25. Meeting!
Author’s POV
Bella fixed her dress and checked herself in the mirror once again.
She took a deep breath and walked out of the closet, this is her first time attending something like this. She has no idea what kind of people will be there, it’s not even a party, it’s a meeting. She didn’t understand why he is taking her with him.
Alex was wearing his shirt when she walked out. She could smell his rich collogue. His suit screams money and royalty. Rolex watch was shining on the wrist. His one look is enough to scare people away and one smile is enough to melt everyone. She still can’t understand how can he have all these things in him.
She is feeling strongly attracted to him.
“Is it okay?”
She asked showing him her dress.
He turned around and looked at her. His eyes traveled on her body. She is wearing black mermaid dress, which is strapless and has heart-shaped neck. It has long tail which is making it look beautiful. It’s enhancing her curves. Colour suits her complexion.
Her curly hair are making her look sexy and bold. She is looking powerful not cute.
“Wow!”
He breathed out and blush spread on her cheeks. He walked towards her, not able to take his eyes off her.
“I want to hide you from everyone…”
He gently touched her cheek with his knuckles.
“This epitome of beauty is only for my eyes…”
“You boost my self confidence”
She smiled.
“I am just stating the fact…”
He shrugged.
“You are giving me butterflies”
She pushed him away.
“You are still not ready, hurry up.”
“Help me”
He handed her tie.
She grinned.
“Thank god, I am wearing heels… Why are you so tall…”
“Because my dad is tall”
He replied.
“Genetics… And i am handsome because my mother has that beauty…”
“True, she is very beautiful… But you resemble your father more than your mother. Your eyes and hair even your beard line…”
She said.
“So you pay attention to me”
He Smirked.
Bella smiled shyly and started helping him with his tie.
“Alex can I ask you something?”
She asked and he hummed.
“Raan was very upset that day… I think she loves them very much. Can’t you solve it peacefully”
“Raan?… Her stupid friends has already ruined her beautiful name and now she is trying to ruin her life…”
He said madly and stepped away from her.
Bella frowned.
“But_”
“No Bella… You don’t know anything about Mafias… We are abusive, we like violence, we love to dominate things… I have lived in this world and i am still living in it.”
He was angry.
“Raajnandini can’t handle two mafias. She is naive and innocent. She thinks everything and everyone is good like her. She haven’t seen the real world, dad never let her face any difficulties… Just imagine what would happen if you leave the sheep between wolves…”
“You are mafia too… But you are not abusive, you care about me. You are gentle with me.”
She argued.
“I slapped you, didn’t I?… I didn’t realized how hard it was until it turned blue next day…”
He looked at her making her stomach churn.
“It was abuse, Bella… I slapped you because I knew you can’t fight back, you are helpless and i was angry… We are always angry, it’s a part our profession. Only difference is, we decide on whom to take out this anger…”
She fixed his tie and started wearing his coat.
“But you apologized…”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
She mumbled.
“Because I have parents who point out my mistakes… I am not a gentleman, Bella… But I am not monster either because my mother has made me like this… I am capable to love people because she loves me…”
He sighed.
“Rarely Mafias listen to their mothers and wives… Most of them treat women like an object… I am like this because I have influence of my mother on me, we can’t expect this from everyone… We don’t know how they have grown up, can they take care of Raajnandini like we did. She is the princess of this empire. We have never let her cry… She gets everything before it comes out of her mouth… How can we believe that those men can take care of her? They will not hurt her? They won’t control her life? Can she handle two mafias?”
“You are thinking it as a brother… I understand that you are protective of her but she has her own life. She has right to make decision for herself, she is a grown women now…”
Bella tried to make him understand.
“And as you said she is princess, they will never dare to hurt her… You are there for her, your whole family is with her… Raan is strong enough to raise her voice against abuse.”
“Then why did you stayed silent when i slapped you?”
He asked and she gulped.
“It was different situation”
She looked away.
“Everyone will have different situations, Bella… Sometimes you don’t realise that it has crossed limits…”
He looked at her.
“We have one maid who was getting abused by her husband, he was working for me. Two years of love and then marriage, one day her husband slapped her out of anger. He apologized very next day, with gifts and flowers, all that shit and she forgive him thinking that he was stressed, it happens.”
Bella was listening to him carefully.
“Next time he pushed her from the stairs and apologized again and she again forgive him… Next time he beat her, he apologized and she forgive him again saying that it will be his last time hurting her and he agreed… But after few days he slapped her again and you know what she did?”
Bella shook her head.
“She ignored it, saying that it’s just a slap at least he didn’t beat her like last time… This is what abuse do to you. You extend your own boundaries… Even if it’s a slap, it’s abuse… You don’t realize you are getting abused until it damages you from within… You have no idea how much it can damage you.”
He said.
Bella smiled bitterly and turned around to grab her clutch.
“I know… I know how it works”
She mumbled to herself in low voice but he heard it and regretted his words.
“So what happened next? Did she left her husband?”
Bella asked turning around with Normal voice.
“I killed him”
He walked towards her and she looked at him shocked.
“One day I saw him choking her in the kitchen… She looked at me with helpless and scared eyes, may be she thought I am like her husband too… I saw her giving up on her life, she was loosing hope… I couldn’t control myself and shot him dead…”
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer.
“She was quite, almost for a month but then she thanked me… For saving her life. She was pregnant…”
He hugged her and rubbed her back.
“You need to raise your voice Bella, before it kills you… And about Raajnandini then you don’t have to worry about her, I know what I am doing… I am not alone, I won’t be biased because of my love for her. Maa, dad and Dominick is also there for her…”
Bella wrapped her hands around his torso and gulped back her tears.
“You are right, we should always raise our voice…”
She mumbled.
He looked at her and kissed her forehead lovingly.
“I promise you I will never raise my hand on any innocent woman…”
Bella smiled at him.
“I know…”
*****
Bella held his hand tightly as they walked inside the club.
“You know the rules right?”
He asked once again.
“Yes, Don’t leave your sight… Don’t make eye contacts… Don’t look at anyone until it’s necessary because people here are dangerous… No matter what happens, it’s none of my business… And i will stick to you all the time… And i won’t talk to anyone except you and our family…”
She recollect everything.
“You forgot the most important thing”
He looked at her.
“Yes, I won’t sit anywhere else except your lap… Your lap is my only seat for tonight…”
She said.
“Good…”
He kissed her hand.
When they entered everyone stood up when they looked at Alexander. Bella realized that how much power this mafia prince holds.
She was feeling nervous with all scrutinizing gaze. Alexander sat on the chair and she sat on his lap. Everyone was sitting in a circle and almost all seats were occupied.
Bella saw another couple entering the room. They were looking powerful, hot and sexy. Almost the age of Alexander’s parents but that spark in them was stronger than before. The woman was looking so powerful, Bella noticed the gun which was tied around her thigh.
“Damian and Rose knight”
Alexander whispered to her.
“She looks__”
She paused.
“I can’t describe in words. She looks so powerful, i mean look at that confidence… Like she can conquer the world.”
“Because she can”
Alex stated.
“She is famous in the underworld as a silent killer… She is martial artist, stronger than each and every man present in this room… She is the lioness between wolves…”
“How do you know so much about her?”
She asked curiously.
“Because she is friend of my mother… They often come to our house. She doesn’t talk much but she is polite and respectful woman, you will love her.”
He assured.
“And one more interesting thing… She is the only female bodyguard In mafia world. She is the bodyguard of her husband…”
“Wow!”
Bella looked at her impressed.
Everyone went silent and stood up when Massimo and Anamika entered the hall after all he is the king and she is his queen.
Bella saw different Anamika today, she doesn’t have that sweet smile anymore neither she looked friendly. She looked strict and powerful with threatening look. Daring people to mess with her and face the consequences.
Bella sat with Alexander until meeting was over. All ladies were enjoying at the bar.
“I need to use restroom…”
She whispered to Alexander.
“Come back straight to me”
He said and she nodded.
Bella finished her business and came out of the restroom. She looked around to go back but everything was same, she got confused for a second.
Finally she spotted Alexander and smiled.
“Alex!”
She ran towards him and grabbed his arm.
“Thank god, You are here… I almost got lost.”
She panted.
He turned around and looked at her. Bella’s heart skipped a beat when he saw his eyes, it wasn’t amber. It was ocean blue.
She gasped and quickly removed her hand from his.
“You are not Alex.”
She looked at him shocked.
“Bella run!”
Her eyes snapped towards the Alexander who yelled from the opposite corner.
She panicked not understanding why Alexander is telling her to run away from Dominick. Alexander looked worried but before he does anything Dominick grabbed Bella by throat and slammed her against the wall.