JOHN’S POV.
I could not believe my eyes. My men all left the sofas they were perched on as Lucas walked in, looking at me with eyes colder than ice. Nothing was wrong with him. He seemed perfectly fine for someone who ought to have been fed with my drug for a year. The antidote was still on my wardrobe, lost there.
How did he get out? I had given strict orders for him to be kept. Unknowingly, I got to my feet. His aura was way too commanding, and I was suddenly reminded that the mansion was his.
My men went to stand behind me, and Lucas took his seat on the chair, crossing his legs as he sat.
“Sit.” He said, his voice deep, and I feared because Emily was right upstairs. They were so close to each other. What would happen?
I sat, surprisingly polite.
“You have a lot of questions, I’m sure.” He began, looking around. “The house hasn’t changed one bit.” He replied, and I saw Kaye making to sneak up the stairs.
“Get back! Scrub the kitchens!” I yelled, knowing she wanted to rattle to Emily that Lucas had magically appeared.
Lucas let out a little chuckle, and cocked his head slightly.
“You haven’t changed one bit too.”
Why wasn’t he asking about Emily?
“You. Are you not still a monster?”
“Is that what you want to know?”
“Why would you open the door?” I asked the maid, boldly, and she looked up at me, straight in the eye. “Drop that gaze.” I said.
“Why should I?” She asked in a bold voice that was worlds apart from the tiny voice she had used when I had asked for her phone.
“You…!” I pointed, speechlessly at her.
“Me.”
“She’s my worker.” Lucas said, with a smile. “Just twenty-six, but she passes for eighteen.”
“Twenty…” I began..
“She’s the same age as you are, but thanks to that young face, and small body, she fooled even you.” Lucas said, but I couldn’t take my hands off the young girl he called twenty-six.
“You must have heard of FT Enterprises, right?” Lucas asked. .
“She’s the CEO?”
“I am.”
“What!?”
“I’m the one leaking your videos. I’m the one lowering your sales. John, I’m the one destroying you. I won’t bother telling you how life was in a cell, since you’re going to experience it yourself pretty soon.” He said, and my heart seemed to explode in flames.
“Are you threatening me?” I asked, trying to keep my composure.
“Are you scared already?” Lucas asked, with a smile. “Isn’t it too early to be scared?”
The combination of anger and fear worked like diesel and a lighter inside of me. He was just Lucas. The Uncle I used to play tag with, yet he seemed like a different person.
No, he was a different person. He was changed. Lucas never gave Alpha vibes. He just wanted to be free, and do whatever he wished to do. Lucas was ice, but at the moment he was ice and fire.
He had such an aura that commanded my fear. He felt like an Alpha.
Who knew that the future had something else in store for two kids who wanted to give themselves the whole world?
“Your face says it all, you know.” He drawled, looking at me intently.
Why wasn’t he asking about Emily yet? It made me anxious.
“Says what? You think I’m scared, don’t you? Well, I’ll tell you that I’m not scared of you one bit. You are not someone I’ll ever be scared of.” I said, and he raised a brow.
“Time is up, John.”
“What time is up?”
“Your time.”
“You must be kidding me.” I spat, not willing to accept being intimidated by him.
“I will no longer take that tone from you, Nephew. No longer. You have gone too far. If there was still a bit of the old John in you that I used to see, it’s gone now. With your own hands, you brought your downfall on yourself. What did you think? That I’d stay there forever? For ten, twenty years? Do I have to keep reminding you of the fact that I’m another Granger? You can’t fight me and win, John. I believe I gave you enough time for you to live out your stupid imaginations, right? Well, that time is up. You should have a taste of your own poison.”
“What?” I scoffed. “You’re going to take me to a special center too?”
“Oh, no, no. You’re a perfectly normal man. What would you be searching for in a special center? Nonsense.”
“So what? Spit it out, and stop all this!” I blurted out, and he laughed. He was definitely tiptoeing around the edges to keep my heart up, to keep me scared of what he was going to do to me.
“You’re going to prison, man. You’re a criminal.”
It was my turn to laugh. “What?” I asked.
“Let’s see. If Kaye presses charges, your employees, the girl named Malia, and pretty much all your maids. That would earn you a few years. Then I can press charges too. Drugging, and I guess I can call it kidnapping, right? I was taken against my will.”
“What! Can you hear yourself? What exactly are you saying?”
“I’m saying I’m ready to take back all the things you took from me. Every single thing.”
Including Emily. Even if he didn’t say it out loud, I knew.
From his pocket, he took out a little book. “I’m more of a reader, so you know, there’s this interesting thing.” He said, folding a page, and throwing the book to me.
I caught it, and opened the book, unfolding the folded page.
It read, *In the case of the one who breaks the Sacred Sculpted Alpha—the family heirloom, he will serve for three years, unless he pays all the members of the family, both nuclear and extended, whatever sums they require. If the Alpha of the house in which the sculpture was broken, faces another stronger Alpha who overcomes him, the Alpha may take both the heirloom, and the slave he has acquired.
Or if the Alpha in possession cannot properly take control over the slave due to any factor—long journeys, sickness, impeachment, etc.— then another capable Alpha may take the heirloom, and the slave.*
I looked up into Lucas’ cold eyes.
“You’re going on a journey, John. A very long one, and you wouldn’t be able to take care of Emily. I’ll do it for you. If you refuse, then I guess I’ll just fight you. A stronger Alpha can take away everything you possess.” He said, coolly, and I looked at my men, subtly twitching my eye.
They got my signal without issues, and slowly backed away, making for the stairs. I wanted them to take Emily away.
Lucas laughed.
“What?” I asked.
“I think you’re cute. That’s all. You’re just not cut out to be an Alpha.” He began, and I smiled.
Lucas went on for minutes, talking sweetly, and coolly, enjoying the whole thing, and by the time he was done, I knew Emily would be away from the mansion.
“Now, bring her.” He said.
“Who, if I may ask?”
“Emily.” He said, and his eyes gave a deadly glare.
“She’s not here. You can check around.”
“Your men took her on a drive for her to clear her thoughts. Now playtime is over. Bring her back.” He said, coldly.
“What if I don’t? Will you beat me up?” I asked, and he took out his phone. Pain seemed to cross his eyes, but he stiffened up, and threw the phone to me.
There was the video of me drowning Emily while she was tied to a chair. Videos of me sexually assaulting her.
My heart beat in fear, as my eyes widened, and I realized he had been keeping everything light and easy, so he could control his burning rage. He wasn’t smiling anymore, and there was nothing to mask the burning fury in his eyes.
More videos of me harassing Emily, and even to me, they were horrible to watch. Had I really done all those things?
“Emily is pressing charges.” He said, in a deep voice that bore constricted anger within it.
Emily is pressing charges…
Taking my phone, I proceeded to call my men.
Not from the fear of the videos, but fear of the monster Lucas was holding back.
“Bring…” I swallowed, “her back.”