Chapter 3 - Proposal

“I cannot believe you will marry that man.” Shadow was frantic about this revelation and so was she. He paced back and forth in the room while she sat staring into the abyss. She knew she already fucked up when he was unable to drink the tea she poisoned. Now, she’s in deeper trouble. 

“What if I refuse?” she asked like it was a bright idea. 

“You think it’ll be easy to refuse such a request? You will be the insider we will use to know each move the mafia makes. They won’t let this opportunity pass. You’ll be the only pawn that will be able to reach their heads.” His explanation stresses her out the more she thinks about it. 

“Shadow–” She tried to call. 

“Don’t. Save it,” he uttered coldly before leaving the room and slamming the door behind him. She sighed heavily before clenching her fists. Shadow’s patience is long and even with how mad he is right now, he can’t lash out. 

Hours later, Keisha was still lost in thoughts. The door opened and her stepmother walked inside with a stern look on her face. “The council has made the decision,” she started off. She fidgeted with her finger, trying to find a way to tell her the decision. 

“I already know the answer. When are we meeting him?” Keisha wondered. Her stepmother’s eyebrows rose before clearing her throat. Keisha looked up with daggers in her eyes. "Dinner. Go get ready." 

WHILE EROS was waiting to meet them for this arranged marriage, he read more reports regarding the woman he will be marrying. He stared at the photo that was taken of them at the masquerade party with a smirk on his face. Both of their faces were hidden but their eyes filled with emotions. 

He flipped to the next photo and his smile turned into a frown. Keisha was glancing at the camera with an emotionless face while holding someone's hand, leaving the party. The man's face was looking the other way, thus not them being able to identify him. 

'Does she perhaps have a lover that's why she refuses to marry me?' he thought to himself. 

He placed the photo down on the table as a woman emerged from afar. He stood up and put on a smile, and greeted Mrs. Reyna Lexington. The mother of Keisha Lexington. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted with a bow. 

"Where's your daughter?" he wondered and looked around. Reyna clenched her jaw before laughing it off. "She's… a bit busy at the moment. I'm afraid she will be a little late." Perhaps she wants to skip meeting him, and it's understandable. 

"Does she have a lover?" He didn't hesitate to ask. 

"Pardon?" Reyna asked before thinking about it. She sat down and thought about it for a moment. "Not that I'm aware of. She's… let's say, a closed person. Her heart is guarded." Eros was dissatisfied with her answers but let it slide. 

"A guarded heart can always be conquered," he whispered as he played with his tea cup. 

KEISHA has been stranded, waiting for backup as the soldiers that attacked became far too many for herself alone to handle. She was supposed to take down three people but they multiplied like cells. 

She had bruises on her legs, her white dress was torn apart and her feet were killing her from the five-inch heels she was wearing. At the last minute, she was tasked with a mission after getting ready to meet Eros Galaz and this mission turned into chaos. 

"Fuck–" She dodged a bullet from a surprised attack. She was about to shoot the man who found her hiding but he was able to shoot her gun off of her hand. She cringed slightly before running away. 

'That son of a bitch Shadow still won't back me up' she angrily thought. 

She grabbed the knife strapped to her leg before turning around and throwing the knife toward the man. She succeeded, but it only pierced his shoulder. The man laughed loudly before cocking his gun and firing but no bullets came out. 

"Tough luck, eh?" she jokingly uttered. 

He turned red from anger as he took out the knife lodged in his shoulder and started running in her direction. She knows if she keeps running, nothing will be achieved and she'll reach a dead end. She has to face this head-on. 

He swung the knife to her face but she caught him mid-swing. She pulled him close and kicked him in the groin. He groaned in pain before swinging his knife again but she dodged once more before kicking him in the stomach, sending him flying to the floor. 

"You're getting beaten up by a woman in heels," she teased but it quickly backfired. 

He pulled her foot and she fell to the floor as he hovered over her and tried to put an end to it but she caught the edges of the knife and held it. He was pushing as hard as he could and the tip of the knife was an inch from her face but she kept holding onto the knife despite it piercing deeper into her hand. 

The blood poured down on her face. "This knife has poison. A reaction will start after a few minutes of contact. You won't survive," she uttered as she struggled to fight for the knife. 

"You won't survive," he restated. 

The knife got closer and closer. She gulped but before her face could be hurt, the man's head exploded. She gasped before pushing him off and screaming, "Ew!" 

"Shadow?" she whispered and looked for the person who saved her life. A man emerged from the darkness. "Looking for another man in your fiancé's presence?" Eros Galaz with his hideous pink hair approached Keisha. 

"Why are you here?" she questioned as she stood up and wiped the blood off of her hand on her dress. Her glare is piercing him more than a knife could ever do. 

"My, my. Look at your dress. I would've mistaken its original color for red." He chuckled lightly as he eyed her body covered in blood. Why does he find this amusing? 

She dropped the knife as her body weakened by the second. Eros caught her in his arms and he asked, "What's wrong? You looked fine a minute ago," he said as he examined her. 

"I've been poisoned. The antidote is in my car…" She explained as she felt lightheaded. 

"Wait– you poisoned yourself?" He tried not to laugh as if it was amusing. She can't have an antidote unless she brought the poison herself so that was his immediate reaction. "Are you going to help or not?" she asked with annoyance and he chuckled. 

"Yes, ma'am." He wrapped his arm around her legs and torso before carrying her. She tried hard not to close her eyes, fearing this man might do something to her if she let her guard down. 

When they arrived at her car, Eros' men already took care of the people who ambushed her but she felt more uneasy knowing she was surrounded by mafia members. Upon entering the car, he searched for the antidote and took it out using a syringe. They sat in the backseat far from each other. 

He was about to inject it into her but then he remembered, "Marry me." She blinked a couple of times, thinking he was joking. 

"Wha–" 

"I said I want you to marry me. I figured you might go against our engagement so…" He put the syringe away and she couldn't help but to try and punch him in the face but he caught her hand and kissed it. 

"You're unbelievable. You won't have a fianceé once the poison spreads too much." He laughed. 

"You'd rather die than marry me?" She nodded her head. 

"I guess I can find someone else…" He opened the car door and took his seatbelt off. Her face turned red from annoyance as the poison is slowly killing her from the inside and he was not budging. He stepped foot outside the car with the syringe in hand but she rushed over and grabbed his arm. 

"Wait," she whispered. 

"I'll marry you…" she whispered softly and he leaned his face towards hers.

"Pardon? I didn't quite hear that," he teasingly uttered. 

With her glaring eyes and killer face, she uttered. "I'll marry the one and only Eros Galaz even if it's the last thing I will do," she declared but it sounded like a threat. He chuckled and leaned forward and injected the antidote into her skin. He kissed her forehead despite having blood on her face. 

"I hate you…" she murmured before her body failed to keep her awake. 

"Keisha! Keisha!" Eros' brows furrowed and he closed the car door and looked around. A man almost as tall as him was searching each and every corner of this place. Eros was certain, this was the man holding Keisha's hand when they walked out of the masquerade party. 

"KEIS–" he paused when his eyes landed on Eros. He breathed heavily and approached the man and grabbed him by his collar. "Where is she?" he asked with daggers for eyes. 

"Who are you?" Eros asked calmly but he ignored it. "Where is she?!" he shouted and his desperation to see Keisha pissed Eros off for some reason. It's irritating. 

"The whereabouts of my fianceé is none of your concern. Take him away." Shadow made a fit of rage but they were able to drag him away as he shouted profanity at Eros. He didn't care, he just didn't want that man close to his fianceé. 

WHEN THE morning came, Keisha slowly opened her eyes and found herself in a large bed and IV fluid attached to her arm. Her eyes scanned the luxurious room that seemed to be made out of gold and looked as if they were in the medieval era. She knows for sure this is not a hospital or her house. 

"Isn't the princess awake?" she turned her head to the side and saw Eros standing over her. She almost passed out after seeing this man again. She tried to get up but her body was weak and her hands were wrapped in bandages. 

"You've been asleep for almost a week, Keisha." Her eyes widened and her lips agape. "Where's–? He's going to be worried sick! Give me my phone so I can call him." She stopped before his name was mentioned but he was certain it was the man from before.

"Never mention a man in my presence, Keisha. We've yet to marry but you're already longing for another. You're mine, understood?" he uttered with a deep and possessive voice. He leaned close to her face and the tension between them grew. He had a cold stare yet it was oddly comforting.