“Ilsa, you can stay outside if you want.”
His words surprised the lady on his arm, but it didn’t seem like she was willing to stay outside. Somehow, he was still not willing to let his women see this side of him. It wasn’t that they weren’t aware of the things he had done in his life, there were no secrets between the family, it was just that he was not comfortable with the idea of them witnessing him do these acts that made him uncomfortable.
“Nope, Keira asked me to keep an eye on you. I will not leave you by yourself. Besides, I am not the kind of girl whose uncomfortable with the sight of blood.” Ilsa said gently.
Shazan knew what kind of a personality she was. He was aware of the heretics of this girl. She was dangerous and deadly. And she was someone who was rather fond of the sight of blood.
“Your call.” He didn’t force her. “Let’s go.”
They both entered the lift that led to Michael’s private suite. Rysar wore his mask and hood and obediently followed them.
“Lord Shazan!” Caius greeted him as he arrived inside the suite. He smelt of the flowery scent of Audoris.
“I see, you had taken the help of Audoris to sleep,” Shazan commented.
Caius nodded, “I thought I could sleep, but since I was on work, It turned out to be a hard task to let it go and doze off.”
“Where are they?”
“Michael Angelo, his son, and his wife are in the master bedroom together with that girl named Francesca.” Caius answered, “And Olivia Angelo is in the other bedroom, and her dog is with her.”
“Did they have their meals last night?”
“Yes, I made them eat. But Olivia probably hasn’t. She did take the meal I offered her and then closed the door. I am not sure if she had eaten any of it or not.”
“Rysar is hungry, so order something for him to eat,” Shazan said and walked towards the room where Oliva was.
Shazan knocked on the door twice before the answer came.
“What is it?” A weary but sweet voice inquired.
“Open the door.”
There was no reply to his words, but he could hear the restlessness in Olivia’s heart even from here. He stayed there waiting for a couple of minutes before Olivia finally decided to open the door.
A young girl with curly brown hair opened the door. She only glanced at him to make it sure that it was him, before letting go of the door and inviting him in. Her golden retriever walked by her side protectively and sat by her feet when she took her seat on the couch.
His eyes scanned the room as he entered it. There was a platter of untouched meal on the side table. The little girl hadn’t eaten any of it, but she had not forgotten to feed her dog. Its bowl was near where it was sitting right now, and there were signs of it having eaten its meal not long ago.
“You don’t seem surprised to see me, Miss Olivia.” He said and took his seat on the couch by her side. Ilsa quietly sat on the opposite couch and gestured to the dog to come to her. And to Olivia’s surprise, her dear dog left her side and greeted Ilsa. But her surprise wore off soon after, and she took a deep breath.
“The Angelo Family is one of the most powerful families in Italy, and for someone to quietly cage them in a place without making a commotion, and the fact that my Father hasn’t tried to resist it means that it’s someone way beyond his league. And there is only one person in Italy who can do that.”
“I see.” Shazan nodded to her reasoning. “But your father realized this matter a little too late.”
The little girl’s body trembled under his words.
“You don’t know what he did, right?” He asked her.
Olivia shook her head and pursed her lips.
“Your brother tried to harm my Sister.” He said and observed her reactions.
Olivia’s face paled when she heard him. And her body couldn’t stop trembling.
“Arianna is safe.” Shazan sighed and answered her. “But your family is going to pay for what they have done. I am not a good man, Miss Olivia. I can not forgive people who try to harm my family.”
Olivia submissively nodded her head, and her eyes were misty. She looked depressed and helpless.
“Am I going to be punished as well?” She whispered.
“Have you done something to harm my Family?” Shazan smiled at her and asked.
“I may have, unintentionally and unknowingly.”
Shazan only smiled at her. This little girl was clever for her age, regardless of that, her heart was still pure. To have a father like Michael was perhaps her greatest misfortune. He didn’t say anything more to her and picked out his cell phone from his pocket. He opened the folder he had received last night. It contained the information about Michael and his dealings with an Arabian Prince. And within this folder were some images of the girl sitting by his side. She wasn’t entirely naked in them, but the lingerie she was wearing in them left little to the imagination.
“Do you know what businesses your Father indulges in?” He looked at her and asked.
“He…. Has some resorts, hotels, casinos, Angelo family also has investments in the fashion industry.” She said and looked at him, and after she saw that he was waiting for her to continue, her body trembled, and she stuttered her next words. “And… p..prostitution.”
“Yes, and Human Trafficking,” He added to her answer.
Olivia didn’t look surprised at this revelation. Even if she hadn’t known about it, it wasn’t something she hadn’t expected her father to do. And as he guessed from her reactions, she was certainly aware of the deal his father had made on her.
Shazan went through all of the information he had asked for, and it was enough for what he had in mind. However, there was some more information in that folder, the content was several years old and comprised of emails, images, chats, and some speculations as well. Given the evidence, there were no longer any speculations. His eyes turned grave after he had gone all through it. A person who knew no bounds as long as he could achieve his profits was the kind of person he despised the most. Without any limitations and a bottom line, could one even be said to be human?
“What is it?” Ilsa caught the grave look in his eyes and came over. She didn’t wait for him to answer and took the phone from his hand.
She stood there scrolling through all of the information, and the red on her face was not because of shame, but because of the rage that could make her go berserk any moment now. She was fine with bloodshed, but there were things that she couldn’t accept.
“That bastard!” She yelled, and her body trembled. Her eyes landed on the little girl that had cowered in fear, and her rage rose by several folds. She looked ready to charge out of the room and end Michael’s miserable life, but not before breaking every bone in his body.
“Calm down.”
“Calm down?! Is he even a human?! I don’t care what you have planned for him. I am going to kill him.” She glared at him and spoke her heart.
“Calm down!” He raised his voice and looked her right in the eyes.
Ilsa stubbornly tried to keep glaring at him, but her eyes soon lowered as a tear rolled down her cheek, and her body trembled in fear. He hadn’t used any mind influencing ability on her, the fear she was feeling was the fear engraved in her heart. She was scared of him for she knew what the grave look in his eyes meant. And for him to raise his voice was the sign that he wasn’t going to tolerate any words she says to provoke him. She had rarely seen him raise his voice, and this time it was directed at her.
Shazan sighed and stood up to hold her in his arms.
“I asked you to stay outside for a reason.” He planted a kiss on her head. “There are things that you can not handle, and I would never wish to see you be able to handle or tolerate them.” He spoke lightly near her ear.
Ilsa’s hugged him protectively, and her racing heart calmed down after a while. The words he had said to her, were full of care and affection but also contained the fact that he was capable of withstanding things even she wasn’t. And this reflected how much pain he had been through in his life. Her eyes were no longer misty due to her rage or fear. They were misty with sadness.
“But he deserves to die.” She whispered as she tried to distract her thoughts.
“I know.” He caressed her back and planted another kiss on her head before separating from her.
The little girl had her eyes fixed on them. And there was fear, sadness, as well as curiosity reflecting on her face. She was scared of the words she had heard Ilsa speak. The words of casually deciding the death of a person. She was sad because she was aware that her fate might not be a pleasant one. And she was curious because he and Ilsa looked like two dangerous people in love, and the gentleness they had for each other didn’t blend in with the cold words of deciding a person’s life.
Shazan gently smiled at her and sat back down on his seat. He took the cellphone from Ilsa’s hand and sorted out some of the information. Ilsa too didn’t stand there and returned to her seat. However, her eyes were locked on the little girl now. And they were filled with curiosity as to what her husband had in mind for this girl.
“Olivia.” He called out her name and looked at her.
She was surprised at the gentles his voice contained. And an unknown fear lessened in her heart. She timidly looked at him. And he handed her the device in his hand.
Shazan’s eyes were focused on the little girl as she scrolled through all that information. The information he had handed over to her was the one regarding the deal her father had made on her. He was not cruel enough to let her see the other piece of information.
Tears were already streaming down Olivia’s face, her face was red in shame, and her eyes could no longer look back at him.
“Your father has sold you off to an Arabian Prince.” His words hammered on her heart. “He sold you to him because he wanted to expand his Human trafficking business. That prince is one of the most successful people in this field. And he is known to be a man of depraved culture.”
He sank back in the seat and lazily said his next words. “He beds men and women, boys and girls, and especially young boys and girls. He has a taste for tasting the wives of people he has control over, and he likes to snatch daughters of people he associates with, and any girl that he fancies and can get his hands on.”
He sighed and stopped for a while before continuing. “There are people in this world that are fine with sharing their possessions, and he is one of them. When he is bored of his new toy, he throws it under other men to extract benefits.” He shook his head in disgust and looked at her. “Your father sold as a slave to such a man.”
Olivia’s tears poured out uncontrollably, and she seemed to be trying to say something, but the lump in her throat didn’t allow those words to come out. He didn’t say anything more than that and stared at the white ceiling. He could control her mind and achieve the results without her going through all of this, but he didn’t. She needed to make the decision herself, and she needed to fasten up her frail heart that was crumbling down. And if she wasn’t able to gather herself, then she was not worth his time and effort. He waited for several minutes, all the while focusing on her heart. He never considered himself cruel enough, but he was the kind of person who had come to enjoy listening to frail hearts crumbling down and fighting for their destiny. It was music to his mind, and it was something he had earned the right to enjoy. With power comes a change of heart and mind, even if the person resists it, the change takes its place, in the end, for better or worse.
“I… I am not this kind of girl.”
To his surprise, the first thing that came out of her mouth was the defense of her character. It was not the plea to save her. He looked at her and stared right in her eyes. He knew what she was trying to convey. She was not willing to have him think of her like a cheap person who was fine with selling her body.
“Oh… And are these pictures false?” He palely smiled at her.
Her heart thumped hard under his words, for a moment she was a loss of how to reply him, but she managed to withstand this light blow to her heart.
“My step-mother and father forced me to take these pictures.” She lowered her eyes. “These are true and are my shame. But I was helpless, and I am helpless.”
“You were helpless?” He sneered at her words. “If you had asked Arianna or Asaya to help you, do you believe that I wouldn’t have helped you?”
His words hit her heart harder than he intended to. She wrapped her arms around her body and lowered her head. She had no words to say in her defense anymore, and no matter what reason she would present, it wouldn’t be a reasonable one.
Shazan knew of it, and he knew why she hadn’t asked for help. She was unsure if she should ask for it, the people she was asking help against were her family. A person with pride wouldn’t like to see pity for her in the eyes of her friends. He was certain that she would have soon broken down and asked for Asaya’s help. Her mind and heart were just not ready.
“I know you aren’t this kind of a girl.” He said softly and looked at her. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come here to have a chat with you.”
Olivia surprisedly looked at him, and her eyes stared in his to see if he meant the words he was speaking.
“I can get rid of all of these Images. No matter where ever these images are in this world, they can be erased. I can provide you with the kind of life you desire. All you have to do is ask.”
It was like a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes, her heart calmed down, and she wiped away her tears.
“What do you want in return?” She asked.
He could only shake his head in interest. She was an interesting girl.
“What makes you think I want something in return?” He smiled at her. “I might just be doing this because someone special to me had asked me to help you.”
“That may be true, but you said some words clearly to me, not long ago. You said you are not a good man, and you didn’t just mean it in the context you provided afterward.”
Naïve. A girl who spoke whatever was on her mind. Clever, but with innocence. He liked these kinds of silly girls for some reasons. Nonetheless, she was right about him wanting something from her. And he had only decided on it just now.
“I want you.” He told her.
His words surprised the little girl and earned a frown from Ilsa. His missus was not pleased with what he had just said. He looked at Ilsa and nodded to her.
“I want her.” He said to her.
Ilsa glared at him, but he didn’t curtain his intentions.
“Why?” Olivia timidly asked. It was perhaps the only thing she could ask in her surprise.
“There are reasons, but do you want to know them?” He said to her and scanned her expressions.
She hesitated after hearing his words, but in the end, nodded to him.
“Very well.” He nodded back and looked her in the eyes. “Firstly, and most importantly, because Asaya cares about you.”
His words perhaps disappointed her that her eyes lowered, and her heartbeat slowed down. However, Ilsa seemed less displeased after hearing his reason.
“Secondly, it’s the same reason why that prince wanted you. You are beautiful and have the makings of turning into a beautiful woman when you grow up. In addition to that, your physique is rather special, something that can be trained to make you a sexual beast. Depraved, and sensual that any man would find it hard to resist your temptation.”
His words were brazen, his words were rude, but they were true. His initial plan was to send Olivia to the House of the Scarlet Letters. He was going to let her decide her fate, but now that she had invoked his lustful side, he wasn’t letting her go free.
Shazan could feel the madness of Ilsa from how she had threateningly locked her aura on him. It was as if she would drink up his blood. She was one of his women who would never be comfortable with him having so many women in his life. Ilsa had reluctantly accepted him when he had married Serafina. There were only Marilyn, Arianna, Keira, Karen, Renesme, and Helen in his life, but then he had gone on to bring several maids to the Silverstein Palace, and he soundly remembered how furious Ilsa had been at that time. She had not talked to him for over a week. And then one day, he had turned a certain region upside down, and almost waged war for Maira. It was not that Ilsa didn’t understand his nature, she knew him well enough, and she was never worried about her place in his heart. She knew that his love for her would never lessen. The reason was that she found him bedding so many women as something disrespectful and shameless.
He palely smiled as a beautiful face appeared in his mind. It was Kaiya, the little naïve girl, who had succeeded in breaking the restrains he had put on his lustful nature. And if he had never met her, he perhaps wouldn’t have made this decision on Olivia’s life. He wanted to possess Olivia, for his lust. It wasn’t like the case of Kaiya, that was more of an arranged marriage until he had met her, and it wasn’t like the case of Maira, just a look, and he had helplessly fallen in love with her beauty and grace. Olivia was beautiful, but she wasn’t someone who could compete in beauty with his wives. All of the women in his life had sensual physiques, and so it wasn’t something he had seen for the first time. He just wanted to possess her because he found her attractive, and for he wanted her to be with Asaya. It was his lust.
“Name your price, if it’s suitable, no matter what it is, I will give it to you.” He said to the girl in front of him that had her eyes lowered and cheeks adorned with a blush.
He let take her time and think over it. Her heart was restless, scared, but he could see that she didn’t despise the idea of being with him. He always knew that this silly girl admired him. Her fears lied somewhere else, but he didn’t do anything to wipe them away. He wanted to see if she could speak up her fears on her own.
“So, what’s your price, Miss Olivia?”