Page 31 of My Sweetest Obsession

We both erupted into laughter, a brief escape from our nightmare.

“And she always had this incredible knack for lifting people’s spirits,” Valarie added, her tone softening. “You’d never knew if something was bothering her. She was selfless, caring, and always put others first.”

Her words resonated deeply; my mother was genuinely selfless, and her smile brought warmth and light to any room.

Valarie’s expression shifted as she looked me in the eye, her gaze steady and sincere. “Was she happy?”

“She was,” I replied. “She had this way of singing and dancing when I was sick. Mom knew what to do and say to make my days brighter.” I smiled at the memories.

“She was loving and always prioritized my needs over her own…” I said, trailing off as I stared at the wall. “That’s part of what makes her loss hurt so much. She was always trying to protect me.”

“And she’d do it all over again,” Uncle Malik chimed in from the other cell. I turned to face him, a rush of sadness and appreciation mingling in my chest.

“I know what you’re thinking.”

I managed to chuckle lightly, knowing he could see through my crap.

“It’s not your fault what happened to her,” he continued, his tone firm yet compassionate. “She was just born into the wrong family. Don’t carry the weight of her death; I won’t let you.”

Uncle Malik sat hunched over, the dim light from the window highlighting the bruises on his face. One eye was swollen and nearly closed, and he had a busted lip. He cradled one side of his body, wincing with every small movement, which told me he might have cracked a few ribs.

My heart ached for his suffering. I wanted to reach out to hug him and take away his pain.

The sound of clanging keys echoed through the corridor, followed by the harsh sound of a door slamming.

When I heard the whistling, my body went rigid, and so did Valarie’s. It was Ceaser. According to Valarie, he had been my grandfather’s right-hand man. It appeared he had a new master to follow.

The beatings and torture happened at least every other day. All I wished for was death to put me out of my misery since I didn’t foresee a way out of here.

When the asshole came into view, the Puppet Master stormed right behind him, looking feral as ever. He wrapped his hands around the bars and peered at me. “Your boyfriend is causing me all kinds of problems,” he sneered.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I shot back calmly. Even my voice sounded tired from all this bullshit.

“Open the door,” he told Ceaser.

“You stay the fuck away from her!” Uncle Malik yelled, but no one paid attention to him as the Puppet Master and Ceaser continued preparing for with whatever sick twisted shit they were about to do us.

When the doors opened, Valarie moved in front of me to block him. Ceaser backhanded her and kicked her while she was down.

“Stop it! Please, stop!” I cried out, trying to reach her, but the Puppet Master yanked the chain attached to my collar, pulling me toward him. The metal bit into my neck as he gripped my face, lifting me off the ground. I held onto his wrists so my head wouldn’t be ripped off by his strength.

He pulled my face to his until I could smell the alcohol on his breath. “You need to be reminded of your place. Maybe I’ll have my men do to you what your grandfather had planned for your mother.”

“NO! You motherfucker!” Uncle Malik banged on the bars. “Don’t you fucking touch her, you piece of shit!”

He dropped me, and my weakened body fell into a heap onto the cold ground.

“Ceaser, get the camera ready,” he instructed.

I turned to Valarie, who was in a fetal position and not moving. But her chest rose and fell, so she was either knocked out or faking it. We’d both learned to fake it as much as we could to avoid getting beaten even more. By the look of malice glinting in the Puppet Master’s eyes, I wished more than anything to vanish into thin air and escape whatever hell he had in store for me.

The Puppet Master leaned down until he was bent before me. He tilted his head and grinned like a maniac.

“Nico is disrupting my business by saving the women and killing my men because he’s trying to find you.”

My heart hammered against my chest. The thought that he was looking for me excited me and pissed me off.

“So, I’m going to send him a message back.”