Chapter 31

Chapter 31

*Sophie*

I struggle with every muscle in my body, but my heels just slip on the marble floor, their large hands and arms slid under my arms, hooking me and holding me in place.

*I knew I shouldn’t have let Zane talk to Alexander. Now everything is worse.*

“We’re going to take you home,” one of the men growls quietly into my ear, I recognize it is Vincent.

I set my jaw.

“Smile, people are watching you,” the man on my other side says softly, I recognize Sequoia’s voice.

I nod.

I have no choice.

I force a smile, looking at the arriving guests as they lead me by the elbows to the doors that lead back into the club.

We enter the dark club, music pounding, and they rush me at much too quick of a pace sharply to the left, into the back hallway, my feet forced to take running steps, no one noticing us… They walk me to the back elevator. Alexander’s personal elevator.

They nod at the doorman who slides his key card down the slot, and the door opens. He stands aside.

They guide me swiftly over the threshold, and the doors shut behind us. My heart pounds as the elevator lurches downward, and I reach into the pocket of my jacket, feeling my phone to make sure its there. I start feeling along the top of it, locating the ‘on’ button, every sense heightened, mind racing.

*If I need to… click the ‘on’ button, press the fingerprint, open up the phone app, open the keypad, press ‘9-1-1,’ ‘send’...*

After several seconds, the elevator doors open to Alexander’s private parking garage, filled with many black SUV’s. They tighten their grips on my arms and pull me Forword, my heart racing wildly. They walk me across the concrete floor, the bright fluorescent lights jarring, our heels clicking on the ground as we walk.

*What if they don’t take me home? Where will they take me? What will they do with me? How mad is Alexander? What have I done by bringing Zane here?

Is it best to try to stall? To go with them? To plead? To try to take pictures?*

They lead me to one of the SUV’s, and one of the men opens the back door. They guide me inside and then pour into the vehicle, Vincent and Sequoia flanking me on each side, and another two in front. The garage door opens and we take off into the night.

*****

*Sophie

They pull up to my apartment.

Thank God. They took me home.

Oh thank you.*

I exhale a breath I didn’t know I had been holding.

Vincent and Sequoia open their doors and step out, Sequoia gestures for me to get out. I slide across the leather seat and step out onto the street. They walk on either side of me as I walk up the concrete steps and the doorman opens the outer doors for us.

We enter my foyer, and I look to Vincent, stopping abruptly.

“I’m fine from here, thanks,” I say.

He looks at me with a steely expression, and Sequoia scoffs.

“Well, let’s hope so,” he says. A gentle chuckle erupts from the men.

They pull me foreword.

Fear lurches through my body.

We continue to my elevator, and I swipe my key card there, trying to catch the eye of the doorman beside the elevator as we wait.

He smiles at us.

The doors open and Alexander’s men escort me onto the elevator.

The doors close, and they release my arms.

They turn toward the doors, staring forward.

I glance over to each of them as we ride up, and they are still just staring ahead…

*Should I?*

I slip my hand slowly into my jacket pocket again, once again feeling for my phone.

I glance out of my peripheral vision to Vincent and Sequoia again. They are still staring at the doors.

I slowly slide my phone out of my pocket, tipping it toward me so I can see it just a bit.

I press my thumb into the main screen, unlocking it, and tap on the phone icon.

I scroll down to a recent call from my mom and tap it, tipping my phone back down and pressing the volume button all the way down.

I press on my mom’s icon, holding my thumb down.

I glance around at the men again, and then glance back at my phone.

The dial screen is just churning…

I suddenly see that it says *‘No Service’* in the status bar…

My eyes widen.

I slide my phone back into my pocket.

The doors open and Vincent and Sequoia slide their arms under mine again, escorting me down the hall to my apartment door.

I swipe my key card at my door, and swallow hard, his thugs flanking me, my heart pounding.

I press the handle, and the door resists as I press against it, still locked.

I’d furrow my brow and swipe the key card again, and then I hear the sound of the elevator doors opening again.

I press the handle, and the door stays firmly closed.

The elevator doors open again.

I look down the hall and Alexander steps out, walking towards me.

He smiles, looking like a cat who’s trapped a mouse.

“Maybe *my* key will work, my love…” He calls out to me as he walks toward me.

My heart stops in my chest.

Alexander swaggers toward me, sliding in front of his men and between me and my door with a smile.

I step back.

He swipes his card and the door clicks instantly; Alexander presses the handle down, and the door swings easily open.

He walks inside, and I follow.

Inside, there are already men in black suits briskly moving about, removing my photographs from the walls and walking through my apartment with boxes.

“Hey!” I shout to one who is removing one of my favorite photographs of my first photo shoot with Geo from the wall.

He continues, ignoring me as if I’m not even here.

I look at Alexander, “You can’t do this!”

Alexander turns sharply to me, a snide tone in his voice, “Go ahead, use your phone, call someone, tell them.”

I glare at Alexander.

“What is going on?”

“Secrets, secrets, Sophie…”

What are you talking about?

“You hardly know Zane? Then why did he just walk into my office and offer me $100,000 for you?”

“I never asked Zane to do that!”

“You lied to me! You said you were breaking it off – “

“I – “ I cry out, desperate.

*“Who do you think you are?”* Alexander hisses, lunging at me, and grabbing me by the arm. I feel his breath on my neck, “I *made* you. I can unmake you. I can let you fall so far you’ll be buried…”

Alexander shoves me away, and I fall into the dining room chair; he walks away from me, stepping into the kitchen. He stands at the island counter.

“Why would you do this my love? You are my *life,* I have given you *everything…* What more could you want?”

A man walks into the kitchen. He is huge.

I recognize him as X, otherwise known as, the enforcer.

“You know my good friend, X,” Alexander says, smiling.

My heart starts pounding, and I arrange myself into the chair.

X smiles at me, he looks disgusting with his shiny head and pocked skin.

“I don’t give a fuck who you are,” he says to me, walking closer to me, towering over me and leaning in to me, “I don’t give a fuck about you. You do what he says. He owns you. Do you understand?”

“Alexander!” I turn desperately toward Alexander, imploring him with my eyes.

My front door clicks and someone walks in.

A voice calls out from somewhere in the room.

“She’s here!”

Alexander’s eyes snap up and X backs away from me.

“Amaya!” Alexander calls in a sing-song voice, walking toward the foyer.

“Meet the new you,” Alexander whispers into my ear as he walks past me.

I look up as she walks around the corner, and I see a replica of myself walking toward me.

The golden skin, the caramel hair, the brown eyes…

I feel like I am seeing a double of myself.

He slides his arm around her waist, smiling down at her.

She looks around my place with a sense of wonderment.

“Wow!...” She exclaims, “It’s amazing…”

“I guess this worked out good!” She says, looking at me, smiling genuinely.

“Yes, as you’re moving out,” Alexander says to me.

“Alexander…” I say, trying to reason with him.

He walks past me with Amaya, ignoring me.

“Amaya, why don’t you go explore the place?” He says, a sparkle in his eye.

As she walks further in, toward my bedroom, Alexander turns back to me.

“It seems you don’t appreciate the things I’ve given you. So, I’ve decided you don’t need all of the lavish treatment you’ve always gotten from me…” Alexander shakes his head.

Alexander’s men are beginning to take my giant photographs out through the front door, and more men are lifting my pink bubble furniture up and beginning to take it out of the apartment.

“Alexander, you’re misunderstanding…” I say, desperate. I reach for him, grabbing him by his arm and lapel.

Alexander snaps to me, “You’ve humiliated me. Sophia,” he stares into my eyes.

“…You remember that ring…” I say, pulling out the big guns.

The ring he has proposed to me with.

There is a long pause as he stares into my eyes.

“…Yes,” He says, tersely. He has told me before that he keeps it with him at all times, just waiting for the right moment.

“Get it out,” I say.

Alexander pauses.

He looks into my eyes, holding my gaze.

Alexander reaches into his suit, sliding his fingers into the inside pocket.

He brings out the ring.

I look into his eyes, and finally, after a pause that lasts a millennium, I take it from his fingers, and slide it onto my left ring finger.

“Sophia…” Alexander breathes.

“Wait!” Alexander calls to his men, and they pause instantly at his voice, his eyes still fixed on me.

“Have her things sent to Milan,” he commands.

“You should be with me, my love…” he says.

And then he glides his fingers down my arm, slipping his fingers into mine, and he leads me to the front door, and we walk out hand-in-hand as his men take my things away, Alexander’s engagement ring sparkling on my finger.