Tempting Sin

No Escape

Nevaeh bolted upright in her bed, coated in a thick layer of sweat. Her breathing was uneven and heavy, eyes wide and horror-struck. The nightmare had scared her to her core. In her dream, she saw the officer who was killed last night and Alessandro looming over her paralyzed form like creepy shadows of night. They were looking at her with hatred and accusation. She was unable to move as they swung their gleaming dagger in her direction with the sole aim of killing her.

She reached out to the flask on the nightstand with a shaking hand and gulped down the water, causing some to fall over her dress. As the cold sensation flushed down her burning throat, she momentarily closed her eyes and willed her heart to calm down. A lone tear crept down her eye. When would it end? Or was it going to end with her? If only she could run away from here. If only she could go back to her nanna. She was missing her nanna. The urge to call her and hear her soothing voice clawed her insides raw. Yet with a heavy heart, she decided to ignore it. She wouldn't be able to lie if she asked her why she sounded so sad.

Everyone on the set was avoiding her like a plague. It hurt but she understood. No one would want to be around the girl who is accused of not one but two murders. A strand of her hair was found near the officer's decapitated body. It seemed someone was punishing her for something. But for what?

"You asked for me," Nevaeh came to a halt beside her chair and spoke up. Krystine didn't bother to offer her a glance of acknowledgment and continued to apply blush on her cheeks.

"Contact my manager to clear your account. I am firing you," Krystine declared in a flat tone. Nevaeh was thunderstruck, she felt like the ground had crumbled from beneath her.

"But I..."

"I can't have a murder suspect as my assistant. It will ruin my reputation," Krystine cut her off. Her voice sharp and cold like a whip seared through Nevaeh. Her expression carried no hint of remorse or sympathy as she made her concern known. But Nevaeh was another story. Misery melted down her glistening eyes as she struggled to process the verbal bomb Krystine had just dropped on her. This job was all she had.

"I swear I didn't do it," Nevaeh whispered in her defense, desperate for Krystine to believe her. She could understand others mistaking her for a murderer but how could Krystine suspect her?

"You are free from tomorrow onwards," Krystine put an end to their discussion, not interested in her sob story. Neveah felt so trivial, so insignificant at that moment. Her existence just didn't matter. No one would care if she died today. The woman she slaved after for two years didn't have a thread of empathy, let alone attachment to her. There was no one in this world she could rely on. No one could get her out of this ever-growing chasm. Without a further word, she left her room. She knew her explanation wouldn't mean a thing to Krystine.

"Hey, you okay?" Sam asked, bringing her out of her melancholy reverie. Nevaeh hastily wiped away her tears and turned around to face Sam. The sorrow on her face belied her response but Sam didn't dare to probe further. Sending a comforting smile her way, he offered her a bottle of juice.

Nevaeh glanced down at the bottle with disinterest. She hadn't eaten or drank anything since morning. Her appetite had disappeared altogether.

"Everything will be fine," he assured her in a gentle, confident voice. Nevaeh, who hadn't expected to still have a friend here was deeply moved by his support but she wasn't convinced. His words brought her no solace for she knew they were just that- hollow words of reassurance. She was too powerless and poor to fight her enemy. Hell, she didn't even know who she was standing against.

"I just wanna go home," she choked out. The weight of her sorrow threatened to overwhelm her. A whirlwind of emotions churning within her.

"You will. You will go home," he put a hand on her shoulder in assurance and smiled down at her. His confidence was confusing for Nevaeh. It felt like he meant his words.