33

Jennifer.
I was utterly stunned after what Mr. Cercus revealed to me regarding his work and the way he spoke about Tomas. His words were intense and persuasive, and despite my confusion and apprehension, I found myself listening closely. As I processed his story, I realized that Tomas was indeed coldhearted and discourteous, a ruthless tycoon after all. With so much security and so many guards surrounding him, it seemed typical for someone in his position. I mean, I knew that many acclaimed figures had more guards than Tomas, so this alone didn’t necessarily make him a man involved in arms dealing.
However, Mr. Cercus had an entire army at his disposal for the love of all that is pure and holy, and he claimed to own a secluded island. Given all this, it was easy to see why I might trust him, at least to some degree. He urged me to listen to his story before I made any decisions about whether to leave or stay, and I found myself intrigued enough to let him explain further.
“Alright, Mr. Cercus, please tell me your side of the story,” I groaned, feeling both anxious and curious. My heart raced as I prepared myself for whatever revelations might follow.
“Okay, Miss Jennifer, but please don’t interrupt. I know you might want to stop me at various points, but be a good listener, and after I finish, you can say whatever you need to,” he replied, his tone serious and unwavering. There was an intensity in his gaze that made me feel both uneasy and compelled to hear him out.
I nodded, “Alright, Mr. Cercus. I promise I won’t interrupt. Just go ahead.” I was acutely aware that it would be challenging for me to hold back my questions, as there were so many swirling in my mind like a chaotic storm.
“Okay. Miss Jennifer, my family and Tomas’s family used to be partners in this field, and that was the main reason they built their own empire. This illegal work made them incredibly powerful and rich while allowing them to enter the political arena. However, after the death of his parents, everything changed. My family took over this business alone for many years, and I was much older than Tomas at the time. He was just a child. During this period, I got involved with my family’s business and learned everything I could about the intricacies and operations that came with it. I was even nominated to be a senator but ultimately decided to focus solely on the business instead. After Tomas finished school, he started working in this field, and Mr. Carl helped him get acquainted with everything. At first, he was shocked, but he soon realized that my family wouldn’t lie, and neither would Mr. Carl,” he explained, taking a deep breath, as if gathering strength for what came next.
He continued, “We began our business relationship, Tomas and I, and we became very close friends. As young minds, we decided to create a massive factory for ourselves, and we succeeded in doing so. However, something happened later that destroyed everything. Tomas began getting involved with girls, engaging in casual sexual relationships and numerous one-night stands. This was completely unacceptable in our line of work, as it could jeopardize everything we had built. I urged him to stop, but he was rude and arrogant, refusing to listen. This was not the real issue, though. The problem arose when he became intimately involved with a girl-just another one-night stand, in fact. This girl happened to be a cop, and he didn’t even remember her face. We searched for her for a long time because she knew too much and had many documents about our operations. I told him that we couldn’t work together anymore,” he paused, staring intently at me as if trying to gauge my reaction.
He continued, “He took my decision as if I were his enemy and began to compete against me. But I hadn’t done anything wrong; I was merely protecting myself and my business. He then sought revenge in the worst possible way, avoiding me entirely. I was engaged to a woman I loved deeply. Our romance was genuine, and she was very much like you-innocent and full of life. I did everything I could to keep her away from my dangerous world. She had no idea about my illegal operations. But Tomas followed her and tried to become her close friend, succeeding in that because I was so occupied at the time with business dealings. She lived with her parents in a perfect family and was so young. She trusted him, and in turn, she began to distrust me. Eventually, she broke up with me. That wasn’t the real problem, though. I tried my best to win her heart back, but at the same time, Tomas realized that she truly cared for me, which made him feel he was wasting his time with her, and he feared losing this competition. So, he slipped something into her drink. As a girl who had never consumed alcohol, she blacked out. In that moment, he took her virginity and made her pregnant. When she finally woke up, she was shocked, and he convinced her that she had seduced him and that he couldn’t help her,” he paused again, tears welling in his eyes, a mixture of anger and sorrow.
After a moment of regaining his composure, he continued, “She was terrified, but she realized she had no choice but to tell me the truth. She came to me and revealed everything. I was stunned and immediately took her to the hospital, where I found out she was indeed pregnant. I brought her to confront him. We ended up in a very heated fight, and he told her that he had done this to ruin me, that he had forced her and would never marry her. I believed her story, but my heart was shattered because she believed him and not me. I asked her for a break to consider our relationship. I wasn’t going to abandon her; I was just in so much pain. It was impossible for me to marry her after she had been impregnated by another man. She shouldn’t have been going to his place alone; she had a fiance, and I was just a man in love. But she felt so lonely that she ended her life. From that moment on, I despised Tomas. I would kill him if I could, but that isn’t my style of revenge. How could I kill him so easily? If I did, it would be too merciful! He needs to feel and pay for what he did to her. That’s why I’m protecting you now, Jennifer! You remind me of her. When I look at you, I feel like I’m looking at her,” Cercus explained, his voice filled with emotion, and I could see the pain etched on his face like a permanent scar.
I listened to his story carefully, and I realized that his narrative meant one thing: this man was after me to extract revenge on Tomas. He wasn’t trying to save me; he wanted to use me because I resembled his deceased fiancee, the innocent girl he once loved. I trembled and shivered, feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to act. I could not pretend to trust him, and despite his words, I couldn’t trust Tomas either. I felt I was in deep trouble, caught in a web of emotions and dangerous intentions.
“Well, Mr. Cercus… Can I talk now?” I asked him, my voice trembling with uncertainty and fear.
“Yes, of course, Miss Jennifer. I have finished my story. You can ask me anything,” Mr. Cercus replied, looking at me intently, his expression a mixture of hope and desperation.
I stared back, noticing the tears in his eyes. This man was not a liar, but I sensed there was more to the story, more layers waiting to be uncovered. I was mentally preparing a series of questions to ask him, wanting to dig deeper into the situation.
“Okay, Mr. Cercus, I’m shocked and confused. I have many questions for you, so if you don’t mind, I ask you to answer me honestly,” I said, trying to maintain my composure, though inside I felt like I was unraveling.
I focused on his facial expressions, looking for any signs of deception. He seemed nervous, squeezing his hands together as if trying to calm himself.
“Sure, Jennifer. Ask anything you like,” he said, trying to appear calm, but I could sense the tension in his voice.
“First question, Mr. Cercus. You said that when you look at me, you remember your fiancee, right?” I asked, narrowing my eyes, searching for the truth in his response.
“Yes, that’s correct, Jennifer,” he nodded solemnly, his gaze unwavering.
“Then why do you care to tell me this story? Is it not because you like me or love me?” I raised an eyebrow, challenging him, pushing for clarity.
“No, I care about you, and I do love you from the first moment I saw you, Jennifer. The death of my fiancee was many years ago. I haven’t forgotten her, but that doesn’t mean I still love her,” he replied earnestly, and I could hear the sincerity in his voice.
I nodded slowly, processing his words, feeling a conflict within me. “Okay, Mr. Cercus. So you want me to believe that you love me?” I asked, my eyes widening as I tried to understand his feelings.
“Yes, Jennifer, you should believe me because I’m not a liar. Why would I tell you this if I were? I’m not a womanizer, and that should be clear,” he insisted, his voice rising slightly with conviction.
I gasped, “Oh yes, maybe you seem so, but I don’t know you well, Mr. Cercus. To me, you are a respectful man, but nothing more. If I start to think and piece everything together, I will realize that I shouldn’t trust you. You kidnapped me in the first place!” I said firmly, feeling a surge of defiance.
“But Jennifer…” Cercus began to speak, but I interrupted, raising my hand to signal him to listen.
“But Cercus, that isn’t one of my questions, actually. Please answer the next one,” I said, trying to stay focused despite the whirlwind of emotions.
“So, Cercus, for my second question: Maybe you’re telling me this just to exact revenge on Tomas, nothing more, correct?” I asked directly, wanting to confront the core of his motives.
He raised his eyebrows and huffed, “Yes, Jennifer, you have every right to be confused. But this isn’t revenge, because Tomas has no heart to love. This won’t break him! Can’t you see this? He completely ignores you after Selena and Maya came back! He even called you Maya once! Don’t you notice this? He left Maya, despite how much he claimed to love her!” Cercus replied, frustration evident in his voice, as if he were pleading for me to understand his perspective.
I sighed, “Oh yes, that’s true. But maybe you’re doing this as an attempt to distract him and…” I began, but he cut me off, his tone sharp.
“And what, Jennifer?! She committed suicide because of him! I’m protecting you from him! If I wanted to hurt you, why didn’t I do it when my men captured you and you were my hostage? Listen to me, Jennifer. I’m allowing you to ask whatever you want, but you can’t judge me. I’m not saying I want you to fall in love with me; that’s your choice. I will never force you. But I’m asking you to let me protect you from him…please, Jennifer,” he implored, holding my hand tightly, his grip both comforting and alarming.
I raised my head, looking deeply into his eyes, and cleared my throat. “What if you like me just because I’m innocent like your deceased fiancee?” I asked him, my voice steady as I confronted him with my suspicions.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “And if I like you for that reason? It’s not a bad thing, Jennifer! I’ve never hurt a woman or forced a girl into anything! I believe I deserve a good woman to be my wife and my queen! I’m a good man, Jennifer. I know you see me as a killer; I understand that. But I’ve never harmed an innocent man, woman, or even a child in my entire life!” Cercus said seriously, his expression intense, the fire of his conviction burning brightly.
It became clear to me that he just wanted a replacement for his lost love. Everyone seemed to want to use me in one way or another to achieve their personal goals! I felt caught in a trap, the walls closing in around me.
“Um, okay, Cercus! But this isn’t love! In the few days I’ve spent with Tomas, I’ve realized that he is a good man too. He cares about others and hasn’t hurt anyone! All the bad things I’ve heard about him are just stories people tell me. Nothing more!” I retorted, feeling a surge of loyalty rising within me.
His face turned angry, and he narrowed his eyes at me, grinning menacingly. “Oh really? So what are you saying? That you’ll stay with him? Are you foolish?” he shouted at me, his voice an explosion of frustration.
“What?!” I widened my eyes in shock, unable to comprehend his aggression.
“Listen to me, I’ve been nice to you! I tried to convince you, but now you’ve left me no choice,” he yelled, throwing my hand away from him in a gesture of exasperation.
“What do you mean?!” I asked, genuinely scared. My hands were shaking, and I felt cold, a chill washing over me as reality set in.
“I mean you’re not leaving here, Jennifer. You will stay with me in my castle, not with Tomas. No man on this earth can help you escape me!” he shouted, and as I stood to run away, he grabbed my arm roughly, the force of his grip leaving me breathless.
I struggled against his hold, but his eyes were like that of a devil, filled with rage and determination. I started to scream loudly, “Help! Help!” But my cries went unanswered, echoing back to me in the emptiness of the room.
He laughed, telling me, “No one can hear you here, and no one can help you.” His voice dripped with a sinister satisfaction that made my skin crawl.
I reached into my purse, trying to grab my cell phone to call Tomas. But he snatched it away from me, and I could see that Tomas was calling, having heard my screams for help, the screen lighting up with his name, a beacon of hope.
“Don’t worry! I will never hurt you! I’m not interested in you,” Cercus said, smirking as he pulled me closer to him, a predator with his prey.
He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “Don’t make me angry, Jennifer. I don’t want to hurt you. Accept your fate. It’s your fault for getting involved with someone like Tomas. I’ll show you that he will never save you. This selfish, heartless guy…” Cercus said, his voice dripping with disdain, each word a chilling reminder of the precarious situation I was in.