The Beast in Fine Tuxedo

Chapter 9

The Web of Fate, just as I thought I was about to break free, suddenly tightened with an irresistible force.

I couldn’t avoid attending my cousin’s newborn’s baptism banquet in the end.

My mother’s tone on the phone left no room for discussion: “Ellia, this is your cousin’s child’s baptism. All the family will be present, and you must come.”

Wearing a knee-length dress chosen by my mother, one that made me appear dignified and proper, I felt like The Lamb of the Altar as I arrived at the hotel where the banquet was being held.

The hall was filled with the scent of flowers and champagne, mixed with insincere blessings.

I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles, every moment agonizing to endure.

And as expected, I saw him.

Alexander Warren stood in the center of the crowd, laughing and chatting with my uncle and his imposing elder brother, Marcus. Dressed in a light gray suit, he looked refined and elegant, with a perfectly practiced social smile on his face. If I hadn’t personally experienced his atrocities, I might have been deceived by this flawless facade of an elite from high society.

I felt an immediate wave of physical revulsion.

Hiding in a corner, I hastily ate from the plate in front of me, trying to find an excuse to leave as soon as possible.

“Mom, I have an extremely important elective class this afternoon, so I need to leave early,” I lied to my mother.

“This child, is your coursework really this intense?” Though slightly displeased, my mother

still advised, “Go ahead, but be careful on the way.”

“I understand.”

Feeling as if I had been granted amnesty, I quickly stood up and walked briskly toward the hotel’s exit.

Golden sunlight spilled over the steps outside the entrance. I took a deep breath of freedom, feeling as though I had finally escaped that suffocating cage.

But my joy lasted only three seconds.

A shadow engulfed me. Before I could turn around, a hand reached from behind and tightly gripped my wrist.

I turned back in terror, meeting Alexander’s eyes, which glimmered with a menacing smirk.

“What are you doing here?” My voice trembled in shock.

“I’ve been watching you for a while,” he said slowly, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather. “Just waiting for you to arrive!”

My mind went blank. My only instinct was to struggle. “Let go of me!”

He ignored my resistance, wrapping one arm around my waist. Before I could scream, he lifted me into his arms.

“Ah!” I exclaimed, instinctively clinging to his neck, afraid of falling.

A few scattered guests and doormen turned curious gazes our way, but no one dared to intervene.

Carrying me, Alexander strode toward a black Bentley parked at the entrance. His expression was devoid of emotion, marked only by The Ruthlessness of Declaring Ownership.

He opened the car door and tossed me inside roughly. I landed on the seat, and the door slammed shut with a loud “bang,” sealing off all light and sound from the outside world.

The partition between the driver’s seat and the rear compartment slowly rose.

Terrified, I curled up in the corner of the car, hugging my chest as I trembled uncontrollably.

Alexander leisurely lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag before exhaling smoke in my direction. Amid the swirling smoke, his face appeared both blurry and sinister.

“Now you’re scared, huh?” He looked at me with the gaze of a cat playing with a mouse. “When you rejected me, when you blocked me, what were you thinking?”

“Where are you taking me? I have class this afternoon,” I forced myself to sound as calm as possible.

Alexander broke into unrestrained, boisterous laughter, the sound piercingly harsh in the confined space of the car. “To a place where no one will disturb us.”

His voice carried the malevolence of a devil from hell.

With trembling hands, I took out my phone from my pocket, intending to call my mother.

Watching my actions, he didn’t stop me, merely observing with an amused expression. “Go ahead, call. While you’re at it, tell your parents that I’ve taken a liking to you, that I want you to become my woman today. Do you think your mom would advise you to submit to me for the sake of family interests?”

His words were like a poisoned dagger, stabbing straight into my heart.

“How dare you! Who wants to be your woman?” I shouted in fury, but my phone slipped from my trembling hands, falling onto the soft carpet.

“Let me off the car! Or I’ll report you for kidnapping and harassment!” I issued my final threat.

Alexander burst out laughing again, his body shaking with mirth. “Report me? Little girl, go ahead.” He leaned closer, his eyes full of mockery and disdain. “Remember, in this Crescent Moon City, I, Alexander Warren, am the Rules!”

The car finally came to a slow stop, pulling into A Heavily Guarded Elite Neighborhood.

Surrounded by lush greenery, each villa resembled a miniature castle, spaced far apart from one another.

The driver, perceptive as he was, exited the car swiftly after parking and disappeared without a trace.

Alexander dragged me out of the car forcefully. I clung desperately to the car door, refusing to get out. The two of us struggled beside the car until he grew impatient, slinging me over his shoulder and striding toward the villa.

He tossed me onto the soft couch in the living room and casually opened a bottle of red wine, pouring two glasses.

“Still planning to run? Aren’t you tired?” His voice was laced with ridicule and sarcasm.

Silent, I let my mind race, desperately searching for an escape plan.

“Uncle,” I decided to lower my stance, pleading with a trembling voice, “I’m sorry, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have upset you. Please forgive me. I really have class.”

“Stop playing these childish games, Ellia.” He rolled his eyes and interrupted me. “Once or twice, I can consider it playful. But if you keep pushing my limits, don’t blame me for teaching you a lesson personally.”

He held up a glass of wine, extending it toward me. “Come, sit here and have a drink with me.”

“I don’t drink.”

“It’s just a bit of red wine; it won’t kill you.” His tone brooked no argument.

Nervously, I inched closer, picked up the glass, and under his piercing gaze, took a small sip. The wine carried a strange bitterness as it slid down my throat.

Seeing me drink, the smirk on his lips grew wider.

Before long, I felt my face heat up, my head grow dizzy, and the world around me spin. “I think I’m drunk.”

“Ha, drunk on so little?” A sly glint flashed in Alexander’s eyes. “What a lightweight you are.”

I struggled to stay conscious. “I’m not drunk.”

Before I could finish my sentence, darkness claimed me, and I lost all awareness.

My last memory was of him approaching, crouching beside me, looking at me with an unnerving tenderness, before carrying me to a room.

I didn’t know how much time had passed.

I awoke to searing pain, as if being torn apart.

Opening my eyes, I saw the unfamiliar ceiling of a hotel suite. Turning my head, I saw the man lying beside me—Alexander Warren.

The fragmented memories sharpened in an instant. What had happened was undeniable.

Mustering all my strength, I pushed him away and curled up on the other side of the bed, sobbing quietly.

Awakened by my movements, he slowly opened his eyes, showing not a trace of remorse as he looked at me.

“You’re awake?” he asked in an unaffected tone, as if nothing had occurred.

I glared at him with all the hatred I could muster, trembling with rage.

Unbothered, he smirked, his expression one of entitlement, proclaiming his victory: “Now, What’s Done is Done. You might as well submit to me.”

His words fueled my anger further, making my face flush red. Tears welled up in my eyes and rolled down like beads on a broken string.

“You bastard!” I cried through gritted teeth, my heart brimming with fury and grievance.

Leaning closer, his once-handsome face now hideous in my eyes, he spoke in a voice that declared ownership, cruel and deliberate:

“I told you I like you. So, I must have you. Understand?”