Chapter 184

184 v. Hide and Seek

She never imagined she will one day be running away from him. The first person she considered a friend. And the very person she fell in love with.

That same man is the reason why she had to climb the bathroom window when he left to gather supplies. And the reason why she was running away in the middle of the night with her heart feeling like it is about to explode any minute.

She rode on a bus not even knowing where it was going. Fuck. She held tight to the money she was able to find stashed in their cabinet.

She covered her face with her hood and closed her eyes. She just wanted to be as far away from that place as may be possible.

She knew she will have to hide from three sources now. The governor, the yakuza, and her lover. Fuck. This is so fucked up.

“Are you okay, miss?” the old lady asked her.

“Ahhh!” the lady’s voice pulled her back to attention.

“Yes- yes, ma’am. I am okay. Thank you so much for your concern,” she answered in as low a voice as she can mutter.

She didn’t want to call anyone’s attention. She felt bad that she couldn’t look the old lady in the eyes and thank her properly.

.....

But she needed a low profile and the fewer people notice her, the less she will be exposed to the possibility of her being traced, by either of the three groups who are still on the run to find her.

She placed a hand over her stomach, trying to feel if there was anything that indicated the presence of her unborn child. She sighed when she felt nothing.

She is aware it will be a few months more before she may feel a kick or see a generous bump on her belly. But she knew the baby was there.

More than her lack of menstruation for more than a month and her dizziness in the morning, she knew in her heart she is carrying their child.

When the driver announced they have reached the last stop, she went down. She sighed and looked around the small town.

She looked for a motel, asking people where exactly is a place to rent. She was pointed to a small inn.

She inquired with the receptionist as to the rate for the night. She immediately paid and went inside the room.

She locked the door after getting in and started counting the money she found carelessly stashed in his cabinet. She thinks she may have enough to last her for a few months even if she chose to stay in an inn.

She realized she will have to stay in an inn or several different motels. She needs to keep moving until she is far enough from him that she won’t risk detection even if she started working.

Then her problem will be just two powerful groups hunting her down of course. She bit her lip. Is there even a chance she can work without the network of yakuza finding her?

The governor is the least of her troubles. She knew there is at least a great possibility that the man has already moved on from his initial plan which is to marry her.

A great possibility though is that her father has already let him in the yakuza, and the governor is now lending his help to find her. She is aware the governor is a powerful man, he has access to all legal businesses in the area.

She can’t work for a job that requires her identification. She has no identification cards with her and it will be the worse idea to introduce herself as her.

She wondered what she could do to earn money when her cash started to run low. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to stop all her panicked thoughts.

——

Meanwhile, Dominus found himself faced with a vacant loft. He watched the CCTV and saw her leaving the apartment.

There is no way in hell he won’t find her again. It enraged him that she would leave him like this.

After everything he had done for her. She knew he loves her so dearly. She knew everything he has done is for her.

Why would she leave him? He has been on his greatest behavior. He has been very patient, to be exact.

He took off and asked around if anyone has seen her. He was holding his phone and showing people how she looked, inquiring if any of them has seen the girl.

Just thinking about where she may be and what she may be doing all away from him made his blood boil. He knew she was not thinking straight.

It was pregnancy hormones that were doing this to her. He always hated the idea of her being pregnant. He hated the idea that once the child is born she would probably care for it more than she ever cared and ever will care for him.

He rubbed his chest when he was told she boarded a bus earlier that night. He cursed the gods at how idiotic she can be.

Did she not know that the yakuza and the governor were going after her? He should have just cut off her legs if it meant keeping her safe.

He boarded his car and started the engine. Luckily for him, he knows exactly where the bus will be going.

He might have lacked formal education but he was good at trusting his instincts. it was actually quite easy in times like this where he had to find a person.

He always starts with the question of where would anyone go to avoid him. The farthest place that bus can carry her of course.

He smiled as he opened the map route of the bus he got from the station. Thinking of their meeting made him smile cheerfully.

“Just wait for me, honey. I’ll find you for sure. There will be no next time for both of us. When I find you, I’ll do everything so you can never escape me again. Be it removing all your limbs or chaining you to the bed all day. All that and even more, just to keep you safe. You do understand me, right honey? You know I’m just doing what is best for you,” he talked as if she was in front of him.

He smiled bitterly. He never wanted this. He never wanted her to suffer in any way or to feel like she had to hide from him.

All he wanted is for her to love him from the start. The way he knows she ought to. They were destined, he was convinced.

He laughed when he recalled all of their past lives that ended tragically. Everything could have been prevented if only he had been more careful.

The only way to keep her safe, he realizes now. Is to make sure she remains in their bed, waiting for him every day of their lives.

He will also end the chase with the yakuza and the governor. It won’t be as hard as he tried to make it seem.

He still has men inside the group and intels telling him when the gatherings are. Gatherings where the old man will be and their new recruit.

He just needs his perfect timing to go back to the yakuza house. He just needed to kill them all.

It is true he owes the old man a lot that was why he tried to avoid any confrontation between them. He knew he would not have the things he has now if not for the old man.

More importantly, he would not have met her. He was too blinded this time to see that even that has been destined by the gods.

He smiled as he recalled the first time the dreams of their past lives started coming back to him. He tried to dismiss them at first as a byproduct of his desire for when they first had intercourse.

But the details and the feelings he had when he had those dreams. And the way he feels for her made him quite convinced that it could be a product of reincarnation.

He wasn’t in any way religious of course. He cares not for any deity or gods. And the concept of reincarnation to him is as vague as the concept of a loving family.

He chuckled. Nonetheless, he has accepted the thought. He knew he was maybe just trying to justify keeping her for himself.

He knew how dark his desires go as far as they are concerned. Simply put, right now even if that be the case... even if she was not the reincarnation of a past lover, he really didn’t care.

The only reason he was holding on to the idea of a damned reincarnation is his belief in fate. A belief that they are destined lovers.

The universe made sure their paths crossed. Hence, he is entitled to keep her no matter what.

He drove past across streets and towns, all the while seething in anger and remorse over what he is about to do once he finds her.

“I really wanted to keep you safe, love. I never really wanted to hurt you. It is destiny, after all. Ours is a fateful encounter, queenie. I’m sure you will learn to understand that I am yours and you are mine. Isn’t that so easy to grasp?” he gripped the steering wheel hard as a cruel smile formed on his lips.

“I don’t care about anything anymore, my queen. Whether you hate or love me in the end. As long as I have you by my side. I can stand just about everything else. So hate me if you want, but... you are coming home with me. I will make sure of that,” he opened the window of his car and let the cold night air greet him, as if by doing so it can whisper to him wherever she may be hiding.