Chapter 22

**CHAPTER 22**

**"Where is she?"** growled Hades at the receptionist lowly like a beast that was demanding his food while relaxing on the lounge that he sat on like a throne. It was clear that the poor woman was scared of him but he didn't care.

"S...Sir, please calm down. I already asked Mr. Kane for Ms. Tay..."

"Mrs. De Vries," he cut her off that triggered Allison who was behind him. How dare him!

The receptionist gulped before speaking again, "I mean M...Mrs. De Vries' presence, sh-she'll come here in a matter of mome..."

"Excuse me, I was informed that my presence is needed," Allison butted in that caused Hades and the receptionist turned their heads to look at her.

In a flash, a pair of large, bulky arms wrapped around her back pulling her body against a firm and outsized one with her face burying on a hard chest. Her breathing hitched, her heart began thumping wildly once again, her blood rushed to her face and her whole body stiffened.

"I missed you..." he murmured as he buried his face on her neck to inhale her scent. She remained stiff, her mind and heart that was blank now beginning to get in great havoc.

Her mind was going crazy, shouting that she should pull away while her heart was whacking as if she ran a marathon. Fumbling, she thrashed herself out of his arms. His hug became tighter. She used all her strength and violently pushed him away. She saw the pang of pain flash in his eyes and it made her feel satisfied.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly, taking a step back. Hades, being persistent, strode towards her and held her by the arms. "Love, I'm taking you home."

She shove herself and yanked her arms away from his hands. "I am home."

"No, your home is with me," he said before taking a step close to her. His body was trembling as if he's stopping himself to do something. But so was she.

Allison shook her head furiously. "No." She was aching to stop herself from getting hysterical. Ever since the confrontation, she wanted to cry. Scream. Shout. She wanted to let loose the turmoil of emotions squirming in her chest. She wanted to hurt Hades who made everything like this. She wanted to hurt herself for giving in to the intoxication of alcohol that made her give in and embrace a stranger's body.

"But, love please..." his teeth clenched, his eyes begging.

Suddenly, the elevator made a small sound, and Brent emerged, immediately strolling in front of her to block her. "She doesn't want to go with you, man," he said with his voice low and molars grinding hard that Allison could hear it. "So fuck off."

She saw Hades' jaw clenched while glaring heatedly at her best friend and immediately warned him: "Don't you ever make a move on Brent or I'll fucking kill you myself."

Shock took over the enraged man's face. "Love," he said in a small voice like he was upset. "Do you think that I'm that kind of person?"

"With the stunt you did earlier? I do. And I think you'd probably do worse than gruesome murder." She spat on his face angrily, completely satisfied with his pained expression.

"Love, information told that the media has covered everything," he said softly that shocked her. She stared at him in fright as she listened to him go on that made her face go from pale to paler. "We can't hook up a scandal just because we live separately."

'How? How?!' she asked herself internally. She was careful that the media wouldn't suspect. She already figured that every move she made spotted by the cameras wasn't suspicious, especially when Hades brought her home and when she went over to Rebecca. It seemed that the paparazzi were more slithery than expected.

"Ally." She turned around to see Brent looking at her with concern in his eyes. "You don't have to go if you don't want to," he said and she bit her lower lip, trying not to cry.

"I know," she said in a small voice, nodding. She badly wanted to stay with him and continue celebrating the rest of the holidays but, the situation was against her wishes. Though she hated Hades to the bone for snitching on her that she thought she could go crazy if they stayed under one roof, she couldn't handle letting things go out of control and upset her parents further. She had already disappointed them once, and she was not planning to do it again. "But I don't want to disappoint my parents too, Dawson," she said with her mind set, her voice croaking as she felt that she couldn't bear the heavy weight on her chest any longer.

Brent stared at her intently like he was trying to find out what she was thinking. But he found nothing but a pair of emerald green eyes that held determination to set everything to stone. He sighed. "Okay."

Allison didn't let any second waste any longer and enveloped her dearest friend in a tight hug. She hugged him tightly like it was their last time to see each other. She embraced his warm body into her arms like she was going to lose him. Ever since time immemorial, she and Brent were inseparable. They have been through each other's ups and downs, thick and thin. They went through everything together, even their problems that deeply needed support. He was her oasis, her source of comfort when her world goes dry. And now, she was going to leave him.

She turned around to look at the hateful man behind them. "I'll go with you," and was about to turn on her heels when Brent caught her arm and turned her back to him.

"What about your stuff?" he caught up.

"Please bring it to this address," Jarred suddenly appeared on his side and handed him a small card that had Hades' address.

"Take care, okay?" said Brent as he gave her head a soft pat. Allison bit her lower lip as she could feel that she couldn't hold her waterworks if this kept going on. So she held his hand that was above her head, removing it softly while continued to speak: "Call me if he's being an ass to you. I'll whisk you out right away."

"I know." She nodded knowingly.

"Good."

She turned to Hades who has been impatiently waiting for her, along with his dozens of bodyguards whose build and number had been catching attention from the masses. "Let's go."

Hades' car was already waiting outside along with the chauffeur who opened the door for them both. When he closed the door, he went inside the driver's seat and his master instructed him to bring them to his house. The driver nodded obligingly and started the ignition. The car started moving and the view began to change, a tear slipped from Allison's eye as she remembered that ugly scenario she was in her parents' house.

One thing, she was told by her parents to marry the man she slept with and now, she needed to stay with him under one roof! She felt that she was no longer in control of her life anymore. She's lost her hold of her own in just a short time. She flinched when she felt a warm hand run through her arm and she immediately turned her head to look at the hateful man beside her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he said, his eyes looking at her intently like they were piercing her soul.

"About what?" she yanked her arm away from his hold. No matter how warm it felt against the cold, it felt disgusting. It felt ugly.

"You having my child."

'Because I'm not pregnant at all!' she wanted to tell him but she clamped her mouth shut instead and looked away. She took a breath before answering him in a low voice, "I don't want to. I wasn't planning to."