Burning Passion

CHAPTER 153: SAVING NIKKI (Twenty-Six) 

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Nikki woke from a long dream. She noticed her eyes filled with tears in which she wonders if it was just a dream or a part of her past that was buried deep down. 

But how sad it was. 

Nikki sat up, began thinking about how to get out of this room. Maybe she will pretend she needs to go to the restroom. However, this room has it already. That trick is useless. 

She sighed.

Later, she heard a stressful warning signal on the ship. Nikki pushes the couch toward the door to peers at the window of what's happening outside. She can't tell why the workers are in a panic or what is going on that even Brandon Hale's men are on alert. 

She steps back when she saw Brandon Hale walking toward the room where they kept her as a prisoner. She stood in the corner while someone kept kicking the door when she left the couch, blocking the door. 

"What did you do, dammit!" Brandon yelled behind the door. They did not give up and were able to push the couch, and Brandon walked toward her, bearing an expression of complete displeasure. 

"You're losing my patience with you, bitch! And what are you!?" he yells at her constantly. Brandon slams his hand into the cold metal wall. "An ordinary person like you has no power to save by an International Force!" 

"Why are you asking me that? I'm just a poor person who struggles to pay for my mother's medical treatment," she responded. Though the guy scares her, she asks him. "What… are you saying that the International Law rescues me?" 

"Yeah! Who are you? A princess? A daughter of a president?" Brandon sneered at Nikki.

"Huh?" It baffled her. What's with this guy? 

Who could it be? Impossible that Daichi and the Lawrence family ask for help to save her after they notice that she's gone? Why would they waste time with her? She's happy with the thought, but on the other hand, she wishes for him to save her, just for the safety of the child. She's not asking for more.

Nikki was in deep thoughts, praying to be rescued soon when Brandon forcefully knocks the wall once again and says to her.

"You know what? You are lucky that you are alive from that burning house." 

Nikki looks at Brandon with bewilderment. 'Why is he talking about a burning house?' Confused, she asked him, "Wha— what are you talking about now?"

Brandon strides toward the door to get something. Her eyes widened to see a baseball bat in his hand. Pressing her body on the wall, she closed her eyes as Brandon hit the wall with the baseball bat.

Why is this situation somewhat familiar to what she dreamt a while back? 

Nikki reached for the back of her head when a wave of severe pain was surging suddenly, and she was bathing with cold sweat, as Brandon once again slammed the bat into the wall. She screamed and collapsed to the floor. 

She's confused about why this situation is like her hallucination in the past. Nikki hugged herself as tears flowed from her eyes. 

Why now? Not now, please! Nikki prayed. She already got through from past trauma. She never has nightmares anymore from the passing years. Why does it come back now!? 

"Ring? Ring? Hello? Is it familiar?" Brandon keeps tapping the bat on the wall. It was only light, but he could see Nikki freak out. And it excites him the same as before.

"I failed to kill you in the past. I will kill you this time! But it feels so boring without the presence of your boyfriend." 

"What are you saying? Who are you talking about?" Nikki lifted her head. Stammered her words, she breathed.

"Haha! Sadly, you forgot how we beat up your boyfriend. I broke his skull. How lucky he lives, and did not become like a dead person, impotent and forgotten you."

Brandon sneered at her. Perplexed, Nikki stuttered her words upon correcting the guy to his wrong belief. "My- my boyfriend? You're wrong... I— I don't have a boyfriend." 

"Is that so? How about the guy you are with in the show?"

Nikki wrinkled her forehead. Is he talking about Theo? She wondered. "He's not my boyfriend," she denied, and it was true. They don't have a relationship. Just simply, she is the mother of his child.

Hearing this, Brandon smirked at Nikki.

"Ah, you better not. You're lucky that I changed my mind now not to kill you… yet." He leans over and whispered, "You can warm my bed and—"

Nikki's right hand landed on Brandon's cheek. She pushes him and yells.

"What did I do wrong to you? Why are you treating me to this—" Nikki paused when Brandon Hale slams his palm against the wall.

"Shut up!" He yelled at Nikki. "Then I will remind you about it. You killed my brother! You are the reason he's gone! And ten years ago, when you visited my brother's grave, I was supposed to kill you after I brought you to heaven. But my uncle spoiled the fun, and it pissed me. Luckily, the person I must kill is your boyfriend." 

Another slapped it lands into the guy's other check. Still, Nikki is puzzled about what Brandon blabbing about now. She could see that he was out of his mind, moreover, talking about things in the past she can't remember. 

"Stop saying nonsense." She told the guy.

Why does this guy keep mentioning that she had a boyfriend? Is that even true? Besides, she was just fourteen years old. How is that possible? Her thoughts.

Nikki shudders when Brandon smashes his hand to the wall once again. He sharpened his gape; he asked.

"So you really don't remember him? Aren't you both together? The Long hair guy with green eyes? I could still remember how he screamed when I smashed your head with a baseball bat."

She stared at Brandon with horror. Why does this guy describe Theo as her boyfriend? And now mentioning he's the one who smashed her head and even beat up Theo ten years ago.

"Is what you say even true?" She doubted. But who else would know about what happened to her in the past? Which causes the trauma that leads her to forget a series of memories. Then?

Although this guy lost sane, what he's saying can be true. Anger rose in her chest. This guy is responsible for why she suffered for ten years and even forgot wonderful memories that possibly Theo is part of.

Brandon grinned with delight. He muttered, "How disappointing that he won't come to rescue you. In fact, it thrilled me to cross paths with him again.. And that time, I want you to witness how I'll kill him."