"I am not going to hand-feed you. Stand up and get your plate!" Greta's nagging voice filled the room.
"What are you talking about, Mom?" Didn't you tell me a few days ago that you already had a plan?" Laura retorted, already getting weary of her mother's constant nagging.
"My plan didn't go as planned, but you also have to try on your own part," Greta spewed angrily, disgust written all over her face, as she grabbed the glass of whiskey beside her.
"Mum, I'm just 23, and marriage is the last thing on my mind at the moment. Why don't you make Delaney marry him instead? I am sure she wouldn't mind," Laura responded with an eye roll.
"Shut your trap! I never want to hear that from you again! How dare you mention that filthy tramp to my ears? Have you gone nuts?" Greta fumed; her anger and hatred toward Delaney were evident in her eyes.
"What would you have me do, Mom? Huh?"
"You are a beautiful damsel. Just find a way already. Work something out. Your sister, Velda, did it, and now she's married to one of the big shots in the country. I am aiming for someone higher for you, for Christ's sake! Help me out here!" Greta was losing her patience.
"But, Mom, he is a tough person, and getting so close to him is yet another difficult task." Laura paused briefly, studying the files she had in hand. "But I'll find a way around it. I'll try." She finally surrendered.
"Good. Mr. Adonis Langston is a man, no matter how hard he looks. It takes a beautiful woman to bring such men to their knees, and you are one of such woman, my dear. That's exactly how I got your father." She let out a dark chuckle. She was pleased with her daughter's last statement.
Greta Grey Anderson has been a very ambitious woman and overly controlling, too. She always wants to make sure she gets the best of anything she wants.
She was able to secure her first daughter's future, like she always says, by coming up with a perfect plan to get her married into the Walton family. Her plan is already in motion there, and soon enough, their ultimate plan will be achieved. It is gradual but sure.
Now, she had eyes on Adonis, and she wouldn't slack on that. She wanted power and fame to be at the tip of her fingers, and she could go to any length to get them.
***
Delaney was still lying helplessly on the bed when the doorbell rang, distracting her thoughts. She wondered who it could be, as she just wished the person would go away.
She knew it couldn't be Blaine; he only left the house less than two hours ago.
The doorbell rang again; this time, it was louder and more persistent than the first time. Perhaps Blaine was actually the one at the door. Maybe he left something at home, just like the other day.
She slowly lifted herself from the bed, barely able to move a limb. Her hair was a total mess, and the scratches on her neck still had some stains of blood on them.
She strolled to the wardrobe and picked up her red night robe, which was quite light and transparent. She pulled it over her body as she made her way downstairs to the door.
At this moment, she was so sure it was Blaine at the door. She had no friends; Greta and her girls would never visit her, so who else would come knocking on the door if not Blaine?
Delaney didn't feel the need to fix her scattered hair, nor did she see the need to put on anything else beneath the robe she wrapped around her body, except for the thong she had on already. 'What other hurt does he want to inflict on her that she isn't used to?' she wondered as she held the doorknob and turned it open, staring blankly at the floor.
The first thing she saw was the legs of the person who had been knocking. Those legs were much longer than that of Blaine's. She slowly lifted her gaze to meet the face of the owner of those long, straight legs, and immediately, her eyes caught his.
'Adonis.'
She could feel her heart hitting hard against her chest as if it were going to pull out anytime soon.
Delaney saw the rage in his eyes, and she thought he had finally come to cause more trouble, which she wasn't in the mood for at the moment.
"Mr. Langston, good day…." She greeted him politely, avoiding his gaze as she tried to cover her almost naked body with the robe she had on. She was still standing at the door without ushering him in.
"What did he do to you, Delaney?" His voice thundered as he pushed himself into the house, closing the door behind him.
Delaney was shocked by his actions. She stared at him wide-eyed, her heart racing so fast that she felt her breath leaving her.
"He did nothing to me. Please leave, I beg you. I don't want any trouble, please." She pleaded, her voice quivering.
"That son of a bitch! He dares lay his filthy hands on you, huh?" His icy voice was calm but hard with rage. "I think it's time I taught him a lesson he'll never forget in his entire life." He said, lifting the envelope he had in his hand.
"What's in there? What do you plan on doing?" Delaney's heart froze. She couldn't tell what he was up to.
Adonis held a certain personality that sent shivers down the spines of those around him. Delaney knew this man was dangerous, and crossing paths with him was a totally bad idea.
She regretted her actions that night. She blamed it on Greta and Velda. She wouldn't have been in this situation if not for both of them. Adonis' silence was killing her. She was curious to know what mischief he was up to.
"Talk to me, please. Don't do anything to harm Blaine, please." Tears brimmed in her eyes, and it angered Adonis even more.
He hated that she looked at another man in this manner. He wanted to be the only one she felt this way for—the only man who should imprint his marks of pleasure on her delicate skin, not imprint his marks of pain on it. He was gradually losing his mind.
"Here," he handed the documents over to her, "I always had my suspicions about him, and my investigations came out correct." There was a hint of pride and satisfaction in his voice as he looked intently at her every reaction to the things he said and those she found in the envelope.
"No..." Her hands trembled as she looked at the papers one after the other. "This can't be..." Confusion etched on her face.
"Yes, hun, it is true. It turns out Blaine has been a backstabbing hypocrite." He paused, collecting the papers from her trembling hands. "And as soon as I get these to the police, he's going to be spending so much time in prison that he might never get the opportunity to see your pretty face in this lifetime, ever again."
"Please, don't do this; please, Blaine is the only one I have at the moment. We can pay you... Everything he stole... I'm sure he had his reasons. Blaine isn't a bad person, please." She rushed through her words, saying everything and anything to get Adonis to drop the case.
"Interesting," he said with a smirk. "We are talking millions here, Dela. How do you intend to pay back such money? Huh? By selling your soul?" He scoffed.
Silence hung in the air at the question. That was a valid question. Where on earth will she get such money? What did Blaine do with such an amount of money? Why did he have to…
Her thoughts were interrupted by the hoarse voice of Adonis, and it sounded like he was trying to suggest a better option. Delaney snapped her head up, holding his gaze as she listened.
"Perhaps there is just an easier way to deal with this." He stepped closer to her, gazing at her form in the transparent robe she was putting on.
She clutched the robe tighter, swallowing hard, as she nervously avoided his lustful gaze. He slowly examined every inch of her body. He fondled a loose strand of her hair, causing her to fidget at his touch.
"One weekend, Dela," The words came out almost inaudible, laced with pure lust and hunger.
"What?" She couldn't believe her ears. Her heart resumed its marathon race again as she took some steps away from Adonis.
Adonis leaned in; his eyes fixed intently on Delaney as he made her an offer that was equal parts tempting and difficult. "One weekend with me, and I'll forget this ever happened. Blaine will never even know that I found out," he proposed, his voice tinged with a hint of danger and seduction.
"But if you choose to tell him about my little proposal and he tries to run away, well..." He paused, his lips curving into a devilish grin. "There's nowhere too far or too hidden for me to find him. I have the world at my fingertips, Dela." His eyes glinted with ruthless determination.
Delaney was paralyzed with fear, the weight of Adonis' demands suffocating her. The tears she held back fell freely down her face as she stared at the monster standing before her.
She had always been fiercely loyal to her fiancé, even though he'd been making her life a living hell, and the thought of cheating on him made her feel terrible.
"Forgive my manners, Dela; I wasn't very specific..." He leaned closer to her, taking her fragile palm in his. "I meant this weekend. You have just three days to decide what fate befalls Blaine."
With that, he placed a kiss on the back of her palm, and his seductive eyes gazed lustfully at the bulge on her chest before turning around to leave.
He stopped briefly by the door and turned around to cast a final glance at the transfixed lady before stepping out.
Delaney felt herself still unable to move even after he had left the room. She felt suffocated. "This is not happening.' she wondered. Why would a mistake from the past hunt her down in this manner?