Mr. Corporate Law

5.4: Day Four - Final Toast

I ran and I ran, I couldn't keep a hold of myself as I tripped down a pathway, the feeling of concrete grazing through every inch of my skin. I could feel the warm touch of my blood at my fingertips, and I have no idea where it came from as I sat up and saw my own reflection in the puddle of dirty water, I was drenched and soaked in only my underwear, I looked like a mess and there were scratches all over my face and neck. I quickly stared down at the palm of my hands, they were also stained with the same red liquid.

"What the fu-"

A tearing pain came at the back of my head, someone grabbed a handful of my hair and pulled me up to my feet, though I practically dangled as my toes were barely touching the concrete pathway. I gripped at the arms of whoever held me, trying my best to keep a hold of myself to ease the throbbing at the back of my head as I dangled by my hair. I caught glimpse of the surroundings being the entryway to the reception venue of Julia and Nathaniel's wedding.

"I told you, little Lawler-" Only one man called me that, and I whimpered at in fear that I may lose my life because of him. His voice creeped into my ear, the slobber of wet tongue licked the side of my neck then to the lobe, where he nipped it in a way that he thought could seduce me.

I didn't fall for that.

"-You can't get me without a fight-"

"-I can-"

"-No, because I'm going to kill you the way I killed Janina Miller!" His voice roared as he threw me to the ground where I landed with a harsh thud, my body ached so much as I forced myself to turn around and face him, looking into his hazel eyes.

But for some reason, they were different.

I tried so hard to focus, to see who it was, but just like in a thriller movie, the lightning flashed behind his dark exterior and my body froze, my jaws dropped as I closed my eyes shut, arms raised in front of me as I prepared myself for the worst possible outcome. And at the top of my lungs, I screamed-

"Dominic!"

"Annie! Annie-"

I don't know what happened next, but once I opened my eyes, I wasn't at that pathway, nor was I anywhere near the reception venue - and it surely wasn't dark at all. By the time my eyes focused, the weather was bright, sunny and calm. No clouds in the sky to cover the beautiful blue paint spread across it. And instead of being covered in blood, I was wrapped in a silk robe, lying between someone's legs inside a hammock.

"Are you okay?"

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. I tried hard to focus, think back on such a vivid dream, but as I examined myself further, I was safe, clean and - well - not physically hurt. I faced the man who cuddled me, my lips pursed together as the images from my nightmare of him holding up a concrete brick up in the air to kill me flashed before my eyes, and because I was mixed with emotions, I shifted away from him, my body language expressed the fear I felt in my dreams.

"You've been twisting and turning, what happened?" Dominic asked me, concerned and also confused. He stretched an arm out to me, but when I flinched, he retracted his arm and sighed, slumping his shoulders forward as he asked, "Were you dreaming about what you did last night?"

No response.

"Annie, you were awake for hours after we got back to the suite, reading that folder you got from Fiona," He explained.

"I-It's just-st-" I croaked, turning away as a whimper escaped me. "I know you took me out here to get me to calm down, but I can't not think about it. I'm not functioning well after that, and tomorrow night, it's going to crash and burn and I don't know whether or not I'm going to be able to change my mind!"