INTO THE PAST.

Pearl's POV.

"Sir, you can't agree, the six Alphas all stopped playing a few years back." Coach Lois yelled and his words pulled me backwards......

"I wouldn't be like your brothers, I will stand by you always, Pearl," Gittens promised, patting me on the head with the same smile that always melted my heart.

But then;

"Hurting Lilith? How could you stoop so low? When will you ever stop being jealous of her?" He yelled as he pushed me backwards with both hands, his eyes darkening with rage.

Shiver ran down my spine as I tripped then fell on my butt, watching with tears in my eyes as he led her away, protectively.

Why today? 

It was my birthday and he promised me.

Just yesterday,

He said he wouldn't be like them, 

Like my stepbrothers, 

His best friends.

"Pearl." Director Alex snapped his fingers in front of me and I came back to earth, blinking back the tears, threatening to fall.

Thankfully, none of them noticed.

"You heard what Coach Lois said, how will you get them to play again?" He asked as he rubbed his temples with both hands, as if trying to massage away the tension.

"You gave me 72 hours, you shall have your answers then," I replied, before shutting my eyes and turning around abruptly, to end the conversation.

A gasp escaped his lips, and I could hear the coaches trying to paint me as rude, but I didn't care and blocked everything out again.

72 hours was all I had. It should be enough since I knew where I was headed, the place I swore I would never step foot in again.

......

"Hmm." I sighed as I stared at the building that used to be my comfort, my home. Memories flooded my head as I took a step into the mansion.

Immediately Butler Daniel saw me, his eyes widened in disbelief as he rushed over to greet me.

"Y-young miss, welcome back. It's been a while." I nodded at him, with a weak smile, allowing him to take my bag, a lump forming in my throat.

It truly has been a while. Who would imagine that one day, I would come back here?

"Shall I inform Madam that you are around, here to stay....?" Butler Daniel drawled, probably trying to get more information on why I was here.

My palms began to sweat as I shook my head sideways, walking past him and climbing the stairs upwards.

'What would they say, what would be their reaction, would I be thrown out?' I pondered, stopping outside of my mum's room.

I took a deep breath before knocking softly, trying to stop my legs from shaking.

"Come in." I heard her familiar voice say, and I opened the door.

I saw her immediately, sitting on one of the couches in the room, her back facing me as she scrolled on her iPad.

"What are you doing here? You promised never to show your face again." My mother reminded me of the promise I yelled in a fit of anger, on my 18th birthday.

"How many years has it been, two, three?" I inquired as I walked closer to her, getting to her front, locking my eyes with her blue ones.

She scoffed, dropping the iPad that probably had surveillance cameras on it, hence why she knew I was the one.

"I don't care, Pearl. I only care about the fulfillment of a promise." She replied as she poured herself a drink.

Pain slashed through my heart. I tried not to wince, not to break in her presence. Not again.

"You are still holding grudges?" I asked and she rolled her eyes.

"Shouldn't I? You caused the death of both my husbands. Your father and step-father." She half-yelled and I chuckled bitterly, feeling the urge to cry.

"They both raped me," I whispered, the words feeling like a danger to my throat.

I folded my hands across my chest, waiting for her to flinch or any reaction at all to show that she cared, but my mother just huffed like it was nothing.

"So? Don't act pitiful. Who seduced them?" She threw back at me and a tear dropped. I wiped it off immediately, my lips trembling as I thought of what to say.

How to explain that I did nothing wrong or did I?

"That's enough, Claire. Pearl, get out here." I heard the voice that I have dreaded all my life.

A shiver went down my spine, and I shook, raising my head to see Grim behind Mom. 

Grim Xenakis, heir to the multi-billion-dollar company in Greece, and one of my step-brother's best friends.

The man whose hands were soaked in blood, all because of me.

'What the hell was he doing here?' I pondered, my heart pounding against my chest as I tried to steady my heavy breathing.

Mum turned around immediately to face him and all the colors drained out of her face. 

She stood up hurriedly, pushing the bottle of wine on the edge of the table away mistakenly.

It shook, then shattered to the floor with a loud noise, the red wine flowing out of it like blood, staining the white carpet, just like that day.

Except it was real blood then, and I was curled in a corner, trembling.

"You murderer, who let you in? What are you doing here?" Mum shrieked like someone who had seen a ghost.

Grim curled the side of his lips into a smirk before stretching his hand towards me.

"My sweet corruption, come to Daddy." He coaxed and I found myself obeying, walking over to him while my mum's jaw dropped.

"You slut," Mum yelled as she grabbed the glass cup and hurled it at me but Grim immediately turned me away, letting the cup hit his back instead.

Beads of sweat gathered on my forehead, my stomach dropping as I feared for Mum, who Grim turned to glare at, his red eyes darkening.

"Yes, but I only get to call her that if you want your tongue intact." He threatened and then led me away.

Immediately the door was closed and we were outside in the corridor, I stared at him. Grim was now different. His long, curly, black hair was plaited, his ears pierced with small earrings.

He took his lower, red lips into his mouth as he wrapped his hand around my waist, bending his head against mine.

The air around immediately turned suffocating, goosebumps covering my body as he leaned in and placed his lips on mine. 

I inhaled his cologne, my stomach knotting when:

"You should have stayed dead, Pearl." I stiffened, my body going rigid because I would recognize that voice anywhere.

It wasn't Grim's.