4. Cage Of Sinners

Of all the men in this world, it had to be him? Zaiden Alvaro? Cyra's beryl orbs still couldn't believe that she was seeing that man in front of her again from whom she was wanting to escape. She wanted to run away from his very presence because she could sense that every inch of his being was going to torment her brutally. 

She saw his indistinct blue eyes gazing at her which immediately brimmed the corner of her own eyes with tears. Cyra was not the kind of person to cry so easily but this man's mere gaze was enough to scare the life out of her. It was like his eyes held the power of trapping her in that cage of sin which he solely possessed but little did Cyra know at that moment that….he might possess that cage of sin but she was going to be its real sinner.

Keeping his eyes connected with hers, his feet made their way towards her direction which froze Cyra. She wanted to run, she wanted to scream, she wanted to hide but all she could force her body to do was just stand there and watch that dreadful menace coming closer to her in an expensive dark black tuxedo, just like his demeanor which felt more obscure than his clothes’ color.

His feet halted right in front of her and Cyra couldn't even dare to take her eyes away from him. No, she was not mesmerized by the beguiling allure of his icy blue eyes or his perfectly sculptured face and body. She was trapped by that invincible aura which he was carrying with him.

“Zaiden, meet Cyra. She is Mr and Mrs Merciez 'only child and their beloved princess,” Cyra heard her aunt Leora’s voice which came as a fainted noise to her ears because her entire focus was completely attained by that man in front of her whose eyes were still fixed at her.

Cyra saw him lifting his palm and extending it towards her but she just continued to stare at him and made no efforts to return his gesture until

“Cyra….” She heard her mother's loud voice which snapped her back into reality. She finally took her eyes down and looked towards his extended palm. That palm which had touched every inch of her skin that night in her drugged state.

Her heart ached more awfully which made Cyra clench her fists but she kept her mouth sealed and then lifted her own hand. She touched his palm and felt him holding back her hand which immediately shook something inside her. The familiar warmth and roughness of his touch made her get flashes of that night and how it was caressing, gripping and embracing her body as his.

‘Ple…. please don't stop,’ 

Her eyes blurred with more tears as she started having those flashbacks of that night and how she was begging him to ruin her more and more.

“It's a pleasure to know you, Ms. Merciez,” his familiar gravelly voice made Cyra take her eyes upward to look at him. Her glossy vision peered at him while she felt his thumb gently caressing the back of her hand which turned Cyra overwhelmed with her own emotions.

Her tears threatened to fall from her eyes, so she immediately took her hand back from him and then turned around to hide her tears from their families.

Cyra was attempting to secretly wipe her unshed tears when she felt him stepping closer to her to stand behind her, like he was trying to shield her from the eyes of their families but she knew it was not possible. Why would he help her in hiding her tears from this world when he himself had given them to her?

“Son, come here and meet Mr and Mrs Merciez,” Cyra heard her aunt Leora telling his son which made Cyra turn around after she cleared her vision.

She saw him walking towards her parents where he extended his palm towards her father, Arran who shook his hand with his and then placed his palm over his shoulder. 

“Glad to finally meet you, Zaiden,” she heard her father saying to him and in return, he just slowly wagged his head. Cyra had numerous times witnessed people getting intimidated by her father's powerful aura but he seemed completely unbothered, let alone getting affected by her father's dominating presence. It clearly told Cyra that he was not afraid of anyone or anything and that fact was soul-drenching for her.

“You have turned out to be a handsome gentleman, son,” She saw her mother gently patting his cheek and he just took his eyes down in front of her mother as a gesture of respect but only Cyra knew what kind of gentleman he was and how much he respected others.

“Okay, everyone. It's already quite late, so let's have dinner,” Leora said, earning a smile from Cyra's mother and a nod from her husband and then they all started walking towards the dining hall.

Cyra, who continued to remain standing in her place, felt someone touching her arm which made her flinch because every touch under his presence was scaring her now but when she tilted her head, she saw her father.

“Are you alright, princess?” her father asked her whereas Cyra tensed up more, seeing her father's keen eyes staring at her. Her father, Arran Merciez, was an extremely sharp headed man and his eyes were sharper than his mind and his daughter knew about this thing really very well.

Cyra slowly shook her head and passed her father a forced smile in order to act like everything was fine.

“Everything is fine, dad,” she uttered, earning a soft nod from her father.

“Come then,” she wagged her head, hearing her father but unintentionally, her eyes snapping towards that specific direction where she saw him standing. His sapphire eyes were already on her which paced up the beating of her heart. 

Cyra immediately looked away from him and followed her father to the dining table like a little kid who was terrified of that blue-eyed ghost chasing after her. But was he really chasing her or was she waiting for him to chase her? The answer was alarming.

……………..

“So you studied business law and management abroad?” Cyra heard her father asking him. They all were settled on the dining table, having their dinner except for her, whose appetite had died completely since the moment she had found this man in front of her, who was also sitting in front of her now.

She saw him nodding at her father. 

“Yes, he completed his studies and after that, he even took an internship in a different company there to practically learn about their work laws, ethics and management. Not just only in studies but also in the practical learning field, my son has always defeated his competitors with full grades,” Cyra saw her uncle Caius uttering with that proud smile on his face which revealed how proud he was of his son.

“And now I am going to hand over my business to him,” Cyra saw Caius turning his head towards his son.

“Because I know my son will take care of my legacy and my name with full potential,” Caius uttered to him and Cyra saw him nodding at his father before he trailed his eyes towards his sister, Keana, who was busy eating her food.

His eyes suddenly travelled in her direction again and this made Cyra immediately downcast her eyes to her plate. She didn't even want to have eye contact with him.

“And Cyra dear, what are your plans now for the future as you have completed your graduation?” She heard Caius asking her. 

“I am planning on going out of the country to get an admission in my dream university to start my further studies,” as soon as those words escaped from her mouth, Cyra heard a loud thudding noise which made her immediately look in his direction, along with everyone else.

“Zaiden, are you alright?” Keana asked her brother, who had just slammed the glass of water on the table, almost cracking it. 

“I am fine,” he answered his sister before trailing his piercing eyes in Cyra's direction and a chill ran down her spine, seeing that formidable calmness in his eyes which told her that there was nothing calm about them. Something had triggered him but what?

Cyra lowered her eyes and started fiddling with her food. She needed to get out of here. She was feeling suffocated here, especially under his presence, so intentionally Cyra grabbed the glass of juice and pulled it closer.

Looking here and there, she intentionally hitted her hand on that glass and let it spill the juice on her clothes. 

“Oh….” She instantly stood up on her feet and started cleaning her dress.

“Cyra, baby, what happened?” her mother asked her, getting up but she shook her head.

“I am fine. I will use the washroom to clean it up,” she said.

“Should I come with you?” Keana asked her but Cyra waggled her head in denial.

“I will manage,” saying that she twirled around and dashed out of there, unaware that those cerulean eyes watched everything and how smartly, she attempted to escape from him but only to fall deeper in his web.

Entering inside the bathroom, she hurriedly locked it and then ran towards the basin. She opened the tap and splashed some water on her face to calm herself down. She couldn't turn weak at this point. She needed to fight this but how? When she didn't even know whether there was a battle going around or not?

She needed to talk to someone regarding this and she knew the only person who could help her in this was her friend, Leena. Taking her phone out from her pocket, Cyra called her friend.

“Hello, Leena?” 

“Cyra? Are you alright? Why are you sounding so tense?” Leena immediately sensed that worry and fear in her alone which watered Cyra's eyes.

“Leena, it was h…. him. He is h…here,” she told her friend in her breaking voice.

“Who? What are you talking about? Who is there?” She heard her questioning back, confused.

“That man from that night. He is here and he is Zaiden Alvaro, Caius Alvaro’s son,” 

“What?” Leena sounded appalled.

“How could this be possible? He is….wait a minute. Did it mean that he was the one who drugged you last night to take advantage of your vulnerable state?” Leena's conclusion froze Cyra's heart.

“Because it could not be just a coincidence. That you ended up sleeping with him in a drugged state where countless other people were present around you both, so how come no one saw you?” a tear rolled down from Cyra's eyes, hearing her because her every statement made sense.

“I think, you should talk to your parents regarding this because if he had drugged you that night then it meant, his intentions had always been wrong for you and who knows, they still are, so you shouldn't be around him,” Cyra thoroughly heard her every word.

“I think you're right. I shouldn't be hiding this from my parents. I will talk to them,” she said, wiping her eyes. 

“Be careful. Stay away from him, especially when no one would be around you,” 

“Okay….” Saying that Cyra disconnected the call and exhaled a heavy breath. She needed to put an end to all of this and this could only be possible if she would tell her parents the truth. Besides, that person needed to be severely punished for that inhumanity he did to her by drugging her and taking advantage of her.

Clutching her phone tightly in her hand, Cyra took a last glance at her reflection and then left the bathroom.

She had just taken a couple of steps out of that bathroom but her feet froze in pure dread, seeing him in front of her again.

His pitiless azure eyes were already peering at her but Cyra's existence numbed when she saw him taking his predatory steps in her direction, especially when no one was around them. What worst he was going to do with her now?