Chapter 51 - Overcoming All Fears!

**Third person's POV:**

"Alexander! No! Please let me out!" She said, her voice cracked.

"Boys out!" Alexander shouted at the men standing in that room. They left the room immediately.

"Angel, you have to face your fear. Enough of your running." Alexander said in a serious tone, holding her hands tightly.

Sapphire was shaking her head vigorously. Her thoughts were puddled in fear. How many years had been passed, it didn't matter, she still couldn't forget her horrible past.

Alexander grabbed her shoulder and tried to turn her toward Michael.

"No!"

"No!" Sapphire struggled hard crying.

But Alexander didn't care; he harshly turned her and dragged her where Michael was sitting, tied.

"Angel, can you see? This is the vile bastard who hurt you, tainted your childhood. He is the reason of your nightmares, tears." Alexander asserted loudly, circling Michael.

Sapphire was scared to death and befuddled. She couldn't comprehend his actions or words. Her vision was getting blurry with tears.

"He is the reason why your beautiful eyes are full of fear and tears. Do you really think, after doing horrible things to you, my angel, I will let him go? I will work together with a bastard like him just for my profit?" Alexander very calmly asked, but his voice was shockingly cold.

Sapphire felt the temperature of that room dropped suddenly. She gulped in nervousness.

Alexander fisted Michael's hairs roughly and with a strong tug, made him face them.

But Michael was semi-unconscious. Alexander slapped him hard.

Abruptly Michael woke up. He looked like he was seeing a ghost. His face paled.

"A-Alexander, I did what you told me to do. Then why are you doing this? We are allies." Michael said grimacing his face in pain.

Instantly Alexander landed a hard punch on his face. Michael's jaw twisted in effect.

"Bastard, you think I would make a real alliance with a mutt like you? I just used you. I just used you to rebut the mafia war, to destroy the mafia groups who teamed up together to take me down." Alexander spat on his face.

Sapphire's eyes widened in surprise. Mafia war! She had no idea what Alexander was talking about.

Michael was speechless.

"Do you think that I didn't know that together with Damon and Dom, you were also associated with the murdering attempt of my girlfriend? I could squeeze the very life you at that time but I waited. I had to wait to find out the other ringleaders. And so I used you." Alexander screamed landing another punch on him.

"Do you know what happens to the person who tries to hurt my woman? Huh?" Alexander questioned, his eyes flashed with a sadistic gleam.

"I give them the most agonizing death of history, " Alexander said menacingly.

Something was Alexander's eyes, Michael's body trembled at the chair.

"P-please f-forgive m-me." Michael cried.

Alexander took the knife from the table and ran the cold sharp thing against his arm.

Screams of agony tore free from Michael's mouth when Alexander dug the tip of the knife and twisted it inside his raw flesh.

Alexander withdrew the knife. Michael was panting hard.

"Michael, what about the little girl of Helena Atkinson whom you used to abuse brutally, used to beat up just to seek your sadistic pleasure?" Alexander barked.

Sapphire visibly trembled and her body was shaking uncontrollably. She was feeling all the air of that room suddenly was being sucked out, her lungs were unable to inhale any air.

But she tried to calm herself.

She closed her eyes and began saying to herself, "Breathe Sapphire, Breathe."

"H-how d-did you know?" Michael asked.

"This girl is the girl whom you tortured ten years ago, " Alexander shouted pointing towards Sapphire.

Michael's eyes went big like saucers in shock. He was gulping like a fish out of water.

"Oh, I am sorry. Please forgive me, Miss." Michael begged looking at Sapphire's way.

Sapphire clenched her eyes shut and turned her face another way in disgust and fear.

The man was a cruel demon who was capable of doing anything. He was tied on a chair, beaten and bloody but still, she was scared of him.

Still, she could remember how he defiled her, tortured her. This man was responsible for her countless nightmares, trauma.

A cold shiver ran down her spine.

Her legs were becoming weak. She wanted to run away from there.

Alexander looked at her. She was hyperventilating. Throwing away the knife, he came to her side and held her shoulder.

"Angel, look at my eyes." He spoke out. But Sapphire was long gone; her fearful eyes were shedding tears.

"Angel, look at me!" Alexander boomed.

Sapphire flinched at his harsh tone and diverted her gaze at him.

"Angel, this man is despicable, vile. I want to see your beautiful eyes filled with happiness and fire. Not with fear or tears. I will not allow you to cry when the reason is someone as vile as him." Alexander's voice softened.

Sapphire stood there not knowing what to say.

"Angel, I know you are hurt and you are scared. I can't even understand the gravity of your pain. You have run enough but not anymore. Today you will face your fear. Today you will overcome your fear, start to live your life like the fierce, fearless tigress you actually are." Alexander said, kissing her forehead.

He dragged Sapphire beside Michael who was now begging forgiveness hysterically.

"Miss, forgive me. Whatever I had done, I am sorry, let me go, please." Michael cried.

Sapphire contorted her face in utter disgust.

"You tried to sell me in a brothel. If my father wasn't there in time, today I would be a whore." Sapphire spoke something for the first time.

"I am sorry." Michael again begged.

"What was my mistake? I was just a child at that time. You never thought twice before defiling me, beating me, cutting me, burning me." An angry yet loud sob escaped her mouth.

Alexander still held her tightly.

"You had taken away my childhood, you had taken away my mental sanity, you have taken away my sleep of night!" She suddenly screamed, letting her all anger out.

"I am sorry. I was so in need of money then." Michael pathetically tried to defend his sins.

"You manipulated my mother and took all the money she had, " Sapphire argued back gritting her teeth.

"It's your mother who should care for you. She herself was a bitch to you. I got an advantage." Michael mumbled.

Sapphire heard him and she began crying harder as her mother's memory hit her; how her mother neglected, abused her, let others use her day after day. She was going to break into tears again but she controlled herself.

"No, Sapphire, not before this monster." She vowed.

"So you took advantage of an 8 years old child?" She yelled, anger bubbling inside her like an erupting volcano.

"I am sorry. Please forgive me. I will do anything." Michael was desperate.

"Then what about the poor, helpless children of the orphanages and shelter homes you have been using for years for your sadistic pleasure, you pedophile? What about the little boy who killed himself jumping off the roof after going through your sadistic torture? What about the group of girls every year you kidnap and sell them in brothel?!" Alexander shouted.

"I-I a-a..." Alexander silenced him with another hard blow.

Sapphire's mouth hung open at his statement. Her palm covered her mouth in shock.

Michael was sitting there crying and begging. Alexander came to him and began beating him again.

Something ticked inside Sapphire.

She pulled Alexander's hand and stopped him.

"Alexander, I have feared enough. I think this man doesn't deserve to live." Sapphire stated, her voice was firm and clear. There was no any glint of fear in her voice.

Alexander suddenly noticed, her face was shaking a bit. She was furious and her eyes were blazing with fury.

That's what he wanted from her. Not to cower behind rather come forward, face her fear and destroy it.

"Alexander, I have always told you to stop killing, stop hurting people. But for the first time in my life, I am telling you, kill this animal. He deserves to die. The long he will live he will empoison the air with his toxic breathing. If he lives, God knows how many innocent children will be his prey again. One Sapphire Atkinson was lucky enough to be saved from him but others are not like me." Sapphire exploded in rage.

Alexander never saw her this angry. She was an incarnation of ferocity and fury. Even Alexander was taken aback. But he felt happy that except for fear, Sapphire was able to feel other emotions before Michael. He was happy that his angel was not running from him or cowering back.

He was indeed successful in what he wanted. He quickly wrapped her in a tight hug.

"This is what I wanted, angel. Exactly that's it. I wanted you to face your fear, let your anger out. Because this despicable man, who tortures helpless children, women isn't worth it. He deserves to die. From now on, live without any fear. Whatever comes towards you, good or bad, it has to cross me before getting to you. Believe me, I am always by your side and I will protect you." Alexander kissed her forehead.

Sapphire nodded. She stood on her tippy toes and cupping his face kissed his lips passionately.

"Alexander, you do whatever you want to do with him. But he mustn't be able to see the next sunrise. I will be waiting outside." Sapphire released herself from him; Alexander nodded and she left the room. With quick strides, Sapphire got out of the warehouse and stood in front of the car. She took a few long breaths to calm herself down and then got inside the car.

On the other hand, Alexander was giving the final lesson to Michael.

"So, Michael, let us begin. Shall we?" Alexander smirked turning to him. Michael vigorously shook his head in negative.

Alexander first untied him.

"Michael, if you can go, go from here within 5 seconds. I am counting 1 to 5. If you go, I will chase you and kill you. If you can't go, I will kill you right now." Alexander retorted.

Michael held the chair and tried to get up but he couldn't. His legs and waist gave up. His kneecaps were severely broken from the beating and bruised.

Alexander got out two big bottles of liquids and emptied them on Michael. Michael frowned as the pungent smell of the liquid hit his nose.

"W-what i-is it?" Michael croaked and later coughed blood.

"Oh, this? It's the most combustible liquid on earth." Alexander nonchalantly replied.

Michael's eyes were about to fall from the socket as he realized what was about to happen with him.

"P-p-please d-don't do this. I-I beg y-you. I w-want t-to b-be a c-changed man." Michael's voice was barely comprehensible.

"How ironic! Have you ever listened to the begging of helpless, poor children whom you defiled, tortured till they bled, have you thought about the helpless girls whom you sold to brothels and made them lifetime whore? You haven't. So this is what you get today!" Alexander roared in anger.

He lit his lighter and threw it on Michael's body which instantly set on fire.

Ignoring his agonizing pain, Alexander got out of the room, closing the metal door. Michael had no way to escape, in the whole room there was no way of ventilation except the door.

Alexander stormed out of the warehouse and worriedly ran to his car. He sighed in relief when he saw Sapphire inside the car.

He got inside the car. Sapphire was listening music in overly high volume, which was very unusual for her.

Alexander stopped the music.

"Angel, what are you... are you okay?" Alexander asked her.

Sapphire didn't answer him. Rather she asked back.

"Is he dead?"

"Should be...by a few minutes, " Alexander replied.

He took the key and started the ignition and pulled away.

During the whole ride, Sapphire was unusually quiet. Even after reaching home, she went to the bathroom to get fresh but didn't come out in two hours. Alexander felt worried.

He waited for her but she didn't come out. At last, he entered the bathroom and saw her crying silently sitting on the bathtub still with her clothes on.

It broke his heart that she was his angel was crying silently.

"Angel, what happened?" Alexander asked holding her.

"Alexander, today I am really glad. I have got rid of the source of my fear. Thank you. But you know, I can't ignore the harsh truth that whatever happened to me wasn't entirely Michael's deed. My own mother was responsible for that too. I am trying to brush off the thought but I can't." Sapphire tried to smile at Alexander, wiping her teary eyes. But she couldn't, she couldn't fake her smile at him.

"I am sorry if I disappoint you." Her lips quivered as she mumbled.

Alexander couldn't find anything to say. He felt utter disgust for the woman who was her mother. That vile woman didn't deserve to be a mother of anybody let alone this angel.

Assault of an outsider, the third person can be forgotten but when your own mother is the person who assaults, tortures you, it leaves a permanent scar on your soul.

Alexander hugged her to his chest that tightly like his life depended on that hug. Sapphire silently cried on his chest, holding his arms.

"Angel, I know it's painful. But can't you smile now thinking about your father who loved you so much? He must be very happy that finally you are able to let go of your fear. Now, even if it's painful, try to smile just thinking about your father. If he was alive, he wouldn't love to see your tears. Right?"

"Yeah, you are right. I won't cry." Instantly Sapphire stopped. Alexander wiped her remaining tears from her cheeks.

They sat on the water-filled big tub for some time.

"Angel!" Alexander asked.

"Hm?" Sapphire responded.

"Did you see Michael's text yesterday?" Alexander questioned her.

"Yes, " Sapphire answered.

"Then why didn't you tell me anything?" Alexander wanted to know.

"To be honest, Alexander, I felt hurt when I saw the text accidentally that you joined your hand with him. But I believed you over what I saw. I knew whatever you do, you won't break my trust." Sapphire admitted.

Listening to her, Alexander's heart filled with extreme happiness. He was overly glad that she believed him over what she saw. He couldn't help but pulling her in a tight hug and kissed her pouring his all love, passion, and care. She didn't let him down.

"Thank you for believing me, angel." Alexander mumbled releasing her.

Alexander thought again, "How someone can be this innocent! My angel is too good for this crooked world. I will always protect her."

They both freshened up and headed to the dining room.