Cynthia's POV
My heart raced as I heard gunshots echoing behind Zander's car, the glass cracking and breaking. Beads of sweat dripped down my forehead.
"What's happening, Zander?" I asked, my voice shrill with fear.
"We're under attack," Zander replied, driving faster. "Take this gun. You can use it. Shoot or we'll die."
Tears welled up in my eyes, fear gripping me.
"Take the gun and shoot, Cynthia, or we'll die!" Zander's voice was cold. I grabbed the gun, hands trembling.
"I can't do it, Zander. I can't kill," I said, tears welling up. The sound of bullets hitting the car filled the air.
"Shoot, damn it!" Zander yelled. I opened the car window, trembling as I aimed at the car behind us. Tears streamed down my face as I fired, struggling to hit the target.
"Damn it!! " Zander cursed. My heart was pounding so hard, my lump shaking with fear.
"What's happening? Are we in danger?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Shut up, Cynthia. Your screaming isn't helping. We need to get out of the car and run until those men can't find us, okay?" Zander instructed, stopping the car on the highway. I quickly kicked off my heels as we both got out of the car. Zander grabbed my hand, and we started running. The highway was chaotic with cars swerving to avoid us, and I could hear the men's footsteps closing in.
"I'm exhausted, Zander. I can't keep running," I gasped, struggling to keep up with him. Zander didn't slow down, pulling me along with him as we entered the forest.
"Damn these men," Zander muttered, dragging me through the trees. I was too tired to curse them back.
"I will stop in order to fight them, " Zander explained, releasing my hand to shoot at the men following us.
"Keep running, I'll catch up," Zander shouted, firing shots behind me. I ran as fast as I could, the sound of gunfire ringing in my ears.
I turned and my eyes widened as Zander fell to the ground, the goons shooting at him relentlessly. Blood gushed from his body as it convulsed with each bullet impact. Tears welled up in my eyes.
This was my chance to escape from this monster. If I ran now, he would never find me again. My mind urged me to flee, but my heart and conscience wouldn't allow me to abandon him. He had been shot trying to save me. It may have been foolish, but I turned and ran towards him. The goons stood there with their guns, likely wanting to shoot me too, but I couldn't leave Zander alone.
"Cynthia, run! Get away!" Zander yelled, groaning in pain. I ignored his plea; I couldn't leave him to die.
The goons aimed at me, and one fired a shot. I pretended to fall to the ground as if hit, causing the goons to flee.
Once they were gone, I quickly got up and rushed to Zander. He had been shot multiple times, his body covered in blood. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at his motionless form. I composed myself and checked for a pulse, remembering he was a vampire and wondering if he was already dead. To my surprise, he had a pulse.
"Zander, please wake up. I'll take you to the hospital," I pleaded, tears welling in my eyes. Despite knowing I should prioritize my own freedom and leave him to die, I couldn't bear the thought of someone dying because of me, whether human or vampire. I couldn't let him die.
Struggling to lift him, I realized he was too heavy for me to move alone. I needed to find help before it was too late.
"Run, little Foxy. This is your chance to escape from me," Zander weakly urged.
"Shut up, Zander. Just keep your mouth shut. I will try to find an ambulance for you. You need help," I yelled, tears welling up in my eyes and my head throbbing. This was all too much for me. It felt like I was inside a movie. First, I was kidnapped by a vampire, and now I was married to him. And to top it off, that vampire turned out to be a Mafia member. Gunshots, blood - everything was overwhelming me, and I couldn't think straight.
"No police, no hospital. You should run away because this is your only chance," Zander groaned, clearly in pain with bloodshot eyes.
"I hate you with every fiber of my being. I want to leave you here and run away, but my hatred isn't enough to let you die," I said, feeling hopeless. I knew only my mother could help me. She had come to my aid in the past when I was in deep trouble, and I was sure she could help now.
"Mom, please help me. I need you, please?" I cried. I couldn't bear to watch him die, especially knowing that I was the reason he was in this condition.
"Cynthia, you should let him die and run, my dear," I heard my mother's voice, though I couldn't see her. How could I be so heartless?
"Mom, he saved my life. I can't let him die. Please help me, please, Mom. I'm begging you," I pleaded through my sobs.
"Fine, but saving his life will be difficult. The bullet they used is silver, and it's slowly burning him. He might die from it. The only way to save him is by making him drink your blood. But know that once he does, you will be bound to him forever. He will be your soulmate in your seven lives. It's your choice if you want such a strong bond with him," my mom's voice explained. I didn't fully grasp the implications of her words, but I understood that my blood could heal him, and that was enough for me.
"Thank you, Mom," I said, wiping my tears. At least I could save his life.
"Zander, wake up. You have to drink my blood to survive," I urged. Zander weakly looked at me, a faint smirk playing on his lips. Even in his weakened state, he managed to muster a smirk.
"Little Foxy, I'm giving you one last chance to run away and leave me here to die. If you stay, you'll be stuck with me forever. I won't let you go," Zander's words carried a deeper meaning beneath their surface, but I couldn't dwell on that now. My mind was blank, focused solely on the task at hand.
"Zander, stop talking and just listen to me. I'm not leaving you here to die. Just do as I say before I change my mind," I insisted. In an instant, Zander sprang up from the ground, his fangs bared, nails sharpened, and eyes glowing red. I closed my eyes as he sank his fangs into my neck, the sharp pain barely registering as I braced myself.
After what seemed like an eternity, Zander withdrew from my neck, licking the blood from his lips before collapsing to the ground, his eyes closed.
His body began to glow silver, and all his wounds started to disappear. It felt like I was watching a scene from a fantasy movie, where all kinds of magic were happening. How could a person heal in a matter of seconds, especially from a bullet wound? I knew that vampires were immortal, but I had no idea such rapid healing was possible. I chose not to dwell on it, as trying to understand it would only confuse me further. Despite feeling grateful that I had saved his life, I still regretted my decision; it was the worst choice I had ever made.
Zander rose from the ground, looking perfectly fine, albeit a bit paler than before. He had nearly died, and foolishly, I had intervened to save him when I should have let the monster perish.
"Now you're stuck with me forever, little Foxy. This time, I gave you a choice, and you made your decision," Zander said, a smirk playing on his lips.
I decided to ignore him completely as I stood up, realizing that I was barefoot; I had left my shoes in the car.
~~~~~~~~~~
I sat quietly on the couch, the whole day has passed since Zander and I returned to his villa, he has been in his room since then.
My mind wandered to what Zander had said. It was still hard to believe that my father, the man I once called stupid, had tried to kill me. All because of that Tiara. First, he took my mother's life, and today Zander almost lost his life trying to save me from him. How can such despicable men exist in this world?
I've endured a lifetime of suffering at the hands of him and his family. Today, I find myself alone, all because of them. But what can I do? He holds wealth and power that I lack.
All I desire now is to bring down that entire family. I want them to experience the pain and suffering they have inflicted upon me, especially Tiara. She was raised with privilege and everything she desired, while I was left with nothing. Their wealth means nothing to me, but the loss of my mother demands justice. I am fed up with those who believe they can harm me without consequences.
The death of my mother drove me to the brink of madness, and now I fear I am losing my sanity. I struggle every day to numb the pain of vengeance, resentment, hatred, and loneliness. Sometimes I succeed, but other times the agony is overwhelming.
"You must be happy, huh?" I quickly turned to see a woman standing on the stairway. She was tall, with a very beautiful and sexy body. Her heart-shaped face and sharp jaws made her look attractive, with black eyes and dark red hair. Despite heavy makeup, she was undeniably beautiful.
"You must be thrilled to have stolen my man, aren't you? But unfortunately, he can't seem to forget about me. He still comes to me to fulfill his desires," the woman said as she walked over to the couch where I was sitting and took a seat opposite me.
I grimaced, unsure of who she was or what she was talking about. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I know you or understand what you're saying. Please, just leave me alone," I said. She rose from the couch and, in an instant, was standing right in front of me. She grabbed my hair, causing a sharp pain to shoot through my head, making it throb.
"You're hurting me. Let go of my hair," I said, trying to remain calm despite the pain. She was gripping my hair tightly, and I couldn't bear it.
"Do you think I'll let you go so easily? What does Zander see in you that he's so taken with you? I'm better than you in many ways, yet he still chooses you. Why is that?" the woman asked, tightening her grip on my hair. She was a vampire, and I feared what she might do if I fought back.
"I said, let go of my hair, you bitch ... you're hurting me," I yelled, the pain intensifying. I had no idea what she was accusing me of.
"How dare you call me that?" the woman retorted, using her other hand to slap me hard across the face. I tried to push her away, but she was too strong, catching me off guard. I couldn't fight back.
"I'm not interested in your Zander. You both can go to hell for all I care. Just leave me alone," I said, trying to assert myself.
"I know your type. You love to play innocent and trap rich men, but I won't let you have my Zander. He's mine alone," the woman declared, tightening her grip on my hair even more.
"Nancy, how dare you lay your hands on her?" I let out a sigh of relief when Zander pushed the woman to the floor, causing her to release my hair. Zander's expression was cold and terrifying.
"Zander, you can't treat me like this because of this weak human girl," the woman cried in pain. I rose off the couch and started making my way upstairs. I could hear them shouting at each other, but I didn't care. Maybe he was already married when he married me, who knows. All I wanted now was to ensure that the Davis family faced punishment for everything they did to me.