone so they give a blanket to him. James looks at Lily and then at Nicholas a tear escaped from his eyes as a cry. He watches Nicholas sleeping peacefully, he doesn't even know his mother died at young age. Just sleeping after crying so much. James hug him and cried glancing at Lily lifeless body going in the ambulance.

He closes her eyes. And back away letting her body get away, from his life, from his warmth. And that's how Lily was also gone leaving his only son behind, Nicholas Bretons.

That's how Nora and Nicholas lost their mothers that day, and their life became hell after this incident. People think that was an accident, but no one knows the truth. And no one can know. After this incident James and David didn't talk a lot, only about business. James didn't meet Nora and David didn't even see Nicholas, again. Even when they saw each other, they felt the whole world was crushing on them, they couldn't find words how they felt. They don't have anyone beside them to tell someone anything except their child. They were broken, devastated, messy and alone.

Both of them are living different lives, now. Away from each other, from their beloved wife's grave, and their children. If they lived under the same roof, they couldn't face them but they had to. They lost one part of life. They can't lose to one another. So, they make a decision. The decision that makes them hard decision and forced them to live hard life.

Only to make their own child life hell.

Nora Duke

I was standing at the railing of the gallery. I heard footsteps behind me, and I knew who it was. Nicholas. We were just going to sleep. I wore my sleeping wear which was a royal blue sleeve less slip and a gown which end to my upper thigh. He also came and laid on the railing, I glanced at him he also wears silk royal blue dress shirt and black trousers. Few minutes we kept in silence. Until we hear a loud noise from the backyard.

"What was the noise." I asked Nicholas.

"Maybe some thief came." He said, in amusement.

"Really? Then why aren't you going?" I asked, terrified at the idea. He strained his posture and turned over to me.

"Are you really serious. Maybe there was a cat or a mouse." He spoke.

"What kind of cat or mouse made these kinds of noises." He just shrugged, I sighed. "Should we look?"

"Oh, come on, Nora, maybe it would be wind or something like that. Why are you so into it?" He said, coming close to me.

"I-I was just s-scar-, Nicholas w-what are you d-doing?" I asked when my back hit the railing and his hand locked me from either side, I was forced to stop my breath. "Nicholas?" I tried to call him it just came out as a whisper.

I hear another noise from down. I jumped but he was in his position. Suddenly the sky was pitch black, there were no stars, only the moon behind the clouds. My breathing rate increased as he came close to me. Infront of me he was standing and behind me was a railing. I was trapped.

"Nicholas, there some-, I-" I want to say something, but he put his finger on my lips.

"Look at me Nora." He cut me off and I did. "Forget everything, just think it's only me and you." He said it in almost whisper like someone would listen. It was almost like he didn't speak. I narrowed my eyes and tried to back away, but my hand slipped from railing, but I caught it again and gripped it tightly. Suddenly there was a storm, my hair was spreading across my face, I couldn't remove it across from my face because I felt like if I moved a little, I would fall.

He used his hand to remove my hair off my face. He smiled seeing my face, but I couldn't smile. I didn't know what was happening. I could hear my heartbeat in my ears very loudly as I felt my breathing rate increase but it almost felt like I wasn't breathing. I was on the edge; I didn't know what he wanted. He came closer to us, our body touching but I stepped back. I can't look behind; I was just hypnotized by his eyes. He smiled, the smile that took my breath away and skipped my heart. The smile that made me fall like crazy.

But what he said and did next make my eyes wide and skipped all of my heartbeat.

"Revenge for your stepmother." He whispered with that smile and pushed me. My back slipped through the railing as I was a piece of cloth, I tried to catch his collar or extend my hand so he could grab it, but he was just standing there watching me fall with that smile on his face.

Suddenly it felt like time had stopped. His smile, whispering, pushing me off the railing, me trying to grab his hand, him leaning on the railing to see me all with that smile. I just stare at him in horror. At that time, I was blank. Then there was a sharp pain in my head, then back and then my body went limp.

And I was just staring at him who was still smiling at me.

Nora Duke

"What are you doing?" A shrill voice came that made me jump. I hurriedly pressed the letter in the envelope but a hand on my shoulder turned me around, I threw the letter under the bed and made eye contact with my stepmother, Sana. "What were you doing?" She asked stretching her neck to see if I hid something. I pushed her away from me and sat on my bed.

"It's none of your business." I spoke. She looked at me and I know how much she wants to hurt me.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"What you just heard." I said, she came close to me and stared into my eyes.

"Don't play games with me, girl. I don't know what you were doing but I know that for sure what you are planning I would never allow you to do that." She hissed at me. "What I told you was truth, consider it or not." She straightened her position and binding her hands behind her back.

"But I am not planning anything." I said innocently. She stared at me like I was another creature, then she started to laugh. I always hated her laugh. Her laugh scared me, her laughter would make my hair stand on end. Whie she was laughing I always took her in.

She has brown hair, and in sun sometime it looked red. She has fox like eyes, that had brown color. She has thin cheekbones that made her really beautiful. Her skin was white, she was the most beautiful woman I ever seen, Bu also the cruelest person I ever seen. Sometimes I saw my mother in her and sometime Satan.

Sometime she is light and sometime dark. Sometime she is soft and sometime cold.

"That was a great joke, Nora." Sana said after having a fit of laughing. She came close to me and put her finger under my chin to raise my eyes that met her. "Who you are joking with? Huh?" She asked.

"From you." I said with a straight face. She smirked then her smirk fell. I hate these moments because whenever I muster up this type of courage I always end up in this type of situation. She stood straight and smirk got back.

"My beautiful daughter," She trailed her finger from my forehead, "do you know why are you beautiful?" I didn't say anything, "because your mother was very beautiful." She said and I could sense the hatred behind her smile, her fingers trailed down to my neck and she stuck her finger in my hair. "You haven't seen her but I did." she twirled my hair around her finger. I can already sense the pain, "And she was one hell of gorgeous."

She said, it was almost like she wasn't here but she was, then her eyes snapped on me and my soul left my body but I stayed still, "But I am not going to make you what your mother was." She said pulling that strand and then let it go. I was on the floor now, getting up I was on my legs. I watched as she locked the door and came to me.

My worst nightmare of nightmares.

21 years ago

"Dad." I shouted from across the hall and ran towards him, he grabbed me in my arms and pulled me up and kissed me on the cheek.

"What my princess was doing?" He asked walking in the living room. There was nanny standing near the sofa. A mate came and handed him a coffee. I ran out of his arms and showed him the drawing I made. "Hmm, what is this?" He said, grabbing the paper from my hand. I bind my hands behind my back and started to rock on my heels.

"It's a drawing. It's me, you and mom." I said pointing at the family, his face fell hearing mom name. I was smiling with my teeth. He pulled me in his lap and stroked my hair.

"Nora." He called.

"Hmm." I started to play with his thumb.

"Do you know where mom is?" He asked. I looked at him and nodded. "Where is she?"

"She is nowhere. She is dead." His hand stopped stroking my hair. He would also be shocked how a 4-year-old

girl knew about her mother but in school no one made me get me out of reality. He glances at nanny and her jaw was dropped. "She didn't tell me." I said quickly, still playing with his thumb. I looked at him, "My school fellows told me. She didn't." I chined at her. "I also heard it in news that she is dead." I said to him. He was looking at me and I wasn't his child. His grip loosened on me and I jumped off him. "I want to sleep." I announced and he went with me up in the room and slept with me.

2 years later

"I do." My dad spoke and both of them exchanged rings. Her daughter was standing beside me. I was just sitting at the side table. I didn't talk to anyone, no one talked to me. After the wedding we all went home.

5 years later

"Like mother like daughter." She said one time. I look up at her and show her the letter. Which has written all the truth about her dirty deeds.

"What is this?" I asked her. She smirked and crouched to my level.

"Your truth." She said that she grasped the letter out of my hand and slapped me across the face. "Your life"

And from that day my hell starts. The hell where my mother was once. My real mother.