CRUEL INTENTIONS

Prologue

Carvida stared in horror as she saw her house on fire. She had just returned from university only to find her house burning with huge strokes of burning flame ravaging the walls of the house while thick black smoke rose higher and higher in the sky.

She watched paralysed and shocked as the firefighters tried to extinguish the fire but in vain. All colours drained from her face when she saw the emergency medical technicians carrying two people covered in a thick black blanket.

She immediately rushed there and asked them "W-who are these people?"

"It's the people who lived in the house dear. We don't know how the fire started but it's tragic.. Poor innocents people found their death.." One of them replied before taking the bodies away, making her stomach churn and her heart dropped. She may have hated her parents for all the abuse and horrible things they did to her but she never expected them to die like that. She exhaled shakily, her heart hammering out of her chest.

She could not believe it... They were really dead.. Yesterday night she had cried in the garden and said she wanted her life to change. She wanted them dead for all the time they slapped her and beat her up but she never thought her wish would come true.

She stared at her parents bodies being taken away. A mixture of shock yet relief spread through her. Shock because this was unexpected but relieved because she would not have to get tortured every night again and again. But then again was it not bad to feel relieved? They were her parents after all. She sighed heavily and continued to stare just when her phone vibrated in her hand.

She quickly snapped out of her trance, unlocked it and stared in shock at the message she received from a private number :

My little flower, how did you find my first gift? You wanted your parents dead last night, right? Here I did it. I hope you are happy. You don't have to worry now my little flower. Just remember :

I'm yours to command and you're mine to obey

I will always be your servant and I will always make your wishes come true

-L

She sucked in a breath and stared transfixed at her phone screen. Someone had done that.. But who? Who was 'L' ? She never knew anyone whose name started with 'L'. She had no friends as well. She had literally no one. Confused and scared, she looked around for anyone but only the neighbours horrified gazes were seen. Nothing more. Nothing else.

She gulped nervously and stared back at her screen. Who was that person? What did he or she want from her? I mean that's sick and psychotic... Who would kill people for her? No one right. This got to be a sick joke.

She sighed heavily just when one of the police officers approached her. "Greetings young lady... You are the daughter who lives there, right?" The man asked politely.

She nodded quickly, gripped her phone tightly and looked at the man with a neutral expression. Do not show your emotions Carvida... Do not show anything.. That's what she kept saying to herself while the police officer stared at her with sympathy.

"My deepest apologies and condolences for your lost my child I know it must be hard" The police officer said patting her shoulder. She mentally scoffed. She was not one bit sad she lost her parents. They never did anything good to her. They just abused her and called her a failure.

"T-thank you sir" She replied faking sadness and trauma.

"No problem my child.. I really don't understand how the fire started.. Ah such a cruel death... Being burned alive" The police officer said shaking his head before sighing heavily.

She resisted the urge to smirk. Okay it was bad. Her parents died. She should not be happy or smirking. But they were just parents in front of the society. Behind closed doors, they tortured her to the depths of her soul and she could not care less that they died. They could burn in hell for all eternity for all she cared.

"Oh I'm so sorry I'm saying such things in front of you.. Umm.. You should step away from the scene my child. There's nothing left here. You can take your parents bodies from the morgue afterwards" The police officer said snapping her back to reality.

"Umm Sir may I request something?" She asked still gripping her phone tightly. She should definitely have told the officer about the message on her phone but she wanted nothing to do with the police, courts or anything. She had a career to build. And now that her parents were gone. She had no more barriers to success.

"Yes my child" The policer officer replied with a kind smile looking at her with sympathy and sadness. Argh! Seriously what is it with people always looking at others like that after the death of a closed one? It's not that it was wrong but it just irritated her because most people faked it...

"Keep the bodies, throw them away or burn them please" She stated with a stoic expression making the police officer's eyes widened in surprise.

"W-why? They are your parents. Don't you want to give them a proper funeral?" The policer officer asked seemingly not believing she just said that.

"No... I honestly can't bear to see their bodies" She replied in a fake soft voice. Fuck yes she could clearly look at their bodies but she just did not want to give them a proper funeral. Funerals were for loved ones that passed away... Not bastards like her parents.

"Oh okay then... I guess I understand.. I'll have them burned" The police officer said to which she nodded before walking away. Her bag still on her shoulder. The only thing left to her. Where was she going to live now? Her parents had no relatives. She was not yet independent. She was still studying and paying for her studies with her part time job but it was definitely not enough to buy a house.

Sighing heavily, she walked down the long lonely road when her phone vibrated again. She took a deep breath and unlocked it hoping it was not that "L" again but oh well luck was not on her side.

The message :

I bought a house for you don't worry you can live peacefully now. And I will also pay your studies little flower. The house is just down the road on the left side. For my little flower is written on a board in front of it. Hope you like it

-L

She could not believe what she just read. She reread it again just to be sure before rushing down the road and indeed to her left there was a house there. She stared at the board transfixed. 'For my little flower' was clearly written there like he said. Who was that guy? It must be a guy. Definitely. But why do this for her? Was he crazy or too rich or something?

She took a deep breath and walked up to the huge house. She grabbed the doorknob and opened the door to be greeted with a beautiful house decorated with brown wooden furnitures, intricately designed carpet and curtains. Everything looked so cozy and clean.

She exhaled deeply and stared at her phone screen contemplating what to do? Could she accept this? This guy was clearly dangerous. I mean he set her house on fire to kill her parents. She may have wanted it but it was nonetheless a crime what that person did... But she had nowhere to go. Maybe she could stay here till she's independent. Yeah. That's what she will do... But if only she knew that this 'L' had no intention of letting her out of his sight.