𝙇𝙞𝙖𝙢'𝙨 𝙋𝙊𝙑:
I had no other choice except this. I mixed drugs in her drinking water. Now she is sleeping peacefully. This was the only way I had to keep her calm. She was acting like a lunatic. I didn't want to tie her up and torture her as I do to my rivals. I hate it when she suffers.
But her suffering is going to end soon. Patterson's men have captured Erickson Eaton in Russia. They are going to bring him here today. Now I should release Hannah as per the deal.
Hannah is going to be a free woman very soon. I should be relieved that my uncle is finally captured. I won the fucking war! I should be happy and celebrating.
But I felt empty inside. I feel like I'm losing something. I feel embarrassed that I have fallen in love with her. I thought I was strong. I drank five glasses of whiskey to hide my grief, but it's no use.
I went inside the bedroom where she was sleeping. I bent over and kissed her lips gently. This will be the last time I'll ever kiss her. I felt like the prince from 'Sleeping Beauty'. When I was a kid, I used to watch the fairy tale shows with my brother Chris just to mock and have a good laugh. I always find that shit lame. A frog turning into a guy, lizard becomes a man, it was so lame. I thought true love was a story for little girls.
Maybe I still don't know what is love. I'm not capable of understanding it. I am a monster who hurt people and now I have hurt Hannah. It's good that she leaves today. I don't want to be the reason for her suffering. I want her to be free and happy.
" Was it really necessary to drug her? ", yelled a voice from behind me. It was Cece. I made her come here from LA because I think only she can talk sense into Hannah.
" She completely went insane. She was going to shoot me. That's why I drugged her."
" For heaven's sake, she hasn't even touched a gun in her entire life. She was just doing it out of anger. And trust me, she will never shoot you. She loves you more than anything and that kind of love doesn't just disappear," she said.
" It was all in the past, Cece. Now she hates me. And I want her to be that way. I'm bad news for her. "
She looked at me with pity. I hated when anyone looks at me like that. It makes me feel weak. And I don't want to be weak. " You still love her, don't you?"
I sighed at her question. " It doesn't matter what I feel anymore. And stay with her. If she wakes up call the maid downstairs. She will bring food."
I walked away from there trying to swallow the void inside me. I need more whiskey now. I was about to leave, but I froze dead on my tracks as I heard the faint sound of sobbing. Hannah got down from her bed and came to me. She stood on her tiptoes and smacked her lips with mine. I kissed her back slowly.
" I'm sorry, Liam. I didn't mean to do-"
I covered her mouth with my fingers. " You don't have to defend yourself, sweetheart. I know that you would never shoot me. You were just angry."
" I love you, Liam. I tried very hard to hate you, but I wasn't able to do that. Call me crazy, but I don't care."
She is just making it hard for me now. I pulled away from her. " Listen, sweetheart. I don't deserve such an angel like you. Look what I made you did yesterday. I made you take a gun! I am bringing out the worst in you. Your love for me is poison. You will never find peace with me. And I won't let that happen to you. I want you to be happy and free. I'm going to release you today, sweetheart. You are free to go. "
I could see the hurt in her eyes as I said that. Her expression suddenly became serious. " I don't care about that. I don't care if my love is poison. I don't care if you release me. I'll never leave your side. Because I can't live without you."
" Hannah, are you crazy?"
" Yes, I'm crazy," she said that as she wiped away her tears with her fingers. " I am crazy about you. Because just now I realized that you too love me-"
" No Hannah, I don't love you." I interrupted even before she could finish. " You are just fooling yourself. I'm not in love with you. I imprisoned you in the name of love, remember?"
" Stop this bullshit! I was pretending to be sleeping while you kissed me. I know that you have feelings for me. Why don't you acknowledge that?"
I felt so funny about the current situation. I have exactly become like the lame-ass prince from the fairy tale. If Chris was alive now, I would have been a laughing stock for him.
" Sweetheart, I'm a Drug Lord. I must protect my family's legacy -"
" I'll stand by you, Liam. Together, we can do that."
I gazed down feeling ashamed. " The truth is, I have made you a part of my deal with Patterson. He is coming to get you today." She stood silent for a moment. I hoped that she will hate me again now and make it easy for me.
" I'm never going to leave your side, Liam. The only person I care about in this whole world is you. I don't give a fuck to the man who abandoned me."
I couldn't even believe my ears. Her eyes were filled with determination. " But sweetie, my hands are tied here. If I don't hand you over to him, the deal will be broken and he will declare war on me. "
" Then, I'll go with him for now and later escape from the dungeon he is going to keep me in. I'll always keep coming back to you. "
I was stunned by her words. " Why do you love me this much?" I stepped forward and cupped her face in my hands. I pressed her lips with mine gently. I don't know if she will be able to escape from Patterson. I don't know if she will come back. But I never want to forget this moment. I kissed her passionately for a while.
Cece was looking at us as if seeing a romantic movie. " You guys are making me cry," she said. I immediately pulled apart from her awkwardly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I thought drinking whiskey solved every problem. But today I realized that it does not heal a broken heart. " Mr. Eaton, they have arrived with your uncle."
I went outside and stood at the entrance. It was raining heavily outside. I glanced over to look at Hannah. She was standing nervously beside Cece. Even though she tried to look determined, her eyes gave up the sadness.
Patterson entered first along with his sons Hugo and Henry. Behind him, two men were bringing a middle-aged man with his face covered with a cloth, and his hands were cuffed. No doubt, it was my uncle.
They made my uncle kneel in front of me. Then Patterson stepped forward and gazed at Hannah who was now standing beside me. " Come on my child, let's go," he said.
But Hannah didn't move a muscle. She frowned at her father. " Don't come near me. You are not my father. You abandoned me. You left me with Hector and it didn't even bother you when he abused me. "
Patterson took a step back in shock. " I'm sorry child, I didn't know about that. I'm sorry for abandoning you. But I did it for a reason."
Hannah came a little closer to my side and clasped my arm tightly. " I'm not going to leave Liam. I'm in love with him and I can't live without him. If you try to take me from here forcefully, then I'll do something which you are going to regret. "
Patterson was speechless. Not only him, everyone was silent for a moment. Hugo was the one who broke the awkward silence. " Are you too blind to see it, Hannah? You are just a puppet to him. He is pulling your strings and you are letting him do it? Are you insane?"
" Who the hell are you to judge me? Fuck off, you jerk," she yelled at him furiously.
" I'm sorry. I haven't introduced myself to you. I'm Hugo and he is Henry. We are your brothers."
Hannah was taken aback by that." So I have two more sadistic brothers? That's great."
" Liam, you are breaking the deal," shouted Patterson. " I don't know why you are still manipulating my daughter."
" I thought you were wise enough to understand what is happening here," I said as I wrapped my arm around her waist. "She is in love with me."
Patterson turned over and gave a sign to his men. They came forward and tried to drag her away from me. But she didn't let go of my hand. She clasped my hand tightly and her eyes begged me to help her.
" Let go of her, Liam," yelled Patterson.
My brain wanted to do it, but my heart wanted me to fight for her. I've never been in this kind of situation before. If it weren't for the stupid deal, then I would have blown out the brains of these fucking Patterson.
" I'm sorry, sweetheart," I said as I slowly released my hand from her grip.
Hannah started screaming. " Let me go, you bastards," she cried out.
They dragged her outside to the front porch. Hugo and Henry were trying hard to make her calm down. But it was no help. Patterson was dazed at her stubbornness.
I can't watch it anymore. I hate it when she suffers. I closed my eyes hoping this would end soon.
" Mr. Eaton, we were betrayed," Ricky screamed from behind me. " They gave us an imposter."
Ricky shoved the fake Erickson Eaton to my feet. The resemble was uncanny. He looked just like my uncle. His height, body, and his face everything was just like him.
But it wasn't him. The balls on that bastard Patterson. How dare he deceive me like this? Did I just sacrifice my Hannah for a con artist? My blood started to boil in wrath.
" Come on guys, it's war now."