Alina sat in the back of the car as Caleb drove her back to her parents' home. She was so happy, she could barely sit still. She couldn't wait to see them. She hadn't even called ahead, she wanted it to be a surprise.
The drive was quiet. Alina leaned against the window, watching the beautiful streets pass by. After what felt like forever, they finally pulled up in front of her home. A wide smile spread across her lips.
Caleb stepped out and opened the door for her. She quickly got out.
"Take care, Miss," he said with a polite smile before stepping back into the car.
Alina waved at him with a big grin as she watched him drive off. When she turned back, she saw her grandma standing in the doorway. She must have heard the sound of the car and come to check who it was.
"Granny!" Alina cried, running towards her. She had missed her so much.
"Alina!" Grandma's voice trembled as she opened her arms. She hugged her tightly, holding her as if she would never let go.
"My baby," Grandma whispered, cupping Alina's cheeks. Her eyes were wet with tears.
"Yes, Grandma… I missed you too," Alina said softly, reaching up to wipe away her tears.
They hugged again before finally walking inside together.
"Alina!" a familiar voice called. Mrs. Cole rushed down the stairs.
"Mom!" Alina's face lit up as she jumped into her mother's arms.
"You didn't tell us you were coming," Mrs. Cole said, her voice breaking between surprise and joy.
"Yes, I wanted to surprise you all. I've missed you so much," Alina said with a bright smile.
"Did he hurt you? Did he… oh, my baby…" Mrs. Cole's voice cracked as she pulled Alina into another tight hug, holding her as if she would never let go.
Later that night, Mr. Cole returned home, and the family gathered around the dining table. The atmosphere was cheerful as laughter and light conversation filled the room.
Alina looked at all of them and smiled softly. She had missed this, sitting with her family, hearing their voices. Eating at Liam's house was nothing like this; it was always silent.
"You still haven't told us what happened to your hand," Mr. Cole said suddenly, his eyes resting on her bandaged finger.
The laughter died down instantly, and now all eyes turned to Alina.
"I… I accidentally cut myself," Alina said quickly, forcing a small smile.
"Are you sure? That beast didn't hurt you, did he?" Mrs. Cole asked.
"Mom, it's not like that," Alina said, shaking her head. "Liam isn't that bad… he's just… mean sometimes, and acts cold."
But at the mention of his name, her mind betrayed her. She found herself wondering if Liam even noticed her absence. Was he relieved she wasn't around to bother him? Or… could he actually be missing her?
Wait… what was she thinking? She blinked quickly, shaking off the thought. Why would he miss me? That's ridiculous. I must be losing my mind.
"Be more careful next time," Mr. Cole said, breaking her thoughts.
"Yes, and eat more," Grandma chimed in warmly, piling extra meat and vegetables onto Alina's plate. "You look so skinny."
Alina chuckled softly at her grandmother's words. Skinny? If only Grandma knew the kind of food she was being served at Liam's house… food was never the problem there. No, it was the loneliness that ate at her.
After dinner, Alina helped her mother wash the dishes. They stood side by side at the sink, chatting lightly, the sound of clinking plates and running water filling the kitchen. It felt ordinary, yet so precious to Alina.
Later, the whole family gathered in the sitting room, sharing stories. After a while, one by one, they all drifted off to their rooms.
Alina slipped into her own room and changed into her soft blue pajamas. She smiled faintly. Blue. She had almost forgotten the comfort of wearing other colors. At Liam's house, she only has orange and white clothes.
When she was done, she crawled into her bed. Her eyes roamed around the familiar space, the pink and white walls, the little decorations that made the room bright and cheerful. It was so different from the suffocating black-painted room she had slept in at Liam's mansion.
Pulling the blanket over herself, Alina let out a deep sigh and slowly drifted into sleep.
Meanwhile, Liam lay in his room, tossing and turning, unable to find sleep. The silence of the night pressed heavily against him, and no matter how much he tried to close his eyes, rest refused to come. With a frustrated sigh, he sat up and left his room, his feet carrying him almost unconsciously down the hall.
Before he realized it, he was standing at the doorway of Alina's room. He frowned at himself, wondering why he had come here of all places. It doesn't matter, he told himself. This is my house. I can enter any room I want.
Stepping inside, he glanced around the empty room, his eyes lingering on the bed. Slowly, he walked over and sat down. The moment he did, a soft, sweet scent, like honey, rose from the sheets, filling his senses. He closed his eyes and, to his own surprise, a small smile tugged at his lips.
Without thinking, he leaned back, and before he knew it, sleep finally came, pulling him under.
*****
Alina woke with a start, her heart pounding from yet another nightmare. She pressed her hand to her chest, frustrated, when suddenly her bedroom door burst open.
"Alinaaa!" Helen's voice rang out before Alina could even react.
In a flash, Helen threw herself onto the bed, knocking Alina back as they both landed with a soft thud on the mattress.
"I missed you! I missed you! I missed you!" Helen sang at the top of her voice, hugging Alina so tightly that Alina could hardly breathe.
"Helen, slow down!" Alina said, laughing as she tried to wriggle free.
But Helen only held her tighter, her face buried against Alina's shoulder. "You don't understand, I thought I would go crazy without you. I missed you so much," she said, her voice trembling as though she might really cry.
Alina blinked, a lump forming in her throat. She couldn't help but smile through the sting in her eyes.
"I missed you, too," she whispered, wrapping her arms around Helen.
For a moment, they stayed like that, two hearts holding on to each other. Then Helen pulled back, dramatically wiping fake tears from her face.
"Look at us," she said with a pout, "crying like old women."
That made Alina burst out laughing, and soon the room was filled with the sound of their laughter.
"You mean you actually went to the park with him? With the devil himself?" Helen said, her eyes wide with shock.
"Yes," Alina replied calmly, though she felt a little defensive. "And stop calling him 'devil.' He has a name. Liam."
Helen froze, staring at her as if she had just confessed to committing a crime. "Wait… did you just say his name? You…. you call him Liam?"
"Yes," Alina said slowly, confused by her reaction.
Helen gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "Wow. And he allows that? Alina, do you know what I've heard? People say that anyone who dares call him by his first name ends up losing their tongue!"
Alina's eyes widened in shock. Her mind spun. What? She had always called him Liam, and not once had he ever complained. Not once.
Helen leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Remember, my dad's company signed a contract with one of his firms. Dad said it's nearly impossible to even see him face-to-face, it's pure luck. And if anyone is foolish enough to call him by his name… well, that person must be tired of living."
Alina felt her whole body stiffen. A cold shiver ran down her spine. She had known Liam was cold, arrogant, even heartless, but she had never heard this. The thought of him secretly waiting for the right time to punish her, maybe to silence her forever, made her stomach twist.
Her head throbbed as fear crept in. What if Helen was right? What if he's only pretending for now, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? Would she die before her time?
Just then, her mother's voice called from downstairs, breaking her dark thoughts.
"Girls, breakfast is ready!"
Alina quickly stood, forcing a shaky smile. "We're coming, Mom!" she called back.
Helen grabbed her hand as they headed toward the door.
Back at Liam's house, the maids carried stacks of books into Alina's room, while others carefully arranged them on a brand-new shelf. Liam had ordered the collection himself, at least it would keep Alina busy when she returned.
Standing quietly at one side of the room, he watched as the novels were placed neatly, row after row. When everything looked perfect, he gave a small nod of satisfaction before stepping out.
"Sir, we've got the guy. He's in the basement," Caleb said, trailing behind him.
"Good. Take me there," Liam replied.
They descended to the basement, the air heavy and cold. Inside, a man was tied to an iron chair, his mouth gagged and his eyes blindfolded.
At Liam's signal, Caleb ripped the black cloth from the man's face. The moment his eyes adjusted and he recognized who was standing before him, his body shook violently, and he wet himself in fear.
Liam chuckled darkly and stepped closer. "Scared?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"P-please, let me go! I didn't do anything to you," the man cried, trembling.
"Oh, but you did," Liam said, gripping the man's jaw roughly. His long nails dug into the man's skin until blood trickled down his neck.
"Please! Don't kill me, I beg you!" the man wept, his voice breaking.
"Don't you want to know what you did to me?" Liam asked, releasing his jaw and stepping back.
The man groaned in pain, his face twisted with terror.
"Months ago, you kidnapped one of my properties," Liam said coldly. "And tonight… you'll pay with your life."
The man stared up at him, confused, unable to connect the dots. He shook his head desperately, not understanding.
Liam smirked at the sight of his confusion. "Do you even know who's standing in front of you?"
The man quickly shook his head.
"Hmmm… I'll tell you," Liam said with a cruel smile. "You've heard of the devil, haven't you? That's me. Welcome to my hell."
The man's legs trembled uncontrollably as fresh urine soaked his trousers. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest. He had heard the rumors, the stories of the devil, but he never thought he would face him one day.
"Months ago, you kidnapped a girl and demanded ten billion dollars from her parents," Liam continued.
When Liam paid the money Mr Cole borrow in the bank, Liam had dug deeper and discovered that Mr Cole actually borrow the money for Alina's ransom. Caleb had traced the kidnapper… and now, here he was, caught in Liam's basement with no way out.
"I… I remember now," the man stammered, his eyes wide. "I didn't know she was special to you."
"She's not special to me," Liam said coldly, his voice like ice.
The man's words died in his throat. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. The weight of his doom pressed heavily on him, stealing even the courage to beg.
Liam tilted his head slightly, his lips curling into a sinister smile. Suddenly, a long, black-bladed knife appeared in his hand, shimmering faintly as though summoned from the shadows themselves. The man's eyes widened in horror, his voice strangled in his throat.
"No… no, please!" he cried, thrashing helplessly against the chains that bound him.
Liam crouched down, tilting the blade so the man could see his own terrified reflection. "You know I wish I could have mercy ," Liam whispered coldly. "But mercy doesn't exist in my world."
With one swift motion, the blade sliced through flesh and bone. The man's scream was cut short as his head rolled to the floor, thudding heavily before landing sideways, his lifeless eyes still frozen in terror.
Blood sprayed across the concrete, warm and thick, pooling beneath the chair. Liam stood still, watching the blood flow like river on the floor. His face showed no emotion, only satisfaction, as though he had simply crossed another task off his list.
He raised the bloodstained knife, admiring its dark gleam, then let it vanish into thin air, dissolving like smoke.
Caleb, who stood silently at the doorway, bowed his head. He had long grown used to scenes like this, yet the cold efficiency with which Liam killed always sent shivers down his spine.
"Dispose of the body," Liam ordered, his tone sharp and commanding. "Give it to dogs."
"Yes, sir," Caleb said quickly, signaling two guards waiting outside.
Without another glance, Liam turned and walked out of the basement.