Tonight, I will finally move out of this filthy building, hoping it'll prevent me from spotting his cold stares directed at me again. I will not miss anything there.
I grew up in that orphanage and got named by the sweetest old lady I've ever met. Margo, the keeper, was the only person I loved there. Margo was like a mother to all the children in this facility. She ensured each of us received a good education and medical care, as well as toys and some freedom to play and enjoy our childhood. The children who got adopted refused to leave her as they believed there were no better parents than this woman. Now that she is gone, I better start over.
Looking at my watch, my work shift in Central Park has been over for fifteen minutes. While I was about to take the fingerprint to leave work, the display on my phone lit up, indicating the impending call from Camila. She'll give me a piece of her mind for being late. Rolling my eyes, I took the call. "Did you even realize how late it was?" scolded Camila.
"Yeah, I've just realized I'm late. I'm on my way to your place." I ended the call and ran down the street in the first uber.
I've been friends with Camila since my middle school days. No matter how hard I tried to avoid her, she followed me everywhere. She incorporated our names into school projects and school trips. I used to think of her as some annoying Barbie girl from the rich, popular group. But over time, my opinion changed and I got used to her company. She hated to be alone more than anything, and so did I. Her parents were just as welcoming as she was when she invited me to our first sleepover. Margo made us her famous, delicious apple pies. She made the life in that filthy house bearable for all of us. Losing her a few months ago was so hard for me to accept.
I couldn't stand the new keepers. They imposed nonsensical rules on us, forcing teenagers to work to make a living. For some reason, they didn't make me work. It had something to do with the stranger, the man in the suit who visited me every year. He looked somewhat like a businessman. I could never forget those intense icy blue eyes. They crept me the first time I saw them when I was five and hid behind Margo. I could tell how that annoyed him. The only thing I couldn't learn from my caregiver was the identity of this man. She merely tells me that he's a distant relative of mine. Something felt wrong about the way she said it. I sensed she was lying, even though I didn't want to confront her. I trusted her reasons.
The man couldn't help but get creepier when he reminded me that I belonged to him; every time I tried to go out with someone. He scared every boy who would try to approach me. His tall stature and the aura of his presence never failed to make my blood run cold. His perfectly formed jaw always remained serene as he spoke firmly. No matter how hard I stared into his cold eyes, I could never get used to their intensity. Every time he turned them on me, I tried to avoid them. I felt how he was scanning me for flaws, scars, or just judging my appearance. It's hard to read someone with a stoned featured face like his.
Despite his stern look, he seemed interested in my well-being for some reason. I still remember how he showed up unusually often when I got sick to take care of me. It drove me crazy because I was dying to know who on earth was this man. Margo kept her lips sealed. The only way to get her to talk was to refuse to eat anything for a few days. Then he showed up, leaning against my bedroom door, shooting me with an impatient, stony gaze. I ignored him for a while, and it irritated him even more as he walked into my room, grabbed my arm, and spun me around to face him. I wasn't exactly the easiest kid to tame. I was probably the most stubborn child in this household. I avoided eye contact and barely listened to his demands, "You'll go downstairs and eat your dinner."
Still averting my gaze from him, "I am not going to put anything in my mouth unless you tell me who you are."
He lifted my face, and my eyes met him, "All you need to know is that you are mine. Now, you better go and eat your meal."
I slapped his hand away from my face and ran out of the room. Half an hour later, I walked back in, assuming he had left. I sat on my bed and slipped my hand under my pillow. I hid an old cell phone with a broken screen that I had found lost on a bench in the backyard. The screen flashed up, and I searched for the famous business leaders in the country. Looking through hundreds of faces, I spotted his icy eyes. Damien Judge was the name under the picture. I tapped on the link and started reading some articles about him. He owns Judge Legal Consultancy. He has some of the most accomplished lawyers in our country working under him. He took the headlines in many newspapers for winning some of the most challenging cases. I heard his deep voice ringing in my bedroom and tore myself away from my phone. "Why didn't you ask for a new cell phone?" He said it casually as if it was the most logical thing to do.
"Get out." I turned away from him. Great. Now he could tell Margo about my cell phone. She'll confiscate it. I expel a frustrated breath.
He placed a bowl of pasta with cheese sauce in front of me and sat on the other side of the bed. In his hand, he held another bowl of the same pasta. Is this man for real? Why would he care so much if I eat or not? I averted my eyes. "I am not leaving until I see your plate is empty."
"You are wasting your time." I shrugged. It was not like I was worried about my health. Life in this place sucks anyway. In my self-pity, I felt a single tear slide down my cheek. He reached for it and wiped it away. My eyes looked up at his still stoned features. It only made me feel worse, and he seemed to understand that. He pulled me onto his lap and looked me straight in the eye.
"I would take you away from here, but I cannot promise you anything better. It would be healthier for you to spend your childhood with the other children. After all, you will be living with me in a few years." He said carelessly as his fingers ran through my night-black hair. I always thought I had the darkest black hair color until I noticed how dark his black hair was. Not a single white piece of hair found its way to his head. His ice-blue eyes looked a little relaxed at that moment. He placed the bowl on my lap, and a wave of appetite washed over me.
As I finished eating, he gathered up the dishes to leave the room. "I'm not going anywhere with you, now or in the future. I promise I will run away."
He didn't bother to turn in my direction as he said, "You wouldn't want to know what would happen if you tried that, kid." He merely said that and left. I didn't see him again for a whole year after that. I was grateful for that.
Among all the secrets Camila and I had shared, I hadn't told her about Damien. She always thought dating wasn't my thing. It was part of the truth, except for the fact Damien wouldn't let me. I got out of the Uber and dialed Cami's number. She answered the phone faster than I expected. I saw her waving to me in the front yard of her house. "You made it!" she exclaimed, jumping up to hug me, then playfully punched my arm. "You're late. We'd better hurry so we can get there on time."
"I still can't believe we're attending a concert by The Dimensions," I said, following her into the bedroom.
She rummaged something on her desk and twirled it at me with a buzzed look. "We're not just going to attend the concert, honey. I got us backstage permission tickets to meet the band!"
For a moment, my brain couldn't process what she was saying. "You what?" I whispered, trying not to get my hopes up in case this was one of her jokes.
She giggled at the look on my face and held two gold tickets in front of my eyes. These are the VIP tickets! I grabbed them and checked to ensure they weren't fake. "Cami, you rock!" I jumped up to hug her. "How did you get them?"
She winked at me, "I have my connections. Now let's hurry up and get ready!" Her voice glutted with joy. Oh no, I knew where this was going. She's going to paint my face with dark makeup. It was totally out of my comfort zone. Same with her tight skirt and rock-style outfits.
I wore a jet-black dress that slid down to mid-thigh with a pair of high-heeled long-neck boots. By the end of this day, my feet and back will be giving me a whole new set of aches and pains. I sat in front of Camila's dressing table and let her work on my face. To my surprise, she didn't do anything overdramatic. I froze in front of the mirror and admired her work. The smokey cat eye makeup made my hazel-colored eyes appear upturned and wide. She contoured my cheeks and jawline and added a soft blush. The only thing I didn't like was the blood-red lipstick. I tried to remove it and change it to a light nude shade, but she insisted on keeping it. She rushed to get ready.
She pulled on a pair of black leather jeans and a red off-shoulder top. She looked stunning. We were ready in twenty minutes, just five minutes before the cap arrived.
The excitement on our faces was unmistakable. The flash of lights on the stage raised our enthusiastic screams. I'd never been to a concert before. I did not expect it to be so crowded. I had to keep an eye on Camila. She walked past people, trying to find a better spot. I almost lost her in the crowd. We had to wait a while until the lights suddenly dimmed. The loud noises died down. It was about to start! And that's when Cami's crush, Liam Myles, appeared and shouted, "One, two, three.. four!" The music started as the lights revealed the rest of the band. My eyes roamed the stage until they spotted my crush, Ray Carmichael. He looked even better in person. I screamed his name as he approached the area where I was standing.
I held out my hand for him to hold. He reached for it, squeezed my fingers a little, and then took the hand of another fan. I took my hand back and stared at it. I'll never wash that one! Camila winked at me, mouthing, "You're lucky!"
I listened to every song they performed throughout the concert on the podcasts. Though, the lyrics never hit my emotions as hard as they did tonight. Everyone could sense the passion in the band members' voices while they were not particularly looking at the crowd. Liam Myles walked down from the stage and paced through the crowd. His gaze already lingered on one particular person. He reached out his hand and led her on stage to sing the chorus with him. The audience was thrilled and shrieked excitedly for her. She was living the dream of most fan girls here.
We watched them sing together. The voice of the mysterious girl was good. She sounded harmonious with Liam's voice. Their eyes met at the last line, "Stay the night with me... Baby." For a second, the audience fell silent, caught up in the intimate moment the couple shared. Soon after, the shouts grew louder as they kissed. I nudged Camila with my elbow to see her reaction to what had happened. She did not even flinch. Suddenly, she jumped up, "I fucking know!"
A wave of relief flooded through me. I was worried that Camila would be disappointed. She had dreamed of meeting Liam Myles for years, and when she got the chance, he had his eye on someone. It's ridiculous and unrealistic to put hopes in celebrities, but a girl gets to make a wish. The next performance was like the others. I enjoyed watching Ray sing his part of each song. Something about his voice captured my heart and left me wanting more. The way he played his guitar strings like a pro made my body dance to the rhythms of his music. He started with a beat and kept increasing until the climax at the end. My heart was beating so fast as his eyes scanned the area where I was standing.
After the concert, the evening wasn't over yet. Camila took me to the backstage entrance. Two security guards were talking to each other as we approached. Camila showed them the VIP passes, and they nodded for us to go in. At that moment, I was a nervous wreck. We were going to meet our favorite band. I was going to meet Ray Carmichael. My brain was clouded, and all the questions I had wanted to ask him for years vanished at the most inopportune moment. We went, as we were told, to a dressing room. The band members were chatting and laughing loudly. Before I even reached the dressing room, I heard Ray's laughter echoing down the hallway. I could swear my heart skipped a beat or probably forgot to function. Camila held my hand as she knocked on the door. She was so nervous, and so I was.
Elton Lynn, the band's drummer, opened the door. His puzzled gaze wandered back and forth between Camila and me. "Hey, how can I help you?"
Cami nodded at me to take the lead in the conversation, "We have VIP passes to meet the band The Dimensions. You must be Elton Lynn, am I right?"
Cami's cheeks flushed a bright shade of pink. When I look at Elton up close like this, I always thought he's already hot on the high-quality HD cameras, but he looks even better in person. Even after a messy concert, he was too perfect. His brown, tousled hair lay beautifully against the side of his face. His intense hazel-green eyes shone attractively. His high cheekbones and strongly defined jawline matched his tanned skin.
I snapped when he caught me staring. I couldn't help but blush as well, feeling uncomfortable. He chuckled, "That happens a lot. You just met a celebrity. I would do the same if I were in your shoes." he said, trying not to embarrass me.
Elton led us in, alerting the rest of the band to our presence. Liam sat on the couch next to him, the fangirl who had performed the song with him earlier. Ray was leaning against the dressing table, scrolling through his phone. As soon as I stepped into his field of vision, his eyes were on me. Liam and his girlfriend, who she said was named Teresa, were very welcoming and talkative.
An hour later, Elton and Camila were talking intimately or flirting. Ray approached me to start a conversation, and I took the opportunity to ask him some questions. He tried to answer as many as he could. He showered me with compliments and never broke eye contact for a second. "Who's ready for a drink? Let's have fun tonight since we've got three chicks' company," said Liam.
I glanced at Camila and made a dismissive gesture. She looked too excited to agree with me. Instead, she ignored my desperate pleas to go home early. I should have known better. A night with Camila Lorenzo could never be midnight at home. "Are you coming, beautiful?" Ray asked me. How could I refuse him a request and then peacefully fall asleep? So it came to pass that I came along in a limousine to another luxurious place. The bar was one of the most expensive in town. I doubt even Camila's parents could afford it, although her father is a wealthy businessman. There was another problem. I'd never drunk alcohol before. I hoped that this night would pass without regret. Deep down, I knew it would not go the way I had planned.
We drank a few more shots and then headed to the dance floor. Liam danced with Teresa, Cami with Elton, and Ray with me. It wasn't long before Liam and Teresa started making out in a corner and took off. As I danced and moved my hips to the rhythm of the music, Ray held my hips and took the lead in my movements. "Have I mentioned how hot you look when you dance, beautiful?" whispered Ray in a husky tone in my ear.
My face flushed a bright red. Ray had a strange effect on me, or it could be the alcohol in my body. Suddenly my head started spinning, and I felt a killer headache. I'd to get out of here. "I need some fresh air," I said, barely able to hear myself over the loud noise around me.
"You look tired. Do you want me to take you somewhere where you can rest?" Ray helped me get out and walked me to the car. I didn't have the energy to talk, so I rode along.
The car began to take sharp turns, causing my body to bump painfully against the door. I was barely in control. Ray was pissed off as his head hit the back of the seat in front of him. "What the hell, man!"
The driver sputtered as he answered Ray, "I am sorry, sir, it appears that someone is following us and trying to stop the car."
Ray huffed as he demanded, "Keep driving no matter what." Then he looked at me and remembered I existed, "Please hurry, she looks so tired." The chilled, familiar tone I knew from Ray was back. Still, something seemed off. He looked so worried when he found out someone had followed us. I panicked inside, but the pain was too strong to bother speaking.
The car turned into a side street to take advantage of the busy road and lose our pursuer. It was in vain, however, as we reached a dead end. A car parked in front of us shone through the windshield. The driver tried to reverse to avoid confrontation, but the car that had followed us earlier blocked the way. There was no escaping them, whoever they were. I wondered who they could be. Maybe some crazy fans, paparazzi, or maybe gangsters who were after Ray.
I straightened up and saw the men getting out of the cars. The driver was talking to them, but soon the familiar icy eyes found their way to me and pointed something at the driver. Ray could not help but make a sign to the man with the icy eyes that I was his. He should have known that if you stood in Damien Arthur Judge's way, you signed a death contract with the devil. Damien always got what he wanted, no matter what it was, I had learned over the years. But that was not enough to keep me from running away from him. I still have a spark of hope to cling on.
Ray assured me everything would be all right and insisted that I stay in the car no matter what happened. I nodded and watched as he walked over to Damien. The man had not changed a bit in all these years. His youthful hair and muscular features showed no signs of aging. His cold stare was still as frightening as I remembered. He stood there, one hand in his pocket, looking effortlessly handsome as if he were a model. His expression was serene; he was in control. However, I could see the annoyance in his eyes as his gaze met Ray's. I tried to move closer to the side window to listen in on the conversation. Damien's eyes lit up fiery red as I got closer. Had the headache made me imagine things? The pain intensified, and in the blink of an eye, I saw Damien let me out of Ray's car in his arms to his car. All I could perceive of my surroundings were the blood stains on the asphalt road and Damien's voice, "They drugged her. We have to hurry. I am taking her to the mansion. Sam, get medical help."