Ava decided it was time to meet this Zulu that everyone had been talking about. I wondered how she was connected to Damon. Was she his ex-girlfriend, ex-wife, or perhaps another sibling he was betrothed to?
Taking a deep breath, I approached his room and tried to calm myself before opening the door. To my surprise, the room was deserted. As I was about to voice my confusion, I suddenly felt a knife pressed against my neck and sensed someone's presence behind me.
"Did Sheila send you? Another one of her lackeys to kill me?" the person behind me asked with anger lacing her voice.
"No, who the hell is Sheila?" I responded, trying to keep my voice steady despite the fear gripping me.
"Shut up!" she snapped, her anger evident. "Don't act friendly with me, or I will kill you." I gulped, desperately trying to remember any self-defense techniques I had been taught, but my mind drew a blank. "What's your name?"
"Ava," I mumbled, my voice trembling. "I'm Damon's friend." As I said this, she made a small cut on my neck, causing blood to trickle down. I quickly used my hand to cover the wound and turned around to face her.
She appeared to be around sixteen or seventeen years old, but there was something about her eyes that made me feel she was older than she looked. Her striking green eyes and long green hair caught my attention. We were of similar height, making us average height, not exactly tall.
She was dressed in a tight blue dress, the same one I had worn on my first day here. However, it seemed to fit her differently. She looked comfortable and free in it, unlike me. I couldn't help but compare our bodies, noticing that my curves were more pronounced. "Why are you here? Mr. D isn't here?"
"Who is Mr. D?"
"The man I plan on marrying, Ava," she scoffed, "Damon the fifth."
"Oh," I replied, my voice filled with surprise. The bleeding from my neck seemed to have stopped, although I could feel the weakness from losing a lot of blood. "I wish you two a happy married life."
"He wants to marry you now," she said, sitting on the bed. "Because your chest is bigger than mine, I guess." I couldn't help but feel a pang of cruelty from Damon for speaking about me like that.
Zulu didn't seem as bad as I initially thought. But her way of speaking made her seem like a small child. "I am not a kid," she growled as if reading my mind. "And yes, I can read your mind." There was anger in her expression. "I am not good, and Mr. D isn't cruel... I will not tolerate anyone calling him such names, not even me."
"Sorry," I said quickly, trying my best not to think anything. But then I realized that my thoughts were betraying me again, and I couldn't help but look at her face and smile. "Sorry again, but seriously, you don't need to read my mind."
"And why is that?" she asked.
"It's messy up there," I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed.
"I do not like you, Ava," Zulu stated matter-of-factly. "Yes, I do like Damon, but not love. I know he loves you, and I should love you too, but I don't because I know you will hurt him."
"I don't understand," I replied sincerely.
"How could you ever understand the power of love, Ava? Two men are fighting over that foolish heart of yours, and I will never want Damon to end up being hurt because you chose someone else." Zulu remained still while I stood there, absorbing her words. "And yes, it was a childish dream to marry Damon. I won't mind if that doesn't happen. I want him to be happy always. But trust me," she stepped closer, "if anything happens to Damon's heart, I will kill you. The cut on your neck should remind you that I can do it."
"You're wrong, Zulu," I said, my voice firm with a mix of anger. "First of all, Damon doesn't love me the way you're saying. And yes, "Maybe another man out there wants me to be his, so what?" I stepped closer, my anger fueling my words. "I never asked for all this, just as I never asked for this cut around my neck. My heart is also getting hurt, so don't you dare put Damon in it as if he is the victim."
Zulu chuckled, seemingly unaffected by my words. "Haven't you noticed that I don't give a damn about anybody else but Mr. D?" She shook her head. "I don't care how you feel, Ava, but I heard Mr. D saying he wishes to marry you, and my Mr. D gets everything he wants, and that includes you."
The range of emotions coursing through me was overwhelming. I wanted to hit her, slap her, and even murder her. I had never felt such a mix of emotions all at once before, and it frightened me. "And I don't care about your words or your Mr. D's stony heart," I grinned, my anger fueling my defiance. "You two bastards deserve each other."
"What did you call him?" Zulu's anger began to boil, and I couldn't help pushing her further.
"A bastard," I mumbled, my hands clenched at my sides. She swiftly moved towards me, hands poised for a slap. But before she could touch me, the door opened, causing her to stop abruptly with her hands close to my face.
Her hands trembled as she stepped back, and as I turned to see who had interrupted us, my heart sank. Damon stood there, his presence bringing a coldness to the air. Next to him stood another man, hands in his pocket. Damon wore black, while the other man wore white. They both emitted a dangerous aura.
"What's happening here?" Damon's icy voice drew my attention back to him. "What happened to your neck?" He growled, looking at me. I glanced at Zulu, who seemed unfazed by his anger.
"I cut her," Zulu frowned, not showing any remorse.
"Zulu," Damon growled, stepping closer to her. He raised his hand as if to slap her, but then he stopped himself, his hand hovering just inches from her cheek. I noticed tears streaming down Zulu's face.
When he dropped his hand, I could see the red handprint on her cheek. He hadn't slapped her; he had just touched her, but yet it feels like he did, and Zulu hasn't stopped crying," I continued, shaken by the intensity of the situation. Zulu ran into the arms of the other man, seeking comfort and solace.
Chase gently patted her head, consoling her while she cried over the pain of Damon's near-slap. It made me wonder just how strong Damon truly was, considering that even a slight touch of his hand had such an impact.
Damon then turned his attention to me, approaching me with purpose. As he touched my neck, I felt a sudden relief. The pain vanished, and the wound felt completely healed. "Does it ache?" he asked, his gaze holding me captive. I shook my head, mesmerized by his eyes. "Good, because I don't want anyone else hurting what's mine."
My frown deepened. "I am not yours."
"You are," Damon asserted, gripping my hand firmly. "You just don't realize it yet. Come, Chase will take care of Zulu."
"Hey, I came here to see Lara, not this annoying brat," Chase protested, pushing Zulu away. She growled at his touch, clearly repulsed by it.
But it was Chase's words that caught my attention. "Lara?" I repeated, confusion etched on my face. Alex had called me that once, and now Chase was calling me by the same name.
Damon's presence was palpable as he joined us outside the room. I pulled my hands out of his grasp, demanding answers. "Who is Lara to you? Why is Chase calling me Lara?"
"Why do you care?" Damon retorted, his gaze narrowing.
"Because Alex called me that too," I responded, my frown deepening. "Stop beating around the bush and tell me who the fuck is Lara."
Damon's silence frustrated me, and his eyes revealed that he wouldn't say anything more. What was he hiding? Alex had mentioned that Lara was his deceased bride, but if Lara was Alex's bride, then who was Damon to her? And why did I resemble her so much that people who knew Lara mistook me for her? The pieces of this mysterious puzzle were slowly falling into place, but the picture remained obscured and unclear.
"Damon," I pleaded, my voice filled with frustration.
"Shut up, Ava," he snapped, his voice growing harsh. "Sometimes it's best to remain innocent and ignorant. Just shut up and come with me." His grip on my hand tightened, conveying a sense of determination. I didn't attempt to struggle or break free from his hold because deep down, I knew it would be futile.
But what was he hiding from me? How could he expect me to be with him when he held so many secrets beneath his sleeves? All I wanted was to understand who Lara was to him. The unanswered questions swirled in my mind, leaving me even more desperate for the truth.