Chapter 86: EIGHTY-SIX

ISABEL’S POV

I felt bad, Aiden was bleeding because he stood up for me. I watched him cringe in pain when I gently cleaned his wounds, the wounds Drake inflicted on him for just speaking up for me.

After cleaning the wounds, he begged me to go, telling me he was alright and he wanted to rest. I hesitated; I didn’t want to leave him like that. He was hurt, and I felt responsible. He wasn't having it though, he warned me not to blame myself for the injuries, and he finally urged me to go.

I grudgingly stood up and left, but not without telling him that I would come back and check up on him later.

‘I would love nothing more, and this is the first time you are coming to my room. I’m sorry it's not so tidy’

I smiled at him and told him not to worry and I promised to come back later.

I left his room in rage, Aiden has just been around for few weeks but we have bonded like we have known each other for such a long time. Yes, I don’t like someone else fighting my battles, but Aiden’s selflessness got to me. He is currently bleeding because he stood up to that asshole, I just can’t take it anymore.

Drake has crossed the line by touching the only man that actually cares about me.

He is about to see another side of me because, I’m done playing nice.

I’m done swallowing my pain.

I’m done tiptoeing around the Drake like I didn’t bleed when he cut me.

He paraded women around me like trophies, he makes me feel like nothing but an empty Luna. Even though the whole stuff between us is solely a contract, he should at least treat me with respect, but he doesn’t and yet I still act in obedience to his commands even when all I really want is to punch him so hard his face bleeds.

It has been five months, five months of making me feel like a loser, five months of sleeping on the cold floor, five months of enduring his bullshit, five months of being disrespected.

I know he is paying me and all but I’m a person with emotions, and I shouldn’t be treated less.

Aiden didn’t deserve what Drake did to him. And I wasn’t going to let it go.

I stormed down the marble hallway, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. I didn’t feel any pain not at that moment, I only wanted to see the Devil.

I didn’t care that Drake was feared. I didn’t care that he was the Alpha. Right now, he was a man who needed to be reminded he wasn’t untouchable anymore. He needed to be reminded that he was hurting people; even though his heart is iron clad.

I replayed the last words Aiden said in my head.

‘You’re not alone.’

His voice kept replaying in my head, and I blinked, pushing back the tears already gathering in my eyes.

He was right. I wasn’t. Not anymore. And I don’t mind burning every wall around me to prove it.

I was so lost in my fury that I nearly missed the click of stilettos echoing toward me from the opposite end of the corridor. I looked up and froze.

Rayna.

She was dressed in a beautiful well tailored black slick gown that hung to her curves like a second skin, her hair was packed neatly, and her makeup was solid just as always. Her lips were painted in blood-red perfection. She was the very definition of beauty, power, and confidence.

‘What is she doing here?’ I asked myself as I stopped in my tracks watching her walk up to me smiling.

We have crossed paths once before months ago, when I walked into the room Drake and I shared, and saw them tangled together, half-dressed and assaulting each other with their lips.

She ignored me and acted like I was present there in the room, I wasn’t pained or anything afterall she is a celebrity. I idolized her, Jasmine did too but now I wasn’t in the mood to act nice to anyone especially not to her.

‘Rayna,’ I greeted coolly, forcing my tone to remain neutral even though my blood still boiled from earlier. ‘I didn’t expect to see you here.’

She lifted a perfectly shaped brow. ‘Neither did I. But Drake tends to make exceptions for certain people.’

She said it lightly, but she was mocking me. I could see it in her eyes, how she scanned me from head to toe taking in my appearance which is nothing close to her very stylish outfit. I was dressed well don’t get me wrong, but my perfect outfit and hers cannot be compared to each other.

‘I’m sure he does,’ I said with a tight smile. ‘He makes a lot of exceptions. For a lot of women.’ I added, cocking my head to one direction, challenging her.

Rayna paused. Her gaze sharpened just slightly; I could see she didn’t like how I challenged her. ‘Including you, apparently.’ She said with a smirk.

I didn’t reply right away. My heart was still racing from the storm I was ready to unleash on Drake, but now it was shifting, redirecting itself to the woman in front of me who I thought wouldn’t stoop so low to do this. How pathetic.

‘You know, back before all this…ermm what’s the right word?’ I snapped my fingers ‘Madness, yeah that’s it. You were kind of my Idol’ I said calmly as I watched her face twist from a proud one to a confused one.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. She wasn’t expecting that. ‘Were?’

‘Yeah.’ I tilted my head, mockingly. ‘You are a Fierce businesswoman. Who took no nonsense. You built empires and broke hearts. Men run after you like you give them life, I wanted to be like you.’

She folded her arms across her chest, watching me carefully. ‘So, what changed?’

I scoffed ‘I met you and I realized, you are not worth the hype,’ I said flatly.