CHAPTER 1

Alexa's POV

 

Light flickers.

 

Then everywhere becomes dark again.

 

When my eyes drift open, the light comes back, dimly.

 

My numb emotions become awake too just like me and it dawns on me that it is dark outside and the dim light is a result of the glowing light from the room.

 

I don't have glowing lights in my room or anywhere in my apartment.

 

Abruptly, I sit up.

 

I am not in my room. This is not my room. Definitely not my Aunt's room either.

 

Where the hell am I? What happened?

 

I glance around with confusion skating my expression and fear consuming me.

 

Have I been kidnapped?

 

Getting up from the massive bed, I try to remember the last thing that happened.

 

Suddenly, I find myself remembering the call from my boss. I lost my job. I was supposed to go home to cry but what happened?

At the remembrance, my heart feels heavy. Everything aches. My legs ache and my head aches too. I guess I was bruised from the fall but that is the least of my problems now.

 

Why am I not home? Why am I in a stranger's home?

 

Without thinking further, I look around to see if my bag or phone is close by. I am hoping the kidnapper hasn't taken my phone with him so none of my family can get to me when he doesn't even know that I don't have any family.

 

I am alone.

 

I am my own family.

 

My fear overrides my curiosity when I see my phone and bag on a stand beside the bed I got up from.

 

Quickly, I rush over to grab the bag and phone. Then, I begin to tiptoe to the door, careful not to make a sound.

 

If this criminal thinks he is going to get some money from my family members by abducting me, then he is in for nothing because I don't have a dime.

 

I am broke as hell.

 

No one will ever find me. I can only bail myself out.

 

I open the door slowly. Fortunately, it isn't making a creaky sound like my bedroom door. That sound irks the shit out of me but I have no choice but to keep living with that.

 

When I am out, I close the door back as quietly as possible. I don't know my way around because the place looks so big and I am beginning to get scared that I am either the only one here or there are several other girls in the other rooms.

 

I should go.

 

I begin to stroll to nowhere. I just keep walking straight ahead till I find a staircase. Does this lead to the master's bedroom? Is that where the abductor is?

 

Cold shivers run down my spine at the thought of him coming out and seeing me attempting to run away.

 

Instead of going ahead with my plans to flee, my legs stay rooted to the spot.

 

I am scared that there would be security outside who wouldn't let me out. This house is damn big for security to be absent.

 

What should I do? Am I stuck here forever?

 

Why is everything happening to me?

 

An idea strikes me.

 

Instead of standing here doing something, I should go and check things outside and see how I can escape without anyone's knowledge.

 

Eventually, I raise my legs and continue to walk towards a door; the front door.

 

When I am a few distances away, I find myself running towards it, my heart thumping wildly in my ribcage as though it will soon burst out. 

 

I touch the doorknob but it opens from outside and someone enters, bumping into me.

 

A gasp leaves my mouth and my bag and phone fall to the ground.

 

The person I just bumped into or who bumped into me is a woman. I can't say if this gasp came out of shock that my abductor is a woman and not because I have been caught running off.

 

When the gracious woman looks up, she looks confused while I stand here with my hands on my mouth and my eyes wide, expecting her to call security to bundle me up and tie me to a chair as a punishment for wanting to escape.

 

She tilts her head to one side. "Who are you?"

 

Who am I? You kidnapped me and you are still asking me who I am?

 

Really?

 

She is wearing a long lavender gown as though she is going to a dinner party. She looks elegant and young but I am sure she is in her mid-age.

 

Before I can say anything, the door opens again and someone else enters behind her.

 

She takes her eyes off me for a while as she turns to the person wearing a maid's uniform.

 

"Elena, who is she?"

 

The woman called Elena stares at me with the same confused expression before shaking her head.

 

Now, I am beginning to get confused too. What is happening here? Am I an intruder? Did I come in here on my own? Was I not kidnapped by them? What the hell happened after that car hit me?

 

Wait!

 

I was hit by a car? I ask myself. I look down at my body but there is no scratch anywhere around.

 

With my hands still on my mouth, I extend my hand to check for bruises or injuries but there is nothing.

 

"She looks shy", I hear the maid whisper to the woman and a sly smile teases her lips.

 

She must have mistaken my action for shyness. I am nowhere close to shy. I am just trying to see if I was truly hit by that car and if I have bruises anywhere.

 

Now that it is confirmed that I don't have bruises, why did I pass out? Why am I here?

 

I drop my hands and sigh.

 

The older woman looks thoughtful for a while before her eyes grow large and she asks. "Are you Xander's bride?" 

 

I am thinking I heard wrong so I raise a brow at her. "What?!"

 

"Mom", I hear someone with a deep husky voice call behind me and I turn slowly to see a man on the last staircase, watching us. He looks from me to the older woman whom I am now sure is his mother before returning his gaze to me.

 

He steps down and I see what he is wearing. A pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He is wearing sneakers too like he is heading out.

 

Dipping his two hands into his pocket, he approaches slowly, my confusion intensifying.

 

Now I know this is his mother. 

 

What am I doing here? Is he my abductor? Did he bring me here when I passed out? Why didn't he take me to the hospital instead? 

 

Is he a pervert? Is he a rapist? Did he rape me?

 

"Xander", the woman call back, a smile dancing on her lips and her eyes twinkling with excitement.

 

Why is she mistaking me for his bride? Do I look like his bride?

 

Wait!

 

Is this why he brought me here? Did he also mistake me for his bride?

 

What the hell! 

 

I shift my gaze from him to his mother. When he is close by, he looks at me intently. "How are you doing now?"

 

I do not answer. I can't bring myself to say a word. 

 

"Xander", his mother says again, curiosity written all over her. "Is she Alex? Why didn't you tell me she is back? What is wrong with you?"

 

"Alex?" I find myself saying, more like a question.

 

I am Alexa. Do they know me? 

 

His mother turns to me. Before I know it, she pulls me into a tight hug and I try to stare up at the handsome man beside me who brought me here without permission to know how to react to this but the only thing he does is to wink at me.

 

Goodness!

 

What is happening? Why are they mistaking me for someone else?

 

When she releases me, a hand crawls to my back and I find out it is him. The handsome jerk who kidnapped me.

 

His mom is looking all teary and I still don't know what to make of this. Why are they all acting dramas?

 

Why is he even touching me?

 

Before I can shrug his touch off my back, he comes closer, his hand going to my shoulder and pulling me close to himself.

 

"Alex, meet my mom, Mrs. Gold, and her personal maid, Elena", he introduces me to them, not offering me any explanation of how I got here and what is happening. 

 

"Mom", he averts his gaze from me, his breath no longer fanning my face because of the closeness, even though I can still smell the sweet cologne. "Elena, meet Alex, my bride."

 

"What?!" I exclaim before any of the two women smiling proudly at him can say anything or embrace me again in a much tighter hug.

 

"Your bride?!" I turn to him with a scowl, my nose flaring up in anger.