Victor smirked, his gaze fixed on Emilia, who was trembling on the bed.
"That horrified look on your face... You have no idea how much that turns me on." He muttered as he took a step forward, getting closer to her.
"What a sick..." Emilia was going to cuss him out in her mind but stopped midway when he reached for her leg as he got closer.
"Please... Can we have a break this morning? I need to..." She was saying pleadingly as she backed up slightly but Victor cut her short.
"Begging already? I haven't even touched you yet." He stated, letting out a sinister chuckle.
As he reached for her again, his cellphone rang from the drawer. Victor cursed under his breath as he grabbed the phone.
"One moment." He said to Emilia, motioning for her to stay put. Then he picked the call.
"Mason, this better be very important and urgent." Victor said to the caller through gritted teeth. It was his personal assistant at office.
Emilia's heart raced as she clenched her fists tightly, silently praying.
"Please, let it be something urgent. Make him leave... just for now. Please God!" She pleaded in her mind as she watched him listen to what the person was saying from the other end.
Suddenly, Victor's expression hardened and his tone turned sharp.
"What did you just say? How could that happen under your watch, Mason? What have you been doing as my personal assistant?" Victor lashed out.
There was a pause as he listened, his jaw tightening.
"Don't waste my time with excuses, you good for nothing assistant. I will be there soon." He said then ended the call abruptly, his eyes flashing with anger.
Emilia, immediately put the pieces together and she heaved a sigh of relief as she realized that God had actually answered her prayers, but she kept her face blank.
Victor tossed the phone onto the bed and moved to his wardrobe, mumbling some unintelligible words as he grabbed a shirt.
"Get out!" He ordered Emilia without looking at her.
Emilia hesitated.
"Is everything okay?" She asked, pretending as if she was truly concerned when she was actually jubilant.
"Don't pretend like you care. I know you are happy I have to leave. But don't think this changes anything." Victor snapped, turning to glare at her.
"I wasn't—" She began softly but he cut her off.
"Save it. When I get back, we will continue from where we stopped. You should know that you haven't finished paying the price of what I just did for your family. Don't forget that." He informed her angrily, obviously upset about not having 'his fun'.
Emilia swallowed hard, nodding silently as she turned to leave.
Victor dressed quickly, grabbed his car keys, and stormed out of the house.
Once she had confirmed that he had gone, Emilia released a breath she had been holding and collapsed onto the bed in her own room.
"Thank you God! At least, my body will get the rest it deserves now." She whispered to no one in particular and heaved another sigh of relief.
"If only it would be something really serious so he wouldn't be able to come home tonight..." She thought to herself and sighed heavily.
~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, on the campus of one of the prestigious, biggest university in the city:
Adrian was seated on a bench outside the lecture hall, his backpack slung over one shoulder.
His friend Penelope sat beside him, scrolling through her phone.
"So, are you going home for the break?" She asked, not looking up.
"Nope. Not happening." Adrian replied sharply, shaking his head.
Penelope sighed, locking her phone and turning to him.
"Wait, what is really happening? You have been saying that for a year now. Don't you miss your dad? It has been forever since you have been home." She pointed out with concern.
"I don't miss him and I have nothing to go and do there." Adrian replied bluntly.
"Come on, you are not serious?" She asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.
"I am." Adrian insisted.
"He doesn't miss me, so why should I miss him?" He asked rhetorically.
"That is not true. I mean, you don't even know that." Penelope said softly.
Adrian scoffed.
"Trust me, I do. Why won't I when I know the kind of father I have? He is too busy with his business and new wife to care about anything else. I have never mattered to him." He told his friend who was now had a pitiful look on her for him.
"Well, maybe now is even a good time to meet your father's new wife whom you have never seen." She added.
"I don't want to meet her." Adrian said firmly.
"Why not?" Penelope pressed on.
Adrian hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Because I don't care. She is probably just another woman after his money." He stated.
Penelope frowned at that.
"That is harsh, Adrian. What if she is not like that?" She pointed out and Adrian scoffed again.
"Doesn't matter. She is my age, Penelope. My age. What am I supposed to call her? Stepmom? That is ridiculous, please!" He spat out in disgust.
Penelope shrugged.
"Okay, fine. But staying here all alone isn't good either. Everyone is leaving for the break. And Adrian, you are sick. You should go home to rest better and recover on time." She said gently.
"I don't really care about that." Adrian muttered in response and Penelope stayed silent, not knowing how else to persuade him.
After a moment of silence, Adrian spoke up:
"But I do care about one thing; my mom's death anniversary which is around the corner... I don't think she will be happy if I miss it again." He heaved a heavy sigh, his expression softening.
"Yeah, right... You missed it last year. You should go home for that, at least." Penelope maintained.
Adrian exhaled deeply, running a hand through his hair.
"Huh. But what does home hold in store for me?" He whispered, a sense of foreboding settling over him like a dark, unexpected shadow.