Page 36 of Santiago's Conquest (Four Dark Horsemen 1)

We decided to tell Dad about our relationship soon, and then he’d whisk me away from here.

I lived in illicit bliss on borrowed time, waiting for the reality to sneak up on me and show me the clock stopped ticking, and I should pay up.

And today, it finally did, and all the tears I’ve shed ever since have no power to wash away this cruel reality.

My father recently invested money in an important company and merger. Somehow, the man who owns it convinced Dad it’d be a good idea, and Dad invited him over for dinner.

He told me to wear something nice and I did, used to entertaining his friends who barely paid me any attention.

This one though…

All he did was stare at me the minute he entered the hall, his eyes almost reptile-like, sweeping over me with interest and… such harsh focus I shivered inwardly from disgust.

While Dad gushed to him about how much money he was getting from the investment and how he wanted to extend the partnership to something else, the man looked at me, chewing on his food, his eyes following my every move. I almost felt naked under his gaze, desperately wanting to run away from it and take a long shower to wash all traces of it from my skin.

When the dessert arrived, I got up from my seat and said to my dad, “If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to go to sleep.” I was ready to bolt, only to stop abruptly when Dad shook his head.

“I promised our guest you’d show him the garden’s secluded area. Andreas plans to build a greenhouse on his territory, somewhere it doesn’t get in the way of people.” He smiled at the man who barely spared him a glance before flicking his orbs back on me, sipping his wine slowly. “I have a business call in a few minutes, so I hope you don’t mind if Flora shows you around. We can discuss designs later tomorrow.” The man nodded, and Dad grinned. “Great. Honey, please show it to him, and then you can go sleep.”

Everything in me screamed to refuse, but instead, I walked silently with him toward the garden, and once we were outside, I started, “This garden is—”

“I don’t care about the garden, Flora.” His voice had an ice-cold effect, the chilliness of it breaking goose bumps on my skin. “All I want is you.” With this, he wrapped his hand around me and pulled me roughly to his chest, clasping his hand over my mouth as I screamed my lungs out although only muffled sounds erupted, and he dragged me toward the nearest wall.

My back hit the brick so hard I groaned in pain while trying to push him away from me, but he didn’t even budge, whispering, “I had to wait ages for him to fall in love, and this time around, I won’t make any mistakes. This time, I’ll destroy him.” I didn’t understand any of his words; they didn’t make sense. Who was he anyway?

For a second, his hand slipped from my mouth, and I shouted, “Help! Please, someone help me!” And he put his mouth on mine, harshly biting on my lips and drawing blood. I still did my best to hit his chest, only for him to rip the front of my dress, the tearing sound enveloping me in even more fear, signaling the impending doom if I didn’t do something, yet what could I have possibly done?

My strength was not enough to defend myself from his assault when he lowered the zipper of his pants, hiked my dress, and raped me right there, ignoring my cries while all my body was in so much pain I couldn’t focus on one source of it.

My throat burned, constant shouts tore from it trapped by his palm, and he continued to hurt me all while grinning so widely I wondered if he was human or a demon sent to earth to destroy innocent souls.

My nails dug into his skin, scratching him, and hoping at least some of the discomfort would stop his actions, but nothing did.

Until finally he groaned above me and stepped back. I dropped on the ground, sobs shaking my entire being while the semen between my thighs continue to leak, informing me he didn’t even use a condom.

I trembled all over, the ringing in my ears so loud I covered them while screaming, “Help!” Only to realize my voice had become hoarse and barely audible in the night.

Andreas adjusted his clothes, his voice penetrating through the fog of agony that shook my entire body. “Sweet as the fucking blooming roses you are, Flora. Very suiting name.” He crouched in front of me, fisted my hair, and tilted it back while tears streamed down my cheeks, and I spit on his face.

He winced and then slapped me so hard on the cheek that my head snapped to the side and I could barely move my jaw. He clacked his tongue, “See what you made me do?” He rubbed the spot and fisted my hair harder. “Give Howard my regards. He’ll know what I mean.”

“Help!” I tried to scream again, wanting nothing else but to put this man behind bars, because my father would always protect me. He wouldn’t stand by it for any stupid deals.

Everything happened so fast I still hoped I was trapped in a nightmare and would wake up any minute.

Andreas’s laughter echoed in the night instead while he shook his head, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Careful, honey. If you open your mouth, your daddy will lose all his assets.” I stilled, trying in my state to comprehend what he was saying. Dad invested everything? “His weak heart won’t survive it, right, love? He already had one heart attack two years ago. Do you want to be the cause of another?” He bit on my cheek, and revulsion rushed through me, my gag reflex kicking in, and I vomited on the ground. “On this note, I will take my leave.” He threw a handkerchief to me. “Be a good girl, Flora, and keep your mouth shut. Your father won’t lose anything, and you won’t see me again.” I raised my eyes to him. The moonlight streaming behind him almost made it seem as if he existed in the shadows, the depraved energy swirling around us. He winked. “Unless you’re pregnant. Then, my darling, I’ll take my baby and leave you for Howard. If he wants you after that.” With that, he walked off, seemingly uncaring about what he had done to me.

In a trance after his actions and words, with my body reminding me of his violation with each hurt, I held the torn dress to my chest, going to my room numbly, my shoes left in the garden.

If I encountered anyone on my way, I didn’t notice them or care for that matter.

When I entered my room, I went straight to the shower, sat on the floor while the water cascaded down on me, soaking me and the dress, as sobs bounced off the walls.

I wished for the water to clean me from his touches, to wipe away the horrible encounter that forever changed my life, to remove his smell from me, but when I closed my eyes, his scent and words were the ones appearing in front of me.

I scrubbed myself raw till blood appeared on my puckered skin, then wrapped a towel around me, sitting by my usual chair to write this entry in my diary.

Because only my diary can know about it.

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