[Unedited]
❝Maybe you're gonna be the one that saves me.❞
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[Angel's POV]
My eyes were glued on Louis as I waited for him to finally break the silence and tell me what he had found about my parents. I didn't know much since I was only ten years old when they died, but I knew that we weren't a poor family. My father owned a big company and my mother worked there with him, but I was never treated any differently from the other kids.
My parents liked to keep things simple and didn't brag about their wealth. I attended a public school and I didn't receive expensive gifts from them, neither did we have maids or drivers. We were a normal family. That's until of course they were murdered.
I remember that night very well. The horrible sounds of the gunshots and my mother's screams. I remember running out of my room and going to the kitchen calling for my parents only to find them both dead and covered in blood, lying on the floor, lifeless- dead. I was scared and panicked and I called for help but no one came and I walked out of the house, running away and hoping to find someone to help me. But I never did and I eventually got lost.
I never learnt what happened with the company or if we had any relatives that were looking for me. Alexander found me, wandering in the dark alleys and took me under his protection. He didn't let me get out of the Dollhouse for a long time, he said that it was dangerous, that the people that killed my parents were after me and I believed him like a foolish little girl that I was. Back then I didn't know what he was capable of doing, I thought of him as a caring man and not the cruel, cold-hearted man that he was. It's now that I understand that he had everything planned out. It wasn't a coincidence that he found me that night, nine years ago, it was all perfectly planned out.
I also believed Ethan and thought he was my friend. He was the only one out of everyone in the Dollhouse that approached me and tried to talk to me after six years of staying there. He was a handsome guy with confidence and he knew exactly what to say to make you like him. So I fell for it. I slowly developed a liking towards him, he was my first crush and the one that hurt me the most. I trusted him, I was blinded by his nice words and sweet actions to see what his true intentions were and when I did it was already too late. He crashed me physically and emotionally, even thinking about it now made me shiver in disgust.
"Angelina, are you okay? You look pale." I heard Louis say, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned my attention to him nodding my head slowly and placing my hands on my lap to stop them from shaking.
"I'm fine." I told him, smiling weakly.
"Are you sure?" Harry asked, his green eyes looking at me intently with a frown on his face.
"Yes. Now, please Louis tell me what you found." I said, looking at him.
"I will tell you everything, Angelina. Don't worry. But first I need you to explain to me what happened the night your parents died. How did Alexander find you?" He asked and pursed his lips together waiting for my reply.
I took a deep breath and parted my lips to speak.
"It was late at night a-and I was sleeping. My mum entered my room, s-she was scared but she tried to reassure me that everything would be fine. Gunshots were heard and she told me to hide before she left my room." I started to say, my voice small. Louis' bright blue eyes were watching me the whole time and he offered me a sad smile. "A-another gunshot was heard, I remember getting out of my room and going downstairs calling their names. I found them, lying on the floor lifeless. T-they were dead. He had killed them." I continued, my voice cracking in the end as my eyes got watery. I felt someone's warm hand on my shoulder and I glanced up to see Harry standing next to me. He knelt down and planted a kiss on the back of my hand before squeezing it in his hand.
"I'm so sorry." He whispered. I knew that he still felt guilty about what happened, I could see it in his eyes, and I didn't want him to. This wasn't Harry's fault, Ethan was the one to blame.
"It wasn't your fault." I told him.
Louis cleared his throat and I looked back at him.
"I know it's hard for you, Angelina, but I need to know what happened." he said.
"After I saw them I started screaming for help and I ran outside the house, no one heard me though. I got panicked and I didn't know what to do, I was scared, so I ran away before the police arrived. Alexander found me a few days later, I was hiding in the dark alleys, lost. He said he was a family friend and that he had been searching for me. I believed everything he said and followed him back to the Dollhouse. He told me that I would be staying with him, he had everything planned." I explained to him. Louis nodded his head, he seemed to be deep in thoughts.
"So he never forced you to sign anything?" he asked.
"No, he didn't. He was actually really nice to me, that's until I turned seventeen of course. I overhead him talking with someone in his office about me. He wanted to make me a Doll, he said I would make a lot of money. That's when I ran away, but he eventually found me again and here I am." I told him. "What is bothering you?" I asked him as I ran my fingers through my hair nervously.
"Angelina, I don't think that he took you only because you would make money for him. Alexander has plenty of Dolls." Louis said.
"He hated my parents, especially my father." I added. Louis simply shook his head and stood up searching through the piles of papers on top of Harry's desk. I looked at Harry with confusion, but he simply shrugged as if to say that he didn't know what Louis was searching for.
Suddenly Louis stopped and took a paper in his hand examining it carefully with his eyes before smiling in triumph and then throwing it down at me. I caught it in my hands and stared at him dumbfounded.
"Read it." he simply said, pointing towards it. I moved my gaze down at the paper I was securely holding and started reading it. It had my father's name on it and it said something about his companies but I still couldn't understand where he was getting with this.
"What exactly are you trying to tell me, Louis?"
Louis clasped his hands together and grinned widely at me.
"If I have done my research currently, which I have, then my dear Angelina you are probably one of the richest people in London, richer than Harry." he exclaimed.
My eyes widened at his words and I stared with pure shock on my face between him and the paper in my hands. I couldn't believe what he was saying. Me? Rich? For years I thought that I lost everything, that my parents efforts and hard work was lost. Alexander had shown me papers that verified it. How could this happen?
"W-what?"
"He lied to you about everything. I thought about it a lot the past few days. Alexander had everything planned out, Angelina, he didn't just find you. When he learnt that your parents died and you were missing he searched for you desperately so that he could find you before the police did. Yes, he may hated your father but surely making your life miserable wasn't enough for him. He needs more." Louis said.
"So what you are trying to say is that he wants her wealth." Harry stated, he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, staring intently at Louis who nodded his head at him.
"Think about it. You, Angelina, have an amazing amount of power in your hands which you never knew about until know. You are the rightful heiress of Maxwell Starr, the man who had millions of companies around the world. Unfortunately, according to the paper that you are holding and your father's wish you can't take the companies or the money until you reach the age of twenty, but you can refuse the inheritance or pass it to someone else. And here is where Alexander comes to the picture."
"He will try to make me pass my inheritance to him."
"Exactly." Louis said.
I stood up from my seat, placing the paper on top of the desk. I started pacing around Harry's office trying to process everything that I was told. It was still a lot of information to take in. All these years I was leaving in a lie, I was trapped in Alexander's twisted game for revenge and power.
"Louis, do you know if I have any relatives?" I asked him with hope in my eyes, but the way his eyes avoided my gaze told me that probably he didn't.
"I'm not sure, Angelina. In the files I searched it said something about a woman. She was searching for you and then after a few years she stopped. Newspapers from that time said that you were dead. People think that you are dead, Angelina." he explained.
"Oh my God, Louis."
"We can't let, Alexander take anything else from her. We have to do something, now." Harry said, approaching us. I nodded my head, looking at Louis. Maybe this was my only chance to get away from Alexander and start a new life, be happy, but I knew that it wouldn't be that easy. Alexander won't stop at nothing and I don't want to see Harry or anyone die because of me.
"It's not that easy, Harry. She is supposed to be dead, she can't magically appear out of nowhere and ask for her inheritance. She will have to go through a process and verify the fact that she in fact is Angelina Starr, the daughter of Maxwell." Louis told him.
"I understand, Louis, but we don't have fücking time. Alexander is fast and we have to act faster than him. She can't go back there with him and I won't let that happen." Harry yelled, running his hand through his hair frustrated.
"Harry, no one will take her away from you. I promise you that. Don't worry about anything I will find the best lawyer and I will start this process tomorrow. Angelina, you will get what's rightfully yours." Louis reassured me, smiling at me warmly.
"Thank you, Louis. I really appreciate everything that you did." I told him. He patted Harry on the shoulder, whispering something in his ear and then walked away leaving me and Harry alone in his office.
"I'm really scared, Harry." I whispered, placing my hands over my face.
I felt his warm presence behind me before he slowly wrapped his arms around me and pulled me against his chest. The smell of his intoxicating cologne engulfed me and I felt myself relax a bit. He lowered his head to the side of my neck and nuzzled his face into my neck in a way that made my heart race and butterflies appear in my stomach.
"Everything will be okay." he whispered.
"If Alexander really wants my money then I don't think he will give up easily. He will never let me go."
"Angelina, I made a promise and I tend to keep my promises. You will not go back there and it needed to you will leave the country and you will leave everyone and everything behind you, even me. You deserve a better life than this and I want be selfish when it comes to you." Harry said, in a low voice and I immediately turned around so that I was facing him. I cupped his face, bringing him closer to me.
"Harry, I-"
I was to speak but he shushed me before I could say anything more by pressing his soft lips on mine and I couldn't help but think that I wanted this to last forever.
* * *
"Did Sandra leave?" I asked Harry as we entered inside the house. The light flickered open in the living room and I took off my jacket as I headed towards the kitchen to find it completely empty.
"Yes. Her shift ended an hour ago." Harry stated, walking into the kitchen, too.
I spent the whole day at the company with Harry, which was better than coming home and having to explain Sandra what she saw in the morning. Even thinking about it made me feel embarrassed, there was no other way to explain it other than the obvious; we had sex. I could just imagine her face, that wide grin on her face, and mentally thanked God that she wasn't home at the moment.
Harry looked at me, pushing the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and raised his eyebrows.
"What are you thinking, about?" he asked me, smiling.
"About what happened in the morning. I'm actually glad Sandra isn't here, it would be awkward after that." I replied and I saw that cocky smirk appear on his face as he started at me with amusement.
"You're blushing, baby." he stated and shook his head chuckling lightly.
"Well, I have my reasons. She saw us Harry and I'm sure she will never forget your sexual remark."
"I honestly don't care about she thinks. Do you want anything to eat?" he asked me as he opened the oven to see what was inside to eat. He pulled out a plate with spaghetti and tomato sauce and looked at me.
"No, I'm fine." I told him, sitting down on a chair. We ate before we got here, Harry took me to a very good restaurant which made delicious pizza, so after eating a whole one all by myself I felt completely full. I swear I have never eaten that much. Harry shrugged and placed away with the leftover spaghetti.
Instead he two glasses from the cabinet and then opened a bottle of red wine. He filled the glasses and walked towards me, offering me one.
I took it from his hand and looked at him up with confusion. Harry sat down opposite me and smiled raising his glass in the air.
"And to what are we drinking, Mr. Styles?" I asked him, raising my eyebrow at him.
"To us, Miss Starr, and to what's going to come." he said and both drank from our glasses.
"Do you really think this is going to work?" I asked him.
"Yes and let's not talk about this anymore."
I placed my hand on the table, tapping my fingers against it softly. Harry took my hand in his and squeezed it, making me look up at him.
"It's hard not to when everything has to do with him. My life and your life could be completely different if it wasn't for him. I would have my parents and you would have your sister, Harry." I said, looking deep into his green eyes, I saw a hint of sadness pass through them and he licked his lips before looking down.
"I think about that everyday believe me. But I can't change what happened, that's my punishment. I have to leave with the fact that I could save her and I didn't, but you, you couldn't do anything Angelina."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Yes, I'll tell you everything you want to know." he replied, averting his gaze to me.
"The girl they said you killed in the Dollhouse, you didn't kill her. She was your sister, wasn't she?" I asked him.
Harry shut his eyes briefly and sighed before nodding his head and confirming my thoughts. He finished his drink and looked at me as he parted his lips to speak.
"My sister was in a relationship with Ethan, behind my back. After I felt his gang, I learnt about it and I forbid her from seeing him. Nina was a really stubborn girl and like any other girl her age thought that she had found the one. She ran away with him and they both disappeared for a while. I went to the Dollhouse where she lived with him and took her with me despite her protests. She came with me back here and I thought that I had finally convinced her that what she was doing was stupid, but left again. Then after two days I learnt that she was found died. They said she committed suicide but I don't believe them. I knew Nina, she would never end her life like that, something else happened. That's why I hate Alexander so much, I'm sure he did it. He and Ethan."
"Harry, did it ever cross your mind that maybe the love he felt for her was real? Maybe they really loved each other." I told him. Harry shook his head.
"Ethan can't love. He doesn't know what caring for someone is. He only thinks about himself and he will pay for what he did. They both will."
I didn't say anything, I didn't want this conversation turn into an argument. Maybe Harry was right and Ethan really did kill his sister but there was this part of me that believed that there much more to it. Ethan could be a heartless and cruel person but that doesn't mean that he never loved once. Maybe she was the one that broke him.
"Anyways, let's not let them ruin our night. Come, I want to show you something." He stood up and extended his hand for me, which I gladly took. We walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs.
"Where are we going?" I asked him curiously.
"To my studio. Remember when I told you that I had almost finished the painting?" He asked pushing open the door and turning on the lights in the studio. It suddenly felt so long ago from the last time that I was here, so many things happened. "Well, it's finished now." he said.
He moved towards the center where the big canvas was standing, covered with a white cloth and stopped turning to me.
"Close your eyes first, baby." he ordered and did as he said. "Don't open them until I say so."
I nodded, tapping my foot nervously on the floor as I was waiting impatiently for him to tell me to look. I really couldn't hold back the excitement that I was feeling at the moment, I wanted to see the way he had portrayed me in his painting.
After a few seconds I felt his hot breath next to my ear and I exhaled deeply when I felt his lips move against my skin. "You can open them."
I slowly opened them and my eyes trailed up to the big painting that was standing in front of me. My eyes widened as I looked at it and I took a few steps closer.
It was like nothing I had seen before. It was truly a masterpiece. It wasn't like his other paintings dark and scary, no, this was completely different.
In this painting I looked like a true angel. I had white wings which were hugging my back creating the illusion that I was lying on the clouds. My skin was pale and clear, but he had made sure to show some of the bruises on my sides. My hair was dark creating a beautiful contrast with with my skin and it looked so smooth, almost real. My features were exactly the same and my blue eyes shined as the stared right into me, sadness, pain and confusion could be seen in them. The silky blanket that covered my lower part was painted a deep red and overall the details were so realistic, that amazed me and scared me at the same time. The bottom was painted with darker colours and he had also painted the light beige curtains behind me. And last, at the back behind the figure of the girl, who was me, stood a shadowy silhouette which resembled the shadow of a man.
My lips parted as I took everything in and observed every small detail of the painting. It was beautiful, so angelic.
"Harry, this is beautiful." I told him. I was in loss of words.
"I'm glad you like it. It's one of my best works, it's different."
"What are you calling it?" I asked him, turning my face to look at the painting one more time.
"Nude."
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Soo here is the chapter you all have been waiting for. ;) Sorry for any mistakes, I wrote this on my phone, I'll edit everything later.
Ps: Which song do you think fits Harry's and Angelina's relationship?