Celebrity Alpha Series: Book one: The Billionaire Alpha's mate.

CHAPTER 17

Mia was still feeling a little disoriented from her encounter with Cole in his bedroom. She'd finally been able to convince Maria that she was fine but deep down, Mia knew there was a part of her that still hurt from Cole's harsh words. Feeling suffocated in the house, she went out the porch and towards the pool for a little alone time. It was a warm night and Mia looked longingly at the shimmering, crystal blue of the pool, illuminated by underwater lights, wishing she could swim. She'd always wanted to learn but time and situations were always working against her.

She walked to the edge of the pool and stared into it, wondering how it would feel to have Cole's strong arms hold her against his wet, glistening chest as they swam in the cool water. She smiled when her mind conjured images of her splashing water all over his expensively cared for mass of dark hair.

"do you think I care about you?" those words came back to her with a powerful dose of reality.

Cole hated her. Her smiled dimmed by a few watts. He simply hated her, and she knew he'd meant every single word he'd said to her earlier. He only cared about his Grand father's life, not hers. Mia sighed, she kept forgetting that she was just the housekeeper, a mere maid. A billionaire like Cole Anderson had no business with her, she was just one of the insignificant people he'd been misfortuned to meet. She rubbed her hands over her eyes, willing the tears to stay in.

She would not shed a single tear for Cole Anderson, hadn't she promised herself that? Today she'd made the mistake of letting him see her tears, her hurt but that was the first and last of any such mistakes. She would not give Cole Anderson the pleasure of knowing his words affected her ever again. That settled, Mia turned and immediately froze as she felt a presence at her back. Almost immediately, icy fingers gripped her neck from behind and her knees shook when a female voice said,

"Do. Not. Move"

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Mia tried not to hyperventilate. Memories from the attack on her parent's house seven years ago assailed her. God, she hated it when people snuck up on her. Her chest constricted and her breath came out in puffs. The figure behind her moved and Mia gasped when the cold barrel of a gun was pressed against her side.

"If you scream, or try to say anything, I'll kill you then kill your worthless sister next. Do you understand?"

Mia nodded, already feeling dizzy from fear. She had to act fast or a crazy psychopath was going to kill her and lay hands on Mia as well. No one was hurting her sister, not on her watch. The hands on her neck moved as if to free her and Mia capitalised on that.

She twisted her body to the side and at the same time lunged for her attacker's hair. The woman let out a startled growl and Mia lifted the blonde head up with a snap.

"Vanessa?" Mia asked, eyes wide with shock.

Vanessa looked... different. This was the first time Mia was ever seeing her out of her super model clothes. She was clad from head to foot in black. A black turtle neck sweater, black pants and even an expensive looking Blaque watch in black colour.

Vanessa smiled, a cold, dark smile, her eyes glinting with hatred.

"Wrong move, b***h"

As Vanessa pushed her into the blue depths of the pool, all Maria could remember was her piercingly loud scream and the fact that she could not swim, then the world went black.