Chapter 3

The air was sucked out of the cafe the moment he stepped inside. He walked like he owned the place with his cold and intense eyes locked on me. 

There was not a single per cent of remorse or guilt in them. 

He flicked his fingers and suddenly his men came forward and dragged the staff away. Lily screamed my name once before the broken door slammed shut behind her.

He walked inside casually as if nothing had happened. My heart shattered in my chest when he threw the nameplate away. 

My palms fisted on my side, my jaw clenched and my eyes narrowed at him. 

“What?” He drawled, turning his head to me, “No welcome drink today?”

I stomped to him with the urge to punch his mouth and break his jaw so he can't say anything anymore but I didn't want to get my hands dirty by touching him. 

"Why the hell did you do this?" My voice came out louder than I expected "To feed your ego? Are you satisfied now?" 

One side of his lips curled up into a smirk as he took a small step toward me, swallowing up my personal space. His large frame towered above me but I didn't back down. I was seeing him up this close after a long time but nothing mattered. 

I was blinded by pure anger. I can't see anything other than red. I didn't blink while I stared right into his eyes. 

"No," he chuckled. "Not yet." his eyes moved around my face, lingering on my lips longer than required 

“This?” He gestured to the broken café. “This is me being gentle, sweetheart. You remember how I am when I’m not gentle… in and out of the bedroom. Don’t you?”

He smirked

"I hate you!" I spat

He laughed and looked away. 

"I don't expect anything else from you. And baby..." His eyes snapped at me. "I hate you enough to wish I'd ended you the day you ended me. But now when I am back, I don't want to give you such an easy punishment." 

Out of nowhere his hand came up towards my face. I was quick in moving my head away. 

"Don't you dare touch me!" I spat through clenched teeth. 

One of his eyebrows shot up in amusement. I inhaled and exhaled sharply to control myself. 

"You look cute when angry," he chuckled softly. "How much I missed this fire of yours. It would be fun..." 

"GET OUT!" 

I shouted and took a step back when his hand was about to reach out for my waist. 

His eyes widened slightly. Just a centimetre before coming back to normal. 

"If you think by doing this you will bring me on my knees, asking for your mercy, then think again!" I spat venomously, "Just get out of my place, right now." 

"Your place?" He laughed, throwing his head back. 

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." 

My eyebrows drew in confusion as he started walking around me. I could feel his eyes burning holes in my body. 

"This place is mine." 

He came in front of me, pocketed his hand and leaned forward slightly to assert his words. 

"Every single thing here belongs to me." His eyes moved down my body. 

My breath hitched in my throat, and my eyes widened. Ripples of shock went through my entire being. 

"What are you..."

"I have bought this place from your so-called landlord," he smirked. 

I felt the ground slipping from my feet. 

How could he do this? 

I thought of building it back but he has ruined that hope of mine too. 

"Now you, or anyone else, can never ask me to leave this place," he raved. 

Wounded! 

He did all this because I wounded his ego. 

I shivered when he took a small step towards me, breathing in the same air. 

"And you already know how possessive I am of my belongings. Don't you?" 

His eyes narrowed at me. Mischievousness was dancing in them. I swallowed hard as my eyes stung with tears. I wanted to cry but not in front of him. 

I know he wanted to see me breaking so I inhaled a deep breath, squared my shoulders and straightened up. 

"Congratulations on your new possession, Mr Vaughn!" 

Stating that I walked past him to mind my way. There was no point in arguing with him because he doesn't have a brain to think rationally. 

"Cynthia." I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard my name from his mouth after years. Breath sucked out of my throat. I didn't turn but I was all ears to him. "Make sure you don't cross my path again because then the next thing I will be claiming will be you!" 

"I am not an object to be claimed," I said over my shoulder.

I didn’t give him time to answer. I walked away, but his voice chased me like a curse.

"You are. My most precious object."

Ignoring his words, I ran out of the cafe only to find the people still gathered around. I saw sympathy in their eyes, which I didn't want. I didn’t want anyone’s pity.

I ran to my car, leaned against it and breathed heavily, trying to calm myself down. I pressed my palm against my chest. I was afraid it might burst out any moment. 

I would have to be strong. Once, he stood against the world for me. Now, he is the world standing against me.

His eyes were telling that he is not letting go of the past so easily. 

My phone rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I pulled it out of my pocket. 

Adrian?

I inhaled another deep breath, wiped the sweat from my face, and swallowed hard to sound normal. 

"Hello Adrian." 

"Hello Cynthia. Is everything fine there? Are you okay?" He asked. 

My eyes drifted to my ruined cafe. I wanted to scream and tell him everything. How the monster ruined not only my years of hard work but also a way to keep my daughter alive. 

"Cynthia, are you there?" His words snapped me out of my words. 

"Yeah!" I cleared my throat. 

I can't say anything more than this. He would easily catch my lie. 

"Okay... Cynthia, listen to me." I could hear him breathing heavily. "I am taking Aurora to the hospital. Please come. Fast" 

"Hospital?" The colour drained from my face, and suddenly I forgot about everything else…