Alina's pov
"i didn't mean for it to happen, it just did" I said softly. The dejected look in his eyes made me feel guilty. I knew this was for his own good, I really hated leading people on.
"Whatever you think is happening between you two. End it"
Aurelius's voice was cold, I almost didn't recognize his voice and found myself flinching.
"Why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He turned fully to face me, a deadpan look on his face. "Because your father would kill her and make you watch. Been there, done that"
I froze, I couldn't feel my body anymore. He didn't look like he was joking, his voice was soft and cold. He was exaggerating...this was the bitter truth.
"You can't be serious?" I waved my hand hysterically with a small chuckle.
"You know I am" he shrugged and the cold look in his eyes disappeared almost immediately. "We should head back inside"
He said as he walked back to the mansion, I trailed behind him absentmindedly. "You know, I didn't plan for it to happen. It just did and considering the fact we're women"
I paused listening to my own words, Aurelius let out a light chuckle. " You didn't commit any crime, Lina"
I shot him a look, my lips pressed into a thin line but I ignored him.
By the time we got back to the mansion, I saw Charmaine speaking to a troop of guards right in front. As if she noticed us coming from afar, she stopped talking.
"Charmaine? What's going on?" I had never seen her so dead serious before. Her eyes darkened at my words as she took a step closer to us.
"You have the audacity to ask me what's wrong?" Charmaine laughed coldly as she stopped in front of me. "Forgive me for this, Aurelius"
She said and gestured something with her hand, two guards stepped forward, grabbing Aurelius on each side of his body. "You found out"
Aurelius said softly, Charmaine gave him a look before grabbing my wrist. "Aurelius? What's going on?"
He didn't get the chance to answer me as he was pulled back to the parking lot. I stared at Charmaine's back as she pulled me back inside the house, her grip on me was tight, I feared she might actually snap my wrist into two.
"You did something wrong. Admit it" She began once we were inside my room but I just gave her a confused look.
What the fuck was going on?
"I have no ide-" the rest of the words got stuck in my throat as she threw a brown envelope straight in my face.
"Don't fucking lie to me. Who is Princess Phina?" I could see the veins around Charmaine's neck protruding as she stared at me.
Hearing that name, I couldn't literally hear my heart shatter into a million pieces. "Charmaine, I can explain"
She looked at me in disbelief before scoffing. "I was so wrong about you. You're not only a spoiled brat, but a self absorbed idiot"
I flinched as Charmaine yelled. She had no right to insult me in such manner, I just kept a tiny little detail away from her seemed as though I had committed a huge crime.
"W-we met at the cafe Aurelius took me to. She just threatened to pay me a visit and stuff like that, when I got kidnapped. I saw a portrait of her, I asked Aurelius to keep it away from you and dad. He did nothing wrong"
I saw something shift in charmaine's eyes as she looked away from me.
"Read the contents on that letter. It's left for your father to decide what he'd do with Aurelius. I let you leave this house alone because I believe you'd tell me if something goes wrong" Charmaine paused looking at me like I was some disgusting piece of wrag.
"I feel betrayed and utterly stupid for trusting someone who care about herself, alone" Before I could reach out to stop her, she walked towards the door and left slamming it in my face.
I walked towards the door about to open it when I heard the soft click on the lock. "Charmaine?"
I called but the departing of her footsteps echoed down my hall. This was my fate, I should've never kept anything away from her.
Aurelius was right and I had only gotten us into more trouble. I could imagine the huge scolding dad would give me once he gets home.
I picked up the brown envelope, threw my tired body right on my bed before sighing. The envelope had a seal on it, a black eagle and a rose was encrusted into the seal. The envelope also had a faint smell of strawberries.
"Dear Alina Monroe, you'd probably be surprised when you see this letter but you know I do not care about what you think. This is me writing to invite you to my twenty-forth birthday party. Like I said, it's not a request but an order...the date and invitation card in inside this envelope. I hope to see you on that lovely day" I imagined the pride and arrogance in her voice as I read this.
I had no idea why Charmaine was upset, it was just a freaking birthday party. When I threw the envelope down beside me, my mind went back to the party I had attended with Leon or rather Charmaine.
I shuddered and the bloody scene. Was there an ulterior motive behind this invitation?
When I thought things couldn't get worse between me and Charmaine, This just decided to pop up and ruin the little peace I had. I chuckled at my own misfortune, the rumbling of car engine's coming from outside my room made me jump off the bed and walk to the window.
A fleet of car's rolled into the compound, I had a vague idea of who could be leading those cars but I was shocked when dad walked out of one of the car's.
He walked over to Charmaine who had her head down as he said something but I felt time stop when he slapped her hard across the face.