Devil's Prison

Chapter # 27

Soon the time passed and her day went by nonchalantly. It was not as bad as she expected it to be. Her mind lingered on what had happened but she tried her best to subdue it.

“It’s nothing. Pretend it was nothing.” She muttered Elliot’s words to control her wandering mind.

It was evening. She was waiting for Alphonse. She came out after locking her office and walking around the place, having fewer people right now.

“What are you doing?” Elliot asked, noticing her, walking up to her.

“I am waiting for Alphonse to pick me up.” She replied, holding her phone with a frown on her lips.

“You have a car too.” He shrugged, resting his hand on his waist, hating the idea of her going with him.

“Yeah, but I came with him so it’s at his place.” She tried her best to not ‘at home’, knowing it would hurt both of them.

“Make sure he won’t see us together.” He reminded her.

“I know.” She nodded timidly but her phone rang.

“It’s him.” She said, he nodded and walked away, trying not to get caught by him.

“Hello? Where are you? I believe you said you would pick me up by eight.” She asked angrily, checking the time, scolding him for being late.

“Yeah, I am outside.”

His cold tone came. His mind was stuck on what happened in the morning. His mind should have felt satisfaction but it didn’t.

He cannot neglect the sensation of how repulsive it was. It was not satisfactory in the slightest.

“Finally.” She sighed loudly, cutting the call, putting her phone back and going out to see him.

He was in his white shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbow perfectly with slightly messy hair and a loose tie, indicating he had a stressful day.

He was outside, holding his waist, a grimace engraved on his face, trying to subdue his exhaustion.

“Oh, you’re finally here.” She taunted when she saw him, walking closer.

“Hey, how was your day?” He asked softly, not taking her words to his heart.

“It’s not my first day, I have been at this position for a year now.” She scoffed, folding her arms and rolling her eyes off.

“But, it was entirely different this time.” He reasoned, tone still soft, barely managing to control his fury at working on her.

His mind already cannot neglect their unwanted and cold kiss, he doesn’t want further perturbation to break his patience.

“It wasn’t. Just my imagination. Nothing changed.” She muttered, scanning his form from top to bottom with a raised eyebrow.

“What’s with you?” She asked, gesturing to his form.

“Forget it. Just work.” He replied, rubbing her temples for a second before scanning his gaze around to find Elliot but he was nowhere.

“Where are you looking?” She asked, sounding angry.

“Nothing. Let’s go.” He sighed as they left.

She didn’t speak and looked out of the window, lost in her world. He glanced at her for a second, trying to gather words and asked.

“Are you hungry?” He asked to gain her attention and end the tension building in his chest.

“I was about to say it, let’s stop somewhere, I am starving.” She replied nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.

“Where do you want to eat?” He asked, hoping to use this conversation to divert his mind.

“Takeaway.” She breathed out, leaning back, closing her eyes, not boring to think much about it.

“Okay.” He hummed, leaning back as well.

“Also stop by the bakery, I am craving something sweet.” She added without opening her eyes but he stared at her in mesmerization.

“Sure.” He whispered, getting lost in her presence, locking her eyes to her traces, indulging in her mere presence.

“We are here.” He called when they reached the bakery before getting their takeaway.

She hummed as they went to the bakery. He was standing behind her, unable to part his eyes from her bewitching ones, lost in the sweet.

“Cheesecake or donut? What do you think?” She asked, turning to him, breaking the rhythm of his stare.

“Huh? Anything you’d want.” He shrugged.

“Both?” He suggested.

“Okay. And you? Don’t you want anything?” She asked calmly, looking around to find something else.

“Nothing.” He shook his head.

“Are you sure you are okay?” she asked and the fact she asked made his heart race.

“Why?” His tone came out empty, raising his brows.

“You don’t look nor sound like it.” She said, tilting her head in confusion.

“It’s nothing.” He replied, curling his lips upward but not in a smile.

“Whatever.” She shrugged as they went back after she bought some sweets for herself but he found serenity in her one question.

They went back as she couldn’t wait another thirty minutes.

“Is it okay if I eat in your car?” She asked, before opening the box of her donuts, giving him an innocent look.

No. No. No. He thought furiously.

He hated it, he would never eat himself or let someone else do it. He would never let anyone eat in his car.

“Yeah, sure. You can.” He hummed, smiling faintly at her.

“Thanks. Elliot never let me- Nevermind.” She shook her head to shrug her words off, worried he might not suspect her but she played it cool.

She opened her box and took a bite of her donut.

“Did.. he say something?” He asked vaguely, arching a brow at her.

“He tried to kiss me, said I lied, that I still love him.” She shrugged, doing as Elliot instructed her and playing it cool.

“What did you say?” He asked, knitting his brows together, rage collecting in his eyes to perceive how dared he try to kiss her.

“What do you think?” She asked, swallowing her bite and turning her face to him with an empty smirk.

“Do you honestly think I would lose this chance and lock myself back at the mansion again?” She sighed, offering him a donut.

“Do you want one? They are really good.” She asked, giving him a chocolate one.

“No.” He politely refused.

“Then stop staring at my food.” She growled, turning her head away.

“Oh.”

Only she knows he is staring at her and not at the savory food.

“I need free air to breathe, not upheavals to deal with. I just want to be as far away as possible.” She breathed out, finishing her donut and putting the box aside.

His heart clenched, speaking the question whose answer he was not prepared to listen to.

“Do you.. hate me that much? Does my presence bother you to this extent?” He asked in a heartbroken whisper, gaining a bewildered glance at her.

“Give me a reason not to, Alphonse.” She replied softly, shifting her body in his direction.

“Why shouldn’t I after where you left me? That I have to beg you to regain the position which belongs to me in the first place?” She asked, recalling the list of things he did to shatter her life.

“For pleading for my loved ones' breaths?” She added, breaking his heart by her words.

“Or being locked, for sharing a bed?” She asked again, affirming the fact that they cannot become one.

“It’s not Stockholm syndrome that I give you a chance.” Her voice went lower, bringing him to reality to stop imagining their future together because it doesn’t exist.

“I hate you, Alphonse Jude and always will.” She scowled, glaring at him with a clenched jaw but taking a deep breath, she pushed her hairs back.

“I see… I understand.” He breathed out after a prolonged period, curling his hands in a very tight fist, controlling his stumbling state.

“You are right. You should. All actions have their consequences after all.” He hummed, bringing his hand near his mouth to cover his lips.

She knew her words assaulted his sensitive nerve but he bore it and remained silent, motionless.

She also straightened up, closing her eyes again, “Exactly.”

They didn’t exchange further words after it as it will end up in deteriorating one’s heart if they did. Their words never failed to shatter the non-existent string between them.

They returned to their home, freshened up and sat down to have dinner. They had dinner in silence, but when they were done, Alphonse cleared his throat and called her.

“Aurelia.” His dominant voice made her heart skip a beat.

“What?” She asked coldly, trying to stay strong.

“Since you are starting your work again, I should give you a stern reminder,” He began to say, rising from his seat, increasing her fret by his fatal gaze upon her.

“What reminder?” She asked, swallowing hard in dread.

“If I find out you are lying or If I caught you seeing Elliot once, Aurelia.” His voice went lower, resting his hand on the armrest of her chair.

“I will break all boundaries.” He whispered, which made her breath hitch, halting her functions for a second to fathom.

“And won’t be merciful at all.” He growled in her ears, maintaining his fright in her heart.

Her voice stuck in her vocal cords, convulsing when his breath lingered on her skin, forming goosebumps all over her skin.

“Neither with you nor him.” He reminded, chaining their eyes together to leave a forgettable impact so she won’t try anything.

“I know…” She whispered, nodding slowly, curling her toes in vexation and extreme heartbeats.

“So you better control your emotions and actions.” He warned assertively, moving back slowly, looking at her in sheer power to remind her of her position.

“I know, you don’t have to tell me.” She mumbled, looking down, biting her lips, powerless before his presence as he walked away with a hum, resting his hand in his pocket, gritting his teeth with an unwanted pinch.

“Good.”

Leaving her all alone in her perturbation and worrisome thoughts because she knew she had done what could ravage both of their lives.