It was the fourth day of university and work. As usual, by now the streets were dark and I was all alone walking back home once again.
It was a daily route that I followed and thought it to be quite safe. As I was walking silently on the dark road. I heard footsteps.
My heart skipped a beat...
Now some bloody idiot was following me...
I started walking as fast as I could and made sure to warn myself not to look behind.
I was only two blocks away from my apartment but before I could make it to my house, I got hit by something hard on my head. And the next thing I know I hit the ground hard before darkness took over me.
BEEP...
BEEP...
BEEP...
I woke up to an unfamiliar sound of an alarm and a stinging feeling in my head. I found myself lying on the most comfortable bed I could have imagined.
Wait!
But my bed was never this smooth and comfortable.
I sat up straight immediately once realizing what had happened to me within the past few hours making my head dizzy.
I looked around the room and could see nothing but darkness. I was in the same clothes that I had worn for work today.
Thank God!
I tried getting up so quickly that I had a blackout and fell back on the pillows. My head rolled over all that had happened or was happening but I could not understand what was going around. I must have forced myself into a lot of thinking because my eyes immediately shut close as my head felt too heavy.
I woke up once again with a heavy head. I remember not drinking at all but I still felt nauseous. I sat down once again and tried recalling everything that had happened till now.
My head started spinning as tons of thoughts flowed through my brain making it even worse to stay put. It was becoming harder and harder for me to not let out my frustration and panic about the situation. I was so dizzy that it almost became impossible for me to get out of this unfamiliar bed.
Was I drugged, why did I feel so restless, and why the hell does my head hurt so bad, what benefit would someone get by kidnapping me?
I was so deeply lost in my thoughts trying to figure out what was going around when a voice interrupted me.
"Good morning, Love!", said a cold voice from somewhere behind the darkness sending shivers down my spine.
"W---WH—who-is-is—Th---there?" I stammered.
And just like that by now the tears that I had held back made their way down my cheeks.
"You do not recognize me, baby? Do you?", said the man once again holding disappointment in the words followed by a low chuckle.
"I---I---I don't know you, I- I Ple --Please don't hurt me... Please let me- Let me g-go" I managed to speak still stuttering and shivering from the cold voice that came from somewhere I had no idea about.
By now I was so scared that I curled myself up and hid my small self from the covers that once covered me while I was sleeping. I had always been scared of men in general.
Maybe it was because of how I spent my life seeing my father hurt me for his happiness. I was once again interrupted when the man spoke again,
"OH! Baby just don't let these diamonds fall for waste," he said moving forward wiping away a stray tear that made its way to my chin from his thumb.
My blurry eyes widened at the person standing right in front of me and a small gasp escaped my lips.
He could simply be described as a perfectionist. I was pretty sure I had seen him somewhere before but could not recall it now.
He was a perfect more or less 6"0'and the sun made his perfect olive-toned skin look even more attractive. He wore a plain black shirt that did justice to his work-out in all good ways possible.
His jeans were the shade of dark blue which suited him marvelously. He had the most mesmerizing smirk that any girl would die for.
He had been constantly staring at me and when I noticed it made me conscious about myself. I held my gaze to meet with eyes that would show you the world from just a look of it.
Realizing what I was doing I instantly averted my gaze from his and looked down to the sheets that I had still covered myself with. The effect that was produced due to his staring caused my cheeks to heat up and turn a shade of light pink.
My eyes were still teary and my head still hurt. If I had been staring at this beauty standing in front of me any longer, I swear, his eyes would have made holes deep down my soul.
He started walking closer to the bed where I was sitting, I held the sheets even tighter to cover myself.
*Please don't hit me... Please don't.*
These words constantly played their way into my head making me shiver even more. My heart started racing so fast that I unintentionally placed my hand over it to make it start pumping at a normal rate.
His steps moved closer making me shift to the side of the bed. I was very uncomfortable with the men around me. They made me feel low and scared the hell out of me.
I just wanted this man to walk out of this room and leave me alone, but obviously, today was not my day to make any wishes that would come true. I was afraid he might hit me, after all, he was the one who kidnapped me.
I was not sure why in the world would someone kidnap you and let you sleep on a bed like this.
And according to me, kidnapping was done for money.
Right?
But I had no money and my dad was a person who would not give away a single penny to get me out of all this. Dad would prefer me being died instead of giving away any of his wealth to save me.
So this kidnapping was all a blunt that was not going to work out at all. Until they just wanted to kill me. But I never had any rivals or enemies that someone would want to kill me.
That's what I thought, I mean I was never mean to anyone my entire life. The only time I fought with a girl was in grade 3 for breaking my favourite lunchbox. I was once again snapped out of my thoughts when I felt some kind of minty air brush past my face.
I almost lost my breath when the man who was once in the darkness stood so close to my face that I could smell his strong cologne make its way down my nostrils making me somewhat comfortable with the scent.
"I'll make sure you have no tears to drop baby" he almost whispered, abruptly turned, and left the room closing the door behind him. I was left all alone once again in the room.
What does he mean by he is going to leave no tears for me to cry with?
Is he a psycho?
Does he already know me?
Ugh!
I was extremely frustrated by now and wanted to get out of this mess. There must have been a mistake. I don't know him, he obviously does not know me. So, what was I doing here?
I had no idea who these people were and why they would kidnap me. I was pretty much sweaty and sticky from being still in my morning clothes.
I got out of bed, switched on the lights, and looked around to see if anything seemed familiar. I looked around and came across the bathroom door, I stepped in and thought of getting a little fresh.
I took a long shower without any intentions to do so before I entered making sure to bath away some of the troubles with the hot water flowing down my body.
I dropped my clothes in the nearby basket and put on the bathrobe instead. I got out of the bathroom and looked around.
Darkness...
All I could see was darkness, in spite of me switching on all the lights, from sitting in the middle of the room on a table that had already been here and I had just noticed. It seemed like a master bedroom to me, I never had seen something so big in my life. The room was beautiful, I could see it more clearly after pulling up all the window curtains aside.
The sun made everything look even bigger and all the decor in the room shouted how expensive they were. I was still sitting at the table when the realization hit me. I mean I knew that I had been kidnapped but what about my father?
Did he even know I was kidnapped?
Or maybe he did and cared the least about it.
Thinking of it made me want to kill myself. I felt worthless. I mean I was the only daughter my father had and yet he treated me like I was nothing but trash.
Although now I was not near him I still felt nothing. I should have been happy that I had to suffer no more of the tortures that my dad would pull on me. But I felt nothing better. I had no value... not at all to my Family.
My dad was my only family but he... he was always disgusted even by my name. Moreover, even if he knew that I had been kidnapped he would have been happy celebrating his freedom instead of going and looking around for me.
My tears already started running down my cheeks. I threw myself on the bed and cried to my heart's content.
I could not handle the pain that had been burning me from inside all these years. It felt like a volcano that was ready to erupt anytime soon.
I was all alone, nobody cared for me. To be honest I was happy that somebody kidnapped me. it was good to die once than die daily with hatred from the people that you love the most.
This seemed to be an easy death. Not every day would your father walk home drunk and hit you till he is satisfied looking at you bleeding and crying. I think cried too much and before I could think of more I drifted off to a deep slumber.
---- *** ----
ALBERT'S POV
She's pretty... no she's gorgeous. I mean I was shocked looking at her from so close. YES! I had been following her for 2 months by now and wanted her that instant.
She looked stunning in her shorts and tank top. I was sure that would never be possible as she seemed not too frank towards her environment. I even knew her background very well. Anna's father was a man born for gambling. He was a man who would give away anything for his bet on the win.
Everybody in this town knew the name Albert Hemsworth by heart. This was because of the multinational companies that I owned. I had everything that a man would ask for. Everything from a sports car to a luxurious home. This was not all, I could make anything mine with just one point of the index at it.
I never said no to anything that I desired. But for the past few months, the only thing I wanted was her... Annabelle Calvin and I were determined to win her at any cost. I mean looking at her work at the cafe with the brightest of smiles made me want to run up to her and hug her tight. She sure masked her pain too well.
**Flashback**
I entered one of the many casinos that I owned and found many people losing or winning bets many were on the bar counter getting themselves drunk to the point that their senses stopped working.
I walked past all of them and straight to where Mr Calvin had been already losing bets. I sat next to him and almost gestured for him to start the game. Without any exchange of words, we both started playing and I almost won the life out of him after every bet.
"You seriously need to relax Mr Calvin, I think you should have a drink and we shall continue after some time." I offered to look at the disturbed face of this old man.
"No, I need no rest young man... one last BET!!" he demanded.
"Sure, so what are you willing to put forward this time?" Smiling already at my victory I asked.
I was sure he had nothing to put forward and I knew exactly what to do.
"I don't have anything left as such to put forward," Calvin said blankly and sat there thinking of what to do. I on the other hand was ready to ask for the only thing he could give away.
"Ahan!! I see.... well let's see... What about that little doll of yours" I said smirking at him, while he just looked up with a raised brow.
"I mean... what was her name again... Um, I think... oh yeah Annabelle!" I looked him straight in the eyes still smirking at his defeat.
"What do you want to do with that GIRL," he said with no concern in his voice or even the slightest pain on his face.
"That'll be my job," I said in a stern voice looking at his eyes directly.
"Okay!! I agree, but how do you suppose you'll take her with you??" he looked at me with a wide smile.
Part of me wanted to rip that smile off his face because he sold his daughter to a certain stranger he met just an hour ago and the other half wanted to hug him tight because he was the one to give me My desire... ANNABELLE to me.
"Don't worry about that Calvin... I have my ways" I simply answered him and gestured to continue the game that had been resumed.
As I said it was an easy win. I was happy not only for winning but this time my prize was someone way more precious than anything in this world. According to the bet, Annabelle was now mine... Forever Mine!!
I had my eyes on her for a long time and was aware of every action of hers that she did during the day. Her timings were well memorized by me to make sure I made no mistake to get her to my mansion safely. I had my men follow her when she left home from the cafe shop.
I had strictly ordered them to make sure they do not harm her in any way not even a single bruise was to be seen on her body anymore. When she was bought to me, she was unconscious. I carried her bridal style to the room that had been waiting for my Love's appearance for a month now.
God, She was beautiful! I kissed her forehead gently and walked away from the bed setting myself on the nearby couch. From here I could see her clearly but she would not be able to see me at all due to the darkness in the room. I saw her sleeping figure, she looked so beautiful, peaceful, and sound. With no pain in the world.
There was nothing more appealing to the eye for me, I had seen almost all around the world, and no girl had ever driven me crazy like how Annabelle did. Just looking at her made me want to have her close to me with no disturbance at all.
I wanted her to be mine. Wanted to love her with all my heart and give her the happiness she had been longing for. The love she never got after her mother passed away. The love her father never tried giving her. The love she deserved.
I knew very well how her father treated her. She was beautiful and she had to be reminded of it often. Now there is no way I'm going to step back. Annabelle Calvin is mine FOREVER!
**Flashback Ends**