Entrapped

Chapter 7.

Xavier was speechless, he didn't know what to say or how to react after her confession. His mind went numb to think anything appropriate, all his focus was drawn by her eyes that kept shedding tears one after another, her lips that were quivering as she let out some sobs. Her face had turned red, especially her cute little nose.

"It's suffocating me, Xavier." She sobbed like a baby and sniffed. Her frail hand kept wiping her tears away, but it was of no use as those stubborn drops of water kept coming out of her green orbs.

Xavier's inside crunched seeing her like this, it felt like someone was choking him when he saw her wailing in front of him. He didn't want her like that. His Tiara was way too precious to shed tears.

Her confession stabbed his heart. He was living in his own world as Tiara's father agreed to marry her off to Xavier to fulfil his late wife's last wish. He was so lost in his bubble of happiness that he never really asked her how she felt about it. He knew being his bride was difficult and he was never there to share her burden that had been caused by him in the first place.

Xavier slowly stood up from his chair and moved towards her. Pulling the chair beside her, he sat on it. His veiny hand slowly reached out to the armrest of her chair and rolled it a little to come face to face with her.

"Tiara, please don't cry." His voice was soft, laced with pain that instantly made her look at him with wonder because it appeared to her like he really cared, but she knew better than to believe it.

"I wish I could help you but I really couldn't, Tiara." Xavier let out a defeated sigh and looked softly at her, "you know I have to take control over everything and in order to take the title of mafia king from my dad, I have to be married."

"I am eighteen, Xavier," Tiara reminded him. She knew that Xavier was hard to manipulate, but she needed to convince him at any cost. After all, it was her future that was at stake. " You can't marry me, I am too young for that." She appealed.

"Of course," Xavier exclaimed, "I won't marry you now but at the age of twenty-one." Although Xavier wouldn't have minded getting married to her right now because, sooner or later, she would be his wife, he knew Tiara wasn't mentally ready for a marriage now and he didn't want her to feel forced into marriage, he wouldn't be that selfish with her.

Tiara nodded her head; she knew she had to marry him to fulfil her late mother's last wish, but she just wanted to postpone it as long as possible because, like every other girl, she had dreamed of getting married to the man she loved and she needed some time to bury that dream in her heart that seemed to turn into a perfect graveyard ever since her mother died along with Xavier's in a car accident.

An eerie silence surrounded them, enabling his ear to hear her heart beat, her heart seemed to thump hard against her chest as she mercilessly bit her lower lip, lost in her thoughts oblivion from his gaze that seemed to have a different effect upon him witnessing that scene.

"Xavier," Her soft voice broke the deadly silence and Xavier was instantly pulled out of his desirous trance and looked away from her lips while gulping down the urge to lean in and taste those luscious lips to satisfy the itch, but he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

Tiara smiled sadly, her mind seemed to drift away in the past as she continued, "Our mothers came up with a sudden idea to marry us off to each other and then they both died the very next day." Tiara's eyes teared up as she recalled that horrific day that snatched both her mother and God mother away from her.

Xavier vividly remembered that day. It was the day both Tiara and Xavier lost their mothers. He remembered his father getting that call and rushing to the hospital with utter fear. He had never seen his dad afraid, but that day, that strong, cold-hearted mafia broke down in tears when doctors announced that his wife was dead. He remembered seeing twelve-year-old Tiara crying in her father's embrace, calling for her mother to wake up. He clearly remembered that the woman who used to love him dearly, his mother, was gone.

"We both loved our mothers, that we couldn't even deny it, since it had become their last wish." She wiped away her tears of grief, but one thing was clear, that if her mother was alive then she would never have agreed to marry Xavier and she was sure that even Xavier wouldn't have accepted her as his betrothed if his mother was alive. She knew he was clearly not interested in her in that way and so was she, but yet they were both tied up to show any defiance because of the elders that had already decided for them.

"You are ready to wait for me to turn twenty-one," Tiara said as a random thought came to her mind, "give me one more year to finish my college. I want to complete my studies first."

Xavier thought for a second and he agreed, as it seemed fair to him, " Okay, we will marry once you finish your college." It was the least he could do for her, because once she was married to him, then it would be difficult for her to go to college.

"Xavier, if you can wait for four years to get married to me, then why couldn't you let me go to England to study?" Tiara had that greed in her to go away so that she could taste the freedom.

"You know it's not possible," Xavier answered, slightly irritated by her persistent nagging, but still managed to keep his calm intact because it was Tiara he was dealing with and he always finds it strange that despite being short tempered he never really gets mad at her.

"All I am asking for is four years from my own life, Xavier." She was persistent and Xavier had no idea up until now that she could be this stubborn, "I beg you, Xavier." His heart seemed to clench in his chest as soon as she said those words.

"Please, Xavier, let me go and I promise after coming back I will be a perfect wife to you. I would obey your every command, but please grant me my wish." She was desperate and the need to go away from all of it, from her life and home was very dire, because in order to marry Xavier and survive that marriage she needed to live the life she wanted to live in those four years first.

Her words were sharp that pierced his heart and strangled his dreams. He didn't want her as his slave who would obey his commands but as an equal partner, as his wife. He wanted her love not compliance.

"You are not to obey but to rule beside me, Tiara." Her words had deeply wounded him because he got to know what kind of man she took him as. "If I were to be a king, then you would be my equal, my queen."

His words would have melted her heart because they were laced with sincerity, but Tiara found them rather mocking because of the circumstances and situation she was in and let out a humourless chuckle.

"If I am your equal, then why is it that I am here, Xavier?" He sensed the venom that seemed to form in her heart as she questioned him, "Why is it that I am begging you to let me fulfil my only dream and yet you keep denying me?" She demanded with a fire that was burning in her, a fire to take control and of freedom. A fire that aimed to burn every shackle of expectations and to take over her life.

Her words slapped him right across the face even though it was a virtual one, yet it managed to hit Xavier hard. He realized his words had no value for her because whatever she had said was correct.

"We are not equal, Xavier, we could never be and I have always known that." Her voice cracked, the venom in her voice turned into pity she had for her own self, "I have to crush my every single dream and take the responsibility as your wife. I know my happiness doesn't matter to anyone, but Xavier, we were friends when we were kids and, for the sake of that friendship, please let me be happy."

She cried over her pathetic life that was hers but was not really hers, as her parents had basically decided to throw her into a life she never wanted to be a part of. "Let me be happy even if it's for a little while." She pleaded to the man, the same man her parents had chosen as her husband long ago, snatching away the right from her to choose her own partner.

A hurricane of sorrow built inside him as he saw her like that. He felt utterly helpless and absolutely powerless despite being the mafia king. He had everything but none of that mattered to him because it was Tiara that his heart yearned for. The whole world feared him and yet he was afraid to make this blonde beauty cry because of him.

Xavier had always liked being in control but her tears made him vulnerable and he felt pathetic, ashamed of himself as it was the first time Tiara had asked him something and yet he refused her.

"Alright," Xavier spoke after a while, contemplating his thoughts, "you can go wherever you want, Tiara, if that's what makes you happy."

Tiara gasped in sheer shock "Really?" She couldn't believe it; she couldn't believe that she had managed to convince Xavier Black!

"We will marry soon once you are done with your studies." Xavier had decided that he was a king and it would be him who would make decisions for his queen and he could break every rule to make her happy.

Every cell in her body seemed excited, her green eyes shone with the glint of joy that his words had caused her and, not being able to control her happiness, she quickly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.

"Thank you! Thank you, Xavier!" she smiled and pulled him closer, "Thank you so much!" She was grateful and happy.

At first, Xavier was taken aback for a second, as he hadn't expected her to hug him so suddenly, despite being engaged for almost six years, they had always maintained their distance from each other because Tiara didn't like it and Xavier respected her and didn't want to make her uncomfortable around him.

Xavier finally returned her hug and smiled in contentment as he felt at peace with her this close to him. Her smell seemed to invade his thoughts but he didn't mind because Tiara always had this effect on him.

Tiara pulled away seconds after he hugged her back and Xavier had to let her go without being satisfied with the lifespan of their first hug.

Her cheeks turned red due to embarrassment as the realization of what she had done dawned upon her and it became hard for her to look into his eyes, "I a-am sorry." She bit her tongue as she found it even more embarrassing to shutter while apologizing.

"It's alright Tiara, we are engaged anyway." His remark made her flush even more and she quickly cleared her throat to shake away the awkward moment.

Xavier found her crimson red face adorable and made him skip his heart beat. He knew she was shy and he liked that about her a lot. Although she would be eighteen soon, yet he found her like a little baby, utterly pure and innocent to understand anything in this cruel world.

Xavier knew that by allowing her to go to England, he had broken rules and had stood up against his own father, but he didn't care because the smile she had on her face was worth everything. He could do anything for Tiara and her happiness.

He just hoped that by this moment she would at least get the idea that he liked her although he wanted to tell her that he loved her but couldn't find the courage to do so. He was a man of few words and had always been bad when it came to putting his emotions in words. He just hoped that she was taking note of all his actions and efforts.

He just wanted her to acknowledge his efforts for her so that she could fall for him as well, but unbeknownst to him, it was the very moment that made her think about going away and never to come back again. It was the moment where the spark of betrayal swept through her body for the first time.