Chapter Six

Alina

I opened my mouth to protest but the cocky son of a bitch didn't wait, he walked out of me.

 

I turned to Clara and she looked at me apologetically, guilty for listening to my conversation.

“Let's go!” I barked at her  and stalked away towards the parking lot. She followed me and we got into car, leaving the scene behind us.

 

My whole body was still shaking from anger and my nerves felt like they were about to break. My fists clenched tightly against my dress and from time to time I could feel Clara’s neyes on me.

 

Once I had gotten home, I hurried down hoping to make it to my room but instead I came face to face with him.

Charles Grant , my grandfather. His Aura reeked of old money , a mixture of power and entitlement. He stood tall and straight in front of the glass door that led to my balcony, his dark grey two piece perfectly fitted and looking sharp even when he didn’t put effort into it.

 

“Alina” His voice  cut through the silence like a whip crack. His aura flickered around him, bright and almost blinding as if someone threw a torch right into the depths of it.

 

“Grandfather” I mumbled, walking towards him cautiously. I didn't need him to know that today's event had thrown me off guard.

 

“How did it go?” He wasn't the type to beat around  the bush, he would rather talk to you directly or not at all.

“They reacted worse than I expected. I am guessing they didn't expect a woman, but I took care of it”  At least that  was what I hoped I had done.

 

But his eyes scrutinized me . I knew he was looking for any faults, I was used to being judged by others, even though my grandfather was one of the few that I actually liked - afterall he gave me a new life - but this was different somehow. It was like he knew that I had tried so hard for that little speech and that maybe, just maybe it wasn't so successful.

 

I didn't want him to have any doubt about me. I wanted him to trust that this new position he left me was in good hands. And so I smiled and kept talking, trying not to let the uneasiness show on my face. “You don't have anything to worry about”  I said confidently with false confidence. I was scared, he made me so anxious that I couldn't help myself.

 

“Do you need any help?”  His tone was suddenly soft, a subtle hint of regret in it, an uncharacteristic shift that shocked me.

 

“No, thanks. I have everything under control, please trust me” I lied, not knowing how else to tell him that I needed some space to breathe again.

 

“If there is anything I can do..?” His voice trailed off, like he thought he hadn’t offered enough to satisfy whatever it was that I needed.

 

I quickly took his hand into mine “Thank you Grandpa, but you have already done more than enough” I said genuinely grateful. “Forgive me, but I don’t think I will take your offer. You've spent the previous years preparing me for this role. Just sit back and allow me  to lead. Everything will turn out just fine. Please” I squeezed his hand lightly to convince him.

 

His face relaxed slightly and relief flashed across his aura like a neon sign “Of course, dear” And then he was gone. Disappearing through the glass door and suddenly I could breathe relief.

 

By the time I returned to my room, my anger had vanished. All I had left was distress, frustration and exhaustion. I slumped down onto my bed before grabbing my laptop and searched about the last person I thought I would look up, Sebastian Wolfe.

 

He was still the same, on the first row of the last set of pictures I found of him, he was standing beside a dark-haired goddess with a mischievous smirk on his lips and something very familiar in his eyes.

 

I scrolled further and saw him sitting on the beach with this same woman, his arm casually slung over her but what caught my eyes was the caption “The people’s heartthrob and heir Sebastian Wolfe,  and his fiancee” It had been taken five months ago. So they were still engaged?

 

“Fucking asshole!” I spat as I slammed the laptop shut  and sat up. The only thing that stopped me from hitting the wall was Charles.

 

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Sebastian Wolfe was just another person I had nothing to do with, he was just a phase and he too would pass.

Later that night my phone rang, it was an unknown number . ‘Who could it be?’  I wondered.

 

“Hello?” I answered tentatively and listened closely, the caller’s voice didn't hesitate to give him away.

 

“Alina”  His voice sounded plain , unassuming and yet dangerous.

 

“What do you want?”  I asked guardedly  but not without trepidation. There was no use pretending I didn't know exactly who was calling me. It still sounded harsher than what I expected.

 

“You know what I want. Meet me at La Casa by 10” It didn't sound like he was asking, no. It sounded like he was bossing me  around like a fucking employee, like he always did with everyone around him.

 

“I am not in for silly games, go try this new trick on someone else!” For someone who claimed to be unbothered, I sounded quite irate “I never want to see you again”  

 

He chuckled as if I was joking but there was a note of seriousness mixed in. It made me shiver despite the summer heat outside, “That's funny, because it will happen. You know what is at stake Alina, you know what you stand to lose. I’ll either see you by 10 or  not at all, but I'm willing to bet on the latter. I have a way to make that happen, I have nothing to lose unlike you”

 

After that, the line  went dead and my heart thundered in my chest.