Chapter Six

If looks could kill, Xavier was certain to be six feet below the ground because of the intensity of my stares.

I was still trying to wrap my head around the words he had been saying.

“I don’t believe you. You’re lying about everything.” I said

“Keep on telling yourself that, princess. Deep down, you know I am telling the truth but your greedy heart won’t let you admit it.” he replied with a calm voice which irked me

“If any of this were true, if he were as bad as you say, why wouldn’t his wife just divorce him?” I asked. “Why would she let him treat her cruelly by marrying another wife? Why would she let him use her money to plan a wedding for another woman?”

Xavier looked away. His expression became hard as he clenched his jaw.

“She can’t.” came the short reply for my numerous questions.

“Why?” I asked. I needed to know more.

Narrowing his eyes, he looked at me. “They were in an accident. She’s in a coma. Not that you would care. She has been in a coma for months now. Arnold is using her money and waiting for her to give up.”

His tone made it clear he thought I was a greedy, heartless brat.

I worked two jobs to pay my own way through college and to help my parents survive since the family business went bankrupt.

I blinked fast.

At that moment, the engine grew louder as the jet started to move down the runway.

I nearly stumbled as it jolted forward.

“Sit down,” he said.

It was at that moment I realized I had been standing since we got into the jet.

Ignoring the lump in my throat, I braced my arm against the ceiling and lifted my chin.

“Don’t you dare tell me…” I wanted to defy his command but he didn't allow me to finish speaking

“Sit down,” he barked.

My knees failed beneath me and I fell onto the white leather couch with a thud.

I realized to my shock that my body had obeyed him, even when my mind had refused.

The jet accelerated down the runway as he sat beside me.

I gripped the armrest while he calmly reached for his laptop.

Once we were airborne, I glanced out the tiny window.

All I could see was endless darkness with eerie moonlit clouds.

No one could help me now. I was on my own.

I took several deep breaths, trying to keep myself from panicking.

“Where are you taking me? Where on earth are you going to keep me? Arnold will find you.” I rapped without thinking

He didn’t reply, instead he continued to stare at the screen of his laptop as he typed rapidly.

I watched him as he took a sip of the Scotch the smiling flight attendant had brought to him.

I waited until we were left alone again before I spoke.

“Where are you taking me?” I repeated more forcefully.

“It’s irrelevant. You don’t have to know anything about that.” he snorted his response

“Tell me where. I need to know where you’re taking me.” I said persistently

“I hardly think you’re in a position to make demands. You’re my prisoner so I suggest you lower your tone and learn to accept your fate.” he said without looking in my direction.

“You kidnapped me!” my eyes widened in surprise and fear.

“Such a melodramatic word.”

“How else would you describe it?” I adjusted on my seat so I could glare at him properly

“Justice,” he said coldly.

“You don’t have my passport. How are we going to travel? Did you ever stop to think for a second about that?”

“That’s all been arranged. You don’t have to worry about how I will transport you to my desired location.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “As everything else is. For a price.” he said monotone before he returned his gaze to his screen

Watching beads of water condense on the outside of his glass tumbler, I clenched my hands into fists.

“Tell me where we’re going right now,” I raged. “Or else…or else…”

He looked at me, his dark eyes wearing an amused look.

“Or else? What will you do?” Once again, sarcasm was dripping from his tone.

Oh God, how much I hated him!

How I wished I had my brother’s old baseball bat, or even a heavy handbag to threaten him with?

Sadly, none of these items were in my possession. I had no choice but to use what I have; my voice and expression.

I hope they work.

I tried to look very mean as I thundered, “You will tell me where we’re going or I will make this flight your own private hell! I won’t stop causing you trouble till you tell me where exactly we are going.”

After my minin speech of threat, my chest began to heave up and down. I wondered why my dress was yet to give way.

Xavier stared at me for a long time without a word.

“Now that I believe,” he said mildly as his lips quivered.

Typing a few last words on his laptop, he turned back to face me and said, “I am taking you to Greece.”

His words hit me with so much force that I had to recoil a bit.

“Why? Why on earth are we going to Greece? You can’t take me to Greece. My family will be worried sick about me.” I spoke with lowly tones while giving him pleading eyes hoping he would have pity on me and return me to my family.

“It's simple. Your presence in Greece will force Arnold to give me what I want. And for your family, they would have to get used to your absence.”

“And that is?”

“If he loves you like you think,” he said the word scornfully, “he will agree to a trade.”

“Trade?” I stared at him. “What trade?”

“You. For her.” Taking another sip of Scotch, he set the tumbler down on the table and looked at me evenly.

“I will use you to force him to divorce his wife. His real wife.”

I stared at him with a mixed emotion. This man was messing with my sanity.

Slowly, I lifted my chin. “I am his real wife,” I said quietly. “And nothing you can say will convince me otherwise.”

Xavier frowned.

“Is it really possible…” he searched my gaze with narrowed eyes “...that you did not know?” he added to his earlier words

I shook my head.

“There is nothing to know! You made a terrible mistake!”

“I couldn’t understand why he would pretend to marry you like this. But if you didn’t know he already had a wife…”

He paused for a while as his eyes traced my face, my breasts and down to my body.

Slowly, he tilted his head curiously.

“Did you give him some kind of ultimatum? Did he think pretending to marry you was the only way he could keep you in his bed?”

To keep me in Arnold’s bed?

I gasped with fear.

I had never been in his bed or any man’s!

I was saving my virginity for my wedding night!

The thought made me suck in my breath.

Surely Arnold wouldn’t have gone through such an elaborate wedding as a pretense just to get me into his bed…?

“I will do anything for you,” Arnold had said urgently the previous week with his pale blue eyes boring into mine.

“Anything, petal. This is torture. You must be mine.”

With a ragged breath, I pushed the memory aside.

“Our marriage was real,” I said. “There is no other wife.”

Abruptly, Xavier moved to the chair directly across from me.

He leaned forward, and the knees of his long legs brushed the wide skirts of my wedding gown.

“I am telling you the truth, Sylvia,” he said quietly.

I stared up at him.

His face was too brutally masculine to be conventionally handsome like Arnold’s sleek blond features.

Instead, Xavier had a hard, square jawline that was already dark with shadow.

He had an aquiline nose and dark eyebrows above black eyes which were endless and luminous as the night.

His hair was cut short just above his ear, but with a slightly mussed, wild wave.

As he leaned forward, looking into my eyes, I was aware of the warmth and strength of his body.

Against my will, I was suddenly aware of the rhythm of his breath which was deep and in time with mine.

I was aware of his scent, the masculine combination of some kind of woodsy cologne and musk and leather.

He was so close to me. So close that with a ragged breath, I looked away.

“Who is she, then?” I said in a small voice.

“His supposed first wife?” I said when he creased his brow to show he was confused.

“Laila Van Reyna.”

“Van Reyna?” I was visibly shocked because the name seemed familiar.

“You know the name?”

“There’s a wealthy family in San Francisco, mentioned often in the newspapers…”

“The same,” he said grimly.

“But the parents are dead,” I recalled. “Their only child is barely out of high school. I read she left for college.”

“She’s in a coma,” he said brutally. “No one knows she needs help. And I can’t find her so I can get her to a hospital.” His black gaze traced over me.

“But you are his weakness. He will trade her. For you.”

I shook my head, dazed.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Except for…that.” He frowned as his eyes narrowed. “Take that off.” he commanded

“What?”

“Your dress. Take it off.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The wedding dress is an insult. To her, to me. Take it off. You are not a bride.”

“I was…am!” I stammered

“Take off that dress,” he growled. “Or I will take it off for you.”

“I have nothing else to wear!” I was scared stiff

He gave me a cold smile. “That is not my problem.”

I rose to my feet in fury, lifting my chin in an intimidating position.

“I have the right to wear this. I am a bride, a married woman. You’re a liar!” I yelled at him

He swiftly rose to his feet, like the predator he had posed to be

“Call me that again, princess,” he said dangerously.

“Baroness,” I corrected fiercely.

I tossed my hair, glaring up at him with all the fury of my five feet, four inches height.

My eyes glittered as I met him toe to toe.

“And you, Xavier Regulus, you are nothing but a liar!” I said through gritted teeth.

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