Sienna.
But the post-sex sleep was short-lived. My eyes peered open. I panicked, feeling disoriented about my surroundings. Then it dawned on me seconds later that I was in bed next to Zane. A glance at the bedside watch and I sighed with disappointment that I had just slept for an hour. Knowing I didn't want to face Zane after having asked him to satisfy my desires without shame, I gently slipped out of his arms, wrapped around my waist, making sure not to wake him. My insomnia started after I witnessed the brutal death of my parents. As I walked out of his room to mine, the gory memory of that night filled my head, blurring the sexual satisfaction I once felt.
֍ flashback ֍
"Sienna, I need you to listen to me, you have to stay here, regardless of whatever sound you hear, my darling, don't you dare come out." My father whispered, his voice carrying an air of fear with it, just like his gray eyes. I was perplexed because if there was one thing I had come to know about him, he was never one to panic unnecessarily. He was visibly shaking, leaving me to wonder what was going on. He grabbed me by the arm in a not-so-gentle, unusual way, urging me to walk faster, into the dark underground cabin. "Why, Pa? Your friends are around. You know how much I love to play chess with them," I said, not giving up on my quest to disobey his warnings. I did a quick flash of what had happened barely ten minutes ago to understand what was happening. The doorbell rang at 9 pm, which wasn't unusual, and although I was in my room, I had heard the guest walk in with my father. From the tone of their voices, I knew they were his business partners who had become like family members. I hadn't hesitated another second to toss my gaming pads aside and was about to welcome them when he rushed into the room, dragging me all the way to the cabin, avoiding the route to the study where his friends were. Then he turned around to face me, holding his hands to my squared shoulders, his hands were visibly shaking badly. "I love you, Sienna. Your mother does too. This is why we are doing this. Please don't come out, promise me," he said hurriedly. She held my gaze until I nodded my head. "Say it, Sienna," he said, more of a plea as his hands left my shoulder to hold my face. "I promise, Dad," I said "If you must come out, use the secret door." he kissed my forehead, and without another word, he pushed me further under the makeshift wooden staircase. He glanced over his shoulder towards the door, and in a flashing second, he unlatched the locks that held the staircase in place, and then he was gone. I stood there with my sweaty palms holding onto my knees as I listened to the empty air in the cabin. I hated the dark room and avoided coming here. Knowing this fact wasn't lost on my parents, yet he made me stay here, made me scared that something deep was happening upstairs. I kept wondering why he had made me come here. Was this some punishment? I hadn't done anything to upset either of them. In fact, I had just graduated top of my class and was... Boooooooom! The sound rocked my thoughts, pulling me out of everything else. Then came screams, my mother's. It continued for a few seconds and then it was gone. Don't come out, regardless of the sound you hear, promise me... Now it was starting to make sense Booooooooom!! The awful sound came again, and my heart started beating faster. I was tempted to push out the locks and run up to see what was happening. But I had made a promise to my father, one I didn't want to break. The door suddenly flung open and I was almost jumping out of my hiding place when I heard the voice, not my father's "Are you sure there is no one home?" "I am positive." "The weird girl? We don't want any one of their goddamn family left roaming the streets, that would mean doomsday brewing" "She's in school. I have my men watching out. She would face a crash on her way to the parents' funeral. Case closed for the Ellisons fucking power controlling family at last". They broke into a very throaty, dry laughter that lasted way longer than seemed like forever. I held my breath as I listened to their plans. I could make out three of them but I couldn't see any of them. "Burn down the house. Leave no traces of arson that could lead to an investigation. We don't want that." "Even if there is one, we have that handled too." "The power now belongs to us, equally." "One more stop and we are done." "Yes. Let's get out of here. My men will handle the rest." "For the good of the realm," they all chorused In seconds, they were gone, banging the door shut after them. I felt like a part of me had been ripped apart as I processed the vain conversation I had just heard in my head. Letting the reality of their words dawn on me. They had murdered my parents in cold blood for what they called the good of the realm. What realm? They planned to get me killed, too, and my father must have given up her life to lie for me. I heard some sound above, and then the faint smell of gasoline filled my nostrils. They were burning the house. I tried to move, but my legs felt lifeless, incapable of any motion. I kept trying my best to leave before it was too late, yet my body wouldn't oblige the danger looming ahead that my brain was sending it. Knowing what was to come if I stayed, I had to leave. Thinking of the fear I had seen in my father's eyes and the painful cries of her dying was the push I needed to snap out of my stoic state. My father didn't go through the stress of hiding me for nothing. Carefully, I released the latch, lifting it gently so the creaking sound wouldn't alert anyone. Though I doubt they'd still be here. Hastily but very quietly, I ran over to the secret door, invisible to others but not to me. My parents made sure of that; with just the right kick to the right spot, the walls would give, and I would push it in, shutting it behind me as if I were never there. I rushed upstairs against my father's request; I needed to see what had become of them. The state of the house was nothing like it used to be; everything had been tossed around, and there was blood everywhere. Mother's body was sprawled over, and I knew she was gone. They had killed her. A soft cough pulled me out of my head and I traced the sound to the center of the room, where my father was lying, holding a hand to his chest where he had been shot. "I told you to go," He whispered, his disappointment lost in his pain. "I am sorry, Pa, what should I do?" He slowly reached into his pocket and dragged out a silver locket. I leaned closer as he handed it to me, then he whispered through bloody lips. "Stay hidden, SiSi. Stay alert. Keep this safe. It is your leverage to survive. Never let them find you." I was going to ask him more questions when he started to jerk, he took a long sigh, and he stopped breathing. "Pa!" I cried, realizing he was gone. I didn't wait another second, realizing I was now alone and my survival had to do with how fast I could run. I walked back to the cabin and to the secret door, which was only accessible from the underground cabin leading to a maze tunnel that runs through the entire ten acres that comprise our Manor. It leads to a major road in the city. My father and I had often played hide-and-seek games over the years until I had mastered every turn and bend of the maze. As I ran for my life, leaving everything I had ever known behind. I wish I could see my parent one last time, but I couldn't risk going to the house. Tears welled up in my eyes, rolling down to the collars of my shirt. I muffled the wails that should have escaped my lungs, dreading that I would attract any attention. I kept running for my life, vowing to avenge the awful death of my parents. Being killed by friends and then left to burn is one disastrous way to die for a third-generation billionaire. ֍ ֍ Reliving the night always weakened my knees and I fell into bed and grabbed a pillow. With all the energy left inside me, I screamed my pain into the pillow, hoping it would muffle out the sound since the last thing I wanted was to wake Zane
