Valentina pov
“Open your eyes,” Alexander commanded, his hand gripping my chin roughly, forcefully lifting it upward to meet his gaze.
I shook my head, my lips trembling as I refused to open my eyes to watch the scene before me. No, I couldn’t bear to watch it.
“I won’t repeat myself,” Alexander’s voice dropped into a low whisper as he closed the distance between us, his body pressing against mine, pushing me harder into the wall.
“I said, open your eyes and look at me.” His breath brushed against my lips as he spoke, sending a shiver down my spine. I hesitated for a moment before finally forcing my eyes open, my gaze locking onto his intense gray eyes-eyes that resembled that of a monster. Scratch that. He is a monster.
“Good girl. Wasn’t that difficult, was it?” Alexander’s lips curled into a cold, calculating smirk as he gazed down at me.
My eyes instinctively flickered behind him, briefly locking onto the lifeless body inches away from where we stood. I couldn’t help but close my eyes again, the image too much to bear.
An hour ago.
“A-Alexander, wait, I can’t explain!” I stammered, trying to pull away as he dragged me forward, forcing me to follow behind him.
Damnit, I was in serious trouble. One minute I was bracing myself for a slap, and the next, Alexander had appeared out of nowhere, snapping the man’s hand without hesitation.
Before I could even process what had just happened, the man was on the ground, and Alexander had grabbed my hand, dragging me away to God knows where.
This man was furious-I could feel the rage radiating off him. The worst part? I barely remembered him well enough to know just how badly I had messed up.
But seriously, why was he so angry? Was it because we sneaked out? Surely, it wasn’t something to get this mad about.
“Alexander, if you’re upset because we sneaked out, I can explain. It’s not what it looks like-” Before I could finish, Alexander came to an abrupt stop, causing me to almost trip. I gasped in surprise, but before I could hit the ground, Alexander was quick to steady me, his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me close to him.
The close proximity between us instantly made my face redden and my breath caught in my throat as I gazed up at him. The man was breathtaking, staring at him like this made my heart pound against my chest.
I bit my bottom lip to stop my shy smile from spreading but before I could even blink, the next second Alexander frowned and released his hand from my waist, almost making me fall to the ground.
I gasped and quickly steadied myself, my eyes widening in surprise as I glanced at him. But Alexander didn’t even spare me a second look; his attention was already fixed on Adrian who now stood next to him.
“Are you certain that bastard from earlier is one of the men who betrayed me and ran away with my goods?” Alexander asked, his voice sharp and authoritative.
Adrian nodded firmly. “Yes, boss. I’m certain. He’s one of the five men who ran off with the goods.”
I frowned, confused. What goods? What were they talking about? None of this made any sense to me.
But I couldn’t dare ask, not when Alexander’s lips curved into a wicked smirk, his gaze flickering to me for the briefest moment, sending a chill down my spine.
“Good. Take him to the basement,” he commanded.
Without another word, Alexander turned his attention back to me, his hand wrapping firmly around mine once again. This time, a sleek black car came to a stop in front of us. He yanked the door open before motioning with his head toward it.
He didn’t say a word, but the message was clear: he wanted me in.
“Alexander what is going-” I started to ask, my voice hesitant, but the sharp, cold look he shot my way froze me in place. That piercing gaze sent a chill through me, and something deep inside whispered that if I didn’t obey, I would regret it.
“Never mind…” I mumbled, forcing an awkward smile as I slipped into the car, trying not to show how nervous I was.
W-was he always this scary?
Alexander entered the car, slamming the door shut behind him. As the car sped off, I caught a faint glimpse of Felix running after us, his eyes filled with worry. Thankfully, Daniel and Sebastian managed to grab him just in time before he could fall.
“Felix…” I started to speak but stopped as I felt Alexander’s gaze on me, freezing me in place. Slowly, I turned to find him staring directly at me, his presence dominating the space. I sat still, unsure of what to say or do, as Alexander leaned back in his seat, his piercing gaze never leaving me.
“You know what I despise even more than betrayal or being touched?” he finally broke the silence, his voice calm but laced with a dangerous edge. His movements were slow and deliberate as he pulled a cigarette and a golden lighter from his pocket, never breaking eye contact with me. “It’s disobedience. I don’t tolerate it, and those who defy me always face the consequences in one way or the other.”
Alexander took a drag of his cigarette before speaking again. “So, let me simplify this for your pretty little brain to grasp-you disobeyed me. First, by sneaking into my room last night. Then, by sneaking out of the mansion. And finally, by being nothing but a fucking nuisance.”
I flinched at the harshness of his words, my throat dry and my body stiffen in fear for reasons I couldn’t quite explain.
“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that, I just…” My words faltered as his gaze darkened, his finger pressing against his lips to silence me.
“You will be punished today,” his voice cut through sharply, sending a chill down my spine. “And I will show you just how ruthless I can be.”