Chapter 3

“Calista! Get up! Now!”

Calista woke up from her sleep when she heard someone yell at her, grabbed her arm roughly, and made her sit up on the bed. She saw her aunt standing before her, staring hatefully at her face.

“Give me your father’s insurance money. I really need it, now!”

“Auntie, you’ve already taken all the money. I don’t have it anymore.”

“Don't lie to me! You must have hidden it somewhere!”

Her aunt then searched all over the room, made everything messy. Calista kept trying to stop her and was pleading tearfully, “Please, auntie, stop. I’m not lying to you. I’m telling the truth. I really don’t have money anymore.”

She stopped searching and sat on the floor. “What should I do? They will kill me if I don’t pay the debt.” Her voice broke.

It startled her to hear what her aunt said. She felt worried seeing her frightened face. She then sat next to her and held her hand. “What do you mean? Who wants to kill you?” she asked, curious.

Her aunt quickly moved her hand from hers as if it disgusted her to touch her. “Don’t touch me! I’ve always been in trouble since I lived with you. You only bring bad luck to those around you! Your parents died because of you and now! You will make me die!” she yelled into her eyes.

Calista had heard these words come out of her mouth many times and every time she heard them; she has tears in her eyes. She could feel her heart crying sadly.

A sudden chill ran down her spine as her aunt eyed her entire body up and down. The way she looked at her terrified her. Her eyes told her she had an evil plan in mind for her.

Her aunt smiled evilly, then stood up from the floor. “I am hungry. Cook for me now!” she said into Calista’s eyes and walked out of the room.

Her aunt worked as a prostitute in a nightclub. Every day she always came home after midnight and woke her up to cook for her.

Calista wiped the tears from her cheeks. She got up from the floor and went to the kitchen to cook immediately, or her aunt would beat her if the food was not ready.

******

“Calista! wake up!”

Calista opened her eyes when someone hurriedly woke her up while shaking her shoulder. She saw Alice was sitting in the chair next to her, looking at her with a cheerful smile on her face.

She lifted her head from the library reading table and leaned her back against the chair while yawning.

“Calista, look!” Alice showed her the two tickets in her hand. “My sister gave me tickets to watch an opera at the London Coliseum Theater. She can’t go because her boyfriend suddenly had to work. You’ve never been there before, right? Let's go there with me tonight,” she said excitedly.

Calista’s panda eyes suddenly opened wide as she forgot her sleepiness. “Oh my God! Thank you Alice!” she said with a cheerful as she hugged her. She was so excited because she really wanted to go to that place.

Alice let go of her hug and looked into her eyes. “Let’s go to my place now. We have to hurry up and get dressed,” she said excitedly.

“Hmm!” Calista replied with a nod. They both then left the place with smiles on their faces.

******

Calista couldn't blink as she looked around the room outside the theater room. This place is so beautiful and majestic makes her stunned to see it.

She and Alice came here early, so there's no one here yet. Alice is in the bathroom right now. Before Alice asked Calista to go with her, she had told Stefan and he allowed them to go to this place.

Calista wore a short sleeveless white dress. She let her long hair fall down to her waist. The golden light from the chandeliers illuminated her flawless white skin and her eyes, that are like blue sapphire. She was so beautiful, her face was as beautiful as a goddess.

Calista ignored the pain on her feet and kept looking around in admiration. She didn't want to wear the shoes she was wearing right now because she couldn't wear high heels at all, but Alice forced her to wear them. She said she looks beautiful in them. Calista doesn't have a dress so Alice lends her a dress and shoes for her to wear.

Suddenly, as Calista almost fell, someone hugged her waist from behind. She turned around, and she saw a very handsome man looking at her face with his gentle eyes.

For the first time in her life, she felt something she had never felt before. Her cheeks burned. Her heart beat uncontrollably as she forgot how to breathe. She couldn't take her eyes off him, mesmerized by his handsome face, his beautiful silver eyes.

Their bodies were close to each other. Her hands were on his chest while his hands were on her waist. She felt his cold breath against her face. His eyes stared deep into mine as if he was looking directly into her soul and there was nothing she could hide from him.

“Wh-who are you?” she asked nervously.

“My name is Vladimir Valerius.”

It amazed her to see his handsome face. Even his voice impressed her, which was very pleasant and elegant.

He kept staring at her curiously. “Calista... You have a heart as beautiful as your face. I've never met a human like you before,” he said.

Calista stared at him with the same look as him. She wonders how he got to know her name and why he said that.

He smiled gently at her, as if he could read what was on her mind. “Let me help you sit there,” he said in a soft voice, then he picked her up and took her to a nearby chair.

Calista didn't understand what had happened to her. She couldn't say a word, she couldn't refuse him. She could only stay silent in his arms.

He put her on the chair and then crouched down to check her feet. It startled her when he touched her skin because his hands felt so... cold.

He took off her right shoe gently. She held her breath as her body shivered in pleasure as his hands gently caressed the skin of her feet.

He moved his gaze to her eyes. “Your feet are in pain now. You shouldn’t wear these shoes if you are not used to wearing them,” he said in worry.

Calista stared at him in silence, breathing nervously as she asked herself how he knew about it.

He put her shoe back on and stood up. Her heart beat faster and faster as he brings his face closer to hers. His eyes fell deep into hers and held her gaze. His eyes told her he wanted so badly to enjoy every inch of her and make her his forever.

He moved his eyes slowly to her lips; he eagerly wanted to enjoy them. She couldn't refuse him because her heart also wanted to kiss him.

Suddenly, he took a distance from her face and said, looking her in the eye. “Your friend will be here soon. I will see you again, Calista.” He smiled gently at her and walked away from her.

She struggled to breathe as her heart beat uncontrollably. Her whole body felt cold. She kept asking herself over and over what happened to her. She just met him and he has taken her heart with him.