Chapter 2

Alice felt her phone vibrating in her purse. She sighed, as she saw the caller id,

“Hello?”

“Alice, are you back from London?” Wes enquired.

“Yes, I am heading home as we speak.”

“Meet me at the restaurant around the corner from my company.” Wes ended the call

Alice glared at the sorry of an excuse, fiancé sitting in front of her.

Wes stared daringly back into Alice's eyes.

“I do not think you are capable of loving anyone. I am your fiancé. Why can’t you show me any affection?”

Alice leaned back in her chair. She looked down at her fingernails and moved her eyes back to him.

“This is a business transaction, Wes. You knew that from the start. Do you think I am not aware of the affection you received from other women? I always thought their affection was enough.”

Wes glared at Alice, ignoring her words,

“If you think I will enter this marriage with you, you must be dreaming. This engagement is off!”

Wes did not wait on her response and stood up, straighten his tie, and turned to walk away.

Alice snorted. She made a small motion with her hand. Khan walked in front of Wes and stopped him from walking out by pressing on Wes’s chest. Wes turned around abruptly and stared at Alice.

“You think I did not bring my men with me? Do you think I fear you?”

Alice narrowed her eyes at him,

“The ceremony starts at eight you better be there. You know what will happen if you don’t.”

“Are you deaf? I told you the engagement is off!”

“I never repeat myself, Wes,” Alice said as she stood up and walked past him. She stopped. “Don’t test us, Wes. You know we Bernardi’s do not take it lightly.”

She took the long white gloves she was wearing off and walked out of the restaurant.

As they reached the car, Alice waited for Oliver to open the back door and she climbed in.

Before Oliver closed the door, Alice motioned with her hand for him to stop.

“Khan!” He stepped forward,

“Yes Alice “

“Are you thinking what I am thinking?” She asked with a grin.

“Yes. I will arrange everything. Your father has been waiting on your arrival. You should head home.”

Alice nodded. Khan closed the door and motioned for Oliver to climb in. Khan walked toward his car and drove away. Oliver climbed into the driver's seat. He glanced at Alice in the rearview mirror.

“Where to?”

“Home.” She said as she put her sunglasses on,

Oliver nodded. He started the car, and they sped off.

Alice stared out of the window deep in thought, as she looked at the trees passing by.

‘NOT capable of love?’ She sneered inside at those words.

Love. An incapable word no one can master. Love, a meaningless word.

Her thoughts traveled back to her childhood,

The eyes are the window to the soul. His eyes were dark, lifeless. Sending shivers through her body as she was forced once again to look into them. If the eyes are the window to our soul, he would be considered soulless.

“I - I did nothing w-w-wro—ng w-w-why are y-y-ou.” She stuttered. She swallowed as she tried to speak her words out correctly.

“Do not cry do not cry do not cry…” She kept repeating to herself.

She watched him slowly approach her. She was reminded of the stories she heard in the orphanage, about the boogieman and the man who lurked in the dark. But this man. This man reminded her of a demon. He was a thousand times worse than a boogieman.

“When are you going to learn to stop? Why do you have to be so… what's the word… worthless. That's your problem you are worthless.”

She squeezed her eyes closed and waited. Seconds past but nothing happened. She peeked with one eye and saw him still standing in front of her. When she caught the smirk on his face, she instantly crawled toward the door. She felt a painful pull on her hair. He twirled her hair around his hand and started to drag her out of the room. She gripped the door frame with her nails when her fingers started to slip. The wood tore into her flesh as his force on her increased.

“NO! NO! NOOOO! Please don’t take me to that room! No! She screamed, she begged but it fell on deaf ears. The thumping in her head from the pain of his pull was unbearable.

He stopped. The wooden door creaked open. She closed her eyes as she fell on the cold floor inside the room. She jumped up and darted to the door, only to get hit by it in the face. She turned the doorknob, but it was already locked.

“NO! NO” She hammered the door with her fist. “What did I do this time? Tell me! Tell ME!”

She closed her eyes. The smell of blood, sweat, and another kind of scent she has never smelled before filled her nostrils.

Darkness was all she got to know since they took her from the orphanage. The place she always wanted to leave, but now she wanted nothing more than to go back. She slid to the floor. Three thoughts always lingered in her mind. Why didn’t they kill her with the rest? Why did they keep her alive only to torture her? What do they gain out of this?”

“Bang, bang, bang, bang...”

The sound echoed through the room as the blood on her forehead coated the door.

“WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE DOING THIS TO ME!!!!! I did nothing wrong…”

“Alice?”

Alice got pulled out of her deep thoughts

“Yes, Oliver?” Alice hissed.

“I said we are here. Do you need more time before you enter?”

Alice glanced past him. The elite country house stood in front of her. Surrounded by a few oak trees. Blue bougainvillea flowers spread across the white paint of the villa.

She climbed out and walked toward the house. The butler opened the door.

“Welcome back Miss, Alice”

Alice nodded, took her sunglasses off, and handed them to Oliver. She walked past the butler toward the entertaining room.

As always, he sat in his chair, paging through reports. He looked up and closed the document as soon as he noticed her.