Madalyne's POV
Rolling my eyes, almost to the back of my head, I turn around to the atrocious man standing with his hands in his pockets.
"Out," I mutter in a firm yet polite tone. As I begin to walk towards the entrance, I feel a harsh grip on my upper arm.
"I asked where," My head snaps to Ian, for whom it takes a moment to realize what he is doing. The grip softens before retreating.
My jaw clenches, "I thought we had an agreement of you not touching me!" My eyes glare upon him while he takes a deep breath. As soon as we landed in Canada, Ian tried to drag me out of the plane with his brutal grips. So I had to calm myself down and agreed to go with him on only one condition -he could never touch me.
To my astonishment, he agreed and today here we are. Sometimes, he may forget about the deal but I don't. I have to constantly remind him that even by mistake if his skin comes in contact with mine, I would be far from being polite.
"Yeah, I know. Now are you going to answer me?" Aggression is evident in his tone.
"I was out shopping and dying my hair," I begin to compose the red hair stands underneath my brunette ones. The red stands are not really dyed, more like extensions. Why even waste time dying my healthy hair when I can just attach fake ones? "And why bother asking me? Don't you have a bodyguard who is always around me? Ask him!"
A psychotic smirk plasters on his face, "Oh, I definitely will." I shrug before heading inside the manor. I let out a breath of relief as I recall that I have already made up a story with Grey. Just because of Grey, I am able to breathe freely.
With my boots clicking on the white tiles with gray stains, I walk up the stairs and to my designated room. I didn't even get to choose the room I wanted to stay in. Though this room had already been decorated before my arrival. He really planned all this.
A huge king sized bed is set against the wall which is opposite the entrance doors. Pictures of my younger self- probably around the age of eighteen to twenty -are hung on that wall. I hate looking into these pictures; they remind me of how weak I used to be around that time period. Nevertheless, I was beautiful.
Hope to Lord, I still am since all the shit Ian puts me through. I don't even want to look at myself in the mirror. It is because, every time I do, I wish Xavier would appear from behind to wrap his arms around my waist.
He would move my hair aside, and leave wet kisses all over my shoulder. He would caress my skin gently and constantly remind me of my beauty. Then he would rip my dress apart and fuck- I need to calm myself down before I run out of the house and go back to where Xavier is.
Taking a deep breath and gulping down a glass of water, I take off my boots and begin to undress. At the beginning I even felt very uncomfortable undressing in this room or the bathroom. My subconscious warned me to check whether there are any hidden cameras or not. If there was, Ian would have been dead by now.
With reluctance, I have to take shower because I do not want Xavier's marks and prints gone from my body. Changing into new clothes and making sure no marks on my neck is visible, I begin to open the shopping bags.
Ian even has taken away my credit card therefore I have to use his. If the card was mine, I would have used it precisely but since it's his, I plan to make him go bankrupt. That devil would definitely check in to see what I bought. Just to make sure if I was actually shopping.
I am trying really hard not to fuck up. If even by any chance, Ian gets the hint that I have been sneaking to meet Xavier, he would go crazy and definitely hurt everyone within his reach. Though his anger is less aggressive and loud but more psychotic and gruesome in a calm way.
My chain of thoughts is interrupted when a knock echoes through the room and closet. My body does not react as I know it's not Ian -he never knocks. "Come in!" I shout to the person before the door opens and closes gently.
"Miss. Colson," Grey appears at the entrance of the closet, "Sir sent me here to inform you that he will be having some guests tonight. He requested you to be dressed up by seven." My eyebrows frown upon his words but so do his.
"Yeah, no, he didn't request it. More like demanded," Grey scoffs and rolls his eyes before leaning against the wall.
I let out a chuckle and nod, "You just cleared my confusion. Here, come sit down."
"But sir-," He hesitates.
"He can't do shit. Plus, you are my bodyguard. You are supposed to help me whenever I need," I point to all the shopping bags to which nods and eventually sits down on the carpeted floor. "So, did he tell you who the guests are?"
"No, he didn't," He mutters, taking out a box of Channel out of the packet, "He strictly ordered all the maids to make everything look perfect and neat."
"Is he inviting the Angels of Death?" I snort, causing Grey to laugh along me. Once our laughs die, Grey looks straight ahead.
"I wish," His fingers grip the ribbon wrapped around the box. My weary eyes wander on his hands and I can't help but notice his knuckles turning white.
"Why do you deal with him? You know, you can just quit," I mumble under my breath.
His head turns a bit to his right, towards me, his eyes still fixated ahead, "Revenge. I know I cannot do much damage to him but I can help the ones suffering under his control."
I stay silent as he continues, "It cost me a lot," His fingers point onto the scar across his face, "But I am still holding myself upright because all I need is revenge." My hand grips his shoulder in a soothing manner.
At first I despised him for not only showing me how my father was in danger but also holding Joseph at gunpoint. He has always been around me since that day. He was very quiet and emotionless for a week before he eventually let me know that he was on my side. He helped me reach out to Xavier on the phone and also physically.
"You will get your revenge upon him, Grey. I promise, I will help you. Even if you want to stab him to death fifty times, I will help you." I radiate a smile to which he nods, the corner of his lips tugging up.
"Make that hundred times," I chuckle upon his words.
"You know you can talk about it," I encourage him to talk about his past story which led him to have a huge scar on his face.
Grey stares on the floor before taking a deep breath, "My Dad used to work for his father. Ian and I were very close when we were kids. We used to hang out all the time and even went to the same school. Obviously, my Dad couldn't pay all of it so Ian's father jumped in to help in exchange for my dad to work for him.
We were about twelve when I first started to notice his weird possessive and envious traits. Like he used to get very jealous over simple things and very possessive. He was never really jealous of me because he knew my life wasn't anywhere like his. Until one day, I woke up to him dragging me out of my room like some sick psychopath. Next thing I know I have this huge scar. I didn't even know what I did to deserve to be slashed like that."
His words make me wince as he continues, "He started saying things like 'You can't steal my mom' , 'I am going to kill you' , 'She is my mom'. I was still clueless as I was screaming for help. Later I got help from my neighbours before I was taken to Ian's mansion. There I found out that My Dad and his Mom were accused of having an affair. It wasn't true. I knew my father and I observed him very closely -he never laid his eyes upon any woman, because he loved my mother."
I am crying at this point as the tears shred from my scorching eyes, "What happened to your mom?"
He turns his head to the other side, "She has been paralyzed due to an accident since I was four. She has been lying motionless in the hospital ever since and so is Dad.... that day when they were accused, not only did Ian's mom have a heart attack and pass away but they also brutally hurt Dad. Ever since, I have been Ian's puppet in his shadows."
I wrap my hands around his arm and put my head on his shoulder. He went through so much yet still has the ability to stand the person who ruined his life. There are so many people out there who are victims of that bastard's sick tortures.
"You may have never seen me but I have when you and him were kind of together. And what happened in Milan, I'm sorry you had to go through that," He mutters as I lift my head up and lean against the nearest wall.
"I'm over that day. I don't fear him anymore. Dad and Xavier are both safe so I don't have to fear his threats. But just like him, his actions are unpredictable," I let out a sigh, closing my eyes.
"Did you get into his office?" My eyes shoot up upon his whispering.
"No, but I'm trying. He just has his security around all the time." I huff, gripping the roots of my hair to which Grey sighs.
For the past month, I have been trying to sneak into his office room in order to get any kind of information or evidence which may help us to bring Ian down.
It may be risky to do the job, but I am all for it.
......................
As soon as Grey leaves, I change into new clothes which are suitable for dinner. I would have never gone down to dinner if curiosity didn't get the best of me.
I leave the room with hesitant steps before slowly approaching the stairs. It's about thirty past seven but Ian told me to be down by seven. I'm surprised he didn't barge into my room to drag me down.
As soon as I reach downstairs, I hear faint laughter and voices. Nowadays, it feels weird to be in Canada as people would talk in a Canadian accent. I got used to hearing the English accent. Especially Xavier's.
I miss him so much and my ears throb to hear him talking soothingly.
"-you should've attended the party. It was so damn good!" I hear a female voice chirping but everything else muffle as I find myself come across three familiar faces.
"People were enjoying- oh dear," The woman finally stops talking as I find myself glaring at the one next to her.
"Uh- hey- Mady," Chloe nervously utters as u feel four pairs of eyes on me.
My eyes meet Ian's grey ones, "I am going back to my room." I say in a firm voice causing all of them to share glances, except Ian.
As I turn around to leave, Ian's voice booms loudly, "Don't make me get up! Come back here and meet my family!"
Reluctantly, I turn around, "Hey, Catherine!" I only greet Chloe's mother as I ignore the other two.
"Hey, Madalyne, it's so good to see you! You've changed so much," She has always been nice to me whenever we met each other so I can't be rude to her. But the other two can suck a dick!
"Indeed, I have," I walk up to the living room and take a seat on the empty spot, "It's so nice to see you."
She radiates a smile before everything falls into awkwardness. I try my best to not meet Chloe's eyes or else I would strangle her.
"Madalyne, daughter, it's been long since we last met...," Here comes Ian's father. I could never tolerate this man. His whole world revolves around money and only money.
"Has it? I don't quite remember actually," I fold my leg over the other. Landon's eyes change from being narrow to glaring. Ian's face remains stoic while Chloe and Catherine share side glances. Do they even know all the things Ian put me through to bring me here?
Catherine and Landon may not know but if Chloe wants she can probably guess. Even if she steps forward to help me, never in a million years I would accept.
"Umm... we should probably sit down to dinner... God, I am starving," Catherine chimes in all of a sudden.
.....................
Lifting up the spoon full of soup, I reluctantly take a sip. The ambience on the table is sometimes so quiet -just like pin drop silence. Catherine often jumps in with new topics while Ian and his father keep up a light conversation.
"So Madalyne, are you planning on continuing your study here?" Catherine speaks up,, causing both Ian and I to look to her.
"I don't know, you should probably ask him," I point towards Ian, "..since he decides everything for me." I assert out loud to which Ian throws a side glare upon me.
The light smile on Catherine's face falls, "What? I think you have the freedom to follow your passion. Dear, Ian would do anything for you and support you-,"
"What freedom?" I frown, staring at Catherine as I feel a hand gripping my wrists, "I am basically imprisoned here."
"I let you go out," Ian growls, making me wince upon the force he exerts on my skin.
"Yah, with a bodyguard to keep an eye on me. And not only that but I also cannot have any phones or laptops. I cannot even meet my own Dad!" I hiss as the whole table falls deafeningly silent. I snap my head to Catherine, "This is no freedom. It's far from that, Catherine."
I can meet Dad, it's just I don't have the courage to face him before Xavier explains everything to him.
"And let's not forget how he manipulated me and made me leave the man I love-,"
"That's enough!!" A thunderous shout echoes throughout the room as Ian drags me away from the table. He pulls my hand so hard that I feel a vein stretching. I yelp in pain as he pulls me into a hallway.
"You have the fucking nerve to talk like that in front of my family!" He shouts my face, gripping my upper arms this time. I wince in pain as he pushes me against a wall with all his power.
"Yes, I do! Fuck-," I yelp once again as his hand now wraps around my jaw. His fingers dig deep into my skin as I feel the stinging pain.
His dark eyes glare upon me, "You can talk trash about me all you want but I don't want to hear about any of that love shit anymore!" I keep the eye contact up.
"Or else, you know what happens!" He grits his teeth before letting go of me. I lean my head against the wall, trying to catch breath when suddenly I notice the figure standing nearby. The familiar face holds up the wide-eyed expression and clutching onto a laptop. He has been here the whole time?
I have often seen him around the manor, the laptop always in his arms. Is he the hacker who works for Ian?
"What are you doing? Go back to my office!" Ian growls to which the boy instantly opens the door of the office room. So when he came out of the room, he had to witness such a scene.
But before entering the room, he leaves me one last long glance -with a glint of concern?
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