Hannah felt her world crumble as soon as those words left her mouth, and she became convinced that her mind had finally been corrupted and rotten by her cousin's romance novel. It was almost as if she saw her chances of survival dwindling to zero.
"Sheldon, Sean, and Shaine... my time has come"
"..."
"..."
Hannah didn't know why she chose the 'I-Was-Driven-By-Love' alibi while she was in the midst of a life-and-death situation. Her mind raced as she realized the futility of the excuse she had offered.
In the midst of a life-and-death situation, she had chosen a lie that held no weight or value. It was a useless alibi, a feeble attempt to survive.
She cursed herself silently, berating her own foolishness. Why had she chosen that particular lie? What had possessed her to believe that it would sway Ivan in any way?
Ivan's eyes narrowed, a flicker of surprise crossing his face as Hannah's words hung in the air. A moment of silence followed, the weight of her admission palpable in the room.
He knows he had undoubtedly ordered the girl in front of him to come up with a convincing reason why he shouldn't kill her, enjoying the petrified look on her face, but he never expected her to say those words out of the blue.
Assuming that her words weren't persuasive enough to impress Ivan, Hannah bit her lips and continued to lie through her gritted teeth, deciding to just bite the bullet.
"It's because you're so handsome! That's all! I really mean no harm," she says, almost whimpering in the end, unsure if what she's saying would make the man spare her life or fasten her impending death.
Ivan's amusement grew, his smirk widening as Hannah desperately clung to her new excuse.
As she spoke, her gaze wandered away from the man in front of her, afraid that he might pull the trigger, but much to her relief, Ivan withdrew the gun.
Hannah's heart pounded in her chest as Ivan withdrew the gun that had been pointed at her head, placing it carefully on the table. A wave of relief washed over her, momentarily easing the tension that had gripped her.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and glanced cautiously at Ivan. Her eyes then darted around the room, assessing her surroundings and searching for any signs of an escape route.
She knew that her relief was only temporary and that she couldn't let her guard down for a moment in the presence of someone as unpredictable as Ivan.
Just like she expected, her relief didn't last long when Ivan once again walked towards her.
He squatted down to Hannah's level before he grabbed her soft cheeks with his partially calloused hands and pinched them with his strong fingers.
Hannah's breath hitched as Ivan's firm grip held her face in place, his fingers digging into her soft cheeks. She could feel the pressure and the discomfort as he forced her to meet his intense gaze.
"You like me?" he asked, which made Hannah nod hesitantly, her eyes flickering with a mix of fear and vulnerability.
"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I... I find you attractive," she lied, though the attractive part ain't really a lie.
Unbeknownst to Hannah, a smirk much less mischievous but way more intimidating compared to his earlier ones had once again appeared on Ivan's face.
"Is liking me a better choice than dying?" he asked again. However, before Hannah could respond, Ivan continued to talk.
"Are you truly prepared for what lies ahead? Being involved with me is not for the faint of heart, my dear"
Hannah doesn't know what else to say. Her fear gnawed at her, threatening to overwhelm her senses as the weight of the situation bore down on her.
"No. I like you. I really like you" she kept repeating in a low voice, convincing herself that she had a chance of living as long as she convinced Ivan that she loved him.
"Very well, then. If you're willing to dance with the devil, then let the games begin"
A sinister gleam sprang into his eyes as he tightened his grip and leaned in closer, putting his face inches from Hannah's. His voice sounded so sexy as he dared her.
"Prove it"
When she heard his words, Hannah was speechless, and she couldn't stop herself from instinctively looking at him in the eye to see if he was serious.
Hannah's eyes locked with Ivan's, searching for any sign of sincerity or deception in his gaze. Her mind raced with a mix of confusion and disbelief.
Could it be possible that someone like Ivan, a dangerous man, could have fallen for such a clichéd alibi?
She couldn't help but wonder if her cousin's romance novels, filled with tales of forbidden love and dangerous liaisons, held a grain of truth within their pages.
Had she stumbled upon a real-life scenario straight out of those fictional stories?
"Is he stupid? Mentally ill? Delusional? Or is he just easily pleased?" Hannah wondered to herself.
Hannah's mind raced with conflicting thoughts.
Could it be that Ivan, beneath his dangerous facade, harbored a desire for something deeper, something beyond his ruthless persona? Or was this all just another twisted game, a means to manipulate her further?
As she stared into his eyes, Hannah knew that she had to proceed with caution to navigate the uncertain waters of Ivan's desires.
Whether driven by love or something else entirely, she had to find a way to survive and appease his dark appetites for now, until she is safe enough to escape from him.
"P-prove it how?" she asked.
"I don't know. Impress me, it's up to you. Make me feel how much you like me. If you were unable to do so... you know what will happen, right?" Ivan's voice dripped with a mix of amusement and menace as he laid out the challenge before Hannah.
His words hung heavy in the air, which made tears pool at the corner of her eyes upon the chilling reminder of the consequences that awaited her should she fail to meet his expectations.
"Shh, don't cry, Hannah. If someone sees us right now, they might think I'm bullying you," Ivan softly shushed as he touched Hannah's cheek, gently wiping the tears from her eyes that started to fall.
Now that the waterworks has started, Hannah's tears couldn't seem to stop. Her emotions bubbling to the surface as Ivan's words and touch elicited a mix of fear and vulnerability upon her.
She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the weight of the consequences that hung over her.
Ivan's gentle touch on her cheek caused her to flinch slightly, her heart pounding in her chest.
His attempt to console her and dismiss the severity of the situation felt like a cruel juxtaposition to the dangerous game they were playing.
"Weren't you just threatening me?" Hannah mentally talked back as she pushed Ivan's fingers away. She then wiped her tears on her own.
"Oh, is that how you treat someone you like? Were you just lying about liking me?" Ivan asked, his voice sounding like he was hurt with her actions.
Hannah's heart pounded as Ivan questioned her behavior, his words slashing through her like a dagger. She flinched a bit before she hurriedly looked back at him with her still tearful eyes.
"It's my love language"
***🦋***
Author's Note
Could you guys believe it?!
Her Alibi worked and Ivan spared her! ( ˵ •̀ □ •́ ˵ )
What do you guys think about this? Comment your thoughts below and we can interact with one another. Are you curious about what comes next? Then swipe our screen and read the next chapter! Happy reading lovelies!