43. Threat

Issac was furious. 

What does she think of herself? Talking so boldly in the church while looking like an innocent angel. 

He was fuming when he left the church. Issac couldn't forget everything that escaped her lips in the church. She sounded so confident. He couldn't believe she was the same girl who would tremble at his proximity because she had never been close to a man. 

It took so much of his strength to overcome the loop of depression he had fallen into in the past month. He gave in to drinking and almost became a chain smoker. For three days he remained locked in the f*cking penthouse drinking and smoking like a f*cking druggie. 

No matter how much he drank he couldn't get rid of the pain in his chest. He was devastated. 

She told him she didn't do it but he saw it with his own damn eyes. The way that bastard was holding her face and kissing her. Her hands were on his chest. The image in his mind made his blood boil to the point he wanted to murder someone. 

When he saw them that night, he was shocked to his core, for a fleeting second he wanted to believe that the girl wasn't Innessa but it was her. The monster in Issac wanted to run his car over that bastard but he stopped because Innessa was there. 

At that moment all he saw was red as he beat that bastard to the brink of death. He didn't know what to do with Innessa. The girl was trembling. When they got home, he gave her the chance to speak. He wanted her to hug him. To cry on his chest and tell him it wasn't like that. She did say that though but he didn't trust her because she wanted a divorce. She didn't want to be with him and because of this, that kiss with Jasper made sense. Maybe she liked him. 

For three days he kept thinking and thinking what he did wrong to make her like that. Maybe he was wrong ever since the start. He hasn't done anything good or in the right way. Maybe he turned her love into hate for him and that was her revenge. 

On the third day, Theodore and Maddox showed up at his penthouse and they were stunned to find their cousin in that state. Theo was calm but Maddox was furious. Issac didn't tell them what happened, he just said that everything was ruined and strictly warned them not to go after Innessa because he knew Maddox had a vengeful streak in him. 

On the fourth day he got a call from Victor that the man he had sent to his warehouse didn't wake up for the past four days and the doctor told him he was in a coma with no signs of waking up and even if he woke up, they weren't certain if he would remember anything at all. 

Issac was so furious that he wanted to murder Jasper even though he was in a coma but Issac refrained from doing so. He needed to know the truth from that f*cker. That wasn't it. Issac had also searched for CCTV footage of that area but in none of those footage, he got a clear view of what exactly happened. 

Issac so wanted to trust Innessa but he knew she didn't want to be with him. He knew she wanted a divorce. He knew she was searching for ways to leave him. And she so damn well knew no matter what Issac wouldn't let her go. Maybe that was why she tried to get involved with Jasper so Issac would leave her. 

Maybe she hasn't done anything with Jasper. Maybe she pulled that specific stunt to rile up Issac and get rid of him but then again things were slowly falling into their respective place before that. She even cooked a meal for him and his cousins just like a perfect beautiful housewife. It felt like she was slowly accepting him as her husband bit by bit. 

Whatever she said in the church changed something. Either she was showing her true self which he couldn't bring himself to believe or she lied because it was part of her plan to get away from him. If it genuinely was all her plan just to get rid of him then she was in for another surprise. 

Issac was boiling with pent-up anger when he got into the ring. He was trying to remain calm so he wouldn't end up killing his opponent but to his grand f*cking surprise he saw Innessa in the crowd with her bunch of friends. 

Seeing her there was the least expected thing for him. And the furrow of her brows showed as if she cared for him. 

But why would she care for him? But her expressions? A sardonic smirk teased his lips as he faced his opponent who charged at him. 

Issac didn't dodge the attack and took the hit proudly. It was powerful which sent him stumbling back. The crowd gasped and the voices began to slow down as his opponent jumped on him and bombarded punches on him shoving Issac to the ground. 

Issac barely dodged the attacks letting the opponent hit him again and again. It f*cking hurts. The referee pulled the man off of Issac as Issac groaned and coughed out blood. Just as Issac got to his feet the time was up. 

He pulled to the corner as someone wiped his blood and checked his injuries. They poured water on his head cleaning the blood stains as he glanced at the crowd to find ashen faces and Innessa's was among one of them. She looked so pale as if she would pass out any second. Her eyebrows drew together and her lips parted as she held her fist on her chest. 

When their eyes locked. Her expression instantly went from fear and worry to void and cold as she averted her gaze. 

Someone tapped on her shoulder and she turned to face a guy. 

Isaac scowled seeing a group of men standing close to Innessa's group and one of them had approached her. 

They were talking. 

Innessa's heart was drumming in her ears. All the noise of the crowd had blurred out and her eyes were fixed on the ring where Isaac was getting beaten up by his opponent. She rubbed her chest not being able to breathe as her eyes turned misty. The girl lowered her gaze. She wanted to leave. 

When Issac looked at her again, in that moment she masked her expressions because it felt like he wanted her to see him getting hurt. He wanted a reaction out of her. She wanted to leave when she felt someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned to face the guy. 

Her eyes darted to his friends who were staring at them but quickly looked away when Innessa glanced at them. 

"Hey, you're so beautiful," the guy who was tall with blond hair and blue eyes said. He was good-looking. She had seen him at the academy often. 

"T... Thank you," she stuttered, her heart was still beating fast because of Issac getting beaten up. 

Issac was staring at them. He watched when that guy said something and Innessa's eyes widened. What the f*ck were they talking about? 

"I've seen you at the grand elite academy. Are you in the art department?" That guy asked. 

"No, I'm in the psychology department," she said as he nodded. 

"Well, I'm from the law department," he said and she nodded. 

He scratched the back of his neck looking away for a second while Scarlett, Darla, and Elena knew the guy was hitting on oblivious Innessa. 

"Who are you supporting in the match?" He asked. "Oh, my bad. I didn't introduce myself. I'm Niall," he said, holding out his hand for her to shake. 

"Innessa," she said, shaking his hand lightly. She pulled her hand back quickly and he smiled down at her. 

Issac saw them shaking hands. The bell rang as Issac got to his feet facing the opponent who was charging at him. Issac let the f*cker hit him again earning shocked gasps from the crowd. He glanced in her direction and she was still talking to the dude, the f*cking dude was smiling. 

"Are you Russian?" Niall asked and she nodded. 

"I was born and raised in the UK," he said. "That's nice," she mumbled, not knowing what else to say. 

Issac's jaw ticked as he glared at his opponent and waited for him to attack. Just when he was about to punch Issac, he dodged the attack, sidestepped, and punched his opponent so hard right across his face, knocking him out on the spot as that guy passed out, blood spurting out of his disfigured nose as the bell rang and the crowd went ballistic cheering for him. 

"I'm supporting Knight, and you?" Niall asked and she looked away. "I'm not supporting anyone. My friend just dragged me here," she was saying when the crowd went crazy cheering and screaming causing both of them to look at the ring. 

The referee raised Issac's hand as he was the winner and the medics hurried to the unconscious man in the ring. 

"Oh, Knight won like always. He's freaking ruthless," Niall praised Issac while grinning but Innessa stiffened seeing the dark look in Issac's eyes. She had seen that look enough times to know he was mad. 

"I need to go," she said, turning to face the guy who held out his phone for her. 

"Can I get your number?" He asked, holding out his phone as she stared at his phone and then at him. 

"What? Why?" She asked, confused. But then she quickly understood why. Because of Issac, her head wasn't working properly. 

"Sorry, I'm not interes-" He cut her off. 

"For the criminal psychology project. I need to submit a project. You're a psychology student. I'd be very grateful if you could help me," he said. 

She grabbed his phone. "For the project," she said and typed her number into his phone as he nodded. 

Niall thanked her. 

Issac jumped out of the ring as the crowd patted his back and parted way for him. He was prowling over to Innessa and when she saw him coming, her eyes widened. She handed the phone back to that guy, said something to her friends, and dashed out of there. 

The crowd was all over Issac which made him lose sight of the guy but the security got in making way for him as Issac got out of that place. 

Innessa's pace was fast as she searched for her way out of that damned place but because of panic she forgot where she came from and after much struggle, she located the stairs that would lead her to the ground floor and she could leave. She barely climbed two stairs when a hand clamped on her mouth and an arm wrapped around her waist. She was lifted off the ground and was taken away from there. 

Innessa struggled violently, kicking her feet in the air as her eyes moistened in fear. 

The person kicked open the door and then kicked it close before dropping her to her feet, turning her around, and pinning her against the door. 

Her eyes widened seeing Issac looming over her like a wounded hunter ready to kill. 

The girl tried to calm down. Her heart was drumming in her ears as she took in a sharp breath. Dragging her like that, he had no ounce of idea how scared she was not knowing who was abducting her. 

She faintly glanced around the room and found them to be in the locker room but they weren't alone. A guy was there with his back to them. He turned to face them and he was wearing a skull mask covering his face. He was tall and muscular; he looked so deadly that she shrank her shoulders in fear. 

Innessa faintly noticed that guy's eyes before Issac grabbed her arm and shoved her into the corner and he faced the guy. Issac met that person's eyes for a brief second before he stomped out of the locker room and closed the door behind him. 

Issac locked the door and pushed her against the door again as he stepped closer forcing her to plaster her back to the door to maintain appropriate distance between them but he was still looming in her personal space. 

"What is this behavior?" She demanded calmly. 

"You think I'll divorce you?" He gritted and her brows drew together. 

"What?" She asked. 

"What was that guy saying?" He was talking but her eyes were roaming the cuts and bruises on his face. 

He grabbed her jaw and directed her gaze back to his, making her slap his hand away as she maintained eye contact. 

"None of your concern," she said and tried to leave but he slammed his hand on the door right beside her head with a loud bang causing her to jump in sudden fear as he blocked her way. 

"Stop this behavior-" He grabbed her jaw firmly, his fingers and thumb pressed into her cheeks making her lips pucker out as he forced her to meet his gaze again. 

"Shall I kill that f*cker? Why are you forgetting what happened to Jasper?" His voice was a low menace as he stepped closer hovering over her. The girl shivered and tried her best to remain strong and composed. 

"What did you do to him?" She asked, her voice coming out shaky and small despite all her efforts to remain strong. 

"Are you worried for him, sweetheart?" He cooed and she jerked her face out of his grasp, tilting her face away from him. 

"Remember you're the one who told me to leave. So now you don't have any right to inquire anything from me. Now, step aside. I want to leave," she said firmly while looking away from him. 

Her heart was beating so fast, she was afraid that he might hear her heartbeat. 

"Tch. Tch. Tch," he tsked in that ominous tone that forced her to meet his gaze. Her gaze kept darting to the blood trailing down from his cuts but he seemed so unfazed by all of it. It was as if he couldn't even feel the pain. 

"I can ruin your life." He said darkly causing the hair on the back of her neck to rise in fear. 

"I'll not divorce you even if you beg for it. It's your misery." He said and rested his arm on the door above her head and leaned down, his hot breath hitting her forehead as she flinched back. 

"I'd suggest you not to go around and get with anyone else. If you do so, I won't hesitate to tell the whole academy that we're married and you cheated on me," he said calmly with a sinister edge to his threat making her stomach churn in anxiety. 

Cruel. 

Tears brimmed her eyes as she tried not to cry. "G... Go ahead. Tell everyone. I'm not scared of you. But just remember one thing, Issac. I'll never forgive you," she said with quivering lips and poking her index finger on his chest. 

His eyes were fixed on her lips. He wanted to kiss her so f*cking badly. 

"Why did you do this to me, Innessa? J... Just tell me you kissed Jasper to make me divorce you and you never cheated on me. Tell me it was all a part of your plan to leave me. I promise I'll forgive you." He said in a sad voice. 

A tear trickled down her cheek. 

He doesn't trust her at all and thinks so low of her. Why would she do such a thing? Innessa would never intentionally hurt someone. 

"You don't trust me. No matter what I say you won't believe me. If there's no trust then there's no future. If you don't want to divorce me then don't. If you want to tell everyone that I'm your wife and I cheated on you then go ahead and do it. Do everything you want. Ruin my character, demolish my respect. Destroy my career. Do it all if it makes you happy. But don't ever come back to me, because you've killed the Innessa who loved you. The girl in front of you isn't Innessa, she's a whore. Always remember that," she said with tears streaming down her cheeks. 

She shoved at his chest as he stepped back without an ounce of fight. Innessa glared at him with teary eyes one last time as she opened the door and left from there while he stood there frozen with a haunting feeling bubbling in his chest. 

What if she was telling the truth? 

He rubbed a hand down his face, wincing when his hand came in contact with the wounds but his eyes were fixed on the ground. 

What if she never wanted to leave him; it wasn't her plan and Jasper forcefully tried to kiss her. 

He held his head feeling chills scraping his back as he shook his head. This wasn't possible. He saw it with his eyes. But what he saw in her eyes rattled him. 

That haunting feeling kept growing, making him dread the moment he would find out the truth. 

What if he was wrong all along?