Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 108656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 543(@200wpm)___ 435(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
The large mahogany desk spread out near the windows. The black chair was more suited to being in a company as a CEO’s chair or something like that. He’d watched his father sitting at the desk, looking like he was king of the world when it was the furthest thing from the truth. His father got off on hurting those in his way, of crushing them.
Both of his parents did.
Moving behind the desk, he took a seat and put his hands flat to the surface, staring across the room. Sitting back, he looked at the drawers and started to try to open them. None of them would open. A little lock on each corner kept him out.
He’d never taken the time to think of his father as a person, or where he’d hide keys. Getting to his feet, he looked around the room.
There were several large pieces of artwork. His father was a bit of a collector, but again, he didn’t see the appeal. He touched one piece and it didn’t move. With the next, it tilted forward and the keys spilled out of the bottom, dropping onto the floor.
It all seemed a little … easy. There was no way these were the keys to the desk, but as he tried one key and gave it a turn, it didn’t move. He checked the other five drawers, and it was the last one at the bottom of the opposite side that sprang open.
It was empty.
Using the other keys, he opened up the desk. There was nothing in most of the drawers. Papers and pens in another. No letters. No evidence of the monster in control.
Sitting back, he tapped his fingers on the desk.
Maybe the evidence he needed to hurt his parents wouldn’t be lying around in the office as it was the most obvious place to look. Getting to his feet, he left, heading upstairs to his parents’ suit. They didn’t share a room and hadn’t for as long as Drake could remember.
The first room had to belong to his mother. It was too floral and perfect to be his father’s. The moment he entered the right room, he knew it was his father’s. It had a brand-new bachelor feel, which would have been exactly what he organized to have.
His father liked the idea of being a free man, but he wasn’t, not really. Like his father before him, they were all trapped.
He didn’t sit down but spun around, wondering if this would be where any delicate information would be stored. He had no doubt there had to be evidence here of some kind. His father was too paranoid to not have something close by.
Drake knew there would be information in safety deposit boxes, offices, with lawyers, and trusted assets, but it wouldn’t all be in one place. The darkest shit had to be closest to him.
There was only one way to truly find out, and he moved toward the closet, opening it. The suits were all neatly lined up. It looked like a true, modern-day businessman’s wardrobe. All pristine, orderly, and perfect.
Drake didn’t know when it happened, but he had grown to hate perfection. Being surrounded by it for all of his life, he only saw how toxic it was.
Pushing the pants to one side, he knew there was no point in checking them. His father would never be so foolish as to leave pants lying around for anyone to see. No matter where he turned. There didn’t appear to be a single clue to help him or Pru.
After leaving his father’s bedroom, he entered his mother’s. He never came to this room. The last time he did hadn’t been pretty. His parents liked to present to the world a united front but behind closed doors, they despised each other. It often surprised Drake how they were able to have a child in the first place. Their hatred for one another knew no bounds.
The heavy scent of perfume hung in the air, and it was almost too strong to even stand.
Where his father wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave evidence lying around, he hoped his mother was too … trusting and conceited to even think of hiding her true self. He would love to see her face when the world saw her.
If only she kept video proof of her indiscretions.
He walked over to her vanity table and looked over the contents. Perfumes, makeup, hairbrushes, and combs all were placed on the surface. He didn’t dare move one, in case she suspected someone was snooping.
Drake sat down at the table and slowly opened each drawer, finding underwear. He moved it gently to one side, hoping to find something, anything to use on them so he wouldn’t have to abandon Pru.
The vanity table was clear. Next, he moved toward the closet. Unlike his father’s pristine display of clothes, his mother was messy. Clothes were strewn all over. She never wore the same outfit twice, so why would she even need to keep anything neat and tidy? In the far corner, he noticed a couple of plain cardboard boxes. They didn’t appear to be anything important and he pushed some of her clothes to one side to get a better look. Opening the boxes, he saw some old letters and photos. He pushed them to one side and found a locked safe. Lifting it, he inspected the box and frowned. It didn’t look like something his mother would own. It even looked a little cheap, which got his suspicions rising.