Chapter Six
1298 Words
Indie POV
“No, no. Stay, please, don’t leave. Open your eyes. Mira, please don’t leave me.”
A gasp escaped my lips as I jolted awake, my body trembling and drenched in sweat. The nightmares were relentless, clawing at me every time I closed my eyes. I might never escape them—and maybe I didn’t deserve to. Tears blurred my vision as I clutched the necklace on my chest.
“I’m sorry, Mira,” I whispered, my voice cracking under the weight of guilt. “It’s all my fault. I should have stayed. I should have protected you. I failed you.”
Taking deep breaths, I tried to calm myself, but the ache in my chest remained. Reaching for the lamp beside my bed, I turned it on, bathing the room in a soft, golden glow. The clock on my phone read 11 PM. I had fallen asleep at 6 after a whole day of doing absolutely nothing. Ever since I signed the contract, Kaius had been absent from the house, leaving me alone with my thoughts—and my guilt.
A loud growl from my stomach pulled me out of my spiral. I chuckled weakly, patting it. “Alright, alright. I’ll feed you.”
Slipping on my slippers, I ventured into the dimly lit hallway. The mansion was massive, intimidatingly so. I used to live in a big house myself, but this was on another level. Every corner whispered of wealth—antique vases, paintings that probably cost more than my whole life, and a coldness that matched its owner.
As I made my way toward the kitchen, voices drifted up from downstairs. They grew louder with every step I took, the tension in them undeniable. Curious, I paused at the top of the staircase and peered down.
“You have to stop acting reckless, Pearl,” Kaius’s deep, commanding voice echoed.
“You don’t get to give me this attitude when I speak to you. I am your brother,” he added, his tone laced with frustration.
“Keep telling yourself that,” came a sharp, bratty reply.
His sister.
“And what do you mean by that?” Kaius demanded, his voice rising slightly.
“When can I go back home? This place sucks. Are you done lecturing me yet?” she shot back.
“I’m not done with you, young lady—not until you tell me what’s gotten into you.” His annoyance was palpable, each word dripping with authority.
“This is the third suspension this year, Pearl. The school has already warned that one more incident will get you expelled.”
“That’s great news then,” she replied flippantly.
“You know what? I’m done dealing with—” His words cut off as the sound of my footsteps reached him. Both their heads snapped toward me.
Kaius’s icy blue eyes narrowed, while Pearl’s bluish-green gaze locked onto mine with curiosity. Her delicate features mirrored Kaius’s, though softened by youth and defiance.
“Who are you?” she asked, her brows furrowed.
“You can just go on. Pretend I don’t exist,” I said to Kaius, brushing off the tension as I headed to the fridge. Pearl scoffed, but I ignored her, pulling out two cans of soda. Returning to the living room, I plopped onto the couch beside her and handed her one.
“It’s almost midnight. You’re not supposed to be drinking,” Kaius said, his sharp gaze darting between me and Pearl.
“Relax, man. It’s just soda,” I replied, rolling my eyes.
“I don’t care if you drink, Marcella. I was talking to my sister,” he snapped.
“She didn’t refuse the drink when I gave it to her. I’m pretty sure she can make decisions for herself.” I shot him a smug smile. “Right, sweetheart?” I asked Pearl, who immediately beamed at me.
“Okay, you’ve got to tell me who you are because I’ve never seen anyone talk back to my brother—or even keep eye contact with him,” Pearl said, her voice filled with admiration. “Even I get shivers whenever I look at him.”
I flipped my hair proudly. “Let’s just say I’m not scared of him.”
“You’re breaking a lot of rules,” Kaius said, his voice low and laced with irritation.
“Geez, relax,” I said, leaning back against the couch and taking a sip of my drink.
Kaius ignored me, turning his attention back to Pearl. “You’re grounded until you return to school. I’m taking away your cars and phone, and you’ll be living with me.”
“No way! You can’t do that!” Pearl and I exclaimed at the same time.
Both siblings turned to me, Kaius glaring and Pearl stifling a laugh.
“You don’t have the right to butt into my personal affairs,” Kaius said, his voice dangerously low.
“She’s not a child anymore, Kaius. You can’t just ground her like that,” I said, looking everywhere but his face.
“You are so cool,” Pearl whispered beside me.
“I’m not changing my mind, Pearl,” Kaius said firmly.
“This isn’t fair! What do you expect me to do for a month without a car or phone?” she shouted.
“I don’t know. Think about your life, maybe,” he replied with a raised brow.
“I hate you!” Pearl screamed, storming upstairs.
For a brief moment, his cold demeanor softened, his gaze following her retreating form. It was subtle, but I saw it. The all-powerful Kaius Alviso had a weakness.
But when his eyes landed on me again, the softness vanished, replaced by cold anger.
I think I should get back to my room. I said in a low voice as I start to head towards the stairs but his voice stopped me
“You disrespected me. Broke a lot of rules,” he started, his voice low and controlled as he stepped toward me.
You even meddled with my personal matters, something that I strictly wrote against he continued,his eyes never leaving mine as he took small steps towards me while I instinctively stepped back
“Tell me, Marcella.” He said my name like a caress, though his tone sent shivers down my spine.
How do I punish this He stated as he now stood Infront of me with little space between us and even with all this,I still masked my expression and never broke eye contact with him no matter how much I want to run away
He did the unexpected when he lifted his hand and placed them on my cheeks pulling me close to him causing a hitch in my breathing.
You sure are a very intriguing girl He said as he examined my face.My heart beat increased due to the lack of space between us,in as much as I liked his touch it also scared me.I am totally defenseless against him right now and anything could go wrong.Fear start to creep into my heart but I tried not to show it
“No one disrespects me. No one.Let me rephrase that,no one who has ever done that has lived to see the next day” His thumb grazed my lips, leaving me breathless. “Don’t push your luck next time. I might not spare you.”
And just like that, he stepped away and disappeared upstairs.
It wasn’t until he was gone that I realized I had been holding my breath. My trembling fingers touched my burning cheeks.
“You shouldn’t like his touch, Indie,” I whispered to myself, retreating to my room with a mix of fear and excitement swirling inside me.
- Writer
