••• Prince •••
"Do you truly think you can get away, huh?" I mocked.
Scowling at Carter who was supposed to return my debt but instead he sought refuge from my rival and I was amazed at his audacity to refuse me.
"S-Sir… please." He coughed up blood. I was about to kill him but received a call from Theo’s assistant.
Apparently he worked for Theo and Zaniel but in reality I left him to survey on their activities to make sure they didn't back stab me.
"Hello."
"Hello, Sir. Zaniel has proposed to Cinzel. Everyone is awaiting you to come." A scowl appeared on my face, sorely displeased at his deed of pushing her into this.
"I see. Did they decide the day for marriage?" I asked.
"Not yet. They can’t. Not without you."
"I see. I am coming and don't let Garry know about my arrival." I ordered and cut the call. Sighing to face this affliction my heart deeply hoped to avoid and the time has come.
"Well, congrats Carter, you can have a few more breaths." I smirked and shot his hand, earning an agonizing scream from him.
"You are coming back to America with us." I said and left.
We went back and I asked about Cinzel's whereabouts.
The moment my men told me she was here, I put my foot on the bruise of Carter's hand, making him scream and getting her attention.
“Is she looking?” I asked my men.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Good.”
Assured no one but her is listening, I continued my action until she finally saw me.
I know it must be heartbreaking for her to see her ideal committing a murder but to spend nights under the shades of a perishingly exquisite path.
Why not bear the extremity of this passion I never accepted still it controlled me?
And it occurred…
Everything to what I anticipated except the fact her dread towards me. I predicted her to be enraged and rebellious but she wasn't-
She was not like how I anticipated her to be like.
With me, she became a lifeless being controlled by fear- the foundation of fright was never the part of my plan.
••••••
"You Love her, don't you, Young Lord?" Garry sneered, glaring at me.
Breaking the rhythm of my lull where my eyes were closed and immersed into nothingness before he interrupted.
"What do you want?" I asked rudely, opening my one eye and looking at him.
"What's your protection? Putting her right in front of the enemy: Oh hey look my young and beautiful wife and she also happens to be an Alroy." He mocked me, making me grit my teeth, trying to control my rage.
"She is more protected in my presence." I sighed, straightening my back, putting my elbow on the armrest while resting my chin on my fist, staring at his face expressionless.
"What exactly do you want? For the past twenty years you didn't remember and now suddenly you realize you made an oath to insulate her? Do you think I am vacuous to not know you are using your father's empty promise to keep her close?"
He literally blurted what my heart vigorously rejected with guilt-ridden pleasure to keep my emotions at bay.
Sighing I opened my mouth to speak but he didn't let me, continuing, "Tell me if you want the throne. What else could be the reason for you to cage her?"
Arching one brow at his taunts and the breaking extent of my tolerance to hear his ridiculous statements.
"It's not-"
"Then it must be Nathaniel, you want to use her as a medium to make good contacts with him or else you know that devil devours his enemies to the bone.” He scoffed, testing my patience at this point.
“Plus you shot him too. He is desperately looking for a reason to kill you- and If- I hope not but- If Cinzel complained once about any of us then be better prepared for our funerals. Please tell me what do you-"
Slamming my hand on the table, I yelled the answer wrathfully, "I wanted her!... just… her… no strings attached…"
My lips produced words which were stuck on my vocal cords for an indefinite period.
Instantly regretting my words, I thought about serving it as a pretense of hollowness but to no avail. He knew what my soul dismissed and still complied.
Blinking, he hoped my words to be a ruse but it wasn't. His lips curled upwards, letting out a slow laugh reflecting deride.
"So you truly love her-"
"I don't!" I snarled, getting up.
"It's.. Just.. An infatuation." I gave it a whimsical name.
"Yeah, eternal infatuation." He mocked, making me frown.
"Look. It's nothing like this."
"I truly want to shelter her… but not on Father's wish.. rather my own free will. I want to protect her, Garry. She doesn’t deserve this gory life."
"When did you develop it?"
Looking down in shame, I replied, "... On her eighteenth birthday."
"Understandable. That was why you taught for the last six months at her institution." He hummed.
Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply, "Now you know so stop meddling. This should be the last time you are mentioning her." I ordered, taking my coat from the chair and loosening my tie, going back.
"Yes, Young Lord."
I got into the car and ever since she came, I ask from her personal maids, Lenny and Layla about what she did. The more I heard about her interactions with Zaniel, the more it unwillingly infuriated me.
I wanted this thought to slip through the cracks but my needy hands coldly embraced the jealousy and ended up scaring her!
This shouldn't be like this. She was supposed to resent me, I was supposed to not care.
She should take vengeance on Zaniel and seek my help but everything had taken an one-eighty turn. She couldn’t speak in my presence, let alone to ask for her rights.
"What did she do?" I asked, indirectly knowing about her day from someone else.
"The usual, Sir. She spends her time with Ma'am Astrid and all the kids. Scolded Sky badly for cheating on her test and grounded her in her room."
It gave me a funny taste to hear Cinzel acting how her Mother would do if she cheated.
"I see and did he come?"
"He came home early and tried to talk but she avoided him as usual."
"Good." I smirked and cut the call.
I never truly cared about anything except what happened between her and Zaniel. I didn't know when this envy has been dug within my skin but it was uncontrollable now
I went home and met Sky first.
"Hey." I smiled, entering her room. Watching her coloring.
Her face lit up in half rushing to me. "Papa!"
"How are you?"
"Bad. Cinzel grounded me." Now I paid heed to it, this is the first time someone has done it. No one had punished her before.
"Why, love?" I asked, holding her hands, "Because… I.."
"You cheated in your test, didn't you?" I asked softly.
"Papa, it wasn't my fault-"
"Sky, never justify your mistakes. If you are wrong, then accept and apologize, okay? You did wrong, princess." I explained to her sweetly.
"Still. I don't want to stay here!"
"Don't let anyone know, okay?" I winked and she grinned, hugging me.
"Be quiet."
"I will." Beaming she ran away as if a prisoner had been freed.
Chuckling at her, I got up and went to my room and saw my arresting wife gasping to find me as her lethal apparition.
She hid her hands behind, shaking, trying to steal a glance.
Except the moment I lost myself in unbearable allure, I had done nothing yet her fright delivers agony in those beautiful eyes.
‘But it was good in a sense. She didn't know its importance. Very soon she would…’