Annabelle’s POV

A few miles after we entered the coastal town, our car pulled through a park, and the massive iron gates that guarded the buildings opened ahead. 

The environment seemed like an upscale estate. 

My heart clenched with each opening, at the sight of the mansions we drove past. Exotic, a fortress, looming ahead. 

Armed guards. Security dogs. Security cameras. And… no way out.

The car came to a halt in front of a big mansion, which appeared to be in the innermost part of the upscale estate.

Still being treated like a criminal, the two men hauled me out of the car, and we headed into the exotic mansion. 

Our car was parked in front of it.

On entering the mansion, which I had heard Antonioni call his “domain” on the phone, a few male guards lined up, all dressed well and bowing their heads low once Antonioni walked past them.

We stepped into the elevator and came to the last floor, where it seemed like he had his penthouse. 

We walked through a hallway with different rooms bordering it side by side. 

And then we came to the longest hallway I had ever seen in my life. That one, no rooms bordered it at all, except for a room by its extreme left side.

Finally, we walked past the last guard who stood by the door of the entrance of the room I suspected was Antonioni’s—the room at the extreme.

He bowed his head low to Antonioni in respect.

“Okay… Apart from the fact that he is wealthy, it seemed they feared him so much, why's that?” I tried to ruminate within myself, my arms still bound like a bandit by the two able-bodied men as we walked.

Once we entered Antonioni's room, the two mysterious guards released me, bowed to him, and left. 

My arms ached so badly.

The room was pretty luxurious, but that didn't affect the pain I was going through in my soul and body.

For a few minutes, he left me standing in his room. 

What a man!

He would rather go change his shirt into another simpler shirt. 

I looked at him from the corner of my eye, refusing to look directly at a man changing in front of me.

Silence had enveloped the atmosphere for a few minutes before Antonioni finally spoke up.

“If you like, you can sit.” I looked around to be sure I was the one he spoke to, since he didn't look at me. His voice was really cold and unemotional.

There was a seemingly comfortable sofa just in front of where I stood.

Without uttering a word, I sat anyway. After all, I had been pulled and stressed all through, and my body ached badly.

I was shyly looking into an unfocused space, close to my hands, which I had clenched together in fear.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him take a glance at me, as if trying to read my thoughts and emotions.

What happened next was what I didn't expect in my wildest imagination.

I lost my breath while it lasted.

Antonioni pulled out a pistol from one of his swell closets, walked fast paced to me, and placed it on my head, saying, “If you dare to run, I'll send your corpse back to your father, feel me?”

I won't lie, I was scared stiff. So I nodded slowly, my head tossed to my right-hand side. I was panicking and trembling but I still tried to hide it.

He lifted the gun from my head and said something lighter.

“If you need to use the restroom, there are soaps, shampoo, toiletries, scents, towels, and every other thing you'd need in the bathroom. I'll see you when I return.” 

I just watched in amazement, wondering how crazy and spontaneous a person can be.

He quickly walked back to the closet, loaded some guns with bullets, and left for the hallway. 

“C’mon, guys, we have an op. Where's everyone? Where's Bukky? Man, get your ass off that muffin, we've got work to tidy up!”

His voice faded into thin air.

There, in Antonioni's room, I sank into the soft sofa—into my reality. 

My pulse hadn't stopped stuttering. 

I looked around the room, carefully taking in the environment. 

There was a silent auction around the room. The room, dark but lavishly decorated in an exotic style, had a big bed close to one of the expensive-looking window sets

I sighed loudly.

“So this is going to be my reality now. A sudden marriage to a dangerous stranger, far away from my peaceful life.”

I hissed.

“But why would Father ever do this to me? Am I that unimportant to him?” 

I voiced out quietly, my voice still shaking from all I had been through.

Feeling tired, I sighed for the umpteenth time, and I decided to lift my legs off the ground to lie down comfortably on the sofa instead.

In an instant, I fell into a trance. 

I was happily bouncing down our street, heading to Mama's flower shop. 

The street is always filled with happy people, different colors, angry people, traders, buyers, playing children, chattering women, engaging passersby, indifferent passersby, fun activities, local gamblers, fighters, money changers, advertisers, and much more. 

It was a few minutes past seven in the morning. 

The morning sun slipped gently through the narrow gaps in the shop windows, casting soft beams across the floors of the streets.

I greeted almost ten people before even getting closer to my shop. 

As usual, Ma Soledad was the last to be greeted as she sold decorative materials just next to my shop. 

Her imperfect dentition always shone through whenever she responded to a greeting. 

Very happy woman.

I arrived just in time, my steps light and full of life.

After Mama’s death, I have learned to brace up and embrace weighty family responsibilities like Mama was doing when she was still alive. 

Father has never been able to provide for his family, and according to Mama, that was one of the major reasons why his first wife left him. He was always gambling and getting them into debt.

“Hi, Ma Sole!” I greeted her, smiling heartily.

“Hi, Belle!” Ma Soledad responded, her voice carrying the kind of warmth that could soften even a weary heart. 

There was something about her that always lifted my spirit, perhaps because she’s always optimistic and speaks positively. 

She spoke further. “Today must be a lucky one since the sun has appeared earlier.”

“Yeah…Looks like it,” I responded, at the same time, looking for my shop keys from inside my bag.

I got inside my shop, rattled my keys, and found the right one for the door. 

The key clinked harshly as it touched the metal lock. It clicked open. 

As I pushed the door backward, the familiar sound of crickets that had lodged there overnight greeted me like an old friend…

The day was bright and beautiful. 

I swept the shop and removed the spider webs from all angles of the room.

I moved to the flower baskets and unpacked the different kinds of flowers. 

And as usual, I decided to display some outside the shop, where it'll be easy for passersby to see them and buy.

After setting up the flowers, roses, hibiscus, orchids, garlands, greenery, petals, lilacs, and lilies, I began to unpack my drawing equipment- portrait boards, drawing sheets, pens, and colors.

Placing some of my beautiful drawings outside the shop, at the balusters, I returned to the shop and started painting.

I loved painting so much. I could paint for a whole day and forget about food. This was part of the reason I couldn't wait to be in the flower shop daily. 

I looked forward to painting there every day, as I didn't have much time to do that at home.

What do I do with the paintings? Of course, I sell them off to buyers. In short, people love my paintings and mostly book them even before I finish a portrait. 

They hang them on their interiors, walls, consoles, etc

When I was all set and had set up the shop, I brought out my painting tools, lay down on my belly, and began to use the tools to do justice to the drawing sheet.

I smiled as I painted. I was seeing myself in the civilized world I painted, and my life was all shades of “peaceful.”

Suddenly, a hand tickled me gently on the left shoulder, and I spun around to see who it was.

Mama!

As she usually did, she had brought food for me in the shop and had decided to first startle me.

But I wasn't ticklish. She had caused me to become immune to the ticklish effect because of how often she tickled me.

“My yummy food is here! Welcome, Mama,” I had declared happily, while collecting the food flask from her hand.

I tried returning my gaze to her face after I had collected the flask from her hand, but she had vanished immediately when she released the flask from her hand.

In a flash, I slipped into a deep sleep from the trance.

****

After many hours, I sensed the soft ray of blue light kissing the chilled room I had fallen asleep in. 

I was shivering in the cold too.

I became awake, although gradually. My eyes had blinked several times, and I had woken up very hungry.

I looked around my environment and realized I still had a bloody new reality no matter how long I tranced and slept it off.

I lifted my face and searched around the wall for a clock. I wanted to know what time it was. I found one.

It was 9:08pm.

“Antonioni isn't yet back.” I guessed.

I wanted to continue processing my reality when I was interrupted by several angry, loud, and scary knocks on the door.

The knocks kept on intensifying suspensefully.

I became very scared.

Who could that be?

Antonioni's POV 

The car came to a halt in front of my big mansion, which was positioned in the innermost part of the upscale estate. I love hidden abodes.

My boys hauled Annabelle out of the car, really forcefully, and we headed for the interiors of my building—my domain.

“Easy, boys,” I had heard myself urge, wondering why I even cared in the first place.

On entering the mansion, people lined up, male and female, all dressed well and bowing their heads low once I walked past them.

We stepped into the elevator and came to the last floor, where I had my penthouse. We walked through the hallway.

And finally walked past the last guard who stood by the door of the entrance to my room.

He bowed his head low to me in respect.

Once we had entered the room, I winked at my guards, and they released Annabelle, bowed to me, and left.

I quickly went to my wardrobe to change into a more comfortable shirt. I had a business at hand to take care of real quick.

The air inside the room was quieter, and suddenly I remembered I had entered with someone.

Why's she still standing, with a damn seat just in front of her?!

“If you like, you can sit.” I couldn't find a better way to address her in her naivety.

She looked around, as though searching for something before she sat.

I observed her, and she didn't seem comfortable one bit. What do I care about? 

She will eventually get used to the lifestyle around here. 

But I hope she doesn't try to do anything stupid before I return to the dome. 

I needed to do something that could scare her and keep her down.

I immediately took the pistol I usually hide in one of the layers of my wardrobe, walked fast paced to her, and placed it on her head.

She gasped in fear.

“If you dare to run, I'll send your corpse back to your father, feel me?”

She nodded obediently, her head tossed to her right-hand side as she trembled. 

For the first time, she couldn't open her mouth to challenge me. It remained shut.

I observed her body movement, she was frozen as though lifeless, but was still trembling a little.

Good riddance to bad rubbish! 

If fear was what it would take to keep her in place, then she had better be afraid.

Seeing that I had gotten her exactly where I wanted her, I then lifted the pistol from her head and informed her…

“If you need to use the restroom, there are soaps, shampoo, toiletries, scents, towels, and every other thing you'd need in the bathroom. I'll see you when I return.” 

She just watched in bewilderment without responding to me. Beads of tiny sweat were beginning to form on her face.

I left her and headed back to my wardrobe.

I quickly loaded some guns with bullets, left for the hallway, shouting to my boys who were around, “C’mon, guys, we have an op. Where's everyone? Where's Bukky?” On sighting him, I yelled at him, “Man get your ass off that muffin! We've got business.”

“Yo boss! Good to see you!” One of my right-hand men, Milo, had said, coming opposite us as he was just coming into my dome.

“Good to see you too, man,” I said, hugging his chest up, with one of our hands, curling into a brotherly handshake, and the other one patting each other's backs.

As we passed through the kitchen, the sweet smell of freshly baked muffins hit our noses. 

Milo joked, but I didn't find it funny, instead. “If the smell of this muffin could kill me this way, then I wonder what the enemy’s arrows would do.”

It was then that I remembered I was supposed to ask my new wife if she needed to eat, but since I had forgotten, I would do that once I returned.

Temporary hunger won't kill her. Business needs to be taken care of first and foremost.

It was about time: one of my most important operations among others. 

I wasn't going to play it lightly with that betrayer, Lorenzo. I must retrieve my goods. Emphasis on “must”! 

As my boys and I stepped out, about six expensive black SUVs screeched to a violent stop in front of us.

It was my homie, Diego, and my boys.

I said to them, voice cool like stone: “Easy, fellas. My hood ain't no spot for one of the damn scenes in Fast and Furious.”

They alighted like trained soldiers from the cars. Bows. Greetings. Hugs. Handshakes.

The very first car among them was occupied by the third man of my right-hand homies,

Diego. 

He was more like the mobilizer of men and ammunition. 

Very trustworthy fellow. 

He had taken his time to orient and organize the boys, and it was time to finally distribute weapons and protection to them accordingly.

There were about twenty in number.

Just immediately, two huge lorries rolled in and were parked behind the SUVs.

I observed for a while and couldn't help but admire my men's hard work in preparation.

“My man, Dee. Must have been a long and careful one. Trust you man,” I said, hugging him tightly.

“Hehehe, Good day, boss. Hey fellas.” He hugged back and called out to Bukky and Milo.

The duo greeted him back, and they hugged. “Hey, Dee.”

“Good to see you, brothers.”

“Good to see you, brother,” They replied. “

I quickly checked the time on my wristwatch.

The time was 3:25

After pleasantries had been exchanged, I raised my voice and addressed them, motioning with my hands.

“Listen up, fellas. The time is 3:31, and we need to go organize ourselves for the last time so we can head out right on time. 

Lorenzo has bitten more than he can chew this time. We all know how dangerous and unnecessarily ruthless he can be. And so we need to reinstate it in his damn head that no one messes with the shadows and goes scot-free, while doing that smartly.” 

I paused and observed their composure, and good enough, they were following closely.

They all nodded in agreement.

“The shipment from China arrived yesterday at the Dock Twelve shore, but Lorenzo hijacked them. Thankfully, I learned it hasn't been moved yet. We need to act fast before the shores are opened for the movement of goods, so we can be there before them and move the crates before they do. Do we understand?” 

“Yes, boss.” They all echoed, macho voices thick in the air.

I continued. “Bukky has positioned the guys in the Park to stay on their feet while we're out, and Milo has dealt with the guys on the computers.”

I paused.

“Diego”

“Yes, boss,” He answered.

“Who are those charged with bringing out the new weapon?”

“It's Sanchez, Miguel, and Juan, boss.”

“And they can use it even though their eyes are closed?”

“Sure, boss. Not just them, boss. Everyone here was trained to use it. I got the Russian supplier to send over his trainers about two weeks ago.”

“Excellent. You're doing great by thinking ten steps ahead,” I said. 

Proud and impressed.

I exhaled loudly.

“Milo”

“Yes, boss,” He answered.

“Did you get the tablet synced to all their CCTV blind spots?”

“Yes, boss, I did. I also connected it to the ones the guys are using in the ICT room, in case we need help, follow-up, or keep tabs.” He was carrying the modern tablet in his hands, his hands shaking slightly in anxiety.

I appreciated him sincerely. “You're playing your part well, too.”

“Thanks, boss. I'm learning from the best.” He replied, hands still shaking slightly on the gadget.

Because of him, we needed to do a quick exercise.

“Everybody, breathe in!”

“Out!"

“In!”

“Out!”

“Shadows!”

“We run the city!”

“The darker the game!”

“The brighter we shine!”

I made them repeat the exercise until I noticed Milo was eventually calm.

The ammunition cases were brought out from Diego's booth, and some boys carried them along as we moved to the spot to finalize our movement.

The basement is where we always stay to do the last preparation. Everyone has been thoroughly trained for this movement, no exception.

For me, I’m called the Shadow King for a reason.

We got to the basement and I could smell that there was a strange atmosphere, like someone in the Park was monitoring us.

I brought out my phone and called the head of one of my reliable in-house top-grade security raiders. 

They're called the Bloc Raiders. 

The head of the team is a Spanish man who understands English as well. 

“Hola, Señor Cruz, I need you to chain the park, mobilize your men to fish out lurks in the shadows. Gracias.”

“Consider it done, sir.” Came the voice from the other end of the line.