Fatal Alliances: Chapter 42
I was unsure about how to feel at the moment. I was about to see who my actual father was after all. Yet, I was afraid. I was scared of him, of what I heard about him. I hated him for committing all those sinful deeds, for hurting others and ruining families. Still, I was curious to see who this man was. The man that was somehow linked to every screw-up I knew about in my life, the man who was responsible for all this pain, for everyone’s agony.
Throwing on a long flowing pink dress with laced sleeved, I neatly brushed my hair and exited the room. Finny and Ricardo stood in the drawing-room, all dressed in their suit and tie. I noticed Donnie fixing his tie while looking at his reflection in the mirror. Huh, I didn’t even realize when he got here. Adrian, of course, stood high and mighty in his fine-tailored charcoal suit. Something about him seemed so contrasted from the way he was this morning. He was oddly all calm and collected now. Then again, things happened.
“How do I look?” I asked Finny with a playful smile. I felt somehow comfortable around him, like I could joke around and tell him anything without thinking twice. It was nice to have a relationship with someone like that, someone you could be open with. Honestly, I was really happy to have him around again.
“Like an angel.” He replied delightfully.
Adrian stood at the side, gazing at me. I swore I even saw a hint of a soft smile play at the edge of his lips, but maybe it was just my imagination. I couldn’t help but notice how he looked. There was something different about him, I don’t know what. It’s just that he always seemed to have this God-like allure to him. The way he stood, carried about himself, and spoke. He was the epitome of perfection and male beauty. Maybe he noticed me staring at him for too long, because he slightly arched his eyebrow in a questioning manner towards me. Automatically, I snapped my attention away from him. God, I wish I hadn’t stared.
“We should get going now.” He announced, throwing an irritated look at Donnie, who was still in front of the mirror.
“Where’s Barney?” I asked, noticing his absence.
“He’s not going. It’s better if he stays out of this matter. He has nothing to do with it.” Ricardo said walking out of the house as everyone also followed.
I felt uneasy as I sat in the car with Adrian. He hadn’t said a word to me. I swear this man was going to drive me insane. Thankfully, it wasn’t that far until we reached our destination.
Upon arriving at the house, I was a bit surprised at how massive it actually was. No, not house, mansion. Elites gracefully crawled around the place as most entered through the colossal doorway. This man lived life large, literally. There it was, the place where Rocillie lived, where my father lived. How screwed up was that? I couldn’t move. I wasn’t able to. I felt like a statue in front of the place, feeling my insides melting. Adrian took note of me and came to my side.
“What are you doing?” He asked, “Stop looking so petrified.”
“Adrian, I can’t go in there,” I replied, tugging onto his arm.
“What?”
“I can’t, I just-”
“You look fine.” He said, stepping in front of me with a smile.
“It’s not that.”
His smile soon turned into a somewhat unsettled expression. He knew what I was talking about, how I was feeling. I knew he knew. His concern was evident. Giving a sigh, he looked at me with drowning eyes, “We can go back if you want.”
That wasn’t what I expected him to say. Would he really just drop everything and leave for me? I couldn’t believe that. “What?”
“I’ll take you back. Barney will stay with you at the house if you want.”
No, no I couldn’t put him through that trouble again. What if I decide to leave and someone I love gets hurt? I remembered what the man said. Rocillie already hurt Finny, I don’t want him to hurt anyone else. No, I wouldn’t leave. I can’t.
“No, I’m sorry, I’m just nervous. It’s fine.” I lied.
“Greene, if you’re not comfortable here.”
“No, I’m fine. Really,” I tried to convince him.
Somehow, I knew he didn’t buy it. He always knew when I was lying. It was a pointless thing to do in front of him. Adrian shook his head disapprovingly at me, “You really are something.” Allowing me to loop my arm in his, we walked into what seemed to be a vortex back to the Elizabethan Era crossed with the modern world of fashion and food. Walking up to Finny, who stood in the middle of the hall, I unlocked my hold on Adrian.
“Don’t I still have to sign the documents?” I questioned.
“Yes, Donnie’s supposed to have them with him,” Adrian stated, looking around the room for him. I didn’t see him, all I saw was Ricardo and Finny, who were right next to me.
“He must be in the restroom?” Finny shrugged.
“Wait, so you brought all those papers here?” I asked quite astonished, “For me to sign here?”
“No, you idiot. Donnie had them in a bag in the car. He forgot to take them out when he arrived at the house, so he has them with him now. It isn’t safe to keep them unguarded.”
“Oh. Well, you don’t have to call me an idiot! God, would it kill you to be nice to me?” I hissed at Adrian angrily and walked over to the punch bowl.
For some strange reason, I had a dreading feeling. Something wasn’t right. If Rocillie wanted us here, then where was he? I swallowed the drink in my hand as if it were some kind of poison. Wow, maybe I was a bit too paranoid about being here.
“Excuse me.” A smooth deep voice at the side called to me.
Slightly startled, I turned to absorb the features of a tall man around Adrian’s age. His sandy blonde hair gave him that beach look yet his eyes seemed to be the most consuming green I had ever seen.
“Umm, hello.” My voice wavered a bit.
“You seemed to look a bit tense, Miss?”
“Greene.” I answered, “It’s Juliet.”
“Greene,” He smiled, “Juliet Greene. What a beautiful name.”
I felt a bit awkward when he said that, “No…it’s not, really.” I replied, softly lowering my eyes from him.
“Miss Greene, may I have this dance with you?”
“What?” I responded a bit taken back.
He waited for my answer,
“I- I’m not the best dancer.”
“It’s fine.” He said, suddenly taking my hand in his and pulling me across into the sea of dancing couples.
Placing his hand at the small of my back, I awkwardly adjusted myself to him. It’s where this all felt so wrong. The sensation I had when Adrian held me felt different. This man made me feel unsettled and guilty of just being in his presence. Why was I feeling like this? What was wrong with me?
“You can call me Erik.” He breathed pulling me, by my waist, a bit closer to him.
I shrugged at the uneasiness that was drowning me.
Oh, how I wished I wasn’t in this situation. I didn’t even want to hear the guy speak.
“Miss Greene.” My name was called again.
This time, it was said in an irritated cold tone.
There’s only one person who says my name like that.
Quickly pulling away from Erik, I turned around to face my wonderful bastard.
“Adrian.” I breathed in relief with a subtle smile.
“Miss Greene, what are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to stay in one place?” He scowled, taking my hand in his almost possessively.
“I-”
“Oh,” Erik voiced, looking at us, “Is he your brother?”
I blinked, completely fazed by what he said. What the hell did he just ask? Adrian’s face seemed to turn stone hard and I noticed how clenched his jawline became.
“I’m not,” Vandermir stated, in a surprisingly calm manner, yet his expression seemed like he wanted to silently murder Erik.
“Oh, I see.” Erik nodded when suddenly his phone rang and he smiled goodbye at us. It was a bit abrupt to be honest, he almost seemed scared. Poor guy.
“What is your problem?” I frowned, shifting my attention to Vandermir, who shockingly pulled me towards him.
“You don’t listen.”
“My dearest Vandermir, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I teased with a bit of attitude, “You told me nothing of ‘staying in any place’.”
“Wasn’t that understood?” He asked, softening his expression and caressing my waist where his hand was placed.
“Don’t do that.” I laughed softly, burying my head into his shirt. He seemed startled at my actions and cleared his throat.
“Miss Greene, people are looking.”
Taking a deep breath, I slightly pulled away, “What’s with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you didn’t have to scare the guy off Adrian. I can dance with whoever I want.”
“I never said you can’t.” He corrected.
“But you- why would- you’re so complicated.”
He smiled at my words as he released me.
“Excuse me.” I mirrored his expression and headed back to find a restroom. I really had to compose myself, as my face was becoming a little too pink.
Turning around a corner, I steadied my heart rate. What the hell was happening to me? What was Adrian doing to me? I never felt like this before. I should be mad at him right? I should be mad at him for being a dictator again, shouldn’t I? Why wasn’t I? Why was I feeling like this?
Suddenly, I swore I heard someone scream. Just when I convinced myself I was hearing things, I heard the sudden yell of pain again. Okay, so this was probably real. Rushing down the end of the hallway I made a turn, only to take note of a tall young man with tousled blonde hair hitting a young girl, who looked like a housemaid, mercilessly with an iron rode which looked like it was broken from the foot of a chair. Oh God, he was going to kill her.
“Stop it!” I yelled rushing towards him to stop him from hitting the poor girl any further.
I was suddenly slammed into the wall murderously and caged in by the arms of the stranger in front of me.
“What the hell are you doing here!” He exclaimed, stabbing me with his icy blue eyes. The way he said that almost sounded like he knew me. All I could see through him was anger, hatred, danger. It was odd, because he wasn’t even looking like a ruffian. He was dressed in a fine Armani suit. Clutching me by the arm, he shoved me to the ground in a vigorous force. The girl who had been beaten sat in a slumped position watching horrified with laboured breaths. My heart hammered and pain shot through me as he kicked me in the stomach.
“Don’t, Lucas! You’ll hurt her!” A girl’s voice yelled to him.
Lucas?
“Shut up, Melissa!” He raged back to her as he yanked me up to him.
Everything was so foggy to me at the minute. That girl, she’s… Finny’s sister?
“Damn it, Lucas! She’s your sister! You can’t kill her, Rocillie would kill you!” She shouted.
Sister?
He robustly tossed me at the side. Just when I thought I was about to fall, I didn’t.
“Julie!” I heard Finny’s sweet voice panic as he caught me in his arms.
“You have some nerve to be treating a lady like that.” Adrian’s voice edged towards him.
Rubbing away my cloudy vision, I noticed Adrian standing next to us with Ricardo at the side. That girl- Melissa helped the young housemaid up and stood behind the guy named Lucas. I couldn’t help but realize how everyone had been looking at her. Well, except Lucas and I, of course.
“Melissa.” Finny breathed in disbelief.
“Hello, Finny.” She smiled with a painful sob.
“All these years you were here,” Adrian stated with a harsh voice.
“You have to believe me,” She began as she stepped in front of Lucas, “What I did. I left. I hurt everyone. I’m sorry I- I couldn’t face anyone again that’s why I’m here. I know I’d done wrong. When I’d left you all thought I was dead. You all thought Rocillie killed me but… I …” Stopping, she locked eyes with Adrian, “I got married. To Rocillie’s son, Lucas.”
When she said that, Adrian’s eyes seemed to flicker a bit. Was he hurt? I didn’t understand what that look meant. It couldn’t be anger, or was it? I mean, if she was the girl that he had loved all his life, the girl he thought was dead but now found alive and says she’s already taken and married. How would that make him feel?
How does this make me feel?
As she walked up to him, she gently touched his face giving an angelic smile. And there it was again, that aching feeling engulfed me as I looked at her brushing her fingers against his chiseled clean-shaven face. Adrian didn’t say a word to her. Why didn’t he? Did he enjoy it when she touched him like that? God, she was married and she was being so physical with another man? And on top of that, her husband was right there. Her husband, he- he’s- my brother? Which means… she’s my… sister-in-law?
Good Lord.
Somehow the pain I felt in my stomach died, and a more intense one grew within my chest. Honestly, the sight of her being so close to him felt like kryptonite to superman. And that was very wrong of me to think because I had nothing to do with Adrian Vandermir in that way.
“My, I do hope my party is entertaining enough.” A smooth voice chuckled from behind us.
Turning around, I felt as if I just hit a hard brick wall. Standing a few feet away from us stood an elegant middle-aged man all dressed in a dark grey suit and blonde hair neatly combed. He looked very polished. That man, he was the same man from the hospital. He was the one I had bumped into and spilled his coffee on the ground. That stranger- he- oh my god.
He was Rocillie.
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