SECRET MISSION

"Stepmother is calling you"Fiona said annoyingly too close to my ears.

I twitched annoyed, she wasn't my step mom though she was the owner of the ring shop I was a sales person at.

They referred to her as my step mom because of how weird she was towards me.

Always screaming and yelling.

So they just tagged me Cinderella and tagged her my stepmother.

I dragged my self to the front desk were she usually sat. I knew she'd complain about something so I braced myself up to hear whatever she had to say, I couldn't escape this shop even on my birthday which was today.

"Annabelle" Mrs Claire called more softly than I was used to.

"Y-e-s ma'am" I answered carefully.

She swallowed and I could sense she was nervous, the cup of coffee in her hands threatened to fall down.

Then she came close dropping the cup on the counter.

Mrs Claire fondled some pieces of paper into my hands very secretly, I could feel some of the pieces where dollar bills.

" Annabelle, take the back door that leads to the alley, go straight to subway, don't take a taxi and don't stop.

You shouldn't be outside today" She said shakily, before I could ask what she meant a group of men in black walked in menacingly and she pushed me under the counter.

"Good day gentlemen" She said .

"Good day, we are looking for Annabelle Maverick" One of the men said, I wondered why people I hadn't met before would come searching for me.

"I don't know anyone of such name, I'd advise you check the next store" Mrs Claire said trying to make her fidgeting less visible.

"Are you sure?" The men asked looking around.

"I am the owner of this shop I know my staff" Mrs Claire said defensively.

"We'll go check the next shop" They said as they took some final looks around.

Immediately they left she rushed to where I was.

"Leave! Now!," she said,her tone both menacing and pitiful.

I ran through the back door, scared of those men taking me. I didn't even want to know what they wanted with me.

I ran through the alley and was to scared to sit down on the subway, I kept standing till I got to my stop, I ran out like some chased by a dog and I kept running like that till I got home.

I put in my keys and the lock clicked granting me access.

I began to notice the house was scattered, like we were robbed.

"Mom!!!" I called in the bravest voice I could muster.

Silence answered me, followed by the sound of little sobs. I rushed to the kitchen where the sobs came from and found mum sobbing on the floor.

"Mom, are you okay?, where's Mia?" I asked, in fear, Mia was my fifteen year old younger sister and the thought of something bad happening to her already brought tears to my eyes.

"They took her" My mom said in a teary voice.

" Who?!" I screamed shaking my mom but she was quiet.

"Are you still keeping secrets?!" I screamed more, she just shed more tears.

"If you love us you won't do this to us" I said wiping my face, I made to leave when I saw that my mom had something in her hands.

I snatched it quickly and she screamed.

"Don't read it, it be better if you knew less" My mom cried, it was an expensive looking card with the inscription M.Â.

" No more secrets" I said.

"It's for your own good". Mom said.

"No it's not, everything is hidden from us , from who Dad is to our whole paternal family. Now you're hiding a clue I could use to track those who took her." I screamed feeling frustrated.

"An-"My mom tried to mutter.

I walked out before she could speak, I knew she wasn't going to say anything to help.

I stormed out of the house and into the streets, totally forgetting Mrs Claire's warnings. I checked the card, there was nothing on it but a drawing of a full moon.

Maybe it wasn't really important.

I shoved it into my pocket and realized I had walked a bit too far from the house.

As I made to return, a damp cloth was placed over my nose and I blacked out.

*****Madame X's mansion*****

****Annabelle's POV*******"

I woke up with a bad headache, as I opened my eyes everything around me doubled then my vision became clear to see a tall built scary man looking at me with a weird look in his eyes, was I going to be raped. I inwardly panicked and screamed out loudly.

He didn't stop me, my mouth wasn't gagged and my hands weren't tied either it was almost like I wasn't kidnapped.

The man burst into laughter.

"You're not my type,girl" He said and walked out of the room leaving me stunned.

My hour glass figure had never felt more embarrassed, I nearly forgot I was kidnapped, I rushed to the door and of course he was smart enough to lock it.

I dragged myself back to the bed, I knew I needed to get out, Mia might be in danger.

Before my thoughts could devour me the door open and a lady in a maids uniform walked in with several other maids.

"Good evening, miss maverick." The lady who I guessed was the head maid spoke bowing.

I didn't care why she had so much respect for a captive, the only thing my eyes saw was the open door.

I bolted towards it but was surprisingly held by the maids.

They dropped me back on the bed.

"We've come to change your clothes.

You'll be meeting with, Madame for lunch. Please cooperate with us" She said with an air of finality around her.

Before I could object they had held me like an animal to be slaughtered and started undressing me.

My screams and kicks fell on deaf ears as they after close to an hour of struggles and change of expensive dresses, they settled for a fitted blue one.

The head maid stepped back and admired her handiwork, she nodded to herself in satisfaction.

"Take her to Madame" She ordered and they lifted me like I weighed nothing, I was mesmerized by how women could be so strong.

They took me to an elevator on that floor, firmly but still gently they led me in and the elevator shut.

******** Smith group of companies****

**Raphael's point of view (pov)**

"I'm sorry" I said with my head on my palm.

"Apology not accepted.

What do you take me for?!!" She questioned angrily, by she I mean Clara my fiancee. The only woman who'd actually accept me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not ugly, I'm the sole heir to Smith corp, one of the strongest chains that hold the business world so I'm not broke either.

Women fall at my feet but that's because they don't know my secret, if they did they'll run away from me.

Clara is the only one who knows and still stays with me, that's why I can't lose her.

"I'm the only woman on this planet that can survive being with you, you're supposed to be grateful" Clara screamed pointing at me.

"I am grateful, I don't know why the families elders have decided to do this." I said sincerely. Clara always made sure to rub it in, she always made sure to remind me I had problems that were beyond me.

Clara scoffed at me, picked up her designer purses and left.

I sighed, Clara could say anything to me, I don't love her but I owe her.

She's the only one who can handle my problem, that's why I have to stick to her.

***********Madame X's mansion****

****Annabelle's POV********

When the elevator stopped they took me straight to a gigantic dining room, which had different delicacies arranged neatly on a dinning table that looked like my whole college tuition.

I was made to sit on a chair and my stomach grumbled. What if the food was poisoned ,I was kidnapped after all.

I ignored my stomach and gazed around for an escape route, but there were no windows. Just one door that was well guarded. As I thought of a plan I heard footsteps, someone had walked through the door. Was this the Madame they had mentioned earlier.

She looked like it anyways, she was adorned with precious stones and even smelt expensive.

She sat at the table graceful and looked at me like she was a scanning machine.

"Lovely eyes"She commented.

I scoffed, was she so lonely she had to abduct someone for lunch.

"Just like your father's" She said and that sentence alone caught my attention.

She clapped and the maids surrounded her and began to scoop little servings of food into her plate.

"You knew my father" I asked stunned, she chuckled softly and raised a glass of wine to her lips.

"Your father was my brother" She said and sipped the wine slowly.

My jaw dropped, something else in my head questioned if she was telling the truth.