Chapter 20

Kia "Who're you?" I slumped against the wall, breathing hard. My whole body was trembling due to fear.

He was coming closer to me, and I had nowhere to run. I wiped off my tears and looked around, searching for something which could help me. The room was dark, and I couldn't find anything. No one could help me. My mom was hospitalized because of cancer and my father and brother had left me a week ago.

His boots were thudding against the floor and his every step gave me panic. I could see his shadow through the moonlight. I could see his big size. "Wh-Who are you? What do you want?" My voice was barely audible, but I knew he was listening to me.

When he crossed the window, his face was visible, brutal, barbaric, and menacing. Only the words I could describe him, "Go away, don't come near me!! Go away! Don't come," I cried out loud, hugging my body tightly.

"I'll go, Kitty," he sat on his heels, angling his face so that he could face me. An ugly sneer twisted his lips, his grey eyes set to me. He scanned my body, practically undressing me and it made my skin prickle with horror, "But after your tight pussy," he grabbed me by the hair, "I'm going to make you a woman, Kitty. Don't worry, I won't be gentle, not after what your brother had done with my sister!!"

And the next moment he started tearing my clothes, "No, please. I beg you, please, no!!" I cried. I screamed. I begged.

Kia Kia, get up!

Kia, get up!

His arms tightened around my waist and his heavy body collided with mine. "No, please. No, please. I beg..." I opened my eyes and saw the man, he was pinning me against the bed and looking at me with a worried expression. His deep blue eyes were staring at me and searching for something in my eyes. He lifted his hand and brushed the strands of my hair softly.

"Close your eyes," he ordered me, and I followed him, closing my eyes. "Breath slowly. I'm right here with you. You're safe. When you open your eyes, you'll give me your fearless look," he whispered, coming even closer to me. I could feel his breath against my neck. I could feel our heartbeat pulsating at the same time as he pulled me closer, filling the small gap between us. "Now open your eyes."

I opened my eyes, seeing the person who was in front of me, beautiful, gentle, and even powerful. I wasn't safe under him. If he could know what he had done to me? He could know how much he had changed me in these four years? He could know the reason behind every nightmare? He could know because of him I was raped? "What are you doing here?" I asked roughly.

He frowned and straightened himself. "I came here to hear your moans," he joked and turned to the nightstand, reaching for the glass of water.

My eyes scanned his half-naked body, which was filled with tattoos. He was just in his black shorts, looking every bit muscular. There was a tattoo of a bull that almost covered his muscular back. His fair skin completely blended with black ink and made him even sexier. He turned around, giving me a glass of water, "Here," I grabbed the glass and gulped down the water, "Kia, you are not as strong as you show around. Never give your predator the wrong idea. Show what you are, otherwise, he will catch your weaknesses."

I frowned in confusion. "Why are you telling me this?"

He ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't know where it's coming from, but I thought to warn you."

I set the glass and stared into his eyes. "Every predator is not like you, Vivian. And all predators are not affecting me like you...." I shut my mouth, regretting my words, "I mean you are not my enemy," I dropped my eyes, refusing to look into his eyes, "I have been taking every criminal as a predator, but you are not one of them. You have saved me, and you are kind to me. I hated you at first, but after knowing you." I met his gaze, "You are a good man."

He narrowed his eyes, "Trust me, I'm the worst. You're lucky you are not my enemy, otherwise, you would probably see me like a beast in the human body," he said calmly, but it was the relentless tone.

*********

"Give it to me! I'm going to bake cookies!" Harley said and snatched away the container of flour.

I snatched back the container. "You'll end up hurting yourself. This place is not for the kiddo!"

It was a weekend and her holiday time. She did nothing, just annoyed me. Rose caught the flu, so she went to the hospital for treatment. We had nothing to eat except for lasagna and I would not eat that. "Do you even know what flour is?" I raised my brows as I looked at her. How could she bake cookies?

She was sitting on the kitchen counter glaring at me, "I know everything better than you, Kiara," she mocked, "Seeing your face, I don't think you have ever cooked before."

I smiled at her, mocking her, "Don't go on my face. I know a dozen dishes to cook. I had worked in many hotels where I used to cook food for hundreds of people. You don't need to worry about the taste of my food. Believe me, I will cook the yummiest food you've ever eaten before."

She crossed her arms over her chest, pouting, "But you cannot bake yummy cookies then, Princess. She is an amazing baker."

I frowned and smiled absently, "Who is Princess?"

"Alice," I heard a masculine voice and turned to him. Vivian stood in the doorway with crossing arms and looking handsome in his black suit. I didn't know how long he had been standing here and listening to us? "She has named her Princess."

That meant Alice and Harley were close to each other.

"Princess? This is a boring name," I teased her and took out a bowl, pouring flour.

With a flare of anger, she snapped, "Witch, is interesting, isn't it?"

I went to the other side and opened the cupboard, searching for the ingredients which I needed for cookies. "I love this name. You can call me whatever you like to call. I don't care, anyway."

She ignored me and kept eating her breakfast.

"You can cook dozens of dishes, right?" Vivian walked toward the refrigerator and opened it, taking out the fresh orange juice. "Will you make fried chicken for me?"

I looked at him with a frowning face. He was pouring juice into the glass and didn't notice me. "It will take time. I think you are going to your work?"

He raised his brows and didn't like my reply, "I'm asking you this, of course not for breakfast, ready it at dinner," he ordered me and headed towards the door, but paused and glanced over his shoulder, "And Harley doesn't eat non-veg."

For a few seconds my mind was urged to scream at him and told him, 'I don't want to cook for you' but in the end, I couldn't because I was at his mercy, wasn't I?

I nodded to him and gave him my fakest smile. "Don't worry, I will make sure."

*********

"Ouch!!" I jumped due to sharp, hot, pain in my palm and realized I had burned myself because of the wrong holding of the pan, "Shit!!" I quickly ran to the sink and washed my hand with cold water.

I came back to the counter and checked the cookies. They were almost ready to eat. I had put lots of effort into making yummy cookies according to Harley's taste. She had left me a half-hour ago, and I got time to make her heart-shaped cookies. I hoped she would like it. I looked down at my palm. It was red, and I felt scorching pain. I didn't know why I was doing this? But I decided to offer the best cookies she had ever eaten. Maybe because I couldn't accept that there was someone who could bake better cookies than me.

I decorated the cookies as a smiley face with the help of chocolates and held the plate and walked out.

"Princess," I heard Harley, and she was running towards the door joyfully, and there I saw Alice. She was with a baby boy who was sucking his thumb. She sat on her knees hugging Harley along with the baby boy. Didn't he feel suffocated between two females? The next moment he screamed, 'ma-ma.'

Alice pulled herself back, "Say, hey to Harley," she said to her baby boy who was still sucking his tiny thumb, "Kelvin, stop it. This is a bad habit," she pulled his thumb out of his mouth and he giggled and again put his thumb back into his mouth. She rolled her eyes and returned to Harley. "How are you? Are you enjoying your weekend?"

Harley shook her head. "I got bored."

I went back into the kitchen and set the plate on the counter. I smoothed the wrinkles in my dress before going out. I approached them, "Hey, Alice."

"Kia!!" Alice stood up, surprised, "Am I dreaming? Is it you?"

I nodded to her, smiling, "Yes, don't you see me?"

She came nearer to me. "It means you both are dating? That means I was wrong. I thought you both were pretending to be in a relationship," she whispered so that Harley could not overhear us.

I shook my head. "No, you weren't wrong. We were pretending to be in a relationship. There was nothing between us. We were strangers at that time, but now I really know him better."

Kelvin pulled the strand of his mother's hair and giggled, "ma-ma," he mumbled, saliva dripping from his mouth, "Kel, stop it, honey. You're hurting your mother," Alice said while pulling her hair out of her son's grasp carefully. "Just wait, Kel."

"Can I take him? He seems naughty, but cute at the same time."

"Are you sure?" She confirmed, and I gave her a quick nod. She transferred him to me, and I held him in my arms carefully. I felt pain in my palm due to force, but I fixed my expression. "Does he walk?" Kelvin fixed his big brown eyes on me, watching me without a blink, and his mouth formed the cutest pout next. He laughed out loud, showing me his small teeth. He punched me with his little hand. 'ma-ma' he mumbled and looked back at his mother.

"He walks but falls sometimes," she said and pulled a piece of cloth out of her bag and cleaned his saliva. "ma-ma" he kept flying with one hand.

"Yeah, mama is here," Alice said and glanced at Harley, who was watching Kelvin with mesmerizing eyes. "Harley, I've brought you some cookies."

And a faint flare of anger had risen in me, but I chose to ignore it after seeing Harley's smiling face.

She jumped with excitement. "Wow! Thank you, Princess."

Alice gave her a box of cookies and turned to me. "I'm happy to see you here, Kia. And She must have been happy to see you here."

"She doesn't like me," I said simply.

*********

I served dinner as Vivian had asked me for fried chicken. I cooked it for him. I wish I could mix poison in it and give him a peaceful death, but he didn't deserve this kind of death. I would kill him cruelly.

Vivian took his seat, and I sat next. Harley was in her room, probably sleeping or jumping around, "I have not seen Rose since morning. How is she?" I asked him.

"She is sick, so I gave her three days off. Now you'll take care of everything."

I frowned and smiled bitterly, "You have found the cheapest maid."

He frowned, and stopped eating, "If you want money I can pay you, Kia."

I don't want your money!! Just enjoy my services for a few more months unless I find the best way to kill you.

After finishing our food, we stood up. "I'll take care of the dishes," he said and held his plate and went into the kitchen.

I followed him and set my plate in the sink. "There are many things I want to know about you," I said and walked away without waiting for his reply.

I entered the room and sighed with relief. "Today was a tiring day," I muttered and walked into the bathroom. I changed into pajamas and jumped on the bed, relaxing. I heard the footsteps and quickly sat back on the bed and saw the little girl in her yellow nightgown. "Harley, what are you doing here?" My voice was harsh because I was already tired, and she came here to annoy me again.

She stepped towards my bed, staring at me. "Give me your right hand," she demanded.

I frowned, "Why?" I didn't give her my hand.

Without asking twice, she pulled my hand and scanned my wound. "You got burned and you didn't even tell Viv?" She pulled out the tube next, "How can you become so careless."

And my heart melted, I felt something strange in my heart. It was different for me. After my father's death, there was no one left to take care of me, not even my mother, because she was too weak. I had been wounded; I had been scared, and I had been broken, but no one cared. There were various scars on my body, but no one came to heal me. But this little girl who didn't even know the name of the ointment came here just to see my minor burn. How could she notice my wound? Not even her father could notice it.

"Done," she said, and I looked at the palm where she had put ointment.

I gave her a genuine smile. "Thank you."

She stood up, "This means nothing."

I glanced at my hand again, "But it means a lot to me."

"By the way, I liked your cookies and smiley face. I have stolen your cookies and placed them in secret because when Viv comes to know that I am eating sweets at night, he will scold me," she showed her teeth, "You know it'll cause me a cavity."

I smiled at her.

*********