Chills

As soon as I stepped out of the room, two big bulky guards standing in my way halted my steps. With faces as blank as sheets, posture erect like sticks, their gazes were set forward instead of on me.

"What are you guys doing here outside of my room?" I asked, confused.

"Mr. Larsen instructed us to guard you when you're alone, Miss," the bald one on the right, replied. Voice was as monotonous as a robot.

A crease formed between my brows.

He left them to keep an eye on me? Even if there were so many guards in the house? Ridiculous!

I didn't see them down in the living room while I was with the ladies. But now that I was up here in my room away from everyone, they were here.

He ordered me not to wander here and there alone. But it seemed like he knew the fact that I wasn't the one to obey the rules so frequently.

I cleared my throat. "You guys don't need to do it because I'm going downstairs. And this place is safe, so no need to worry."

Except some people in this house who worked for Monet as his spies. But with Sinister and Adrian's strict security, they won't be able to harm anyone other than passing information.

"We're afraid we can't leave you alone, Miss. We have instructions to stay with you except when you're with your family. But still, we will be close," the other one said, with his eyes still not meeting mine.

There were no doubts they were Adrian freaking Larsen's guards.

He left me here alone and put two of his men to parade behind me. As if I didn't have enough issues to handle on my plate.

Not wanting to waste any more time to convince them otherwise, knowing that they won't go against the orders of their boss, I walked past them and headed straight to accomplish my mission.

Walking down the hallway, with those bulky men following close, I dialled Max's number again. But like the entire morning and noon, it was unreachable.

Damn it!

Where the hell was he? Was he even alright?

Yes, I couldn't inform him about Alex as all of our phones were tapped. But at least I could tell him that Alex was safe and ask him to come back as soon as possible.

Gulping down the thickness of my throat, I clenched my fists.

I knew none of my brothers were safe, nor the love of my life. No one in my family. But I had to keep strong.

Fearing would mean letting Monet win. And he had given me enough nightmares, I wouldn't let him win anymore.

I knew I couldn't do much against such a powerful and dangerous man like him, but I would do as much as I could to keep my family safe. Even if I had to put my life at risk.

"Sofia?"

I was stopped in my tracks at Marie's voice.

Turning around, I found her bright smile and twinkling eyes greet me.

"Look what I made for you!" she exclaimed, pointing at the two pieces of red velvet cake on the small tray in her hands.

Some other time, I would have left everything and devoured her famous red velvet cake. But now, eating was the last thing on my mind.

Padding closer, she took a piece and pushed it to my lips. Not to upset her, I took a bite.

"How is it?"

"Delicious, of course. You know how much I love your cake." I forced a smile.

She let out a warm chuckle. "That's why I made it for you. Though Laura and Liam finished most of it." A crease formed between her perfectly shaped brows. "Anyways, you gave us such a great news last night, how could I not make my baby's favorite cake for her?"

That brought a genuine smile to my face.

I pulled her in a hug. Her familiar sweet scent calmed the storm inside me a little. It gave me strength.

I could do anything for my family and love.

"Thank you, Aunt Marie!" My voice cracked at the end.

Pulling away, a concern laced on her features. "Is everything alright, sweetheart?"

A sigh left me. Nothing escaped Mom and Marie's eyes.

I nodded.

"Are you sure, honey? You can tell me if something is bothering you," she asked, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Everything is fine. Don't worry. I'm just worried about Alex, that's it. You know what happened."

Except Mom, everyone knew about Alex's betrayal, well as per Max's plan. Though it didn't work in the end.

A sadness flashed across her gaze as she let out a breath. "I don't know what to say about him. But you just focus on your life at this moment, alright, sweetheart? Your Dad and Sinister will take care of everything else. And I'm sure… Alex will come back to us. After all, he is a McCommer."

Squeezing her hand on my shoulder, I nodded.

I needed to go.

"Uh, can you please keep them in the fridge? I will have them later. Right now, I'm a little busy with other things."

She nodded, blinking away the moisture in her eyes. "Alright, honey. I will make sure Laura or Liam don't come near the fridge."

Letting out a chuckle, I kissed her cheek before turning around and walking away.

Once I was in the library, I found the person I needed for my mission.

"Tim?"

His aged eyes snapped to me from the two black clothed guards before him. Dismissing them, he turned to me. A greyed brow raised.

After we shifted here temporarily, he had made Sinister's library into his office.

"Sofia? Do you need anything?"

"Yes. I need your help." Closing the doors behind me, leaving the guards outside, I faced him again. "And I hope you won't deny me."

His curious gaze now morphed into cagy. "That depends, whether it will be equitable or not."

"Trust me, there is nothing equitable about what I'm gonna ask you to do."

***

"I'm asking you again, Sofia. Are you sure you want to do it? Your boyfriend and your father would be on my throat if they find out about your stunt later," Tim asked, for the third time. "I don't understand why it is so important for you to go to your home at this moment. If you need anything back from there, I can get it for you."

"I will tell you everything, but not now. And yes, I'm sure. If it wasn't important, I wouldn't have insisted on going there," I whispered as he steered me away from the hawk eyes of the guards around. "You don't worry about Adrian and Dad. I will handle them. And it's not that I'm going out alone, you will come with me."

Of course, he didn't agree to help me go home at first. But my countless pleas made him give in. Well, except Adrian, no one raised any issues of me going out after that day I followed Alex. Of course, only if I took guards with me. So that made it easy for me to convince him. And my tears did the rest of the work.

"At least inform Dominic before leaving. Why don't you want anyone to know about your leaving for home? What's exactly going on in your head, young lady?"

Sighing, I met his stern fatherly gaze. "I will explain everything to you later, Tim. I don't have much time, we need to leave fast. And you know Dominic would never let me out of this house. He wouldn't go against Adrian's wishes in this matter. So please, just help me reach home. I won't take much time there, I promise."

His sceptical brown eyes watched me for a moment. But then he gave a slow nod. It must be the desperation in my tone.

He even got rid of Adrian's men from following me. He was the head of the security of this mansion, so they couldn't turn him down. And he was also family. So practically, I wasn't alone. They didn't really go against Adrian's orders.

"Alright. It better be something important." His shoulders slumped. "Now follow me."

The sound of energetic chattering mixed with laughter flowed out of the living room. My family was too busy with their own gossip to notice my absence among them. And I wanted it to stay that way until I came back.

Not wasting any more time, I did what Tim said.

"Where are we going?" Glancing around, I tried to look as normal as possible. But the perspiration on my forehead and thumping of my heart said otherwise.

"We can't take the front door, too many guards. So the back door is the only option," he replied, walking ahead of me.

Good idea. I just hoped there wasn't anyone at the back door.

But my hope was crushed when we found two black clothed men guarding down the exit.

"What now?" My tone was low.

He jutted his chin towards the doors that led down to the backdoor area. "You stay here. Don't come out until I say so."

Getting his phone out, he typed something before putting it back in his pocket. Then throwing me a look, he approached the guards near the exit doors.

I couldn't hear what he said to them due to the distance. But whatever he said, it seemed to work as with confusion laced on their faces, they gave Tim hesitant nods before leaving their places.

And as soon as they left, two more guards walked in.

At Tim's calling out my name, I got out of my hiding place.

Opening the exit for me, he turned to the two guards. "Follow us."

And without any questions, they did as he said before closing the door behind us.

At my uncertain glances at them, he said, "Don't worry. They are my trusted ones."

I nodded.

"And what did you say to the previous ones?"

"I asked them to guard the garden area."

When a black car halted before us with a bulky man inside it, we piled in one by one. After closing the door behind him, Tim turned to me, he had that hesitant look on again.

And before he could ask me if I was sure of my decision, I cut him off. "Yes, I'm sure, Tim. You're going with me, so I'm not breaking any rules. Now can we please leave? We are getting late."

Letting out a sigh, he nodded at the bulky man. And when the car roared to life again, a sigh of relief left me.Even though the nervousness fluttering in my tummy, and uncertainty knotting in my chest made me restless.

I just hoped everything would turn out right.

***

As soon as the car screeched to a halt before our destination, I jumped out of the car.

The ambience around us seemed normal. Guards were guarding down the main gate as usual. Though the lights of the house were turned off which was expected as no one was at home. Everyone was at Sinister's place.

"Tim, let's go! We don't have much time!"

Without waiting for his reply, I ran towards the main gate. Seeing me approaching, the guards were quick to open the gate for me. The thumping noise of shoes against the hard concrete road told me that Tim and other guards weren't far behind.

Once I entered the house, not giving any attention to the darkness, I padded down the hallway that led to our backyard.

I just hoped Alex was still here and safe.

Opening the patio doors, I stepped out in the murky night, dimly illuminated by the moon that was covered in dark ominous clouds. A cool breeze kissed my skin, sending chills down my spine.

Rubbing my arms, I squinted in the darkness. "Alex?"

Silence.

I took some more steps ahead. "Alex, where are you?"

Again silence. The only sound that greeted me was the chirping of the crickets.

The sudden eeriness around the ambience caught my attention. A rustling in the bushes at my right made me jump in fright. My heart pounded down my chest.

"A-alex? Are you there?" I called out for him again.

But again, I got silence. Eerie silence.

Where is he?

He said he would be here.

Oh God! Has he left already? Was I late?

He said he couldn't stay in one place for long.

Closing my eyes, I let out a sigh. A heaviness formed in my chest.

I had a chance to know what Marcus was planning against Adrian, one chance to help my brother, but I lost it.

There was also a possibility that he couldn't reach here because of Monet's men following him.

I didn't know. I just hoped that he was safe, wherever he was at that moment.

When another shiver ran down my body in the coldness of the night, I turned around. "Let's go, Tim. He isn't here…"

I was cut off at the feel of someone's sudden presence behind me.

"Alex…" I whirled around.

But words again stopped in my throat as well as the beating of my heart at the anonymous silhouette that stood before me.

Instinctively, I took a step back.

Whoever he was, he was anyone but Alex.

I knew my brother very well. He wasn't this tall and… big. And he definitely didn't wear long coats. From what I could make out of his appearance in the dimmed moonlight, I could say he was wearing a long coat.

Something churned in my stomach. An ominous feeling knotted in my chest.

The cool breeze fluttered the hem of the man's coat as he stared at me in the darkness. I could feel his unwavering gaze on me with his face still obscured under the night.

And then he broke the silence.

"Hello, little one."