Ruby
When I opened my eyes after I didn't know how long, I was met with complete darkness. I couldn't see anything, yet I could smell the stale odour of metal nearby. As I tried to scream, I felt that there was a gag in my mouth which prevented me from making any sound from my mouth.
I didn��t understand the place I was stuck in. Why wasn��t I dead yet?
Even if I tried to remove the gag, I would never succeed because my hands were tied along with my legs. Fortunately, I was sitting in a normal wooden chair, and there was no rope around my stomach. At least, it wouldn��t harm my baby. Thank goodness my baby was still okay. I could feel him safe inside me. But until how long?
My back was starting to ache badly after being seated so long. I felt extremely weak too. I wanted to go back home.
It just took a few minutes to be parted from my family. Who did this to me? I was on my way to my mom��s place and suddenly, the brakes failed. It was all too synchronized to be a coincidence, considering I didn't go out very often without guards. Before I lost consciousness, I remembered witnessing a bomb blast. Was it Liam who planned all this?
Obviously. If not Liam, who else would it be? My childhood friend, Liam would turn out to be like this, I have never expected something like that. Then again, I shouldn't be that surprised. I should already be used to people betraying me because I was the wife of the Mafia king.
Since the explosion didn't kill me, it was basically to distract Vexon while I got kidnapped��I had noticed Vexon's car behind mine. Or could it be that I was meant to die in that bomb blast? After all, I jumped out of the car right before it exploded. I wasn��t hurt and fortunately; I landed on something soft.
It all made sense now. It was a very elaborate plan to lure me out and pretend-kill me in front of Vexon to emotionally weaken him and use that to take advantage of him. It was definitely Vexon. Otherwise, who else amongst our enemies would know I was pregnant and plan such a master plan?
Whatever happened, I was at least slightly glad that, this time, I was kidnapped instead of my other family members. If this time Everley, Allison, or even Vexon had gotten kidnapped, I would��ve never been able to forgive myself. As long as my family was safe and sound, I was okay with anything. But I need to make sure this baby in my tummy stayed well too, as long as I stayed here. I had to take care of myself for the sake of the baby��at least until Vexon came to rescue me.
Take deep breaths, Ruby, I told myself, and even in this suffocating and nerve-wracking dark place, I inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, which calmed my nerves down, even if it was just a little bit.
At this stage, it was essential for me to stay calm and comfortable. If I took any stress, it might harm my child. I couldn��t let anything happen to the baby.
I could feel the room I was in was tiny because it seemed very claustrophobic. How long could I survive here? This environment wasn't good for our health.
I had no idea, but I would try my best to persevere for the sake of the people that care for me.
Vexon��
A tear slid through my eyes remembering him.
Is he okay? I am not there with him right now. Who will handle him? He must be going crazy. I was kidnapped right in front of him. Or is he thinking that I died in that bomb blast? Is he thinking I am dead? Is he mourning my death now?
No. I know, Vexon can feel that I am still alive.
I am not dead, Vexon. Your Gem is alive, so is our baby.
Please, handle yourself and take care of Everley and Allison. I will wait for you and take nice care of our unborn baby. Just don��t break down and lose hope, Vexon. I am alive and I know that you will rescue me.
My mind drifted to Everley and Allison. Everley didn��t even eat anything properly without me insisting on her. She was such a momma's girl. She needed her mom in everything. What if she bothers Vexon and he yells at her in my absence?
Eve, take care of yourself and keep your dad strong. Please, baby, do this for your mom. Also, look after Allison. Don't let Allie cry alone.
I know, they weren��t in front of me, but I was still talking to them in my mind. We were a family, and our hearts were connected. I had to bet on them getting my message and staying strong. All I could do was pray for their welfare and for Vexon to come early to rescue me.
God, if something were to happen to me, please make Everley and Allison wonderful people in the future, and give Vexon the strength to cope up with my death news. Please don't let my family fall apart. I wouldn't even be able to rest in peace if my death wrecked their happy lives.
I closed my eyes, remembering the times I have spent with everyone.
��Vexon, you need a haircut,�� I said after staring at him for a whole minute, munching on my potato chips.
Vexon was fixing his hair by standing in front of the mirror, but he stopped after hearing what I said, and glanced at me, more like, narrowed his eyes in my direction. ��Why do you think I need a haircut?�� he questioned me.
I turned my head towards the screen of the television, where a show was being played. Shrugging my shoulders, I uttered, ��I don��t know. I just felt like you need one.�� When I could still feel his gaze over me, I said, ��Maybe because I am bored seeing this haircut.�� I further added, ��Or, more like this same common face.��
As soon as I said that, Vexon almost got onto the bed at that instant and started tickling me like there was no tomorrow. ��Bored, huh?�� he mumbled and I burst into laughter, scattering the potato chips all over the bed.
��Vexon...st-stop,�� I said in between my laughter as he continued tickling me.
I smiled at this memory. I never thought that it would be one of the last memories I would be recalling at this stage. I was missing those silly, everyday household things. I missed his laughter so much. I loved how he always teased me.
��Why did you keep this watch on the bed? How many times did I tell you to not keep it here?�� I said, getting angry at Vexon, who just looked at me without an expression. I put my hand on my hip and huffed. ��When will you learn?��
He smiled, saying, ��You are there to keep the watch in place, Gem.��
I narrowed my eyes at him, before sighing in disappointment again. ��I wonder what will you do once I am gone.��
Instantly, he pulled me into a hug from back and warned me, ��Never speak of it. I would rather not live than to let you go away from me.��
I smiled sadly at the fond memory. The words that once made me laugh were making me feel so helpless. Just imagining Vexon's condition after my death was terrifying. It made me want to stay by his side all the more. I felt so sorry to leave him behind to suffer all alone. I bit my lips to hold back the sobs.
I remembered the first time when he confessed his love to me.
"You don't possibly know how scary that was for me. Every second was like hell when I saw you hanging there. You have no clue how concerned I was for you. You don't know how much I fear. You don't know how much I love you," Vexon confessed, his love which he was bottling up in himself for the past five years, since he saw me for the first time.
Then a flashback got into my mind, remembering how I met Everley in the Bevine mansion and how she called me ��Mom��. She was my first child because she made me a mother, even though I hadn't given birth to her. She had awakened the motherly emotions within me. If she wasn��t there, I would have missed plenty of things in my life.
And when I picked up Allison in my arms for the first time, I felt the same motherly affection like I did with Everley. I was afraid I wouldn��t love them equally, but nothing like that happened. I considered the two of them as my daughters and I was proud of myself. It would have been nice if I could give them a brother to adore as well.
If Liam kills me along with my unborn baby today, my only regret will be, I couldn��t say a proper goodbye to my family. Otherwise, I am grateful for the life I have enjoyed so far. I have no other regrets in my life.
Being in the Mafia was the best thing that had ever happened to me. The love, respect, and affection I have got from the Gladiolus were unexplainable. Even though I had no spectacular accomplishments from before, they never saw me in a disrespectful way and treated me as their queen.
It reminded me, where was my so-called childhood friend, Liam? He was the one who brought me here. Then why wasn��t he showing up? He couldn��t possibly be afraid to face me because he never considered me as his friend, even in our young age. If he did, I wouldn��t be sitting in this dirty chair, fully tied up like a criminal.
What crime did I ever do to be in this position?
If falling in love was a crime, then I was willing to accept this as a punishment. Still, I would continue to fall in love again and again, if it was Vexon. We were fated to be together and we will be every time. We had ups and downs, we argued and bickered because we knew that in the end, we would be there for each other, no matter what. So, for me, falling in love with a gang leader was not a crime. He might be the villain in many people's lives, but in my life, he was the hero. I am proud of my love, and I will always be. If God gave me the options to die or leave Vexon, I would gladly die.
My life would be nothing without Vexon. It��s better to die instead of living a meaningless life. I never thought I would be saying this. If this was the previous Ruby who got recently married forcefully, she would easily choose death rather than stay with Vexon. But this new updated version of Ruby only cared about her family and love, nothing else.
As I was busy in my thoughts, I saw a small light illuminating and heard the door creak. I kept looking at the door, from where the light was coming as well.
There comes my kidnapper.
He turned on the lights, and a gasp escaped my lips when I saw the kidnapper. It was not Liam Jackson, which means it wasn't him who planned all this.
The kidnapper smirked at me. He had a gun in his hand, which he pointed at me now and asked me, ��How long do you think I can keep you alive, Ruby Bevine?��
