Claimed By The Ugly Alpha

Snatched From Me

IMANI REYES

Hatred filled my heart when Rebecca surprisingly obeyed that voice.

Rebecca doesn't obey anyone.

The one time I needed her to be herself, she failed me and it was all his fault-- I don't know who he was but I hated him more than I hated his voice.

The entire hall became silent again and for once, I felt like my Dad was finally being respected.

Of course, my eyes were still on the coffin and on the pale face of my Dad. I was still praying that his body would move and a miracle would save me from the sinking sand that I stupidly stepped into.

But instead of my Dad’s body moving, a pair of shining brown shoes came to stand before me. I saw the shoes first and I hissed, speaking for the first time since my Dad stopped breathing– since my world came crashing down on me. “Move.”

One word that made me realize how dry my throat had become.

The pair of brown shoes didn't move though. I traced the shoes upwards, letting my eyes move upward, finding legs covered in black pants that I didn't care about.

I simply wanted this person to move out of the way so I could keep staring at my Dad.

“Move and get out of my sight!” I raised my voice before my eyes found an unfamiliar and unimpressed face.

That same voice came out of the unfamiliar man’s mouth, “You might want to move because I don't plan on moving anytime soon.”

If I hated his voice before, there would be no words to describe what I felt for him right now. He asked Rebecca to leave me alone, but he stood between my father and me.

I had a record of hating everyone that stood between Dad and me.

Rebecca.

Bianca.

Richard.

And now this man… Whoever he might be.

“Asswipe.” I cursed him and moved on my butt as I was sitting on the cold floor in front of the funeral hall.

But the moment I moved, he stepped in front of me again, blocking my view.

“Leave me the hell alone,” I shouted without thinking about the others in the room.

“You will not talk to him in such a manner, Imani.” Rebecca seethed like I cared about what was going through her head.

I wasn't asking for too much, was I? All I wanted was to keep gazing at my Dad.

My Dad was the reason I was here. I didn't come here because I wanted to stare at the footwear of some random man with long black hair and eyes that seemed just as confused as him. His eyes couldn't decide on what color they wanted to be.

“Can you all just leave me alone?” I asked, whimpering like I just realized I had become an orphan.

Someone barked from behind, “We demand answers from you, Imani Reyes!”

Another one supported, “Yes! The stocks are dropping rapidly and all finances have disappeared. What do you have to say?”

I couldn't believe my ears. How could they be asking me about work when I was grieving?

I cried out, pushing myself off the old floor, “You all are shameless! My father just died. You don't care about him but can you at least act like you are here to pay respects!”

I wasn't someone they could push around. They knew it. Rebecca could slap me because I let her. She knew better than to make that move when I wasn't crying on the floor of the funeral hall.

“Accept our condolences, Miss Imani Reyes.” Biden, My Dad’s secretary said. He was standing close to Bianca whose face was red like she was the one that lost a father.

That was my Dad, not hers.

Biden would have won the award for the most compassionate in the room if he had stopped there but he continued. “However, Mr. Denzel is dead and we can't let the business die with him. We all would have gladly waited for you to get over your father’s demise, but from the accusations, it's clear that waiting would be a waste of our precious time.”

The investors in attendance barked in support of Biden, who was nothing but a secretary. “Exactly. We need answers.”

The unbothered arrow of sorrow pierced through my heart but I held on, wiping my face to appear more presentable.

I could feel the hot gaze of the man that stopped Rebecca from hitting me. He was looking at me and for some reason, I felt like a broken mess under his gaze.

“What do you say, Miss Reyes? Did you kill Mr. Denzel as she claims?” One of the familiar investors questioned me harshly.

Biden’s voice also broke out, “From my observation, Mr. Reyes died right after a big transaction was made from the company’s purse. As I speak, the company is going bankrupt which shouldn't have happened. Clarify the situation, please.”

“How can the company be going bankrupt?”…

“What will happen to the shares we purchased with a huge amount of money?”

“She is unskilled. She can’t revive the dead company yet she killed her father. Greedy b***h!”

Many more of those accusing statements hit my eardrums and I became dizzy, feeling sick in the stomach. But that didn’t stop more questions from the uninvited investors, shareholders, and business partners.

“If you don’t give answers, we will take legal action against you, Miss Reyes.” I didn’t know who said that and even though that was a threat, I couldn’t care less.

What difference would it make if I rot in jail? I deserved that as well.

Instead of responding, I turned my back on the angry and curious investors, hoping to return to my Dad but I walked straight into a wall in a human’s form.

It was the guy that stopped Rebecca from hitting me. He was still standing in my way.

“Who the hèll are you? Why won’t you stay out of my way?”

I whispered under my breath without hiding my frustrations. I expected that he wouldn’t hear me since I whispered and he was taller than me.

However, he heard me and even replied, “I am Niran Khai, the only man who can help you.”

Did his name sound familiar?

No.

I have never heard of him before.

I scoffed, walking away from his broad frame, “I don’t need your help. Scrap!”

I didn't have to look at him to hear him hiss. His fist clenched, turning red. He didn't seem to like the atmosphere in the hall which was why I told him to get out.

“Failure to provide answers will have great consequences, Miss Reyes. I advise you to think about what your father would have done--” Biden’s voice cut the tension between Niran Khai and me.

I interjected, sobbing once again, “Get my Dad’s name out of your mouth! All of you!”

“If you cared about him as much as you pretend in front of these people, you wouldn't have killed him!”

Bianca countered, yelling like a mad woman. Does she even realize that I was the grieving daughter, not her?

Could they stop pretending and ruining my Dad’s last moment?

“She truly killed him!”...

“She is a murderer…

”She must have taken the missing funds for herself…”

Accusations after accusations. They didn't stop. A big commotion broke out in fact and I found myself weeping because my Dad wouldn't have a respectable sendoff.

“I want my money back! You fraudster!” Someone shouted as I wailed, forgetting that Niran Khia was right there, staring down at me like I was proving his points…

Like he was finally getting to see that I was a worthless piece of shït.

“Give us our money.” Someone else commanded.

Some of them reached out to rip me apart but I didn't move. They could do whatever they wanted to me… I needed to feel more pain anyway.

However, Niran Khai stepped in again, pushing me behind him, “Silence!”

He commanded the angry audience and to my surprise, they all obeyed him. Even my body shivered in response to his command. That made me wonder who Niran Khai was in the world of business.

“If you are done paying respect to the dead, you can leave now. All questions should be sent to Mr. Biden and he will be reporting to me henceforth-” That was Niran Khai again.

I opposed, “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Yes it does, he is buying the company and taking care of the entire business. All for a little price.” Rebecca smirked at me.

Obviously, she had cooked something evil but when did she have the time to do that? Do I care?

Yes.

Yes, I do. The business was the last thing my Dad wanted to protect and I wasn't about to fail him after his death.

“The price is you, Imani,” Rebecca whispered into my ears. “You belong to him now.”

I blinked rapidly, “W-what is that supposed to mean?”

Instead of Rebecca, Niran Khai answered, “It means you are coming with me.”

Still confused, heartbroken, and scared, I stuttered, “I will be doing no such thing.”

I walked past Niran and Rebecca, hoping to reach my Dad’s coffin but I didn't reach him. I only saw his stoic, lifeless face before Niran Khai commanded, “Get her, boys. It's time to leave.”

I thought this was a joke. There was no way anyone would take me out of there during my Dad’s funeral.

But I was wrong, unusually strong hands tightened around my arms and in spite of my struggles, I was dragged out of the funeral hall like a piece of paper.

“You can’t do this! Let me go!” I cried but nothing changed.

No one stopped them from taking me and no one did when I was thrown into a black range rover.

Niran Khia entered the same car and I launched at him, attempting to return to my Dad, but he barked at me like an emotionless beast, “You either comply or I will knock you out, right here… Right now…”

“My Dad…” I cried, and fear took over my body because I didn't know what Rebecca had planned with this strange man.

And his dark features made my stomach turn.

“From what I heard, Denzel is better off without you.”

Niran Khai answered, waving off my pleas…

Just like that, I was taken away from my Dad’s funeral and when I kept fighting to be freed, Niran hissed ferociously, and with one slap from him, life was snatched from me.

I embraced nothingness as I lost consciousness.