Episode 1

Obsessive Desire

(Extreme Desire)

E.R.CRUZ

•°    ARMSTRONG °•

I received a phone call in the early hours of the morning...

After that call, I knew that finally, ELLA would be mine.

That angel with sun-kissed skin and curly hair that made me desire her so much. Rebellious, brave, beautiful, and an extraordinary woman. She now belonged to me!

I had to wait for a year, comforted by the fact that those promissory notes would soon be due — notes that were owed by a man addicted to gambling. This man, with the last name D'Angelo, offered his most valuable possession in exchange for the debts that had accumulated in my casino in Spain. He knew that one day he would have to pay, even after pleading countless times for more time — time that had run out. Finally, the day I had been waiting for had arrived, I would see her in person, no longer satisfied with just seeing her photos, photos taken by my private detective who had been shadowing Miss D'Angelo ever since her father handed me those pictures and offered her as a bargaining chip, along with signing a document making her my wife.

"Finally, I will meet you, my beauty, how rich you are!" I said, my voice cold, providing solace to the silence in that dark room, illuminated only by the light from the fireplace.

That Sunday morning was cold, as was I.

"I will make you fall in love with me!" I swirled the whiskey in my glass and drank the liquid in one gulp.

The door to the dark room opened, and I became annoyed because my insatiable girlfriend, now my ex, was coming towards me, as she often did in the early hours of the morning, simply because I didn't have time due to my work at my company.

Her name was Paula, and we had recently had an argument, causing our relationship to cool off. However, she tried in every way to win my forgiveness, and I granted it. Paula was ambitious, and I liked that, but I didn't love her, nor was I infatuated with her. It was more of a relationship of appearances, and she knew that. I always warned her that there would come a day when we would go our separate ways, and that day was fast approaching because from now on, I would have a new companion, even if this companion would give me a great deal of trouble and headaches.

"Who were you talking to, my love?" she asked, circling the armchair where I was sitting, watching the fire in the fireplace.

"It doesn't matter" I said, noticing the oiliness of her fair skin in the light of the fireplace.

Paula tied up her red hair and took the glass from my hand, placing it on the nearby coffee table. She and I exchanged an intense look as she looked down at me, and I thought about the gentlest way to end things with her. She already had an inkling of our future.

Paula sat with her legs spread on my lap and held my jaw. Her mouth moved towards mine, but the only touch she felt was from my open hand, which slightly held her back.

She shifted in my lap, already aware that I wasn't interested. In fact, I no longer wanted to have relations with her so close to the arrival of Miss D'Angelo.

"Paula... it's over!"

And sadness reflected in her eyes.

"I know you don't desire me anymore, I know our time together is over, but even so... I need to feel you one last time. You know that I love you, even though you are a person..." she interrupted herself, and I stared at her.

"Go on!" I said coldly.

"No." she lowered her gaze.

She used to call me by my last name when she was scared. In reality, my name was Megan Armstrong, the only child of deceased parents and the owner of a magnificent empire. Owner of a casino and a vast fleet of imported and sports cars, to the delight and pleasure of the wealthiest.

My company, whose name was "Armstrong More," was located in the center of London, and it was there that all car sales and consortiums were handled and negotiated.

My parents, like me, were Londoners and highly recognized by the upper and wealthier classes of all London. But that wasn't all, with the fame accumulated over the years, through expansions in the foreign market and more negotiations, enemies also arose - enemies that were eliminated with every step they took.

I belonged to a family that possessed secrets, irreparable mistakes, and enemies thirsty for power. I was always a target, and my head was auctioned off every passing second on the cursed clock.

In the not too distant past, my private jet was targeted by a missile, where I had the unfortunate loss of trusted and loyal employees. Their families had my support and were compensated for their heads of household suffering and losing their lives while they were at work and following my orders.

Some time later, as I was leaving a luxury hotel, a sniper shot me in the left chest near the heart, and on that day, I truly thought it would be my end, but reality proved otherwise. I slowly recovered, and that shot left me with a scar that would be a part of me until the end of my days. The shooter, well, I had no choice but to send him to a prison filled with many bad men and the worst kind: psychopaths, murderers, and rapists. But during my trial, I did not see myself as cruel. I thought about killing him, but my other choice was the right one; he would suffer greatly.

The black-haired Londoner - as my bodyguard Mercier used to call her - lightly caressed Paula's chin as Paula looked fearfully into my dark blue eyes, totally hypnotized.

"Our end has arrived, Paula," I whispered in her mouth, and she tried to touch her lips to mine, but I pushed her head back as I lightly squeezed her neck, feeling the pulse of her vein and her irregular breath. "I said," I blew into her mouth, "our end has arrived! There is no more us... soon, I will have what I have desired for a long time in my hands."

"I love you," she said, and I could see her tear-filled eyes, even though they were somewhat blurry. "And I truly hope you will be happy."

"I made it clear to you, Paula. You always knew I was searching for someone else."

"Yes," she lamented and removed my hand from her neck, moving away from me, leaving me there with my back turned to her. "And I have always loved you madly."

I remained in the same position, feeling and hearing the sadness and resentment in her soft voice.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to move on with my life. But before..." she approached stealthily and hugged me from behind, her scent and warmth enveloping me. "Before, I want you to know something."

"Then tell me."

"We were made for each other, and only I can have you."

"What?"

Without expecting such words, Paula's actions, and the annoyance in her voice, also containing anger and dominance, I felt my abdomen being pierced in a quick and precise manner, with an agile and heavy hand rotating the object that caused pain and burning in my organs.

I screamed...

Paula moved away, and the only strength I had left was to look into the eyes of the woman who claimed to love me one last time. I saw her blood-stained hand and a switchblade with my blood on it. Her gaze was tense, and her body trembled. I saw regret displayed in her eyes and an expression of fear.

I fell before darkness overtook my eyes and my life slipped away. I saw her flee, leaving me there to die.

***

"Armstrong is waking up... she needs..."

"I heard a voice in the distance saying something about me, a voice that grew louder as I slowly awakened. My eyes were still closed and I could hear my breathing, slightly heavy. I took a deep breath, feeling a shortage of air in my lungs, and groaned, feeling a tightening pain in my abdomen. I remembered the foolishness that Paula had committed.

In that moment, I didn't worry about her, I only worried about my sick and painful state. Something that surprised me, something that would certainly leave a scar on me. Paula had been planning revenge against me for a long time and I wasn't expecting such madness from her. Now it remained to be seen if she was caught, if my men threw her in the mansion's prison or if they simply killed her for trying to take my life, like they did with my enemies.

"Armstrong?"

I heard that rough voice close to my ear calling me, a voice that belonged to Mercier. He was already back from his trip to New York, where he had gone to fulfill the mission under my orders.

"Armstrong?" he called me again and I felt the warmth of his hand enveloping mine, in a tender way, which I brushed off. He always cared for me as if he were some relative of mine, acted like an overly protective father, in fact, already being a man of 50 years and endowed with impressive strength and muscles.

"Speak, Mercier!" I ordered with a yawn and he certainly smiled.

"How do you feel?"

"Almost dead, but... I'm fine."

He sniffed between a smile and squeezed my hand, which I returned the squeeze.

"I came back as fast as possible after fulfilling the mission that was assigned to me, when I found out what happened to you."

"Thank you for caring." I said and felt the intoxicating pain again enveloping my whole torso.

"You're welcome."

There was silence...

Mercier, as well as my other men, had already returned from the mission I had placed them on, and finally, after a long year, she was there, meters away from me.

"Mercier?"

"Yes, Armstrong?"

"Where is she?"

"In the place you ordered."

"And how was the trip from New York to here?"

"A bit turbulent since she's a young woman... a disobedient young woman."

That made me laugh. Obviously, Miss D'Angelo would never agree to travel to London with unknown men, but she couldn't avoid it, her future was to be by my side.

"What method did you use, Mercier?"

"I had to drug her after we kidnapped her while she was returning home..."

"And what was this irresponsible girl doing on the streets in the middle of the night?" I asked intrigued, interrupting Mercier and opening my eyes. I saw his fair face and black hair, as well as his brown eyes.

"She was surely coming back from some party. We followed her ever since she left a house where loud music was playing and she wasn't alright... she was crying, seemed remorseful."

Miss D'Angelo wasn't alright... she was crying... Crying?

"I want to see her now!" I said and tried to sit up, but then I realized there was a needle in the back of my hand, a drip. I also felt pain in my abdomen.

"You can't get up, Armstrong..."

"I need to... I need to see her... I need to hear her voice, Mercier."

"It's not possible. You've been on this bed for a day."

"A day?"

"Yes... the knife pierced your flesh deeply, but it wasn't that big, so it didn't reach your organ."

"When will I be able to walk?"

"The doctor said you'll be better in 4 days, then you can walk."

"And who will take care of me during these 4 days?"

"We hired a nurse, she's already here and will clean the wound and help you with whatever you need."

"Okay."

There was silence, Mercier stood up and walked in the room. The curtains of the window were open and I could see it was night.

Miss D'Angelo couldn't get out of my mind, I wanted her for myself, but now, I would have to wait another 4 days to see her. She was so close to me, but at the same time, so far away.

"Mercier?"

"Yes, Armstrong?" he said turning around, showing great concern and approached.

"Bring her to me!"

Mercier hesitated."

"Armstrong... I know I shouldn't comment on your decisions, but just this once, I ask you to wait a little longer. You're not at your best and wouldn't be able to handle a possible argument or any display of force."

"Is that what you think, Mercier?"

"Yes, but... you're the one in charge here."

"Very well, Mercier... I will take your advice. I know it won't be easy when she meets the person she'll spend the rest of her life with."

"Speaking of that... Mr. D'Angelo's marriage contract will be in the office... when the time comes... tell her the truth."

"Yes, Mercier... the conversation with Stella D'Angelo will be lengthy. Take care of her while I'm in this state, don't mistreat her, don't raise your voice, and if she wants to leave our room... allow her, but don't let her see me like this."

"It will be done, Armstrong."

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***