Chapter four
Adrian's POV
This woman was driving me insane. The way she smelled and the way she acted had built several skyscrapers in my head.
I had only just met her yesterday,and now I couldn't get her out of my thoughts. The thought of how Tristan had mishandled and maltreated her these past two years made my blood boil.
Whenever I thought back to the tiny scars she had and her bruised lips,my hatred for Tristan only increased.
Wanting to clear my head,I walked out of the room. Maybe staying away from the mansion for a while would make me forget her.
But fate had a way of doing things,it made us collide in the hallway. She hit me so hard that she fell to the ground.
When she looked up at me,I could see the shock and a little bit of fear in her blue eyes.
"You." I said,my voice almost a whisper.
"Shouldn't you be in bed. Resting?"
She looked at me and blinked like she was too dumbfounded to speak. And when she finally did,she said "sorry."
I raised a brow,a bit amused. "Sorry? Why?"
Realizing that she was still on the floor,I stretched my arm and helped her stand up. She was dusting her clothes when I left.
Every moment I spent in her presence made me lose control. I needed to get out.
As I drove through the city,I had nowhere in particular to go. I took two laps around the city to clear my head,and she still wouldn't let go of my thoughts.
In frustration,I banged the wheel with both hands. If things went on this way,I might end up snatching her away from that empty headed brother of mine.
It would be quite the drama. The thought of seeing the dread on Tristan's face when he realizes.
Seeing the way the drive wasn't helping,I drove back to the mansion for dinner. The mansion felt lonely without grandfather in it.
He was on vacation, trying to get away from this complicated family. And it seemed my father and my little cousin had accompanied him.
I could already perceive the sweet aroma of food as I walked in. Everyone was already seated. Everyone except Alicia.
As I took my seat,I exchanged cold gazes with Mario. Anger boiled in my blood,but I knew I had to control it. This wasn't the time to vent,it was the time to execute my plan.
I turned my head as I heard footsteps from the stairs. Alicia was walking down them. She was neatly dressed and had a cold expression on her face.
She was breathtaking. She took a seat opposite mine. Gosh! I couldn't take my damn eyes off her.
Soon,we all started eating. It was a silent dinner as usual. My family wasn't really close-knit. We threw daggers and used poison against each other for sport.
Everyone at the table had their own scheming mind.
Mario was the one to break the silence. "Almost killed my nephew."
He looked at her with a smirk. I felt sudden irritation.
Before I could do anything, Alicia spoke up.
"We all know you share no warmth for Tristan."
The corners of my lips twitched. They had no idea she had just sharpened her claws.
Then Sasha spoke.
"Mind the way you speak, peasant."
Peasant? How dare she speak like that?!
I saw the way Alicia's eyes dimmed. She was too stunned or embarrassed to speak.
"Have you no respect,Sasha?"
I looked at her as she trembled.
"And Mario,you don't give a damn about my brother. Why bother the pretty one?"
I looked at Alicia,but her eyes were already on me.
She had really pretty eyes. They were purple and full of life. I wondered how beautiful she was when smiling. And how lucky I'd be to see a beauty like her smile happily.
"You should eat."
I cleared my throat.
After dinner,I went up to my room. This family was a lot colder than before. They were all schemers. We were all schemers.
At that moment,I wish I had the power to watch all of them in their tiny cupboards as they plotted against one another. And then it clicked.
Three years ago, I had instructed Alex to place secret cameras around the house. Thinking back to that,I smirked. I had never used the cameras for anything important,I only checked them once or twice.
I walked over to the table and grabbed my laptop. Within seconds,the screen came alive with illumination.
No one was doing anything suspicious. That was odd. My eyes landed on Alicia. She'd just entered the room with a bottle of water. It was wrong to watch her like that. Like she was mine. But I couldn't help it.
She looked peaceful and quiet. She dimmed the lights a bit,but I could still see her. Slowly,she took off her shirt. Before my eyes could see anything I shouldn't,my hands moved and I clicked on something random.
"She's my brother's wife," I reminded myself. The cruel joke of fate. But I've never cared for fate—I've broken bigger things than that.
I wanted to stop the footage as I had tapped on the wrong one. But I saw Alicia in it and it made me stop.
Behind her was Bianca. She had held Alicia by the hair and threatened her. My blood boiled as I saw the pain on Alicia's face.
I checked the date. It was just this afternoon. Minutes before we collided in the hallway.
Bianca!
How dare she.
My jaws clenched as I picked up my phone and called Maurice.
"Deliver Bianca to the torture room right now."
"Yes boss."
Maurice answered.
I stared at the replaying scene on the screen again. If she truly craves a taste of pain, then I'll be her teacher. No one lays a hand on Alicia,no one,and walks away whole.
My knuckles turned white and pale. My jaw clenched in solid anger.
Angrily,I shut the laptop and grabbed my keys. I walked all the way to the garage and started the engine of my bike.
By the time I reached the torture room, Bianca was already tied to a chair. She had tears in her eyes and sobs on her lips.
The smell of her fear brought nothing but joy to me.
When she saw me, her eyes widened. "M…malachi?"
I walked over to the table and placed a newly bought clipper. I had stopped by the mall to get it when I was on my way here.
I could hear Maurice gulp.
"You can leave, Maurice."
I said,my eyes never leaving Bianca.
"P…please."
She begged.
"I don't know what I did,but please don't kill me."
I laughed and picked the clipper up again. I turned it on with a flick of my fingers. My fingers vibrated from the hum of the device.
Slowly,I turned my head.
"You see Bianca, there's only one rule. Don't touch what belongs to me."
I slowed down my pace as I walked towards her.
"Don't you ever touch Alicia again."
I pinned her against the chair, my fingers clenching her jaw as the buzzing of my clipper filled the silence.
She struggled to get out of my hold when she realized what I wanted to do,but it was too late.
I saw the way her eyes widened when the first loc of her hair fell. She begged and pleaded,but I didn't listen. I picked the loc of hair from the ground and dropped it on her lap, forcing her to look at what I had done.
"This is mercy, Bianca. Remember that. Next time you touch her, I won't stop at your hair."
"This,"
I leaned in and murmured near her ear, "is what happens when you touch what's mine.