54__No mercy

“Her name’s Amelia Parker?” Belinda said on the phone.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And you’re certain it’s the same girl? Have you compared profiles?”

“It’s the exact same person.”

“I want both files on my table by noon. Don’t let my father or my brother hear of this. You know what happens if they do.”

The caller uncomfortably cleared his throat. “Yes, ma’am. I know.”

Without another word, Belinda ended the call and looked back at her laptop screen.

It had cost her a pretty penny to get the camera footage of the Hill’s Emergency room. Every pound had been worth it, however.

The footage had no audio, but she didn’t need audio to properly read the situation. She watched as the footage played for the hundredth time, a gurney wheeling a terribly injured little boy into the ER, another gurney speeding past. Marc Aryan was barely recognizable as he sped past the camera, but she spotted him.

She watched the moment his wife appeared, truly looking like a doctor as she ran in her scrubs and white coat.

She raced to where they had placed the child and delved into the muted chaos around the bed.

Belinda did see the panic on her face, she did see that Amelia was screaming and perhaps crying, but anyone would if they were faced with a little child in that condition.

It was when Marc reappeared in the ER that Linda’s doubts rose.

She watched as Amelia ran from the bed and came to a sharp halt the moment she saw Marc.

That. Right there.

Leaning in, Belinda pointed a sharp nail at the screen. Marc stood swaying before her and Amelia was frozen, staring at him.

There was horror on her face as she exchanged a few words with him, but it was that of a bystander. She didn’t look like a wife watching her beloved husband bleed half to death. She looked like nothing more than a highly concerned doctor.

No wife would have the patience to have a little chat with her husband whilst he was dragging his battered body about the ER, she should have been screaming for help.

Sitting back, Linda released a long sigh.

Marc had hired his wife. There was no other explanation. Or at least, they’d only gotten married very recently and had faked their history together.

It wasn’t typical of Linda to be aggressive towards the Aryans, but she really hated it when anyone didn’t play fair. Faking this marriage had gotten him in the CEO seat and she couldn’t look past that.

She would find out who Amelia Parker was and why she’d agreed to falsely marry Marc.

Then, she’d bring the entire thing crashing down for everyone to see.

***************

Christopher was flat on the floor, his eyes wide and staring up in frozen shock.

The barrel of the gun he was staring into seemed dark and endless, like a preview of the death that awaited him.

Marc Aryan towered above him, the gun held firmly in his grasp as he pointed it at Thames’s head.

The look in Marc’s eyes was haunting. Christopher saw something unbelievably dark there, something so chilling, he could have seen it if he peered into a haunted grave at midnight.

The eyes that stared down at him were cold and dead, showing rage so deep it turned the rest of his face expressionless.

“I’ll ask you once more,” Marc said in a voice as calm and quiet as it was frightening. It sounded like the final chance before the unleashing of hell. “Or the next bullet goes into your head. Did you… or did you not abuse Amelia Parker?”

The initial shock of the question didn’t wear off, it only doubled, gluing Thames to the floor and tightening his every muscle with fear. “Sir…” His throat was closing.

“Thames. Did you put your hands on my wife?”

The door opened and Arson poked his head in, looking over his glasses at them.

Elizabeth had rushed out with James to get him away from the loud ‘fireworks’ and Amelia was rolled into a ball of panic downstairs.

He didn’t dare say a word, not while Marc was teetering on the edge of total insanity, but he did smile. The explosion was even bigger than he’d expected.

He’d expected to hear Thames screaming as Marc held him out of the open window, but Marc had really just gone for the gun.

His hypothesis was accepted, Arson had just *known* it. Marc and Amelia *had* crossed boundaries.

Arson was currently beholding the face of a man enraged at his woman getting hurt. God, it was unbelievable to see.

Tilting his head, he took in every moment. Marc, losing his temper for a woman. Arson couldn’t believe it. What on earth had Dr Parker done to him?

“I d-didn’t,” Thames said, shaking his head rapidly. “This is a misunderstanding, Mr Aryan. If you’ll let me explain—”

“You approached me knowing she was my wife,” Marc murmured, tightly controlling his rage. “You wanted to hurt her. You threatened her. I’m going to have to make you pay for that. Dearly.”

Arson entered the room, closing the door and standing before it.

Marc raised his gaze to his and, clenching his teeth, slowly lowered the gun.

“Arson.”

“Yes, Marc?”

“Do it.”

A cold smile curved Arson’s mouth. “With pleasure.”

******************

Amelia jumped up from the couch as a scream of agony tore through the silence.

With wide eyes, she stared up at the ceiling. Was that Christopher?! He was alive!

She sunk to the floor, cringing as she heard him scream. The sound of it was highly disturbing, it sounded like his soul was being ripped out. But at least he wasn’t dead.

She buried her face in her hands, trembling. She’d thought Marc had shot him, she’d been completely frozen with shock. For Marc to be capable of something like that would mean he was just as bad as his father.

She’d been terrified that she’d fallen for someone just as bad as John Aryan.

Steadying her breath, she raised her gaze to the ceiling and forced herself to stand. There was no time to sit here trembling like Shaggy in a haunted house, she had to get up there and intervene!

She turned for the stairs and stopped.

What if Christopher had already told them about her mum? With a low sound of fear, she turned away, pacing about the living room.

Her phone rang and Amelia hurried over to it.

It was Elizabeth.

She answered the call with a shaky, “Hello?”

“Uhm, what’s going on?!” Elizabeth demanded.

“James. How is he?”

Liza sighed. “I brought him to the nearby kid’s café. He’s having a bit of ice cream and deciding where he wants to play.”

Releasing a sigh of relief, Amelia gripped her hair. “Did the gunshot frighten him?”

“No, he believes it was fireworks, I made sure of it. That’s not the point right now! Why was Marc firing a gun in the first place?”

“I have no idea!” Amelia cried. “I’m still downstairs, I’m too scared to go up!”

“Are you kidding me? Get up there and put me on loudspeaker so I can calm him down.”

Amelia whimpered, clutching the phone.

“Amelia,” Elizabeth said. “You’re gonna have to be braver than that, love. You’re married to Marc Aryan, you need to be able to look monsters in the eye or you’ll never survive.”

“I don’t wanna look monsters in the eye!”

“Go upstairs!”

“Fine!”

With shaky sounds of fear, she turned to head upstairs.

Marc was rushing down the stairs.

With a jolt, Amelia staggered back and bumped into a sofa, falling onto it.

“Amelia?” Elizabeth said.

He was still marching towards her and, trapped but still desperate to escape, Amelia clawed back against the sofa like she was trying to go through it.

“Liza, h-he…”

“He what?!” Elizabeth gasped. ‘Did he shoot Christopher?!”

Another piercing scream cut through the air.

“What the hell was that?!” Elizabeth whispered in alarm.

Marc reached her and took the phone.

“Who’re you talking to?” he murmured. “The police?”

“Marc?!” Elizabeth shouted. ‘Is that you?!”

Frowning darkly, Marc tapped the screen and ended the call.

He dropped the phone and, with a firm grip around Amelia’s wrists, tugged her to her feet.

“Wait, wait, wait!” She whimpered, shrinking away.

He was studying her face, reading as much as he could in the agitated state he was in. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Amelia cringed, closing her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me about Thames?”

“I was g-going to!”

He paused, his gaze scanning her face.

She wouldn’t look at him, her face was turned away and she flinched each time he moved. With a start he realized he was frightening her. He released her wrists, stepping back.

“Are you okay? Amelia.”

She peaked at him, rubbing her wrists. “What do you care? Just go ahead and… get as pissed as you want. I lied to you.”

He didn’t seem to register her words, simply needing an answer to his. “Are you okay? You must answer me. Truthfully, I won’t know if you’re lying, so tell me the truth. Are you okay?”

Slowly, Amelia looked at him. She blinked. “Uhm… Well, I… I’m not okay. But I probably will be.”

He looked mournful. “You’re *not* okay?”

Forgetting to give her space, he came closer again, his hands gently holding her arms as he leaned in to look at her face. “You look scared. It’s because Thames is in the house, isn’t it? You should’ve told me about him.”

She blinked, surprised at the direction this was taking. “You’re not cross?”

“Of course, I am. Do you have any idea…?” He released a shuddering breath. “Do you know how revolting someone has to be to approach a person they *abused* just to torment them further? Why did you let him?”

“Because of my secrets,” she said miserably, pulling away from him. Tears pricked her eyes. Why was he being so understanding? What was the point? He would find out everything in just a matter of time anyway. “Christopher knows things about me that I didn’t want him to tell you. So, I had no choice but to keep quiet.”

He scoffed in disbelief, the look in his eyes turning into disappointment. “Between you and your secrets: which have I shown more interest in? I’m not afraid of your secrets. I’m Marc Aryan, there’s nothing you could be keeping hidden that could hurt me. Amelia. If you’d only said the word… I’d have made him disappear. If you’d say it now, your wish would be my command.”

He said it with such unshakable resolve, she couldn’t help but stare up at him in complete belief.

“Marc…”

“Say it,” he ordered quietly. “Tell me to make him pay. I’ll do it for you, you don’t have to lift a finger.”

She glanced nervously up at the ceiling. “Sounds like you already did enough…”

His eyes narrowed. “That? That is nothing compared to what I could do to him. He put his hands on you. Show no mercy.”