Chapter Three - Heiress
1285 Words
“We're here.”
Xavier's tender voice awoke Alicia, who had fallen asleep during their journey.
She rubbed her eyes gently and forced them open as she stared at a massive building before her. The mansion was a light shade of milk and reached to the skies.
There were guards mounted at every corner of the house and a security checkpoint at the gate.
As Xavier drove closer to the gates, they gradually slid open, and he drove into the compound.
“Is this some kind of secret agent headquarters?” She yawned.
“No,” said Xavier. “It's your home.”
Alicia stared at him. She laughed, just like she did when she was told by the doctor that she was pregnant earlier today, but he said nothing further until he parked the car inside the garage.
Alicia counted seven other cars parked in the garage. Two were covered with a cloak, like a gift waiting to be unwrapped on Christmas day.
“Come on,” Xavier waved at her. “She's waiting inside for us.”
“Who?”
“You'll find out soon enough.”
Alicia stopped and let the distance between her and Xavier stretch a little farther off so that he wouldn't be able to reach her. Then she ran. Sprinting towards the slowly closing gates, her heartbeat raced faster with every step towards her freedom and the wind pushing against her hair sent chills down her spine.
She was almost there; she was almost free, but then a guard twice the size of Xavier stood by the gate and blocked what was left of an exit before the gates closed.
Forcing herself to come to a halt, she collided roughly into the body of the guard, who seized by the hands and lifted her above his shoulders.
“Let me go!” She yelled.
Her struggle was pointless. Her feeble body was no match for the man beast who held her captive.
“Help me! Someone please save me!” She cried, but it was of no use.
The mansion was isolated at the end of a lonely street that led up the hills. It overlooked the oceans and was a perfect place to watch the sunset.
“You're on private property, woman, stop making a fuss,” the guard finally spoke with a harsh voice as he continued his journey to the house.
Alicia tossed and turned. She slammed her fists against his back as hard as she could, but he didn't flinch. She slowly accepted her fate, and soon they were inside the enormous living room.
Xavier was standing at the glass covered end of the living room with a bottle of wine in his hand. He turned on hearing her mumbles and found the guard dropping her roughly to the ground.
“Ouch!” she groaned. “That hurt.”
Xavier took a sip of the wine and dropped the bottle on the table.
He trotted towards the guard with a menacing look on his face. Standing before him, Xavier scoffed and struck the guard with a heavy blow that caused him to stagger backwards before steadying himself.
Alicia was in shock and asked. “What was that for? Do you just go about hitting people?” She scorned him, remembering that he almost ran her over with a car, but Xavier simply answered.
“He hurt you,” and walked back to take his bottle of wine.
The guard bowed his head and left them alone in the room. The silence between them was deafening. Alicia stood to her feet and approached Xavier.
“Why did you bring me here? What do you want from me?” She asked, pain imminent in her voice.
“Why won't you accept the truth already? This is your home, Alicia Boston, and I am your husband,” he answered.
“You know my name. How do you know my name?”
Xavier chuckles. “You've always been a drama queen,” he said.
“Drama queen? You nearly ran me over with your car!” Alicia yelled, and Xavier groaned bitterly.
“Are we going to argue this again?”
“Yes, we are. What sort of sick monster nearly runs down a pregnant woman and kidnaps her?”
Xavier smiled. “A few hours ago, you said you couldn't be pregnant for a monster. And I am very sure that I didn't force you into that car. You followed me on your own free will.”
“I was stranded and in a vulnerable place. What other choice did I have?” Alicia explained, realizing that Xavier was winning this argument.
“Who are you? Why am I here? And please don't give me that nonsense of being your wife. What do you want from me?”
“He wants nothing from you,” answered an elderly woman as she walked into the living room with a newspaper in her hands.
The voice was familiar, a comforting voice Alicia knew all too well. She turned around, her heart sank into her stomach and her eyes lit up with excitement.
“Nana, you're here. How are you here? What's going on?” Alicia asked her grandma.
“Is that how you greet your grandma after how many years of being away?” Nana smiled.
Alicia laughed through her tears and ran towards her grandma. She hugged her tight and kissed her cheeks. She was safe again, in the woman's embrace who raised her.
“You've grown so much over three years,” Nana laughed. “I believe you must have already met Xavier.”
Alicia let go and wiped her tears. “Yes, I have. What's going on?” She asked again. “He keeps saying that he's my husband, and that this is my home.”
“He's telling the truth,” Nana sighed.
Alicia kept quiet and waited for her Nana to explain what was going on. She had a seat on the sofa and motioned for her granddaughter to join her.
“I'll let you both catch up,” Xavier announced. “Grandma B, I'll be in the study room if you need me.”
“That's fine, son. Thank you for bringing her back safely to me.” Alicia's grandma smiled.
Xavier nodded his head and walked away.
Alicia watched him leave the living room, then returned her attention to her grandma.
“What happened between you and your husband?” Nana laughed.
Alicia rolled her eyes at her grandma. “It's not funny,” she sighed. She folded her arms and looked away, avoiding her grandmother's look of “I told you so.”
“I'm glad you ended things with that monster,” her grandma said.
“Enough about Kelvin. It's bad enough that I'm pregnant for him,” Alicia mumbled.
“You can't keep that child,” her grandma declared.
Her grandmother's announcement marveled Alicia. An abortion was the very last thing on her mind, and she wouldn't have her unborn child suffer the sins of his father.
“Alicia, you will get rid of that thing inside you.”
“I will do no such thing,” she responded. “Kelvin may have been a monster to me, but my child won't have to pay for that. I won't kill my baby.”
“How can you say that? You know nothing about him, do you?” Her grandma asked. “Didn't Xavier say anything to you?”
“No, he didn't. What's truly going on?”
Nana sighed. “Alicia, there's something I should have told you long ago. It's about your parents, your past. I'm sorry.”
- Writer
