4. THE BLOODY PAST

POV Alexander

The night was long and restless.

Isabella was sleeping soundly in my arms, her breathing soft and steady. But I was wide awake, my eyes staring into the darkness, my mind racing with dangerous thoughts.

They knew about her.

The enemy knew my weakness.

I held her tighter, pressing my nose into her hair, inhaling her scent. She was my peace. She was the only light in my dark world. And they wanted to take her away.

I won't let that happen.

I would kill every last one of them before I let anyone touch her.

As the first rays of sunlight started to peek through the curtains, Isabella stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She looked up at me, blinking sleepily, a soft smile forming on her lips.

"Good morning, Alex," she whispered, her voice raspy and cute.

"Morning, my love," I replied, kissing her forehead.

She sat up, wrapping the blanket around her body. Her expression turned serious as she looked at my face. She could see the worry lines on my forehead.

"Alex..." she started softly. "You never really talk about yourself. Who are those people who want to hurt us? And why... why are you like this?"

I knew this day would come.

She deserved to know the truth. She deserved to know exactly what kind of monster she had fallen in love with.

I sighed deeply, running my hand through my hair.

"Do you really want to know, Belle? It's not a pretty story. It's full of blood and pain."

"I want to know," she said firmly, holding my hand. "I want to know everything. Because I love you, and I want to understand why you built these walls around your heart."

 

THE TRUTH

I sat up straight, looking out the window at the vast garden, but my mind traveled back twenty years ago.

"I wasn't always Alexander Volkov, the King of the Underworld," I began, my voice low and distant. "Once, I was just a little boy. I had a perfect family. A father who loved me, a mother who sang to me. We were happy."

Isabella listened quietly, squeezing my hand gently.

"But power attracts envy. My father ruled this empire with honor. But there were people... people close to us... who wanted what he had."

I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat. The memories were still so fresh, so painful.

"It happened on my 10th birthday. I remember it like it was yesterday. The house was full of guests, music, laughter... and then... gunshots."

Isabella gasped softly.

"They came in. Men with masks and guns. They killed the guards, they killed the guests. And then... they brought me to the living room. I saw my father... they tied him to his chair. And my mother..." My voice broke. I could feel tears burning the corners of my eyes, something I hadn't felt in years.

"They made me watch, Belle. They made me watch as they tortured my father. And then... they killed him right in front of my eyes. And my mother... they killed her too."

The room went silent. I could feel Isabella’s hand trembling in mine.

"Who did that?" she whispered, her voice filled with horror.

I turned to look at her, my eyes turning cold and sharp, filled with hatred.

"My own uncle, Victor. And my so-called 'brother', Vladimir."

I let out a bitter laugh.

"They wanted the throne. They thought by killing my parents and scaring me, I would break and run away. They thought I would be too weak to fight back."

"But you didn't," Isabella said softly.

"No. I didn't," I replied firmly. "They left me for dead in the snow, bleeding and broken. But I survived. I crawled out of hell. And for years, I lived in the streets, I fought dogs and men just to eat, I learned how to survive. And all that time... I had only one thought in my head."

I looked deep into her eyes.

"Revenge."

"I swore on my parents' graves that one day I would come back. I would burn their world down. I would take back everything that was mine, and I would make them pay for every drop of blood they spilled."

"And that is how the Devil was born, Belle. To survive in this world, I had to become worse than the monsters. I had to become the Devil himself."

 

THE HEALING

Silence filled the room.

Isabella looked at me with tears streaming down her face. She didn't look scared. She didn't look at me like I was a monster.

She looked at me with pity... and love.

"Oh, Alex..." she cried softly, throwing her arms around my neck and pulling me into a hug. "My poor baby... you went through all that alone?"

She kissed my cheeks, wiping away the tears I didn't even realize were falling.

"No wonder you are so protective. No wonder you are so cold. You built this armor to protect yourself, didn't you?"

"I had to," I whispered, burying my face in the crook of her neck, feeling safe for the first time in years. "If I show weakness, they will eat me alive."

"But not with me," she said firmly, holding my face in her hands. "With me, you can be Alex. You can be the little boy who lost his parents. You can be weak. I am here now. I will protect your heart, Alex. I promise."

That was it.

The last wall I had crumbled down completely.

In her arms, I wasn't the Boss. I wasn't the Devil. I was just a man who had suffered too much, finally finding his home.

"I love you so much, Isabella," I said, my voice choked with emotion. "You are the only good thing that ever happened to me. You are my angel."

"And you are my King," she smiled through her tears. "And we will face everything together."

 

THE THREAT REALIZED

Just as we were calming down, a loud explosion shook the entire house!

BOOOOM!!!

The sound was deafening. Dust fell from the ceiling. The windows rattled violently.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I jumped out of bed instantly, my instincts kicking in. I grabbed the gun hidden under the nightstand and pointed it at the door.

Isabella screamed and covered her head.

"Alex! What was that?!"

"Stay down!" I ordered sharply, pulling her behind me.

Suddenly, Dimitri burst into the room, his face pale and panicked.

"BOSS! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK! THEY BLEW UP THE MAIN GATE! THEY ARE INSIDE THE COMPOUND!"

My eyes turned dark red with rage.

They had the guts to come here?

To my house?

To threaten my woman?

"Sound the alarm! Arm all men! Kill anyone who is not wearing our badge!" I roared, my voice echoing like thunder.

I quickly threw a robe over Isabella and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, Belle! We have to move! Now!"

"They found us..." Isabella whispered, terrified.

I looked at her, my face set in stone.

"They made a mistake coming here today. Because today... they will meet the real Devil."

 

(To be continued...)