Forced to Love by the Mafia

Chapter 3 Stay in His Estate

Alice was sharp—she could tell in an instant that this man was the one calling the shots. She glanced at the group of men still standing a short distance away, too nervous to approach her. They were clearly waiting for her to be rejected so they could have fun with her.

With her hands clasped together, she put on her most exaggerated pleading tone. "Sir, please, help me out, won't you? I'm begging you, pretty please."

The man studied her with interest for a moment and lifted his hand in a small gesture. Out of nowhere, a group of his men emerged from the shadows, grabbed the terrified thugs, and dragged them away with their mouths covered to muffle any protests.

"Thank you! You're a real lifesaver," Alice said while looking up at him. He towered over her by at least a foot, and his handsome face made her heart skip a beat, as if Cupid himself had just taken a shot at her.

For the first time, Alice felt a twinge of shyness, and she fumbled, "Uh, I'm Alice Dorn. May I know your name?"

"Raymond Thorn," the man replied, his voice deep and rich like the sound of a cello.

"Hi, Raymond," Alice chirped, raising her hand in a cheerful wave, her whole demeanor lively and bright.

She thanked him again with more sincerity. "Thanks for helping me out. You're really cool. Uh, I mean, it's really nice to meet you."

The moment those words escaped her lips, she regretted it. 'Oh God! How stupid I am! Can't believe I just blurted out whatever was on my mind!'

Just then, Alice's friend tugged at her clothes. Alice quickly muttered goodbye to Raymond and intended to get her terrified friend out of this scary place.

"Alice," Raymond suddenly called out to her.

She turned back, surprised, only to find him standing right in front of her, his presence overwhelming.

"Uh, Raymond—"

Before she could finish, Raymond pulled her into his arms. Their bodies pressed close, and his lips landed on hers.

The warm touch of his lips was gone before she could even react. It was a light kiss, almost teasing.

"This is my payment," said Raymond.

*****

Alice jolted awake from her dream and realized it was already the next morning.

Raymond hadn't returned the whole night.

A servant came to bring her some clothes, and Alice was taken to a luxurious estate.

Once inside the estate, the butler, Philip Garcia, led her to a room.

Staring at the familiar door with its intricate carvings, Alice felt her body tense up involuntarily, and her thoughts froze as if time had come to a standstill.

She hadn't expected Philip to bring her to the third floor. It was Raymond's exclusive private domain, a place where most people dared not set foot.

She used to walk in and out of this space freely. But now, she wondered if she still had the same right.

For a moment, Alice found herself unable to step inside, afraid that once she crossed that threshold, long-buried emotions she had tried so hard to suppress would come roaring back to life!

Noticing her hesitation, Philip made an inviting gesture and said, "Ms. Dorn, please."

Alice struggled to ignore the turmoil churning inside her. The prospect of seeing Raymond again filled her with an overwhelming tension. She couldn't tell if she had more fear or more anticipation, but her heart was aching with a strange blend of pain and longing.

Taking a deep breath, she finally pushed open the door.

To her surprise, Raymond wasn't there.

Philip seemed to catch her reaction and said with a smile, "Mr. Thorn likely won't be back until this evening, Ms. Dorn."

"Oh, I'm not thinking about him! You've got it wrong," she explained.

Philip didn't respond but just stepped out with a decent smile and closed the door.

Now, the room was completely sealed off from the outside world, creating a self-contained space for Alice alone. The air was filled with the scent of cedar and sandalwood, mingling with a hint of Raymond's unique warmth and mystery.

Alice paced back and forth in the room, her eyes unconsciously roaming around everything. The massive bookshelf held even more books now, and there were unfinished documents spread across the wide desk. A pair of silver-framed glasses, which hadn't been there years ago, lay on the desk. All the staff showed a sign that he'd become even busier over the years.

Driven by something deep inside, she picked up the glasses, trying to search for any trace of Raymond that could fill the gaps in her memories of him.

"Alice, you just can't sit tight and wait, huh?" Raymond's voice came from behind her.

Alice spun around, startled. Raymond was leaning casually against the doorway with a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

"Are you looking for something to ruin me?" His voice was rough, laced with sarcasm.

"N-No, I was just too bored," Alice stammered, feeling at a loss. Gathering her courage, she spoke earnestly, "Raymond, can we talk?"

Staring into her eyes, Raymond asked, "What do you want to talk about? Your betrayal, or how you plan to make it up to me now?"

Alice pleaded, "Please, Raymond. I know betraying you was wrong, but I didn't know what else to do. I had no choice—I had to protect my father!"

"So you decided to sacrifice your lover instead? Alice, you really are heartless," Raymond sneered, his expression twisted with malice. He settled onto the couch and gestured for Alice to come closer.

When she slowly moved to him, he grabbed her and forced her head down, pressing her face against his lap.

"Entertain me," he commanded.

Alice trembled all over while tears streaming down her face.

The unspoken emotions in her heart were torturous, and her tear-blurred gaze fixed on the window, desperately trying to avoid meeting his eyes.

But the sobs were hard to suppress, and she thought she heard Raymond sigh. A moment later, he pulled her up, settled her onto his lap, and captured her lips in a fierce, possessive kiss.

When he finally pulled away, Raymond exuded a lazy satisfaction, like a beast that had just sated its hunger. He ran his fingers lazily through her hair and said, "I'm going out for a few days. You're not seeing me in the following week—does that make you happy?"

Alice didn't respond, but Raymond didn't seem to care. He lifted her effortlessly and tossed her onto the bed, continuing to take what he wanted, whether she was willing or not.

As he said, Raymond didn't show up for the next few days.

Alice was trapped in the estate, and Philip, trying to keep her from getting too bored, arranged for her to do some simple tasks, like watering the plants, to give her something to occupy her time in the otherwise stifling environment.

Sometimes, she would chat with Philip, learning bits and pieces about Raymond's life over the past five years.

It was one of the few ways she could catch a glimpse of how much he had changed.

One day, after tending to the flowers, Alice turned around and was suddenly bumped into by a maid. Scalding hot coffee splashed all over her and instantly reddened her pale skin, making her cry out in pain. "Ow, that hurts!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Ms. Dorn. It was an accident," the maid exclaimed, though her exaggerated tone and the smug, arrogant smirk on her face betrayed her true intentions.