5. Ugly Face

The car had been moving for nearly two hours in complete silence. Not a single word was exchanged between them; the only sound being the hum of the engine and the occasional crunch of tires against the road.

When the vehicle finally slowed and came to a stop, Celeb, the driver, was quick to step out, circling to open the door for Liam.

Alina followed suit, stepping out into the crisp air only for her eyes to widen in shock.

Before her stood not just a house, but something that looked straight out of a fairy tale.

It was massive, elegant, and gleaming white under the sunlight, so pristine it almost hurt to look at. The grand building rose like a modern-day castle. For a moment, Alina forgot herself and simply stared, her mind flashing back to the pink castles in the Barbie movies she used to watch with Helen when they were little.

The sight was… magical.

Her lips curved into an unintentional smile as she imagined what the inside must look like.

“What?” Liam’s cold voice sliced through her thoughts. “You like the house so much you can’t stop staring?”

Alina blinked, caught off guard by his tone, but chose to ignore him. Since when did admiring something become a crime?

They passed through the towering double doors and entered a long hallway that seemed to stretch forever. Alina is beginning to feel her legs ache from the walk.

By the time they reached the end, she found herself stepping into an enormous living room… and her eyes instantly caught the color.

Black.

Everything was black.

The massive sectional couch was deep charcoal, the thick rug underfoot was midnight black, the walls were painted in the same shade, and the heavy curtains matched perfectly. It was as if someone had taken the concept of darkness and decorated an entire space with it.

The only thing keeping the room from looking like a dungeon was the magnificent chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It shimmered with golden light, scattering warm glows across the dark surfaces, almost fighting to keep the room from drowning in gloom.

Before she could say anything, Liam’s voice rang out. “Joe!”

From the corner of the room, an elderly man in a perfectly pressed suit hurried forward, stopping precisely five steps away from Liam.

“Have you cleaned the room I told you to?” Liam asked, his tone brisk.

“Yes, Master. Everything is sparkling clean,” Joe replied in a curt, respectful voice.

Liam gave a single nod. “Hmmm.” He waved the butler away without another word.

Alina, meanwhile, was still gazing up at the chandelier, her eyes following the way the crystals caught the light.

“Stop staring at the chandelier,” Liam said flatly. “It might fall just from having to look at your ugly face.”

Her head snapped toward him, eyes wide. Did… did he just call me ugly?

He smirked faintly at the look on her face, clearly enjoying her outrage. “What would you do if I called you ugly?” he teased, his voice low but laced with challenge.

Alina’s heart skipped, then thudded hard against her ribs not from his words, but from the sheer audacity of him. She clenched her fists but refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Without waiting for her reply, Liam turned and started up the grand staircase. “Follow me.”

Alina let out a slow sigh to calm herself before trailing behind him, silently wishing the staircase would swallow him whole.

On the first floor, he stopped at the first door to the right, pushing it open and stepping inside.

The room was spotless, simple yet well-kept. The bed was neatly made, the floor gleamed, and the air smelled faintly of lavender. But there was one glaring problem.

It was black.

Black bed sheets. Black pillows. Black drapes. Black furniture.

Alina stood there, blinking as if trying to process the monochrome nightmare.

“This is your room,” Liam said, turning to face her.

She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line. “It’s… fine. But maybe you could change the color? Orange and white would be perfect.” She gave him her best pout, like a spoiled child asking for candy.

Liam stared at her as though she’d grown two heads. Did she think he was her father, ready to fulfill her every whim?

“What’s wrong with the color?” he asked.

“I don’t like black,” she admitted bluntly. “It feels like… death.”

At that, Liam chuckled, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Good. Then you’ve realized you’re standing in hell… and the fire might burn you any second.”

Her mouth fell open, but before she could retort, he said, “If you don’t like it, you can always sleep in the passage we walked through earlier.”

Her jaw dropped. Did he really just suggest I sleep in the hallway?

“Never mind,” she muttered quickly. “Thanks for the room.”

He simply gave a short nod and left.

As soon as the door closed, Alina grabbed the nearest pillow, of course, it was black, and began swinging it in the air, muttering under her breath about arrogant, heartless man. She was so caught up in her pillow assault that she didn’t notice the door opening again.

The pillow flew from her hands and smacked straight into Liam’s face.

For a moment, time froze.

Alina’s eyes widened. “Oh… crap.”

Liam stood there, the pillow still in his hands, staring at her with an expression that was a mix of shock and something dangerous.

The air in the room suddenly felt heavier.

Liam had returned to the room to tell her to inform the butler if she needs anything, only to be met with a pillow hitting him square in the face.

"Do you really have a death wish?" Liam asked, his tone bone-chilling.

"Sorry… I didn’t mean it. It was a mistake," Alina stammered.

His eyes narrowed. "Do you realize you’ve been getting on my nerves? Do you really want to die?" His voice was low, dangerous, each word dripping with menace as he began walking toward her, step by step, like a predator closing in on its prey.

Instinctively, Alina stepped back, their movements matching in a slow, tense rhythm until her back hit the wall.

Liam braced one hand against the wall beside her head, effectively caging her in.

Alina avoided his gaze, staring anywhere else to escape the suffocating intensity in his eyes. But when she risked a glance, she couldn’t help noticing, despite the fury etched into his features, the devil in front of her was… devastatingly handsome.

The faint scent of sandalwood clung to him, filling the space between them, making it harder for her to breathe. Just when she thought she might lose control, his voice cut through the air.

"The next time you hit me, whether it’s intentional or not. I’ll chop off two of your fingers."

With that, Liam pushed away from the wall and left the room, leaving Alina struggling to steady her breathing.

She looked around, her gaze landing on the dark walls. She hated them. One day, she knew, she would close her eyes and never wake again, only endless darkness would greet her.

After getting tired of staring at the black wall, she sighed and pulled her phone from her pocket only to see countless messages from her family and Helen.

She scrolled to her dad’s number and called him. The moment he picked up, different worried voices began speaking over each other.

"Alina, are you okay?" That was her mother’s voice.

"You stupid grandchild of mine! Why would you agree to go with the Devil?" her grandmother scolded.

"Alina, can you hear us? Please speak, are you okay?" her father asked.

"I'm fine. You people shouldn’t worry too much about me," Alina replied.

"Really? What if he gets you killed?" her grandmother snapped.

"So what’s the difference? It’s not like I have much left to live for," Alina said. There was silence for a moment; she knew she had just dropped a bomb.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I’ll be fine, please believe me," Alina added quickly.

"Please try visiting home soon," her mother said.

"Yes, Mom," she answered.

"We love you, dear," her grandmother said before the call ended.

She sometimes hated how worried her family could be, but she understood that’s what a good family does.

Next, she scrolled to Helen’s number. She knew her best friend would also be worried to death.

"How could you, Alina? Oh my goodness… Tell me what your mom told me is a lie, that you’re staying with the Devil!" Helen blurted the moment she answered.

"Helen, calm down. I’m fine. I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier... I was going to once I settled in," Alina explained.

"Are you sure? Or are you hiding something from me?" Helen pressed.

"No, honestly, I’m fine," Alina assured her.

"Okay, so tell me… I heard the Devil’s house is the biggest in the city. Please, can I take a look?" Helen asked.

"First of all, his house isn’t a house, it’s like a castle from a Barbie cartoon, only difference is, it’s black," Alina said.

"Black? Please just show me on video call," Helen pleaded.

Alina hesitated, unsure if Liam would allow it. But in the end, she agreed and switched to video call.

"Oh my goodness… It’s huge!" Helen exclaimed as Alina showed her around the room. "Wait, why all black?"

"I don’t know. I guess the Devil’s favorite color is black," Alina replied.

"That’s weird… and kind of annoying. What are you going to do now?" Helen asked, knowing her friend disliked black.

"Nothing. I guess I’ll have to get used to it," Alina said.

"Listen, Alina, please be careful. Do whatever he asks you to, and if you feel uncomfortable, just run away, okay? We can leave the country, go somewhere he’ll never find you," Helen said, sounding likea worried mother.

"Thanks, Helen. You don’t have to worry too much about me, I’ll be fine," Alina said with a smile. She was truly glad to have a friend like Helen.

They talked for a while before ending the call. Then Alina fell back onto the bed.