CHAPTER 4

••~Ava~••~

"Why will you decide to risk your life escaping from me, without informing anyone?" I looked up at my father, who paced around the room, anger visible on his face.

Aleksei sat back down on the couch, a huge smile on his face as he looked between my father and me. He had brought Dmitri back to father, and my half-brother was still tied up in ropes.

"I will always keep up with my end of the agreement, but the Addams family will never do the same," Aleksei mentioned with a scowl on his face.

"You don't have to bring my family into this." My father responded and it seemed not to please Aleksei, who turned to one of his gang members and nodded his head. I gasped, seeing a gun pointed at both Klarissa and Dmitri.

"Since you have failed to keep up with your promise, one of your wards will have to go." I ran over to Klarissa's side, holding her down.

"You want me, please you don't have to take her life," I begged, tears slowly dropping from my eyes as I spoke.

"Aleksei, you and I may not be best of friends, and I understand that you hate me very much; just don't hurt anyone. You want my daughter and she is yours for the taking." My father pleaded, his voice calm.

"How pleasing it is to see you beg for mercy, I know this would not have been the case if I had not killed your soldiers. You would have ordered them to kill me before I get to your mansion" Aleksei ordered his men to drop their guns.

"Thank you very much," Father said, with a sigh of relief.

"Now, you are coming with me." He directed his comment to me, before getting up from the couch and turning to leave the room. "One more thing, Dominik." He paused when he was halfway out of the door. 

"If you try for one split moment to involve your gang members or even the police, your daughter will be long gone." His voice was laced with venom as he spoke before leaving the living room. 

Dmitri's hands are freed by the gang member who works for Aleksei, the same man who killed the man at the seaport.

"The boss is giving you only ten minutes to get your things and come with him." He said, staring in my direction.

"You don't have to worry about that, I will have the maids get your belongings. You can go with him." Father instructed.

"Is that how quickly you are willing to discard me, Father? I thought you loved me." I said with tears in my eyes while Klarissa consoled me.

"You are the one who put me in this mess. I tried to make you understand the importance of things, but you chose not to see it with your eyes and even made an attempt to run away." He walked closer to me. "Aleksei owns the biggest cartel in Russia and even though I have as much power as he would, he easily outsmarts me and would have killed your brother." 

"I am sorry, Ava, but Father is right." Dmitri's eyes had guilt written all over them as he spoke to me. "It would have been my pleasure to have his head on a spike." 

"Say one more word about my boss again and I'll shoot." The gang member warned, holding his gun straight to my head.

"It's okay Dmitri, she has already agreed to go with them," Father mentioned.

I turned to Klarissa, holding her hands as she would hold mine, tears running down our cheeks, and realizing that we would be separated for a very long time.

"I certainly hope you can take very good care of yourself," Klarissa says, looking back at the gang member and then back to me. "I know he would not hurt you, but just be careful." 

"Time up, let's move." He said, forcefully grabbing my hand and leading me out of the house, while everyone close to me watched. 

When we got to the car, I turned to look at the most important people in my life staring down at me with sadness written all over their faces. It was at that moment I realized I needed to find a way to get my revenge on Aleksei. 

If he thinks he can get away with nothing, I am going to show him what the wrath of a woman could do.

By the time I stepped into the car, Aleksei handed over a piece of paper to me. "Sign it." He ordered.

I studied the content of the document for a brief period and realized what this was all about. "You want me to sign a non-disclosure agreement?"

"You have proven to be a very stubborn young lady and I don't want you taking this habit with me to my penthouse, else you will have yourself to deal with. I want you to sign that whatever happens between both of us, stays the same." 

Not only was he subjecting me to a lifelong hardship, but he also wanted to remove my voice. He doesn't want me to speak about anything going on between us to my family.

"I cannot sign it." I regretted my decision almost immediately as he grabbed my neck and looked into my eyes with anger radiating all over him.

"I don't like being told no." He reminded me, pressing my neck further and almost restricting my airflow. After a split second, he let go of me and returned to his phone. "Sign the document and hand it over to me immediately." 

My life was about to become miserable without a shadow of a doubt. Aleksei was the true definition of a monster, a man whose ego was larger than anything anyone could imagine. As I signed the document, I began to formulate in my heart a way to kill him.

**

When we arrived at his penthouse, Aleksei held my hands and dragged me up the stairs because I refused to step inside the living room. He was a total jerk and a cocky bastard.

A man dressed in a black suit stood up to his feet the moment we entered the living room, a satisfactory smile on his face.

"Welcome Mr. Aleksei." He said.

"Just get on with it," Aleksei responded, drawing me closer to himself. 

One of the gang members stepped forward with a ring and handed it over to the man, who looked in my direction with pity in his eyes.

"We are gathered here to wed Mr. Aleksei and Miss Ava Addams, in one as husband and wife. I urge the both of you to allow love, take and lead, this union shall last till eternity." I rolled my eyes at the man, who I had just discovered was a priest.

"You couldn't even allow my father to witness this wedding. Is that how much cruelty is inside of you?" I whispered to his ears, but he ignored my comment.

As the priest addressed us and began letting out the vow about marriage and affection, I could feel a smile still lingering on Aleskei’s face.

I knew this marriage between us wouldn't unite our families; if anything, it'd ignite the fire even, but heck.

He leaned sideways towards me.” Smile, doll. “ He mocked. “This stoic expression doesn't suit your pretty face. You could at least pretend you are madly in love with me.” 

I gave a dry laugh looking him dead in the eyes even though the fear was creeping in. “ I suggest you don't dream too much, it's bad for you. On second thoughts I would enjoy you dead.” 

“Oh really?” He continued, faking a surprised expression while still wearing a smirk on his face.

“ I'll make sure you regret this. I'll take away every calm in your life. Everything you could ever love. I'll completely ruin you.” 

I didn't know where all the confidence was suddenly coming from but I didn't hate it.

“I'd like to see you try baby girl.” He replied with a grin, tightening his hold on my hand. 

"Do you Mr....."

"I do.." He interrupts the priest, who is a little baffled but chooses to continue with the procession.

"And to you, Miss Ava Addams, do you take Mr. Aleksei to be your loving husband, standing by his side through the good days and the bad days, and to forever become one with him." 

I did not say anything. However, I felt a cold object on my neck, causing me to turn around, surprised to see a gun.

"I do." I finally speak the word.

"I hereby pronounce you both man and wife, you may now kiss your bride." 

As Aleksei turned around, he had a huge smile on his face, and when he leaned closer, I tried resisting his attempt to kiss me, but he forcefully grabbed my chin and crashed his lips into mine while the gang members clapped their hands.

When he broke away, I was reminded of the fact that my turbulent days in Aleksei's house had just started.