Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Mikaela:

“Ethan.” was all I managed to say. What followed was silence. Heavy silence. One that weighed down my shoulders. And all I could hear was my own heart thumping in my chest.

His jaw tightening and his hot glare pinned me in place, slicing through me. There was something his gaze held. Something heavier than rage– hatred.

“You were the last person with her. And now, she is…” He choked on his next word as if he was avoiding it.

He raised his body, and I stepped closer.

“Don't.” He spat, his voice barely above a whisper, but I could tell he was restraining himself from doing something reckless.

His shoulders were rising and falling rapidly as his apple bobbed up and down.

His eyes tore from mine. Then, he dipped his hand into his pocket, and fetched his phone out.

“Ethan.” I mumbled, my lips trembling. I blinked rapidly, trying to hold my tears from falling, but with each blink, the burn of the hot tears intensified.

He brought the phone to his ear. “Danny, we have a situation. Come right away.” His voice remained firm and his gaze as sharp as razor even though it wasn't directly on me.

Danny? I recognized that name. Danny was his friend who worked in the police department.

My eyes widened as realization struck me like a moving train.

“Ethan. No.” I crashed to my knees. “Please believe me. I swear, I didn't do it.”

“Who served her the tea?!” He raised his voice, stepping closer to me. My lips quivered.

He squatted, and grabbed my jaw once again, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Why don't you just die and join her?”

“Eth-”

The next thing I felt was a sharp sting on my face. Then, the room rotated, and my head struck the ground.

Behold, darkness.

___

My eyes fluttered open, a light moan escaping my lips as pain ripped through my head.

I blinked rapidly, trying to observe the environment.

I was in a dark room with the floors as cold as ice against my skin.

A small opening was in front of me, about the size of a window where light bled in from, illuminating the room softly.

My knees shook as I managed to get on my feet, protecting myself with my arms.

Slowly, I approached the window, glancing outside. Some men were there, standing firm. From their hard expression, I could tell they were monitoring the place.

Before I could back away, my eyes clashed with one of them. And he was staring back at me.

His gaze locked on mine, sharp and piercing. My breath hitched as he took a step forward. Then, another. And another.

With a loud clang, the gate between us slid open, and I stepped back slowly.

“You little bitch.” He spat, the soft radiance from outside casting shadows on his features. “Why did you murder her?”

Murder?

I gulped, clenching my fist. I opened my mouth to say something– anything – but the words remained stuck in my throat and I produced nothing but silence.

In a swift motion, his hand shot forward, grabbing my arm roughly with his fingers digging brutally into my delicate skin.

“Let me go.” I pleaded but his grip only got tighter as he snatched me forward, our faces only an inch apart.

“You think you can murder someone and go freely?” He asked, his warm breath touching my face. “I'm going to ask you one more time. Why did you kill her?”

“I didn't kill her!” I retorted.

A life threatening punch landed on my cheekbone, sending me to the cold ground.

I balled my fist, my nails scratching the floor. “I swear. I didn't.…do it.” I whimpered, tears slipping from the corners of my eyes.

“An autopsy was carried out and it's now clear that she was poisoned. Do you think lying would take you anywhere better at this point?!” His voice echoed through the room.

My fingers curled around his leg, and I looked up at him with tear filled eyes, hoping he would just believe me.

He jerked his leg away from my grasp, and just when I least expected, his kick lunged for my head.

A scream ripped from the walls of my throat as my body flipped over from the impact.

My heart raced in my chest but I remained still, trying to process the pain as the taste of iron overwhelmed my tongue.

I could almost swear I saw my life flash before my eyes in a split second before he grabbed my hair, pulling me up.

My vision was blurry and I could barely see his ugly face this time.

“Ready to confess?” He demanded, watching as my jaw dropped loosely in the air. He smirked, taking pride in the results of his punch.

All I could do was stare, my eyes at the brink of closing.

As if a dislocated jaw wasn't enough, he balled his fist, holding it before my face and ready to swing.

“If you touch her, I'll destroy the career you built your entire life.” A cold, masculine voice filled the room, mixed with heavy footsteps.

My eyes widened.

I recognized that voice. It was unmistakable.

My eyes darted towards the gate. There stood a tall, magnificent figure. Even though I could barely see anything, I recognized that physique. A physique I would never forget.

What was he doing here?

I felt the man's grip tighten on my hair, then, his fist jammed my head.

A soft whimper tore from my lips, pain exploding in my skull as tears streamed down my face.

He shoved me to the ground, my head striking the hard surface.

The last thing I heard was the deep voice of my savior, commanding and unforgiving. “Take your hands off my woman.”

Then, darkness swallowed me.