Chapter 1

Bang!

Alexa’s attention got jolted from the book she was reading. She had been locked in her bedroom the past few days, and by now she knew that sound meant her father was home. Every time he pushed the doors too hard, it jangled her nerves. Why did he have to announce he was home, anyway? It’s not like she welcomed his sight or vice versa. These actions were a forewarning that something bad was going to happen and Alexa should brace herself because she was going to be his target.

“D-dad,” stuttering, she tried to step back from her father’s ominous presence. He had rope and duct tape and this was cause for alarm.

“What… What are you doing here?” She asked nervously as her eyes darted to his hands

“You’re coming with me. Sit down, I need to tie you up.” He answered before she tried to get away.

“No!” Alexa tried to run on top of the bed to get her closer to the door. But her father was faster, so he grabbed her hair, pulling her towards him, causing her to cry in pain. A few strands of her hair got pulled out of her nape as she struggled to get free. This angered her father, so he punched her in the stomach to stop her from getting away.

“You stupid little bitch, where do you think you’re going?” kicking her while she laid on the floor, moaning. The fall knocked the breath out of her lungs.

“Why can’t you be obedient like everyone else? You always have to make my life difficult.” He was tying he hands and legs while she cried, hugging herself in a fetal position.

“Shut up!” he yelled before duct-taping her mouth and blindfolding her. When he was done she could hear her father instructing his men to carry her to the trunk of his car.

She has no idea where Andrew was taking her, but being tied meant it was nowhere good. ‘Did he finally snap? Is he going to kill me?’ This thought made her cry harder. 

After two hours of driving through the countryside, where potholes jogged the car and her head at the same time, they arrived at their destination. This place was located somewhere in the middle of a remote area, where there were no neighbors around for miles on end. The villa looked dark and ominous, with its dark windows and unkempt yard, it looked like the house has been abandoned for a while. It was the perfect setting to kill someone and hide their body.

Andrew opened the trunk and forcefully dragged Alexa out. She’s been struggling inside the whole ride, trying to get free, but the bonds tied around her had been very tight. Her body trembled and shivers travelled down to her spine as she felt the cold wind blow. Andrew carried her in his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. He walked inside the abandoned villa, where dry leaves, broken furniture, rusty railings, and cobwebs littered the area.

When they reached what looked like the living room, her father removed the blindfold, and she gasped. 

‘Where is this place?  Is this where he’s going to kill me? But I’m his daughter.’ She thought to herself. 

“D-dad, w-why are we here? Did I upset you again?”

“What did I do? I won’t do it again.”

“I promise…I promise I will follow your orders.” she swallowed knowing she said that just to get out of there.

“I will do whatever you want.” 

“Please, I’m begging you. Let’s go home… Please… I’m scared.” Stuttering, she begged her father, but Andrew scoffed and shook his head at her.

“You want your freedom?” Andrew held Alexa’s face with one hand, pinching her cheeks together, tight enough to make her wince in pain. “I’ll show you freedom.”

“Remember my partner, Max? He owns you now. I don’t know why, but he wants you to be his wife.” He looked at her in disgust. And her eyes grew larger.

“I owe him a lot, so I said yes.  You will marry him. Understood?!” Andrew smirked and Alexa felt woozy. “Marry that disgusting pig? No way!” Just thinking about his face made her want to throw up.

Alexa knew Max, indeed. He would always visit her Dad, and whenever she would eavesdrop in their conversations, it was never good. He would always talk about the drugs he was smuggling, and the girls they were shipping out, to work as sex slaves. Max Willies is Andrew’s partner in an illegal drug syndicate, transporting drugs in and around the city. He was also the second in command to the most notorious underground Mafia organization in the country. 

Alexa could not believe her own father would agree to sell her to that old hog when she just turned 20 and was half his age. Max could have easily been her father. It gave her the impression that her dad didn’t love her enough to think about her well-being. And now, she has lost all hope that her dad would learn to love her.

“Dad, don’t you love me?” A tear escaped her eye.

“I love you, Dad. Please don't give me to him.” She begged as another tear ran down her face. 

“Why… why don’t you love me?” The thought of being handed over to someone, just to pay his debts, made her heartbreak. He looked around with his flashlight, searching for something in the dark.

“If you loved my mother so much, why can’t you love me? I’m your daughter… I did nothing wrong.” She tried to stop her tears from falling because she didn’t want to look weak in front of him. In saying those words she hoped her father’s heart would melt, and he would set her free. 

But she was wrong.

Andrew smirked as he dragged her around. “Are you done with your drama?” he asked while removing the ties from her hands. She felt relieved at the thought that her dad was releasing her. But it was a mistake, thinking he might feel something for her other than hate. 

Her father tied her up on a post in the middle of the living room, something she did not notice in her confusion. Tears streamed down her cheeks when Andrew left her alone in the dark. Self-pity and helplessness overcame her emotions, she felt the need to give up and kill herself.

‘No, Alexa… You’re better than this… You are strong. You can find a way to escape.’ She tried to calm herself to figure a way out of her predicament… and from this misery.