35

Jennifer.
After six long hours, I am convinced that this man is utterly insane; he is incredibly dangerous. I can hardly believe that I ever trusted him in the first place. But now, in this grim situation, what can I possibly do? I have no real chance of running away from him; I’m utterly trapped in his prison. It’s not a cage with iron bars like you see in movies, but it feels just as confining and suffocating. He has locked me in a small room, and he took my cell phone away, preventing me from reaching out for help or escaping. The only time the guards open the door is to throw in some disgusting meals that I have no desire to eat.
The only thing I can do is refuse to eat. I feel so sick and weak, my body growing frailer by the hour. But perhaps it’s better this way; I can’t afford to become too complacent. I have to devise a plan to escape, to break free from this nightmare. I was looking out through my tiny window, trying to take a glance at what lay below, and I realized that I’ve really put myself in deep trouble. There’s no chance for me to run away or escape without help.
Now, I’m left wondering if Tomas will even help me get through this nightmare or not. If he is as heartless as Cercus claims, and if he doesn’t love me, then he will never show up to rescue me. The most pressing question right now is-what is Cercus planning? Why does he keep me here if he is so sure that Tomas will do nothing for me? These thoughts swirl around in my mind endlessly, tormenting me with uncertainty.
Suddenly, my door is unlocked; someone is opening it. My heart races, and I quickly run to the far side of the room, and to my horror, it’s Cercus who walks in. I step back, staring at him in fear and defiance. My instincts scream at me to flee, but I know there’s nowhere to go.
“What do you want from me, Mr. Cercus?” I scream, my voice shaking but determined to stand my ground.
He shuts the door behind him, and I see the guards standing outside, their eyes watching me intently. Cercus walks toward me with a confident stride, and I back up until my back hits the cold wall. He steps closer, invading my personal space, and I can feel the heat radiating from him.
“You still don’t understand what I want from you, do you, Jennifer?” he asks, his voice low and almost seductive, sending shivers down my spine.
I turn my head to the right, desperately trying to distance myself from him. I can feel his warm breath on my skin, and it makes my stomach churn.
“No, I don’t know what you want. You said that Tomas would never come for me-so why do you keep me here? I don’t understand you, Cercus,” I reply, my voice trembling slightly as I fight to stay composed.
“I’m keeping you for myself, Jennifer. You will be my wife soon, my queen,” he states softly, pulling my face closer to his, his eyes glinting with a disturbing intensity.
“What? Your wife? Are you out of your mind? You can’t force me to marry you! I don’t want to be your wife!” I shout, my heart racing faster than I thought possible.
He grips my jaw tightly, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Listen to me, Jennifer. This is not a choice; you will marry me. This is my decision. I don’t understand why you love Tomas. Why do all the women I love end up falling for him?” Cercus says, his frustration evident, almost as if he were pleading for understanding.
“What? All the women? But you said that he drugged your fiancee and forced her into a relationship!” I exclaim, my eyes wide in disbelief, trying to comprehend his twisted logic.
“Okay, I lied-a little white lie. He was just a kid back then, still in college. She broke up with me because she fell in love with him. The truth is, I drugged her and forced her for sex. When she got pregnant, she killed herself. I kept her locked in this room day after day. But even then, she wouldn’t accept me as her husband. So, she chose to end her life rather than marry me,” Cercus reveals, his voice steady but filled with bitterness.
“Oh, you monster! I hate you, and I’m sure I will end up like her!” I retort, my voice laced with anger, my resolve hardening.
“Not this time, Jennifer. I will never let you make that mistake again. That will not happen while I’m alive,” he warns, his tone ominous and chilling.
“But I’m not like her, Cercus! She left you for Tomas, but I’m his fiancee! I knew Tomas long before I met you; I didn’t betray you!” I insist, feeling a glimmer of hope that perhaps he can still be reasoned with.
“Yes, I know you’re different. But I have fallen for you, and that makes me and Tomas equals. He took my girl, and now I will take his girl,” Cercus explains, his eyes narrowing with determination.
“But this isn’t love, Cercus!” I cry, tears beginning to stream down my cheeks, my heart breaking at the realization of my situation.
He steps forward, gazing intently at me, and unexpectedly wipes away my tears. His expression softens for just a moment, and I feel a flicker of confusion. “Please don’t cry, Jennifer. I will never hurt you. I’m keeping you safe from Tomas’s dirty hands. You still don’t understand who he really is, do you?” he tells me, almost pleading.
“I guess you’ve been telling me lies up until now, so I will never believe any more of your words about Tomas,” I reply, crossing my arms defiantly, trying to shield myself from his manipulations.
“Trust me, you don’t want to know the truth! But when the war begins-and it will begin soon-I will make you my queen. It could start in a few hours or maybe minutes; we just don’t know. We are simply waiting,” he informs me, his voice taking on a sinister tone that chills me to the bone.
“A war? What war?” I blink in confusion, feeling a chill run down my spine, my instincts screaming at me to be cautious.
He laughs, a dark sound that sends shivers through me. But at this moment, I tell myself, what do I have to lose? My life? So what? It’s risky to try to run from him, but I will attempt it anyway.
I slowly walk toward the door while he is still talking to me, turning his back. I seize the opportunity to open the door quietly, desperate to slip out, but he catches my arm just in time, kicking the door shut with his foot.
He tightens his grip around my neck and pushes me onto the bed. I struggle to breathe, desperately trying to push his strong hand away, but he just stares into my eyes, his expression furious.
“Now listen to me, Jennifer. If you talk back, I will kill you. This is my home, my rules, and you are my slave now. You must accept your destiny,” he yells at me, his voice echoing in the small room.
Then he releases his grip on my neck, but his eyes narrow in warning. “This is my castle, my island. Accept it, enjoy your life with me, and do what I want. Try to satisfy me, or you will die. Focus on my words, Jennifer. Talk back, say no, and I will kill you without mercy, with cold hands and a smile,” he shouts, his voice ringing in my ears.
“Fuck you, Cercus!” I yell defiantly, my anger flaring even as fear coils in my stomach.
He lunges at me while I’m still on the bed, wrapping my hands together, trying to kiss me. I keep moving my face away from his lips, refusing to submit, my body tensing with every second.
“You will be mine soon, Jennifer. I will never lose this war. I will kill Tomas right in front of you and cut off his filthy head with my own hands,” Cercus says, and I begin to cry uncontrollably, overwhelmed by despair.
Just then, there’s a knock at the door, and a very elegant woman walks in, commanding attention with her presence.
“Mr. Cercus!” she says, her tone brisk.
“Yes, Amanda, what do you want now?” Cercus replies, his tone annoyed, annoyance flickering across his features.
“That’s enough! We have work to do. Please leave her for now; I will talk with her for a while,” Amanda insists, a firm look on her face that brooks no argument.
He nods reluctantly, releases my hands, stands up, and walks to the door. Before leaving, he turns his head toward me, his eyes narrowing ominously. “Don’t forget my words. Talk back, and you will die, Jennifer,” he threatens before stepping out, leaving me shaking in fear.
Amanda approaches me and helps me sit up. I stare at her, confused but desperate for any sign of hope. How can someone like her work for this devil? He must have forced her as well, I think to myself, my thoughts racing.
Amanda sits down beside me. “I know you’re wondering why a woman like me is working for Cercus,” she begins, a gentle smile on her face, trying to ease my fear.
I nod, eager to understand her perspective. “Yes, exactly,” I reply, my voice small.
“He didn’t force me, Miss. He’s not a bad guy. I know he’s tough and involved in illegal activities, but he’s still human. He’s broken, ever since his only love committed suicide. That’s why he loves you; you look like her. Actually, I didn’t meet her at all; I’ve been working for him for just two years now. He hasn’t touched me or forced me to do anything. You need to ask yourself why he’s doing this to you,” Amanda explains, her eyes sincere.
I stare at her, stunned. “What do you mean? Why me? Surely it’s for revenge against Tomas!” I say, trying to make sense of it.
“I don’t think so, Miss Jennifer. Please, come with me. I need to show you something,” Amanda says, standing up and leading me to a spot on the wall that I hadn’t noticed before, a hidden corner that seems to pulse with secrets.
“What is this?” I ask, looking deeply into her eyes, my heart racing with curiosity and fear.
“Just wait, and you will see,” she replies, uncovering a picture. My heart races as I realize what it is. It’s a picture of me! I can hardly believe my eyes, the resemblance so uncanny that it takes my breath away.
“No, it’s not me! It’s his dead fiancee! That’s why he cares about you!” Amanda says, her voice filled with urgency, emphasizing the gravity of the revelation.
At this moment, a thought crosses my mind, a mix of hope and despair swirling within me. “I guess maybe Tomas will fall in love with me because I look like her too,” I murmur, feeling a flicker of uncertainty.
“Maybe yes, and maybe no. I don’t know how you and Mr. Tomas met, and I am not aware of your story. But I do know why Mr. Cercus is risking everything he has to marry you,” Amanda says, her tone serious and foreboding.
“What do you mean by risking everything?” I ask, narrowing my eyes in suspicion, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Miss Jennifer, the war that Mr. Cercus told you about is between him and the mafia king,” Amanda informs me, her expression grave.
“What mafia king?” I raise my eyebrows, alarmed, a knot tightening in my stomach.
“Mr. Tomas Charl is the mafia king,” Amanda says, shocking me to my core, my world tilting on its axis.
“What?!” I exclaim, my heart racing as the implications crash over me like a tidal wave.
“Yes! And if he decides to save you, we will all be dead soon! All his men from around the world will be here in a few hours, and they will kill all of us,” Amanda warns me, her eyes wide with fear, and I can feel the weight of her words suffocating me.