Meera
My jaw slackens as I meet the eyes of my husband who is currently standing with my old boss, ready to take the position of becoming my new boss.Fuck."I'm going to kill you!""You ruined us!""Ace...please...please don't kill me...""You're a traitor, Meera!"All those horrible instances flash in front of my eyes and I relive every single moment of pain that I suffered because of this man. Fuck.Why is he here?I thought he would never leave the mafia business that he was into...Wait...has he left everything behind or has he finally been successful in finding me?No...God no..."You two were responsible for drawing up these contracts, I presume?" Alejandro asks, his face doesn't give away a single emotion that is currently going on inside his head.It's as if he is completely indifferent to my presence and he is currently regarding both me and Clarissa with nothing but a disdained scowl."Y-yes, Mr. Harrington, we are responsible for them." Clarissa responds hesitantly.I don't even have the words to say anything...my head is completely filled with traumatic memories from the time when I last saw Ace. And now, he is standing in front of me when I never thought I would see him again."Then you should have been careful when writing the names of my subsidiaries in London." Ace mutters with the utmost disappointment.Oh god...Clarissa is going to lose her job.I know him.I know that expression on his face all too well.That look of boredom used to mean that whoever was facing it was about to be killed. And considering that Ace is not as stupid as to kill Clarissa over some clerical error in front of so many people, I know that he is going to fire her.I cannot let that happen. Clarissa supports her family with the money that she makes from this firm as a lawyer. She's the only bread winner in her household since her husband has a neurological disorder that doesn't allow him to work."It was me!" I chime, instantly finding my words before Ace can say his. Clarissa's head turns towards me and I blatantly ignore her, knowing well enough that she would try to convince me otherwise. "I made this mistake." I lie.Ace quirks his brow in my direction, and in that moment, I see a familiar expression that I have seen all too many times whenever he has tried to read me but couldn't find the means to.That is the fucking problem with him. He thinks he knows everything but in reality, I can read him better than he can read me."Is that so, Miss...?"He lets that question drop like a heavy weight between us, his coy eyes searching for an answer so as to find out about my new identity that I have been using in order to hide from him."Graceling, Meera Graceling." I respond in a meek voice knowing well enough that everything I have done to stay hidden from this man in the last two years has just gone to waste.From changing the colour of my hair to taking my mother's maiden name as my own last name to shifting continents and working in this city where I still don't know a single soul worth telling my worries to.All of it...all of the struggle that I faced because of him was for nothing.A light smirk graces his lips as he nods and takes a step towards me. My breathing quickens seeing the playfulness in his eyes just before he takes a look around the room.And just when I least expect it, his voice echoes through the room, "everyone out. I need to have a word with Ms. Graceling here."The entire room breaks into a flurry as people shuffle around to leave the room as quickly as possible. This is the effect that Alejandro has always had on people; he says something needs to be done and lo and behold, everyone just hurries to do it for him.This is something that he has learnt being the king of the Sicilian mafia empire.Mr. Gianopulos lingers for a moment but Ace just gives him a glare harsh enough to make the middle aged man shiver.And then we're left alone in this conference room, the door shutting behind my old boss as I stare at the ground, nervous to meet the eyes of my new one.However, before I can even comprehend, I see Ace's steps approaching me and I hold my breath right before his hands are around my waist and he is pushing me against the wall."Mr. Harringto—"My words die in my throat when his lips crash against mine in a soul searing kiss as I am left stuck between his body and the hard wall behind me."Shhhh...I don't want to hear a word from you, Meera." He growls in a voice that is dripping with pure desire as his hand grips my waist in a vice hold.His other hand reaches my throat and just the way he used to, he strokes the length of my neck with his thumb and my entire body becomes electrified because of his touch.Fuck...Why does it always feel so good being touched by him?He catches my bottom lip between his teeth and that sends my mind into a frenzy and I forget to breathe for a second. I'm nothing but a puddle of mess beneath him and he knows it well enough. His fingers reach the roots of my hair as he tilts back my head slightly to gain more access to my mouth as our tongues fight for dominance but as usual, he wins by running his tongue along my bottom lip and making an elicit moan escape my mouth. Why am I kissing him back?Why do I want to run my fingers through his hair? Why do I want to feel the hardness of his chiseled chest? Why am I so turned on by the idea of kissing him after such a long time of being away from him, as if I was lost in the desert till now and he is my last drop of water?Fuck...Ace's lips travel down my jaw and into the crevice of my neck as his grip tightens on my hair and he pushes my body further against the wall by pressing himself against me. A shaky breath escapes my lips when I feel the bulge of his pants press
"And to make things more interesting, would you like to see one more thing?" He asks pacing away from me as he goes to stand in the front of the room and casually places his hand on the top of the chair where he was sitting as the head of this meeting. I run my hands through my hair, staring at him with nothing but betrayal on my face as I say nothing. He chuckles at the dumb fucking expression on my face as I stand there feeling worse about myself. "Raise your head and see what our recording buddy might have witnessed in the last fifteen minutes." He says pointing towards the lone camera hoisted up in one corner of the room. Realisation dawns upon me. There are cameras in every conference room of this office and at the moment, I am looking at the one which has just recorded me getting off at the hand of the new boss. Fuck. I could lose my job for this and be defamed. "You could lose your job, little Meera." He purrs from where he is standing, watching me like a hawk. I meet
Meera - 2 Years AgoI can feel the blood running down the side of my jaw as I lay there on the side of the pavement, not knowing if I will even survive the next few hours.The cold air bites into my skin as I try my best to gather my remaining clothes around my body tight enough to at least keep myself warm, but even so, nothing seems to be working. My eyes feel heavy as I blink with a lot of effort and because of that, I know that there is not much time left before either the cold or the blood loss takes my life away. My ears are still blaring with the sounds of my tormentors' voices and all I can see are their sick smiles that came from watching me in pain."You are never going to be his, dear Meera. And this child that is festering in your womb is going to die along with you tonight!" Her voice is still very shrill and cold in my head and right now, as I lay in the corner of the street, shivering with blood matting my hair and more of it layering my skin, I place my shaking and
MeeraHushed whispers reached my ears as I walked down the lobby of my office building, trying my best to keep my tears at bay as I realised that everyone here found out about the immaculate demotion that I had just received. I bit the inside of my cheeks as I tried to gather my emotions, knowing well enough that when I come back here tomorrow, I wouldn't be a paralegal, but instead, Alejandro Harrington's personal secretary. And I know that I cannot run, I cannot let him fire me, because a lot many important things depend on me keeping this job. I cannot allow Alejandro to take away the mere semblance of happiness that I have conjured up for myself. The moment I step out of the building, my hair curtains my face from both sides as I step into the pouring rain, seeming as if even the skies are weeping at the turn my fate has taken. I don't have an umbrella to protect myself from the biting cold showers pouring down from above, but instead of the cold, I focus on rushing out of th
Meera"Wallowing in self pity at what your life has turned into?" Ace's voice breaks through the silence in his car as we enter the parking space underneath the building where he lives at the top floor penthouse. I look at the sleek and admirable collection of his cars in the private parking space that is reserved for just the owner of the building where the other tenants are not allowed to enter and I am reminded of how easy money always came to my husband. He was born in one of the richest mafia families of Europe and with all the blood money they have, they can make the heavens look cheap. "No, Mr. Harrington, I am simply waiting for whatever devious plans you have for me." I chide with an indifferent expression as I continue to stare outside the window until the car comes to a stop right in front of the elevator. Four fully armed guards are standing in front of the elevator as they approach our vehicle. Two of them stand in their place while two come to a stop at both sides of
AceThe clicking of Serena's heels agitates my senses as I sit in my office located within the underground club that I own in this city as she saunters inside the room and walking around to where I am sitting, she leans back until she is perched on top of my table, facing me with that sultry look on her face."You look particularly disheveled today, Mr. Harrington." She whispers, placing her hand on my chest and I have to clench my hands into fists because they are currently itching to reach for my gun holstered against my thigh. "Mind if I help you with something?" She asks suggestively as her hand starts to travel down my chest, following the length of my torso before finally stopping just above the waist band of my tailored dress pants. I immediately reach down and wrap my hand around her wrist, stopping her right at that moment as I take her hand in a vice grip. It doesn't seem to bother her one bit. If anything, she is more excited and enticed by the idea of me being forceful.
AceThe elevator dings open, catching my attention away from my phone as I straighten up, taking in a deep breath just as the doors part and my ears catch onto a frenzy of noises coming from inside my penthouse. CLANG!The sound of utensils falling to the floor catches my attention as my eyes widen and my feet are making their way to the expansive kitchen of my penthouse. I still in my tracks the moment my eyes take in what's in front of me and my veins flood with simmering rage.Jo, the brute that Serena has hired to keep an eye on me is standing near the kitchen counter with his hands around my Meera's neck, squeezing the life out of her body as she claws at his hands trying to get him to stop. "Stop it." The words come out in a ragged hiss as I glare at Jo, making it a mental promise to myself that I will give him the worst possible death once I have defeated the Van Dykes. Jo stops in his assault of my wife as I catch the sight of a tear glimmering down Meera's cheek that sen
MeeraSerena's taunting laughter echoes through the cold room where she has me trapped as she steps back after beating me endlessly once again. My entire body aches and bleeds in places I didn't think was possible while Serena's white pointed toe heels make her appear taller as she stands over me with her foot pressed against the back of my neck. "You are filth, Florence." She spits, her heel digging into the side of my neck as more tears escape my eyes. "You are good for nothing. Your entire family has been killed by the way, and soon enough, you will die too." My heart cracks in my chest as the faces of my loving family flash through my mind. The same family I hadn't seen in two years since getting married to Alejandro. The same family who had stood by my side as I had accepted the marriage proposal made by my father's biggest rivals, thinking that Alejandro would make a good husband. Tears streak down the bridge of my nose as I keep lying there on the cold ground, limp and hope
|Flashback; 4 Years Ago| |Ace's POV| "Meera!" She ignores my call as she struts to the dance floor, leaving me standing by the bar as I cuss out under my breath. Shaking my head at her carelessness, I enter the swarm of drunk men and women, dancing to the beat that the classical music lover inside me would never understand. I push past the sweat ridden bodies of intoxicated beings before I finally find her in the centre of the dance floor, swaying to the music with her hands thrown up and her head thrown back. A loud growl escapes my lips but gets muddled in the high volume of the music when I see a man trying to snake his way behind her. I snatch her by the waist before he can lay a finger on her, glaring at him with such hatred that he actually pales in comparison and gulps before scurrying off of the dance floor. Good. Because I have no intention of killing anyone tonight, like I had had to kill the brunet who made the mistake of forcing himself upon her all those months ago
|Flashback, 4 Years Ago| |Meera's POV|"One more." I tell the bartender who nods his head and pours another glass of Irish whiskey in my glass before going away to attend to other customers. My phone lays in front of me on the bar-top, flashing with Ace's name for the thousandth time tonight but I could really not give a fuck about him right now. I returned from Paris a few hours ago and the only place I could think of going is this nightclub that I am currently sitting in. It is past midnight already and I don't know how many drinks I have had by now. But clearly not enough if I can still feel my chest aching and my heart pounding with pathetic hope every time that my phone rings and it says that it is my darling husband calling me. The entirety of the last month was a fucking whirlwind and right now, I am so fucking exhausted that I could just sleep for a week straight. The first two weeks were hectic with the wedding shopping and making sure that everything went in accordance
|Flashback contd.||Meera's POV| His lips crash against mine and my entire body freezes in its spot as I stand there with my hands suspended by my sides as Alejandro's lips move over my own. What is happening? After two months of animosity why is he kissing me now?An impatient growl escapes Ace's lips as he pries my lips open, pulling my body up against his own, he presses me flush against himself. The woodsy scent of his cologne and the taste of mint on his breath is enough to remind me of all those times when he has kissed me before, the way his hands know just how to handle my body same as they are right now, and the way my body melts at his touch — as if he is the only one who is ever meant to touch me. My head starts to spin and I let out a strangled cry as I start kissing him back with fervour. My hands reach up to cup the sides of his neck just as he deepens the kiss and his teeth nip at my bottom lip, eliciting a surprised gasp from my lips. That is all the entrance he n
|Ace's POV| Guilt rides heavy on my shoulders as I push in the button for the penthouse after entering the lift. My suit jacket is hanging limply in my hand while there is blood splattered against the fabric of my white shirt, my skin, my hair. I cannot even meet my own eyes, looking like death incarnate, as the events of the night continue to flash through my head.Serena had demanded that I help Viktor Brullo— New York's crime lord— with whatever he might require, and today, I had to go and pull an odd job of being his fucking handler. And the job required me to torture a man in front of the eyes of his very pregnant wife because he had stolen some petty amount from Viktor Brullo and the asinine crime lord wanted revenge on the poor man. Drenched in their blood, I want nothing but to succumb to the darkness of my room right now, in hopes of perhaps forgetting all the heinous crimes I have committed ever since the day that I became a pawn at the hands of the Van Dykes. There wa
|Meera's POV| We're in New York.So away from home. Ace says it was to get me the best treatment for my head injury. When did I even get it? I don't even remember. And this penthouse...it's so...personality less...almost as if Ace never planned on coming here and now it's just a liability. This is so different from all the properties of his that Ace has taken me to. He has a taste for earthiness, he has this raw, nature driven aesthetic that he likes his houses to have, and all this penthouse looks like is just sharp edges and black lines. There's not a single plant here, for fuck's sake! Ace loves his plants. I sigh, bored out of my mind as I wait for Ace to return home. It's already past 9 in the evening and there's no sign of him. He hasn't once texted me about when he will be back and that is surprising because Ace always informs me if he's to be late in coming home from his office. "Mrs. Harrington?" I look away from the buzzing canvas that is the city of New York to meet
|Ace’s POV| |Flashback, 1.5 Years Ago contd.|“You what?” I growl, my words seething with nothing but rage as I glare at her with all the hatred in the world. This cannot be possible. She cannot have been the one who killed my parents. “It’s true.” She says lightly as if talking about what dress to wear to her next brunch, “your father begged me to save your mother’s life, to kill him and be done with it when he realised that he had been bested, but oh, the pure satisfaction of life draining out of your mother’s eyes when I strangled her. When I made sure to kill her slowly and painfully, knowing well enough that all the blame was going to go on Meera’s family and no one was ever going to doubt me.” My entire body freezes before anger overtakes me and I don’t think for even a second before loading my gun and pulling the trigger. But nothing happens. The bullet doesn’t fly out of the barrel of my gun as I gape at it before pulling the trigger once again. Nothing happens again.
|Ace's POV|"She has...what?" Serena's voice comes through the other end of the line as my eyes roll in impatience, wanting to end this damn call and get back to my wife. "Your antics in the powder room led to her losing her memory. She has lost all memory of the last two years. She still thinks that we're married and happy together." I inform her, knowing well enough that she will anyways find out about everything from the chip she thinks she has planted inside me and all the endless eyes and ears she has arranged to be around me. I've brought Meera back home and have sent all the guard dogs in Serena's command out of this place with only Marta and her staff ensuring that the household keeps running smoothly and Meera is cared for at all times. And right now, I need to find a way to escape the Van Dykes so that Meera and I can have a good life together. I need to free my daughter from her grasp as well. As long as Serena has my daughter Ophelia, I cannot act against her no matter
|Ace’s POV| “How is this possible?” I urge the doctor to reply in a hushed manner as I stand just outside of the room where Meera is currently napping. She believes that we are currently 2 years in the past, just before everything went to hell. The doctor turns his head to look inside from the panelled window in the wall of her room and sighs, “Mr. Harrington your wife received severe trauma to the head. And from the kind of wound that has been inflicted upon her, it is quite possible for the patient’s memory to be altered. And earlier on you were too…erratic…for me to ask this question, but dare I know what exactly happened to Mrs. Harrington?” He asks with a fearful expression on his face before asking, “you wouldn’t happen to be the cause behind this…would you, Mr. Harrington?” I feel shame overtaking my expressions as I realise how easy it is for anyone to believe that I am the one behind the bruises on Meera’s body. And in reality, I actually am. I am the cause behind al
|Meera's POV| I've been walking for a long time now. Just walking. With no end in sight, I wonder how long will I be stuck in this labyrinth. There is a shrieking pain the in back of my head but I don't bother to do anything about it. I'm just walking. Walking towards what, I don't know.I feel like I have been here for centuries, just walking, breathing but my chest hurts. Where even am I?“I love you, Meera…I wish you were able to listen to me…” My eyes widen as my feet stop walking but I am still surrounded by nothingness— a vast expanse of it. Alejandro… My eyes tear up as I hear his voice and I wish to scream his name, to call him out but nothing seems to be working. It’s like I don’t have my own voice. “I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done to you, Meera, I don’t deserve you.” His voice comes again and this time, I am confused about his words. We have just gotten married six months ago…right? And these last six months have been nothing but completely pleasant and lovely