In an instant, father was yanked off me and was thrown across the room, like he weighed nothing. He hit the floor, hard, groaning in pain. I turned my head to see who had come in and found someone I never imagined would save me. Alexander.
He was standing tall in the middle, his presence filling the room like a storm. He stalked towards father as he tried to raise up and kneed him in his chest, forcing him back to the floor.
"You still dare," Alexander growled, his voice cold and venomous, "after everything you have done?"
Father coughed, his gasping for air.
"She's my daughter, I can…"
"Daughter? You call her your daughter when you treat her like this? You're nothing but a coward."
He stepped back, only to bring his foot down on father's chest, pinning him to the ground like an insect.
I watched, frozen, my heart pounding in-between my ribcage. I should have felt relieved that someone was finally defending me, but I didn't. Father's nose was broken, blood was oozing out of his mouth. He groaned beneath Alexander's weight, and the look on Alexander's face terrified me. He wasn't just angry; he was furious, seething, and I didn't need anyone to tell me how far he would go.
"I warned you, didn't I?"
"She's nothing. It doesn't matter…"
Alexander's foot pressed harder, silencing him. "Say another word, and watch everything you built crumble before your eyes."
I could barely breathe. My body ached, my face stung, and yet none of it compared to the fear clawing its way through my chest. If I didn't stop him, he might kill my father.
Ignoring the pain, I pushed myself to my feet. My legs trembled beneath me, but I forced them to move.
"Alexander…" My voice was weak, yet he was too focus on father to hear me.
He raised his foot again, ready to strike.
"Stop!" I cried, stumbling forward and grabbing his leg.
His body went rigid at my hold. Slowly, he looked down at me. His eyes were wild, burning with anger, but as they met mine, they softened slightly, or so I thought.
"Please," I whispered, my voice shaking. "That's enough. He's… he's still my father."
For a moment, I thought he wouldn't listen. His jaw tightened, and his fist clenched at his sides. But then, he exhaled sharply and stepped back, letting my father's head fall to the side with a groan.
Alexander reached for me, and grabbed my wrist, firm but not rough. "Come," he said, his voice still sharp but quieter now.
I didn't resist as he pulled me out of the study. I was too weak, my mind was too cloudy to process what had just happened. Just when I thought that I finally left my father clutches only to get reminded that I was still his worthless daughter even though I was married. I wondered if I would ever be able to get freedom from him.
We were almost at the front door when a voice stopped us.
"Well, isn't this a sight?"
My breath went still for a second. That voice. It was calm, smooth, and unmistakable.
I slowly turned my gaze to the direction, and there she was. Claudia.
She was standing at the base of the stairs, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
I wasn't prepared to see her so soon, at least not with Alexander. What would I say? How would I defend myself?
As Claudia began to approach us, I stepped closer to Alexander as if that alone would shield me from whatever was coming.
Claudia's gaze flicked to Alexander, then to me. "So it's true," she said, almost amused. "When I heard about the marriage, I thought it was a joke. But no… it's very real, isn't it?"
She stepped closer, her heels clicking against the tiled floor.
I swallowed, my pulse racing in my ears. I had expected the worst to happen when she found out, but never thought I would be more scared of this calm and composed version of hers.
"Congratulations," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Really, I'm happy for you both."
Her attention shifted to Alexander, and she moved closer to him, so close I thought she might kiss him.
"You never officially broke our engagement, Alex," she said softly, her voice like silk. "Technically, you're still my fiancé. I believe we can still work it out."
Alexander's jaw tightened, and I felt his grip on my hand tighten too. But she was right. He never broke their engagement and suddenly married me. So, he was still her fiancè and I didn't know how to feel about that.
Without a word, Alexander walked past her, pulling me along with him.
I glanced back at Claudia, who was still smiling, her eyes glinting with an emotion I couldn't quite name.
I had a strong feeling that this wasn't over. Claudia wouldn't surrender like that. And I hated to admit that I was scared.
We arrived at the mansion, and I sat quietly on the bed, afraid to make any sound, while Alexander stood a few steps away, his back to me. I knew he was still angry, it was visible in his posture, but he wasn't saying anything because of my condition.
"Why did you go there?" He finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.
"He called to see me…" I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Why?"
"For some revised contract… I don't know…"
He slowly turned around to face me. He seemed even more furious hearing that, disappointed even. Why? Did I say something wrong?
"And you went there?" he said in dismay. I looked down at my hands, unable to respond. "If your father wanted to talk business, he should have shown his face in front of me, not you. You know nothing about contracts."
Wait… Did he just call me useless? Or too dumb to understand something as simple as a contract? What did he take me for?
I swallowed the sudden anger bubbling inside of me and forced a sigh through my throat.
"Why did you revise the contract?" I asked.
"Your father should have been grateful I even offered him 20%. He should have accepted with pride. But instead, he chose to be a fool. And now?" He paused, his gaze narrowing. "He's getting nothing."
My eyes widened.
He continued. "Not only that, but I will make him regret the decisions he made. Every single one."
I stared at him, trying to understand what he meant. "Why?"
He looked at me for a long moment before letting out a low humorless chuckle. "No," he said, more to himself. "I shouldn't be telling you this. You're his daughter, after all. His blood runs in your veins, even if he doesn't see you as his."
Now, I was even more confused. What did he mean? Did he think I was like my father?
As if noticing the confusion on my face, he smirked faintly. "Don't think too much about it," he said. "You should rest now, the doctor will be here to check on you."
And just like that, he turned around and walked out of the room.
I stared at the door long after he was gone, my mind consumed with different thoughts. Why was he so angry at my father? Was it because he hurt me? Or he just didn't like him? And wait… how did he know I went to my father?