Devil’s Dinner

The Real Game

“Can’t wait to be with you again Xander,I love you so much”

Ashley read the content of the message and she felt so sad as she could already picture what her marriage would be like.

She retreated back to the bed and waited for Xander to come back.

“Why are you still in that dress? Are you scared I might take advantage of you?” Xander said with a soft chuckle.

“No, actually I need help with the zip and the Kalyan kinda tied the strings in a complicated manner” she explained and pout her lips gently.

“Come here” Xander stated.

Ashley walked over to him and turned her back in which he he started with the strings of the dress.

One after the other,he untie the strings and put it apart from the rest exposing her smooth fair skin.

Xander finished untying the strings for her and zipped her dress down for her but he just could not ignore how clean and sexy her back view is.

“You done?” Ashley asked and he stuttered a yes before looking away.

He picked his phone and saw the message,then he went back to the bed to reply the message.

“The bathroom is that way and the closet is just opposite” Xander explained.

Ashley went to the bathroom to freshen up as well.

She entered the bathtub and felt so much peace with the water on her skin.

After a while, she went through her closet but what she is seeing is not what she expected at all.

“Who packed my clothes for me” she whined as she ruffles her fingers through her hair feeling so embarrassed.

All she is seeing is a provocative night dress, braziers, strap top and G-strings.

When she knows she could not stay in a towel all night,she finally pull out a short laced gown very up above her thigh level with a strapped top exposing her cleavage.

At first she was embarrassed to come out to the room but then Xander saw her hiding and putting her hands on her thigh to cover it up,he picked two pillows to place boundaries on the bed.

“Don’t worry I won’t touch you when I know we both feel nothing for each other,I’m not like that” Xander said and turned the other way to continue typing on his phone.

With that,Ashley came out of the closet and climbed the bed before covering her body with the duvet.

Xander was still typing on his phone and Ashley could not sleep immediately so she decided to talk about what she saw back at the hotel room.

“Uhm Xander... is there anything you want to know about me?” She questioned nervously.

Xander pauses his finger work on the phone and replied her “i believe I have known everything I should know already, I know you lost your mother 6 years ago and your father too of recent and you were stranded at New York with your younger sister before you came down here to get married to me” Xander said.

Ashley was surprised at how blunt he is and his feeling of indifference towards about her personal life.

“Yeah...I guess that’s all “she said and remained quiet for a while but she could not forget the scene she witnessed.

“Is there anything you want to tell me by chance?” She stated.

Xander drop his phone and sit upright as he draws the duvet over to his waist level.

“You sound like a wife in trouble... Ash listen, this kind of conversation is not for us, I clearly told you about the contract right? No involvement with our private lives “ Xander said right to her face but trying not to sound mean at the same time.

Ashley’s theories and rehearsed questions about the girl in the hotel room vanished immediately and she felt so sick in her stomach.

She dropped all her hopes and turned to the other side of the bed covering her face with the duvet.

“I promise not to let my actions affect you in any way if that is your concern” he said.

“That is the least I can do” he added but Ashley remained fixed under the duvet with no reaction from her.

Xander thought she drifted off to sleep already or probably ignoring him so he went to sleep as well.

Meanwhile, underneath the duvet is Ashley feeling so sad and disappointed. She wiped her tears and sniffed in “You having another girl in your heart is hurtful enough” she said in a whisper but Xander heard her anyway.

“Don’t love me Ash, I’m not a good man” he warned.

.......

Michael drove Dara back to his house to spend the night.

Michael arranges the guest room for her and she uttered a thanks to him.

“Dara” he called her softly.

Dara halter her steps and turned to face him with pride on her face.

“Thanks for showing me your true self,it’s a good thing you almost died” he said and left immediately.

Dara scoffed at his remark and yelled at him “You are the one who should control your emotion and wisen up”

Michael paused at first “And right you will be staying here for a while only, once Xander comes back from his honeymoon you will leave” he said.

“He told me it is only for a night, it’s not a real honeymoon anyway”she said with a smirk.

GRIMES MANSION

Kalyan arrived home few minutes back but she could not sleep, the house feels empty without her big sister around.

She passed an hour by chatting with Rachel and Jeremy but then they bid her goodnight and she’s all alone.

She felt so lonely that she wanna cry,feeling pitiful and guilty about her sister’s action by getting married to a man she didn’t love.

She faced her mirror and started talking to herself.

“Why must you be so nice? Even if you are the first born you deserve to chase your own dreams... its normal to be selfish sometimes.

If only I could reverse time and be the elder one instead...gosh I’m sure I will also put you first” she sobbed silently and stare at her sisters picture on her phone.

She heard a sudden sound from the hallway and it sounds as ceramics breaking.

Kalyan was scared at first and then the light went off.

Now this is becoming so scary for her considering the lights here have never went off before since she got here.

She retreated to her bed and covered the herself with the duvet.

She waited patiently for minutes and then the light came back on, she heaved a sigh of relief and stare at the door.

Then she heard someone screaming before it was cut off immediately.

She could feel her heart come up her throat already and sweat filling her face.

Kalyan waited for another minute before she jumped out of her bed to lock her door.

She was about to lock the door when her instinct went over her fear that she should peek through the hallway and she did.

To her utmost surprise,she saw a quick movement of a maid being dragged away but she didn’t get to see the person dragging her.

She gasped in fear and slammed her door hard before putting it on lock.

She put her back against the door trying to calm her fears down and then a knock cane on her door immediately.

She screamed and retreated from the door in fear.

The knock continued and she could not utter a word out of her mouth.

Then she recollect a similar incident in the past, it was not a so clear memory with the fact that she was a kid back then, she saw a woman being in the same position as her right now and with a baby crying in the background.

“Little Kalyan,can you come and open the door?” Mrs.Grimes voice broke the yoke of her blurred memories and her heartbeat became so fast.

The voice sounds familiar and somehow with the sentence as well.

She sniffed in and wiped her sweat with her bare hand before going to get the door.

Mrs Grimes appeared to her face and scanned her from head to toe.

“What happened to you?” She asked.

“Uh... I was working out actually, I could not sleep so I decided to work out a little” she explained though pausing midway.

“I see! Congratulations to you guys, thanks to your sister you have now become the legal members of the Grimes Family” she said with a smile.

“All thanks to your gracious approach ma’am” she uttered.

“Don’t miss her too much, the might will soon be over “ Mrs Grimes said.

The statement made Kalyan froze and she could not decipher why she has been behaving like that anytime it’s with Mrs Grimes, maybe she had a bad past with her or she was just imagining things based on what she heard from school and people.

Mrs.Grimes exited her room and Kalyan locked the door lost in thought.

She sat down beside her bed and hugged her knees tight.

ROYAL PALACE

May could be seen helping her lady, Princess Vivian to change her clothes and clean her makeup. She is retiring for the night already.

“My lady, you seem to favor this bride more than the previous ones why?” May questioned as she removed her lady’s shoe.

Princess heaved a sigh and picked up an old paper on her table.

“This letter is 6 years old still I don’t understand its content “ she said.

“A letter? From who? Is it in another language entirely? I can look for a translator if you want” May suggested.

“No May, I don’t think a translator is what I need, I need Ashley close to me... I think she is the only one that can help me and to achieve that, her marriage with Xander is needed “ she said.

“I don’t think I understand this my lady”

“Well everyone believe I’m an irresponsible spoilt princess that just likes to shop,foolishly sign decrees with the royal seal and squander money, I’ve been wearing this mask for years now.

I forged Father’s writing about the royal marriage, signed it with the royal seal and intentionally got it discovered by Mr.Grimes people in the palace.

It’s surprising enough that the marriage didn’t take place when Felix Whites was still alive but after his death instead”

“Wow my lady, you are truly one respected and wise woman. You set up the royal marriage but why helping Dara back to the palace when Ashley can work just right for your plan?” May asked.

“Dara is just a mischievous greedy girl right from when she was a kid.

I know everything she’s been up to with Xander and Michael I brought her back into the game to help open Ashley’s eyes to the world she is living in, I hope that happens really quick and then she would come running to me for help.

In return for her cooperation, I will tell her who gave me this letter and what happened that night at the royal rendition on the sea” Princess Vivian said with a grin.

“I promise to be of help to you in any way my lady” May said.

“Thanks May, you are the only one that stayed with me till now and kept my secret”

May smiled and Vivian flashed her a satisfied smile also.

GRIMES MANSION

The maids could be seen forming a line in front of Mrs.Grimes.

All shivering in fear and some clutching their dress tightly.

“I thought I clearly warned you all to stay away from the room upstairs” The head maid said in the meanest tone ever.

The maids remained quiet with their heads buried down.

“This will be the last time I’ll repeat myself also Ava left for her hometown already, said her grandmother is sick” the head maid said and Mrs.Grimes put on a smile seeing as her personal maid is handling the situation so well.