“And why are you doing this?” Allison raised a brow. She wanted to understand why her cousin was telling her all this.
“Because I realized that he was right. My father is too greedy, and I can’t let him do what he wants.”
“And you expect me to believe you?”
Mariella sighed. “Look, I was not the one who kidnapped you. It was my dad. I’m sorry for all the trouble. I just wanted to fix things with Clint. As for you…” She paused. “I understand that he was doing his job to protect you, and he needed a diversion... We look so alike that he saw me in you…” Her voice was gentle and sweet. But beneath the angelic and beautiful face, Allison saw a woman willing to fight a dirty war.
“Where’s my father?” Allison asked in a firm and stiff voice. They needed to get away from that place before anything else happened. She would think about her heart later.
“Alli, honey, do we really have to make him choose?” Mariella shook her head and clicked her tongue, a sad look on her face.
“I will tell you where Clint is, on one condition.”
“You don’t have to do that. I have arranged everything for you and your father to escape,” Mariella informed her, giving Allison a piece of paper. But she couldn’t get herself to trust the woman.
Allison took the piece of paper Mariella had handed her. Written on the parchment was the time scheduled for her to leave. Mariella had even written down the address where her father was staying.
“I will tell you his whereabouts when I get out of here safely,” She said, placing the piece of paper in the pocket of her jeans.
Mariella nodded before giving her an impish smile. “Thanks. I have your dinner ready. Please eat it. You’ll be needing energy later.” And with that, Mariella left.
Allison was left alone in the dark-lit room once more, this time with a tray full of food. Amazed at the generosity of her cousin, she helped herself to the steak and soup that was served to her. More than anything, she was going to need energy for her escape.
There was a letter on the piece of tissue, saying that the barracks she was in was heavily guarded by Mariella’s father’s henchmen, and it was not going to be an easy task to get away. But her cousin reassured her that she would be able to leave the place safely.
After mulling things over, Allison resolved to trust Mariella. The woman might not be trustworthy, but it was better than letting herself rot in that room. She would risk her life to save her father.
“I don’t have anything to lose after all… Brandon… No… He’s Clint… He was never mine in the first place.”It broke her heart. She was hurt. She loved him so much, and beside her best friend Joanna, Brandon was the only friend in her life.
When the night had grown late and quiet, Allison stayed alert more than ever. She did not sleep or even relax. She was nervous and anxious and scared. But she needed to make her move, or else it would be too late.
Uncle Borris was a ruthless man. He never cared about anything except power. There was a possibility that she might end up being food for the worms the following morning if she stayed there. Hours passed until the steel doors finally opened again. This time, a tall and bulky man with a scary face came. His expression was empty, making her feel a bit hesitant to follow him.
“Where are you taking me?” She cried in pain when the stranger grabbed her arm forcefully.
“The boss is waiting for you,” the man growled, revealing a silver tooth. The man took quick and large footsteps, literally dragging her out of the dark room. It took a moment before her eyesight could adjust to the brightly lit lobby.
She was in Wakerlin all along.
What happened to the people here?
Following the scary guy, Allison held her breath until they reached the mansion and entered the lobby where her father’s study was located. A surge of anger and fear covered her. She would be meeting her uncle, who had betrayed her father, for the first time.
Two others were standing right by the doors of Marco Farkas’s office. Filling her lungs with air and gathering all the courage she had left, Allison entered the room without second thoughts.
The room was dimly lit and very quiet. She felt goosebumps when the large sliding window behind the swivel chair opened as a black wolf entered.
“No. Nooooo…” she murmured, pressing her eyes closed when she saw the black wolf jumping to assault her. For a moment, she thought she was fine, but when she felt blood trickling down her left leg, a tear escaped from the corner of her eye. Before she could understand anything, she was unconscious.
Chapter 7
“Alli… Alli… Are you okay?”
A familiar heavy voice entered her ears, and she opened her heavy eyes. She felt dizzy, and her whole body was aching. She was naked; her body felt cold and lifeless, and she didn’t have the energy to move an inch.
“W-what are you d-doing here?” she mumbled weakly.
“I came to take you back,” Brandon replied. Sweat covered his face, and she also could see blood on his forehead.
