The Billionaire Ruse

Ella.

A knock came to my door making me bolt from my bed. My mom had warned me numerous times not to lock my door,but I never listened.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my palm as I walked towards the door,my jaw dropped when I saw my mom standing outside my room with my twin sister behind her,her hands resting on her waist.

A look of resentment crossed her face as she glared at me with her brows furrowed.

“Meet us in the living room”. My mother said,her burning gaze on me.

“What happened??”. I managed to ask, masking the dread that has enveloped me.

A cheek strucking slap pierced through my face, making me wince in pain as I looked at my mother with blurry eyes.

My eyes brimmed with tears,I held my cheeks with both hands.

Arla held a cold smirk on her face, giving me a “you deserve it look”.

“Ask more questions,your head would be detached from your body!!!”. My mother sneered with gritted teeth and turned to walk away.

I swallowed the growing lumps in my throat as I let my hands fall by my side.

“In the next ten minutes”. My mother added,Arla trailed behind her as they walked away.

I exhaled the breath I never knew I was holding in,I have been treated like trash,if there's anything less than trash,then that's what I am to them.

I looked at the clothes I was in and realized it was just a pink matching nightwear with a bonnet to match.

I used my little savings to get the things I wanted, though I was always punished for it.

Arla,my twin sister has everything she desires,love,freedom, material things and more than she could ask for.

I am her vice versa,I was never allowed to leave the house,I was beaten over what I had no idea of,or I can say my dad beats me when he's bored.

Without going back into my room,I slammed the door shut from the outside and headed down the stairs,where I knew they'd be waiting.

I was still at the first step when I heard Arla's voice,she was screaming, so it was loud enough.

“What do you mean she has the mark?!!!. I'm the one suitable for the Alpha!!!”. She yelled and I heard something break.

I drifted back,my heart beating inhumanely quicker.

What does she mean by “the mark”?.

I placed my hands on my chest to calm my erratic heartbeat,but it was futile.

“I can smell you”. I heard my father's cold and stoic voice,his voice sent shivers down my spine as I found myself shivering vigorously.

My legs felt heavy to take another step, everything around me was spinning.

“Ella”. My father called again, which obviously sounded like a warning.

I started climbing down the stairs,each step filled with exhaustion and sadness.

Getting to the living room,a dark aura hit my nose,I quickly wrinkle my nose in disgust as I glanced at them nervously.

A woman whom I have always known as a witch was standing at the centre of the room,she held what looks like a pencil in her hand.

She gave me a scrutinizing gaze before nodding her head,she looked at my parents and looked at me.

My heart was beating erratically,Arla was sitting beside my mother on the couch, while my father was sitting opposite Julia,the witch.

I stood at the entrance,yet no one said a word to me,they all fixed their gaze on me with furrowed brows.

“She has it”. Julia said, sitting on the couch,her legs outstretched.

“What?”. My mother asked, stood and advanced towards me.

I didn't miss the anger that was radiating off her,with her eyes darkened in disbelief.

“Don't touch her, only Julia is permitted to”. My father's voice eoched,which made my mother halt just a few meters away from me.

“Sit down,Ella”. My dad said in a soft and low voice,my eyes flashed wondering when he became so gentle.

I ignored him, pretending I hadn't heard him,I scoffed inhaling sharply.

“Wh……”. My voice was stuck in my throat when something slammed me to the couch beside the entrance.

I landed on the couch with a loud thud,I looked at them in confusion,tears streaming down my cheeks.

Julia had used her spells on me,she was a dark witch,the most feared in the pack.

My father had always kept their friendship a secret,she snuck in and out of the house with her scent cloaked.

“We only need the mark,trust me it won't hurt a bit”. Her poisonous voice came to me as she walked towards me,her dark and dangerous aura swirling in the room.

“Which mark??”. The only thing I'm proud of is masking my anxiety when I'm in danger. Despite the aura that was suffocating me,I summoned the courage to question her.

I was able to hide the anxiety in my eyes,but wasn't able to stop my body that was shivering vigorously.

“There”. Before I could give her a response I felt an intense pain on my neck,I groaned in pain as I fell from the couch,I became stiff on the floor with my chest heaving.

The intense pain didn't stop,it traveled through my body like a firework.

I opened my mouth to say something but I lacked words, everything in me felt heavy and burning.

I shut my eyes closed, wincing at the jarring pain that kept on squeezing my chest.

Julia didn't stop what she was doing on my neck,I coughed blood,sniffling.

When the intense pain stopped,I struggled to open my eyes but it was as if they were glued together, suddenly I heard my mother's voice.

“You're the strongest witch!!. How were you able to transfer her mark in just a few seconds?”. She sounded amazed,and I heard Julia's laughter which had always caused me post traumatic stress syndrome from infants.

“You've done well Julia”. I could hear my father's sadistic chuckle.

“From today onwards,Arla is fit to be Luna. Get her dressed for the contract marriage tomorrow,the true mark has been transferred to her”. She explained,I could feel the joy that travelled through the room.

I struggled to touch my neck,a jarring pain shot through me on which I retracted my hand instantly.

I sniffed,with my eyes closed I started crawling, suddenly something hit my head from behind making me lose consciousness.