Chapter 3

★★★★★

"Mr.. Mr Gilbert.."

Iris stammered as a pail of dread poured out on her, leaving her with trembling lips and a racing heart while she stared at the monster who was almost completely dressed in black.

"Why did you do that?!" Gilbert asked with an unfriendly expression, moving closer to where she was without even pretending to be a good man in public.

"I … I can explain.." Iris stuttered and began taking a few steps backwards while he moved closer to her with the help of his long legs..

With raised brows, Vivian stared at the duo in turns, wondering what was going on.

She couldn't assume he was her husband or fiance because judging from the way he looked, he was old enough to be her father.

"Explain what?!.." Gilbert growled, raising his palms with the intention to strike Iris across the face.

With a swift move, she hid behind Vivian, dodging the hit while Vivian grabbed his hand, successfully stopping it in mid-air.

"Sir!.." she cautioned but Gilbert didn't even pay attention to her.

"You left me hanging yesterday and moved out without my notice, you didn't even return home!" he yelled with his wrist still trapped in Vivian's grasp..

"Hanging..?" Vivian gulped.

Apparently, it only meant one thing!

"She can't be sleeping with this old thing, right?.." Vivian thought, trying to reassure herself that Iris wouldn't stoop so low to be a slutt.

"Tell me what you want to explain!" Gilbert yelled again earning the attention of people in the garage and a few other staff loitering around..

"Sir, no matter who you are to her, it's wrong to do this in public, this is a place of work, obviously!" Vivian cautioned again, intentionally piercing his skin with her nails while still holding onto him.

For the first time since he arrived, he turned to her, paying her the attention he never bothered to pay until now..

"Right.." he smirked.

Vivian's brows furrowed on their own.

"That's right, punishments are meant to be in private.." Gilbert added, portraying creepiness with his smirk…

Iris' eyes widened from where she stood. She needed no confirmation, his word 'Punishment' meant that dreadful thing she knew about and the thought of it alone was even more murderous.

Gilbert reverted his gaze back to Iris, still wearing his creepy smirk.

"Get into the car, now" he ordered in a cool voice that echoed his cruel and creepy intentions..

"Remember the punishment that comes after making me repeat myself?.., don't dare double your troubles"he said again after noticing her hesitance to move.

He turned back to Vivian who was even now speechless.

"Now, get back to work" he said frankly, snatching his hand roughly from her grip before finally moving away but that wasn't without giving her an expression that meant nothing but 'Don't try interfering in matters that don't concern you anymore..'

"Get into the car before I do!" Gilbert said harshly to Iris who was still moving slowly, hoping to be saved by Vivian or anyone witnessing the scene..

Indeed, they were in public but who dared make an attempt to arrest the popular Gilbert Williams for oral violence?..

Well..

Maybe if the person was ready to spend the rest of his life wincing in agony while being caned mercilessly by Gilbert's men, he or she could try making such an attempt.

"At the countdown of three!" Gilbert said with more seriousness this time and in a rush, Iris entered the car, crying and pleading helplessly..

"What sort of man treats a grown up lady like this ?.." Vivian wondered, watching as Gilbert got behind the steering wheels before igniting the car's engine.

"Little wonder why she seems traumatized.." She thought aloud.

She remained in the spot for about three minutes or more, wondering what was going on in Gilbert's car since the tinted car windows were an obstruction to her clear view.

"Send two of my men with the white Lamborghini right now" she suddenly heard someone say behind her after some minutes and she immediately turned.

"CEO Kim?.." she thought at first but her assumptions got proved wrong when the man's face came into a clear view.

Her eyes widened a bit on seeing the drunk billionaire from last night whom Iris left with and at that same moment, Gilbert's car drove out of sight… coincidentally.

The screeching sound of the car made her steal a quick glance at the fast-moving car before turning back to Harrison.

"You have just five minutes.." Harrison said behind her again, walking with steady strides towards the VIP waiting section near the parking lot. He had already cleaned up and paid the hotel bills.

Cleaning up didn't cost him lots of minutes simply because he was never comfortable with hotels or any other places apart from his own house.

"He looks so different from last night" Vivian gulped, still staring intently at him.

He was no longer wearing the same clothes from the previous night. Without taking her eyes off him, Vivian briefly wondered how he'd acquired the new attire until she remembered the hotel's emergency services, which allowed guests to order essential items, including clothing, with a simple call to the reception.

"Vivian Henshaw!" The manager's growl suddenly stole her attention immediately from the building's exit door and with a little sense of panic, Vivian rushed back into the bar immediately.

Harrison ended the call with his worker on getting to the waiting section.

Still, Iris' voice hadn't left his head and now it was starting to seem like he was really being haunted by her cries and pleas.

"I don't even know what she looks like.." he scoffed, palming his face.

"..my name is Iris Norbert.." he suddenly heard her voice come around again.

His eyes brightened up immediately..

"Right, she told me her name!"

•

•WILLIAM'S VILLA•

"I don't think this is right mum, we don't have to do this.." Dorothy said, staring at the syringe in Nina's hand which contained a yellow fluid.

"One more unsupportive word from you and I'll call the guards to take you to your room till everything is successfully done" Nina said without looking at her.

Dorothy sighed.

"But mum –"

"No buts, Dorothy!" Nina cut her off, adding a greenish liquid into the content in the syringe.

"We can just threaten her to keep the truth away from the cops and pretend as if nothing is wrong instead of injecting her with a substance that will make her lose her memories" she said and Nina scoffed, adjusting the gloves covering her palms

"And you think she'll pretend perfectly well?.. have you forgotten about the fright her expression portrays everytime? Her fidgets and all?.. the cops will definitely suspect that we've really been abusing her.." Nina replied.

She scoffed, dropping the syringe in her hand before turning to her.

"What do you think this matter is, Dorothy?.." she paused, studying her daughter's expression for a second.

"You're twenty-two and I expect you to understand that being reported to the cops for violence and abuse isn't a minor thing. Our neighbors who reported us must have been noticing or hearing abusive sounds and cries severally before finally making the move. The cops specifically mentioned when they came around early this morning that we'll be jailed if investigation proves that the accusations are right.." she paused again..

"If Iris is probed to tell the truth, she'll definitely make us vulnerable to the punishment by law and make us lose our good reputation in public. To avoid that, we have to make her lose her memories before telling her fake stories about our good treatment to her." Nina added at once without stuttering a single bit.

"I'm not bothered about her well-being but I'm just scared of the fluid causing some dangerous side effects in her body. What if it makes her go insane or even die?., that's even a bigger trouble for us.." Dorothy admitted the words on her mind.

"Can you at least be optimistic, even if it's just for a second?.." Nina rolled her eyes.

"The fact that I retired from my nursing career three years ago doesn't mean I can't identify the side effects of drugs and fluids before using them," she continued.

"I don't know but I feel like it's high time we told her about her background. I mean the story you told me about her.." Dorothy said and Nina smirked.

"You know your father will never allow that" she responded.

Dorothy blinked and looked away.

At the instant, the loud honks of Gilbert's car filled their ears and they both turned to each other at the same time.

"Your dad is definitely back with her" Nina said, getting up from the tall stool which she was seated on.

"Clear the mess, we mustn't let her suspect anything else she might escape before we inject her." Nina instructed and with a silent cuss out of laziness, Dorothy began clearing the mess Nina had created on the dining table.

None of the maids nor butler's were around since today was their weekly break day and ironically, it played to the Williams' advantage – in facilitating their sinister plans actually..

Gilbert appeared not so long after with Iris' motionless body in his arms and Nina immediately walked up to him with an expression that inquired what was going on.

Dorothy diverted her attention to them immediately.

"She's fine, she passed out after hitting her once.." Gilbert said to his wife with heavy breaths as he dropped Iris on the couch.

"Okay.." Nina said, heaving a deep breath.

She'd really never done this before, never!..

Infact, erasing one's memory for selfish reasons was a big crime on its own and that was literally the main reason why she was a little bit scared unlike the way she was, just a short while ago..

"The cops would be around soon, it's almost noon" Gilbert said, taking a swift glance at his watch..

He turned back to Nina..

"Is it ready?" he asked impatiently, interrupting her long stare at Iris and Nina nodded.

"It is.." she spoke, raising up the syringe.

"What are you waiting for?!.. I've done my part of the plan by bringing her here while pretending to be furious over her last night's escape. It's your turn" he shouted.

Nina scoffed..

"You don't have to shout okay, after all, you played the biggest role in abusing her." Nina said fearlessly, scowling at him..

"Mind your speech, woman!" Gilbert cautioned

"I brought her to live with us because I wanted her to live according to my demands, she's my property!" he half yelled.

Dorothy sighed..

"Then solve the problems yourself! At least erasing her memories was my own idea!" Iris yelled back.

"Oh shut it, old thing!.. if you had given me every satisfaction I desired, I wouldn't have abused a twenty four year old lady!" he shouted.

The shouts seemed like faint echoes in Iris' head as she slowly tried returning back to a conscious state.

Her fingers suddenly moved and Dorothy immediately noticed this.

Her eyes widened.

"You both should stop the unnecessary fights and get back to business, she's waking up.." she said, raising her voice to stop her parents, who were still shouting and successfully, she did.

As if planned, they both stopped in Unison and turned towards where Iris was.

This time, it wasn't just a slight move from her, her eyes were also stirring repeatedly like they were opening soon.

Nina's eyes widened and immediately, realization dawned upon her.

Certainly, Iris could escape if she wakes up to know their intentions so it's better things are done with her still unconscious.

"I'll inject her right away" she said quickly, throwing off the cap that covered the needle part of the syringe.

"Say bye to your memories Iris Hyerin Norbert!" She thought with a smirk, calling Iris Korean name too as she injected the fluid into her system..

Gilbert heaved a deep breath..

And then, Nina spoke without sparing him a glance while Dorothy pressed her lips together, staring at Iris' body which had gone motionless again, on the couch.

"Her memories are forever gone.."

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