Gabriela sat in the backseat of the car, her eyes fixed on her phone as she received a call from Mrs. Fischer. The woman's voice was laced with fury on the other end, demanding to know why Gabriela had arrested her son Leonardo without a warrant. Gabriela's tone matched Mrs. Fischer's as she yelled back, "He attempted to inflict bodily harm on me! He deserves to rot in jail!"
Mrs. Fischer's voice rose to a shrill pitch, "Breaking news, I've bailed him out, and we're both leaving for Germany!" Gabriela rolled her eyes, unimpressed, and hung up the phone mid-sentence.
The driver's voice broke into her thoughts, "We're almost there, ma'am." Before she could respond, another call popped up on her screen. This time, it was Miguel. Her face softened into a smile as she picked up.
"Hey, are you home?" Miguel asked. Gabriela replied, "No, I'm on my way to sign a contract with Dean & Co." Miguel's tone turned surprised, "That's a company in Australia, isn't it? Congrats on working with an international company!"
Gabriela thanked him and filled him in on the meeting details, mentioning it was scheduled for 9 pm. Miguel's voice took on a note of concern, "Why would they schedule a meeting for that time of night?" He asked for the address, and Gabriela texted him, "You can come pick me up when I'm done." After a brief pause, Miguel agreed, and they hung up.
As the car stopped, the driver got out to open the door for Gabriela. She stepped out into the darkness, the only sounds being the distant calls of birds and crickets. The driver nodded and drove off after Gabriela told him she had a ride arranged for later.
Gabriela double-checked the address, her unease growing as she realized she was in an isolated area with no business buildings in sight. Creepy sounds echoed through the night air, prompting her to quicken her pace.
As Gabriela took more steps, someone jumped from the bushes and a handkerchief suddenly covered her nose and mouth, and she inhaled a toxic chemical before everything was black and she fainted.
By the time she woke up, everything was still dark, there was a black cloth blindfolding her face, and she noticed that her feet were on the ground and her hands were by her side. She was shouting, "Hello??? Who's there?? What's going on?" And her voice was echoing, the smell of used cartons filled the air, and she knew she was in a warehouse.
When she tried to walk, something pulled her back, causing a sharp pain. Long chains had pulled her both hands, and they were tied to her wrists. The chain was tied to a pillar, and both her wrists were tied sideways beside her by two different chains tied to two different pillars. She was worried and scared, wondering how exactly she got here.
She heard footsteps coming towards her and an evil chuckle. And she was shocked to see who removed the blindfold. "Claudia???!!" She cried.
"What...how...why am I chained? Explain this, Claudia!"
"You're quite the investigator, aren't you? But don't worry, you'll be right here with me and feel what's like to be at my mercy." She smirked.
"Mercy? What does Dean and Co got to do with this?"
"Dean and Co??" Claudia's voice dripped with sarcasm.
"That was just a ruse. To get you. If the famous Dean and Co from Australia ever got to work with Flores Corp, I'd die. But, you're here now. Great." Claudia laughed loudly, resembling the one she heard constantly in her dreams.
Gabriela felt like slapping her, but the chains pulled her back.
"You sick witch! I'm gonna make you pay for this!" She growled.
"How? In chains? Without your phone?" Claudia toyed with the phone in her fingers.
Gabriela's hands fell useless.
She could tear her to pieces. Angry tears rolled down her cheeks.
She wished someone would help.
Because at this point, Claudia could do anything to her.
"By the way, I have a little movie for you to watch. You wouldn't be too happy seeing it, but.... Life's too short for me to do things that make me sad, right? For once, I should sit back, watch and laugh. After this, I might never get to anymore, but with this chance, I'm pretty excited." Claudia turned around and clapped.
"Come in, guys."
Two hefty men came in, one of them had a girl on his shoulders.
Their smirks were wicked.
Enough to send Gabriela into a daze.
She had never been this confused.
"What are you waiting for? Put the fucking girl down!" Claudia ordered and the girl was slammed on the ground.
Her body was covered with bruises and her cries were almost not heard.
Gabriela's heart broke into a million pieces.
Her eyes widened.
She froze.
"Daniela!!!" Gabriela's shriek was ear-splitting.
Claudia pointed a gun suddenly.
"Shut your mouth, Gabriela. And watch your sister in silence. Else, you both will die."
Daniela's legs and hands were tied with tight ropes and the sight of her made Gabriela burst into loud tears.
"Claudia! Claudia, Claudia, Claudia! Just let my sister go, let her go, don't involve her in whatever is going on between us...please...let her go..." Gabriela was literally trembling with tears.
Claudia's eyes sparkled triumphantly.
"Strip her! Fuck her to death!"
Gabriela started feeling dizzy. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
The sound of Daniela's outfit being ripped by the men was horror.
"Stop!" Gabriela cried.
She was sweating profusely, and tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
They had beaten Daniela so badly that she was weak.
Claudia turned to Gabriela.
The men stood, staring at Gabriela, their eyes telling revenge.
"Why are you doing this, Claudia? Why did you choose to harm my sister? I love her so much, please leave her out of this...." Gabriela wept.
"I love Miguel too. What are you doing in his life? Are you so greedy that you're ready to acquire the Flores wealth and Jackson's wealth too? You're highly stupid to think that. How could someone be determined to become the richest woman in the world? At 18. Your intelligence and your background makes you think you own the world. Miguel is not even the point right now, it's Biscuit. Why did you kill Biscuit?" Gabriela was shocked.
"Biscuit? Fuck!!! I didn't kill your puppy. I really didn't, Claudia."
"You didn't? Then who else? Who else could have hated my puppy so much that he or she feels that he should die? Huh?!" Gabriela's cries intensified.
"I won't be surprised. Your mom instilled so many bad things in you before she left." Gabriela was panting, uncontrollable tears still rolling.
"Don't.....Leave my mom and my sister out of this. What do you want?"
"I want the money, cars, company, all the wealth. Everything that belonged to Alejandro. Everything he passed to you. I want it, ASAP. One phone call can do that right?" Gabriela shook her head and bit her lips hard.
"Give it to me or this man standing here will fuck your sister."
She knew Claudia was mean, but not to this point.
Gabriela gritted her teeth.
"I can't. I won't. You're powerless. I won't fall to this extent. I won't let you control me. I won't let you have me." Gabriela's voice was barely above a whisper.
"Really? You are stubborn. What are you still waiting for? Do what I asked you to!!!" Claudia shouted and one of them stepped aside.
The man got down and Daniela was shaking her head.
She felt voiceless and half dead.
He grabbed her in his arms and crashed his lips on her brutally, biting her lower lip.
He was rough and Daniela's lip was bleeding.
"Daniela!!! Stop!" Gabriela had never cried this much. She tried to walk there but the chain pulled her back. Her eyes were completely red.
Claudia stood there laughing.
The man's fingers went to her back and unhooked her bra.
The other thug tore her panties to shreds.
Gabriela's cries and Claudia's wicked laughter filled the air and echoed in the building.
Daniela tried to cover her boobs but they roughly pinned her wrist down and she felt powerless again.
His dirty tongue flopped on her left boob and he injured the other with his nails.
Daniela was sobbing while Gabriela shut her eyes.
"Ah, sweet! Suckle on the other one! How does it taste?" Claudia exclaimed, her voice dripping with excitement.
"We didn't just beat her up, we even fed her a substance to weaken her. She won't do anything."
The thug trailed his tongue down her belly, caressing her all over.
Daniela shuddered, pain superseding as the thug drove a finger into her.
Then two.
Then three.
"Stop!! Please!! Please, I'm begging you. Please I'm begging you...." Gabriela felt hopeless.
The only thing she could do was cry, cry and cry.
Daniela felt nothing but pain, yelping and screaming as he shoved his fingers in.
"Use your rod, now! C'mon!" Claudia looked comfortable cheering him on, and there was, not even an ounce of pity.
The thug took off his pants and Gabriela fell to the ground on her knees.
"You're so cruel, Claudia. How could you?" She snarled.
Claudia asked the thug to pause.
"Stop. I'll give you whatever you want. I'll give you the house, cars and all the money that you want. Just stop doing this to Daniela, please." Her voice dripped with sorrow.
"Okay, Gaby. That's more like it." Her smile was wide.
"But...lets finish this. Ride on!" Happiness spread on the man's face and Gabriela screamed.
"No, please, don't! I already promised you everything so why are you - " She couldn't finish her statement.
"Argh!"
He thrust into her and she made a sharp sound.
Gabriela bit her lip hard.
"Harder!" Claudia yelled.
The thrusts gained more intensity and Daniela's groans were filled with so much - pain.
Blood stains.
Claudia walked close to Gabriela, leaning to face her.
Their faces were close.
"Put a smile on your face, only then would...this whole thing stop. You cry as though, I'm doing something bad here. They are making love." Claudia giggled and the other thug laughed, with thugs who sat around.
"Watch this while standing. It looks like you're kneeling for forgiveness or something."
Gabriela was enraged.
She stood up, kicked and head-butted her.
Claudia staggered and fell to the ground.
"Oh, fuck!!!! Guys, get her!!!" She roared.
The thugs approached her with seething looks.
"You're dead meat, Gabriela Flores."
"Don't you dare!" Some people burst in and guns were pointed.
Police officers.
The thugs took to their heels and a shot followed.
Claudia aimed the gun at Gabriela but luckily it missed. She vanished from the scene.
The police went after them.
Other officers helped with the chains and Gabriela was free, her wrists red from the pressure.
Miguel lifted her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Gabriela. Oh my God, how did you get here?" Miguel was dripping with worry, as he grabbed her waist tight possessively.
"My sister....please save her..."
Michelle, Carissa and Isabella came too, covering Daniela with a dirty blanket they found.
Isabella lifted Daniela on her shoulders and they headed out.
~~~~~
Gabriela was devastated.
She couldn't believe this was happening to her sister.
It was all her fault.
She shouldn't have been a student in The White's Academy.
She shouldn't have ever stepped on Claudia's toes.
If anything happened to Daniela, she would lose it.
She sat in the hospital, weak and sorrowful.
Miguel's arm was around her shoulder and she was close to him.
Her heart ached.
She cried silently.
"Gabriela, don't cry anymore. I hate seeing you like this. I'm hurt. Don't do this to me, Gabriela. I can't stand you this way." He was heartbroken.
He squeezed her hand, thinking of what else to do to console her.
The feeling her tears had on him was killing.
"Gabriela, I'm sorry you had to go through this. We promise to get Claudia punished for this. She'll regret it." Isabella spoke.
Alejandro rushed into the hospital with his bodyguards.
"Gabriela! Oh my God my dear daughter." He squatted before her looking stressed.
"What happened? Where's Daniela?"
"She was [email protected] there's nothing I could do... she's in there ....what if she doesn't survive it?" Gabriela spoke, followed by profuse sobbing.
Alejandro was shocked.
"It's okay, dear. Nothing's gonna happen to your sister."
The doctor approached them.
Miguel and Gabriela ran to him at the same time.
"How's she?" They said in unison.
"Miss. Gabriela, can I see you in my office?"
"Sure." Gabriela followed, a hint of hope in her eyes.
"I'll come with you." Miguel said.
"No, you can't." The doctor refused.
~~~~
"She has fallen into a coma, Miss. Gabriela. And we can't tell when she's gonna wake up and recover. It'll take weeks, months, maybe years."