Ah! There it is!

I lean my head on the door and slowly remove my hand from the door knob. I hear mother's footsteps walk towards me. She places her hand on my shoulder.

"Please stay Nadine. For a week at least. Please?", mother pleads and I hear that sadness in her voice. It crushes me badly.

I turn around and place my head on her shoulder. I embrace my mother so dearly and sniff back unshed tears.

"Alright", I whisper lowly.

I love my mother so much I'm afraid this love will burn me to ashes.

"That's my girl"

I scoff and release mother from the embrace

"Oh so now I'm your girl? After blackmailing me emotionally?"

"Oh please. You're..."

The doorbell rings, interrupting mother. I freeze in my spot.

"Go to the secret room, that's Jack?", mother whispers fiercely.

"How did you know it's Jack?", I whisper back.

"Now is not the time. Just go. He'll soon let himself in"

"The secret room is upstairs. I'll just hide in the kitchen", I say carrying my bag and going into the kitchen.

"Mom!" Jack calls from outside as I hear the door opening

I hide behind the refrigerator.

"Hey Jack! What are you doing here so early? Shouldn't you be on your way to work?"

"It's Saturday Mom plus I heard yelling", Jack replies.

I slide down the fridge and hold up my knees to my chin with my backpack beside me.
I rest my back head against the fridge as I stare at the ceiling. I begin twirling my hair between my fingers and listen to the conversation.

"Yelling? What yelling?", mother asks

"I don't know. Did you have those nightmares again?"

Nightmares?

"I thought this entire house was sound proofed", I murmur to myself.

"No Jack! I was watching a movie. A horror movie", mother replies

Mother hates horror movies.

"You hate horror movies", Jack states my thoughts.

"Yes I do, I just love the conjuring. It's so real"

"But the TV isn't on"

"Oh no it isn't. I was watching it upstairs in my room"

"Okay if you say so. I'm taking the Jays to the park anyway. Joan will come in to keep you company"

Oh boy!

"Can you stop referring to your children as Jays? The twins would be more appropriate. By the way, I don't need company honey. As a matter of fact, I need to sleep"

I face palm and close my eyes.

Gosh mother is so bad at giving excuses.

"Okay, if you say so", Jack says. After hearing the door open and close, I slowly stand up and go into the living room. I come face to face with a white woman. A literal, white woman.

"Mommy! Are you okay? You're paler than your usual self"

"Give me some water Nadine"

I do as I am told and she gulps down the entire content.
Slowly, her normal pale skin comes back, her cheeks become flushed and her freckles become very prominent.

"What's wrong mommy?", I ask leading her to the couch and stroking her red hair.
She rests her head on my bossom, causing me to smile.

"I just had a panic attack that's all. I should be fine once I take my pills", she says weakly.

"Where are they?"

"Upstairs in my room but don't worry I'll go get it myself"

"I'll come with you", I say standing up and guiding her. We walk upstairs together and go straight to her room.

Woah! The color here is so bright, I could get blinded.

"Wow Mommy, could this place be any brighter?", I ask as I study the room.

The walls painted  with a very bright yellow, the floor is also yellow and when I look at the ceiling guess what, it's also yellow with stripes of dark blue. A heart shaped chandelier in the center of the ceiling makes the room so beautiful.

The king sized bed is in the middle of the room with a very large TV screen that is just vertically opposite the bed. On my right from the entrance is a closet fit for a queen. On my left from the entrance, is the bathroom.

The closet is positioned in between the walls giving space for a gigantic shoe rack on the left and a door on the left. I walk towards the door and open it. I land in a balcony that has a bench and a chair and also a stair way that leads downstairs. The railings are a golden brown and the view from the balcony overlooks a beautiful lily garden.

"Are you done gawking yet?", she calls from inside and I immediately go inside.

"Wow Mommy, you went all out in the design of this room. I mean just look at this closet, filled with designer dresses and jackets. Oh my cookies! Is this an Armani Jacket?", I ask, taking out a royal blue Armani Jacket from the closet and looking at mother's bored gaze

"Where do you go with these?"

"Jack bought that for me when we went for a Beyonce concert", she says and swallows her pill.

Beyonce? As in Beyonce Knowles?

I close my eyes and sit on the bed.

"Okay Mommy, first of all, I'm keeping this jacket. Second of all... Beyonce? Like you went to her concert. Do you have any idea how much I love her? She's a fucking queen!"

"Yes I know how much you love her that's why I bought a Reebok trainers and made her sign them", mom says and my head nearly exploded with elation. I swear I could literally feel my head unscrewing from my neck and swimming in the air with excitement.

"Where is it?", I manage to whisper.
She points at her shoe rack.

"They are arranged in alphabetical order. The first five racks are the letters 'A' and 'B'. The next five racks are the letters 'C' and 'D'. Be very careful because some letters don't have a brand. So just go on to the next."

I roll my eyes and heave a sigh.
Mom and her OCD.

I begin reciting the alphabets alphabetically and land on R for Reebok. I spot the white trainers and Beyonce's signature in black ink.

"Okay Mommy you look fine and I need to go out", I say holding up the Jacket and the shoes.

"What! No!", mother squeals from her bed.

"Yea you're right. I need to sleep. I'm so tired. When I wake up, then we will go shopping. Besides, it's just 9:30am", I say yawning as I make my way out of the room with the jacket and shoes

"No! You can't risk being caught", mother states.

"I am Samantha Montero, the master of disguise", I smirk at her and she scoffs in defeat.

"I'm in the secret room anyway. You should also get some sleep", I say excitedly, running out and dancing all the way to the secret room.

This is my lucky day!

⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛⚛

"You know Mom, you behave just like a teenager. For the love of cookies, just pick a dress" I exclaim as I run my fingers through my hair in frustration. We've been in front of this woman's closet for half an hour and she still can't decide what to wear.

As for me; I'm wearing a black camisole and the Armani jacket over it. Then a black jeans to compliment the camisole. Also, the Reebok shoe to go with it. I'm wearing a blonde wig and blue contact lens to make me look unrecognizable.

"Okay you know what. I'm picking your dress", I state as I reach inside the closet and pull out a black jeans and black tee shirt. I give it to her to wear. She tries complaining but I give her the warning glare.

She rolls her eyes at me and goes into the bathroom to change. I whistle at her appearance when she emerges from the bathroom.

"Wow Mom you look stunning!"

I whisper and she flips her hair in agreement. I hand her a blonde wig.

"What's this?", she asks looking at the wig.

"It's a mop", I sarcastically state and she puts her hand above her hip, waiting for an explanation.

"It's a wig uh! You have to look at least different. The FBIs are still around and if they see me with you, they might want to question me. Not like I can't brush them off but it's better to play safe", I explain carefully as if explaining to a child.

She grabs the wig from my hand and wears it. She puts on her earrings and bracelets

"Oh no mother. No bracelets. These shits are fucking expensive. They might get suspicious", I say removing the jewelries from her body

"I can't wear jewelries because you wanna go out?"

"Well you knew what you were signing up for when you begged me to stay"

"Well yeah but I didn't sign up for not wearing jewelries"

"You begged me to stay that means you signed up to protect me and that includes every other thing concerning my safety"

"But..."

"Let's go Mom", I say dragging her out of her room and locking the bedroom door behind me.

We make our way downstairs and out of the house.

"Damn! It's so cold". I mutter

"Here" mother says handing me a leather glove. I take it from her and wear it.
Mother moves towards the car and I follow after her  and direct her towards the bus stop.

"Great I can't take my car too?"

"Mrs Finn Montero. It seems you have no inkling as to how fucking rich you are and how closely you are being monitored?"

"No", she dramatically states.

"That's a Bugatti La Voiture mom. You happen to be one of the five people to own it. I wonder why it's not guarded?", I explain to her like I would to a ten year old.

"It's not guarded but it has a security code and..."

"Let's just go", I say dragging her out of the drive way and into the streets.

"Hold on", she whispers and punches a code into the fence.

"Now I have just..."

"Activated the security system", I finish for her. She laughs and we both walk out into the open streets.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You know what? No more shopping. I can't believe you spent half of my fortune on shoes and junks"

Mother exclaims as we walk into the driveway. She punches in a code again, deactivating the security system.

"Mommy, I am going to die one day so why don't I fuck it and enjoy myself. You only live once you know"

"And you only die once too", she replies vehemently and inserts the key inside the key hole and unlocks the door.

Immediately the door opens, a very strong perfume hits my nose and I nearly double over from the strong effect.

Someone's here.

"Wait mom. Do you smell that?", I asked glancing around the dark living room.

"No", mom states closing the door behind her.

I cast a quick glance around the living room as my adrenaline increases. The bright moon outside streams down the window, illuminating the living room rather dully. The fire place looks cold and everywhere seems warm.

"Relax Na..."

"Call me Samantha for now mom. Someone's here and I can feel it. The world knows me as Samantha Montero remember, not that one"

"You are such a big baby. You are just paranoid that's all. No one's here"

"Someone is or was here and I know it. Did you turn off the heater while leaving?"

"If I didn't, everywhere would have been burning hot. Speaking of hot, I am suddenly starting to feel hot and thirsty", she says and removes her wig and her gloves.

"Turn on the light and see for yourself"

"Who said that?", mother asks as I feel her freeze behind me.

Recognition dances around my face at hearing the voice.
"Oh now you're relaxed?", Mother asks as she feels me relaxing.

"Mom turn on the lights. I know who it is".

She does so and I come face to face with him.

"If it isn't the play boy himself. How lovely to see you again, Wilder. I must say I give you credits for showing up at my house, uninvited and unwelcomed"

"Okay looks like I'll go upstairs and sleep. I've had enough for one day", she says carrying the shopping bags into the kitchen.

"Oh and Samantha? Details tomorrow. Good night. Mommy loves you"
She excuses herself and walks upstairs and only focus my gaze on Eric after hearing the door shut.

"You don't look too happy to see me Samantha", he states and takes his seat.

"Should I have a reason to be?"

"I'm sure you are wondering why I came here? How did I find you? How did I get past security? And all that?", he boldly stateand crosses his leg.

Oh those hot hot legs. Too bad you can't gawk at them through the leather pants.

"In all honesty, no. What I am wondering is when the fuck are you going to leave here and if I should just take care of you myself, securing my secret", I menacingly state while removing my wig and gloves.

"You do know with just one call you are going to be behind bars and this time I'll make sure you never get out"

He didn't just threaten me! I groan internally and ball my fist.

"What do you want Wilder?", I asked through gritted teeth.

"Now relax those muscles around you jawline. We don't want you having a migraine. What I want? I just want to talk."

I heave a sigh of despair and drop my shoulders in defeat as I feel hot tears burn my eyes. I look up at the ceiling in an attempt to prevent the tears from falling. I suddenly find the chandelier attractive with all the blue lights coming out of it.

"Alright. Let's talk. What can I offer you? We have water, champagne, whiskey, Irish cream, fruit..."

"I already helped myself to a pack of ice cream and cookies" he says so innocently, his ears turns red.

I look at this weird guy in my front and couldn't believe my ears. My cookies?

I go into the kitchen and remove my jacket and shoe and dump my wig and gloves on the kitchen island. I open the fridge and all I see is the vanilla flavored cookies.

I carry the pack out and move back into the living room and sit on the couch with him. I breathe in deeply in order to still my rising anger.

"You didn't eat these vanilla flavored cookies but you ate my chocolate cookies? Why Wilder? Why? Why? Why? You know how much I love cookies and chocolate cookies happens to be the best..."

"Um I didn't know how much you..."

"Are you still talking?"

He shakes his head and mouths "sorry".

"Sorry won't bring my cookies back. Anyway what do you want to talk about?"

Just then the door bell rings and I freeze immediately. What if it's Jack? The FBIs can't be back so soon.

"I can go and check it if you want?"

"And risk getting seen? No way!", I say disagreeing with his plan.

That wasn't a plan duck Face. It was a suggestion.

I rush to the kitchen and out on my wig and my gloves. I practice a fake accent and put on mom's apron over my clothes.

"How do I look?", I ask Eric.

"Like a cook"

"Good"

The door bell rings again and I check through the peephole  but see no one.

I slowly open the door and my jaw hits the floor?

"Samantha?"

"Nicholas?"

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
Author: Boy Oh Boy! Man am I enjoying this.

Samantha: Yea right! Because it's not you life that's about to get ruined.

Isabella: You guys should keep it down. I'm tryna sleep.

Eric: Alas we meet again!

Nicholas: What's going on?

Samantha: I'm so tired. I just wanna wake up from this dream. Lovely readers, please vote if you wanna know what happens next.

Author: Damn! 😂 You look pathetic.

Samantha: Thanks to you duck face. Thank you everyone for taking your time to read this book. Please don't forget to share to as many people as possible and comment your most sincere thoughts.
Love you all and don't forget to wear your masks 🥰