Chapter 29

**CHAPTER 29**

**"Dawson!"** Allison called the moment the elevator doors opened and revealed Brent. He was sitting on their living room sofa with her bags and suitcases on the side, scratching Jojo's tummy. The dog, in turn, was kicking his hind leg to his heart's content.

"Drew..." called Brent and stopped scratching Jojo's belly.

He immediately rose from the sofa, and in the blink of an eye, Allison realized that she was already out of the elevator with his arms tightly around her waist and his face buried on her shoulder. "You worried me," he said, his voice sounding deep and glum.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, her face buried on his chest, "I'm sorry..." she apologized with her voice merely a whisper. A warm hand patted her back. "Don't worry, hun, it wasn't your fault. It's your fiancé's fault."

She looked up at him and noticed how he stressed the word fiancé and saw his strong jaw clench as he stated the last sentence with his tone getting uptight. She felt him shaking as if he was stopping himself from doing something. It somehow made her glad that she didn't take Hades with her to the condominium, or there would have been chaos.

She recalled when they were about to head off. They were about to make their way inside the car when his phone suddenly rang. When he answered the call, his replies to the caller were angry and frustrated, as if something bad had happened. When he hung up, he said he couldn't come with her as something ugly happened with one of his mall branches in Illinois, but he would try to catch up. Trying to make up for her, he gave her a black card and said she could buy anything and everything she wanted. That disappointed her as she wanted Hades to come and apologize to Brent, who deserved an apology as he was rude to the latter, and both almost got into a heated fight if it weren't for her stopping him.

"Woof!" Jojo barked and snuggled his snout on the hugging best friends that led them to pull away with laughter.

"Ooh, I like your outfit, hun," Brent suddenly complimented, looking at her outfit when they pulled away. She was wearing a tailored black skinny jeans with a matching winter coat and knee-high boots. Internally, she thanked Miracle for her good choice of clothes.

"Thanks. Hades' maid picked it out for me," she replied while playing with Jojo that made her friend's eyebrow shot heavenward for the first time. "You accepted something from that d... guy? I thought you hated him?"

That struck her like a knife. Of course, she hated Hades because of what he had done. They met on a miserable encounter, and days later, he was ebbing her normal life out by revealing their lustful encounter. On the other hand, she hated herself too. If she hadn't been irresponsible, her parents wouldn't force her to marry the brute.

"But seriously, hun. I never thought you would accept something from that pig," said Brent. He sure was angry at Hades.

"Oh, so you want me to come here naked? I think you totally forgot that after we left in a panic to avoid the rancid eyes of the media," she said with fluent sarcasm as she rolled her eyes that made him let out a chuckle, "Oh, Ally. You never fail to make my day."

"Bet," she replied.

A faint ring was suddenly heard, and they turned their heads to look at the elevator door that was slowly sliding open. It made Allison's blood rose as she thought that it must be Hades. He did catch up. Finally, he can now apologize to Brent.

She got on her feet and sauntered towards the elevator to open it but only to find Jarred, Hades' secretary standing before her eyes. She looked behind him, and there were other men with a taller and larger build than his in tuxes standing behind. Disappointed, she gave the trusty man a small smile before letting him enter. He told them that he was coming to pick up her luggage.

As the men entered and did their job, Allison noticed Brent was watching the former with an immensely intense, sticky gaze. Somehow, that reminded her of Rebecca. She wasn't able to visit her for days. She wondered how her pregnant friend had been. She then decided that she was going to visit her later on. As soon as the men picked up all of her bags, they hastily made their way out of the condominium, probably feeling awkward with Brent looking at them like he was going to eat them.

"You were looking at them like you were going to eat those poor guys alive," she said, looking at the elevator that slid close.

Brent just chuckled at her and shrugged her off. The two of them talked nonstop for hours, spending each minute with loud laughs and teasing smacks. How she wanted for time to stop and continue this routine with him forever. She wanted to take care and tease him about his stupid plans for Christmas at home and make it more stupid. But the problem was, she wouldn't be home. She was forced into a new home, and that new home is with Hades. She wanted to turn the hours into days to spend more time with Brent, but sadly, time flew too fast, and she had to leave.

After she bid goodbye to him and closed the elevator, Allison heaved a sigh before striding heavy steps towards the elevator. Every move she made was heavy, as if she wanted to avoid something. Her lips crept into a bitter smile. Of course, she was trying to avoid Hades. She didn't want to go back and see him. She still hated him passionately, and spending time with Brent made her hate him even more. After Hades used their drunk encounter as an advantage to claim her, her heart scorched with rage that burned her classy self into ashes and was swiftly blown by the wind. Sure, he could have her, but he would never have her heart. Nope. Not in a million years.

When the elevator stopped shaking, the door opened with a small sound, and with another heavy step, she made her way out of the elevator. Since she didn't want to go home yet, she's planning to visit Rebecca. It had been days since Allison had seen her.