CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER TEN
To celebrate my graduation, we decided to have lunch at a very fancy and expensive restaurant.
When we stepped in, the hostess was already leading us to a table in the left corner, giving us a
perfect view. We got seated and ordered our drinks first, then food. I ordered a chicken sd,
Stephanie ordered a shrimp sd, Aunt Sera got soup, and Aunt Amelia and Uncle Carson ordered
steaks, saying they were hungry.
"So Mani, Steph told us, you n on going for a short vacation. Do you have a ce in mind?" Aunt
Amelia asked.
"I still don''t know where I''m going; I haven''t decided yet. Now that I''ve graduated, I figured I''d pack
up and go on a short trip. You know, enjoy the things I couldn''t, even if it''s for a short while". I
replied.
"I understand, dear, and you need it. If you ever need anything, don''t hesitate to call." Uncle Carson
said, and I nodded in response.
"Same here, Mani. Keep in touch and visit." My aunt Sera said
"I will, aunt Sera. I''m grateful to have you all there for me. I couldn''t have done any of this without
you. I love you all."
"We love you too," they all responded simultaneously.
Lunch went smoothly, and it was a st. We talked about a lot of things,ughing while telling each
other silly jokes and stories.
In the middle of our meal, the waitress came with a cocktail and a cake with the inscription
"congrattions." She put it in front of me. I looked up at her, confused.
"I''m sorry, you must have the wrong table. I didn''t order this."
"Aren''t you Normani Parker?" She asked with a smile on her face. I nodded in response, not trusting
my voice.
"Then this is definitely yours."
"From whom?" Steph asked, confusion sipping from her tone.
"SIN." I stilled at the mention of his name, looking around the restaurant to see if he was here, but
wasn''t able to spot him, only his goons. "Have a nice day," the waitress said before leaving.
" Sin. I mean, do people really call themselves that? Stephanie asked, letting out augh, but
stopped when she saw the seriousness on my face, and soon confusion sipped in: "Why are you
acting so tense?. Do you know who this person is?"
"No, I''m as confused as you." My heart spiked as I spit out these lies, knowing fully well who he
was.
"Are you sure about that?" Uncle Carson asked, looking agitated. I gave him a puzzled look,
wondering why he seemed to be on high alert. His eyes wandered around the restaurant, like he
was looking for someone, which made me curious to know if that someone was who I thought it
was.
That would be totally absurd. There is no way Uncle Carson would have ever met the likes of
Niki Vinte, let alone known him.
I cleared the thought from my head and gave him a smile before responding. "I''m positive; they
probably just got the wrong table."
I watched as his features calmed down a little before he nodded. "Let''s just have our lunch and go,"
We all carried on with our lunch, ignoring the cake ced on the table. I could feel my anxiety
growing with each passing second.
When getting home, not before dropping Aunt Sera and Stephanie''s parents at the airport.
Stephanie went out with some friends after I persuaded her to go. I didn''t waste any time rushing
toward my room.
I took out a duffle bag from my closet. It quickly became overflowing with clothes, money I had
saved, and other necessities.
A part of me thought this was a foolish act, an attempt to escape from Sin. But I knew I would regret
it if I didn''t try, even if I didn''t have a proper n. All I want to do is get as far away as I can from
New York. I had to act now, and the distance was the only thing that mattered.
I zipped up the duffle bag, tossing it around my shoulder. I knew Sin was very capable of tracking
me down. That''s why I needed to be careful, especially with his goons watching me.
The window frame rattled when I opened it. I quickly looked around. My legs dangled from the
second-floor window as I tried not to fall to my death. I was thankful it was already dark outside; I
didn''t want the neighbours to call the cops on me.
My heart beat faster with every step I took. The second my foot touched the floor, I sprinted off
across the street, not minding the looks I was getting.
I didn''t care if I looked at all insane; the only thought I had was the need to leave here, to escape.
No one knew about the danger chasing me or what the train wreck in my life had be. I sprinted
past the buildings, passed the crowds, passed the streetlights, and boarded the first cab I saw to
the train station.
I was barely able to catch the train leaving the city. My body slumped against the seat, my chest
heaving. The ticket I had purchased was crumbling between my shaking hands.
Free atst!
I rested my head on the window sill, letting out a shaken breath. The driver let out a series of details
about the journey. I ced my bag on myp, holding onto it like my life depended on it,
Which it actually does.
A sigh of relief left my lips. I forced my eyes closed.
The chatter of people sitting behind me could be heard as I paid no mind to their words. The train
began to move only to stop abruptly. I sat up quickly, much like everyone else watching in
confusion, trying to understand what was happening.
The train door burst open, and a man d in ck suit stepped in. Colour drained from my face as
a particr man came into view.
Please, no...
His cold, unwavering stare fell on me, shattering every hope I had to safely escape.
I pressed myself deeper into the seat, wishing it would absorb me. If only a ck hole could just
appear and swallow me up, I would dly appreciate it. My blue eyes fell to the ground. I didn''t
bother looking up when he came to stand beside me. His cold gaze was drilling holes into my skull.
How did he find me so fast?
N?velDrama.Org ? content.
"Come with me." His firm tone spoke louder than words, leaving no room for argument.
I was too scared to move, so I stayed rooted to my seat.
"I hate repeating myself, amore." His eyes were cold, his face nk. "Come with me, or I won''t
hesitate to shoot every single person on this train before dragging you out."
I looked to see a gun strapped to his belt. Without any words, I stood up and followed him out of the
train.
"Get in," Sin ordered, jutting his chin towards a ck SUV. "And don''t even think about doing
anything stupid." He threatened
Nervously, I got into the backseat of the car. He got in beside me before mming and locking the
door.
"I thought you were smart," he said, his expression hard. "Not that I wasn''t expecting this, but did
you really think you could escape from me?" He didn''t bother looking at me. His jaw moved as he
clenched and unclenched his teeth.
I pressed myself against the edge of the locked car, putting as much distance as possible between
the two of us.
"What did you expect me to do?. You left me with no choice. I have a life of my own." My voice was
surprisingly steady, which gave me a boost, even though I was scared off my ass. "You can''t just
expect me to leave everything behind just because you have a silly obsession with me."
In a heartbeat, Sin reached over to me, capturing my chin in his hand. "I don''t care if it is a silly
obsession, little temptress, but you are mine." His thumb flicked across my bottom lip. "I''ve been too
soft on you. I need to punish you because you can''t seem to grasp the fact that you belong to me,
and I would be damned if I ever let you go."
My body trembled; his voice sent chills of fear down my spine. He slowly let go of my chin but still
sat close to me. I tried to speak, but I couldn''t make a full sentence as I felt the prick of a needle on
my neck. I felt my body go limp and couldn''t move or talk. My eyes became drowsy, and I weed
the darkness.