《Alpha鈥檚 Tormented Seductress》


 Princess?

    ¡°You bloody bitch! Bastard daughter! Die! Die!¡±A shrill voice cursed viciously.


    Sounds of leather cutting through flesh followed.


    In a cold and dark room, a womany butt n@ked on the floor in a very pathetic state. She was currently being flogged mercilessly with a whip by another woman.


    The assant had a malicious and hateful look on her face as she rainedshes uponshes on the back and legs of the woman on the floor.


    The woman on the floor kept groaning weakly as tears streamed down her face. She stopped only when the assant¡¯s hand was numb from over-exerting herself.


    She had no remorse or sympathy for thedy she had just whipped on her face. All that could be seen was just intense hate, crazed jealousy, and disgust.


    ¡°Disgusting vixen! This will teach you to know your ce and stay there. You are nobody, so you better let that be ingrained in your pathetic mind. You are only worth the dirt beneath my shoe and nothing else. Don¡¯t think that because you are being called a princess by thosemoners, you are actually one! You are nothing but a pathetic bastard who has no powers nor worth! You are a vixen who only knows how you use her face to seduce men! A pathetic slut is the title you truly deserve!¡± Thedy holding the whip spat out her voiceced with pure hatred.


    She raised her boot-covered feet and harshly pressed down on the woman¡¯s wounds. A hoarse scream echoed throughout the room as an immense pain enveloped the beaten woman. The woman holding the whip smiled as she drank in the screams of paining from the other.


    ¡°This is your true ce. Beneath the soles of my boots.¡± She dered as sheughed maniacally.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    When she had enough, she removed her foot and wiped it with disgust on the untouched parts of the woman¡¯s body.


    She turned to leave but suddenly seemed to remember something, so she stopped and turned back.


    ¡°Also, be aware that if a word of what happens today leaves this room, I will make you pay dearly. You are aware of what I can do, so I need not borate further.¡± She threatened viciously.


    She waited for the tortureddy to voice out an affirmation in the form of a weak grunt before she nodded in satisfaction and left.


    If one looked at the whipped girl carefully, one would be able to realize that she was beaten in ces where she could easily cover up with clothes.


    ces like her face, hands, and other apparent ces had been purposely evaded.


    The assant obviously had years of practice to be able to know where to hit to avoid exposure.


    Time passed, and thedy remained lying on the floor with no signs of moving.


    After about an hour of lying motionlessly on the ground, she finally had the strength to drag her battered body off the ground.


    If not for the words of that woman earlier, one would not be able to realize at first nce that thisdy was a princess.


    A princess of a grand kingdom, at that!


    Their first thought would be that she was probably a servant girl of some sort who probably offended thedy of the house, so she was punished.


    After rest, she was finally able to push her body off the ground and stand on wobbly feet.


    She hobbled to a corner of the room to pick up the dark cloak she had ced there earlier.


    As she bent, some of her wounds that had begun to heal slowly ripped open again. This causes her to groan and grit her teeth.


    After much effort, she sessfully picked it up and donned it.


    She hobbled towards the door, opened and looked out to see if there was any other person.


    She was already well aware that there was no one on this side of the pce, but out of habit, she still checked carefully.


    She walked out slowly, shut the door, and moved on to her room.


    Thankfully, her room was not far from this deserted area, so she reached there within a short time.


    She finally rxed when she was safely in her room with the door locked. She walked towards her bed slowly and sat down carefully lest she aggravate her wounds further. Once she was settled, the sad expression on her face changed immediately. She wiped the tears she had shed previously and donned a hateful look.


    ¡°Princess? What a joke!¡± she mumbled with bitterness in her voice.


    Her life was even worse than that of a pig at the royal Stine, so how could she ept this idiotic title?


    It was just conferred to her so her father would seem like he was a good man and father who couldn¡¯t bear to abandon his child no matter the situation.


    To her father and his family, she was nothing but a stain in their perfect lives.


    ording to the way her family often called her, she was a bastard. An illegitimate child who sullied their reputation.


    Her good father would have tossed her if it weren¡¯t for somews that had been set in ce by the founding fathers of the alliance.


    The alliance was a pact that happened after the war fought between all supernaturals.


    It was used to unify their interest so there wouldn¡¯t be chaos or another war.


    During the war, there were some people who had intimate affairs with other raves, thereby breeding halflings. Some people were disgusted by the halflings, so they tossed them to the streets and left them for dead. In order to promote the eptance of these species in the name of alliance, aw was created.


    Thews were a lot, but one of them stated that one mustn¡¯t abandon his own offspring no matter their lineage, not race.


    So, here she was. Alyssa Carlton. Illegitimate princess of the ckstone Kingdom. Favored in the presence of outsiders but treated less than dirt behind closed doors. Abused since childhood. What a pathetic life she had in order to hold the title of princess.


    The person who whipped her earlier was none other than her sister. Stepsister, to be more precise.


    What a family she had!

 Defamming her mother

    Alyssa¡¯s familial situation was very pathetic.


    Her father was the current Alpha king of the werewolf kingdom of the Western Kingdom.


    The incident happened when he had just be Alpha king.


    He had a one-night stand with Alyssa¡¯s mother who was a maid back then and got her pregnant while he was already married.


    This made a lot of people question her mother¡¯s character for seducing a married man.


    This fact made a lot of people look at her with disdain and disgust.


    She was tagged daughter of a slut and a homewrecker.


    She would have also med her mother for the disgraceful life she was living now if she had not identally stumbled on the truth a few years back.


    She happened to hear it in passing when her father was stupidly drunk and saw her.


    He had thought her to be her mother and apologized countlessly for what he had done.


    When Alyssa heard what he did, she hated him more than she ever did.


    Apparently, her mother did not willingly sleep with her father.


    She was forcefully taken advantage by him.


    Her mother had entered the pce using the identity of a stranded foreigner who desperately needed work.


    She was a peerless yet cold beauty who was admired and courted by many.


    She had a face that could topple cities and leave them in ruins.


    Even with her beauty, she had never tried to win favors with others but worked hard day and night to keep her job.


    She never associated with others so she had no true friends who could help or support her.


    Her father had stumbled upon her identally.


    He had taken a fancy to Alyssa¡¯s cold yet delicately beautiful mother and asked her to spend the night with him. Knowing that her father was already married with a child, her mother refused instantly.


    Irked by her refusal as he was an arrogant bastard who always got his way, he forced himself on her.


    After having his fill, he left her for dead and never looked back.


    Her mother was able to patch herself up and soon left the pce.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Later on, her father had gotten news from his men that her mother was pregnant so he ordered for her to be brought back.


    Her father locked her mother in a secluded area in the pce till the nine months psed.


    Her mother tried to escape countless times but was too weak and helpless.


    She became crazed due to the restrictions on her life as well as the emotional instability. This had caused her to have a very difficult childbirth which eventually led to her death.


    Her father never loved her mother.


    He also never loved his wife seeing as he can easily be lured by beauty.


    In fact, he never loved anyone aside from himself but he was also someone with feelings so he naturally felt immense guilt after Alyssa¡¯s mother died.


    The matter weighed on his heart heavily but the guilt was not enough for him toe clean. He was aware that back then,ing clean could result in the loss of the throne he had just acquired so he lied to everyone.


    He imed that it was Alyssa¡¯s mother who had seduced him and made him sleep with her. He also said that as a good father, he could not bear to let his child suffer outside as an orphan so he took Alyssa in and gave her the title of his second-born princess.


    People naturally would never me the man as he was being ¡®seduced¡¯, so they poured all the me on Alyssa¡¯s mother.


    They called her all sorts of degrading terms and painted her as a vixen.


    Alyssa¡¯s mother became the vixen who came in between a loving couple. They rejoiced that she was dead and imed that she got what she deserved in terms of karma.


    After Alyssa found out that her mother had suffered so much yet she was still being cursed, she hated her father as well as this cursed kingdom.


    She wanted to find any means whatsoever to leave and escape from this ce but with her ability and the restrictions on her life she couldn¡¯t.


    She sighed as she thought of what her family would do if they knew she had the thought of escaping them.


    She had had enough already!


    The whipping she received today just strengthened her resolve to leave.


    She hissed in pain as she identally pulled on her wounds.


    Her damn stepsister just had to be so brutal!


    That witch!


    Her stepsister was called E.


    She had always been jealous and hateful of the attention and praise Alyssa got even without trying.


    Alyssa was effortlessly beautiful due to her mother¡¯s and father¡¯s good looks.


    She was also smart and knew how to tackle a lot of issues in the kingdom.


    E naturally noticed this so her jealously soared.


    So, she looked for even the slightest reason to punish Alyssa even if it was not valid.


    Her stepmother and younger step brother also tagged along sometimes and also punished her too.


    They all had joy in seeing her writhe in pain and scream in agony.


    They were a devilish trio!


    They always acted nice to her outside but were brutal beyond imagination to her where no one could see.


    You would think that since her father felt guilty towards her mother, he would help her.


    Her father was not a part in her abuse but she was sure that he was secretly aware of it yet he did not say anything to stop it.


    From his personality, he must feel that Alyssa does deserve it since she was such a stain on his reputation even if it was all his fault.


    Alyssa sighed in frustration.


    She closed her eyes and wished desperately for a way out.


    A way out of her bondage.


    An olive branch of some sorts.


    She was tired of wishing and hoping.


    She had made up her and not to ask for anything anymore if no one answered her prayers this time.


    There would be no use anymore.


    As if to answer her prayers, a rapt knock soon came from her door.


    She nced up in surprise because no one ever came to these parts.


    Who could it be?


    She stood up and walked to the door.


    As she was about to turn the knob, she suddenly froze as she remembered something.


    ¡°Make sure no onees to know about this!¡±


    Oh shit!

 Getting married?

    Oh shit!


    She removed her hand from the door and tiptoed towards her closet.


    She ransacked the little closet by the window and was finally able to find a long-sleeved dress that reached her ankles.


    She quickly put in on hissing when she identally put a strain on her wounds.


    After sessfully covering up all her wounds, she then proceeds to open the door.


    The person standing on the otherwise was her family¡¯s butler who had worked in the pce for more than twenty years.


    He sized Alyssa up, saw her conservative clothes, and was able to guess that she was injured.


    He did notment though neither did he feel any sympathy for her because he indirectly agreed that she had no ce here. He felt that she was just the daughter of a slut so she deserved what was happening to her.


    He still had to respect her on the surface, which caused him to feel even more displeasure towards her.


    ¡°My princess!¡± He called bowing his head briefly.


    His tone was perfunctory and his eyes could not hide the disdain, disgust, and contempt he felt for her.


    Alyssa was smart enough to sense his displeasure towards her but she did notment as she was used to getting such treatment from the pce staff.


    She was still surprised that he took the initiative to seek her out.


    ¡°What is the matter?¡± She inquired curiously wondering about the reason for his sudden visit.


    ¡°The king has asked that youe up for dinner. He also asked that you move to your actual room and dress up properly.¡± He replied.


    Alyssa raised her brows in shock as she processed what the butler said.


    Move to her room? Dress up properly? What the hell was going on?


    She had been moved out of that big room befitting of a princess years ago because her stepmother had deemed it too extravagant for someone of her status.


    Her father had not spoken a word in protest then so why on earth was he asking her to go back?


    After careful contemtion, she could finally roughly guess his intentions.


    He probably was going to have guests or he wanted her to see someone so he was trying to act like a caring father.


    Even though she figured out his ill intent, she still replied normally.


    ¡°Okay! You can level first, I¡¯ll follow soon after¡± she instructed him before mming the door on his face.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Since he did not see her as a worthy person and always looked at her with disdain, she would not regard him with respect.


    As the saying goes ¡®respect is reciprocal!¡¯


    The old butler looked stunned for a second but soon sneered before he hurried out of the deserted and dpidated courtyard.


    Alyssa made sure to take a bath to wash the sweat, grime, and blood off her body before she walked out of the bathroom.


    She walked towards the full-length mirror in the room and angled her body sideways in order to check her wounds.


    They were all fully healed so aside from the red blotches and shadow of the whip lines that indicated that she had wounds on her back earlier, one would not know that she was injured.


    She wasn¡¯t surprised as she always healed way faster than normal even for a werewolf.


    The devilish trio knew that so they took advantage of it and punished her without restraint or fear that they would be discovered.


    Alyssa was surprised when she first discovered this ability because her wolf was basically in the category of the weakest amongst the weakest.


    She never knew why since her father had a very strong Alpha as his wolf. Even her stepsister and brother had partially strong wolfs so she always questioned why she was different.


    Her father just brushed the matter off and imed that her mother¡¯s bloodline must be tainted so it had most likely affected Alyssa.


    Alyssa refused to me her mother so she brushed the matter off.


    ¡°Whatever! Let me be on my way before I face the wrath of those devils.¡± She murmured before shaking her head and walking out the door.


    Her current room was in a courtyard that was very far from the main courtyard, so it took her about thirty minutes to get to my previous room.


    Once she reached there, she stared at the door for a moment before sighing.


    She shook her head before opening the door.


    She noticed that the room had just been cleaned but she did not dwell on it.


    She did not want to stay in this room way longer than she could so she walked to the big walk-in closet by the bathroom and picked out a dress randomly.


    She put it on and wanted to Harry out but as she passed by the mirror, she could not help but halt.


    She was confident of her looks because it could make E jealous but this was the first time in a while she was wearing something that further enhanced her beauty.


    So, as a woman who always likes to look pretty, she admired herself in the mirror.


    The dress she was wearing was a light purple knee-length chiffon dress. It was adorned with dark purple crystals that sparkled andplimented her violet eyes.


    She smiled before sitting on the chair by the dresser. She picked up an obsidian hairpin and adorned her red hair with it.


    When she was satisfied fully with what she saw in the mirror, did she stand and leave the room to proceed to the dining hall?


    When she got there, she saw that they were waiting for someone and that they hadn¡¯t eaten yet.


    What the hell? Are they actually waiting on me? What the hell is going on?


    Alyssa had a lot of thoughts running through her head as she looked at each one of their heads with skepticism.


    ¡°Princess Alyssa!¡± The old butler from earlier called once he noticed her arrival.


    The people on the table all turned their heads at the same time to stare at her.


    As E stared at the cleaned-up Alyssa, intense jealousy and hatred shed in her eyes but she made sure not to show it on her face.


    That did not stop Alyssa from noticing though as she was observing them all.


    Be, her stepmother pursed her lips in disdain before she turned her head back to her food.


    Her stepbrother, even though he was only seventeen, stared at her with a perverse look on his face.


    She sneered inwardly in disgust when she caught the perversion in the eye of her underage brother.


    She was sure that if it wasn¡¯t for the morals binding society, he would have done some unspeakable things to her. He was one of the main reasons she wanted to leave here as soon as possible because like her jerk father, what¡¯s to guarantee that he would be able to control himself once hees of age?


    What a disgusting little pervert!


    She looked away from him and at her expressionless father.


    He also stared straight at her.


    ¡°Come take a seat!¡± He ordered before he lowered his head and dug into his food.


    She obeyed and soon found a seat next to her stepmother.


    She did not stand on asion and immediately dug into the nice food she never had the chance to eat on normal days.


    As she was shoveling food down her throat, her father¡¯s voice and what he said made her freeze and drop the spoon in her hand.


    ¡°Alyssa, You are getting married!¡±

 Prince Lucas

    ¡°I want you to meet someone.¡± Jai dered as he stared straight at Alyssa who sat across the table from him.


    ¡°Who is it, father?¡± Alyssa asked immediately as she felt a bad premonition on what she was about to hear.


    ¡°Lucas Brine, The man you are going to marry.¡± He responded before going back to his meal like he did not just say something so shocking.


    Everyone at the table froze at they started at King Jacob in shock.


    Alyssa was the most shocked of them all.


    ¡°The man I am going to marry? What do you mean by that father? Is this some sort of a joke?¡± She asked urgently panic seeping into her voice.


    Jai did not care about her disrespectful tone and replied her slowly.


    ¡°You heard me right. I do not joke with matters such as this.¡± King Jai responded with a serious look.


    E clenched her fists till her nails dug deep into her skin as she was enveloped in jealousy. She was careful not to change her expression so the only indication of her displeasure was her pale face.


    Why does this bitch get to have such an aplished man? I am the one who deserves someone as good as that!


    Everyone on the table aside Alyssa had heard about Prince Lucas, the second prince of Sylvia.


    Gregory was an aplished prince who had gone on many quests for his Kingdom so even though he was the second prince, he was awarded the respect of the first.


    If not for the strictly binding familialws, he would have been made crown prince.


    It was also said that he was a very handsome gentleman who never slept around like other men.


    Men like that were rare!


    ¡°Father, you cannot just make such a decision about my life and expect me to happily go along with it. I normally listen to you and take whatever suffering is being dealt to me because I felt like I spoiled your family but you cannot just dictate who I will spend the rest of my life with. That¡¯s just crossing my bottom line¡± Alyssained firmly feeling totally aggrieved.


    How the hell was she supposed to spend her entire life with someone she didn¡¯t know. For all she knew, he might be a perverted psycho. He might also be a ruthless beast who liked to beat women to show his power.


    No! I will not let this go in! A devil you know is better than a devil you are not aware of! When I asked for an escape route, it was definitely not this!


    King Jai¡¯s fave twisted in displeasure as the pressure in the room mounted.


    His wolf was threatening toe out at the challenge of its authority but he restrained himself as much as he could lest he tore her apart.


    ¡°Little girl!¡± He roared in a dominant voice that made everyone in the room asides Alyssa whimper.


    The king was truly angry now.


    As much as E agreed with Alyssa on not letting her marry Gregory, she still secretly felt overjoyed that her father would reprimand Alyssa.


    He had never gotten angry with Alyssa before as he was totally indifferent so she was happy at his outburst.


    Alyssa on the other hand weirdly did not feel scared as she stared straight at her father.


    He noticed the she was not scared and it made him raise his brow in surprise. He suddenly saw a reflection of the valiant and brave woman who he had tainted forcefully in her and it made him back down.


    ¡°I do not want to repeat myself as it will be a waste of time. Just know that you were raised by me for this moment or did you think you would continue to freeload in my house without payment? Since you are my child though, I will be a bit more lenient towards you¡± he announced firmly.


    Alyssa¡¯s hope increased when she heard that but his next words dashed her hopes totally.


    ¡°I will give you a chance to have three dates with him so you can get to know him better but after that, you will both get married. Look at youining like a child. You ought to be happy that you managed to catch the attention of such an aplished prince with your lowly mother¡¯s bloodline. If he didn¡¯t specifically request for you, I would have let E marry him instead so be grateful.¡± He said self righteously like he did Alyssa a big favor.


    Alyssa wanted to cry so badly but she did not want to give him the satisfaction if watching her at her lowest point so she did not respond and stood up immediately to walk back to her her room.


    As she turned to leave, she halted when she heard his voice again.


    ¡°You are to meet him today so go and prepare. You can stay in you former room as we do not want Gregory saying we maltreat you. Its bad for reputation. Make sure to dress very prettily as I don¡¯t want him to change his mind because you are too shabbily dressed. Dress to impress!¡± He instructed stating at the back of her head.


    Alyssa just stood there like a statue as her heart broke a million times over.


    ¡°You can go and prepare now as the time for your date will soon be here.¡± He said dismissing her.


    Alyssa walked away from the table with fast strides ad she felt really suffocated.


    When she was in thefort of her closed room, she finally broke down.


    She cried and cried as she imagined her life after this date.


    ¡­..


    Alyssa walked into the high-end restaurant and looked around.


    She was currently wearing a white pleated gown that had ck stripes at the edges.


    She had packed her hair in a bun and decorated it in ck pins.


    She currently looked like a proper princess.


    Her eyes soon stopped at a table.


    There was a man sitting by himself there so she guessed him to be Gregory. She examined him carefully and couldn¡¯t help but appreciate his looks even though she didn¡¯t want to marry him.


    He looked to be in his twenties and he had maroon hair. His face was very chiseled and defined. He screamed manly beauty.


    That was not enough to move Alyssa though.


    He seemed to have sensed her so he looked up.


    She happened to see that his eyes were auburn but since she wasn¡¯t close enough she couldn¡¯t see it clearly she couldn¡¯t tell clearly.


    She walked towards him and sat down before dropping her bag beside her chair.


    She looked up and suddenly froze as she stared into his eyes.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mate!¡± He suddenly called out and that snapped her out of her thoughts.


    Wait what?

 Mate?

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Alyssa.¡± Alyssa started her introduction but froze when she looked up into the eyes of the stranger sitting opposite her.


    ¡°Mate!¡± He dered dominantly with a growl.


    Alyssa felt something stir in her when she heard that but it was not enough to move her.


    She knew then though that she had just found her first mate in this stranger called Greg but asides a little attraction to him, she had no other feelings for him.


    Finding a mate did not guarantee that you would spend the rest of your life with them. Just like how one would find a potential match, one would find a mate.


    A mate was a person who had the highest probability ofpatibility with the other person.


    The thing was that one could only find a mate three times and that was it.


    If you did not take a liking to any of them, you were destined to stay alone for the rest of your life.


    Well, at least it was better to marry your mate than someone who could never be your match anyway.


    So Alyssa was a bit relieved but that did not change her aversion towards this nned marriage.


    For Lucas, the moment he saw the petite redhead walking in, he had already felt an unexinable attraction towards her.


    He did not expect that as this was just a marriage of convenience.


    When his father had forced him to marry and had shown him the portraits of multiple princesses, he had chosen Alyssa because she was pretty.


    Who knew that the moment he stood before her, his wolf would awaken and he would be so restless. He restrained himself as he did not want to scare her and ruin her image if him as a gentleman but even with that, he couldn¡¯t help but call her his mate.


    She looked away from him with an eyes roll and it was then that he realized he had been staring intently at her.


    Alyssa was very ufortable with the intense way his now ck eyes was staring at her so she rolled her eyes and looked away.


    Lucas¡¯s eyes changed back to auburn as he fully restrained his wolf.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for my rudeness. I didn¡¯t mean to stare at you like that. Its just that once I found out that you were my mate, my wolf became way too restless and I couldn¡¯t control myself. I hope you will forgive me.¡± Greg exined ad he apologized.


    Alyssa was surprised by his gentlemanly nature and the fact that he admitted to his wrongs. Her impression of him increased but only a bit.


    She was experienced enough with betrayals and lies to know that a persona could be failed but it could not be kept up for long.


    Seeing as there was not enough time between their marriage and their meeting to know if he is actually a fake, she did not fully believe his personality bit she did not have enough time to explore him.


    ¡°No worries, I know that you did not mean it. Its alright.¡± She assured with a perfunctory smile on her face.


    Greg could see that she was a bit distant but his heart soared at the challenge of making her cold and distant violet eyes melt with love and adoration for him.


    He had to have her,e rain or shine!


    ¡°Oh! Where are my manners? I almost forgot to introduce myself. I¡¯m Lucas Brine but you can call me Greg Second prince to the kingdom of Sylvia. Its my pleasure to meet up with such a beautifuldy like you¡± he said with a sweet smile as he introduced himself.


    Alyssa did an inward eye roll at the fact that he mentioned the title he had.


    He must be so proud of the fact that he is a prince. What a showoff!


    Externally though, she maintained her smile and introduced herself.


    ¡°Nice to meet you ¡®prince¡¯ Lucas. I¡¯m Alyssa Carlton.¡± She exined making sure to enunciate the prince before his name.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Greg noticed her displeasure on how he introduced himself so he quickly changed the topic.


    ¡°So, what are the things you are interested in? I mean that I would very much like to know your hobbies.¡± He asked before cing his elbow on the table, upturning his palm and resting his chin on it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really have hobbies. I do enjoy rearing a good book sometimes so that does count as one.¡± she answered truthfully knowing he was tying his best to make conversation


    ¡°That is nice. I do enjoy rearing sometimes but I mostly just train so I don¡¯t have much time to develop an hobby.¡±


    She nodded in understanding.


    They went back and forth with their questions and Alyssa found that she actually didn¡¯t hate their interaction. Its just that she found it boring soon enough but she couldn¡¯t be rude so she answered diligently.


    By the time they were done chatting, it was already noon.


    Alyssa expressed her intention to go home as she had enough already.


    Greg wanted to keep talking to her but he knew that he shouldn¡¯t test her limits yet so he agreed to take her back.


    At first she wanted to decline his offer to take her back but due to his persistent insistence, she had no choice but to agree lest she offended him.


    They walked out of the restaurant together and got into the carriage he brought with him.


    He wanted to keep chatting with her but she had enough of being polite so she gave him on word answers.


    Seeing her cold attitude, Greg¡¯s eyes shed with a glint of anger but it was gone before she could notice it.


    I think I have to teach her some manners when she is finally married to me!


    They soon got to the pce after about thirty minutes and with his insistence, he escorted her to the gates.


    She bade farewell to him as fast as she could and rushed inside.


    He stared at her retreating back and couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Soon!


    Soon, you will be mine little beauty!


    He turned and left once she was out of view.


    At the window of one of the rooms, E stared at his retreating back with gritted teeth.


    Her jealousy doubled as she observed his handsome face.


    She had also witnessed their interaction and it irked her.


    Just wait you bitch! I will make sure you don¡¯t get to marry him!

 Urgent meeting

    ¡°Everyone settle down! The king has arrived!¡± A low ss elder suddenly spoke.


    Silence suddenly enveloped the while courtroom.


    They all quickly settled in their various segregated spots in the court room.


    The eldership was divided into three parts so the courtroom was also segregated into three parts.


    There were; The high ss elders, the immediate elders and the low ss elders.


    An high elder was one that was closer to the king.


    They were elder the king had appointed by himself who could make inputs in the court. They were second only to the king so they received equivalent respect.


    The next ss of elders were the immediate ss elders.


    They were appointed as second inmands to the high elders. They were appointed by the high elders themselves. so they were orded respect also but not as much as the high elders.


    The next were the low ss elders.


    They were at the bottom of the elder chain. They basically wormed their way into the court through one means or the other so people did not really respect them. They got all the benefits awarded to an elder but they were not respected.


    The king entered the room with his back straight and gant. All the elders rose up and bowed their head in reverence.


    He did not pay kind to then and just proceeded to his throne. Once he was seated did he allow then to sit down.


    Today, the king had called for an urgent meeting amongst his elders earlier when he heard from his royal adviser that something dire had happened to the kingdom.


    ¡°What is the urgent matter elder? Why did you prompt me to hold an urgent meeting? Also, what did you mean by the kingdom is in dire situations?¡± The king questioned immediately they had all settled down.


    ¡°The kingdom is currentlycking funds as well as manpower and we are facing risk of being annexed.¡± The highest elder reported with a panicked look on his face.


    Immediately, an uproar broke out in the court as everyone began to panic.


    King Jacob¡¯s heart dropped immediately as he stared at that elder in horror.


    Oh my Heavens! How did this happen?


    Everyone in the room knew the consequences if the kingdom was annexed by another.


    As a kingdom was somewhat like a pack, even if they were swallowed up by another kingdom, they would most probably not be epted and would be treated less than ves.


    Wolves were naturally territorial and protective animals so they would not easily ept others even though they were spoils of war.


    The first few year will be bad for everyone in the kingdom no matter their previous position.


    The only people who might not suffer as much were probably the children and old people but if they were annexed by a brutal and ruthless kingdom, even the age would not be taken into mind before one bes a ve.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    Women would be sold to either brothels or be forced to be servants to earn their ce in society.


    These were rough times where only the strong remained on top.


    ¡°How did this happen? I thought we were managing? What changed? How did it reach this extent?¡± The king fired questions after questions with a solemn look.


    ¡°It was also not like this earlier. As you all know, we have deteriorated non-stop over the years with no way out. At least earlier we could still manage but it all changed due to the recent war. The supplies are running out and the farnds have been destroyed by war. I estimate that by the end of the year, we will totally run our of supplies and we will have no choice but to move on to our reserves.¡± The elder exined.


    The hearts of everyone in the room had frozen in fear a long time ago.


    ¡°Does anyone have any usible solutions? If you do please suggest them. If your solution can work, you will be rewarded generously¡± The king stated urgently.


    No one spoke up as they did not have an idea how to move on from this situation.


    When King Jacob saw that they did not respond he sighed in frustration at their uselessness


    What was the point of appointing so many elders when they are good for nothing? What a total east if resources.


    ¡°Since you cannote up with anything, I¡¯ll give you two days toe up with something. If you cannot by then, I¡¯ll look for new and more responsible elders. The court is adjourned¡± King Jacob threatened before he stood up and walked out without giving then any room for rebuttal.


    Once he was far away from the room, chaos ensued and everyone broke out in murmurs.


    The highest elder just stared at the retreating back of the king, before his mouth widened into a smirk.


    I guess I have to bring out my winning card.


    How troublesome!


    ¡­.


    ¡°Gurgle! Gurgle!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Bitch! I thought you were acting all high and mighty earlier. Can you not speak now? Speak up bitch!¡± Eughed maniacally as she used her boots to push Alyssa¡¯s head into the tub of water.


    Anytime she felt like she would pass out, her hand was brought out of the water and she would gulp greedily for air.


    ¡°I¡¯m.. I¡¯m sorry! I also did not want to marry Lucas! You saw that I protested but Father did not listen to me.¡± Alyssa stated pleadingly as she tried to get the psycho who suddenly started punishing her so brutally off her.


    E hade to her room earlier, dragged her to the tub, filled it up, and began dunking her head in the water. She kept ranting that Alyssa did not know her ce and that she did not deserve someone as good as Lucas.


    Alyssa had tried to tell her that she was against the marriage but E refused to listen.


    E did not listen and dunked her head again and again till she was finally satisfied.


    As soon as she was released, Alyssa copsed pathetically on the floor.


    E just sneered and spat at her.


    ¡°Know your ce slut and stay there!¡± She cautioned before walking out.

 The Myth

    ¡°We have discussed and found a solution.¡± An high elder spoke up once everyone was settled in their various seats.


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears¡± King Jacob responded as he urged the elder to proceed.


    ¡°Have you heard of the legendary Golden artifact of Venice?¡± The elder asked ncing at the faces of everyone in that room.


    Murmurs immediately erupted in the room as everyone expressed their surprise that such a matter was being brought up.


    The golden artifact was a legend that had been passed down for generations.


    ording to the legend, the recluse werewolf kingdom of Venice, five hundred years ago, discovered an ancient artifact that shook the whole world.


    It was said that the artifact had been discovered identally by the almost dying Alpha king of Venice who had gone on a quest back then. People said that the artifact rejuvenated him and gave him the strength toplete his quest and go back to his kingdom unharmed.


    They said after the artifact was brought into Venice, thend prospered by heaps and bounds. It became a nation that could not be trampled easily by any other.


    Where there is such power, there will be greed as the heart of an emotional creature is very fickle.


    People from Venice as well as other kingdoms coveted the artifact vehemently so the Alpha king had no choice but to make a hasty decision back then.


    It was said that he hid the artifact somewhere no one could ever find it. Since he did not want his generation to be totally deprived of the power of the artifact, he drew a map. One that only the true worthy Alpha king of Venice could understand.


    For years, the map was said to be gibberish by the alpha king that followed so they all imed that it was probably a lie.


    Hence the tale became a legend passed down from generation to generation with no truth no substance.


    ¡°Yes! But what does our crisis have to do with a myth that has been told as a folklore to us when young?¡± The king questioned frustratingly as he thought this elder was spouting nonsense.


    The elder obviously understood the king¡¯s train of thought so he rushed to exin.


    ¡°A lot of people have not given up on that legend since then due to the existence of an actual map. They hope for it to truly be more than a legend. I happen to be one of those people.¡± He revealed softly looking down embarrassingly.


    ¡°Wow! So this is what an elder I appointed by myself does in his spare time. How brilliant!¡± The king said sarcastically.


    The elders¡¯ earlobe turned red in embarrassment at the sarcastic tone of the king as well as at the disdainful looks he got from his peers.


    Still he did not deter and pushed on.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t done that, I wouldn¡¯t have found out what I did. My spy happened to stumble on a conversation between the current alpha king and his wife.¡± The elder said self righteously.


    The ears of everyone in the room perked up at that. Even the king stared at him curiously.


    ¡°What did they say?¡± King Jacob asked impatiently when he saw that the elder paused for dramatic effect.


    Who the hell was he putting in suspense? Out with it already, you old fool!


    ¡°They said that one of their sons was able to decipher the map as well as the location of where the artifact was hidden. He had said that it was somewhere in their kingdom but since he did not want to alert his enemies, he wouldn¡¯t go to retrieve it. He said the map was currently in the hands of that son but he was cautious enough not to mention the name of the son.¡± The elder finally confessed.


    King Jacob was both shocked and ted by this discovery.


    Finally, there seemed to be a way out of the tunnel.


    There was a problem though.


    How was he to get the prince to decipher the map for him and tell him the location?Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    The elder seemed to have seen through his thoughts so he soon piped in.


    ¡°Your highness, I have thought it through and I¡¯ve decided that we have to send someone there undercover. To be more precise, we have to send a woman there¡± he announced.


    ¡°A woman? What will a woman be able to do there?¡± King Jacob asked skeptically.


    ¡°A woman who is very beautiful could use her honey trap to make him fall for her then give her the location of the artifact. That is the only way currently.¡± He answered.


    ¡°The person who would go has to be very beautiful. Also the person should be decided by you my king¡± the high elder added.


    King Jacob nodded as he found the elder¡¯s words to be reasonable.


    Another problem hade up.


    Who was he going to send that matched his standard and would not betray him?


    ¡­


    The meeting had been postponed because they couldn¡¯t decide who to send.


    The king was currently on his way to his inner chambers to rest and deliberate on the matter.


    As soon as he entered his room, he went straight to the bed andid down while staring at the celling in deep thought.


    He did not even notice when the door was pushed open and someone had entered.


    It was when he felt a soft hand wrapping around his forearm that he snapped out of his thoughts and looked down.


    He saw that his wife hade into the room earlier and she was currently looking at him with a pout for ignoring her.


    He rolled his eyes inwardly at her childish behavior but he still coaxed her either way.


    ¡°My king. What is making you so absentminded today? You know you can share anything with me¡± Be piped up after she had been coaxed.


    King Jacob hesitated for a bit before he told her all that had been happening for the past few days.


    Be was shocked and panicked but she still tried to stay rational.


    As she was contemting, a wicked thought suddenly crossed her mind.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we send Alyssa?¡± She suddenly asked Jacob.


    Jacob stared at her in shock once he processed what she said.

 Send Alyssa

    ¡°Let¡¯s send Alyssa there!¡± Be suddenly spoke up softly.


    King Jacob¡¯s head immediately snapped towards her as e stared at her in disbelief.


    ¡°What the hell are you going on about?¡± He growled displeasure mounting in his eyes.


    He could handle the fact that they were cruel to Alyssa and maltreated her in the pce but this was an important matter that would decide the fate of the whole kingdom.


    He would not let anyone put his n to save the kingdom in jeopardy even if it was his wife.


    Be noticed that he was getting angry and panicked.


    She rushed to ce her hand on his shoulder as she coquettishly appeased him and exined.


    ¡°Darling, do not get angry and listen to me first. You can decide to chose anyone else but how can you guarantee their loyalty? How are you sure that they will not take the artifact and run away? Alyssa on the other had not only meets the criteria in terms of otherworldly beauty but she can also be given something she wants to guarantee herpliance. You are aware that she is not someone that covets material things.¡± Be exined while rubbing her hand back and forth on his shoulder.


    King Jacob calmed down and contemted what Be said and found it very reasonable.


    ¡°That is in fact true but the issue is that we have nothing that she wants. Besides you are aware that she hates every single one of us so what¡¯s stopping her from ratting us out and igniting a war that will lead us to be annexed?¡± King Jacob asked thoughtfully.


    He had examined all the angles and found that although Alyssa was very suitable, she was also a ticking time bomb. One that he himself was not sure he could control. He saw that she was not scared of him neither was she beaten down by their ill-treatment towards her.


    She would not be easily convinced.


    Be sat down and thought about it carefully. She had a deviously smart mind that had helped her stay in power all these years.


    She suddenly thought of something and it made her smile.


    ¡°What is it? Were you able toe up with a leverage to convince Alyssa with?¡± Jacob asked as he noticed her enlightened grin.


    ¡°You can negotiate with her freedom!¡± She answered.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°Alyssa¡¯s freedom? From what exactly?¡± He asked confusedly.


    ¡°My husband! Try to think carefully. What is the thing Alyssa has always wanted more than anything? Its her freedom from us as well as the life she is forced to live with her lowly status. If we can promise her that if she¡¯s sessful, she will be able to go on her own way she will ept. We can also tell her that we will provide some gold coins and banknotes that will help her on her journey away from here. We can further entice her that she won¡¯t have to be forced to marry Prince Lucas to totally solidify the deal. There is no way she will not be tempted.¡± Be exined with a smirk on her face.


    ¡°Wow my queen! Your mind is so devious. I totally love it. Its just that there are some loose ends in your n. Firstly, what are we going to tell Lucas since he is hell bent on marrying Alyssa. We cannot afford to offend him. Secondly, what if she thinks we are going to go back on our word and she refuses to take the risk? Thirdly, are we truly going to let her escape just like that and also give her money to do so?¡± King Jacob asked worriedly.


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, my king. I obviously also thought of those things and I havee up with a solution.¡± She announced.


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    ¡°Concerning Lucas, we can just get Alyssa to write a farewell letter saying she does not want to get married so she ran away from home. The servants can attest to the fact that she had an aversion to the marriage seeing her behavior the day you announced it do that won¡¯t be an issue. I¡¯m sure that the prince would have also felt her resistance towards him so he would not be able to question us. This will make sure we don¡¯t offend him also.¡±


    Jacob nodded with widened eyes seemingly enlightened.


    ¡°For the second and third issue, we can just get her to sign a document that we will im is legally binding. For someone like her who barely goes out and does not understand that one needs a witness when signing such documents, it will be easy to exploit her. We can just sign the document without a witness and once shees to redeem her price after seeding, we will im she is delusional. After all, which parent will promise to let go of their child and even use it as a reward for a mission well done. Remember that asides the old servants in our house, people outside are not aware of the ongoings under our roof. They all know you as the benevolent and kind king that would not slight nor harm anyone so they will obviously believe you. We will then be able to keep her under tighter lockdown and if the prince is not married by then, marry her off to him fr benefits.¡± Be finished.


    Jacob stared at her in shock.


    This woman was surely a demoness who was not to be trifled with. He better not offend her lest she devises a n to kill him in his sleep and make it seem like hemitted suicide.


    Devil incarnate!


    Be naturally saw through his thoughts but she did notment not make it obvious that she knew.


    That will teach the bastard to know his ce.


    ¡°That is such a good idea. Thank you my queen.¡± Jacob said gratefully.


    ¡°No worries my king. I can do anything for your happiness and peace of mind.¡± She responded with a shy smile.


    That aroused Jacob and soon they were rolling on the bed like animals.


    Later, he got someone to invite Alyssa to his throne room.


    He needed to set his ns in motion.

 Letter!

    When Alyssa got to the main hall, she met her father there. He seemed to be waiting for her.


    What the hell?


    ¡°Follow me!¡± King Jacobmanded before he walked away from Alyssa and towards his throne room.


    Alyssa looked confused as she stared at his retreating back.


    What could he possibly want now?


    He looked so serious earlier that she couldn¡¯t help but be worried.


    He had just announced previously that she was going to get married and now she was not looking forward to whatever he had to say.


    She knew it would be bad news to her but good news to him.


    Still, she did not stay still for too long and proceeded proceeded to follow behind him.


    When they were in the throne room, King Jacob proceeded to sit on the throne before he ordered the guards to leave and close the door behind them.


    They did as instructed and soon the only people in therge throne room were only Alyssa and him.


    ¡°What did you want to tell me?¡± Alyssa asked bluntly, not caring to show courtesy or beat around the bush.


    Her opinion of him had plunged further after she found that he wanted to marry her to a total stranger for the benefit of the kingdom.


    A father selling out his daughter for his personal gain!


    What more could she expect from such a ruthless tyrant. She refused to be hopeful so she wouldn¡¯t be disappointed again.


    Jacob also did notment on her tone because he knew the sess of this n depended on her cooperation.


    He did not want to make her refuse to help. Even if she did, he already had a backup n to ¡®convince¡¯ her.? N?velDrama.Org - All rights reserved.


    ¡°You may not know but over the years, the stability and prosperity of our kingdom has deteriorated at an rming rate due to the wars we frequently engage in.¡± He started.


    Alyssa just stared at him without saying a word and she did not know where he was headed with this.


    ¡°At first, we could still manage to run normally but the situation had worsened so much over the recent months that we risk being annexed¡± he announced.


    Alyssa raised her brow in shock but asides that she did not feel any sympathy for him nor for this shit hole they called a kingdom.


    They never did anything for her anyways so she did not care if they got annexed.


    The issue was why her father deemed it fit to discuss all these things with her.


    ¡°Where are you going with this father?¡± She asked impatiently.


    ¡°Well, we came up with a solution that would not only boost out kingdom but also make us way stronger than before.¡±


    ¡°We decided to steal the golden artifact of Venice. The one from the legends. It has resurfaced once more. It is said that a prince from thend of Venice had deciphered the map and found out the location¡±


    Alyssa listened carefully already having a bad premonition about all this stealing artifacts talk. She had obviously heard about the legend and so had every child who listened to legends and stories conjured by the adults when they were young.


    She never imagined that it was real.


    ¡°We need to first find out which prince it is who has the ability to decipher the map is since the current Alpha king has two sons. After that, we need to find a way to make him tell us the location of the artifact. That¡¯s where youe in.¡± He dered.


    Wait what? Did I hear correctly? Where Ie in? What the hell is this old fogey on about?


    ¡°What do you mean? What do I have to do with all these madness¡± Alyssa inquired indignantly.


    ¡°We need a beautiful woman who will be able to seduce the Prince and get him to spill on where the artifact is. We all have discussed and we found you suitable for the job¡± Jacob exined


    ¡°I refuse!¡± Alyssa rebutted firmly not giving him a chance to continue.


    ¡°If you try to force me, I don¡¯t mind ratting you out on this mission to the people of Venice.¡±she threatened.


    This was what king Jacob was worried about but thank the heavens that his wife had thought of a solution.


    ¡°It will obviously not be for free. I will give you what you desire the most in return.¡± He stated.


    Alyssa scoffed.


    ¡°What do I desire the most? You¡¯ve got to be kidding me? Do you think I¡¯m as fickle as you to crave money or wealth? Do not waste your time on me as nothing you offer can move me.¡± She replied with a sneer.


    ¡°Once you hear my offer, you might have to reconsider.¡± He said mysteriously.


    Alyssa raised a brow at his words.


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears. What do you have to offer that will surely make me reconsider¡± she inquired sarcastically.


    ¡°I can offer you your freedom.¡± He answered.


    ¡°My freedom? What do you mean by that?¡± She asked her heart beginning to pound as she vaguely had an idea of what he meant.


    She hoped it was what she thought!


    ¡°Exactly what you heard. If you are able to fulfill the task sessfully, I will allow you to go live on your own far away from this pce. I will even give you money so your transition into a new life all be easier. You will also be free from this marriage that I had arranged for you.¡± He responded


    Alyssa felt ted at frat but when she thought that this could possibly be a trick to get her to do their bidding, her face twisted into a frown.


    Jacob naturally noticed this and saw through her thoughts so he continued speaking.


    ¡°To assure you that this is not a scam, I have prepared a legally binding document that the both of us will sign. You can have a copy in order to guarantee your reward.¡± He added


    Alyssa felt her joy returning at the possibility of escape.


    ¡°Of course, if you betray me, I will find you and make you pay dearly!¡± He threatened viciously.


    Alyssa gulped but did notment.


    ¡°Now, before we proceed, I will need you to write a letter for me.¡±

 Run Away

    A horse could be seen advancing quickly towards a certain direction. The rider was covered from head to toe in a thick cloth and the only visible part of their body were their eyes and pale lips


    The rider only stopped asionally to feed the horse and take a quick rest before continuing.


    Soon the rider reached a narrow path that was in between two huge mountains.


    The rider looked up at the endless height of the mountain and their lips curved into a smile.


    As the rider¡¯s head was raised towards the sky, their eyes could now clearly be seen.


    It was a deep shade of violet.


    Alyssa smiled as she looked at the narrow path that looked to have no end.


    ¡°Finally, I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡­..


    In the bustling streets of Venice, Alyssa who had changed to the tattered gown befitting of a servant scanned the area carefully.


    She noticed that this kingdom had a warmth that Western Kingdom did not have.


    Children wereughing merrily as they yed with each other.


    The old people were rounded in different corners either ying games or chatting with each other.


    The teenagers were gossiping or ying with their friends in groups.


    The adults were either working or going on about their daily lives.


    Everyone had smiles on their faces as well as an amiable look that made you want to approach.


    Too bad she was about too steal their artifact. Hopefully, i t wouldn¡¯t affect their lives that much as they seems to have amassed prosperity and wealth to an unshakable level.


    She had learned that one must be selfish in order to live well.


    Even though she felt guilty, she was not going to sacrifice her freedom and wellbeing for people she did not know.


    After walking around and sightseeing for about an hour, she finally asked around for a guest house to lodge for the night.


    She had her whole operation nned out already. she was going into the pce undercover as a maid.


    She was then going to gather Intel and use that to get closer to the princes. Once she had found out who it was that could decipher the map, she would try to get closer to him and make him fall for her.


    She was very confident in her looks so she felt she just needed to exude a bit of charm and smarts to capture his heart. She would temper herself to his ideal image in a woman and win him over.


    The maid selection was tomorrow so she had a night before her mission began.


    Once she had gotten a room in the guest house, she felt like she could finally rx.


    She rummaged through her bag and brought out a rolled up parched paper.


    She unfurled it and smiled as she read the contents.


    It stated that she would have her freedom back as soon as she delivered the artifact she stole. She also made sure that they added all the little specific details like how she didn¡¯t need to marry anyone her father arranged and how she was going to be given a lot of money to start her life again.


    She couldn¡¯t take the chances of letting them find a loophole in the contract.


    She looked over the signature of her father as well as hers and she nodded in satisfaction.


    After rolling up the contract and putting it safely in her bag, sheid on the bed and thought carefully about her life.


    Her prayers seemed to have been answered so she was grateful to whoever it was who listened.


    She recounted the suffering she had to face all through her life and how her days ahead would be bright once she had stolen the artifact.


    She grinned toothily as genuine happiness spread through her body down to her soul.


    How long had it been since she was happy like this?


    As she was deep in thought, her stomach suddenly rumbled loudly.


    It was then that she remembered that she had not eaten anything all day as she had been too busy sightseeing and scoping the kingdom.


    She sighed and dragged herself out of bed.


    When she went downstairs, she inquired about food but the guest house attendants imed that they did not serve food for guests and that she could go get from restaurants and stalls close by.


    She found it really troublesome but due to the fact that she was starving, she went anyways.


    She did not need to walk for long before she sighted a good restaurant. As per this was a guest house, there were numerous decent restaurants close by. Stalls for snacks were also surplus in the area.


    She must have not noticed it as she was rushing to find a ce to stay earlier.


    She settled on one of their empty seats and ordered.


    After she was served, she dug in and ate as fast as she could.


    Once she was done, she paid and left the restaurant.


    She had almost gotten to the restaurant when she heard a screaming from a dark alleyway.


    She halted and looked towards that direction. She could clearly see a few youths surrounding a petite woman who wore the same outfit she wore.


    She did not want to get involved in this scuffle but as she saw the girl being pushed around, she could see her helpless self in her.


    She sighed and rubbed her face in frustration before heading in that direction.


    What the hell am I doing?


    ¡­


    Back in Western Kingdom, Lucas had just received news that there was something wrong in the pce so he rushed there as he was worried for Alyssa.


    When he got there, he saw that the king and his family had solemn faces as the stared at him.


    He looked around and could not spot Alyssa anywhere.


    He got a bad premonition.


    ¡°Where is Alyssa?¡± He asked urgently.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to say this.¡± The king said looking ashamed.


    King Jacob handed a letter to Lucas.


    Lucas raised the letter and read through it. When he processed the contents, his eyes widened in shock and his heart dropped to the floor.


    ¡°No! It can¡¯t be!¡± He continuously murmured as he refused to ept the contents of the letter.


    ¡°How can Alyssa run away?¡±All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

    In the dark alley, jeers and taunts rang out. Multiple men surrounded a youngdy who was bawling her eyes out.


    ¡°Do you think by crying, you will be left alone? Give us back the money you stole!¡± One of the men barked menacingly.


    He seemed to be the leader seeing as he had the strongest aura out of all the men present.


    They also seemed to acknowledge that fact as they cowered before him once he spoke.


    ¡°Please! I.. I di¡­ didn¡¯t steal anything. Those men are trying to frame me because I didn¡¯t agree to sleep with them¡± thedy pleaded.


    He raised his brow at her usation.


    He was aware that there was a possibility of that happening seeing as his men were perverts but he refused to admit nor acknowledge it because that would make him look like a fool.


    So, in order to maintain face, he continuously argued that she was at fault.


    It wasn¡¯t like he was a saint either ad he had ruined the lives if so many other women.


    ¡°I trust my men! Give me back the money! If you can¡¯t, you could possibly end up serving men in brothels for the words you just spoke.¡± He threatened inching closer to her.


    She whimpered at his height and domineering presence.


    She backed away till she was almost one with the wall at the end of the alley.


    ¡°What is going on here?¡± A soft yet firm voice echoed from behind the men.


    Everyone froze before turning to look at the speaker. At first they were expecting a strong and valiant knight but they were surprised to see that it was just a youngdy.


    The men broke out in chuckles.


    The leader¡¯s gaze roamed Alyssa¡¯s body ad his lips upturned into a devious smirk.


    ¡°My! My! My! You seem lost girl so why don¡¯t I help you find your way.¡± He jeered at her tauntingly.


    Goosebumps ravaged her skin because of the way the leader kept staring at her. She really wanted to turn and flee as she was reminded of her perverse step brother but once she looked towards thedy at their mercy, she gave up that idea.


    She had to stand firmly!


    ¡°I¡¯m a maid from the pce so I¡¯m well versed with where I¡¯m to go and whatnot. Besides, the guards are waiting for me at the central square so they can escort me back. Its just that I lost sight if my partner that¡¯s why I¡¯m in such a scummy alleyway.¡± Alyssa exined while emitting an standoffish aura that said ¡®if you touch me, you¡¯re dead meat!¡¯


    The leader¡¯s brows flew up in surprise as he backtracked.


    He was aware of who he could offend as well as who he couldn¡¯t.


    He knew that although Alyssa could be nothing more than a kitchen maid, he would be penalized should anything happen to her. The pce simply didn¡¯t allow room for any of their people, be it small or big to be toyed with.


    He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist at the fact that he had to admit defeat to a simple servant.


    ¡°Alright then! You better be on your jolly way because you have no business being here.¡± He barked harshly before turning back to face his men.


    Alyssa knew she couldn¡¯t take any rash steps as she had to act smartly so she turned and began to walk back.


    She hoped the girl was tactful enough to say something so she could use that chance to butt in.


    ¡°Hi! I¡¯m here! These men won¡¯t let me go! I¡¯m to go back to the pce soon! Hel¡­.¡± Thedy screamed but her words became muffled for some reason.


    Jackpot!


    Alyssa turned back and noticed that thedy¡¯s mouth had been covered and she had been hidden behind the bulk of men.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry yourself about the nonsense that she is spouting. She is delui¡­..¡± The leader began but was but off by Alyssa.


    ¡°Wait! Isn¡¯t that my partner who was assigned to apany me to run errands? Why the fuck is she with you guys and why are you manhandling her like so?¡± Alyssa questioned with fake fury showing in her face.


    ¡°Its not like that! She is deluded so you shouldn¡¯t believe what she is saying¡± The leader rebutted trying to pin thedy as crazy.


    He knew that if thisdy was saved, it would spell trouble for him and his little gang because they had touched someone from the pce.


    He continuously cursed his men for not knowing who to mess with and who not to.


    ¡°Let her go! I have a way to check if she is my partner or not so let her go!¡± Alyssa ordered ring fiercely at them.


    ¡°Miss I suggest you backtrack and go your jolly way¡± an henchman finally spoke up as he intimidatingly tried to approach Alyssa.


    ¡°I also suggest you watch your words because I¡¯m a distance from you so you wouldn¡¯t be able to catch me should I run back to alert the guards. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t want that to happen now, would you?¡± She threatened making sure to show no weakness.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± The leader barked at his subordinate as he smacked his head hard.


    ¡°Sorry miss, we¡¯ll let her go under the condition that if she isn¡¯t a pce servant, she¡¯ll havee with us because she was used of stealing my money. Should the event arise though, that she is a pce maid, her theft would be wavered with the condition that not a word of what transpired here should be spoken to the guards. Do you agree?¡± He said courteously.


    Alyssa was surprised they believed her crap actually.


    She just realized that she was a ster actress as she was able to pull the wool over the eyes of these wolves.


    Still, with the way he was able to deduce a quick way out, she knew that he was not simple so she had to tread carefully.


    ¡°I agree!¡± She replied.


    ¡°Also, do note that if thetter situation ends up being the case and you still tattle to the guards, I¡¯ll hunt you down and make you pay before I am penalized.¡± He threatened viciously.


    Alyssa felt a chill run down her spine at his malicious gaze and almost shivered but caught herself at thest moment.


    ¡°Yeah, sure!¡± She affirmed with faux nonchnce.


    The leader nodded to his men and soon, thedy was pushed out and towards Alyssa. A bulky man followed her though lest she escaped.


    ¡°Show me the identity that is given to every servant once they go run an errand.¡± Alyssa ordered thedy.


    She looked flustered at first, maybe due to the fact that she was aware that she wasn¡¯t the partner Alyssa was looking for but as she looked into Alyssa¡¯s reassuring eyes, she calmed herself down.


    She proceeded to dig through her pocket and bring out a gold te that had the insignia of the kingdom carved on it. A red rope dangled from the end that had a seal stamped on it.


    ¡°This is it!¡± Thedy said pushing it into Alyssa¡¯s palm.


    She ran her hand over it with a calm face but inside, she was very much surprised.


    She never knew that her quest to save this girl would lead her to an actual pce maid. She felt joy bubbling within her because she knew that with this, her worries on how to enter the pce had been solved.


    ¡°This is in fact the identification! You people can see that she is someone from the pce so do follow up with your agreement and let her go. In return, we¡¯ll keep the end of the agreement.¡± Alyssa stated as she raised the te to show them.


    The leader¡¯s brow furrowed but he knew to end it here so he let them go.


    Once she received the affirmation to leave, Alyssa held on to thedy¡¯s hand and walked out of the alley ad briskly as she could.


    Sounds of curses and punches could be heard in the alleyway by people who happened to pass there. If they peeked on what was going in there, they would see that a certain leader was taking out his anger on his subordinates for making him lose face and concede to a mere servant.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Alyssa and thedy stopped walking when they were sure that they had reached a far enough distance from them. They both heaved a sigh of relief out loud then looked at each other before bursting intoughter.


    Afterughing for a while, Alyssa smiled, stretched her hand to thedy before she spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m Alyssa. Nice to meet you¡± she introduced herself.


    Thedy took Alyssa¡¯s hand in hers with a mirrored smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m Tiffany. Nice to meet you to.¡±


    ¡°So, are you really a servant from the pce because I¡¯m sure the guards wouldn¡¯t actually follow a mere servant out even if it is an official pce errand?¡± Tiffany inquired with a knowing smirk.


    Alyssa gave a sheepish smile as she scratched the back of her ear awkwardly.


    ¡°That was the only way I could think to save you from those scumbags.¡± She replied.


    ¡°Did you consider what would have happened if they were smart enough to ask for your identification first? What would you have done?¡± Tiffany asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that when I rushed in to save to save you¡±


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯m grateful for the save but do be careful next time lest you fall into the hands of cunning bastards.¡± Tiffany advised.


    She felt very warm and grateful for the girl who rushed in to save her without thinking things through.


    ¡°I will!¡± Alyssa answered


    ¡°So, how can i repay this favour you¡¯ve dine me today? I have no abundance of riches nor stack of gold, mind you because I¡¯m nothing more than a simple pce maid.¡±


    Alyssa looked like she was pondering her options but she had already settled on what to ask.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want silver nor gold. All I want is for you to get me a job as a maid in the pce.¡± Alyssa replied.


    ¡°Sorry, what now?¡± Tiffany asked shocked as she never expected Alyssa to have such a request.


    ¡± Yeah, you heard me! I want a job in the pce.¡±

 CHAPTER TWELVE

    Alyssa copsed on the bed with a thump as shey on her back and started at the ceiling. She was already back in her room after a very active and tedious day. As she was enveloped in silence, her mind couldn¡¯t help but drift towards the conversation she had with Tiffany earlier.


    Tiffany had told her that she as a maid her no power to appoint a worker in the pce but luckily for Alyssa, the pce was currently hiring servants.


    Tiffany had said that a selection was being held the next day to pick suitable pce maids. Thepetition was always fierce as a lot of women wanted the chance to work beside the Royal family and bask in luxuries. They also rushed to sign up because they were dreaming of having a glimpse of the princes even if it were a short while.


    Some even went ahead to fantasize about a fairytale love story between them and the princes so they all dressed to impress. It was an event as big as a bride selection. She had asked Tiffany about a way she could make her spot in the selected few was guaranteed.


    Tiffany had said to dress humbly yet not raggedly and also to make sure to do the tasks very well. That was the only way to draw the attention of the examiner to her.


    After giving a few words of advice, Tiffany had hurried off as she still had work to do at the pce. She had asked Alyssa to meet her at the pce grounds for the selections. Then, they had said their goodbyes before they separated and now Alyssa was back at the guest house.


    She sighed heavily as she thought back to her interactions with Tiffany in that short while that they had met.


    She felt like if she were under another circumstance she would have been best friends with Tiffany but now she had an obligation and duty to fulfill in order to regain her freedom. She couldn¡¯t afford to be sidetracked by feelings of friendship or any other thing.


    She pinched between her eyebrows as she shook those thoughts out of her head. She had to focus on the task at hand!


    She needed to freshen up and rest because she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow.


    Soon, she was on her bed and sinking into a nightmare filled dream.


    The next day, Alyssa had checked out of the guest house and soon she was headed towards the pce after asking for directions.


    She soon arrived at the pce gates after without a hitch.


    She looked at the massive walls before her that housed an even more majestic castle and she couldn¡¯t help but stare in awe.


    She had lived in a castle all he life due to being a princess but still she couldn¡¯t help but marvel. The pce back at Western Kingdom paled inparison to this one by a milestone.


    Now she could see why a lot of people were fighting to get their hands on the artifact because if it could make this castle a reality, then it was worth the fuss.


    She would have also been eager to get it if it hadn¡¯t been that she was more concerned about her freedom than riches.


    What use was the massive amount if wealth if you would always have to look over your shoulders to make sure you weren¡¯t being pursued by those in which you have incurred their wrath. Besides, it would also attract way too much enemies and malicious eyes and that was not what Alyssa wanted at all.


    All she wanted was a peaceful and quiet life far away from the pain, malice, hate and suffering.


    She sighed and passed through the first gate.All rights ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She soon stopped short when she saw the state the pce was in. Tiffany was not short on her exaggeration that the selections was going to packed full of people.


    Before her, was a huge crowd packed withdies if different shapes, styles and manner. The massive entrance was almost packed to the brim with women yet more still trickled in. It was just like an ocean where one could fish for women.


    Worry set in as Alyssa wondered how she was going to enter. She wasn¡¯t even sure how she would contact Tiffany as shehadn¡¯t asked her due to her hurry.


    Stuck in a dilemma, she could only stand at the gate and watch the chaos unfolding before her.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡± A soft voice called snapping her out of her reverie.


    The voice wasn¡¯t loud due to it being drowned out by others and she almost wouldn¡¯t have heard it if it hadn¡¯t been for the fact that she had trained her ear to be able to pick up sounds from a distance.


    She had to be sure when her abusers were approaching in order to avoid problems so she trained her ear to pick up even the slightest footsteps. The fact that she was a wolf also helped as it was their natural trait.


    She turned to where the voice originated from.


    There she spotted a certain blond haired girl waving excitedly at her.


    It was Tiffany and she was currently squeezing out of the hoard ofdies to approach Alyssa


    Alyssa couldn¡¯t have happier to see those sparkling grey eyes.


    She chuckled as she watched Tiffany fight her way out of the tightly packed girls cursing and ring at some of them who pushed her.


    Soon, Tiffany was already before her and she bent over to catch her breath like she had just run a marathon.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Alyssa asked worriedly as she stared at the Tiffany¡¯s flushed face.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m¡­. Hold on! Let me catch my breath¡± she panted.


    Alyssa waited till Tiffany was calm before they began to talk.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head inside. The registration for candidates will soon be closed.¡± Tiffany said before she led Alyssa through the crowd.


    Alyssa was surprised because for someone so small, Tiffany sure had a lot of strength.


    Time passed and soon, Alyssa was holding the bronze palette that belonged to the candidates. And no sooner was she called to face the judge, which was surprisingly the queen.


    She soon got over the shock because questions were being fired at her.


    She answered them well due to her intensive experience as a ve in her father¡¯s house and soon they were at thest question.


    That was what stumped her and caused her to panic.


    ¡°Can you cook?¡± The examiner seated besides the queen asked.


    Oh no! What should I answer? I can¡¯t cook to save even myself!

 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    ¡°No I can¡¯t!¡± Alyssa replied and watched as the judging eyes of the women in the room pierced her body.


    Murmurs of things like ¡°Why would she want to be a maid if she can¡¯t even cook?¡±¡±What guts she have to appear for the selection and be unable to do a basic task such a cooking¡±¡±She must be a crazy nut head who is just here to try and win the princes¡¯ love and affection.¡±¡±She must think that because she is beautiful, she needn¡¯t know how to cook¡±


    They were all jealous of Alyssa¡¯s looks as well as her talent at answering questions and doing tasks so they all moured at the chance to kick her while she was down.


    The originally silent hall had turned into a marketce filled with maliciousments directed at just one person.


    ¡°Silence!¡± The Queen ordered and immediately, the decorum was restored.


    ¡°I will be the one to judge who needn¡¯t show up or not, so the lot of you can keep your opinions to yourself. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes my Queen¡± was soon chorused in the hall as everyone lowered their heads and tried to lower their presence so the Queen wouldn¡¯t single them out and soil their chances at being chosen.


    ¡°Alright then dear! You can join the people that have answered in the waiting room over there. You¡¯ll be informed if you pass or not.¡± The Queen said to Alyssa soon as she gestured to a door at the side.


    Alyssa nodded before bowing and leaving the room calmly.


    The Queen¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but linger on thedy who remained calm and collected all through the chaos.


    Only she knew what she was thinking as a ghost of a smile appeared on her face.


    Back in the waiting room, Alyssa found a chair to sit as she pondered what just happened.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She had just remained calm because she was used to being jeered at. She had answered truthfully because she knew that should she lie, she would be found out anyway.


    It was better to avoid problems now thanter on.


    The problem now was that she was almost certain that her answer had stumped this route of getting into the pce.


    Now she would have to find another way out.


    She wasn¡¯t aware that her actions had put her in a new light before the Queen.


    As Alyssa was lost in, Tiffany approached her and tapped her from behind.


    ¡°Alyssa! Are you okay? I watched what happened in the room. I saw how those girls mocked you just because you couldn¡¯t cook. Don¡¯t take it to heart! They are all just jealous because you are more dazzling than them. Besides I can guarantee that arge percentage of them don¡¯t know how to do anything! They are all here hoping for a ridiculous love story that happens in fantasies.¡± Tiffany rambled on.


    Alyssa stared at her with confusion at first but soon her eyes widened as she realized what Tiffany was on about.


    It seemed Tiffany had mistook her lost look when she was pondering her options for being sad at what those ridiculous bimbos said to her. So in order to make her not feel down, Tiffany had kept on rambling about how stupid those girls were as well ad how jealous they were.


    Alyssa chuckled as a warm feeling settled in her chest at seeing Tiffany¡¯s efforts to console her even though it wasn¡¯t needed.


    ¡°You needn¡¯t worry, Tiff. I¡¯m not one to feel down because of the words of a couple of self absorbeddies. I was just thinking about something¡± Alyssa stated in a bid to reassure Tiffany.


    It worked because she let out a sigh if relief before copsing on the chair besides her.


    ¡°Thank the heavens! So, you are aware that your answer may have spoiled your chances at getting the job right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m aware. I knew what to expect immediately the answer left my lips. I couldn¡¯t possibly lie because I would get found out sooner orter and that would spell trouble for me.¡±


    Tiffany nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s true! Its good you stated the truth. Also, if it makes you feel better, I can cook too.¡± Tiffany whispered with a giggle.


    Alyssa giggled.


    ¡°Really? I thought that was a criteria for getting hired? How then did you get the job? I was even meaning to ask you for a while now.¡± She asked as curiosity got the better of her.


    ¡°That¡¯s because¡­.¡± Tiffany started to reply by trailed off when someone came and announced that the selections were over and that the interviewed Ines should make an appearance in the hall.


    Tiffany took that as her cue to leave as she bade Alyssa and walked through the door she hade from earlier.


    Alyssa then followed thedies as they trickles back into the hall.


    Once they were there, she noticed that the hall was scantier than earlier. It seemed that not all thedies were interviewed as the Queen was a busy fellow who didn¡¯t have a while day to waste on servants.


    Thank the heavens she had Tiffany¡¯s help to skip the line and enter quicker than others or else, she would have missed such a golden opportunity.


    ¡°Listen up everyone! The names if those who have been selected by the Queen would be called. Your position as well as your duties would be given to you as soon as your are done with this process so please do follow whoever has been assigned to watch over you.¡± The middle aged examiner said.


    They all hummed.


    ¡°Very well then! Audrey moon, pleased proceed to that side.¡± He said pointing to the corner.


    ¡°Others should do well to follow her once you are called. La Swift, Addison Hale, Geneva¡­¡±


    Alyssa watched as name by name,dies that were interviewed after her were called and they trudged to the corner.


    Even though she was sure that she wouldn¡¯t be chosen, getting a first hand experience still hurt.


    She sighed and got herself ready to leave.


    Soon she felt a light tapping on her shoulder.


    ¡°Huh?¡± She dazedly questioned as she looked at the person who had touched her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been called!¡± Thedy said with pursed lips.


    It was clear she wasn¡¯t happy to be conveying the news to Alyssa.


    Alyssa looked up and then noticed that all eyes were on her. It seemed like they had been calling her for a while.


    Her face flushed in embarrassment as she apologized before scurrying over to the corner with the other appointed servants.


    She was ted that she was picked as she had given up hope already.


    ¡°That will be all for the selections. The pce would probably not call for any servants for a while so you can all disperse.¡± He said and a lot ofdies either burst into tears or whined annoyingly.


    ¡°Sir! Why was thatdy picked? She can¡¯t cook!¡± A bolddy asked the middle aged examiner as she wasn¡¯t hold enough to ask the queen who had made the decisions on the selections.


    ¡°Unless you are assigned as a cook, we do not necessarily need you to know how to cook. Remember that it was said that we needed servants and not cooks. You guys were the ones who immediately assumed you were going to be cooking. Edgar! How many cooks do we currently have and how many more do we need?¡± The Queen stated answering directly before turning to question the middle aged man.


    ¡°40 cooks your Highness. Also, we needn¡¯t any use for any more cooks.¡± Edgar replied with his head bowed.


    ¡°You can hear that then! So, whoever isn¡¯t satisfied with my decisions can do well not toe the next time.¡±


    At that, the bolddy immediately lowered her head and tried to hide in the crowd. She didn¡¯t not want toe back as she actually needed the job. She wasn¡¯t given a opportunity to though as a lot of otherdies tried to distance themselves from her.


    They also had wanted to ask this question so they were overjoyed when someone was brave enough to but now that she had been struck down by the queen, they looked at her with distaste and tried to distance themselves from her.


    Such was the heart of a female.


    The Queen shook her head subtly at their actions before turning to catch a nce of thedy that had caught her interest.


    She saw Alyssa waving her hands excitedly to someone at the back of the crowd with a bright smile on her face so she followed her line of sight.


    The Queen could see a petite blond haired girl who mirrored Alyssa¡¯s smiling expression.


    She watched as they mouthed things to each other from a distance with interest.


    After a while, she beckoned her maid closer and whispered something in her ear while point towards Alyssa and Tiffany.


    The maid nodded before walking towards Tiffany.


    The queen swept another nce at the smiling redheaded girl with violet eyes. She wasn¡¯t sure how to ce it or interpret it but she had a vague feeling that this girl was gonna make waves in the nearest future.


    And as a Queen who has been bored out of her mind for a while, she had to be a good sport and make way for Alyssa.


    Little redhead! Do not disappoint me.


    The Queen soon stood up and walked towards her chambers while delegating the rest of her tasks to Edgar.


    What she wasn¡¯t aware of was that, true to her words, Alyssa would make wave but she herself would be drowned by those waves.


    On ater date, the Queen would look back at her actions of today without knowing whether to cry orugh.


    All she would say was that she had brought it all on herself.

 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

    Hurried footsteps echoed through the hall as E ran towards a direction.


    She didn¡¯t halt nor pause as she briskly walked.


    Her face was contorted with menace and anger.


    Soon she arrived at a door at the end of the hallway.


    She stopped at the door and breathed in and out continuously to calm herself. She arranged her facial expression till it exuded what she thought was her most pitiful yet seductive side.


    She stretched her hand forward to knock but stopped short when the door was suddenly swung open. She startled but soonposed herself.


    How was she expecting him not to know of her arrival seeing as he had a wolf who was born to lead and had enhanced senses?


    Wolves were not all born with healing, enhanced senses or fast reflexes like it is written in so many fantasy books by humans.


    They have to train from young age to hone their skills, gifts andbat prowess.


    This gifts be it speed, agility, enhanced hearing and the likes would be home further while they trained as they grew.


    Even with all that, there were some who still didn¡¯t unlock any gifts.


    Those ones were thrown into the hustle and bustle that came with normal life. They were deemed non special and assigned strenuous jobs especially if they were bred by peasants.


    For the ones who were bred by high society, they were bestowed a part of their family¡¯s inheritance to either live an hedonistic lifestyle or build a business and be a merchant.


    It might seem very good but in and of werewolves that was ruled by power and might, it was basically being thrown to the bottom of the food chain be it rich or not.


    Any trained or talented warrior with gifts could attack the merchant and snatch his empire away by force.


    The merchants then had to stick to hiring wolves with gifts to safeguard their business.


    So, it was an endless cycle where the non gifted wolves had to be at the mercy of the gifted.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Lucas said dryly after he opened the door.


    E studied his face carefully and what she saw made her clench her knuckles till they turned white.


    He looked haggard and worn out.


    An empty shell of the valiant man that once walked these halls.


    She had rushed down here because she had heard that Lucas had drank himself to stupor the day before and had to be carried all the way to the room.


    This has been his routine for days on end now.


    Ever since Alyssa had disappeared, Lucas had moved to the pce guest house in case she ever showed there again. He had drunk himself to sleep every night at the local pub near the pce.


    She wasn¡¯t truly worried for him as she felt like she could do better with her looks but she had to settle because there was currently no better option.


    Especially since he only wanted that bitchy stepsister of hers!


    Her goal was to acquire him an make him worship her like he did her stepsister. She wanted to make the Almighty Lucas of Sylvia worship her like nothing more than a dog before she eventually discarded him. That idiot dog of a sister of hers was always looming in the shadows though so she never had the chance to actualize her dreams.


    That was why she was so happy when Alyssa disappeared and wished nothing more than that she should die wherever she was.


    She wished Alyssa would nevere back because to E, she was a stain that her perfect family could never wash off.


    Asides that, E wasn¡¯t blinded to the fact that Alyssa was more than her in a lot of aspects. She wasn¡¯t stupid not see see the facts. The mere thought of Alyssa always surpassing her irked her down to the core.


    She was more beautiful, talented and intelligent than E and no matter how much she tried to deny it by abusing her, she just couldn¡¯t shirk off that fact.


    She was very happy by the news of the disappearance of that twat.


    Still she was suspicious that her father and mother had an hand in it since they didn¡¯t say anything or use any manpower to look for Alyssa but she couldn¡¯t prove it.


    Her mother had urged her to try and win the heart of Lucas and to not care about trivial matters such as Alyssa.


    And honestly, she didn¡¯t really care.


    She was just trying to make sure that the thorn in her side was permanently gone and would not show upter in the nearest future.


    ¡°I said, What the hell do you want?¡± Lucas barked already impatient from being woken by E who was now lost in thought.


    He could see her sizing him up and that irked him. He remembered the intense gaze of adoration she had given him when he first came. Now he could see disdain and a tinge of disgust hidden in her eyes as she took in his disheveled state.


    E snapped out of her thoughts and shed him her most seductive smile.


    ¡°I heard that you drank again yesterday and it had me worried. You can¡¯t keep doing this to yourself Luce.¡± E said as she neared him and ced a hand on his shoulder.


    To outsiders who heard her words and saw her actions, she was a nice person who was just concerned for her sister¡¯s fiance but to Lucas who had seen how she slowly bit and licked her lip while gazing intently at him, she was just a whore who wanted him.


    He normally wouldn¡¯t have touched her ¡®dirty body¡¯ but now he needed an outlet to vent out his frustrations on and she was currently offering herself up.


    Besides, anytime he remembered the contempt she had a for him a second ago, he so badly wanted to put her in her ce. So, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the room.


    Inside the room, and after making sure that the door was tightly closed, he grabbed E¡¯s hair and dragged her towards the bed where he tossed her on.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Bitch!¡± He yelled as she leaned down and gave her a smack on her butt which her had exposed after lifting her skirt up.


    She squealed at his brutality but didn¡¯t ask him to stop as wetness pulled between her legs.


    He smacked her a few more times to punish her.


    Soon, she was a sobbing less as her ass stung from the pain. Seeing this, Lucas slowed down and rubbed soothing circles on her ass.


    ¡°Well then, since you were begging for a fuck like the whore you are, I¡¯ll give it to you¡± he said before proceeding to rip the thinyer of fabric that was covering E¡¯s twat.


    After that, moans, sobs and cries of pleasure Gould be heard from the room for hours on end.


    Later, Lucas could be seen lying on the bed with Eying in his chest while she traced circles on it.


    ¡°That was really good! I loved it so much I would like to do it another time.¡± E said while smiling.


    Not receiving any response from Lucas, she looked up to see what he what he was doing. Her brows furrowed when she noticed the reason for his silence.


    He had taken, Alyssa¡¯s letter from the dresser and was currently reading it.


    ¡°Lucas! You have to forget my sister! She is not worth your time nor your obsession!¡± E¡¯s voice rang out as she was already annoyed that he was still thinking of Alyssa after just fucking her.


    ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Luce ordered gruffly as he continuously stared at the letter in his hand.


    He crumpled the letter and threw it in the bin before standing up from the bed.


    ¡°Get out! Your services aren¡¯t needed anymore¡± he ordered offhandedly.


    E was shocked at his way of addressing her. Did she look like a harlot that he was telling her that her services were no longer required? She was a princess for crying out loud!


    Anger swept through her but she knew not to let it show as she clenched her knuckles till they turned white and put on a shocked and pitiful face.


    She hoped to draw in his sympathy and will to protect.


    ¡°Why though? I just don¡¯t want to see you this way as you have been¡­¡± She started but was sharply interrupted.


    ¡°Did you not hear me whore? Get the fuck out!¡± He barked turning to re at her with a vicious re.


    She flinched and backed up.


    With gritted teeth, she hopped off the bed and briskly put on her clothes.


    ¡°Fuck you! I hope Alyssa ends up with someone else and you die here from both loneliness and obsession. You¡¯ll regret what you did to me today, I promised you! Also, the sex with you wasn¡¯t that good. I just lied in order to feed your massive ego, scumbag!¡± she cursed viciously already dropping the facade she tried to put on.


    Lucas growled but she was already out of the door before he could do anything.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He shouted before sweeping away all the items on his dresser in anger.


    E¡¯s words had gotten to him and had affected his state of mind.


    She wasn¡¯t going to keep trying to win over a man that was in over his head. To her, she was way more than that!


    ¡°Liam!¡± Lucas screamed.


    Soon, a bulky guard with a stern face appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°Yes my prince?¡±


    ¡°Assign some of our bests elites to look for Alyssa! Make sure they are aware not toe back unless Alyssa is found. I want her brought to me at all costs.¡± He ordered.


    Liam paused for a second but still answered either way.


    ¡°Noted, my prince¡± Liam answered before exiting the room as silently as he entered.


    Lucas red at the crumpled piece of paper now lying on the floor.


    I¡¯ll find you Alyssa and then I¡¯ll make you pay for the humiliation you made me face. This i swear to you!

 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

    ¡°So, this is your new room as well as mine. I still can¡¯t believe we had Ben assigned to be roommates! What terrible luck!¡± Tiffany squealed before dragging Alyssa to her side to the room.


    Alyssa sighed and shook her head.


    She was still a bit sceptical about why she and Tiffany had been made roommates and why she had been assigned under Tiffany with chores duty.


    She didn¡¯t want to think to much into the things but she just could trust things went this smoothly without someone pulling the strings.


    The head maid had just approached Tiffany and asked her to get Alyssa familiar with things. She had also asked Tiffany to share her room with her.


    Alyssa shook her head to remove all those thoughts. She didn¡¯t have time for over thinking things because she knew that although she was just undercover to aid her ploy of getting information, she actually had work to do.


    All the new recruits had been given today to rest but not after familiarizing themselves with the while pce lest they wandered into a wrong ce.


    She ce her things on her bed before picking the uniform that had been ced there for her.


    She knew that she was treated like a maid all her life but wearing this uniform further solidified her position as a maid. She didn¡¯t care though because as she thought back to all the constrictions that cane with being a princess, she preferred to be a normal maid.


    Tiffany had rambled excitedly for a while before excusing herself. she and said that she was going to be back and that she had to finish a particr chore she abandoned to apany Alyssa.


    Alyssa had chuckled as she thought that it was so Tiffany. Who knew she had work pending yet she apanied her all day like she was free.


    Tiffany had scurried off leaving Alyssa to her thoughts.


    She dropped the uniform before sitting on the bed.


    She nced around the room properly for the first time since she had entered. The room was way bigger than that of her room back at Western Kingdom. It was even more luxurious than the new room she had been assigned to stay when Lucas had arrived at pce back then. Even the bed was softer than hers back then.


    This just went on to show that magnificence that Venice held as a kingdom.


    Sometimes, she wondered what that so called wealth blessing artifact looked like. Why was it that it was so difficult to name that the ancestors came up with such a weird name?


    She was really curious as to what it would look like.


    Maybe, when she saw it, she could try naming it better.


    She chuckled to herself.


    She sighed as sheid on the bed and stared at t ceiling. She seemed to be doing that more often as ofte.


    She felt really tired bit she knew that she couldn¡¯t sleep yet as she needed to go on that tour. So, in order to keep herself busy, she picked up the uniform she had tossed aside and wore it.


    Soon she stood in front of the mirror as she checked out the uniform. She wouldn¡¯t lie to herself, it oddly didpliment her body.


    She had never been one to subjugate herself to self depreciating thoughts. She knew she was beautiful and that fueled her confidence. It was just that once you had grown up being the subject of abuse, perverted thoughts and sexual assault in form of groping, you would put very little effort into your looks.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    As she was staring at the mirror, the door opened and Tiffany walked in.


    She stopped short once she saw Alyssa in her uniform.


    ¡°Wow! You really are beautiful, Alyssa. Themon maid uniform didn¡¯t even reduce your beauty a tiny bit¡± Tiffany eximed.


    Alyssa stared at Tiffany and after seeing the genuineness in her eyes, her cheeks couldn¡¯t help but colour a bit.


    ¡°Thank you¡± she replied.


    ¡°So, how about that tour!¡±


    ¡­..


    Soon they were done with the tour and Alyssa was sure that she was familiar with about seventy percent of the pce. The pce was so big so she couldn¡¯t say she remembered everything but she sure was going to in the nearest future.


    She followed Tiffany to the kitchen where she was working just to apany her but somehow got pulled into doing the dishes.


    She was a maid after all, so even though they had informed the new recruits to rest for that day, she couldn¡¯t refuse. She could only she as she washed a tall pike of tes while Tiffany cleaned.


    All through, Tiffany kept shooting her looks of apologies but she just smiled at her to assure her that she wasn¡¯t bothered.


    She was used to doing chores like these so this didn¡¯t even bother her the slightest bit.


    After a day of hard work and persistence, they were done.


    They both retired to their rooms for the night and slumped on the bed.


    They both still weren¡¯t feeling sleepy after a while so they just figured that they would talk.


    Somehow the conversation, drifted towards their families as well as their backgrounds.


    Alyssa felt danger but she couldn¡¯t stop Tiffany from exining her family background and how she came to be here.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t really remember my family because the memories have be fragmented for some reason. I just remember that they loved me to bits and I was their one and only princess. I weirdly don¡¯t remember any of their faces but I remember what happened the night my family left me. I think I was five then but I can barely remember at this point. I was sleeping like I normally did, and then the next moment, I was being carried. Screams and chaos resonated around me but all I could focus on was the pair of cold yet oddly warm arms that were wrapped around me. The person kept saying something to me while rubbing my back soothingly. The next thing I knew was that I was shoved in a secret room and then darkness enveloped me. I heard screams and smelt blood but I oddly still didn¡¯t move. It was like I was in a daze as I sat there staring into the darkness. After what seemed like hours, the sounds stopped totally till all I could hear was my own breathing as well as the sound of my heartbeat. Like my body was being controlled, I stood up and walked out of the dark room. Immediately I was out in the open, the pungent smell of death and blood assailed my nose. I walked aimlessly till I was standing in a room with piles of undecipherable bodies strewn all around. I knew that those bodies were my family but oddly, I didn¡¯t feel anything as I stared at them. I soon copsed and woke up in the woods. When I observed my surrounding, I saw that a huge bonfire was being set. It seemed that they were going to burn the bodies and that I had been mistaken for dead. No one was present there so I snuck away and wondered off into the wild. Days of wondering had me arriving in Venice. Here, I was adopted by a kind olddy who raised me till I was eighteen. She soon died and after that, I worked from one dead end job to another. It was at the beginning of this year I stumbled upon this job. I applied and much to my luck, I was able to get in. That¡¯s my story.¡± Tiffany narrated while staring at the ceiling


    Silence enveloped the room as there was a tense mood in the air.


    Alyssa felt really bad for what Tiffany had to go through. Her heart went out to the little girl whose family was massacred before her.


    ¡°Tiff¡­ I ¡± Alyssa started but was cut off by Tiffany.


    ¡°Alyssa, Can I ask you about your family? Mine is just so sad and I don¡¯t wanna keep talking about it.¡± Tiffany begged as she audibly sniffed.


    It was obvious she was trying to change the subject but it made her even more pitiful.


    Soon, the words that Tiffany had said fully registered in Alyssa¡¯s brain. rm bells rang out in her head as her brain tried so hard to conjure an excuse to deflect from talking about it.


    As she nced at Tiffany¡¯s forlorn face though, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to give an excuse so she decided she would tell her the truth.


    Or at least a half truth.


    ¡°My story isn¡¯t as sad as yours so I¡¯m sorry if that will disappoint you¡± she said in an attempt at dark humor to life the mood.


    It seemed to work as Tiffany chuckled before turning to fave her with her ssy grey eyes.


    ¡°Its okay Alyssa. I¡¯m sure your story can¡¯t outdo mine anyways so just let¡¯s hear it already¡±


    ¡°Uggh! Bossy much? Fine!¡± Alyssa joked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to start as I¡¯m an awkward storyteller so I¡¯m just gonna go on and say it. I¡¯m not sure if my family is even a real one at this point. Okay, so basically I¡¯m a product of an affair. I have been told all my life that my mother seduced my father who already had a perfect family and got pregnant for him. It was said she died while giving birth and like the ¡®good person¡¯ my father was, he couldn¡¯t abandon me even though it could possibly cause the peril if his family. He took me in and raised me into the fine youngdy I am today. That was what he told the outside world though and it was so far from the truth.¡±


    ¡°The truth was that day after day in that wretched house, I was abused. I was turned into a punching bag to release and vent their anger. I was seen as a scorn and an abomination who stained their perfect family. I was whipped, choked, dunked and even almost molested by my stepmother and her two children. I was made to ve away day in and out with only the reward of eating their scraps and leftovers. My father who had been tagged as a good father pretended to be ignorant of what went on under his own roof. I still took it all because I thought I had to pay for my mother¡¯s sin of being a third party in someone else¡¯s marriage but that all changed when I recently found out a very vile secret. My father was drunk one night and he mistook me for my mother¡¯s ghost who hade to kill him. He confessed to me that he had been gued with guilt all his life for what he had done all those years ago. I had asked him what he did and he confessed that he had raped my mother. He also confessed that he had kidnapped her and kept her under lock and key when he discovered that she was pregnant so no one would discover his secret. He wanted to kill my mother then but at the thought that her baby could possibly be a boy, which he desperately desired, he soared my life back then. After my mother had died from childbirth and given birth, he had no choice but to take me in since news had travelled that he had an affair. He painted my mother as the viin and his his misdeeds.¡±


    ¡°After finding out, I couldn¡¯t bear to stay there anymore. I ran away and wandered till I cane upon Venice. It was my second day in Venice I saw you and I¡¯m grateful for that. I decided to work in the pce because I needed money since the one I stile from home was already running low. And that is how I ended up here. You see, I told you that although my story is pathetic, it can outdo yours.¡± She finished narrating with a dark chuckle.


    She waited for Tiffany to say something but she didn¡¯t, so she turned to see why.


    What she saw shocked her to bits.

 CHAPTER SIXTEEN

    Tiffany was crying silently as she stared at Alyssa. It seemed that she had sat up at a point.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alyssa questioned urgently as she sat up and approached Tiffany¡¯s bed.


    Tiffany didn¡¯t answer and just kept sobbing profusely.


    ¡°You are making me worried, Tiff. Tell me what happened. Is talking about your family bringing bad memories? I¡¯m sorry, Tiff. I didn¡¯t know it would affect you this much or I would have stopped you from reminiscing about it. Don¡¯t cry anymore.¡± Alyssa said as she reached out to pat Tiffany¡¯s back.


    ¡°You fool!¡± Tiffany suddenly cursed at Alyssa.


    Alyssa was taken back.


    ¡°Ah! What did I do?¡± Alyssa asked confusedly.


    Tiffany hupped and red at Alyssa.


    ¡°How can you remain so calm? Your story is so sad! It far outweighs mine by a milestone. Even if my family dies, I barely remember it and I don¡¯t really feel anything because I was young but you have had to endure twenty one years of constant abuse and that by your family. If I were the one, I would always be sad.¡± Tiffany blurted unable to understand how Alyssa turned out so fine.


    Alyssa seemed to understand the situation and it made her chuckle.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She now thought of Tiffany as a mother hen who fussed over her chick and was always worried for her. She would cry and be sad at the slightest sign that her chick was hurt.


    Well, Alyssa seemed to be the chick.


    That made her touch her nose awkwardly.


    ¡°Why are youughing at me?¡± Tiffany asked as she poured angrily at Alyssa.


    She had calmed down a bit and her sobs had been refused to sniffles.


    ¡°Sorry Tiff! Its just that you are so cute right now. You are just like a mother with the way you¡¯re fussing over me.¡± Alyssa joked


    ¡°Oh! A mother? Wait! Don¡¯t try to change the subject! Why aren¡¯t you sad? Is it that you have perhaps be numb to emotions? Have they broken you till you are now a cold and emotionless robot? Oh my heavens! Poor Alyssa. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make you alright again.¡± Tiffany said with teary eyes.


    Alyssa knew that waterworks were on its way so she quickly spoke lest she had to calm Tiffany down all over again.


    ¡°Stop conjuring up weird theories, Tiff! I¡¯m not an emotionless robot like you think and I sure as not do not need fixing because I¡¯m not broken. The reason I¡¯m not Hawking my eyes out is that I grew up in abuse. I had lost all hope for a loving family since I was six. So, to me, those people are not my family but nu abusers and tormentors. I have not conjured any sick fantasy of a happy ending with my tormentors. Since there is no hope, there will be no emotional pain. Also, I heal pretty fast so the pain doesn¡¯t bother me much. The only thing that didn¡¯t make me run earlier was the feeling of obligation I had to atone for what i thought was my mother¡¯s sin. Now that in aware that she was the victim, I refused to be one as well so hightailed it out if there.¡± Alyssa exined.


    What she said was partially the truth. She didn¡¯t feel anything asides physical pain anymore. The only pain she felt was for her mother and that was why she cried sometimes. She wasn¡¯t stupid to hope that those vile people would ever ept her.


    That didn¡¯t seem to pacify Tiffany but it seemed to make her already sad expression crumple even more.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to face that and even at a young age.¡±


    ¡°Enough about our depressing pasts! Let¡¯s talk about something else¡± Alyssa chided as she settled on Tiffany¡¯s bed with her.


    Through the night, they talked,ughed and cried. On this particr night, a friendship stronger than sisterhood was formed.


    The next day, Alyssa and Tiffany went almost everywhere together. They chatted while they did different chores so they were never tired nor overwhelmed by the quantity of the work.


    By noon, they had already finished their chores that pertained the inward parts of the pce. They went on to eat lunch before proceeding to the garden for theirst task if the day which was to rake off leaves that had littered the garden floors.


    They made small talk as they were doing their tasks and Alyssa thought to try and pry some information about the princes from Tiffany.


    ¡°Tiffany, what¡¯s with the princes? I haven¡¯t seen any of them since I¡¯ve been here.¡± Alyssa inquired while raking up the leaves.


    ¡°That¡¯s normal that you wouldn¡¯t seeing as they are almost never around.¡± Tiffany replied.


    ¡°Oh! Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Well, for starters, their chambers are not near the servant quarters. Secondly, the younger prince has a knack for art and is always going to ces to collect art pieces. Besides he is the definition of a through and through yboy. Whenever he is around, he is either flirting around or banging women in his room. Uggh! So vile!¡± Tiffany exined face morphing to a look of disgust as she spoke of the younger prince.


    She seemed to have a revulsion towards the prince. Alyssa knew that there was a story there but she knew not to ask lest Tiffany got too agitated and refused to give her more information about the princes.


    ¡°So, what about the other?¡± She asked after a while of watching Tiffany rake the leaves like that had done something vile towards her.


    ¡°Oh! Sorry. I got too wrapped up in my thoughts that I forgot I was exining something to you. Where was i again?¡±


    ¡°Oh I remember now! The second prince is one who people don¡¯t have the chance to get a glimpse of. It is said that due to him being mighty ugly, he hides away in his chambers. Servants have been forbidden from going in that direction as as it is off limits. Eve the head maid doesn¡¯t dare go there. It is said he has an unusual personality and he would kill anyone who looks him in the face. As someone who hasn¡¯t seen him for myself, I can¡¯t say for true if the rumors are true so I can¡¯t judge him. I am always cautious though because in every rumor, there is at least a semnce of truth.¡±


    Alyssa nodded in affirmation at Tiffany¡¯sst statement. She was a testament of it because although all the rumors about her weren¡¯t true, some were.


    She weighed her options and came to a decision to test the waters on the younger prince instead.


    He seemed more likely to be the one with the map as he goes out unlike the elder Prince who is locked in his quarters all day. Besides, he can actually draw it if he had deciphered it.


    She made a decision to approach him as soon as she saw him.


    The problem she had now was that she wasn¡¯t sure how to go about it.


    ording to Tiffany, he was never around and when he happened to be, was always surrounded by girls.


    How was she to approach him without incurring the fury of a flurry of girls?


    Besides, what if he didn¡¯t give her the time of day and thought she was below him.

 CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

    Days had passed since when she received information about the princes and she still hadn¡¯t caught sight of the younger one. At this point she was lost on what to do.


    She was currently folding her clothes that she and washed the previous day absentmindedly.


    Her mind had been driven into overdrive while trying to think up another way toplete her mission.


    Due to her thoughts, she didn¡¯t notice when the door opened and Tiffany walked in.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡± Tiffany called as she tapped her shoulder


    Alyssa snapped out of her reverie and nced at Tiffany to see her fave filled with worry.


    ¡°Oh! When did you get here? Why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡± Alyssa questioned.


    ¡°Huh? I¡¯ve been in the room for a while now. I kept calling you to tell you that I as done with my chores bit you never replied. I had to tap you before you answered. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tiffany replied before asking what was bothering her in worry.


    Alyssa was surprised that she had been so absorbed in her thoughts to notice Tiffany¡¯s entry.


    She couldn¡¯t possibly bring herself to tell Tiffany that she was trying to conjure up easy to approach the younger prince that Tiffany seemed to hate. She also couldn¡¯t tell her that she was trying toe up with ways to get her hands on the map that showed where Venice¡¯s treasure was situated.


    Only the heavens knew how Tiffany would react and she didn¡¯t want her to look at her with disgust.


    Unknowingly, she had be attached to Tiffany so much that she wasn¡¯t ready to see her hate her. She also didn¡¯t want to lose the friendship she had now.


    So, in order to cover up her intentions, she quickly conjured up a lie.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that my family would try and search for me. If they do search for me, I¡¯m not sure if I can resist them when they want to take me back with them. I might not feel any attachment to them emotionally but they have abused my body so much that it quivers and trembles at their sight.¡±


    There was a semnce of truth in her words.


    She knew that she was stronger than E or her stepmother if they attacked her separately but she just couldn¡¯t fight back no matter how much she tried to will her body to. She just trembled pathetically once a hand was raised towards her direction.


    Tiffany looked horrified by her revtion then she gigged Alyssa tightly to her.


    ¡°Its alright Leah. Rest assured I will never allow them take you even if I have to fight then till myst breath. Besides, they can never walk in here to take any member if the pce without their consent. Even if the person was a mere servant! So you can allow your mind to be calm and worry free. You are in safe hands.¡± Tiffany assured firmly.


    They had just stuck to calking each other by nicknames ever since they met. It felt natural to then as if they had known each other for years.


    As Alyssa listened to Tiffany¡¯s words, even more guilt settled in her because she was leading her by tge nose yes Tiffany was genuinely worried about her.


    Tears welled up in her eyes at this thought.


    Even when she was away from them, those vile people were still controlling her life so much that the first genuine friend and sister she had was rewarded with lies upon lies by her.


    Tiffany thought she was touched by her deration so she hugged Alyssa even tighter.


    ¡°There there! You are safe.¡±This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I know! I¡¯m thankful that I have you in my life. I live and appreciate the support you have given me since we met up till this point.¡± Alyssa dered while the tears began to fall silently from her face.


    ¡°Its okay! Ilk always be here for you so you cane to be should out have any worries, alright? To me you¡¯re a elder sister I never had so I¡¯ll make sure to properly protect youe rain or shine¡± Tiffany vowed.


    Alyssa felt even more guilty at that.


    ¡°You¡¯re also a sister to me. I do contemte if I¡¯m really the older one as you are almost always looming out for me. I¡¯m more like the younger sister in this rtionship. Thank you for staying by me since the day I met you. I¡¯m d I stopped to save you as you have been nothing but a blessing in my life.¡± Alyssa dered genuinely meaning every single word.


    She might have lied to Tiffany but she knew all Tiffany had done for her up till now.


    ¡°Awwn, Alyssa! That¡¯s just so sweet. I never knew you had it in you to say sweet things. You are always so serious. So you are actually a softie?¡± Tiffany teased as she separated from Alyssa.


    Alyssa blushed s tinge of pink in embarrassment as she swatted at Tiffany¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Stop it! Don¡¯t expect such words again.¡± Alyssa harrumphed before turning to mask tge guilt that had shown on her face.


    Tiffany just chuckled at shy Alyssa.


    How she wished they met under different circumstances, she would have never said a word of deceit to her.


    I¡¯m sorry, Tiffany.


    After that, they chatted a bit till Alyssa felt good enough to continue her work.


    She busied herself all day so she wouldn¡¯t think about what she had done to Tiffany


    After they were done for the day, they had retired and Alyssay on her bed, unable to sleep.


    When she was sure, Tiffany was totally asleep, she snuck out of the room before heading out and wandering aimlessly.


    She wasn¡¯t sure where she was going to, she just wanted to clear her head.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that immediately she exited the room, Tiffany opened her grey eyes to stare at her empty bed.


    She sighed as she started at where Tiffany slept earlier.


    She wasn¡¯t a fool.


    She knew that Alyssa was keeping something from her.


    She knew that Alyssa had something disturbing her but since she didn¡¯t want to share, she couldn¡¯t force her to tell her. She just hoped that there was a day Alyssa would trust her enough to tell her all her worries.


    She closed her eyes and drifted off with thoughts of worry for Alyssa upying her mind.


    Alyssa had wandered off and she soon found herself at a garden that was different from the one they cleaned daily.


    She heard the flowing and sloshing if water up ahead which made here to the conclusion that there was a pond or ake somewhere close by.


    It wouldn¡¯t be bad to be near a pond as she hadn¡¯t seen one in a while.


    She walked towards the directions the sound wasing from.


    There she saw a beautifulke that seemed to shimmer with the moonlight.


    That wasn¡¯t what caught her attention though. What did was the silhouette that was standing atop the bridge that had been built to aid crossing theke.


    Her heart dropped and she ran as fast as her kegs could carry her.


    She reached out and pulled as the person¡¯s clothes while shouting ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    Due to her hurry, she misstepped and found herself falling backwards but she seemed to pull the person along with her.


    She closed her eyes and awaited the impact of her head with the ground but something seemed to cushion her fall.


    She opened her eyes and noticed that she it was the person she had pulled earlier. They had used their hand to protect her head.


    She also felt their weight atop herself.


    She looked up and found emerald green eyes that seemed to shine staring back at her.


    For a moment, her heartbeat paused.

 CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

    Time seemed to pause as they both stared into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Can you let go of my cloth? You are holding on to it so tightly that I can¡¯t seem to get up.¡± The stranger said in a husky and sexy masculine voice that send shivers down Alyssa¡¯s spine.


    She had always prided herself in being uninterested in the opposite sex so much so that she hadn¡¯t the bit of interest when Lucas, her mate approached her. So, why the hell was her heart beating so fast at the voice of a stranger? Her cheeks had also warmed so much she must have looked like a tomato.


    She thanked the heavens that their position blocked the light from shining on their faces or else she could have died of embarrassment if he saw her red face.


    He cleared his throat when she seemed to not ear him.


    She then realized her actions and quickly let go of his clothes flustered.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± She apologized while clearing her throat awkwardly.


    She scrambled up once he was off her before proceeding to pat the dirt off her clothes.


    ¡°Sorry about that sir, I took a wrong step and sent up both tumbling on¡­.¡± She started but trailed off as she raised her head and finally looked at the stranger.


    She gasped audibly.


    Could such a beautiful person exist?


    She ribbed her eyes again to see maybe the fall had caused some sort if concussion that had somehow affected her eyes too.


    When she looked again, the guy still remained the same. A peerless beauty that screamed ¡°God¡¯s finest creation¡±.


    She knew that it was somewhat of an exaggeration on her path to dub him with that title but she was lost on words to say to show how handsome this nan was.


    The emerald green eyes that seemed to soothe even the craziest soul didn¡¯t help in reducing the beauty¡¯s effect. It was aplete look that went hand in hand in making girls crazy.


    He wasnky yet built with muscles in all the right ces.


    What she wasn¡¯t aware of was that the man was also surprised by her beauty as his pupils visibly dted. He sized thedy before him up and couldn¡¯t help but hum in appreciation.


    Her most striking feature was her violet eyes which were umon in the werewolf world. It wasn¡¯t rare, just notmon.


    Her eyes seemed to hypnotize the beholder into thinking that she was the only woman in the world that was meant for them. In short, she was a beauty that could make cities fall.


    A dangerous beauty.


    He schooled his expression back to his cold and rigid face and coughed to get her attention.


    She snapped out of her thoughts and soon her face flushed visibly. He found it oddly cute as she tried to hide her face from him.


    ¡°I get why you fell but will you tell me why I feel along with you?¡± He inquired quite confused.


    One minute he was standing on the ledge admiring the view and the next, he was tumbling down and atop a youngdy.


    He had instinctively reached out to cushion her fall and that made his hand seriously bruise. Thank the heavens for his healing ability or else the mission he had set for tomorrow would have been called off.


    He couldn¡¯t afford that.


    ¡°Yes! I pulled your clothes but I didn¡¯t think you would fall along with me.¡±


    ¡°Why would you suddenly pull in myclotges? Do I perhaps know you?¡± he asked brows furrowing in confusion.


    Alyssa finally remembered what she had seen and her fuse went off.


    ¡°You just reminded me! I tried to pull you back because you wanted to take your life.¡±


    He was shocked by her usation. When was he trying to take his life? He was just enjoying the view.


    Oh! She seems to have seen him standing so close to the edge of the ledge and assumed he wanted to kill himself.


    He wanted to correct her misunderstanding but he changed his mind when he saw her puffed up cheeks and red face.


    He wanted to see where this was heading.


    ¡°What¡¯s your business, miss because I do remember that we aren¡¯t familiar so whatever I do with my life has nothing to do with you.¡± he rebutted, a tinge yfulness that she failed to detect in his voice.


    ¡°Well, I couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch someone kill himself. Why would you do that anyway? You have something much to live for and so much to see. No matter how hard life gets, ending it all is never the option. Imagine how the friends or family you have would feel after your demise. They would me themselves for not being there for you and wishes they had done more. They would ask themselves if they were never enough to make you stay.¡± she rambled on, already peeved at his nonchnce towards life.


    ¡°But¡­ ¡± he started hoping to clear up the misunderstanding as he felt bad that she really cared about him yet he was toying with her.


    ¡°Enough! You can¡¯t say it¡¯s because you are alone either. Even if you are, you can make friends with people so that you would never feel alone. There are good people out there that are willing to care and look after you so far you give them a chance. You need to start to trust people in order for them to trust you back. Death is just filled with emptiness and more loneliness than you experienced while you were still alive. It¡¯s not worth it at all¡± she ranted, face getting redder by the minute due to overexertion.


    He wanted to tell her to slow down but she red at him so hard he couldn¡¯t help but hold his tongue.


    ¡°I have also face quite a lot in my life but you don¡¯t see me jumping off a bridge or dangling from a rope. I pushed and I¡¯m still pushing to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I do have a beautiful soul I met on my journey recently that is helping me so much in my journey. She is a blessing to me and i wouldn¡¯t want to lose that. Find someone like that and assure you that even if you don¡¯t feel super happy, you¡¯ll feel fufiiled.¡± she said concluding her advise.


    ¡°Would you perhaps be that person for me?¡± he suddenly asked while staring intensely into her heart.


    Time stopped and Alyssa froze as she processed his words.


    After a while, they suddenly both burst into fits ifughter.


    ¡°God! That was so corny and cringe.¡± Alyssa squeezed out between fits ofughter as she held on to her belly and doubled over.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I said that!¡± the guy saidughing along with her.


    Those were his thoughts at that time but he didn¡¯t know that he would say it out loud. It sounded so weird and corny when it came out of his mouth.


    Afterughing till a few tears came out of their eyes, they finally calmed down and sat on the grass below them.


    Alyssa turned to face him with a smile on her face.


    Asides Tiffany, no one had made himugh so much before. The same went for the man as he hadn¡¯tughed at all in years.


    ¡°I have to be on my way now. It was juice meeting you¡± Alyssa announced before making to stand.


    Time was already passing by fast and she needed to get up very early the next day.


    A hand grabbed hers and that made her freeze.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She looked down to see the guy staring at her with hopeful eyes.


    ¡°Can you please stay with me awhile?¡± he suddenly asked.


    Alyssa was stuck on what to do as she had duties she couldn¡¯t shirk.


    She bit her lip in contemtion of what to do.


    After much contemtion she finally decided to settle down beside him. She knew that his mental state was not yet stable so leaving him like that was a danger to himself.


    She could rely on Tiffany to wake her up on time so she wants really worried. Besides, she wanted to get to know this handsome stranger. Also, she still needed to clear her head and mind so a conversation with a stranger would do her good rather than bad.


    ¡°So what do you want to talk about?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°Well how about we start off with introductions?¡± he replied.


    She smiled.


    ¡°Well my name is Alyssa and I¡¯m part if the recent maids that were recruited. I¡¯m part of those maiden that didn¡¯t chores around the main castle. What¡¯s about you?¡±


    He wanted to talk but remembered something and then cleared his throat


    ¡°I¡¯m Micheal! I¡¯m the attendant to the first prince.¡± he said keeping his introductions short.


    Alyssa was visibly shocked when she heard about the eldest prince.


    ¡°You are the eldest prince¡¯s attendant? Is he perhaps the reason you want to end your life?¡± she questioned with widened eyes as she gasped.


    She looked like she hade to a big realization.


    Micheal¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at her usation.


    ¡°Why would youe to such a conclusion?¡± he asked hurriedly.


    She saw his reaction and thought he was scared if the eldest prince¡¯s wrath so she shook her head and tutted.


    ¡°I heard rumors from around that the eldest prince is an filing duckling who hires only handsome men just to torture them all. It was said that he hates ghetto sight if his own face so he hides away in his own room everyday withouting out. It is said that a peerless beauty just sneezed beside him one day and he immediately had the boy whipped. There are so many rumors about him that ibfannit count them by hand. I don¡¯t particrly believe in rumors but I believe that there is a semnce of truth in those words. At least one of it has to be true!¡± Alyssa rambled with a sneer on her face.


    ¡°I now understand that the one that was true was about him being ugly and torturing beauties. He must have tortured you right?¡± she questioned looking at him with pity.


    Without waiting for him to answer she just rambled on and on about all the vile things the prince had done.


    Meanwhile, the ugly prince just sat there watching her call him both ugly and beautiful in the same sentence.

 CHAPTER NINETEEN

    Liam walked into his room with a broad smile on his face.


    He had just met the most intriguing girl ever and he was not yet down from the high. He chuckled whether recalled their interaction after she had asked him if he was the cause of his own apparent suicide attempt.


    He eventually didn¡¯t end up correcting her blunder and watched as she abused him to his own face all night.


    He could already imagine her face when she realised that the person she had been bashing verbally was sitting beside the all through. He was sure that you would go beat route red and run away as fast as she could while stumbling on her feet.


    The mental image his mind conjured up was enough to have him doubling over inughter.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    I couldn¡¯t help but recall theirst few interactions before they separated from each other. After she had had her fill with verbally bashing him, she had asked him what the Prince had done so make him want to kill himself.


    Obviously he had to y along as he had already lied to her that his name was Michael and changing the story at that point would for the soil her image of him. He had yed the sympathy card and told her I didn¡¯t want to talk about it.


    She had let him off because to her, he was someone with an unstable mental health. He felt bad exploiting her kindness like that but he had a n of totally changing our opinion of him while staying by her side.


    Once her opinion of him was solidified, he would reveal his identity to her and apologized profusely while exining why he had to do what he did.


    He was sure that it would take time to get her to forgive him but he was ready to keep on begging because she was the only person who had made him smile in years.


    For years now he had fought with himself and the world because he had been betrayed badly by a very close friend.


    He was the heir to the throne so he made sure not to neglect his duties but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to associate with people like he did when he was younger. He had shut himself from everyone including his own family.


    He had locked himself away from the world for a few years after the incident and when he came of age, he began to slowly and covertly take over the operations of the kingdom from his father.


    He would go for meetings with the council of elders and make decisions just like a proper heir would and then it was back to his room for him. He fought battles and went for missions under the guise of a mask.


    People knew what he went by but they didn¡¯t know that he was actually the eldest prince who was rumoured to be ugly, vile tempered and weak.


    If they had known that the person they addressed as Cold General was actually the eldest prince of Venice they would immediately protest in disbelief.


    The cold general two years ago had began his journey of winning wars endlessly for Venice. He had never lost a battle and he was rumoured to be ruthless to cunning and very decisive. Liam had maintained the image everybody had of him in order to lower their Guard towards him.


    What the enemies didn¡¯t seeing would have higher chances of defeating them.


    He had never seen a reason to change that fact until today. You really wanted to make sure that he was the total opposite of whatever Alyssa had heard of him.


    Before they had separated, he had asked her to promise him that she would see him every night in that same spot. For in that was a lot of progress in his n to change our opinions of him.


    She had agreed to his request on the condition that he didn¡¯t try to kill himself again no matter how hard things got. Inwardly he was chocte at a misconception on him trying to end his life but outside he had maintained the conflicted expression before affirming to a request. She seemed to be satisfied and they are chatted a bit before going to their various rooms.


    Now as hey on his bed, he couldn¡¯t help but remember every little details about her. From the way the corner of eyes crinkled anytime she smiled to the way she always tried to catch a glimpse of him while she thought he was not looking.


    He really loved her voice, herughter, her face that was almost always red because she always got flustered, the way she touched her nose when she felt awkward and embarrassed and most especially and violet eyes. He was oddly drawn to them as they seemed like an abyss of endless seduction.


    He found every bit of her cute and innocent and the Wolf in him wed at a chance to ruin every bit of that innocent. He didn¡¯t want to hurt her as that would make him hurt.


    He wanted to unravel heryers bit by bit and taint her innocence but he knew not to rush into things lest she got scared and ran away.


    He was going to slowly ease into thing and make her want him as much as he wanted her.


    What he felt for her was not by any chance live, it was unbridled lust and a time he of adoration.


    He just couldn¡¯t wait till she was red faced under him, not out embarrassment or being flustered but because she is oversensitive from multiple orgasms.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to see her the next day.


    He had to keep up his charade of being an assistant but he would dly do so just to catch a glimpse of her.


    He soon freshened up andid on his bed in preparation to sleep.


    As he drifted off, only one name was on his tongue and in his dreams.


    Alyssa!

 CHAPTER TWENTY

    The morning sunlight started to trickle in through the openings in the curtains. Alyssa¡¯s legs were overheating in the spot where the sunlight directly fell on.


    She remained on the bed, numb and not willing to move an inch. All she could think about was the strange man she had met at the gardenst night.


    A small smile curved on her lips, but transited into a frown the moment she remembered what her mission entailed. The earlier sheid her hands on the artifact, the faster she would regain her freedom and flee from the countless torments that came from her home.


    ¡°Morning, sleeping beauty!¡± Tiffany said aloud as she barged into the room, intentionally being loud to get Alyssa out of bed.


    Alyssa let out a grumpy response and recoiled herself back into bed. She was clearly not ready to start her day.


    ¡°You have quite some things to do today. First, to clean the maid¡¯s quarters and then, the garden as well¡­¡±, Tiffany was still exining when Alyssa jerked up and red at her with curiosity dancing in her eyes.


    She lived in the maid quarters. However, it was quite difficult to strike a productive conversation with the maids, because of how serious they appeared while carrying out their duties. Meeting them in their various rooms would trigger some mood that might make them divulge information about the golden artifact.


    ¡°Why are you suddenly beaming? What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tiffany asked as she took closer steps to Alyssa, who was now sitting up on the bed.


    ¡°Nothing actually¡±, Alyssa replied and stood to her feet. There was possibly no way that she would tell Tiffany of her plot to get the artifact.


    ¡°I can perceive that it would be a great day¡±, Alyssa mumbled under her breath as she strolled into the bathroom to take a nice bath.


    The garden was the spot where she met the stranger who she can¡¯t get her mind off. And then, the maid¡¯s quarters was a ce she craved to explore; especially when she would be cleaning everyone¡¯s room.


    Just as she wore her clothes, her mind drifted away in thoughts. She wondered what the strange man might be up to and if he was thinking of killing himself again.


    He had promised not to, but Alyssa wasn¡¯t fully convinced. The only way to know was to meet with him, and that was where the problemid; where to find him¡­


    ¡°You are lost in thoughts¡±, Tiffany observed, while Alyssa chuckled to conceal how anxious and worried she was.


    ¡°You look worried too¡­¡±, Tiffany added as they both made their way out of the room.


    Alyssa made to talk, but the words got stuck in her throat. Tiffany appeared to be smart, and Alyssa feared that she would pick out details of her ns.


    ¡°Talk to me. I¡¯m your friend now, and you can¡¯t hide things from me¡±, Tiffany nudged on her while she broke into fakeughter.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hide anything from you! I promise¡±, Alyssa said, and quickly lowered her eyes to the ground.


    She felt a pinch of guilt the moment she made their utterance. She was making a promise built on lies, and it pierced through her heart. But then, she needed to do that if she wanted to get Tiffany off her sleeves.


    ***


    Alyssa wiped off the sweats on her forehead as she let out a deep breath. She was truly exhausted, but still thankful. Mopping the floors of the pce as a maid was preferable to getting hit in her home, even though she was a princess.


    She rounded up with the first maid¡¯s room and just as she made to proceed to the next, the upants strolled in.


    Her heart raced in excitement as she thought of ways to bring up the conversation.


    ¡°I just got done with cleaning your room¡±, she said with a wide smile.


    The two maids reciprocated with a soft smile, after which they sank into the bed and picked up a book to get busy with.


    It was clear that they were exhausted, but Alyssa was not willing to leave without giving a shot.


    ¡°This pce is really a big ce. I mean, it¡¯s more like I¡¯m living in those fantasy books I read when I was younger¡±, Alyssamented and chuckled lightly.


    One of the maid¡¯s chucked as well, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help feeling d. At least, someone wanted to have a conversation with her.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve heard stories about this pce. Many of which I can¡¯t help but think it¡¯s true. I mean, like the story of the golden artifact that gives strength and power¡±, she started, wriggling her fingers to sound more authentic.


    ¡°There are many stories like that. I always shove them aside as mere myths and fairy tales¡±, the maid, who seemed interested, replied with keen interest.


    ¡°How sure are you that the golden artifact is notying somewhere around this pce?¡± Alyssa pushed further, bing excited that the maid was giving her an ear.


    ¡°And you think that if it¡¯s here, people won¡¯te for it? Trust me, if it were here, there would be war. Or someone would have stolen it already¡±, the maid replied.


    Alyssa gulped down hard and quickly nodded her head in understanding. If only they knew that she was actually here to steal the golden artifact¡­


    She moved on to the next room, and it turned out to be worse than the first. They had dismissed her the minute she was done cleaning, and the fierce res on their faces made Alyssa retreat.


    ¡°How about the King¡¯s chambers? You usually take care of cleaning it up. Are you convinced that you caught no sight of it any day?¡± Alyssa asked another maid, who had told her that she was the most frequent person in charge of cleaning up the King¡¯s chambers.


    ¡°Nothing of such is there. However, you need toy eyes on the number of ornaments he has lying around his chambers. Most times, I imagined how being the queen would look like¡­¡±, thedy went on with bbing about how beautiful the King chambers looked and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but feel exhausted.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± She said and quickly dashed out of the room.


    That was thest maid¡¯s room she was assigned to clean. She was done with cleaning up, but no glimpse of information showed up at any point.


    She sighed in frustration as she slowly made her way to the garden, which was thest thing on her list.


    Just as she approached the garden, she looked around for signs of Liam. Her heart craved to see him because she wanted to be sure that he was doing okay. Deep down, she wondered if he was still alive and unknowingly, fear gripped her.


    She thought of asking some servants around, but she wasn¡¯t lucky to meet anyone around.


    Yesterday, they had nned to meet in the same spot in the evening. However, it was still morning and her eyes were itching to grace his presence.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    She wandered into the garden, with a hedge shears in her hands. Her chore was to trim down the flowers, but it started looking as if it were to find the stranger.


    Just then, she heard something dropping into theke. Her heart skipped and with every strength she could find, she ran towards theke in the garden.

 CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Alyssa screamed as she rushed towards Liam who sharply turned to look at her.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill yourself¡± Alyssa pleaded and held his wrist as she led him out of theke.


    Liam scoffed and red at her in amusement. Never in his life had he seen a girl so caring and selfless like Alyssa.


    ¡°Alyssa¡± He whispered quietly as a tingly feeling surmounted his stomach.


    She gulped down hard and finally settled her gaze on him. Just like yesterday, she had found him standing at the edge of the bridge, and thoughts of what might have happened to him if she didn¡¯t show up made her turn cold in fear.


    ¡°How could you think of doing that again? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be d that you are alive? I already promised that I would be here whenever you wanted someone to talk to. Why then do you intend to take your life?¡± Alyssa barked angrily as she peered piercingly into his confused eyes.


    She couldn¡¯t tell why it pained her so much. Perhaps, she cared about people¡¯s life, or maybe, she couldn¡¯t live with thoughts of not setting her eyes on him again.


    ¡°I was only admiring the beauty of theke¡± Liam said to Alyssa who was now sitting on the grass and somewhat, lost in thoughts.


    Liam couldn¡¯t figure out the expression to wear. Her face looked gloomy and that made him feel like breaking into a loudughter. But also, he remembered that she thought he was a servant who wanted to take his life and that made him feels every bit of guilt.


    ¡°Alyssa¡± he whispered softly as he sat down beside her and tucked her hairs between her ears.


    Alyssa jerked up the moment his hands came in contact with her skin. She couldn¡¯t decipher what her body felt that moment, but she could swear that she wanted more of it.


    ¡°You are very peaceful and my heart is a lot settled now¡±, Liam said with a sincere gaze, with Alyssa throwing a puzzled gaze at him.


    He was true with his words. The day had been hectic so far. His father had summoned him and his men for a meeting once it was dawn and the details of the meeting bored him to death. While they conversed about political alliances, treaties, and royal gift exchanges, Liam¡¯s mind was enclosed with thoughts of Alyssa and her alluring smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t kill yourself¡±, Alyssa muttered the exact words she had in her heart.


    Almost immediately, she stood to her feet and picked up the hedge shears. She was almost at the verge of forgetting that she had to trim the flowers.


    ¡°I won¡¯t kill myself. At least, not after I¡¯ve set my eyes on you. You are worth staying alive¡±, Liammented and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help blushing.


    She headed over to the flowers and started trimming them down, ignoring Liam who stood by the side while admiring her.


    ¡°I love your outfit¡±, Alyssamented with a small smile on her face.


    The air was bing awkward and she needed to lighten it up with some pleasantpliments.


    Liam narrowed his eyes to what he was d in; a blue tunic which he had collected from one of his very faithful servants.


    It was the newest in the servant¡¯s collection and wasn¡¯t surprising to see that Alyssa loved it.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t said anything to my response. It still seems as if you don¡¯t believe that I won¡¯t kill myself, Liam said to Alyssa who honestly couldn¡¯t provide a response.


    It was certainly no coincidence that she saw him standing right at the edge of the bridge. Any little misstep would have seen him falling directly into theke.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±she was saying when something caught their attention in theke.


    ¡°That¡¯s a duck! It has new ducklings¡±, Alyssa squealed in excitement as she rushed closer to theke.


    Liam sauntered behind her, clearing enjoying every minute she stood beside him.


    ¡°They are beautiful!¡± She noted in tion, fixing her eyes on how they moved in the water.


    The next minutes saw them talking about different animals and their young ones.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°If I¡¯m to be an animal, it would certainly be an eagle¡±, Alyssa said to Liam with a wide smile dancing on her lips.


    Liam chuckled in amusement. He had thought that she would choose a dog or cat sincedies are more acquainted with such pets.


    ¡°For me, I would be a tortoise!¡± Liam added and together, theughed aloud.


    Alyssa was having every bit of fun and deep down, she couldn¡¯t help feeling d that they had assigned the garden to her.


    ¡°Why the tortoise? In some books, they are known as tricky and sneaky animals¡±, Alyssa noted and Liam smiled calmly.


    He had chose the tortoise because it was truly his best animal. He believed that the tortoise was a slow and very strategic animal. In order words, smart and calctive.


    However, Alyssa¡¯s perspective threw him off bnce, especially because he was currently tricking her.


    ¡°I just love how smart the tortoise is. He¡¯s not as loud and powerful as the others, but he ends up pushing them aside¡±, Liam exined, with Alyssa staring at him intently.


    ¡°I love the eagles because they are fearless Liams. An eagle will never surrender to his prey, no matter what their size might be. It would end up fighting until he has won his territory¡±, Alyssa said and chucked calmly.


    Liam admired her lips as she smoke and all he thought about was savoring them until he explorer every part of it.


    ¡°You are beautiful, Alyssa¡±, Liam whispered and gazed into her soft eyes.


    Alyssa turned to stare at him.


    ¡°Thank you, Michael¡±, Alyssa responded.


    A small frown spread across his face the moment she called him Michael. He had totally forgotten that he had to change his name in order to preserve his lie.


    ¡°Come here, I have something for you¡±, Liam said, pulling Alyssa on her wrist and leading her to another part of the garden.


    It had beautiful flowers scattered around and all Alyssa could do was open her mouth in awe.


    Liam plucked out a flower and inhaled it deeply. That was his favorite flower because of how calming the scent was.


    ¡°This flower suits the role you y in my life. It smells so great like you¡±, he handed the flower over to her.


    Alyssa collected it and inhaled it deeply. The smell was enchanting that she wished she wouldn¡¯t take her nose off.


    She was the first girl to receive a flower from him. That was a big record in his life and this caused him to smile.


    The flower was still on her nose when she heard Liam¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Where are you from? And how about your family?¡± Liam asked and immediately, the flower fell from her grip.


    Her mood became sullen and without uttering any other word, she started walking away.


    ¡°Wait! Alyssa¡±, Liam called out, but kept mute when he gazed at her retreating figure that wasn¡¯t making any effort to swirl around.


    He wondered what might have gone wrong with his honest question.


    For a minute, he thought of running after her, but he shoved it aside when he recalled that he was prince and not a servant.


    At this, he dejectedly walked out of the garden and towards the hidden corner where he would take off his disguise.

 CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

    Alyssa wandered around the pce for a while, until it was dusk. The question that had erupted from Liam made her mood turn sour in a split second and all she needed was to stay alone.


    A part of her heart wandered if he was going to be okay, especially when his heart was already upied with suicidal thoughts. But then, she shoved it aside to take a good look at her own life. Her life was messed up and she had no idea of how and when things would be normal.


    Her eyes were brimming with tears as several thoughts swirled around her head. And as she sat down at a hidden corner of the pce, she wished that she could live a life free from all the pain and trauma she had experienced.


    She didn¡¯t leave that spot until it was already dark. Her heart had been so overwhelmed that she lost track of time.


    The moment she got into the room, Tiffany jerked up and hurried towards her. Apparently, she had been in worry all through the day.


    ¡°Where have you been? I was beginning to worry that something bad had happened to you!¡± Tiffany blurted out in exasperation as she pulled Alyssa into a tight hug.


    Alyssa smiled sadly and pulled out of the hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I only went out for some air since I was done with my chores¡±, Alyssa replied and started walking towards her bed to avoid more questionsing from Tiffany.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out since morning. I mean, I was beginning to think that something bad had happened to you!¡± Tiffany said, with sincere worry written all over her face.


    Alyssa smiled calmly and took in a deep breath. She was indeed the luckiest to have a friend as Tiffany. It was as though nature was beginning to smile at her and pay her for her unending patience in her home. Tiffany showed up at the very moment when she needed someone to talk to, and she haven¡¯t changed a bit since then.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Tiffany. I mean, I had no idea that my absence would get you worried¡±, Alyssa replied as she took off her clothes to wear something morefortable.


    The night was a long one for Alyssa and Tiffany. Alyssa kept tossing on the bed restlessly, while Tiffany stayed wide awake to monitor her.


    After what seemed like ages, Tiffany left her bed and walked over to that of Alyssa.


    She curled herself into the bed and tapped her lightly. Alyssa opened her eyes abruptly and they were still brightly lit and active; an indication that she haven¡¯t slept a bit.


    ¡°You¡¯re still awake and restless. Is everything okay?¡± Tiffany asked with a voice filled with concern.


    Alyssa sighed deeply and forced out a smile that didn¡¯t get to her eyes. She was not fine, but she wasn¡¯t ready to bother Tiffany with the reasons behind her mood.


    Tiffany caressed her back lovingly,forting and assuring her that everything was going to be okay. She had thought that Alyssa¡¯s mood was as a result of the abuse she faced earlier in life.


    And without uttering any more words, they both went to sleep, in thefort of each other¡¯s arms.


    ***


    The next morning started and each maid was assigned their chore for the day. Alyssa was in charge of cleaning the library. She was excited about that, especially because of how much she loved reading ancient and historical books.


    Her heart bubbled when she thought of the golden artifact. Perhaps, details of it are imbedded in a book of some sort at the library. With this thought, she made her way to the library, not just to clean, but to search for information.


    Alyssa walked into the library and stopped to look around. The broad daylight didn¡¯t reach the room, instead the hanging lights above them did the job of illuminating the big hall.


    It was extremely quiet and Alyssa wasn¡¯t surprised. In royal stories, the library should be the best ce for the princes who would do all it takes to sharpen their brain with several historical information that would help them in ruling the kingdom. It was an exception in this pce and Alyssa didn¡¯t seem to be a little bit surprised.


    The princes had their different lives and from what she heard about them, they weren¡¯t responsible enough to hang around the library in search of books that would sharpen their knowledge.


    A small smile spread across her face. It was an advantage to her, especially because she was at the verge of ransacking the room in search of a book with solid information.


    Just as she thought, each tall shelf of the library spoke of ancient volume. It had books on war and artifacts which the kingdom had acquired. Alyssa flipped through the pages of each book she picked, but nothing about the golden artifactid there.


    She was about to proceed to the next when she heard someone clearing his throat just beside her.


    The book fell from her hands and she sprang up in fear. A huge sigh of relief fell from her lips the moment her eyes rested on Liam who had a smirk on his face.


    ¡°Are you that scared?¡± He scoffed while she rolled her eyes at him and picked up the book.


    The library was in total mess. The books on each shelf she ransackedid on the ground, but she wasn¡¯t bothered.


    ¡°Are you looking for something?¡± Liam asked with curiosity dancing in his eyes. He wanted to understand why the library was in such mess, rather than getting cleaned up.


    ¡°Well¡­¡±, Alyssa started as she thought of a quick lie to tell.


    ¡°I thought that cleaning each shelf won¡¯t be bad. I mean, like a thorough clean up¡±, she said and chuckled lightly to conceal the tension in the air.


    Liam nodded his head in satisfaction. She was a maid who could go far in ensuring she did the best while carrying out her duties.


    ¡°Sorry about yesterday¡±, Liam apologized, peering piercingly into her warm eyes.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be sorry. You did no wrong¡±, she said and waved her hands, indicating that they should get done with the conversation.


    ¡°I was beginning to feel that I got you pissed¡±, Liam chimed out while Alyssa chucked.


    ¡°Not at all! I had to leave because I remembered that I had a chore to take care of¡±, Alyssa lied and lowered her eyes to the ground. She felt guilty each time she lied, but there was need to save herself.


    ¡°So, we¡¯re good?¡± Liam asked, with his eyes gleaming in excitement.


    Alyssa nodded and chuckled again. For the next minutes, they stared at each other silently, different thoughts raging through their soul.


    Liam was d that they were cool. He wouldn¡¯t have forgiven himself if his actions caused a rift in their rtionship.


    ¡°I should be on my way then¡­¡±, Liam announced and Alyssa nodded her head immediately.


    She needed to clean up the mess in the library before someone else shows up and thinks that she is up to something.


    Liam smiled at her as he took few steps backwards. Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but gape at him as though he were a god. His body was worth dying for and in her silent heart, she thought of how it would feel to touch his bare skin.


    Just then, she caught sight of something on his wrist and bicep; gold. The position of the gold on Liam¡¯s wrist only meant one thing; royalty.

 CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

    Alyssa nced at the clock, following the sound it made and watching as each seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to an hour.


    Finally, she stood to her feet and nced at the mirror, admiring herself and tucking her hair beside her ear.


    Tiffany watched her from a corner in the room, curious about her acts and wondering why she was suddenly so obsessed with looking good.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting quite different these days. I mean, suspicious¡­¡±, Tiffany noted but kept mute the moment Alyssa shot a dead re across to her.


    Alyssa danced at the front of the mirror after which she swirled around to stare at Tiffany.


    ¡°Do I look good?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°Of course! Everyone would die to have you at mere nce¡±, Tiffany said, meaning every single word she uttered.


    Alyssa nodded her head and set out for the door, ignoring Tiffany questioning res.


    It was evening. The cold breeze wafted through her nostrils, causing her to smile in delight. Since afternoon, she had waited for evening toe because she couldn¡¯t wait to set her eyes on him.


    They had met earlier at the library, but she looked forward to meeting him at the garden where they first met.


    Just as she walked into the garden, her mind wandered off in thoughts of what she had observed earlier. The gold wrapped around his wrists and biceps was certainly a sign of royalty. Her mind clicked on the fact that he worked directly for the prince, but considering how cold and wicked he was rumored to be, she doubted that he would gift his servant such a thing. For a prince who hates the sight of handsome servants, it was definitely queer to think that he would allow his servant wear such an adornment before him.


    ¡°And herees Alyssa, the most beautiful of all times¡±, she heard Liam¡¯s voice and immediately, her heart skipped a beat.


    Her stomach twirled in excitement and suddenly, it seemed as though her legs had given her away.


    ¡°Hi, Michael¡±, Alyssa said, trying so hard to hide her red cheeks that were already giving her away.


    Liam strolled forward and pulled her into a warm hug. Just as they disentangled, she caught sight of the gold on his wrists again.


    Her soul craved to get answers on that, but she would rather not ruin such sweet moments with unnecessary questions that might arouse suspicion.


    ¡°So, how long have you worked in the pce?¡± Alyssa questioned as she stared at him keenly.


    Liam chuckled as her question, bracing up himself to avoid giving away information that would reveal his status.


    ¡°About three years ago. My father was the royal physician¡±, Liam exined and darted his eyes to the ground.


    There was just something about this conversation that didn¡¯t go down well for him. It ached his heart to see that he lied to a woman he loved.


    ¡°Wow! That¡¯s great. I mean, the son of a physician is one himself, isn¡¯t it?¡± Alyssa asked and immediately, Liam started coughing.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    With a smile on her face, she stretched her hands towards his back and patted it calmly to soothe his cough.


    ¡°Sorry about that¡±, she whispered, caressing his neck calmly.


    Liam became stiff. For minutes, he didn¡¯t move an inch. It felt as though the world was on standstill just as they peered into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Thank you¡±, Liam murmured and quickly narrowed his eyes away from her.


    ¡°Did you always want to work in the pce?¡± Liam asked while Alyssa searched her head for a suitable answer.


    ¡°Yes¡­i mean, everyone hopes to work in a royal pce. It¡¯s a big privilege¡±, Alyssa replied and quickly chuckled.


    Liam nodded, even though he was far from understanding her response.


    They gazed into the look for a moment, each lost in their different thoughts. They stole nces at each other and for the first time in a long time, Alyssa felt contented.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t n tomit suicide today?¡± Alyssa finally asked the one question that throbbed her head.


    Inasmuch as he appeared great and cool, she wanted to be sure that he was not nning something stupid again.


    Liam broke into a loudughter, clutching on his stomach and almost falling to the ground. Not only was Alyssa caring, she was filled with amusement.


    ¡°No! I didn¡¯t¡±, he said.


    ¡°Who would have such wild thoughts when they¡¯re now blessed with your beautiful face every evening?¡± Liam asked while Alyssa blushed and looked away.


    ¡°You are so beautiful, Alyssa. You have no idea¡±, Liammented.


    For a second, Alyssa mood fell and became sullen. She recalled the numerous maltreatment she got from step sister because of how she looked better than them.


    ¡°Thank you, Michael¡±, Alyssa replied with a bright smile.


    Liam felt another pang in his heart. He made to blurt out the truth, to tell her that his real name was nothing close to ¡°Michael¡±. But then, he gulped down the words right before they came off.


    Alyssa felt extremely bad for holding up crucial information about her life. Her heart was racing at his mere presence and with each minute that passed, she became convinced that she was falling for him. However, she was certain that he wasn¡¯t divulging everything about himself and that made her rx her nerves.


    ¡°How have life in the pce being?¡± Alyssa asked, with hopes of gaining more information about the golden artifact.


    ¡°Life in the pce have been great! I mean, not as bad as one would think¡±, Liam replied.


    ¡°Are you so close to the King?¡± Alyssa inquired, peering piercingly into his eyes.


    Alyssa could feel waves of guilt flushing through her, especially because she was misusing his trust for her selfish interest.


    ¡°Well, because I work directly for the prince, I make frequent contacts with the King¡±, Liam responded, without an iota of suspicion in her questions.


    ¡°So, have you heard the story of the golden artifact that makes the King strong and powerful?¡± She asked calmly, hoping that her voice did not sound of desperation.


    Liam turned a sharp look at her. It was quite strange that a mere maid was asking such question about something that was considered top secret.


    ¡°Ohh! I read of it in some stories while growing up¡­¡±, Alyssa chimed out when she realized that she might have sounded the wrong way.


    ¡°Really?¡± Liam asked and finally smiled to cover up his serious gaze.


    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t heard anything of such, neither have I ced my eyes on it. That only sums up to one thing; it¡¯s only a myth¡±, he said in conclusion while Alyssa nodded her head in understanding.


    Just then, a guard came towards where they stood. Liam was quick to catch sight of him just as he strolled towards them. Before he could utter a word, he brusquely grabbed him on his wrist and led him out.


    Alyssa stared at them from where she stood, wondering why Liam behaved so cruel and harsh to his fellow servant.


    After a while, Liam returned to Alyssa with a fake smile stered to his face.


    ¡°I need to go now, something just came up¡±, he bidded her goodnight and quickly dashed out of the garden.


    Alyssa was dazed and furious. She didn¡¯t like the fact that he treated someone else like that, even though his status was higher than that of the person. She swore to talk to him about it the next time they meet.

 CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

    Liam paced around his room, with his hand on his lower jaw and his heart beating out of his chest. He would have been discoveredst night if he wasn¡¯t so quick to act.


    His guard, Nathaniel hade to call him on the request of the King. He realized that he was harsh to himst night and that ached his heart greatly.


    Almost immediately, a knock startled him. He swirled around and met Nathaniel, who had his head lowered to the ground.


    ¡°I was told to inform you that breakfast is served, sir¡±, Nathaniel informed him and made to leave when Liam held him back.


    ¡°Nat!¡± Liam mumbled and took slow steps towards him.


    ¡°I¡¯m extremely sorry for how I reactedst night. It was not intentional¡±, he said, with his face filled with sincerity.


    Nat nodded. He was still shocked and surprised that the prince who hardly raised his voice at him did so with much ease yesterday.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was quite shocked, but it¡¯s fine¡­¡±, Nat responded as he decided to brush it off his heart.


    The atmosphere turned silent. Liam clearly had something to say, while Nat waited to listen.


    Finally, Liam spewed the thoughts of his heart.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m taken by the maid, Alyssa¡­¡±, Liam divulged and for a minute, Nat thought that he had heard wrongly.


    It was amusing at first, but when he saw the serious look on Liams face, he quickly wore a frown.


    ¡°You and a maid?¡± Nat questioned and Liam nodded.


    Nat let out a scoff and folded his hands to his chest. He had thought that Liam was only bbing, but he didn¡¯t look like it.


    ¡°You are a prince¡±, Nat blurted out in a reminding tone, as though Liam had forgotten who he was.


    ¡°I know¡­¡±, Liam mumbled and sighed deeply.


    He walked over to his bed and sank into it in confusion. Things were beginning to be deep between he and Alyssa. It scared the hell out of him, especially when he thought of what the oue would be at the end.


    ¡°You know that it¡¯s not possible!¡± Nat cried out and Liam red at him, without a response.


    ¡°Does she know that you are a prince?¡± Nat asked, even though he knew the answer.


    ¡°Of course not! Would a prince be d in a servant¡¯s tunic?¡± Liam asked with a bewildered look.


    ¡°This is bingplicated. She would never go close to you if she knew that you are the prince¡±, Nat said while Liam nodded in agreement.


    ¡°That¡¯s why she can¡¯t know who I am¡­not yet¡±, Liam exined in exasperation.


    ¡°It¡¯s of no use. You would never be able to express your emotions and that would be same with her. You are only starting up something that would end up as a massive disaster¡±, Nat tried to exin and for a moment, Liam pondered on his words.


    ¡°I need you to think about all of these. I mean, having feelings for her is useless and you might end up hurting her¡±, Nat said in conclusion after which he bowed and took his leave.


    Liam sighed deeply and fell back on his bed. He understood every bit of what Nat had uttered, but thoughts of staying away from her face ced his soul on fire.


    However, he realized that sooner orter, Alyssa woulde to know the truth, and that would shatter her to the core. She would never forgive him once she realizes that he lied to her.


    He needed to act now and the only way he could think of was staying away from her. That would save them the stress of getting so attached to each other and falling off in the process.


    ***


    The next morning didn¡¯te with so much activities. Liam had nothing much to do, but because of his dire need to shove thoughts of Alyssa aside, he called for a meeting.


    Alyssa on the other hand walked around the pce at intervals. She hoped that she would catch sight of Liam somewhere around. Deep down, she craved to talk to him about what he did to his fellow servant yesterday.


    All her efforts to meet with him was futile and she had no option other than to wait for the evening time.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam was done with the meeting in the morning. However, he felt the need to call for another meeting in the evening, because he wouldn¡¯t want to follow the part of his heart that would lead him to the garden. He needed to be engrossed with as many things as he could until the day went by¡­


    And so, at the time when he would normally meet with Alyssa, he was in a meeting with the elders and his men.


    ¡°Tell me about the shipment of the resources our men have produced?¡± Hunger asked for the hundredth time.


    He had talked extensively with his men, but because of how much he wanted to remain engrossed.


    ¡°We have just talked about that. The shipment took off yesterday and they should be heading north by evening¡±, an elder present exined again, clearly in exasperation.


    Liam nodded his head in understanding and finally dismissed them. It was dusk now, and he was certain that Alyssa would have retired to bed.


    Liam was strolling to his quarters when an elder hurriedly approached him.


    ¡°Your highness! A moment please¡­¡±, he said as he tried to catch up with Liam.


    Liam stopped walking as he swirled around to give the elder an audience. They had just finished a meeting some minutes ago and he couldn¡¯t help but think of a valid reason behind him following him again.


    ¡°Yes?¡±Liam replied.


    ¡°We have just finished a meeting. Everything was meant to be discussed there¡±, Liam said and the man nodded in approval.


    ¡°The truth is that I¡¯m trying to restrain the information, because if the people get to know, there might be chaos¡±, the elder exined, with Liam listening with rapt attention.


    ¡°There is news of a kingdom that is about to be annexed¡±, the elder said.


    Liam opened his eyes in shock, ring the man curiously.


    ¡°We need to be on guard in case they make ns to attack us. It should be a turn around and we should be the one to take over their poption instead¡±, the elder said in conclusion while Liam nodded his head in understanding.


    Liam could smell tension on the air, even if the elder had told him that it was only mere rumors. His instincts were beginning to speak of danger. Whenever a kingdom wants to be annexed, it bes war and if they are not ready for it, they would turn out to be under the authority of another kingdom.


    ¡°That can never happen!¡± Liam said defiantly as he finally walked into his room.


    It was a hard day for him, but he was d that he was able to scale through it without catching sight of Alyssa. It was a long night for him too. He kept tossing on the bed, because all he could think of was Alyssa and he soft soothing smile.


    He wondered how he would live in the pce without setting eyes on her. That would definitely be the most difficult punishment he what ever given to himself. But then, he was up for it, as long as it prevented him from falling in so deep with a maid.


    He finally retired to sleep in the early hours of the morning.

 CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

    Alyssa arranged each of the clothes she had just washed on the cloth line, hoping that she would catch a glimpse of Liam who suddenly disappeared into thin air.


    They were meant to meet yesterday at dusk, but she waited and he never came. He didn¡¯t drop any message of any sort and it was looking as though he snubbed her all through the day.


    She sighed deeply the moment she was done arranging the clothes on the line. Alyssa had spent over thirty minutes, intentionally reducing her pace just to catch a glimpse of him.


    When she realized that he wasn¡¯t going to show up, she retreated back to her room.


    At a distance, she caught sight of Liam who was currently engrossed in a discussion with his servant, Nathaniel.


    He was d in his servant¡¯s tunic and he did that just incase he bumped into Alyssa. He knew that he wanted to avoid her, but before she finally knew the truth, he had to keep up with the image her had created about himself on her head.


    Liam was in the middle of his discussion when something drew his attention. Someone was standing some distance away and ring at him.


    He gulped when he realized that it was Alyssa who he had sworn to avoid all through the day.


    ¡°I should be on my way to the library¡±, Liam said to Nathaniel who quickly nodded his head in approval.


    He supported Liam¡¯s decision of staying away from Alyssa since they would never end up together. To him, servants were made for servants and royalty for royalty.


    Liam quickly dashed into the library, even though he could feel the cold gaze of Alyssa piercing right into his soul.


    Alyssa remained dazed for a second, watching the retreating figure of Liam and wondering if it was really Liam.


    Her mind twirled around with various thoughts especially because he was in a conversation with the man who he shouted at yesterday.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he see me?¡± Alyssa asked herself for the hundredth time and when she couldn¡¯t raise a response, she decided to search for it.


    With determination burning through her heart to know what¡¯s wrong, she sauntered towards the library.


    She met him at the library, reading a book and engrossed in whatever knowledge he was gaining from it. From the door, she studied him for a moment and that was when she picked out the sullen look on his face.


    She had seen him talking to the servant earlier, so she concluded that he was trying to apologize because he felt remorse for his actions. Deep down her heart, she was truly d that he wasn¡¯t the way he posed to be.


    ¡°Hi, Michael!¡± Alyssa finally said after feeding her eyes with enough details of him.


    Liam jerked to his feet and quickly dashed out of the library, pretending as though had no idea that she was standing some feet away from where he was.


    Alyssa made to follow him, but she knew that it would only get her in trouble. As a maid in the pce, it would not only ruin your reputation if it is heard that you¡¯re having any affair with anyone in the pce, it would also trigger great punishment directly from the queen.


    With a dejected look, she made her way back to her room. For some hours, she stayed inside, trying to think of why he ignored her the minute he caught sight of her.


    After having several thoughts, she set out again to seek audience with him. She met him at the garden, sitting on the ground and gazing over at theke.


    Liam was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn¡¯t realize the ascending footsteps of Alyssa. He hade to the garden because he thought that she wouldn¡¯t think of finding him there, especially because their meeting time was ted for evenings.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°Michael!¡± Alyssa called aloud, adding more intensity to her voice.


    Liam shuddered and quickly stood to his feet. He couldn¡¯t turn his back to look at her because he was already aware of who it was.


    And just right on time, he found Nathaniel waving at him from the right corner of the garden. He breath out in relief and hurriedly dashed out, ignoring and pretending as though Alyssa didn¡¯t call out his name.


    Alyssa scoffed and shook her head in shock. It was now clear that he was avoiding her and she didn¡¯t like the way she felt about that. It was as though her heart was tearing apart and she hated the feel of it.


    She walked out of the garden, looking like a fool in love with someone who didn¡¯t want her. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, but she blinked them off and promised herself to remain fine.


    All she wanted was a means to talk to him and demand to know what it wrong.


    The opportunity came when they bumped into each other at the front door of the utility closet. Alyssa knew that he would make efforts to ignore her again and without waiting for him to act up, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the room.


    Liam was shocked to his bones. He never thought or imagined that she would be able to do such a thing at the pce. She was really fearless¡­


    ¡°Why are you avoiding me?¡± Alyssa asked as she pinned him to the wall and peered piercingly into his eyes.


    Liam swallowed hard and lowered his head to the ground. He couldn¡¯t bear looking at her, because it only reminded him of how beautiful she looks and how he craved to explore every part of her body.


    ¡°I¡¯m not avoiding you. I¡¯ve only been busy with running errands for the prince¡±, Liam replied, still ignoring her cold gaze.


    Alyssa scoffed, clearing not in the mood to believe all what he had just said.


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here together. What if someone sees us?¡± Liam asked with clear worry in his eyes. He was hoping that it would scare her off and make her get off him, but she only heightened the scowl on her face.


    ¡°Are you trying to avoid me? You made me think that we are now good friends and you want to suddenly disappear?¡± Alyssa asked as she tried so hard to conceal the different emotions that were now beginning to troop into her heart.


    She was extremely hurt and despite how hard she tried to hide it, Liam caught sight of it¡­


    Liam felt every strength in him dying away the moment he caught a glimpse of tears in her eyes. He had truly hurt her and he hated himself for it.


    ¡°The prince got mad at me when he heard from a guard that I¡¯ve been seeing a maid, instead of tending to my duties¡±, he narrated while Alyssa¡¯s face extorted in rage.


    ¡°I should do talk to whoever guard did that! Was it the one you stood with earlier?¡± Alyssa asked, with her blood boiling in fury.


    She made to leave, but hunger held her hands calmly.


    Everything changed for the next couple of minutes, they stared into each other¡¯s eyes, with wild desires surging through their souls.


    Liam leaned closer to her lips, feeding his eyes with it and waiting for the minute his lips would finally be one with hers.


    Alyssa closed her eyes tightly, awaiting the kiss¡­


    However, a knock on the door jolted them out of their fantasies.

 CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

    ¡°Someone¡¯s here¡±, Alyssa quickly said as she arranged her cloth and searched around for a ce to hide Liam.


    ¡°Alyssa?¡± She heard Tiffany¡¯s voice from the other side of the door and immediately, her heart dropped.


    ¡°Hide behind the door!¡± Shemanded Liam who was still looking at her in amusement.


    She hurriedly pushed him behind the door after which she cleared her throat and ced a fake smile that didn¡¯t get to her eyes.


    ¡°Alyssa! Open the door¡±, Tiffany called out again, this time, louder than she was at first.


    Alyssa quickly turned the door knob and opened the door, trying so hard to conceal how nervous she felt at the moment.


    Tiffany walked into the room, looking around as though she had something in mind.


    ¡°Are you searching for something?¡± Alyssa asked, still with her fake smile on her lips.


    Tiffany brushed Alyssa again for the hundredth time since she walked into the room and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but wish that she would leave already.


    ¡°Who is in here with you?¡± Tiffany finally asked and Alyssa¡¯s heart dropped.


    She quickly switched her look to extreme shock and surprise.


    ¡°I¡¯m here with me? There is no one here. Are you trying to sound ridiculous?¡± Alyssa said and chuckled calmly.


    ¡°I heard a voice earlier. It sounded so loud that I concluded he was here¡±, Tiffany exined, but Alyssa gaped at her as though she were a ghost.


    ¡°Well, this pce is so huge! Different voices can be heard across various rooms. You probably heard a voice from another room and mistook it to be in this room¡±, Alyssa exined, silently hoping that she sounded convincing enough.


    Tiffany took in a deep breath and peered piercingly into her eyes. Alyssa fidgeted for a moment and Tiffany caught that right before she knew. Tiffany had only known Alyssa for sometime, but she was certain that all she uttered was blunt lies.


    ¡°Okay¡±, she finally said in conclusion, even though she didn¡¯t believe Alyssa. She only believed that even though she was lying at the moment, she woulde clean in no time.


    ¡°Did you miss me? Was that why you went in search of me?¡± Alyssa said and hit her on the shoulders yfully.


    Tiffany smiled and nodded. Indeed, she missed Alyssa in the room. Actually, she came out in search for her because she was starting to feel that something was wrong with her recent behavior.


    She took silly walks at odd hours of the night and she seemed to have be more disoriented and distracted by something she couldn¡¯t ce her hands on.


    ¡°I missed you too!¡± Alyssa said and hugged her firmly.


    She was only doing so to make Tiffany forget about anything that may have been suspicious. And with their hands wrapped around each other¡¯s, they walked out of the room and back to their own room.


    In no time, they were done with their duties in the pce and in their free time, they decided to take a stroll and spend some time with themoners.


    Tiffany made the suggestion. She had been so bored from staying in the room all day the moment she got done with her chores. ording to her, you can learn from people everyday and mostly, themoners.


    Alyssa on the other hand jumped on the offer the moment it came because she wanted to use that as an opportunity to get some information about the artifact.


    ***


    The sun was scorching and the dry wind blew flickers of dust across Alyssa¡¯s face. She wore a face filled with smiles, because for some reasons she couldn¡¯t decipher, she was going to get a tangible information about the artifact.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Alyssa apologized the moment she bumped into amoner, causing the water he carried to fall on the ground.


    ¡°Sorry?¡± The man scoffed as he picked up his barrel to observe that it had just gotten broken.


    Alyssa was shocked to her bones. She had been so excited about today, and she had no idea that there would be chaos along the way.


    ¡°You broke my barrel! Do you know that even the golf artifact in the kings possession would never be able to buy this again?¡± The man cried out in pains while Alyssa stared at him in remorse.


    Wait! Golden artifact?


    She recalled that he had just blurted the words that were of utmost interest to her at the moment.


    ¡°This man might have an idea¡±, she thought silently as she smiled and counted some coins.


    She handed them over to him, with a wide smile on her face.


    ¡°I know that the barrel is expensive. I wish I could get you the golden artifact as a means to say how sorry I truly am¡±, she said to the man who rolled his eyes at her and snatched the money.


    ¡°The golden artifact is there at the King¡¯s pce! You can alwaysy your hands on it if you want to¡±, he hissed and walked away.


    Alyssa was in awe and without waiting to have any more thoughts, she followed him.


    ¡°Do you know the particr ce where it is hidden?¡± She asked with the most innocent voice she could find.


    She sounded like someone in need of a particr knowledge, rather than someone who had a motive ofying hands on it.


    ¡°It¡¯s someone in the pce. A ce where no one would ever think of¡­¡±, the man said and started walking.


    Alyssa followed again, but this time, the man gave her a dead re that caused her to stop in her tracks.


    ¡°Really?¡± Tiffany asked while Alyssa turned to look at her.


    She had totally forgotten that Tiffany was there with her.


    ¡°I just needed some knowledge from that man¡±, Alyssa said with a wide smile.


    ¡°You don¡¯t talk to strangers in such manner. What if he wants to harm you?¡± She questioned while Alyssa hugged her and patted her back.


    ¡°No one would harm me¡±, she said with every conviction she could find inside of her.


    The walked across the street, smiling at eachmoner they came across and dropping some coins to people who needed it most.


    Tiffany was enjoying every bit of it. She was able to rte to themoners. Since she had lived like one all her life, she considered herself to be part of them.


    ¡°The golden artifact?¡± Amoner who sold a street and traditional food asked Alyssa who was already munching on it.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Alyssa nodded.


    ¡°There was a time someone came for it¡±, The woman exined and Alyssa¡¯s eyes opened in shock.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked again, turning restless in a split of a second.


    Fresh sweats broke on her forehead as she thought of how possible it would be to regain her freedom if she doesn¡¯ty her hands on it.


    ¡°The person died!¡± The woman said with a sad voice while Alyssa gasped in horror.


    ¡°It is a fearful thing and I would advise who Ie in contact with to flee from anything that concerns the golden artifact¡±, the woman continued while Alyssa nodded her head in approval.


    ¡°The moment they know that someone hase for it, that person would be unable to escape their wrath!¡± The woman added and Alyssa¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Tiffany had no option other than dragging Alyssa away from the scene. She had no idea of why Alyssa was asking each and everyone about an artifact that might not be in existence.


    The rest of the people kept mute and denied them information. At this, they headed back to the pce.


    Just at the pce, a guard was waiting for Alyssa.


    She had been summoned by the queen¡­

 CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

    ¡°The queen?¡± Alyssa asked in bewilderment as she stared at the guard who nodded in affirmation and walked away.


    The queen was such a dominant and fierce woman and getting summoned by her didn¡¯t go down well with Alyssa.


    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not in trouble?¡± Tiffany, who was close when the guard had informed her asked, staring at her with worry in her eyes.


    Alyssa kept mute to search herself. She hadn¡¯t done anything wrong in the past few days. All she had been engrossed with was her chores, Liam and asking people around about the artifact.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Alyssa suddenly gasped in shock.


    ¡°Is the queen now aware that I¡¯m going about the kingdom and asking questions about the artifact?¡± She asked herself silently, ignoring the questioning red that Alyssa threw over at her.


    ¡°When the queen calls, you don¡¯t keep her waiting¡±, Tiffany finally said, when she realized that Alyssa was not going to divulge anything to her.


    She felt bad about it, but again, she reminded herself to be patient.


    She arrived at the royal quarters and was excorted to the dining quarters where the queen currently awaited her.


    Her legs were unsteady and her heart was beating furiously. She had beads of sweats on her forehead which she wiped out as she walked.


    The queen didn¡¯t look like a bad person, but then, she was scared of her especially because the reason why she suddenly summoned her was unknown.


    Alyssa finally got to the dining quarters and to her greatest shock, the queen was wearing a big smile.


    ¡°Your majesty!¡± Alyssa said in respect, bowing her head and forcing out a smile that was hard toe to her face.


    The queen smiled calmly and that disturbed Alyssa greatly. Seeing her smile in such manner made it more obvious that there was a problem.


    ¡°Sit¡±, the queen ordered and gestured on a servant toe over.


    Alyssa sat quietly, shifting ufortably on the chair and breathing heavily.


    The queen seemed to observe her difort and the prompted her to ask if she was okay.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing fine, my queen, I¡¯m just surprised that you summoned me to your quarters¡±, Alyssa chimed out, hoping that the queen would move directly to the point already.


    ¡°I was just about to have dinner. Would you like to join me?¡± The queen asked and Alyssa¡¯s face flushed in delight.


    It was such an honour to be called out as one who would have dinner or breakfast with the queen.


    ¡°It¡¯s an honour¡±, Alyssa replied, bowing her head lightly and trying to remain confident.


    The queen nodded and in a jiffy, the table started getting set.


    There were meals of various sorts ranging from bacon, steak, chicken and turkey.


    ¡°Serve yourself¡±, the queen ordered and again, Alyssa flushed in excitement.


    With a trembling hands, she set to pick out some food and as they ate, she prayed that she won¡¯t get choked on it.


    The queen was throwing some res at her and the more Alyssa tried to understand what the res entails, the more confused she became.


    ¡°Tell me about yourself Alyssa. I mean, do you n to get married soon?¡± The queen asked and for a minute, she thought that she had just heard wrongly.


    ¡°What?¡± Alyssa whispered, but the queen smiled at her and gestured for her to proceed with giving the answers.


    ¡°Not soon¡­I mean, I would be¡±, Alyssa stuttered, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t dive deeper into the conversation.


    ¡°Tell me about your parents, and childhood. Are you so close to them and did you have a childhood experience as a young girl? Feel free to talk to me, like a friend¡±, the queen said and Alyssa swallowed hard.


    Who dare speaks to the queen like a friend?


    Her heart was shaking in fright and her voice couldn¡¯t even remain stable.


    ¡°I had a great childhood with my family¡±, Alyssa responded and swallowed hard again. She was at the verge of talking about the worst part of her life and the worst was that she was going to lie about it.


    It pained her heart to the core, but she needed to do that if she didn¡¯t want to raise suspicion.


    ¡°I had a father who loved me with all his heart. He would teach me how to go fishing at the market. Most times, we made umbres and sold it during the rainy season¡±, Alyssa started, smiling calmly and blinking off the tears that were threatening to fall out of her eyes.


    She had no such childhood. But then, she always wished that her father was one who would treat her like such.


    ¡°He was a good man, I guess?¡± The queen asked and Alyssa raised her eyes to re at her.


    Her stare was cold, but the queen wasn¡¯t so observant to see it.


    ¡°He was good¡±, Alyssa replied in a soft sincere, but sarcastic voice.


    The queen nodded her head in understanding as silence erupted the atmosphere. Alyssa kept mute, going through her head for possible answers that mighte up from questions that the queen would throw at her.


    The queen smiled again and Alyssa¡¯s heart dropped in confusion.


    Different thoughts creeped into her head, but the most prevalent was the part that she have been discovered by the queen. That exined the reason why she picked interest in her, invited her for dinner and asked questions about her family.


    Fear gripped her heart and the only thing she could think about was generating means to escaped the pce without getting harmed.


    Meanwhile, the queen has earlier caught sight of Liam talking to Alyssa from a distance. She was unable to pick out what their conversation entailed, neither did ite to her knowledge that her son was d in a servants tunic. Her major intention for calling Alyssa over was to confirm if something was going on between her and Liam.


    ¡°You have been talking to somebody!¡± The queen finally said and Alyssa lifted her head in shock.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± She whispered inwardly when she realized that the queen might have discovered that she was meeting up with the prince head servant.


    ¡°Tell me, who have you been seeing and why?¡± The queen asked, with her domineering eyes making Alyssa blink in fear.


    Alyssa quickly jerked up and went on her knees. She had heard the queen¡¯s punishment was usually very severe, especially when someone goes against her rule.


    ¡°Forgive me your majesty!¡± Alyssa pleaded.


    The queen looked at her in amusement, wondering why she suddenly decided to act up in such manner.


    ¡°I¡¯m seeing no one. I have nothing to do with him¡±, Alyssa spewed and the queen nodded.


    She didn¡¯t need to tell Alyssa that Liam was her son. All she wanted to know was if there was something going on, and Alyssa had said that there was none.


    ¡°Take your leave¡±, she ordered Alyssa who quickly bowed her head and dashed out of the dining quarters.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just as Alyssa left the queen¡¯s quarters, all that engrossed her mind was the need to leave before it was going to be toote. The queen had sounded so strange and it was clear that she might have known something about her and Liam, or her n for the artifact. The punishment for thetter would definitely be death and she wasn¡¯t ready to die.


    She folded all her clothes and was about to leave when she met someone standing right at her door, unannounced. It was Liam¡­

 CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alyssa asked with a cracked voice as she blinked her eyes severally to be sure that she wasn¡¯t hallucinating.


    ¡°Hi, Alyssa¡±, Liam said in his soft and coarse voice that made her stomach swirl with excitement.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I came to see you¡±, Liam said, even though it was obvious that he hade to see her.


    Alyssa yelped in shock and hurriedly ran towards the door. She pushed him out until he no longer had a view of her room.


    ¡°How do you even know my room?¡± She asked him with a look of bewildered, but he only kept mute and gaped at her.


    Her heart was pounding with fear and anxiety. Her body was getting weak with each minute he remained close to her.


    ¡°You need to leave, Michael!¡± Alyssa said in a voice that showed urgency.


    A lot of things could go wrong at this point and Alyssa knew it. Already, she was sure that the queen was already suspecting her and Liam. She couldn¡¯t trade the little time she had to escape with having a conversation with Liam.


    ¡°I needed to see you¡±, Liams voice came again and this time, Alyssa lost her will.


    She blushed and looked away, trying so hard to hide her face from him.


    The fear of getting caught was beginning to diminish and what she was getting concerned in was having this moment with Liam, even though it might be theirst.


    ¡°Michael, you really cannot be here. Anybody can see you¡­¡±, she said as her voice trailed off.


    Liam didn¡¯t seem to be giving an ear to all what she uttered. His attention was focused on her lips and eyes.


    Tiffany could walk in at anytime and that would be the worst of all.


    Likewise, she didn¡¯t want him to see her intimate area and the ce sheid her bed to sleep.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a stroll¡±, Alyssa suddenly suggested as she came out of the room.


    She better take a stroll than be in the maid¡¯s room together with him.


    ¡°The weather is quite cold. I mean, you might get cold and sick¡±, Liam said.


    ¡°My room is not helpful either. It¡¯s hot and stuffy. I mean, the dust keeps getting into my nostrils and making my face red. It¡¯s so ufortable!¡± Alyssa said, even if she knew that she wasn¡¯t making sense, she only wanted to make him realize that he wasn¡¯t the reason for her red face.


    Liam chuckled silently after which he nodded his head and sauntered behind her. Alyssa was trembling in fear and as she walked, she tried to ensure that everywhere was clear from the view of any maid.


    ¡°Wait! Hide there!¡± She suddenly called out when she caught sight of Tiffany approaching her.


    Liam quickly dashed away to hide at the back of a dark cotton. That was the perfect space to hide because no one would catch a glimpse of him there.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡± Tiffany called out as she pulled her into a warm hug.


    ¡°How did it go with the queen? Is there a trouble?¡± Tiffany asked, calmly caressing Alyssa¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°Nothing! She only wanted me to deliver an information to one of the maids¡±, Alyssa said and smiled to cover up her lie.


    Tiffany stiffened for a moment. She wondered why the queen would call for Alyssa, when the head maid was there to take such information.


    However, she shoved it aside when she recalled that it was the pce and anything could be done at anytime.


    ¡°So, what are you doing at the hallway? You should be in your room. It¡¯s night already¡±, Tiffany said and started pulling Alyssa who struggled a bit.


    She kept darting her eyes towards the cotton, hoping that he was still hiding perfectly.


    ¡°Hold on! I just remembered that I have ast message to drop off. I mean, the queen left me a message for the head cook¡±, Alyssa said abruptly.


    Tiffany loosened her grip from her hand after which she nodded her head in understanding.


    The moment she left, Alyssa let out a massive sigh of relief.


    ***


    Liam walked beside Alyssa, stealing nces at her and observing how quiet and yet, troubled she looked.


    ¡°You look troubled¡±, Liam finally said while Alyssa sighed deeply and turned to look at him.


    ¡°Are you really telling me that?¡± She asked with a scowl on her face.


    Liam raised his brows, trying to decipher what she was trying to say.


    ¡°All through the day, you ignored me. It was as though you were now avoiding me¡±, Alyssained and quickly lowered her head to the floor.


    Liam was taken aback for a minute. He had swiftly decided to avoid her and he did that without putting her feelings and emotions in check.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡±, he finally apologized.


    Alyssa kept mute and wore a straight face, though she wasughing so hard inwardly. She liked how remorseful he was with his actions and that made her realize that he might be a good person after all.


    ¡°I missed you¡±, Liam suddenly said while Alyssa red at him in shock. She couldn¡¯t believe that he had just made such utterance.


    ¡°You did?¡± She asked, with her eyes opening in shock. She had thought that she was the only person interested in meeting up with him every evening. Seeing that he missed her made her heart burn in excitement.


    However, her mood turned sour when she recalled the conversation she had with the queen earlier. She had told the queen that she had nothing going on with anyone and if she realizes that it was only a lie, there would be trouble.


    ¡°Did you miss me?¡± Liam asked as he looked at Alyssa who chuckled at his question.


    ¡°Of course, I did¡±, she replied sincerely.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t missed a girl this way, all my life¡±, Liam confessed and Alyssa blushed. Hers was familiar with his. She had never met anyone who triggered the type of feelings she felt at the moment.


    ¡°You had such nerves toe into my room¡±, Alyssa chimed out. She was still in shock, because she never thought or imagined himing into her room in search of her.


    Liam chuckled. He never believed that he would be doing such a thing either. But then, with each minute that passed, he craved to see her and he couldn¡¯t wait anymore.


    They continued walking in silence. It was already quite dark and most of the servants and workers had retired to bed. That way, their meeting was much more discreet. The moon was out and the sky was littered with a handful of stars.


    The atmosphere was awkward too. Each time his body brushed off hers, her body was set on fire.


    None of them uttered any more words. They only gaped and stole nces.


    After a moment, Liam grabbed her on the waist and swirled her around until she faced him. Alyssa yelped in shock; she was not expecting the flip.


    Just then, he pulled her to the chest until his breath was now on her face.


    Alyssa¡¯s eyes widened in shock as they stare at each other. Everywhere turns dead silent, the world became on standstill. All what concerned Liam was the beautifuldy he had in his arms and what concerned Alyssa was his beautiful eyes and soft mint breath.


    She thought of what happened in the closet and again, she blushed. However, it didn¡¯tst, because almost immediately, she stretched out her hand to his chest and pulled him away with all her strength.

 CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

    Liam staggered backwards until he regained his bnce. Even in his wildest dreams, he never believed that Alyssa would push him such might.


    ¡°How dare you hold me like that?¡± Alyssa asked with a dead re, staring at him furiously and as though she was in for a fight.


    Liam was stunned at how she could easily switch her mood. A moment ago, they were both having a walk and talking excitedly and now, she was staring at him with a dead re.


    ¡°I¡¯m attracted to you and I know that you are attracted to me as well¡±, he exined while Alyssa opened her mouth in shock.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m attracted to you?¡± She scoffed and shook her head in dismay.


    ¡°I can see it from your body movement, the way you look at me and smiles you give to me. That onlyes when a woman desires a man¡±, Liam said with a small smile, as though he had uttered something extremely intelligent.


    ¡°You think that because you are a man, I would desire you?¡± Alyssa red up, with Liam gaping at her in shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s wrong for a man to determine the feelings of a woman. You have no right to say that you know what I feel about you, because you have no idea!¡± Alyssa blurted out in rage, startling Liam in the process.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know nothing¡­Michael¡±, Alyssa said and was about uttering another word when she felt something moist on her lips.


    She stopped talking immediately and that was when it dawned on her that Liam had just kissed her. With her eyes closed, she savored his lips, taking in the mint taste that came with it.


    Hunger lingered on her lips, roaming through every corner and giving her soft bites at intervals.


    Alyssa moaned in delight and that triggered Hunger¡¯s present excitement. He fondled her on the breast just as he deepened the kiss.


    Alyssa was overwhelmed with delight. This was probably the best thing she have had in her entire life.


    ¡°Michael¡­¡±, she mumbled and gasped as she did.


    His hands were doing wonders to her and she could swear that she didn¡¯t want it to stop.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop¡±, she murmured while Liam chuckled.


    He pulled out of the kiss and stared at her intently, watching and how she blushed and quickly looked away.


    ¡°Now tell me, do you desire me, or not?¡± He asked with a wide grin on his face.


    Again, Alyssa¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had craved for him that much. He was right, she desired him¡­


    Liamter bid her goodnight after which he walked away, leaving Alyssa who was still trying to process the details of everything that had just happened.


    She squealed in excitement, covering her mouth to avoid drawing attention. The kiss was the sweetest thing she ever experienced and at that same spot, she wanted more of it.


    Her excitement knew no bounds as she walked back to her room. It felt as though it was going to burst inside of her. She needed to talk to someone about it, because she couldn¡¯t hide it anymore.


    Alyssa got into the room and met the absence of Tiffany. She had thought Tiffany was around because she would have been the best person to listen to her and the feelings she has for the servant.


    She finally retired to sleep, even if it was a hard one. Each moment she made to sleep, she would continuously meet images of Liam gazing at her and staring at her lips. And then, she would toss on the bed, with her lips spread into a smile.


    ***


    Morning came faster than Alyssa imagined. She had only slept some hours to dawn and it wasn¡¯t surprising to see that her body felt as though she didn¡¯t get any sleep.


    She had been so engrossed with thoughts of Hunger that she didn¡¯t remember to sleep and rest from the day¡¯s activities.


    She went out for her daily chores and catches sight of Liam at several points. He was busy with people around and the only thing they did was wink at each other.


    Her mind was about to explode in excitement that for a moment, she forgot that she had nned to leave the pce after meeting with the queen yesterday. After the activity between her and Liam, she didn¡¯t see the need to run away anymore.


    She was going to stay and watch how everyone would end up.


    For her daily chores, she was to clean the queen quarter¡¯s and again, her heart hummed in excitement. She had always wanted to be given the privilege to clean the queens room. Her heart was still in the artifact, since that was still her mission at the pce¡­


    ¡°You have his twenty minutes to clean up the queen¡¯s room¡±, the head maid said to Alyssa who quickly nodded her head and dashed into the bedroom.


    The queen¡¯s bedroom was massive. With different corners, drawers and shelves, Alyssa was sure that something was hiding in it.


    She started with the drawers and then, the shelf¡¯s. All she searched for was something rting to the golden artifact.


    Just as she flipped through the pages of a book, she suddenly stopped and dropped it back on the shelf.


    This isn¡¯t supposed to be her life. She wasn¡¯t supposed to dance ording to their will by looking for an artifact to help them when they never cared about her. The one person who cares about her was right here in this pce and she wasn¡¯t ready to throw that away just because of some mere golden artifact.


    With those thoughts in her mind, she returned to cleaning and sweeping the room; removing her heart from anything that concerned the golden artifact.


    She wanted to focus on the new thing going on between her and Liam. That was her priority now because Liam cared about her.


    She sighed deeply as she walked out of the queen¡¯s bedroom, looking all excited.


    Just as she made to walk past the closet in the hallway, someone grabbed her on the wrist and pulled her into the room.


    She yelped in shock, with fear of being kidnapped. The first thing her heart pointed at was the punishment of the queen. ¡°What if this was it?¡± Her heart beat elerated when she realized that a hand was wrapped over her lips to prevent her from screaming.


    ¡°Michael!¡± She screamed in shock when she saw the face of the person who finally unwrapped his hands from her mouth .


    He didn¡¯t care if she called him a name that wasn¡¯t his. All he wanted was Alyssa. He had thought that he could avoid her and erase her chapter in his life, but he couldn¡¯t.


    Liam smiled and hugged her passionately. They peered into each other¡¯s eyes for a moment, exchanging thoughts with mere eyes andmunicating a thousand words that the mouth couldn¡¯t utter.


    ¡°Kiss me¡±, Alyssa said in a soft voice that made Liamugh softly.


    He caressed her cheeks and pulled her in for a fierce kiss. His tongue wandered around her mouth, sucking in every taste of her and moaning in delight.


    He could feel his desires welling up by the minute and Alyssa could feel the desire raging. They wanted each other at that very moment and they both knew it.


    Just at the peak of their pleasure, someone pushed the door open and barged into the room.

 CHAPTER THIRTY

    ¡°Sorry for barging in this way¡±, Nathaniel apologized with his head bowed.


    Liam heaved a massive sigh of relief, while Alyssa sneakily walked out after wearing a fake smile to the servant.


    Once she left, Liam gazed at Nathaniel who was looking at him with a face he was not so sure about . It was as though he was asking why he went back to her after they talked about it already. He was right about it, because his next question proved just what his expression carried.


    ¡°You went back to her? What happened to the n of avoiding her?¡± Nathaniel asked with a massive scowl on his face.


    He loved Liam so much. Inasmuch as Liam was his master, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to give him advises when he thought he was going astray.


    ¡°Well¡­I actually went back to her¡±, Liam replied, digging his hands into his head and looking away in embarrassment.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Nat walked in on them¡­It could have been anyone.


    ¡°What if it was the queen? Or any other servant who wouldn¡¯t stop the gossip of how they found Alyssa wandering around with a stranger in the pce?¡± Nathaniel asked and for a minute, Liam kept mute to think of the perfect answer.


    He was right to some extent. No one in that pce had an idea that he was the hidden prince they all gossiped about. However, Alyssa stood at risk because if she gets caught with him, it would be passed that she was loose to a stranger.


    ¡°The queen can¡¯t actually walk into this room¡±, Liam said with a smallughter.


    He was wondering why the queen would suddenly decide to leave her chambers and settle on roaming around the pce.


    ¡°Well, not anymore¡±, Nathaniel divulged while Liam red at him shock.


    He adjusted his cloth and folded his hands to his chest, ready to understand what Nathaniel meant by the utterance he had just made.


    ¡°The queen knows about you and Alyssa!¡± Nathaniel spewed while Liam red at him as though he have seen a ghost.


    Liam broke into a loudughter that ended up bringing out some tears from his eyes. He thought that Nathaniel was only telling him that because he wanted him to stay away from Alyssa.


    He stoppedughing when he saw the seriousness in Nathaniel¡¯s face.


    ¡°Are you being real?¡± He asked and Nathaniel nodded his head in affirmation.


    ¡°You need to be careful now. The queen won¡¯t find it funny that you¡¯re having something to go with a maid¡±, Nathaniel advised after which he bowed and walked out of the room.


    Liam was stunned that for the next minutes, he couldn¡¯t utter a word. He had thought that his rtionship with Alyssa was very discreet because he tried so hard toe out only at night.


    ***


    Liam paced around his room, with his hands on his chin and his eyes shing with glints of worry. He thought of how the queen knew about his rtionship with Alyssa and unknowingly, his heart pounded in fear.


    After spending some moment in his room thinking of the next thing to do, he resorted to paying the queen a visit. He needed to have an idea of what she was thinking about and if Alyssa was still safe or not¡­


    He met his mother in the dining section of her chambers, sipping from a cup of tea and staring into space.


    It was clear that she was lost in thoughts about something and details of what it might be bothered Liam greatly.


    He sauntered towards her and once he was some foot away, he lowered his his head in respect.


    ¡°Hello, mother!¡± The queen lifted her head and gave a meaningful smile.


    ¡°For ages, I¡¯ve waited for you toe¡±, she said with an aura that was hard to ignore.


    ¡°I¡¯m here now¡±, Liam said, trying so hard to sound calm and rxed.


    ¡°Sit¡±, his mother ordered and pointed out a chair for him to sink into.


    Liam took in a deep breath, after which he sank into the chair and focused his gaze on her.


    The atmosphere was tensed and they both knew. Different thoughts swirled around their minds and Liam was certain that it was about Alyssa. Their eyes had a lot to say, but none of them made an effort towards being the first to lead the conversation.


    Liam was growing exhausted and the queen was bing tired too. She wanted him to talk to him about anything that might be going on in his life, including his rtionship with the maid. But then, he only red at her like a fool, this pierced her heart.


    ¡°Mother, you appear to have an array of thoughts flowing through your head¡±, Liam finally summoned up courage to start up the conversation. After all, he was the one who wanted to know what the queen currently had in the deepest part of her heart.


    The queen chuckled calmly, after which she dropped her mug of tea on the table.


    ¡°Do I?¡± She asked rhetorically and Liam nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°A mother would always have her worries. I mean, which mother would stay out of worries, especially with issues rting to her son?¡± The queen asked and Liam shrugged.


    His mother was always known of moving around topics in circles. However, he could point out that she was about to spill something rting to him. At this, he kept mute and decided to y along.


    ¡°Tell me mother, what bothers you about your son? And which of your sons?¡± Liam asked, gulping down hard and wiping off the sweats that had formed on his forehead.


    ¡°You¡±, the queen said and abruptly, he sat up to listen with rapt attention.


    ¡°Tell me about it, mother¡­¡±, Liam demanded, peering piercingly into her eyes and searching for answers.


    ¡°When would you get a wife and partner?¡± The queen asked and for a minute, Liam thought that he had heard wrongly.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked with his eyes widened in surprise.


    She nodded her head, gesturing for him to go on with giving the answer.


    ¡°Mother! You know that I hate having conversations about marriage and yet you keep bringing it up¡±, he said with clear dissatisfaction in his eyes.


    His mother smiled calmly after which she picked up her cup of tea and sipped from.


    She dropped it back after a while and red at him.


    ¡°If you are not ready for marriage, why does your recent actions say otherwise?¡± She asked and for a minute, Liam went nk.


    He tried to talk, but the words remained stuck on his throat.


    ¡°My recent actions?¡± He asked, trying so hard to feign ignorance.This is property ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    He wanted to hear her talk about Alyssa directly, but she was only moving round in circles and that made him more ufortable.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to feign ignorance. I¡¯m your mother and can tell when something new is going on in your life¡±, the queen said with a smile that heightened the tension Liam felt.


    ¡°Have you heard a news about me?¡± Liam asked inquisitively, peering piercingly into her eyes and searching for answers.


    He was tired of the games she was ying because from her mere appearance, she knew something was going on between him and Alyssa. She just didn¡¯t want to mention it.


    The meeting with his mother ended without getting the actual information he wanted. He had no option other than to return to his duties as well as meetings that awaited him.

 CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

    Alyssa ran tedly, not stopping until she caught sight of the garden. It¡¯s been two weeks now and her rtionship with Liam was blossoming into something real and passionate.


    They met every evening at their usual spot, and after sharing thoughts about each other¡¯s day, they would end it with staring at the stars and sometimes, dozing off in the process¡­


    This was happiness for Alyssa. She was d that the earth had good things in ce for her. Back at her home, she had always thought that she was cursed by the earth never to be happy.


    Just as she ran, she paid no attention to a stone thatid right on the ground and unknowingly, she struck her left leg on it.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± She screamed as she started traveling down the ground.


    Just as she thought that she had made a great fall, something happened and suddenly, she got suspended in the air.


    Her eyes were tightly shut because she was already hoping for the worst. And so, when she observed that she didn¡¯tnd on the ground with a thud, she slowly opened her eyes and met those deep green eyes.


    ¡°Michael!¡± She whispered as a wide smile spread across her face.


    They got lost in the moment for a few seconds, and after getting enough of the stares, Liam stood up and helped her regain her bnce.


    She felt embarrassed but chuckled calmly to conceal it.


    ¡°Please, always watch where you step on, even if I would always be there to ensure that you never fall¡±, Liam said and Alyssa smiled in delight.


    He was just the sweetest thing she has ever known. With his kind words, and acts, Alyssa was certain that he was sent to her directly from nature.


    ¡°Thank you¡±, she mumbled as she grabbed his hands that were stretched out for her to cling on.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Just then, she felt an excruciating pain on a part of her leg.


    She took a pause from walking and narrowed her eyes to her leg.


    She was bleeding as the ce she hit on the stone was hurt.


    ¡°You¡¯re bleeding!¡± Liam said, with great panic in his eyes.


    Alyssa shrugged and nodded her head calmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m fine¡­¡±, she said, but the expression in his eyes showed that he wasn¡¯t having any of it.


    ¡°That is a big injury! It needs to be treated. Let me see¡±, he said and tried to touch her legs, but she only shifted it backwards.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±, she muttered quietly.


    The injury was littlepared to the ones inflicted on her in her home. To her, this one was a scratchpared to those.


    Without listening to her, Liam crouched low to take a good look at her leg. It was bruised and was bleeding profusely.


    ¡°Come here!¡± He said and carried her in his arms.


    Alyssa yelped and startedughing aloud. She wasn¡¯t expecting him to carry her so swiftly and even, without warning.


    They went over theke. He dropped her on the grass and stretched her legs over the water. The moment her water got dipped into the water, Alyssa smiled in relief.


    The pain relieved and it felt a lot more better.


    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡± Liam asked Alyssa who pulled him into a warm hug.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± She muttered with a wide smile on her face.


    They settled on the grass and he dipped his hands into his pocket to bring out some apples which he had kept aside from his lunch.


    ¡°The prince gave me these¡±, Liam lied since servants weren¡¯t allowed to carry food out of the dining hall.


    ***


    Just as they ate the apples Liam had sneakily brought for her, Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but think about a number of things.


    Firstly, she thought of the prince and how possible it would be that he gave his servant some of his fruits.


    ¡°I always thought the prince was so cruel! I mean, who would believe that he would hand some fruits over to you. I mean, they said he was cruel and would rather throw a bowl of food to the animals than give his servants¡±, Alyssa exined while Liam listened with rapt attention.


    He wondered how rumours turned out to spread like wide fire, even if none of the people talking have ever set eyes on him.


    ¡°You never know someone, until you are inside with him¡±, Liam noted while Alyssa nodded her head in understanding.


    He was right after all. People would always have bad things to talk about other people, but you would never know until there have been a close contact.


    Liam stared at Alyssa and drifted off in thoughts. The meeting with his mother yesterday didn¡¯t yield much result like he had thought. He had expected her to tell him what she knows about his rtionship with Alyssa, but instead she had kept mute and bbed about his marriage instead.


    However, he knew his mother and he needed no one to tell him that she had an idea about Alyssa but she was only concealing it. Thoughts of why she did that scared the hell out of him, but he silently hoped that Alyssa remains safe.


    Alyssa on the other hand was lost in her own thoughts. She was convinced that the queen knows who she is. However, she is not so sure about that especially because she had no vivid evidence to back that up.


    Her mind was clouded with thoughts of Tiffany and Michael. The moment she imagined leaving the pce, a wave of dejection would engulf her. She would feel that if she ever returned back to her kingdom.


    But here, she was loved and cared for and that was something she always wanted.


    ¡°The stars are out today¡±, Liam suddenly said aloud and lifted his head to the sky.


    They had been so engrossed in their different thoughts for some minutes. She was d that they finally had something else to look at.


    ¡°Look at that one¡±, Alyssa said as sheid on the grass to have a better view of the sky and the stars.


    Liamid beside her and in a split second, their gaze was focused on the sky.


    Alyssa stole nces at him severally, trying to summon up the courage to mutter the words in her heart.


    ¡°Liam!¡± She finally called out while he turned to look at her.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m in love with you and it keeps growing everyday¡±, Alyssa confessed and peered into his eyes for an answer.


    Liam got frozen on the spot. He tried to talk, but no words seemed to leave his mouth at the moment.


    He was not expecting her to confess her feelings so soon because she had no answer for her at the moment¡­


    Alyssa peered into his eyes, clearly waiting for him to say something about what he had said.


    Liam suddenly turned quiet, darting his gaze towards the sky andpletely ignoring Alyssa.


    Alyssa was hurt to the core and made to talk, but the shes of lighting from a distant distracted them.


    ¡°Someone ising!¡± Liam announced and quickly grabbed her on the arms.


    He was relieved that something came up to distract them and ease the tension.


    ¡°We should do hide over there¡±, he suggested and together, they ran over to a corner.


    They stayed there for some minutes, quiet and listening to only each other¡¯s breaths.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word!¡± Liam said to Alyssa who was at the verge of saying something.

 CHAPTER THIRTY TWO

    They had ran into a corner to prevent the guards from catching sight of the both of them. However, something was still lingering and she was yet to get a response from him.


    Alyssa gulped down hard when she looked at Liam and realized that he wasn¡¯t making any efforts towards answering her.


    His eyes still roamed around the garden, to be sure that no guard was around anymore.


    ¡°The guard is gone¡±, Alyssa announced, even if she knew that Liam was aware of that fact.


    ¡°Ohh!¡± Liam mouthed and chuckled to cover up his anxiety.


    His heart was beating out of his chest and his head was banging with different thoughts. He wasn¡¯t dreaming, neither was it a hallucination.


    Alyssa had told him that she loves him and the feelings keeps growing by the day¡­.


    He looked over at her and realized that she was awaiting a response, but he was out of what to say and utter.


    ¡°Should he say he feels the same? Or would it be better to keep mute and just observe her?¡± Liam thought silently while Alyssa stared at him while awaiting a response.


    ¡°We were almost caught!¡± Liam spewed and breath out a considerable sigh of relief.


    Alyssa couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She had thought that they were done with the discussion pertaining the guard who nearly caught them. Didn¡¯t he see that she awaited a response in regard to what she uttered?


    She was devastated, but only swallowed hard and looked away.


    Liam stared at her again and was able to point out the change in her mood. She was hurt and it was clear.


    He thought of what to do in the situation. He was truly excited that she came clean to him with details of how she felt. But then, he was aware that he needed to be careful because he wasn¡¯t being truthful to her.


    He remembered Nathaniel words and his heart sank. He was right¡­


    Alyssa would never feel the same way for him if she discovers who he truly is.


    For some minutes, he remained numb and unable to make a decision regarding giving her a response.


    Alyssa¡¯s face remained lowered to the ground. She felt like a fool for spewing out such words to a man who didn¡¯t feel the same way. She had thought he loved her too, but maybe, she was just being desperate¡­


    ¡°I should head back to my room now¡­¡±, Alyssa announced and stood to her feet, not sparing Liam another nce.


    She was at the verge of crying and she greatly feared that she would give herself away if she spent another minute there with him.


    At this, she stepped out of their hiding corner and started walking away. Liam was taken aback for a second. He realized that he had hurt her and this prompted him to pull her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alyssa¡±, he apologized, barely able to peer into her eyes.


    ¡°I feel the same way¡±, he confessed, swallowing hard and hoping that she would believe him.


    Alyssa scoffed after which she yanked her hands away from his grip. She was sure that he didn¡¯t mean it, because if he did, he wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to say it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me because you want to make me feel better. And don¡¯t you daree close to me!¡± Alyssa screamed angrily, with her eyes red in rage.


    Liam was stunned at her outburst. He had no slightest idea that she would react in such manner.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just didn¡¯t know how to react to your statement¡±, Liam said, trying to take closer steps towards her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you! Leave me alone¡±, Alyssa screamed as the tears finally poured out of her eyes.


    Liam was hurt to see Alyssa in tears. He didn¡¯t believe that his reaction would make her cry this much.


    ¡°I love you. I really do!¡± Liam said with every sincerity in his voice.


    He was in love with her and it ached his heart to see that she wasn¡¯t anywhere close to believing him.


    ¡°If you love me, you won¡¯t shy away. All I wanted was a response from you, but you ignored me¡±, sheined and turned to head back to her room.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Liam called out and hurried to meet up with her.


    ¡°I have something to tell you¡±, Liam finally said, and abruptly, Alyssa raised her head, with curiosity in her eyes.


    ***Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°The truth is that I have a number of things to tell you¡±, Liam divulged and Alyssa¡¯s eyes sparked with great interest.


    ¡°Is that why you kept mute all these while? Is that why you remained silent even after I told you all what I feel about you?¡± She inquired and Liam nodded in affirmation.


    Alyssa scoffed and folded her hands to her chest. Deep down in her heart, she knew that there was no justification for how he made her feel. But then, she didn¡¯t want to be too harsh on him. At this, she nodded her head and gestured for him to move on with his exnation.


    ¡°I have this wild feelings for you, and trust me when I say that it¡¯s the truth¡±, Liam said and gulped down hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m only scared that you won¡¯t love me again if youe to know about them¡±, heid out his fears while she stared at him intently.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hate you for any reason!¡± Alyssa said defiantly, but Liam shook his head in disapproval.


    ¡°It¡¯s a huge one. Arge part of my heart is convinced that you would be hurt and maybe, leave me forever¡±, Liam dropped and for a moment, Alyssa remained stunned and dazed.


    She searched through her heart for situations that would cause her to hate Liam up to the point where she would leave him forever.


    She wasn¡¯t getting any reason and made her more confused.


    Alyssa sighed deeply and fell back to the grass. Everything was moving with speed and it was as though she found it difficult to interpret them as they wereing.


    She thought of her own secret information and how he would feel after he knows her own truth¡­


    Deep down, she wondered if he would love her after he finds out who she truly is.


    She also wondered if his secret is as bad as her own¡­


    She shook her head silently after making a conclusion that there was no way her secrets was better than his. All she wanted was to be with him and that was going to happen.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about anything, I promise!¡± Alyssa suddenly said while Liam gazed at her with his jaws dropped in shock.


    He had thought that she would even get mad at him for hiding things from her. But instead, she was fine with it¡­


    ¡°Alyssa, are you sure?¡± Liam asked again, peering piercingly into her eyes that beamed with certainty.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put aside all those worries. We should focus on ourselves and how we feel about each other¡±, Alyssa suggested and Liam nodded in agreement.


    He sat down on the grass beside her, feeling so d that she didn¡¯t take the situation to be so extreme like he had thought it would be.


    ¡°I love you, Alyssa!¡± He whispered in delight.


    He was blown away to realize that she was so understanding and this doubled the love he already had for her.


    ¡°But then, I need to tell you this¡±, Liam suddenly said and sat up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me anything. Just kiss me¡±, Alyssa said with a smile.

 CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

    They bothid on the bed, staring at each other and smiling in satisfaction. Alyssa yed with his bare chest while he twisted her hair and ced quick kisses all over her face and forehead.


    He was still disturbed though. Inasmuch as they were moving along, he felt that they weren¡¯t doing it right. She is meant to know the truth about him, but he wasn¡¯t still sure about it¡­


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Alyssa asked the moment she realized a change in his mood.


    Liam sighed deeply and caressed her cheeks lovingly.


    ¡°I think i should tell you¡±, he suddenly announced, causing Alyssa¡¯s heart to skip a beat.


    She wasn¡¯t ready to hear any truth about him, because she wasn¡¯t ready to tell hers either. It would only be unfair to him, and she doubted that she was ready to face the guilt that woulde from it.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that if you know this about me sooner, you would hate me and I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself if that happens¡±, Liam revealed but Alyssa smiled.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t tell me anything¡±, Alyssa insisted while he gaped at her in surprise.


    ¡°I would want to figure out everything along the way. I mean, I want to prove to you that I¡¯m capable of loving you, no matter what you may be hiding from me¡±, Alyssa said and ced a kiss on his cheeks.


    She was so convinced about that. Perhaps, it was not possible that his secret was worse than hers¡­


    ¡°Look, you may not understand¡±, Liam said and sat up on the bed.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    His face carried a lot of uncertainty just as his heart was troubled. He was desperately in need to tell her everything once and for all, but her reaction was not helping. He was sure that she had no idea of how severe the lie is, and that was why she kept pushing it aside.


    ¡°You have no idea of how serious this is¡±, Liam tried to say, but she ced her index finger on his lips; an indication for him to keep shut.


    ¡°Just stay quiet and let¡¯s enjoy our time together. Our love is worth everything and some sort of lies would never pull it apart¡±, Alyssa said with a tone that was smooth enough to convince Liam.


    He made to talk, but she leaned closer and wrapped his lips around hers. It was so swift that Liam couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°I need you to understand that I love you, and that is all what matters¡±, Alyssa said to Liam who nodded his head in understanding.


    ***


    Alyssa woke up with a wide smile on her lips. She could still feel Liam¡¯s presence around her, even if he wasn¡¯t anywhere close. His scent overtook every part of her and she couldn¡¯t help but crave for more of him.


    She sat up on the bed and caressed her lips softly, fantasizing aboutst night and how soft and gentle he was with her.


    A loud scream escaped her lips when she recalled that he had told her how much he loved her. She had thought she was the only one feeling such way, but seeing how he was so sweet around her made her realize that he was truly in love with her.


    Her heart was at the verge of exploding with excitement. She needed to talk to someone about it¡­


    Just then, the door opened and Tiffany walked in. Alyssa couldn¡¯t hold her joy anymore as she jumped off the bed and pulled her into a tight hug.


    ¡°I¡¯ve missed you Tiffany! We hardly ever get to have out personal time to chat and talk about countless things like before!¡± Alyssained bitterly while Tiffany scoffed and walked over to the bed.


    ¡°You have been distant from me!¡± Alyssa said and folded her hands to her chest, with a massive scowl on her face.


    ¡°I have been busy¡±, Tiffany defended but Alyssa wasn¡¯t ready to hear any of it.


    ¡°You are staying away from me¡±, Alyssa insisted while Tiffany sighed deeply, rolling her eyes at her.


    ¡°You are the one who seems to have huge secrets in your heart. I observed that something have been going on with you, but you never deemed it fit to let me know¡±, Tiffany said with a sullen look.


    Alyssa gulped down hard and finally sat down beside her. Tiffany was right to some extent. She was also to be med for the distance in their rtionship because all that have clouded her mind in the past few days have been Liam and her feelings for him.


    ¡°I have something to tell you and I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m only saying it now. I wanted to be sure before I divulged it¡±, Alyssa said and Tiffany looked at her with keen interest.


    Alyssa fondled with her clothes and yed with her hair for some minutes. She was blushing and this triggered Tiffany¡¯s interest.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m in love with someone¡±, Alyssa dropped and for a minute, Tiffany thought that she had heard wrongly.


    She wore a frown for a minute, but started giggling when she realized that she is meant to be happy with her friend.


    ¡°Congrattions sweetheart!¡± Tiffany squealed in excitement and pulled Alyssa into a warm hug.


    ¡°Who is he?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°A guard¡±, Alyssa blushed again and Tiffany wore another frown.


    She was aware that workers were not meant to have any rtionship within the walls of the pce. However, rather than spoiling Alyssa¡¯s mood, she kept mood and congratted her instead.


    ¡°And his name?¡± Tiffany asked as she winked Alyssa who bit her lips and chuckled.


    ¡°His name is Michael. He is just so cool and loving. His voice sends sweet tingles down my belly and his eyes are worth dying for. He is the head servant to the prince and he always tells me of how kindhearted the prince is, against the countless bad rumors about him¡±, Alyssa bbed in excitement, while Tiffany listened with rapt attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m in awe. Are you are about this?¡± Tiffany asked Alyssa who nodded her head rapidly.


    ¡°Would you believe that the prince gave him his gold bands to wear? He gave him a room beside his and also, some fruits which he shared with me?¡± Alyssa exined and suddenly, Tiffany¡¯s face squeezed into a frown.


    ¡°Gold bands?¡± Tiffany asked with a look of unrest settled on her face.


    She could try believing the other parts of the story, but the part of the gold bands were highly suspicious. The only people permitted to adorn themselves with such are of royal bloodline.


    ¡°Alyssa, I think we should rx and take a careful look at things¡±, Tiffany said with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°Only the royals are permitted to wear gold. The prince can¡¯t even extend his generosity through such. It is unheard of¡±, Tiffany said while Alyssa red at her.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Tiffany asked and Alyssa nodded.


    ¡°Everything I said is the truth. He tells me so many good things about the prince. That made me realize that we shouldn¡¯t judge someone without having an idea of who they truly are¡±, Alyssa exined to Tiffany who wasn¡¯t still convinced.


    ¡°Now everything is looking suspicious. First, I couldn¡¯t ce my hands on any guard name with the name Michael. And now, it is not possible that a mere servant would be given the gold of the prince!¡± Tiffany said bluntly.

 CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

    Alyssa stared at Tiffany as though she were a ghost. There was no way she was willing to believe all what Tiffany just uttered.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not dreaming or anything of such! I¡¯m dead serious about this. There is a man, the head servant to the prince. His name is Michael. We have met for a while now, and we are in love with each other¡±, Alyssa tried to exin to Tiffany who was ring at her as though she have just lost her mind.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Tiffany studied Alyssa for a while, after which she stood to her feet and paced around the room. She had an idea of every male servant in the pce. She knew their names, but none of them beared Michael.


    ¡°Alyssa! I believe you but I need you to understand that you might have made a mistake in the name. There is no servant named Michael in this pce¡±, Tiffany said defiantly, with every certainty ying out in her voice.


    Alyssa couldn¡¯t believe her ears. She blinked severally, thinking of another way to exin to Tiffany.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Tiffany suddenly said and Alyssa turned to stare at her.


    ¡°Are you talking about Nathaniel?¡± Tiffany asked while Alyssa scrunched her brows in confusion.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, are you sure that you¡¯re not talking about Nathaniel? You may have mixed up their names¡±, Tiffany suggested while Alyssa gestured for her to move on with the exnation, even if she was confident that she made no such mistake.


    ¡°Describe him¡±, Alyssa requested, with her heart beating out of her chest.


    ¡°He is tall, muscr, and has an alluring eyes and smile¡±, Tiffany described while Alyssa drifted off in thoughts.


    ¡°How is it possible that the descriptions matched that of Michael?¡± She asked herself silently.


    ¡°Does my description match any of his features?¡± Tiffany asked and Alyssa nodded dumbly.


    She was still in awe and great shock. All she could think of was a valid reason why he would tell her that his name if Michael¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s him¡±, Alyssa said and smiled dumbly.


    Tiffany broke into a loudughter, after which she tickled Alyssa yfully until she was rolling on the ground in tears.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy that you¡¯re in love¡±, Tiffany told Alyssa who was still lost in thoughts.


    She tried so hard to think of another reason.


    ¡°It¡¯s probably his middle name¡±, she thought silently and decided to wave it off.


    She also recalled that she had met him on a day he wanted tomit suicide. Perhaps, he didn¡¯t tell her his real name because he was scared that she would run off and tell the other workers what he had nned to do.


    Those were the only two options in Alyssa¡¯s head and it was quite difficult to ce her hands on what the particr reason might be.


    ***


    After spending some time with Tiffany, they resolved to going outter at night to meet with the man.


    Tiffany agreed reluctantly. She cared for Alyssa and she wanted to help her out of her current confusion.


    Back at the prince quarters, a servant walked in and dropped some papers on Liam¡¯s desk.


    He had a lot to do and more work kepting in. All through the day, he had been engrossed with the financial ount of the kingdom.


    It was a critical part of the kingdom, and so, he invested almost all the hours of his day in it.


    At intervals, he thought of Alyssa and a wide smile curved on his lips. She was really his peace.


    Thinking about her made him swift and faster with the work he had arranged on his desk. He couldn¡¯t imagine going a day without cing his eyes on her cute face. That prompted the hasten up with his duties.


    It was evening and the normal time for their daily meeting. Alyssa tapped Tiffany who was currently taking a nap and abruptly, she jerked out of bed.


    Meanwhile, Liam was done with what he had on his desk. He had taken a quick bath after which he wore his clothes and dashed towards the garden.


    He was gazing at theke when he heard slight movements some foot away from where he stood.


    He swirled around and caught sight of Alyssa. Just as he did, a wide smile spread across his face. However, they were short lived because almost immediately, he discovered that she was in thepany of strange girl.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± He asked in shock as he thought of what to do.


    He made to run and hide somewhere, but it was alreadyte since Alyssa already caught sight of him.


    ¡°Nathaniel!¡± Alyssa called out with every strength she had.


    Liam stopped abruptly, rooted in his spot and wondering if he was only dreaming.


    But he wasn¡¯t¡­


    Alyssa was storming over to him, with a massive scowl on her face.


    It didn¡¯t look good and he just knew it.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡± Liam said,ughing slightly and trying to conceal how uneasy he felt.


    ¡°Nathaniel!¡± Alyssa replied with a sarcastic tone, with a look of displeasure in her eyes.


    Liam was stunned. For a minute, he was out of words to utter.


    ¡°Why was Alyssa suddenly calling him the name of his servant?¡± He asked himself but couldn¡¯te up with a valid answer.


    ¡°Nathaniel?¡± Liam whispered to Alyssa who gestured for Tiffany toe closer.


    Tiffany walked up to them and recognition kicked in the moment she took a careful look at the man Alyssa referred to as Nathaniel.


    ¡°Goodness!¡± Tiffany gasped and quickly bowed her head in respect.


    She lifted her head up and red at Alyssa furiously, giving her gestures which she didn¡¯t understand.


    Liam was shocked to his bones. He had thought that no one had an idea that he was the prince. However, it turned out that the girl with Alyssa knew.


    He bit his lower lips as he thought of the next line of action.


    ¡°Can we go somewhere?¡± He tried to ask Alyssa who was still numb and confused with how nervous Tiffany suddenly turned.


    ¡°And why did Tiffany bow her head to a fellow servant like her?¡± This was the question that raged through her mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere if you fail to tell me who you are! Why would you tell me that your name is Michael, when it¡¯s Nathaniel?¡± Alyssa barked angrily while Tiffany tried to nudge her quietly.


    Severally, Tiffany tried to give her some signal with her eyes, but Alyssa wasn¡¯t ready to hear of it.


    ¡°Alyssa¡­¡±, Liam said as his voice trailed off.


    He was nk and the worst was that time was ticking. The earlier he thought of something, the better for him.


    ¡°Alyssa, we should leave this moment¡±, Tiffany whispered to Alyssa, still with her head bowed in respect.


    Alyssa shot her a dead re. She couldn¡¯t ce her hands on why she suddenly turned meek and quiet.


    ¡°Alyssa, we need to leave, now¡±, Tiffany said again as she started pulling her on the arms.


    Alyssa yanked her hands off in rage. She was willing to understand why he lied to her about his name and Tiffany was not going to stop her.


    ¡°Let me be!¡± Alyssa said, with her face contorted in rage.


    ¡°He is the prince!¡± Tiffany whispered and abruptly, Alyssa went cold.


    Liam sighed in defeat, dug his hands into his hair, and lowered his gaze to the ground.


    Alyssa broke into a loudughter. There was no possible way that the man standing before her was a prince¡­

 CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

    ¡°Tiffany! You don¡¯t have to pull up such stunt because you want us to leave. I have every right to know why he decided to lie about his name¡±, Alyssa said calmly, trying so hard to make Tiffany understand.


    ¡°He is not Nathaniel!¡± Tiffany dropped and Alyssa turned to stare at him again.


    ¡°Then who is he?¡± Alyssa asked again. This time, there was a crack in her voice as she stared at Tiffany and back at Liam.


    ¡°He is the prince! Can¡¯t you see the gold on his wrist¡±, Tiffany exined again and Alyssa turned to gaze at Liam.


    She hoped that he would counter it, orugh aloud at the dry joke. She even wished that he would warn Tiffany about ying around with such kind of things.


    But then, everywhere was dead silent¡­


    Liam was gazing at her with clear guilt written on his face and Tiffany wore an apologetic look on her face.


    Slowly, it dawned on her- He was really the prince¡­


    This was certainly the most horrific moment of her life. She couldn¡¯t feel her legs anymore, neither could she feel her heart.


    Moving her head left and right in surprise, Alyssa took few steps backwards, until she added more pace to it and went on her heels.


    She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, until she was nowhere close to Liam who she now referred to as a chameleon.


    Tiffany ran after her, trying so hard to catch up with her, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Alyssa got back to her room started sobbing, mumbling some inaudible words and clenching her fists in rage.


    She heard Tiffany¡¯s footsteps approaching the room and with great anger, she rushed to the door and mmed it right on her face.


    ¡°Alyssa! Open up¡±, Tiffany called out from the other end of the phone, but Alyssa remained adamant.


    She wanted to be alone, alone from everyone around her, including her best friend.


    Tiffany resigned after countless efforts to get Alyssa to open the door. She felt bad for her friend, and finally decided to give her some space to sort some things out.


    Alyssa yelled in rage, hitting her hands on the table and wincing in pain.


    She felt disgusted and ashamed that she had been trying to deceive the pce and steal their jewel, while the prince swiftly deceived her.


    Different thoughts swirled around her head. She had trusted him so much. For a moment, she had thought that he was worth hearing everything about her, even her darkest secrets.


    She was even nning toe clean and tell him her initial truth and secret about being the pce.


    What if she had done that? She would have been selling herself off to the prince who owns the artifact!


    She couldn¡¯t believe herself, neither could she believe Liam who she loved.


    For hours, she continued crying, wishing that it was all a dream. The betrayal wasn¡¯t something to heal off so fast and the pain it brought was truly excruciating.


    She sobbed until she slept away right there on the floor in her room.


    ***


    Liam was devastated. He dreaded this day right from the minute he fell for Alyssa on the foundation of lies. He knew that a day woulde when everything woulde upfront and he was certain that he wouldn¡¯t know what to do.


    And that was how it yed out. Alyssa got to know the truth and he had nothing to do about it¡­


    ¡°Get me another bottle of the wine!¡± Liamughed aloud in misery as he gestured on Nathaniel who shot a pitiful re at him.


    Nathaniel brought another bottle and ced it before him. He was in misery and drinking might help out.


    ¡°This should be thest one you have for tonight¡±, Nathaniel said to Liam who quickly shook his head in disapproval.


    ¡°After this, I would drink more¡­and more¡­¡±, he slurred after which he broke into silent sobs.


    He couldn¡¯t take the way Alyssa looked at him. It only confirmed all what he thought earlier. He always knew that the way she looked at him would change the moment shees to know the truth, and that was exactly how it yed out.


    ¡°She hates me now, don¡¯t she?¡± Liam asked Nathaniel and his brother who only stared at him with a sullen look.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    He was currently in his brother¡¯s room, finding sce even if he wasn¡¯t getting much of it. Opening up his heart to them was a means he wanted to use to get over the situation of the evening.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure about that. She might just be mad for sometime¡±, his brother replied.


    ¡°You needed to see how she red at me. She was staring at me with hate, disgust, irritation ¡­¡±, Liam said and gulped down another ss of wine.


    ¡°If she is in love with you, she would understand¡­¡±, his brother tried to console him.


    ¡°Love has it¡¯s boundaries. Something like this can turn love to hate, with a flip of the finger¡±, he said and flipped his finger in a drunken manner.


    ¡°She still loves you. I know that. However, the issue is that love can¡¯t happen between a prince and a mere maid¡±, Nathaniel reminded Liam who nodded his head and gulped another ss of the wine.


    Nathaniel was right! The chances of them being together was very slim, but thoughts of living without her was even worse.


    ¡°I love her. She is calm, sweet, beautiful¡±, Liam exined as tears trickled out of his eyes.


    Indeed, Alyssa was the First Lady who made some part of his heart spark with interest. He loved everything about her and that was why he wasn¡¯t ready to live with the idea of not seeing her again.


    ¡°Just get a grab of yourself. There are other beautiful women around the kingdom. Many of which are princesses and elitesdies that would match your ss and status in the kingdom. They would make you happy and you would be fulfilled too. Alyssa is just a maid whose status can never match up to ours. Our parents would never be in support too¡­¡±, his brother advised but kept mute the moment Liam threw a dead re at him.


    Liam remained in his brother¡¯s room, drinking from his ss of wine and speaking about every single pain his heart felt at the moment.


    After a while, his brother walked towards his window and peeked through it. It seemed as though he caught sight of someone or got some sort of signal, because almost immediately, he turned to Liam.


    ¡°Liam, I think it¡¯s time for you both to leave¡±, he said calmly, but in an awkward manner.


    Liam raised his eyes at him, wondering why his brother would suddenly ask him out of his room.


    He have been so close to him ever since they were kids and he would never send him out without a valid reason.


    ¡°Why?¡± Liam asked, not willing to move an inch from where he stood.


    ¡°Just go! Go now¡±, his brother responded.


    Nathaniel quickly stood to his feet, helped Liam to his feet and started making his way out of the room.


    They walked some distance away, but then, something caught Liam¡¯s attention.


    Just as the front of the door, he saw Tiffany walking into his brother¡¯s room.


    He was shocked to his bones, especially because he couldn¡¯t bring up a reason as to why his brother would have a female maid in his room; at night¡­

 CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

    Alyssa woke up with a splitting headache. She haven¡¯t felt this type of pain in her head ever since she came into the pce.


    She sat up on the bed and nced at the clock. It was currently 5:am and everywhere was still dark.


    She strolled into her bathroom, poured some water on her head and drank some. But then, the headache wasn¡¯t getting better.


    Just as she made to head back to her bed, she heard a ruffleing from her door. At first, she thought that it was only a hallucination, but when the sound became louder, she needed no one to tell her that someone or something was at her door.


    Walk reluctantly, she strolled to the door and turned the door knob, still cleaning off her eyes to have a clearer view of what it might be.


    Her eyes popped out in shock when she caught sight of Liam,ying on the floor, with his hands wrapped around his chest and his face clearly in difort.


    He had slept right at the front of her door, even though he was drunk.


    Perhaps, he was so drunk that he couldn¡¯t make his way back to his room, or maybe, he couldn¡¯t sleep with the thoughts of Alyssa being mad at him.


    ¡°Prince?¡± Alyssa called out, even though the word took a while to leave her throat.


    She couldn¡¯t call him Michael anymore since that was clearly not his name.


    Liam turned on the ground again, mumbling some words in his sleep and shivering slightly. Alyssa parted her lips in wonders as she stared at him.


    Her heart raced and her head was clouded with different thoughts. She thought of why the prince would decide to spend the night on the cold floor, rather than hisfortable bed in his quarters. She also wondered what people would say if they suddenly found him loitering around her room like a servant. This caused her heart to skip a beat.


    Crouching low, she tapped him continuously until he finally jerked up and shot his eyes open.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alyssa asked, ignoring how disheveled and unkept he looked.


    Liam blinked his eyes severally until reality kicked in. He was currently at the front of Alyssa¡¯s bedroom¡­


    He quickly stood to his feet, staggering in the process and grimacing from the pain he felt on his legs. Alyssa could see that he had a terrible night sleep, but she would rather not care about that.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alyssa¡¯s impatient voice boomed again and for a minute, he thought of what to say.


    ¡°Alyssa¡­I couldn¡¯t sleep without seeing you¡±, Liam said in a calm voice that made Alyssa¡¯s stomach twirl.


    She ignored how his voice made her feel. She still felt rage and nothing was going to stop that.


    ¡°Get out!¡± She screamed with every strength she could find inside of her.


    Liam staggered again, trying to walk into the room, but she pushed him out even before he tried.


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± She ordered with a look of displeasure dancing in her eyes.


    Just then, she felt a pang on her forehead and she winced in pain.


    Liam needed no one to tell him that she was currently having a headache and without muttering any more words, he dashed out of her room.


    ***


    He came back after a while with some herbal mixture which was meant to relieve headaches. The door was shut just as he had thought and with a racing heart, he tapped on it again.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡±


    Alyssa turned the door knob open, but shut the door the moment she caught sight of his face.


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry! I was trying so hard to tell you, but you kept telling me that it didn¡¯t matter¡±, Liam said from the other side of the door while Alyssa kept mute and strolled back to her bed.


    She recalled the countless times he made to reveal something to her. She also remembered that she had told him that nothing, no secret whatsoever would change the way she felt for him. This realization caused her heart to ache and unknowingly, silent tears trickled out of her eyelids and down to her cheeks.


    ¡°Forgive me, Alyssa¡±, Liam said again, hitting the door and sobbing silently.


    He held the herbal mixture in his hands while he hoped that she would open up the door.


    ¡°I brought something to relieve your headache¡±, Liam said again as he tapped the door incessantly.


    Alyssa looked up in wonders. She was shocked to her bones, because she never mentioned that she had a headache.


    Liam truly loved her. He could even detect that she had a terrible headache. Guilt engulfed her when she realized that she might be treating him bad, especially because she had been the one who restricted him from saying the truth.


    The truth though was that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to see him differently, even though she loved him. He was the prince, the prince of the kingdom where she worked in as a maid¡­


    ¡°Alyssa¡­I love you¡±, Liam said in finality when he realized that she wasn¡¯t making any efforts towards opening the door for him.


    And with that, he dropped the herbal mixture on the ground and dejectedly walked away.


    Alyssa stared at the door when she realized that he had left. She felt a wave of loneliness and slowly, more tears dropped from her eyes.


    She missed the man he had been to her before the whole truth came off. She liked the fact that he was simple and caring. She loved that they always met at theke where they would chat extensively until they got exhausted.


    However, she couldn¡¯t imagine doing all of that again. He was a prince now, and no more a servant¡­


    Just then, a knock on the door jolted her back to the present. She was certain that it wasn¡¯t Liam and that prompted her to head for the door.


    She met Tiffany standing there, with the herbal mixture Liam had left on the ground.


    ¡°I guess someone left you this¡­¡±, Tiffany said to Alyssa who didn¡¯t show any slightest form of interest.


    ¡°It¡¯s for headaches¡­Did you tell anyone to get you this?¡± Tiffany asked again, but Alyssa wasn¡¯t in a mood to hold a conversation.


    ¡°No!¡± Alyssa bluntly replied after which she walked past Tiffany who was surprised.


    ¡°At least, take it if you have a headache!¡± Tiffany shouted at Alyssa who didn¡¯t turn back for a second.


    Alyssa went about her daily activities, trying so hard to keep a straight face and ignore the most part of her emotion.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She drifted off at several points, because she knew that this was the time to make a decision. She either decide to remain at the pce as the maid, or to step up her game andy hands on the artifact after which she would return home.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡± Another maid called out when she realized that Alyssa had been standing at a particr spot for twenty minutes.


    Alyssa jolted out of her thoughts, faked a smile and continued arranging the clothes on the cloth line.


    She thought of Liam again, and her heart skipped a beat. She was in love with him and she could swear that she never felt loved all her life until she came to the pce.


    ¡°Was she willing to leave all of that? To return to the hell she called a home?¡±


    Those were her thoughts and questions for the rest of the day.

 CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

    Her thoughts were divided. She found it difficult toe up with a decision that sounded good to her ears.


    She thought of the artifact, and then, Liam. She either returns home without the artifact, or remains at the pce as a maid, without making an attempt to steal from Liam.


    The torments in her home would worsen if she didn¡¯ty her hands on the golden artifact which they needed direly. On the other hand, her heart would be shattered to a thousand pieces is she stole from the pce, even after discovering that the man she loved was the prince.


    She was arranging the clothes on the cloth line when she caught sight of Liam approaching her. She quickly rounded it up and started walking out of the premises, with Liam walking behind her.


    Her heart was in great fear, because it was broad daylight and anyone could see them together.


    At this, she stopped and swirled to face him.


    ¡°Can you stop following me? You¡¯re a prince and I¡¯m the maid. What do you think people would say if they see us together?¡± She asked with a serious look on her face.


    ¡°What do you even think that your mum would say if she finds out that I¡¯m seeing her son? She wouldn¡¯t forgive me for any reason!¡± Alyssa barked and made to walk away when Liam grabbed her on her arms.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about any of those reasons. The world can see me with you and I won¡¯t give a damn about whatever they utter!¡± Liam said defiantly and Alyssa¡¯s face turned soft for a moment.


    He was truly in love with her, but she didn¡¯t see it being a blissful ride.


    ¡°I give a damn about a lot of things. You are the prince whom everyone would bow and respect. I¡¯m a maid who would be opened to great ridicule and insult¡±, Alyssa said and swallowed hard.


    ¡°Have you forgiven me? Would you forgive me?¡± Liam asked, peering piercingly into her eyes and searching for an answer.


    Alyssa yanked her arms away from him and swiftly walked away, leaving him lost in thoughts.


    She went about her daily chores, with a stern look that made everyone wonder what might be wrong sigh her.


    Tiffany tried to talk to her at several points, but it was clear that she was not ready to hold a conversation with anyone yet.


    Alyssa walked back to her room after carrying out her chores for the day. She had sessfully ignored every advance Liam made towards her.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    At a point, Liam because pissed and almost raised his voice at her. Alyssa on the other hand became angry at his reaction, because to her, he is not meant to be angry for any reason.


    Alyssa walked into her room and met Tiffany sitting on the bed. She felt a sting of guilt when she thought of how much she had shunned and ignored Tiffany.


    Tiffany quickly looked up at her and for the first time, felt the need to open up to someone she considers to be her best friend.


    ***


    ¡°You said that I shouldn¡¯t feel the way I do? Do you even understand what it feels like you he lied to for a long time?¡± Alyssa asked and Tiffany kept mute.


    ¡°Do you have an idea of what it¡¯s like to be hanging out with the prince when you¡¯re merely a maid?¡± Alyssa asked again and this time, Tiffany nodded in affirmation.


    Alyssa was taken aback for a moment after which she broke into a sarcasticughter.


    ¡°You have no idea! How would you know if you¡¯ve never being in such situation?¡± Alyssa asked Tiffany who took in another deep breath.


    ¡°I know because just like you, I¡¯m in love with a prince¡±, Tiffany said and Alyssa¡¯s jaws dropped in shock.


    ¡°What?¡± Alyssa screamed, quickly rushing to sit beside Tiffany.


    ¡°I¡¯m in love with Ryan¡­¡±, Tiffany divulged with a small smile.


    ¡°The second prince?¡± Alyssa asked and Tiffany nodded hastily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry i didn¡¯t tell you earlier¡±, Tiffany apologized to Alyssa who was still in shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay!¡± Alyssa said in excitement, beaming at Tiffany and winking at her.


    ¡°We are in love with each other, but most times, I¡¯m scared of what the queen might do if shees to learn of it¡±, Tiffany said as her once bright face fell into a frown.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t think about what is yet toe. You knew from the beginning that he was a prince. Unlike mine who kept it hidden from the first time we met¡±, Alyssa said and lowered her eyes to the ground.


    Tiffany hugged her calmly after she gave her a questioning gaze.


    ¡°What are your ns now?¡± She asked Alyssa the one question she had in her mind.


    Alyssa paused for a moment after which took in a deep breath.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m over with him¡±, she said with a look of uncertainty in her eyes.


    ¡°Do you think I should keep up with it?¡± Alyssa asked Tiffany who also drifted away in thoughts.


    Tiffany was someone who believed that one¡¯s attitude from the beginning determines how far they would go in the rtionship.


    To her, it was unfair for Liam to hide his identity to someone he imed to be in love with.


    ¡°I would advise you to take your mind off Liam. He lied to you and does not deserve your love or attention!¡± Tiffany said defiantly and Alyssa nodded her head in affirmation.


    She was ready to do that. Right from when she discovered the truth about him, she was certain that it was time to end everything.


    ¡°I would do just that¡­¡±, Alyssa mumbled and wiped off the tears that clouded her eyes.


    Tiffany finally stood to leave since she needed to go see Ryan. Alyssa hugged her passionately, whispering some sweet words into her ears and silently hoping that things would work out between her best friend and the prince.


    ¡°Have some food. Drink a lot of water and avoid thinking about him. He isn¡¯t worth your thoughts¡±, Tiffany joked as she left while Alyssa chuckled.


    Indeed, Liam was not worth her thoughts, but despite how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t get him off her thoughts.


    The moment Tiffany left, Alyssa sank into the bed and drifted off in thoughts.


    She had no idea that her best friend was in love with the prince and now that she did, a lot of things had to change.


    First, her quest toy her hands on the golden artifact¡­


    For the past few nights, her need to get it have lessened greatly. And now, discovering that Tiffany was in love with the prince heightened the need to kick off the ns.


    She wouldn¡¯t want to put her best friend in trouble, especially because she would be out of the pce once she ces her hands on it.


    The only suspect would be Tiffany. Everyone at the pce wouldy the me on her because of her closeness with the prince. They would all conclude that she either helped Alyssa with it, because she was close enough to the prince to learn about it¡¯s whereabouts.


    Alyssa felt a cold shill run down her spine. She would never want to hurt her best friend in such manner. It would haunt her for the rest of her life¡­


    She finallyid on the bed to have some rest, trying to shut her mind off Liam, but failing woefully.

 CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT

    It was close to 10:am and Liam was still on the bed, unwillingly to move an inch and not ready to start his day.


    For the third time since the day started, Nathaniel walked into the room to check on Liam.


    ¡°The meeting starts in almost an hour. You are yet to get prepared. Have you even gone through the details of the meeting? I mean, everyone present would be ready to hear what ns you have in mind¡±, Nathaniel said with a persuasive voice, hoping that Liam would listen and get off the bed.


    Liam remained rooted on the spot. He neither replied, neither did he act as though his servant just mentioned something to him.


    Nathaniel sighed in frustration and walked out of the room.


    After another ten minutes, Liam finally got off the bed and strolled to have a bath. He spent a long time in the bath tub, rummaging through his mind and hoping that Alyssa would show up with a wide smile on her face.


    He jerked up when he recalled that it was not going to be possible, since Alyssa was so mad at him and wouldn¡¯t give him a face.


    After staring at himself in the mirror, he finally walked out of his room. He looked different and he didn¡¯t care about that. His hair was dishelved and his eyes were red and swollen from the countless nights he stayed without enough sleep.


    He walked into the meeting room, mumbling a barely audible response to their greetings.


    The first to observe something off about him was his father. Unlike the Liam who always looked active and ready, the Liam in their midst looked unprepared and dull.


    ¡°You kept us waiting for ten minutes¡±, His father said to him, hoping that he would apologize to the elders and everyone present.


    ¡°Did I?¡± Liam asked, without a glint of remorse in his voice.


    His father was shocked to his bones and this was clear in how he opened his eyes and mouth.


    ¡°Ohh! Am I meant to apologize?¡± Liam asked and chucked calmly.


    He was clearly disorganized at the moment and his utterances were far from being arranged and logical.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry everyone, foringte. I just needed a little time for myself¡±, Liam said and shed a smile to the people present in the meeting.


    His father stared at him in bewilderment, but after some moments, decided to proceed with the meeting.


    ***


    ¡°So, Liam, what do you have in n?¡± Liam heard a voice that caused him to jolt out of his thoughts. He had been engrossed with thoughts of how to regain the trust of Alyssa and make him love him again.


    ¡°n?¡± He asked, quickly sitting up and looking around.


    All eyes were fixed on him and that caused a wave of embarrassment to flush through him.


    ¡°We just talked about how to join forces with other kingdoms in other to stay prepared while we wait for the one kingdom that ns to attack us¡±, the elder who had called Liam exined, clearly disappointed that he had been absent minded all through the conversation.


    ¡°Ohh!¡± Liam said in realization as he tried to rack his head for an answer.


    ¡°Well, whatever ns you have made is fine and perfect!¡± Liam said and shed a wide smile that made everyone throw a puzzled look at him.


    This was totally unlike him. Liam was known to be strategic and smart in thinking of ways to ensure that everything they nned worked out perfectly without a flop.


    But then, he was here, making irrelevantments, without adding a single contribution.


    The meeting came to an end with slight murmursing from the generals and elders who were present.


    Liam was hastily making his way to the bedroom when his father¡¯s voice stopped him.


    ¡°That is not the trait of a future King!¡± His father said with a tone of displeasure.


    Liam sighed. He was really not in a mood to have conversations like this, not when his heart and soul were engulfed with thoughts of Alyssa.


    ¡°Father, can we talk about thister?¡± Liam asked but that only angered his father.


    ¡°What? Are you sure that everything is okay?¡± His father asked, staring at him intently.


    Liam had never replied or behaved in such manner and seeing him like that made his father worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m very fine¡±, Liam said and suddenly startedughing.


    He found it extremely weird and awkward to say that he was fine, when he was nothing close to it.


    ¡°I just need some time to deal with some issue. Just a little time¡±, Liam said with a serious look on his face.


    His father made to go against it, but after several thoughts, decided to remain mute.


    ¡°I would only agree to give you a one week leave. One week and that is all!¡± His father said to Liam who smiled and nodded his head in understanding.


    All through the one week leave, Liam neither made ns to rest or give himself some sort of rxation.


    He was engrossed with discovering ways and means to get back the heart of Alyssa.


    First, he sent her a box of gift, with fresh flowers and fruits. Just after knocking on her door and running off to observe her, he realized that she didn¡¯t touch or make to grab the gift.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She probably knew it came from him¡­


    Next, he approached her one time when she was busy with arranging clothes on the cloth line. She had shouted bitterly, warning him to steer clear since she wouldn¡¯t want anyone to see her together with the prince.


    And now, he was standing at her door and waiting for her to return.

 CHAPTER THIRTY NINE

    Alyssa was exhausted and clearly needed to rest after the long day. She whistled to get a little bit distracted from her thoughts.


    Just as she approached her room, she caught sight of a familiar figure pacing around.


    She was surprised and quite shocked when she realized that it was Liam.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alyssa asked with a wide scowl on her face, trying so hard to avoid peering into his eyes.


    ¡°I came to see you, of course¡­¡±, Liam replied and smiled, extremely d that she decided to say a word to him on this day.


    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you to avoiding to see me!¡± Alyssa said with a cold gaze and a haughty voice.


    ¡°Well, I just figured out that I¡¯m going insane without your presence¡±, Liam said with a cracked voice, staring at the woman he loves and wishing that he could grab her and dig his lips into hers.


    ¡°Then, go insane!¡± Alyssa replied bluntly after which she made to open her door.


    Liam was stunned at her response. It was so swift and cold that for a minute, he stayed dumbfounded.


    ¡°I know you don¡¯t mean that¡±, Liam said as he held her wrist and peered piercingly into her eyes.


    ¡°Look at me¡±, he whispered, with his breath falling directly on Alyssa¡¯s face.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I love you and would love you forever! I just can¡¯t stay without you¡±, Liam said sincerely.


    ¡°Please, forgive me¡±, he pleaded, almost at the verge of tears.


    Alyssa looked at him and her once stone cold eyes turned soft and warm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me? Those nights at theke, the moments we couldn¡¯t do without each other¡­¡±, Liam said and Alyssa sighed deeply.


    She really did miss him and wished she could pull him into a tight hug.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t¡±, Alyssa said instead and ran into her room, mming the door at his face even before he could react.


    She leaned back behind the door, ignoring Liam¡¯s voice and pleas for her to open up. Her heart was racing and tearing apart each minute she heard him asking her for forgiveness. He truly didn¡¯t deserve the level of emotional tantrums she threw across to him because she was as guilty as he was.


    ¡°Liam! Go away, please¡±, she said with a cracked voice, hoping that he would finally give up and walk away.


    His heightened pleas and cries for forgiveness finally resonated into a small sniff. And after what seemed like ages, Alyssa heard his retreating footsteps.


    She rushed into her room and paced around, with her hands digging into her hair and her heart beating frantically.


    She had almost sumbed to Liam¡¯s pleas for mercy and she needed no one to tell her that she would eventually do so if she didn¡¯t think of a n.


    ¡°I can¡¯t be in this n anymore! I can¡¯t wait in this pce¡±, she thought to herself as she paced around the room in worry.


    Guilt engulfed her soul and she needed no one to tell her that she was only a hypocrite who had darker secrets, but disturbed Liam because of his slight mistake.


    The truth still remained that she came to steal from his family, and even though she didn¡¯t know he was the prince, her major intention was to use him in getting the information about the artifact.


    Liam would hate her greatly if hees to discover the truth, and his reaction was something Alyssa knew she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle.


    Just as Alyssa starts packing her things into a bag, tears starts dropping out of her eyes. She wished Liam and wished that she could call him and hug him passionately.


    But she couldn¡¯t¡­she had sent him away just some moments ago.


    She felt her heart tearing apart with each minute that passed. With each seconds that ticked, she got reminded that she was on her way to leave and may not set her eyes on Liam again.


    With a sorrowful eyes, she strolled towards the window and caught sight of him, some distance away. He seemed to be giving some sort of instructions, even if he wasn¡¯t in the best of moods.


    She took in a final deep sigh, and went back to continue packing her things into the light weight bag.


    This was her decision and it was simple; stay out of the n and escape to a ce other than home.


    There was no way she nned to return to her home where torments prevailed. She was convinced that she would be beaten until she gets to the point of death. They would conclude that she only wasted their time by going to the pce and noting back with what they wanted.


    Thoughts of that sent cold chills down her spine. The pce was a great ce for her, but she couldn¡¯t stay anymore. With a deep frown, she resolved to leave, without an idea of where to head to.

 CHAPTER FORTY

    She was done parking in no time. It was still bright and workers around would certainly catch sight of her if she carries her bag through the front.


    At this, she resolved to throwing them out through the window. That didn¡¯t take time because she barely had a lot of bags.


    She took in a deep breath and made to leave, but a knock on her door interrupted her.


    Her heart skipped a beat as she nced around to ensure that there was nothing suspicious about her room.


    She turned the door knob to see Tiffany¡¯s face, poking into the room as though she already had an idea of what she was up to.


    ¡°Hi Tiffany!¡± Alyssa said with a wide smile, pulling her in for a warm hug and trying her possible best to appear real and normal.


    ¡°Hi Alyssa! What are you up to?¡± Tiffany asked as she walked into the room, looking around as though she were in search of something.


    Alyssa cleared her throat and smiled calmly.


    ¡°Nothing much¡­are you looking for something?¡± She asked with a cracked voice that concealed her emotions.


    Tiffany¡¯s presence was only making her feel worse about what she was nning at the moment.


    ¡°No. Your room looks different. Did you rearrange something?¡± Tiffany asked and Alyssa pinched herself deeply.


    How could she be so dumb not to know that Tiffany was smart and observant?


    ¡°Well, I just thought of clearing up some space¡±, Alyssa replied, grinning from ear to ear.


    Tiffany nodded her head, finally believing what Alyssa had exined.


    The emotions was bing overwhelming and Alyssa wasn¡¯t sure of how long she would hold up the tears welling up in her eyes.


    ¡°Are you crying?¡± Tiffany finally asked when she observed how red Alyssa¡¯s eyeballs were turning.


    Just then, Tiffany observed onest bag thatid very close to the window.


    Apparently, Alyssa had forgotten about that one¡­


    ¡°Is that your bag?¡± Tiffany asked in surprise, wondering why a bag would suddenly leave the closet where it has been all the while.


    ¡°Well..¡±, Alyssa started saying, but broke into tears instead.


    She couldn¡¯t hide anymore, because the more she did, the more guilt she felt.


    ¡°Tiffany, I may not be the best friend you thought I was¡­, Alyssa said as her voice trailed off. She walked over to the bed and sank into it, with Tiffany following suit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not perfect and I¡¯m not even close to being perfect¡±, Alyssa continued, peering piercingly into Tiffany¡¯s curious eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m not perfect either. No one is¡­¡±, Tiffany chuckled and tried to tickle Alyssa, but she didn¡¯t move an inch.


    ¡°Alyssa. Is it so serious¡±, Tiffany inquired, beginning to wonder what the reason behind her friend¡¯s mood would be.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t juste here because I wanted to be a maid!¡± Alyssa said and Tiffany gazed at her, lost in thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m not even a maid, neither am I supposed to be one¡±, Alyssa continued and this time, Tiffany¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Then, who are you?¡± Tiffany asked with a shaky voice, the realization of betrayal dawning right in front of her eyes.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m a princess!¡± Alyssa exined and abruptly, Tiffany jerked up.


    ¡°I faced several torments in my kingdom. No body loved me, neither did they feel the need to care or look after me. I was treated like an outcast¡±, Alyssa started exining, with her heart beating out of her chest.


    She was certain that Tiffany would never look at her in the same manner again once she was with the exnation.


    ¡°I was forced toe here. I mean, with the option of getting my freedom if I¡­¡±, Alyssa gulped gulped hard as she looked up to take in Tiffany¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Only if I bring back the the golden artifact. It is one of the greatest things the King desire at the moment. I only agreed because I want my freedom, I couldn¡¯t stay back and continue with the torture. It was extreme!¡±, Alyssa whispered and Tiffany gasped in shock.


    She held on to her mouth to prevent further screams from erupting from it.


    ¡°I¡¯m here only because of that reason¡±, Alyssa said in conclusion, peering intently into Tiffany¡¯s heart and holding her breath.


    Tears trickled out of Alyssa¡¯s eyes as she stared at Tiffany while awaiting her response. She was certain that she would be shattered is she lost Tiffany, but then, her heart was prepared for the worst.

 CHAPTER FORTY ONE

    For some minutes, they stared at each other, with tension filled in the air.


    Alyssa already made up her mind. Tiffany had the right to be mad at her; she had every right to look at her in a different way, because she betrayed her and concealed such huge information from her.


    Tiffany was nk for some minutes. It wasn¡¯t easy to assimte all what Alyssa had just said to her. She stared at Alyssa again, and with a frown, she took few steps backwards.


    This was supposed to be someone she considered her best friend in the pce.


    Alyssa was opened for the worst. She expected Tiffany to walk out of the room after yelling at her and calling her names. She even expected something worst than that.


    She was however shocked to her bones when Tiffany started talking slow steps towards her. She pulled her into a warm hug, while allowing the tears that flowed from her eyes to drop right there on her back.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Alyssa! I understand¡±, Tiffany said to Alyssa who couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    ¡°I knew you were hiding something, but I would never have believed that you were hiding something this huge¡±, Tiffany said sincerely.


    She had thought that she was the only one with secrets in the friendship. Though at some points, she observed that Alyssa was acting strange and suspicious.


    ¡°Am I still your friend? Even after this?¡± Alyssa asked with a look of uncertainty in her eyes.


    ¡°Sure! I don¡¯t see you in a different light and I won¡¯t. I feel more emphatic for you than I have always been. You are so strong and courageous. You were abused even if you were the daughter of a King, and then forced to do something vile to gain freedom. Yet, you are standing solidly¡±, Tiffany said, smiling at her widely and pulling her into another hug.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do now?¡± Tiffany finally asked, searching through her eyes for an answer.


    ¡°No idea!¡± Alyssa¡¯s reply was swift and blunt. The only idea on her head was to leave the pce and she didn¡¯t want to emphasize on that in the conversation.


    ¡°I think you should tell him¡±, Tiffany suggested, staring into her eyes to observe her reaction.


    Alyssa¡¯s reaction was exactly as Tiffany thought it would be. She was strongly against the idea¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Why? He loves you and would never turn his back on you even after what you did?¡± Tiffany tried to exin but Alyssa was adamant to it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any reason to split up with you. What makes you think that Liam would?¡± Tiffany asked one question that caused Alyssa to ponder.


    Indeed, if Tiffany could understand her, then Liam could¡­


    However, she wasn¡¯t ready to witness the look of betrayal or rage he would wear on his face when she finally tells him.


    ¡°I would be fine, I don¡¯t need to tell him¡±, Alyssa said with every convinction visible in her voice.


    Tiffany gave up after a moment. She didn¡¯t want to persuade her friend on something she wasn¡¯t ready to do.


    ¡°I would tell him. Just¡­not now¡±, Alyssa said in a voice that sounded more like a whisper.


    She was only trying to take Tiffany¡¯s mind off her. Even her voice betrayed her when she made that utterance. There was no way she was going to tell Liam anything, because she would be leaving in a moment.


    ¡°Do you need anything? How about we go fruit hunting at midnight?¡± Tiffany suggested and Alyssa quickly nodded their head in approval.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    She wasn¡¯t going to be around for whatever Tiffany was nning. However, she needed a means to take her attention away.


    A knock on the door made the jerk up abruptly. It was a call from a maid, to Tiffany.


    Tiffany took an excuse after which she walked out of the room, smiling at Alyssa who was quite d that she could have some air alone.


    ***


    Tiffany went about her different chores. She caught sight of Liam at several points and she couldn¡¯t help but feel how restless he might be at the moment. He deserved to know the truth but Alyssa wasn¡¯t seeing that.


    Liam caught sight of Tiffany from a distance and after thinking within himself, he decided to have a conversation with her.


    Tiffany bowed her head in respect the moment he approached her. She had thought of walking over to meet with him, but she had no slightest idea that he shared the same thoughts with her.


    ¡°How is Alyssa?¡± That was the first question that came off Liam¡¯s lips.


    He knew that he had a cold conversation with Alyssa moments ago, but he needed to know how she was from a third party.


    ¡°Alyssa? She is doing very great¡±, Tiffany responded as she forced a smile to her face.


    Liam nodded his head in approval as he thought of what next to say.


    ¡°Can you help me tell her that I surely need to have a conversation with her?¡± Liam asked, almost biting his lower lips as he spoke.


    Tiffany gulped down hard and tucked her hair behind her ears. Alyssa was not willing to talk to him and she needed no one to tell her that the response would be negative.


    ¡°I would send your message across to her¡±, Tiffany replied.


    A thought passed through her mind as she stared at Liam who was clearlying up with another question.


    She thought of revealing everything to him, right there at the spot. However, she wouldn¡¯t want to be a betrayal.


    Somehow, she thought of divulging it to Ryan instead, but she shoved it off after deciding that it was the same thing. It would only result in betraying Alyssa and she wasn¡¯t ready for that.


    ¡°Do you have anything to say to me? You appear to be quite off?¡± Liam said when he had been talking to Tiffany who didn¡¯t give a response.


    ¡°Ohh!¡± She mouthed and looked at him.


    ¡°Keep an eye on Alyssa and let me know if she needs anything¡±, Liam said and Tiffany nodded.


    Liam made to walk out, but stopped and swirled around.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to say something?¡± He asked Tiffany who quickly shook her head negatively.


    Liam walked away, hoping that Alyssa would try in convincing Alyssa on the need to talk to him.


    Alyssa looked around the courtyard for some minutes, with her small bag clutched in her hands.


    She walked over to the back and picked up the bags she had thrown earlier. Luckily, no one was around and something else had drawn Tiffany¡¯s attention.


    She ran out of the pce with all her might, sniffing at intervals and stopping to catch her breath.


    A part of her heart made to shove it aside a nightmare, a terrible one. She pinched herself at intervals to be sure that it wasn¡¯t just a mere dream.


    But it wasn¡¯t, she could feel the pain and exhaustion in her legs and it was clear that she was running away.


    She had no idea of where to run to, but her kingdom was totally out of it. She would never dream of going back to such torture, especially when she didn¡¯t return with the golden artifact.


    Just then, a stone on the ground struck her feet and she stumbled to the floor. But almost immediately, she stood up again, not willing to give up at that point.

 CHAPTER FORTY TWO

    As Liamy on his bed looking up at the ceiling, his mind couldn¡¯t help but drift back to the conversation he had with Tiffany about Alyssa earlier. He wasn¡¯t sure why but he had a nagging feeling that she knew something but she had denied it vehemently.


    Alyssa¡¯s cold face from earlier appeared in his mind and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh heavily. He regretted not telling her the truth from the beginning and at the same time he was kind of thankful he didn¡¯t because he was sure that if she had known then, she would have immediately distanced herself from him. If she had done that, the beautiful love they shared presently would have never bloomed.


    Whatever! I¡¯ll make sure I win her back, even if I have to do that for the rest of my life because she sure is worth it.


    Thoughts of how to win Alyssa back upied his mind as he drifted off into the dreand.


    Liam opened his eyes and was immediately met with darkness that went on as far as his eyes could see. Distressed, he began wandering around trying to find his way out as a suffocating feeling threatened to engulf his whole being.


    After wandering for what felt like hours, he cited a halo of light that was illuminating a petite silhouette, one that he could recognize in a heartbeat. He froze for a moment before whispering the person¡¯s name into the darkness.


    ¡°Alyssa¡±


    There was no response so he increased the volume of his voice and began approaching her. His voice which was a bit loud pierced into the darkness and seemed to disturb the eerie atmosphere that apanied the darkness.


    Soon, he was standing behind the still Alyssa and then he reached forward to grab her shoulder.


    What happened next made his pupils constrict in shock.


    His hand went through Alyssa¡¯s body and came back out the other way. Liam stepped backwards in shock while he studied his hand then Alyssa.


    Fear engulfed him at that moment.


    It¡¯s wasn¡¯t fear of the unknown or one influenced by such a strange phenomenon. It was fear that came with the foreboding feeling that the distance between Alyssa and himself was getting wider by the moment.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how that feeling sprouted in his mind but once his hand had passed through Alyssa¡¯s body, it was just there, festering and growing by the minute.


    He stepped forward and made to reach for her again but the same thing happened once more. This time, Alyssa¡¯s figure became faint as if trying to prove his fear and worries right. No matter how many times he screamed or tried to hold on to her, he couldn¡¯t. He could only watch as she finally faded into nothingness and disappeared.


    Immediately after, Liam felt a suffocating feeling engulf his whole being and he fell to his knees with a thud. His heart tightened, sending spirals of pain running through him to the extent that he curled into himself and he let out a bl. ood curling scream.


    He suddenly jolted up with heavy pants and looked around in panic only to realize that he was still in his room and that everything he just saw was a nightmare. Even with the knowledge that it was all a nightmare, he still couldn¡¯t stop the suffocating feeling that wrapped around his heart like a vine, slowly squeezing as if to warn him that something bad was about to happen.


    He had a premonition that something was going to happen and it involved Alyssa. As if to prove him right, a frantic knock was heard at the door. He told the person toe in and he was surprised to see a panic stricken Tiffany with Ryan hot on her tails.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Liam asked, confusion written all over his face.


    Tiffany didn¡¯t reply to him as she began to search the room frantically while calling out Alyssa¡¯s name as if she were hiding somewhere in the room.


    Liam panicked hearing Alyssa¡¯s name which made him clumsily stumble up from the bed and approach Tiffany.


    ¡°What do you mean by this? Where¡¯s Alyssa? Why would you search for her here? What¡¯s going on, Tiffany?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is. I thought I convinced her but when I came back to the room, she was no longer there. I¡­.¡± She exined amidst tears but trailed off because Liam had dashed out of the room at lightning speed.


    She turned to Ryan with sad eyes and soon he embraced her as she sobbed miserably and med herself.


    Liam¡¯s heart was thumping as he rushed towards the room he had be familiar with thesest couple of days when he went to apologize. He hoped and prayed fervently in his heart for a miracle, any sort no matter how small to happen and make sure his dream never came to pass. He wished that he would enter Alyssa¡¯s room and see her sitting in the bed like she always used to, while smiling radiantly at him.


    He wished that she would call him closer and hold his hand while telling him that she had forgiven him. She would say that she had thought it through and it made her realize that they were destined to be together.


    As he reached the familiar door, he reached for the doorknob but paused and didn¡¯t turn it. He wanted so badly for what Tiffany said not to be true. He was frantic and desperate at this point that he could do anything to make it true. After taking a deep breath to steady his trembling hands and heart, he twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.


    A part of him was already aware that what Tiffany said was the truth but seeing the empty room and bed thatcked signs of an upant sent a sharp pain piercing into his heart. It hurt so much that he staggered and almost copsed on the floor right there and then but he still willed his feet to move. He walked into the room with heavy steps and finally stopped at Alyssa¡¯s bed that was empty without a sheet or the usual clothes that she left on it.


    He walked around the room and checked, hoping to find anything that proved that Alyssa was not gone. After searching fruitlessly for a while, he finally gave up and sat on his bed, staring fixedly at the door as if to will it to open and invite Alyssa back in. The door did open but instead of Alyssa walking in, it was Ryan and behind him were some of the warriors of their pce.


    ¡°Liam! It hasn¡¯t been that long since Alyssa left so there may still be a chance to find her if we¡­¡± Ryan started to say but trailed off when he saw that Liam didn¡¯t seem to hear him.


    His brow furrowed, and then he walked to where Liam was sitting and tapped on his shoulder. That seemed to work in getting Liam out of his daze because he jolted up like he had just been shaken awake.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? When did youe here?¡± Liam questioned with a frown on his face.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been talking to you ever since I stepped into this room but you didn¡¯t reply. I know that this sister a shock for you but there are more important things you need to do right now than wallow in self pity and stare dazed at nothing. Alyssa is still out there so you need to mobilize warriors to search for her. That much is needed at the moment. Can you do that?¡± Ryan said.


    Liam dazed and dull eyes seemed to light up in realization once Ryan said that.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of getting people to search for her? She may have left due to reason that left her helpless so I need to find her as soon as possible to reassure her that I¡¯m there for her. Liam! ¡±


    ¡°Yes your highness¡± a burly guard that had been standing at the door answered.


    ¡°Quickly get your team of warriors to look for Alyssa for me. Make sure that she¡¯s found as soon as possible. Also make sure that no harmes to her¡± Liam ordered curtly before dismissing the men.


    Liam watched his men leave and that built hope in his heart that Alyssa could still be found.


    ¡°Alyssa please wait for me, I¡¯ll find you¡±

 CHAPTER FORTY THREE

    Liam¡¯s eyes flew open at the sound of banging on his door. Pulling himself out of a restless sleep, he stumbled towards the source of themotion. The knocking continued, growing louder and more urgent with each passing second. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he finally pulled open the door to find Tiffany and Ryan standing there, their faces etched with worry.


    ¡°Tiffany? Ryan?¡± Liam croaked, his voice still thick with sleep. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tiffany pushed past him, her eyes darting around the room as if expecting someone to jump out at her. ¡°Liam, Alyssa¡¯s gone,¡± she said, her voiceced with panic.


    Liam¡¯s heart thudded in his chest as her words sunk in. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. Alyssa, his closest friend, couldn¡¯t have just vanished. Surely there had to be some kind of mistake.


    ¡°What do you mean she¡¯s gone?¡± Liam stammered, his brain struggling to catch up with the sudden turn of events. ¡°I saw her earlier today.¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s eyes narrowed, her voice tinged with frustration. ¡°I know you did, Liam. But when I came back from work, her side of the room was cleared out. It¡¯s like she was never even here.¡±


    Ryan interjected, his voice calm but filled with concern. ¡°She must have left while you were sleeping, Liam. We couldn¡¯t find any trace of her.¡±


    Liam¡¯s mind raced as he tried to process the information. Thoughts of Alyssa¡¯s safety consumed him. What if something had happened to her? What if she was in trouble, and he was the one who should have been there for her?


    Without a word, Liam dashed towards Alyssa¡¯s room, Tiffany and Ryan close behind. He flung open the door and froze at the sight that greeted him. The room was empty, devoid of any signs of Alyssa¡¯s presence. The bed, once neatly made, was now a chaotic mess, as if someone had torn it apart in a frenzy.


    Panic washed over him, and he immediately began ming himself for her departure. Should he have noticed something? Should he have been there for her when she needed him? Was he such a terrible friend that she felt she had to run away?


    Tears welled up in his eyes as he sank to his knees, his voice choked with emotion. ¡°Alyssa, where are you? Please,e back to us.¡±


    Tiffany knelt beside him, cing aforting hand on his shoulder. ¡°Liam, this is not your fault,¡± she said softly, her voice filled with genuine concern. ¡°We don¡¯t know why she left or what she¡¯s going through. ming yourself won¡¯t help.¡±


    Liam looked up at her, his eyes red and filled with anguish. ¡°But I promised her I would protect her,¡± he whispered, his voice breaking. ¡°And now she¡¯s gone.¡±


    Tiffany¡¯s grip tightened, her voice filled with determination. ¡°We¡¯ll find her, Liam. We won¡¯t stop until we do. But right now, we need to focus on staying calm and finding out what happened.¡±


    Liam nodded, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to regain hisposure. ¡°You¡¯re right, Tiffany. We need to figure this out.¡±


    Without wasting another moment, Liam rallied his men. Word spread like wildfire through the pce, and soon everyone was in a state of uproar. The servants searched every corner, every room, every inch of the pce grounds. But there was no sign of Alyssa.


    Hours turned into an agonizing eternity as the search continued. Liam¡¯s anxiety grew with each passing second, his mind filling with worst-case scenarios. Was she hurt? Was she alone? Images of Alyssa¡¯s smiling face haunted him, fueling his determination to bring her back.


    Finally, his men returned, their faces etched with exhaustion and disappointment. ¡°We¡¯re sorry, Your Highness,¡± one of them said, his voice heavy with regret. ¡°We searched everywhere, but we couldn¡¯t find her.¡±


    Liam¡¯s heart sank, a feeling of helplessness washing over him. How could someone just disappear like that, without a trace? He refused to ept that Alyssa was gone forever. She had be more than just a friend to him; she was family.


    Determined to leave no stone unturned, Liam called for a meeting with his most trusted advisors. They would need to gather every piece of information they could find, exhaust every lead, and follow every possible clue.


    Alyssa had managed to elude the soldiers who were relentlessly searching for her. With a heart pounding in her chest, she slips away unnoticed, leaving Venice behind her. She didn¡¯t have a destination in mind, but she knew she had to keep pushing forward. She couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that she wasn¡¯t far enough from what she¡¯d left behind.


    Days turned into nights, and still, she pressed on. Weariness tugged at her, but she couldn¡¯t afford to stop. The endless expanse of fields stretched out before her, each step taking her further away from the life she once knew. She had to make herself disappear, hide masterfully under the very noses of those who sought her.


    It was during her journey that she stumbled upon a humble caravan led by an older man, his wife heavy with child. With desperation lighting her eyes, Alyssa approaches them, offering to lend a hand in exchange for their protection andpanionship. The couple, their faces etched with both suspicion and kindness, epts her offer without hesitation.


    As they slowly amble towards another region, each day blending into the next, Alyssa finds sce in the rhythm of their journey. The pregnant woman, named Elena, bes her closest confidante. Their conversations flow as easily as the wind through the fields, sharing stories of their past, their hopes, and their fears.


    Alyssa, desperate to keep her true identity veiled, reveals only fragments of her life. She shares tales of travel, exciting encounters, and unexpected friendships, weaving a web of half-truths that serve as her shield. Though she longs for the sce of honesty, she knows that revealing her connection to the pce and her intentions would ce her in unimaginable danger.


    One evening, as darkness nkets the world and the caravanes to a temporary rest, the sounds of approaching horses reach their ears. Panic dances in Alyssa¡¯s eyes as she recognizes the familiar tter of armored soldiers. Her heart races, hands trembling, as she clings to the hope of remaining hidden.


    With practiced ease, she takes her ce beside Elena, the guise of a helpfulpanion slipping over her like a cloak. The soldiers halt the wagon, their hardened faces masked by flickering torchlight.


    ¡°What business do you have on this road?¡± growls a man dressed in a captain¡¯s uniform, his voice like gravel underfoot.


    The old man, his toneced with fear and defiance, responds, ¡°We are simple travelers, sir. Harmless folk with no quarrel to settle.¡±


    Alyssa, her senses on high alert, keeps her head low, praying that her difort won¡¯t give her away. Her disguise hangs by a thread as the captain narrows his eyes and scans the caravan.


    ¡°And what about her?¡± the captain asks, his gaze lingering on Alyssa¡¯s trembling form. ¡°Who is she?¡±


    Elena, a wellspring ofpassion and quick wit, steps forward, her voice full of gentleness tinged with urgency. ¡°She is my sister, sir. She¡¯s been ill with a fever these past few days. We couldn¡¯t leave her behind. We fear she may not make it if we traveled separately.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    The captain¡¯s cold gaze softens for a fleeting moment. ¡°Very well,¡± he grumbles. ¡°But don¡¯t think we won¡¯t be watching.¡±


    And with that, the soldiers retreat into the night, their presence a mere shadow of a threat. Relief washes over the caravan, mingling with the scent of hay and the sound of tired sighs.


    Alyssa, her breath caught in her chest, feels a familiar dizziness sway through her. The weight of her secret and the strain of maintaining this charade have caught up to her. Darkness closes in on the edges of her vision, consuming her until the world surrenders to the void.

 CHAPTER FORTY FOUR

    Liam sat in his study, a stack of papers before him, each filled with details about Alyssa¡¯s life. He¡¯d hired an investigator rmended by Ryan, a man who specialized in finding people who didn¡¯t want to be found. He scoured through the scattered notes, each written in a hand that was foreign to him.


    ¡°How much do you know about her past?¡± the investigator had asked him during their first meeting.


    Liam had paused, realizing with a pang of regret that he knew very little about Alyssa beyond her time spent at the pce. ¡°Not much,¡± he admitted, his voiceced with frustration. ¡°She kept to herself most of the time. But she came to the pce seeking an audience with the king. That¡¯s how she ended up here.¡±


    The investigator nodded, his face thoughtful. ¡°If she¡¯s on the run, she must have a reason. Did she mention anything about her family or her life before she came to the pce?¡±


    Liam thought back to their conversations, each one shrouded in mystery. ¡°No,¡± he said slowly. ¡°But she was determined to meet the king. Said it was a matter of life and death.¡±


    The investigator scratched his chin, deep in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can find out. In the meantime, try to remember anything she might have said that could give us a lead.¡±Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    And so Liam had spent his days locked away in his study, revisiting every conversation he¡¯d shared with Alyssa, searching for a missing piece that would lead them to her. The silence of the pce consumed him, his heart heavy with worry. He didn¡¯t know where Alyssa was or if she was safe. All he knew was that he couldn¡¯t rest until he found her.


    His mother, tired of seeing her son waste away in his own misery, hade to confront him. ¡°Liam,¡± she chided him, her tone scolding. ¡°What has gotten into you? You¡¯re barely eating or sleeping. This is no way for a future king to behave.¡±


    Liam bristled, his heart a tangle of emotions. ¡°I can¡¯t focus on anything until we find her,¡± he snapped, his voice full of desperation. ¡°She could be in danger, Mother. What if something happened to her?¡±


    His mother softened, her eyes full of warmth and understanding. ¡°I know you care for her, my son. But you can¡¯t neglect your duties or let the prospect of a girl cloud your judgment.¡±


    Liam shook his head, his mind made up. ¡°I won¡¯t let anyone dictate my future,¡± he dered. ¡°Especially not my father or his twisted schemes. I¡¯ll find Alyssa, no matter what it takes.¡±


    And with that, he stormed out of his study, seeking sce in the empty halls of the pce. It was in one of these moments of aimless wandering that the investigator stumbled upon him. ¡°Your highness,¡± he said, his voice filled with urgency. ¡°I have some strange news.¡±


    Liam¡¯s heart raced, his hands shaking with anticipation. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, his voice full of hope and fear.


    The investigator hesitated, his eyes clouding with doubt. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking into Alyssa¡¯s past, like you asked me to,¡± he began. ¡°And I found something odd. It seems as though she doesn¡¯t exist. There are no records of her birth or her parents. No history before her time at the pce.¡±


    Liam¡¯s face paled, his mind reeling with the implications of what the investigator had told him. ¡°What do you mean, she doesn¡¯t exist?¡± he whispered, his voice barely audible.


    The investigator shrugged, his face a mask of confusion. ¡°It¡¯s as though she appeared out of thin air,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s no trace of her existence, no matter how hard I look.¡±


    Liam stormed out of his room, his heart pounding and blood boiling with fury. His conversation with the investigator had gone too far and he was angry. He had thought everything the investigator had discovered about Alyssa¡¯s life was mere spections and lies, but after being shown hard evidence, Liam was stumped. He¡¯d thought he could trust Alyssa and had fallen for her, for all the right reasons. He had even shared his secrets with her, but now he realized that she had just been using him all along.


    Liam knew that Alyssa hade to his kingdom under disguise, and he was left feeling foolish for not having picked up on her intentions earlier. He was sure that she knew who he was all along, and that was why she chose to get close to him in the first ce. He was furious; he had been genuine about his feelings, and had even begged her to forgive him for his hidden past, but it seemed like she had been doing everything as an obligation.


    As he spent his day in the armory, his thoughts were filled with only two things- Alyssa¡¯s betrayal and how he could get back at her. He scrutinized every new stock of weapons that came his way, and even though his trusted army officials tried to talk to him, he was too lost in his own anger to pay them any attention.


    Suddenly, Liam remembered something important and called for a meeting with the elders. He knew that he needed their guidance in dealing with the consequences of Alyssa¡¯s betrayal. When the elders arrived, Liam got straight to the point.


    ¡°Alyssa is a spy who has infiltrated our kingdom. I need to know how she could¡¯ve gotten past our borders unnoticed.¡± Liam spoke in a low, controlled voice.


    The elders looked at each other in shock and disbelief.


    ¡°Are you sure about this, Liam? Alyssa seemed to have genuine feelings for you,¡± Elder Sebastian spoke softly, his voiceced with concern.


    Liam¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°I am 100% positive. I have evidence to prove it.¡±


    The elders looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed. Then Elder Florence spoke up.


    ¡°If Alyssa did manage to infiltrate our kingdom under disguise, then we need to take this as a serious threat. We need to know what she is nning, and how we can protect ourselves from any potential danger.¡±


    Liam nodded, ¡°I agree. But we need to be careful, we don¡¯t want to alert her of our suspicions before we have all the answers we need.¡±


    The conversation went on for another hour, with the elders discussing the best course of action to take. Liam sat quietly, his mind still reeling from everything that had happened. He couldn¡¯t believe that Alyssa had lied to him so thoroughly.


    As the meeting ended, Liam knew that he had a lot of work to do. He needed to find out everything he could about Alyssa, and figure out how to protect his kingdom from any potential danger. But before any of that, he needed toe to terms with his own feelings towards her and sort out the mess she had created in his life.


    Liam left the meeting feeling more determined than ever. He was going to get to the bottom of this, even if it meant confronting Alyssa himself. He needed answers, and he was going to get them no matter what. But one thing was certain- things were never going to be the same between them again

 CHAPTER FORTY FIVE

    King Edward sat impatiently in his ornate throne, ring at the entrance of his council room. Thete hour had raised his ire, and he made no effort to hide his annoyance as Liam, his trusted advisor, finally arrived.


    Liam, however, remained unfazed by the king¡¯s displeasure. He knew his duty was more important than the king¡¯s mood, and he focused on the purpose of the meeting. Ignoring the venomous res being thrown his way, he spoke with calm determination.


    ¡°Your Majesty, I have gathered some vital information about Alyssa,¡± Liam began, fixing his gaze on the king. ¡°It seems she is not with her family at the moment.¡±


    The king¡¯s brows furrowed in concern. ¡°Not with her family? Where could she have gone?¡±


    ¡°That is precisely what I aim to find out,¡± Liam replied, his voiceced with determination. ¡°I have a feeling she may be in grave danger, Your Majesty.¡±


    The king¡¯s annoyance wavered, reced by worry for his beloved daughter. ¡°Tell me everything you know, Liam.¡±


    Liam proceeded to recount all the information he had gathered about Alyssa¡¯s recent activities. He paused briefly to let the gravity of the situation sink in before continuing, ¡°She is currently in the Ethiopia Kingdom, a ce that we are nning to annex.¡±


    King Edward¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Ethiopia? That¡¯s her kingdom?¡±


    Liam nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. And it seems our ns to steal the valuable artifact from their kingdom havee to light. They will surely retaliate.¡±


    The king¡¯s mind raced, processing the implications of this newfound knowledge. His daughter, deeply hurt and out of their reach, the Ethiopia Kingdom on the brink of war, and an artifact that had the potential to shatter their rule. He needed a n, a strategy to ensure his kingdom remained unscathed.


    ¡°I want you to do everything in your power to find Alyssa, Liam,¡± the king stated firmly. ¡°We cannot afford to lose her, especially now.¡±


    Liam bowed his head in agreement. ¡°I will leave no stone unturned, Your Majesty. I swear, I will bring her back safely.¡±


    Satisfied with his advisor¡¯s dedication, the king motioned for his guards to leave the room. But before they could make their exit, a suddenmotion erupted.


    The king clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain. He slumped forward onto his desk as the room fell into chaos. Council members rushed to his side, panic filling the air.


    ¡°Get the healer! Quickly!¡± Liam bellowed, his voice breaking through the chaos.


    As the guards hurried out of the room, Liam watched with deep concern, his mind both racing and calcting. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the abrupt attack had anything to do with Alyssa¡¯s disappearance.


    Minutes passed like hours as the council members anxiously awaited the arrival of the healer. Time seemed to stand still, the room heavy with anticipation and fear.


    Finally, the doors to the council room swung open, and the healer rushed in, her face pale with worry. Ignoring the chaos around her, she focused her attention on the unconscious king.


    Liam fought the lump in his throat as he stood by, helpless in the face of the unfolding tragedy. The fate of the kingdom hung in the bnce, relying on the life of their beloved ruler.


    Yearster, Liam stood tall and proud as the Alpha King of Venice. He was revered by his people, his court filled with those who hailed him as their leader. The grand hall was buzzing with excitement, the air heavy with anticipation. The Alpha King had summoned his subjects for a public hearing, a time when they could bring forth their grievances and seek justice.


    Liam had earned his position through sheer determination and a keen sense of judgment. He could be ruthless when the situation called for it, but he was also fair and just. His subjects knew that their King would always listen to their arguments, weigh the evidence presented, and deliver a verdict based on the truth.


    As Liam presided over the courtroom, his keen eyes scanned the faces before him. The courtiers, nobles, andmon folk all looked up to him with respect. They sought his guidance, his protection, and his wisdom. Liam relished the responsibility, the weight of his decisions carried on his shoulders.


    The arguments filled the room, voices ovepping in a cacophony of requests and pleas. Liam¡¯s sharp mind absorbed every detail, listening intently to the perspectives of those involved. He asked probing questions, seeking the truth beneath the surface. He kept his own opinions hidden, never revealing his hand until he had fully deliberated upon the matter at hand.


    Hours passed as Liam heard case after case, delivering justice with a firm but fair hand. Finally, the courtroom emptied, the people returning to their lives, grateful for the Alpha King¡¯s intervention. Liam felt a surge of pride and aplishment, but as thest person left the room, he felt a distinct sense of unease.


    The door to his private chambers swung open, interrupting his thoughts. Liam¡¯s irritation was evident on his face as he turned to face the intruder. His heart plummeted as he recognized her, a familiar face that had haunted his dreams and aspirations for years.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he hissed, his toneced with anger and regret.


    Alyssa stood before him, her gaze filled with longing and desperation. ¡°I need your help,¡± she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Liam scoffed and turned away, his memories shing back to that painful encounter with Alyssa¡¯s father. The man had been callous, unwilling to give up his crumbling kingdom for the greater good. And in the midst of their heated discussion, Liam had dared to ask about Alyssa, only to be met with indifference.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The shback lingered in his mind, a painful reminder of the past. Liam had pushed away his emotions, burying them deep within his heart. But seeing Alyssa now, standing before him, reopened the wounds he thought had healed.


    ¡°You should have known better than toe here,¡± Liam snapped, his voice filled with bitterness.


    Alyssa¡¯s eyes welled up with tears, her voice trembling. ¡°I had nowhere else to turn,¡± she confessed. ¡°Please, just hear me out.¡±


    Liam¡¯s heart softened slightly, but his resolve remained firm. He couldn¡¯t let Alyssa¡¯s presence weaken him, couldn¡¯t let the past dictate his actions. He had a kingdom to govern, a people to protect.


    ¡°You made your choice long ago,¡± he said coldly, his voice devoid of any tenderness. ¡°Now leave and never return.¡±


    Alyssa flinched under his harsh words, her face etched with pain. She nodded silently, tears streaming down her cheeks. Without another word, she turned and left his chambers, the door shutting behind her with a resounding finality.


    Liam exhaled deeply, trying to regain hisposure. He had to focus on the present, on the responsibilities that came with being the Alpha King. Alyssa and the past were nothing more than a distant memory, fading with each passing day.


    Taking a moment to collect himself, Liam walked to the window, gazing out over his kingdom. The sun was setting, casting a warm golden glow over Venice. The weight of his position settled on his shoulders once more, a burden he bore willingly.


    Closing his eyes, Liam whispered a silent prayer for the strength to continue leading his people with justice and integrity. And as darkness fell outside, he vowed to himself that he would never let the ghosts of his past consume him again.

 CHAPTER FORTY SIX

    The sun was shining brightly on the bustling town of Alexandria, as Liam and his entourage rode through the dusty streets. People paused in their activities to catch a glimpse of the royal procession, their faces filled with respect and admiration. Liam, however, had more pressing matters on his mind. He had been searching for Alyssa ever since she had betrayed him, and the sight of her was enough to ignite a seething anger within him.


    As they made their way closer to the pce, Liam¡¯s eyes scanned the crowd, searching for any sign of her. His heart pounded in his chest, the anticipation of finally confronting her threatening to consume him. And then, there she was. Alyssa emerged from the crowd, her presencemanding attention.


    Ryan, who had been riding alongside Liam, noticed his sudden change in demeanor. He leaned closer and whispered, ¡°My Lord, I believe we have found her. Shall I call for her arrest?¡±


    Liam clenched his jaw, his betrayal still fresh in his memory. No, he had other ns for her. ¡°No, Ryan. Let here to me. I want to see the fear in her eyes as she realizes her fate.¡±


    As the procession neared the pce grounds, Alyssa stepped forward, her gaze fixated on Liam. Her face disyed a mixture of surprise and nervousness, but her resolve remained steadfast. She had known this confrontation was inevitable, and she would not back down.


    Liam dismounted his horse, his entourage following suit. The tension in the air was palpable as he strode towards her, his eyes burning with anger. Alyssa stood her ground, her head held high, refusing to cower in his presence.


    Without a word, Liam extended his hand, demanding an exnation. Alyssa, her voice steady butced with regret, spoke, ¡°Liam, I know you are angry with me, and rightfully so. But please understand, I did what I thought was best for our people.¡±


    Liam¡¯s grip tightened on her arm, his voice seething with resentment. ¡°Best for our people? How dare you betray me? You knew the consequences of your actions, and yet you chose to defy me.¡±


    Alyssa winced, the pain evident in her eyes. ¡°I loved you, Liam. I still do. But we cannot ignore the suffering of our people. They needed someone to stand up for them, and I could not turn my back on them.¡±


    Liam pulled away from her, his voice choked with bitterness. ¡°You should havee to me, Alyssa. We were supposed to be partners, united in our mission to protect and lead our kingdom. Instead, you chose to go behind my back.¡±


    She reached out to him, her voice filled with desperation. ¡°I did what I thought was right, Liam. I thought you would understand.¡±


    Liam turned away, unable to bear the disappointment in her eyes. ¡°Understanding doesn¡¯t excuse betrayal, Alyssa. You made a choice, and now you must face the consequences.¡±


    As the words hung in the air, Liam¡¯s entourage started to close in around them, ready to carry out his orders. But before they could intervene, a voice called out from the crowd, interrupting the tense standoff.


    ¡°Alyssa! Liam! Please, let us not resort to violence. We must find a way to reconcile.¡±


    Alyssa¡¯s father, who had been watching the scene unfold, had finally gathered the courage to speak up. His long-standing loyalty to Liam had prompted him to stay by his side, despite the pain of witnessing his daughter¡¯s betrayal.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam turned his gaze towards him, a mixture of surprise and disappointment in his eyes. ¡°And what do you suggest, Scribe? How can we reconcile when the trust has been broken?¡±


    Alyssa¡¯s father stepped forward, his voice firm but filled withpassion. ¡°We rebuild the trust, my Lord. Together, we can heal the wounds and work towards a stronger kingdom. Alyssa made a choice, and she is willing to face the consequences. But she is still your daughter, and forgiveness is the path to redemption.¡±


    Liam¡¯s cold expression softened for a moment as he considered his words. Alyssa watched him earnestly, hopeful for a chance at forgiveness. The air was heavy with anticipation, as everyone held their breath, waiting for Liam¡¯s response.


    Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Liam nodded, his voice carrying a hint of reluctance. ¡°Very well. But know this, Alyssa. Rebuilding the trust will not be an easy task. We have much work to do, and there will be no room for further betrayal.¡±


    As Liam¡¯s men came to a halt, he quickly pivoted his head to scan the area behind him. His eyes narrowed as he realized she had vanished from his sight once again. Ryan, his brother and right-hand man, quirked an eyebrow and approached him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the issue, Liam?¡± Ryan asked, his voiceced with concern.


    Liam took a deep breath, his mind racing. ¡°I saw her, Ryan. I¡¯m certain it was her.¡±


    Ryan frowned, disbelief etched on his face. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be her, Liam. You know she wouldn¡¯te back here.¡±


    Liam¡¯s jaw clenched, his eyes glimmering with determination. ¡°I know what I saw, Ryan. She¡¯s hiding somewhere around here.¡±


    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Liam discreetly motioned two of his guards over to his side. With slight gestures, he ordered them to keep watch and report back to him the moment theyid eyes on her. He had to see her, speak to her, and confront her about the pain she had caused him all those years ago.


    Meanwhile, Alyssa stood frozen, her heart pounding in her chest as she caught sight of Liam. It had been so long since she hadst seen him, yet the memory of their painful parting was still etched in her mind. She knew she had hurt him deeply, and the thought of facing his wrath terrified her.


    Hiding herself amongst the crowd, Alyssa watched Liam intently, her gaze never leaving his figure. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of longing, a desire to be near him once more. Yet, the fear of rejection held her captive.


    Alyssa shuffled nervously, her instincts screaming at her that she was being watched. She couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she was being observed from the shadows. Her mind whirled with possibilities, but before she could gather her thoughts, a warm presence enveloped her.


    Turning around, Alyssa found herself face to face with a person so perfect it seemed unreal. Dark, mesmerizing eyes met hers, and a genuine smile graced their lips.


    ¡°Wee home,¡± the person said, their voice gentle and soothing, as if they had known her for years.


    Alyssa felt her heart skip a beat, her gaze locked onto the stranger¡¯s. There was something oddly familiar about this person, an aura that tugged at her memories. But she couldn¡¯t quite ce it.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alyssa managed to reply, her voice barely above a whisper. Questions swirled in her mind, but she dared not voice them. She had a feeling that the answers would bring about moreplexities in an already tangled web.


    The stranger chuckled, their lightughter washing over her like a cool breeze. ¡°No need to thank me. It¡¯s been too long since this ce knew your presence.¡±


    Alyssa¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, her thoughts racing toprehend the stranger¡¯s words. Could it be? Had she stumbled upon someone who knew her secret? Or was it merely a coincidence, a kind-hearted soul who weed any weary traveler?


    Before Alyssa could decipher the situation further, the stranger extended their hand towards her. ¡°Come, let me show you around. This ce has changed since you¡¯ve been gone.¡±


    A mixture of curiosity and caution coursed through Alyssa¡¯s veins, but the pull of the stranger¡¯s offer was undeniable.

 CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

    Liam¡¯s men returned to him by the second day, their faces marked with exhaustion and dirt. Liam, usuallyposed and collected, couldn¡¯t help but fidget in his seat as they entered the room. He motioned for them to sit, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.


    ¡°Well?¡± he demanded, his voiceced with impatience. ¡°What have you found?¡±


    One of the men cleared his throat nervously, pushing a stray strand of hair behind his ear. ¡°It¡¯s her, sir,¡± he said, his voice barely above a whisper. ¡°It¡¯s Alyssa.¡±


    Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched tightly. The name shed through him like a knife, reopening wounds that he thought had healed long ago. ¡°Alyssa,¡± he repeated, the name dripping with contempt. ¡°She dares to go by another name?¡±


    The second man hesitated for a moment before adding, ¡°Yes, sir. She calls herself Reina now.¡±


    Liam scoffed, his anger boiling within him. He had spent years consumed with thoughts of revenge, of making her pay for the pain she had caused him. And here she was, creating a life for herself while he had wasted away in his bitterness.


    ¡°She dares to build a life with these people?¡± he shouted, his voice echoing through the room. ¡°She will pay for what she has done to me!¡±


    He rose from his seat abruptly, his chair crashing to the floor behind him as he stormed out of the room. His men followed close behind, wary of his temper. Liam¡¯s mind raced with thoughts of destroying her newfound happiness, crushing her under his heel just as she had done to him.


    As he returned to the meeting with the Prince of Alexandria, Liam¡¯s face was flushed with anger and regret. He entered the room, his jaw clenched, and saw the disapproving gaze of the prince resting on him.


    ¡°Apologies, Your Highness,¡± Liam muttered, his voice barely audible. ¡°An urgent matter required my attention.¡±


    The prince raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. ¡°I would hope so, considering you interrupted our discussion,¡± he replied curtly.


    Liam swallowed his pride, forced to endure the consequences of his impulsive actions. He knew he needed the prince¡¯s support if he wanted to exact his revenge on Alyssa.


    ¡°I am truly sorry, Your Highness,¡± Liam said, his voiceced with sincerity. ¡°I assure you, it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    The prince folded his arms, peering at Liam with a discerning gaze. After a moment, he nodded. ¡°Very well,¡± he said. ¡°We shall continue our discussion tomorrow.¡±


    Liam nodded gratefully, his mind racing with ns to crush Alyssa¡¯s newfound happiness. He had waited long enough for his revenge, and now he would stop at nothing to see it through.


    And as he walked out of the room, his heart filled with a twisted determination. He knew that once he found Alyssa, there would be no mercy.


    ¡­


    Liam couldn¡¯t get her out of his mind. Alyssa consumed his thoughts day and night, leaving him restless and unfocused on the matters at hand. As he found himself trapped in the bustling city of Alexandria, attending crucial meetings and engaging in diplomatic discussions with various delegates, his desire to see her grew with each passing moment.


    Though he couldn¡¯t escape the responsibilities that held him bound to Alexandria, Liam was determined to find a way to see Alyssa. He dispatched his most trusted men to keep an eye on her, ensuring her safety and offering him some peace of mind. But mere updates and surveince footage were not enough for him; he craved a personal encounter.


    Weeks passed, and the weight of responsibility began to take its toll on Liam. He longed for a reprieve from the relentless demands of his position. Then, one fateful day, an opportunity presented itself, seemingly out of nowhere. A meeting was canceled, freeing up a precious few hours in his schedule.


    His heart racing with anticipation, Liam instructed his guard to prepare his carriage, eager to finally go out and see Alyssa for himself. As he made his way through the streets of Alexandria, his eyes were peeled for any sign of her. It was then that he spotted his guards up ahead, speaking animatedly amongst themselves.


    Pulling up next to them, Liam leaned out of the carriage. ¡°What news do you bring?¡± he questioned, his voice exuding a mix of hope and impatience.


    One of the guards stepped forward, a look of excitement dancing in his eyes. ¡°My lord, we have just received word that thedy you seek has entered the pce.¡±


    Liam¡¯s heart sank momentarily, disappointed that he had once again missed the chance to see her. Nheless, determination fueled his every move. ¡°Then let us hasten to the pce and discover the reason for her visit,¡± he dered, urging his carriage forward.


    As Liam entered the pce, his attention was immediately diverted by the familiar voice of Prince Admond. The Prince made his way towards Liam, surrounded by an air of regal authority. ¡°Ah, my dear friend, Liam!¡± he boomed, sping Liam¡¯s hand in his own.


    ¡°Prince Admond, it is always an honor,¡± Liam replied politely, disguising his eagerness to find Alyssa.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    The Prince grinned mischievously. ¡°You must meet someone, Liam. Someone who has captivated my heart and soul, just as she will yours.¡± With a theatrical flourish, Prince Admond gestured towards a figure standing nearby.


    Liam¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as his gaze fell upon her ¨C Alyssa. She stood there, radiant and ethereal, her eyes meeting his with a mix of surprise and delight. Time seemed to stand still as the world around them faded into oblivion.


    ¡°My lord,¡± Alyssa managed to utter, her voice filled with wonder and an underlying hint of longing.


    Liam, his voice barely above a whisper, replied, ¡°Alyssa, I have searched for you tirelessly. Fate has brought us together atst.¡±

 CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

    Alyssa took a deep breath as she stood before the grand entrance of the pce. This was it-her first day as Prince Vale¡¯s governess. She had heard tales of the luxuriousness of the royal pce, but nothing prepared her for the sheer opulence that greeted her eyes. The golden chandeliers glittered, casting ethereal light throughout the hallway lined with polished marble floors.


    Just as Alyssa was about to take her first step into the pce, a familiar figure caught her eye. It was him-Liam, the man she thought she would never see again. Her heart raced, and she fought against the temptation to run, to hide from the past that haunted her.


    Liam, however, seemed oblivious to her presence. He walked with a confident stride, his eyes focused ahead. Alyssa couldn¡¯t believe that he didn¡¯t recognize her, even after all these years. Perhaps he was just ying a game, pretending to be a stranger. She decided to y along, concealing her agitation beneath a mask of calmness. She smiled politely as Liam approached.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she greeted, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her.


    Liam nodded curtly, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to recall something. ¡°Do I know you?¡± he asked, his voice low and smooth.


    Alyssa¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained herposure. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you must be mistaken,¡± she replied, her voice light and dismissive. ¡°I am here as Prince Vale¡¯s governess.¡±


    Liam¡¯s eyes lingered on her for just a moment longer than necessary, but then he turned away without saying another word. Alyssa let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she had been holding, relieved that she had managed to keep her secret hidden-for now.


    Excusing herself with a hasty bow, Alyssa hurried through the pce corridors, feeling Liam¡¯s gaze bore into her back. She knew she couldn¡¯t let her guard down, not with him so close. She needed to focus on the task at hand-the children.


    Reaching the nursery wing, Alyssa found the two small children happily ying with blocks on the floor. Prince Vale, a precocious five-year-old with sandy blond hair, looked up at her with wide blue eyes, excitement evident on his face.


    ¡°Alyssa, you¡¯re here!¡± he eximed, a smile spreading across his face.


    She returned the smile, bending down to his level. ¡°Indeed, Your Highness,¡± she replied with a yful lilt to her voice. ¡°Shall we have a grand adventure today? Shall we build the tallest tower of blocks this kingdom has ever seen?¡±


    Prince Vale¡¯s face brightened even more, and he nodded vigorously. ¡°I would like that very much!¡±


    For the rest of the morning, Alyssa threw herself into her role as the governess, encouraging the children¡¯s y, teaching them letters and numbers, and nurturing their imaginations. She reveled in their innocence, their boundless energy, and temporarily forgot the weight of secrets she carried.


    As the afternoon slipped away, the time to leave drew closer. Alyssa¡¯s heart sank, knowing that her time with the children wasing to an end. Prince Vale and his younger sister, Princess Isabe, reluctantly gathered their toys, dropping hints that they wanted the adventure to continue.


    Just as Alyssa was about to remind the children of their impending departure, a panicked voice interrupted her. ¡°M-mom! Wait for me!¡±


    Her heart stopped. That voice-that word-it couldn¡¯t be. She turned around, and there he was-Timothy, her beloved son. How had he found her? A mix of emotions washed over her-joy at seeing Timothy again, fear of the consequences that his presence could bring.


    Liam approached, a hint of confusion and curiosity in his eyes. ¡°Mom?¡± he repeated, looking between Alyssa and Timothy.


    Alyssa¡¯s mind raced as she scrambled for an exnation. She couldn¡¯t let the truthe out, not now. ¡°Ah, it seems Timothy has mistaken me for his mother,¡± she replied, her voice faltering ever so slightly. ¡°I assure you, he must have confused me with someone else, Your Highness.¡±


    Liam¡¯s gaze lingered on her, his eyes searching for answers. ¡°Very well,¡± he finally said, his voice tinged with suspicion. ¡°But you will need to leave now. Timothy,e.¡±


    Timothy, unaware of the turmoil between the two adults, hurriedly approached Alyssa. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± he whispered, clutching onto her hand.


    Alyssa bit her lip, her heart aching at the thought of leaving Timothy behind once more. But she had no choice. She squeezed his hand tightly and forced a smile, masking her pain. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my love,¡± she whispered back. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    ¡­..


    Alyssa took a deep breath as she stood before the grand entrance of the pce. This was it-her first day as Prince Vale¡¯s governess. She had heard tales of the luxuriousness of the royal pce, but nothing prepared her for the sheer opulence that greeted her eyes. The golden chandeliers glittered, casting ethereal light throughout the hallway lined with polished marble floors.


    Just as Alyssa was about to take her first step into the pce, a familiar figure caught her eye. It was him-Liam, the man she thought she would never see again. Her heart raced, and she fought against the temptation to run, to hide from the past that haunted her.


    Liam, however, seemed oblivious to her presence. He walked with a confident stride, his eyes focused ahead. Alyssa couldn¡¯t believe that he didn¡¯t recognize her, even after all these years. Perhaps he was just ying a game, pretending to be a stranger. She decided to y along, concealing her agitation beneath a mask of calmness. She smiled politely as Liam approached.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± she greeted, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her.


    Liam nodded curtly, his eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to recall something. ¡°Do I know you?¡± he asked, his voice low and smooth.


    Alyssa¡¯s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained herposure. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you must be mistaken,¡± she replied, her voice light and dismissive. ¡°I am here as Prince Vale¡¯s governess.¡±


    Liam¡¯s eyes lingered on her for just a moment longer than necessary, but then he turned away without saying another word. Alyssa let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she had been holding, relieved that she had managed to keep her secret hidden-for now.


    Excusing herself with a hasty bow, Alyssa hurried through the pce corridors, feeling Liam¡¯s gaze bore into her back. She knew she couldn¡¯t let her guard down, not with him so close. She needed to focus on the task at hand-the children.


    Reaching the nursery wing, Alyssa found the two small children happily ying with blocks on the floor. Prince Vale, a precocious five-year-old with sandy blond hair, looked up at her with wide blue eyes, excitement evident on his face.


    ¡°Alyssa, you¡¯re here!¡± he eximed, a smile spreading across his face.


    She returned the smile, bending down to his level. ¡°Indeed, Your Highness,¡± she replied with a yful lilt to her voice. ¡°Shall we have a grand adventure today? Shall we build the tallest tower of blocks this kingdom has ever seen?¡±


    Prince Vale¡¯s face brightened even more, and he nodded vigorously. ¡°I would like that very much!¡±


    For the rest of the morning, Alyssa threw herself into her role as the governess, encouraging the children¡¯s y, teaching them letters and numbers, and nurturing their imaginations. She reveled in their innocence, their boundless energy, and temporarily forgot the weight of secrets she carried.


    As the afternoon slipped away, the time to leave drew closer. Alyssa¡¯s heart sank, knowing that her time with the children wasing to an end. Prince Vale and his younger sister, Princess Isabe, reluctantly gathered their toys, dropping hints that they wanted the adventure to continue.


    Just as Alyssa was about to remind the children of their impending departure, a panicked voice interrupted her. ¡°M-mom! Wait for me!¡±


    Her heart stopped. That voice-that word-it couldn¡¯t be. She turned around, and there he was-Timothy, her beloved son. How had he found her? A mix of emotions washed over her-joy at seeing Timothy again, fear of the consequences that his presence could bring.


    Liam approached, a hint of confusion and curiosity in his eyes. ¡°Mom?¡± he repeated, looking between Alyssa and Timothy.


    Alyssa¡¯s mind raced as she scrambled for an exnation. She couldn¡¯t let the truthe out, not now. ¡°Ah, it seems Timothy has mistaken me for his mother,¡± she replied, her voice faltering ever so slightly. ¡°I assure you, he must have confused me with someone else, Your Highness.¡±Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam¡¯s gaze lingered on her, his eyes searching for answers. ¡°Very well,¡± he finally said, his voice tinged with suspicion. ¡°But you will need to leave now. Timothy,e.¡±


    Timothy, unaware of the turmoil between the two adults, hurriedly approached Alyssa. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom,¡± he whispered, clutching onto her hand.


    Alyssa bit her lip, her heart aching at the thought of leaving Timothy behind once more. But she had no choice. She squeezed his hand tightly and forced a smile, masking her pain. ¡°It¡¯s alright, my love,¡± she whispered back. ¡°I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±

 CHAPTER FORTY NINE

    Alyssa stood there, her mind racing as she tried toe up with a response. She didn¡¯t want to lie to Tim, her six-year-old son, but she also wasn¡¯t ready to have the difficult conversation that she knew would follow if she told him the truth. Taking a deep breath, she mustered the courage to speak.


    ¡°Tim, honey, he¡¯s just someone mommy knows,¡± she said, hoping to divert his attention. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and get ready for bed? I¡¯ll be right there to tuck you in.¡±


    Tim looked at her with wide eyes, clearly unsatisfied with her answer. ¡°But who is he, mommy? I¡¯ve never seen him before.¡±


    Alyssa smiled, trying to mask the turmoil inside her. ¡°He¡¯s just a friend, sweetheart. Mommy will exin moreter, okay? Right now, it¡¯s time for bed.¡±


    She gently guided Tim towards his bedroom, distracting him with small talk about his day at school. As she tucked him in and kissed his forehead, she could see the curiosity in his eyes. She knew she couldn¡¯t avoid his questions for long, but she wanted to shield him from the truth as long as possible.


    Once Tim had finally drifted off to sleep, Alyssa tiptoed out of his room and made her way downstairs to the living room. She poured herself a ss of wine and sank into the couch, her thoughts consumed by the events of earlier that evening.


    Liam, the man she had been trying to avoid, had shown up unexpectedly at the bookstore where she worked. His presence had stirred up emotions she had long tried to bury. She knew he had every right to be angry with her after what had transpired between them, but his reaction had confused her. He had seemed distant, almost as if he didn¡¯t care. And that hurt more than any words he could have said.


    As she took a sip of wine, Alyssa tried to talk herself out of the flicker of hope that had ignited within her. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to think that things could get better between them. She had made her choices and now she had to live with the consequences.


    Lost in her thoughts, she didn¡¯t notice the time passing until her phone buzzed on the coffee table. It was a text message from Liam, confirming their meeting. Sighing heavily, she replied with a simple ¡°Okay.¡±


    Alyssa knew she couldn¡¯t keep avoiding him forever. It was time to face the music and have that conversation she had been dreading. Gathering her resolve, she locked up the house and headed towards Liam¡¯s apartment.


    The drive was silent, the only sound filling the car being her racing heartbeat. As she parked outside his building, Alyssa took a deep breath and climbed out. She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside the building, unsure of what awaited her.


    When she reached Liam¡¯s apartment door, she knocked softly, her heart pounding in her chest. As the door opened, she was met with Liam¡¯s tired and distant gaze. She could tell he had been wrestling with his own emotions.


    ¡°Alyssa,¡± he said softly, stepping aside to let her in. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you tonight.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she replied, her voice trembling slightly. ¡°I just¡­ I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. We need to talk.¡±


    Liam nodded and motioned for her to take a seat on the couch. They both sat down, the tension between them palpable.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know where to begin,¡± Alyssa started. ¡°I never meant for things to get soplicated.¡±


    Liam sighed, running a hand through his hair. ¡°Complicated? That¡¯s one way to put it. You disappeared, Alyssa. You left without a word, without any exnation. Do you have any idea how that made me feel?¡±


    ¡°I know, Liam. And I¡¯m sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.¡±


    ¡°You never wanted to hurt me?¡± he retorted, his voice tinged with bitterness. ¡°Well, you did. And now I¡¯m left to pick up the pieces. I loved you, Alyssa. I thought we had something real.¡±


    Tears welled up in Alyssa¡¯s eyes as she looked at him, her voice barely a whisper. ¡°I loved you too, Liam. And I still do. But I had to make a choice, a choice that would protect my son.¡±


    Liam¡¯s anger seemed to soften at the mention of Tim. ¡°Your son?¡±


    Alyssa nodded, wiping away her tears. ¡°I found out I was pregnant right before I left. I couldn¡¯t bring a child into the mess I was in. I had to protect him, protect us.¡±


    Liam¡¯s features softened, and he reached out to hold her hand. ¡°Alyssa, I wish you had told me. I would have stood by you, no matter what.¡±


    She looked into his eyes, searching for any trace of deception. ¡°I wanted to tell you, but I didn¡¯t know how. I thought it was best to leave without a trace.¡±


    Liam squeezed her hand gently. ¡°I understand why you did what you did, but it doesn¡¯t excuse the pain you caused. I¡¯ve been hurt, Alyssa. And I don¡¯t know if I can trust you again.¡±


    Alyssa felt her heart shatter at his words. She had hoped for a different oue, but she knew she had to ept the consequences of her actions.


    ¡°I understand, Liam,¡± she said, her voice filled with sadness. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to trust me right away. But please know that I never stopped loving you. I just hope that one day, you can find it in your heart to forgive me.¡±


    Liam sighed, his eyes filled with conflicted emotions. ¡°I need time, Alyssa. Time to process everything that has happened. But for now, I can¡¯t promise anything.¡±


    ¡­.


    Alyssa woke up groggy fromck of sleep. She had spent the whole night tossing and turning, unable to get Tim¡¯s words out of her head. She knew she couldn¡¯t ignore him forever, but she just wasn¡¯t ready to face him yet. She stumbled to the kitchen and began making a pot of coffee. As she waited for it to brew, she heard a knock on the door.


    Thinking it was Liam, she rushed to answer it, but was surprised to find her neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins. ¡°Oh, hello Mrs. Jenkins,¡± she said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.


    ¡°Good morning dear, I hope I¡¯m not interrupting anything,¡± Mrs. Jenkins said, peering past Alyssa into her apartment.


    ¡°No, not at all. Come in, would you like some coffee?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d love some,¡± Mrs. Jenkins said, settling into a chair at Alyssa¡¯s kitchen table. Alyssa poured her a cup of coffee and sat down across from her.


    ¡°So, how was your night, dear?¡±


    Alyssa knew Mrs. Jenkins was only making small talk, but she couldn¡¯t help but let out a sigh. ¡°To be honest, it wasn¡¯t great. I had a bit of an argument with someone.¡±


    ¡°Oh dear, I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Do you want to talk about it?¡±T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Alyssa hesitated for a moment, but eventually decided to open up to her neighbor. She told her about Tim and how he had found out about his father. Mrs. Jenkins listened patiently, offering words of encouragement and support.


    ¡°Well, I think you did the right thing by being honest with him,¡± Mrs. Jenkins said. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand eventually.¡±


    Alyssa nodded, feeling a bit better after talking with her neighbor. Just as Mrs. Jenkins was finishing her coffee, there was another knock on the door.


    This time, it was Liam. Alyssa¡¯s heart raced as she opened the door, knowing that they needed to talk things out. ¡°Hey,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± Liam asked, his voice a bit strained.


    Alyssa nodded and stepped aside to let him in. They both sat down in the living room, a tension between them that was almost tangible. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry aboutst night,¡± Liam said, running his fingers through his hair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too,¡± Alyssa said, swallowing hard. ¡°I guess I just didn¡¯t know what to say. It¡¯s not something I¡¯m proud of, keeping something like that from Tim.¡±


    Liam nodded, his eyes meeting hers. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m not trying to make you feel guilty. I just want to understand why you lied to me.¡±


    Alyssa took a deep breath, trying to collect her thoughts. ¡°It¡¯splicated,¡± she began. ¡°I guess I just didn¡¯t want to bring up the past. It was something that hurt me so deeply and I didn¡¯t want to relive it.¡±


    Liam¡¯s expression softened, and he reached out to take her hand. ¡°I understand that. But you have to understand that Tim deserves to know the truth. He¡¯s old enough to understand and he has a right to know who his father is.¡±


    Alyssa nodded, tears brimming in her eyes. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m going to tell him. I just need some time to figure out how to do it.¡±


    Liam squeezed her hand, a small smile on his face. ¡°I¡¯m here for you, you know that right? We¡¯ll figure this out together.¡±


    Alyssa felt a sense of relief wash over her, grateful for Liam¡¯s support. They spent the rest of the morning talking, working through their issues and trying toe up with a n. By the time Liam left, they had made progress, and Alyssa felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.


    As she sat in her apartment, sipping on a cup of coffee, she couldn¡¯t help but smile at the progress they had made. Things were far from perfect, but she felt like they were headed in the right direction. And for the first time in a long time, she felt like she was going to be okay.

 CHAPTER FIFTY

    Alyssa was sitting on the couch, feeling emotionally drained from her conversation with Liam earlier that day. She was still mulling over the details of their discussion when she heard a pounding at her front door. She groaned inwardly, guessing it to be Tiffany.


    Sure enough, when she opened the door, there she was, all fire and brimstone. ¡°How could you keep this from me?¡± she shouted, pushing past Alyssa into her apartment.


    Alyssa couldn¡¯t help feeling a little annoyed at her friend¡¯s dramatics, but also understood where she wasing from. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tiff,¡± she said, closing the door behind her. ¡°I just didn¡¯t know how to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could have started by telling me you have a son!¡± Tiffany eximed, throwing her hands up in exasperation.


    Alyssa felt a pang in her chest as she watched her friend pace back and forth. She knew she had hurt her by keeping this secret, but she hoped that Tiffany would eventually understand. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to keep it from you. I just didn¡¯t want to bring it up if I didn¡¯t have to,¡± she said, trying to keep her voice calm.


    Tiffany scoffed, clearly not appeased. ¡°You should have told me as soon as we reconnected. I can¡¯t believe you would keep something like this from me.¡±


    Alyssa opened her mouth to respond, but was saved by the arrival of Tim. He walked into the living room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t sleep,¡± he said, looking up at her.


    Alyssa immediately switched into mom mode, forgetting about her argument with Tiffany. ¡°Hey baby, do you want to watch a movie with me?¡±


    Tim nodded, a small smile forming on his face as he climbed into the couch next to Alyssa. Tiffany couldn¡¯t help but gush over how cute he was, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but feel a little relieved that the tension between them had dissipated ¨C for now.


    As they settled into the movie, Tiffany finally asks the question that had been burning in her mind. ¡°So who¡¯s the father?¡± she asked, unable to resist her curiosity.


    Alyssa took a deep breath, knowing that this would be the moment of truth. ¡°It¡¯s Liam¡¯s,¡± she said, watching as Tiffany¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t see thating,¡± Tiffany said, clearly taken aback. ¡°Does he know?¡±


    Alyssa nodded, ¡°Yes, I told him earlier today. He¡¯s angry, understandably so.¡±


    Tiffany nodded, a frown on her face. ¡°Honestly, I can understand where he¡¯sing from. You should have told him sooner.¡±


    Alyssa sighed, knowing that her friend was right. ¡°I know, I just didn¡¯t know how to bring it up. I was scared of how he would react.¡±


    Tiffany nodded again, ¡°I get it, but you should have given him the choice. It¡¯s not fair to keep something like that from him.¡±


    Alyssa knew that she was in the wrong, but she couldn¡¯t help feeling a little defensive of her decision. She loved Liam, and didn¡¯t want to risk losing that by telling him the truth. But she knew that eventually, the truth would have toe out.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    As the night wore on, Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but feel grateful for having Tiffany there to talk to. She knew she had messed up, but having her friend¡¯s support made it a little easier to stomach. And with Tim by her side, she felt like she could handle anything.


    ¡­


    Alyssa sat at her desk, contemting her next move. She knew she couldn¡¯t avoid seeing Liam forever, especially now that she had told him about Tim. But she needed some time to gather her thoughts and figure out how to navigate this new dynamic.


    With a heavy sigh, she reached for a piece of parchment and wrote a message to the Prince, requesting leave from her duties. She sent a trusted messenger to deliver the note and hoped that he would understand her need for a brief absence.


    To her surprise, the messenger returned shortly with a response from the Prince. He granted her leave without hesitation, expressing his understanding and support. Alyssa let out a breath she didn¡¯t realize she had been holding ¨C at least she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her job while dealing with her personal matters.


    As the days passed, Alyssa focused on spending time with Tim. She knew she couldn¡¯t keep Liam¡¯s identity a secret from him any longer, but she wanted to find the right time and approach to tell him. She didn¡¯t want to overwhelm her son or confuse him with theplicated dynamics between her and Liam.


    One evening, as they sat together in the garden, Alyssa mustered up the courage to broach the subject. ¡°Tim, there¡¯s something important I need to tell you,¡± she said, her voice filled with a mix of apprehension and love.


    Tim looked up at her, his eyes curious. ¡°What is it, Mom?¡± he asked, a small smile ying on his lips.


    Taking a deep breath, Alyssa began, ¡°You know how I¡¯ve told you stories about your dad, how he¡¯s a brave and kind man?¡±


    Tim nodded eagerly, his interest piqued. ¡°Yes, Mom, I love those stories. Is my dad a hero?¡±


    Alyssa smiled, her heart swelling with love for her son. ¡°Yes, he is, Tim. And the truth is, your dad is someone I used to know very well. His name is Liam.¡±


    Tim¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. ¡°Liam? Like the Liam from the stories?¡±


    Alyssa nodded, a mixture of emotions running through her. She didn¡¯t know how Tim would react to this news, but she hoped that their bond would remain strong. ¡°Yes, Tim, the same Liam. He¡¯s your father.¡±


    For a moment, Tim simply stared at her, processing the information. Then, a wide smile broke out on his face. ¡°That¡¯s so cool, Mom! I have a dad!¡±


    Alyssa felt tears welling up in her eyes at her son¡¯s joyous reaction. She embraced him tightly, whispering, ¡°Yes, my love, you do.¡± It was a bittersweet moment for Alyssa, relieved that Tim epted the news so positively, yet burdened by the weight of her secret for so long.


    Just as they were settling into their new reality, the doorbell rang, interrupting their peaceful moment. Alyssa looked at Tim, puzzled, before getting up to answer it. She was surprised to see Tiffany standing on her doorstep.


    ¡°Tiff!¡± Alyssa eximed, pulling her friend into a tight hug. ¡°What brings you here?¡±


    Tiffany returned the embrace warmly, then stepped back to look at Alyssa. ¡°I needed to see you, Mal. It¡¯s been too long.¡± Her voice was tinged with a hint of sadness.


    Alyssa nodded, understanding the weight of Tiffany¡¯s words. ¡°Come in, Tiff. Let¡¯s catch up.¡±


    As they settled into Alyssa¡¯s living room, the two friends began to talk, pouring their hearts out to each other. Alyssa listened intently as Tiffany shared the news that her kingdom had been annexed two years ago. Alyssa gasped in shock, feeling a surge of sympathy for her friend.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Tiff. I¡¯m so sorry,¡± Alyssa said, her voice filled with genuine concern.


    Tiffany sighed, her eyes filled with mncholy. ¡°It¡¯s been a rough couple of years, Mal. We fought hard, but we couldn¡¯t win against their forces. And to make matters worse, Venice joined their side. Our kingdom has been absorbed into theirs.¡±


    Alyssa could hardly process the magnitude of what Tiffany was saying. It felt surreal to think that their kingdoms, once separate and vibrant, were nowbined under the rule of the enemy.


    ¡°And now,¡± Tiffany continued, her voice trembling, ¡°I have no choice but to pledge my allegiance to the very people who destroyed my kingdom. It¡¯s a living nightmare.¡±


    Alyssa reached out and took Tiffany¡¯s hand, offering words offort. ¡°I¡¯m here for you, Tiff. We¡¯ll find a way to get through this together. I promise.¡±


    Tiffany squeezed her hand gratefully, a flicker of hope returning to her eyes. ¡°Thank you, Mal. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do without you.¡±


    As the night wore on, the two friends delved deeper into their conversation, finding sce in each other¡¯spany. The weight of their respective burdens felt a little lighter in the presence of someone who understood and cared.


    Eventually, it was time for Tiffany to leave. They hugged tightly, both silently acknowledging the bond they had built over the years.

 CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

    The next morning, as the sun cast a warm glow over the kingdom, Alyssa sat at her vanity, absentmindedly brushing her hair. Her mind was still reeling from the conversation with Tiffany the night before. The news of the annexation and the merging of their kingdoms weighed heavily on her heart.


    She sighed, remembering the snippet of information Tiffany had shared in their conversation. How her family now worked for Liam, the very man who had caused so much turmoil in Alyssa¡¯s life. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of resentment towards him, but she knew she couldn¡¯t let her personal feelings cloud her judgment.


    Alyssa¡¯s thoughts drifted to Liam¡¯s father, whom Tiffany had mentioned was dead. The news came as a shock, as Alyssa hadn¡¯t been aware of this development. But in a kingdom where news traveled fast, it wasn¡¯t entirely surprising. She wondered how Liam was coping with the loss and if it had changed him in any way.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    As Alyssa continued to reflect on the confluence of events, she felt an overwhelming urge to seek out Liam. She needed answers, closure, and perhaps a chance to make amends for keeping Tim hidden from him for all these years. She knew it wouldn¡¯t be an easy conversation, but she couldn¡¯t ignore the growing importance of addressing theplicated ties that bound them together.


    Just as she was contemting her next move, Tim¡¯s voice broke through her reverie. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t forget about the y date you set up with Vale¡¯s children today,¡± he reminded her, excitementcing his words.


    Alyssa¡¯s heart sank at the reminder. Liam¡¯s absence suddenly felt more profound, as if the void created by his departure had grown exponentially. She had set up the y date to provide an opportunity for Tim and Liam to bond, not expecting Liam to be absent when the time came.


    ¡°Thank you for reminding me, Tim,¡± Alyssa replied, forcing a smile onto her face. She didn¡¯t want her son to sense her disappointment. ¡°Let¡¯s go and meet Vale and the children.¡±


    Together, mother and son made their way to the designated meeting spot, a beautifully manicured garden where children often yed. But when they arrived, Alyssa was greeted with the news that Vale and her children had been called away on urgent matters. Her disappointment deepened, mirroring the dull ache in her heart.


    Feeling dejected, Alyssa decided to spend some time in the nursery, hoping the bright smiles and innocentughter of the children would uplift her spirits. As she watched them y and heard their infectious giggles, she couldn¡¯t help but think about the bond that Tim was missing out on with his own father.


    Lost in her thoughts, she didn¡¯t notice Tim slipping out of the room until she heard his voice calling out. rmed, she hurriedly followed him, praying that he hadn¡¯t wandered too far.


    To her surprise, she found Tim standing just outside the nursery, facing a man she immediately recognized to be Liam. Her heart skipped a beat, caught between the rush of emotions that surged through her.


    Tim, oblivious to his mother¡¯s internal struggle, looked up at Liam and asked, ¡°Are you truly my father?¡±


    Alyssa held her breath, waiting for Liam¡¯s response.


    ¡­.


    Liam¡¯s eyes narrowed as he stared down at Tim, his heart warring between love for his son and the resentment he harbored towards Alyssa for keeping him hidden all these years. In that moment, his anger got the better of him, and without thinking, he swiftly scooped Tim up into his arms.


    ¡°Alyssa,¡± he said tersely, his voice heavy with the weight of his emotions. ¡°We¡¯re going to my room. Now.¡±


    Alyssa stood frozen, the shock of Liam¡¯s sudden appearance and his firm grasp on Tim leaving her momentarily speechless. She watched as Liam turned on his heel, striding purposefully towards his room, his face a mask of determination. She couldn¡¯t deny the pang of regret and guilt that pooled in her stomach.


    As Liam walked, he instructed his men to begin packing their belongings, making it clear that their time in this kingdom was over. His tersemand left no room for discussion or dissent. He held onto Tim tightly, refusing to let go, even as Alyssa¡¯s heart ached at the thought of being separated from her son.


    With a heavy heart, Alyssa reluctantly made her way towards the exit, an emptiness settling within her. She had hoped that this visit would bring about some resolution, some chance for them to reconcile ande to terms with theirplicated past. But it seemed that fate had other ns in store for them.


    Just as Alyssa was about to step out of the castle, a guard approached her, his face etched with urgency. ¡°Your Majesty,¡± he spoke respectfully, ¡°I regret to inform you that you must leave immediately. It is Prince Liam¡¯s orders.¡±


    Confusion shed across Alyssa¡¯s features. She wasn¡¯t surprised to be ushered out, as the guards had made it all too clear that she wasn¡¯t wee in Liam¡¯s presence. However, the mention of Tim being with his father sent a chill down her spine.


    ¡°But my son¡­ He¡¯s with Liam in his room,¡± Alyssa protested, her voice tinged with worry.


    The guard¡¯s expression hardened, his grip tightening around her arm. ¡°The heir to our kingdom is with his father, and Prince Liam has made it clear that he does not wish to see you,¡± he stated coldly, his words slicing through her heart like a sharp dagger.


    Alyssa¡¯s mind raced with a mixture of panic and desperation. How could Liam keep Tim away from her? What had she done to deserve such punishment? She fought against the guard¡¯s firm hold, her voiceced with desperation as she pleaded, ¡°Please, let me go to him. I need to see my son.¡±


    But the guard remained resolute, his duty outweighing any sympathy he may have felt for her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Majesty. You must leave now,¡± he said, his voice unwavering.


    Feeling defeated, Alyssa reluctantly allowed herself to be dragged away from the castle, her heart heavy with a mother¡¯s longing. As the doors closed behind her, tears welled up in her eyes, and she vowed to do whatever it took to reunite with her son and mend the shattered pieces of their fractured rtionship.


    Little did she know that the separation would ignite a fire within her, a burning determination to fight for what was rightfully hers. The journey ahead would be filled with challenges and hardships, but Alyssa was prepared to face them head-on, for the sake of her son and the love they shared.


    And so, as she left the castle grounds, her heart hardened with resolve. The battle for Tim¡¯s custody had begun, and Alyssa was determined to emerge victorious, no matter the cost.

 CHAPTER FIFTY TWO

    The look that was on Alyssa¡¯s just told the guard that the poor mother wasn¡¯t ready to leave at all; she looked like she was ready to push past them and run inside to see her child.


    She tried asking the guards to help her with her child, this time pleading with her life, but even with Alyssa¡¯s numerous pleas, they screamed at her to leave the pce immediately. They even threatened to carry her out by themselves if she didn¡¯t leave.


    As she was being screamed at, a look of defeat shes through Alyssa¡¯s face, and she turns back instantly.


    The guards watched as her legs continued hitting the dirty sand under their heels before they stopped watching her.


    While Alyssa was going, she kept on thinking about what she could do to see her son. She wasn¡¯t interested in leaving and epting defeat just like that. She wasn¡¯t someone who would give up, and she knows that, so she tried pushing the feeling of defeat and focusing on the main thing, which was getting her son out of Liam¡¯s clutches.


    The guards decided to tell Vale everything that was going on, just so he knows thetest happening in the pce. One of them agreed to stay back and see if Alyssa was going to go back. The remaining two guards started walking towards vale¡¯s room and when they were about to get there, they suddenly stopped in their tracks and looked at each other.


    Something was wrong, and they also knew that something was wrong, but after looking around with very satisfied looks on their face, they were sure that everything was okay, or at least everywhere looked as if everything was okay.


    After that little eye scanning of the surroundings, they started walking towards Vale¡¯s room. When they got to his room, they shared an unsure look to show that they weren¡¯t sure if they were to tell vale about everything. After a few seconds of silence observed by the both of them, the guard on the left finally stretched his hand forward to quietly knock on the door. He did, and the both of them looked at each other again before the guard on the right decided that it was his turn to knock.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He answered even when no questions were asked. He knocked on the door again, but this time, his knock was even more silent than the first one and the guard that was on the left swore that vale wouldn¡¯t have heard the knock even if he tried.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you got?¡± The guard asked, and he was about to knock on the door when the door was suddenly open.


    Vale looked at the men standing right in front of him before looking down to see the guard¡¯s fist still in the air.


    The guard moved his hand back with a wide-eyed look on his face.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± Vale asked, and he crossed his hands against his chest while staring at the men with squinted eyes.


    The guards looked at each other, arguing inwardly about the person who was to speak to. Their silence earned an angry groan from vale, and the guard on the right was pressured into speaking.


    He started telling Vale everything that had happened and as he did, so many looks of surprise and a bit of anger were shing through his face, but even with that, he remained calm, and he waited for the guard to be through with what he was telling him.


    A few secondster, the whole exnation of bow everything had been fully made to Vale, and he was in deep thought about it. He didn¡¯t even realise the guards were still standing right in front of him, waiting for his order for them to leave.


    Vale went back into the room and was about to close the door when he saw the guards standing there, looking at him with confused looks on their faces.


    He looked like he was a little embarrassed, and he quickly mumbled, ¡°You can leave.¡± to the guards, and he was left to shut the door after they left.


    Vale started pacing around his room with his hand on his chin, stroking the few strands of beard that were there, struggling to even grow.


    That went on for about nine seconds, and he abruptly stopped in his tracks. With the look on his face, it seemed like he already knew what to do.


    He went to the door and opened it instantly, and he went out without attempting to even lock the door after he got out. He started walking towards Liam with a weirdly formed look on his face. Anyone who saw him at that moment, would have known that he looked angry, shocked, and awkward at the same time, which isn¡¯t a very great look to look at.


    A few secondster, a shocked-looking Vale was standing in front of Liam¡¯s room, contemting whether he wanted to talk to Liam.


    He looked as if he pondered over it for a second before he opened the door without knocking at all.


    Liam looked a little startled and surprised and even when he saw that it was Vale that barged into his room like that, he still looked surprised.


    ¡°People knock when they are about to enter other people¡¯s spaces. You didn¡¯t know that?¡± Liam asked, his voiceced with a bit, just a little, of sarcasm.


    ¡°Nope,¡± Vale said, and looked around the room like he hadn¡¯t seen it before. Liam knew that he was doing that to waste time, and he wasn¡¯t even interested in that at all.


    ¡°What do you want, Vale?¡± Hunger asked, and Vale¡¯s gaze was returned to Liam¡¯s sweaty forehead.


    Vale moved closer to him and took a seat beside Liam without asking if he could. A small sigh escaped Liam¡¯s lips, and he went on to sit in front of Vale.


    He raised his eyebrows at Vale, showing that he was waiting for Vale to start speaking anytime soon.


    Vale took the sign and started talking about how he didn¡¯t like what Liam did, and he continued calling Liam out on his actions. Liam silently waited for him to finish speaking before he started speaking.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam told him why he did that and everything, while Vale just watched his mouth move in a particr motion in silence.


    ¡°I think I need your help because-¡± Liam started saying, but Vale stretched his hand forward to stop him from speaking.


    Vale wanted to help Liam, but he would rather note in between the both of them because the issue concerned the both of them, and he told Liam that.


    Liam agreed to that because he knew that Vale was right.


    Alyssa was still trying to think of a solution when her mind wandered to Tiffany, and she decided that only she could help her at that point. Before going to meet Tiffany, she asked a few guards about her, and she was disappointed to hear that Tiffany wasn¡¯t around.


    She left the guards and went to a corner. Her legs were folded and brought up to her chest. She buried her face into her folded legs, and she started crying silently.


    At that point, she didn¡¯t know what to do again.

 CHAPTER FIFTY THREE

    Alyssa continued crying for a few more minutes. She stooped, crying because she knew that she would need more than her tears to see her son. So, she stood up from the bare floor that she was sitting on, and she went out of the corner.


    The sky was already getting a bit dark and ording to her guess, it was probably thirty minutes past six already.


    She started walking towards the house again, but this time, she was extra careful, looking out for the guards that told her to leave the pce minutes ago. She stopped in her tracks when she saw that one of the guards that sent her out was still standing at the same spot.


    Even when she wasn¡¯t meant to, she started wondering where the other two guards were.


    Her gaze was fixed on him and he had her utmost attention. A few secondster, she got out of hiding, and she started walking towards the pce.


    Fortunately for her, the guard was a bit distracted by a stubborn fly that wouldn¡¯t stop ¡®disturbing his ears¡¯. He was still fighting with the innocent fly that probably just wanted the crumbs of biscuit in his hair when Alyssa entered inside.


    Her heart was beating really fast, so she had to take a pause to catch her breath for a second.


    After that little ¡®panic attack¡¯, she started thinking about what she wanted to do because she knew that she had to act fast, everywhere getting darker by the second.


    A small voice at the back of her mind told her to meet Vale, informing her that he might actually have a solution for her. The decision to obey the voice or ignore itid in her hands for just a second before she pushed back the little voices that were screaming at her, notifying her that what she was doing wasn¡¯t going to end well for her, aside.


    A little faith of seeing her son was suddenly rooted in her and even though she would rather not ept it, Vale might just be her solution.


    She was walking in the hallway, while scanning everywhere with her eyes. She really needed to talk to someone before she went crazy. Liam¡¯s room was a few feet away from her, and she decided to go to Liam¡¯s room instead, to make everything easier for her¡­and Liam too.


    Alyssa hadn¡¯t taken up to three steps when she was suddenly dragged back by someone. She was a bit scared as she couldn¡¯t even guess who that could be. The person ced their hand over her mouth and started dragging her towards Vale¡¯s room. With the strength and giant palm that was still over her mouth, she saw that the person was a man, a man built like Vale?


    She tried turning around to see if her guess of who the person was, is true. When she and the ¡®stranger¡¯ got to Vale¡¯s room, the man left her mouth alone, and he watched her as she staggered backwards into the room.


    ¡°What the-¡± Alyssa started saying, but she stopped when she saw who the stranger was.


    Vale.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡± Hemanded as he froze in his tracks. He was trying to see if someone wasing towards his room.


    Two secondster, he signalled to Alyssa, telling her that she could speak.


    ¡°Why am I here?¡± She asked, while cleaning her mouth. Vale informed her that she had to stay in a room, for her to speak to Liam very early the next day and because it was already dark outside too.


    Alyssa hesitated for a while before she agreed that she was going to do just that. Apart from that, she needed to talk to Liam anyway. She wanted to talk to Vale about it, but she thought about it. She decided to talk to Liam himself, unable to wait until the next day.


    A few minutester, she went out of Vale¡¯s room, and she was about to go and stay in one of the rooms that vale asked her to stay in, when she walked past Liam¡¯s room.


    At first, she decided to forget about talking to him that night, but she just couldn¡¯t leave that way, not after knowing that her son was with him.


    She ignored the little voice that was telling her not to, and she went to Liam¡¯s room. She took a shape breath in, and she released it when she knocked on the door. Likewise, she knocked again and there was no answer.


    The third knock.


    The fourth.


    The fifth and there was still no answer. She was about to knock for the sixth time when the door opened immediately.


    There he was, Liam, trying to fake a yawn and sleepy eyes. He didn¡¯t look shocked to see her at all, he even looked like he was expecting her to knock on his door.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Liam asked Alyssa, and she pushed past him and entered his room. Liam shut the door angrily, and he went to her. He dragged her back and didn¡¯t even help her when she was about to fall down.


    ¡°I asked a question, and I am yet to receive an answer.¡± He said before a growl escaped from his mouth. Alyssa raised her head and she stared straight into his eyes. He was angry, yes, she knew that, but it wasn¡¯t going to stop her from asking about her son.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± She asked him, and she crossed her hands on her chest, imitating his posture.


    ¡°You have to leave.¡± Liam said to her and moved closer to her. That gesture made her back away from him, but there was no hint of fear on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until I see my son.¡± She said, and she frowned at him. Liam hissed loudly and he grabbed her hand.


    He started dragging her outside the room, ignoring her protests against that. He threw her outside and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking,¡± before shutting the door in her face.


    Alyssa started hitting the door, but after hitting it four times, she stopped because she wanted to avoid being thrown out by the guards. She decided to obey what vale said, and she went to a room, waiting for the morning sun to see our thoughts in the window. Even though it wasn¡¯t midnight yet, Alyssa was determined to stay awake until morning and get her son.


    The next morning, Alyssa woke up with a groan because she was disappointed in herself. She told herself that she wasn¡¯t going to sleep, but she knew that nature couldn¡¯t be cheated.


    She started hearing a voiceing from outside her room and she stood immediately to check what it was all about.


    Liam¡¯s guards and servants were going in and out of his room, packing all his belongings. She couldn¡¯t hide her shock and she ran towards them. She started asking them why they were packing the things, but not even one person answered her.


    Furthermore, she hissed and stormed into Liam¡¯s room. Likewise, she started asking him about Timothy and where he was, but Liam didn¡¯t give her a reasonable answer.


    Alyssa breaks down and begs for the whereabouts of her child, but Liam doesn¡¯t want to answer her and leaves the room. Alyssa sees the guards loading in some of Tim¡¯s things that had been at her house and is incensed that Liam had sent his men to go into her home. She¡¯s sure of the fact that Liam was about to take her child away from her as payback for the way she¡¯s hurt him. It¡¯s finally dawning on her that Liam hates her that much, and any hope she¡¯d festered before the two of them ending up together dies.

 CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR

    Alyssa started screaming at Liam like a mad woman, and Liam just kept on looking at her. He didn¡¯t know what her problem was. Well, he did, but he just chose not to acknowledge it.


    She started telling him that she wanted to see her child immediately, and Liam stopped her to inform her that Timothy was his son too, but she wasn¡¯t having it at all.


    Because of the way she was shouting, the guards and servants around were ncing over at them to be sure that everything was fine. Liam was starting to feel really embarrassed and angry. He didn¡¯t like the way she¡¯s acting, and he knew that there was only one way to shut her up.


    He was going to ask her to go with him. That wasn¡¯t his initial n, but because of the way she was acting crazy around him, he had no choice but to take her along with him.


    Before he decided to ask her, he started thinking of ways to let out his pent-up anger. His body was so filled with rage that he was shaking with anger. He started searching everywhere with his eyes and when he saw that nothing in the room was going to help him, he left the room immediately, leaving Alyssa with her thoughts.


    Alyssa wanted to run after him, but she thought against it. She decided to use the opportunity to check the things that he packed. She started walking towards the servants and guards that were still arranging the loads. Likewise, she didn¡¯t know how she was going to distract them, so she just went out and walked away from them. But before she walked away, she made sure that they saw her leaving, so they would know that she actually left.


    She waited outside for about a minute before she walked back in. When she got in, she told the guards that Liam was calling them outside. They exchanged a weird look before they gave a slight shrug. They went outside and Alyssa was left with the servants. Likewise, they were already done with the arrangements, so they just left on their own.


    Alyssa saw that as an opportunity to check the loads. She scanned the premises before moving closer to where they kept Timothy¡¯s belongings. She opened the bag, and she saw all his things that were kept in her house inside the bag. Not only that, but she continued searching and when she heard footsteps, she stopped and walked away from the loads.


    Likewise, she saw that Liam came back with the guards by his side and he had a massive frown on his face. Not only that, but she frowned back, and he raised an eyebrow because he was taken aback by that action.


    ¡°You told the guards that I was calling them?¡± He asked, and Alyssa looked away from him. She waited for two seconds before she decided to reply to him.


    She turned her head sideways and red at him. ¡°I thought you were going to need them.¡± Alyssa said, and she looked away from him again.


    Liam shook his head unbelievably, and he continued looking at her. With the awkward silence that was suddenly in the space, the guards left the ce quietly, even without Liam dismissing them.


    ¡°Where is my son? And where did you get all these things?¡± She asked and pointed to the bags that had his things. Hinged squinted his eyes at her, finally knowing why the guards came to him with the question of him needing them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Liam simply said, and he was about to push past him when Alyssa blocked his way. She was interested in giving up at all. She had made up her mind that she was going to get answers that day.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what? You don¡¯t know where my son is?¡± She asked while shaking her head. She was really disappointed in him. How could a father not know where his son was?


    ¡°I know where Timothy is. I am just saying that I don¡¯t know how I got the things. Well, I actually do, but you don¡¯t have to know that.¡± He said, and he didn¡¯t wait for any reply from Alyssa. He was even too angry to even answer her.


    ¡°Liam¡­.¡± She said, and Liam started looking at her. He finally decided to tell her that she was going to follow him because he couldn¡¯t just take it any more.


    ¡°You want to know where your son is?¡± He asked and without waiting for a reply, he said, ¡°fine, you will. You are following me now.¡±


    Alyssa was staring at him, waiting for him to tell her that it was a joke because she didn¡¯t expect him to just let her follow him like that. She had even been thinking of ways to convince him to allow her to follow him, so she was really surprised when he just agreed like that.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± She asked him with wide eyes, and Liam grumbled under his breath. Alyssa was certainly getting on his nerves without even realising it.


    She was still looking at him, waiting for him to answer and out of frustration, he gave her a small nod.


    Alyssa was so happy about that, that she didn¡¯t even know when she ran to him and hugged him. He didn¡¯t know what to do about it, but he didn¡¯t push her away.


    He just stood there, with his hands by his side, waiting for her to realise her mistake. She removed her hands from his waist, and she cleared her throat ufortably.


    ¡°I¡¯m already ready.¡± Alyssa said when she pulled out of the hug and Liam was a bit surprised. He had thought that she was going to pack some things at least, so she won¡¯t be stranded and me him for it.


    As if she heard what he was thinking, she told him that she was going to pack some things and she left instantly.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam kept on watching her as she walked away from him. He was sure that she thought that she was following him to see her child, but she doesn¡¯t even know what he has in n for her.


    A few minutester, everything was ready and so was Alyssa. She was really excited because she believed that the trip was just something that the both of them needed.


    She felt like after the travelling was over, she was going to finally see her son and at the same time, make things right with Liam.


    Before leaving, she thought of seeing Vale before they left, but Liam didn¡¯t let her get the chance to do that.


    He asked her to get inside the vehicle, and they were about to start their journey, when Alyssa told him thank you for allowing her to go with him to see her son. That made him feel very ufortable because he thought that if she knew why he was doing that, then she wouldn¡¯t even think of thanking him.


    Liam ignored the thanks, and he told her that they needed to start the journey fast. She gave him a small smile before she obeyed.


    His heart clenched against his chest because he was a bit sad that the poor woman didn¡¯t know what he had to stall for her.

 CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE

    Alyssa and Liam entered the vehicle, and they started their journey. Liam didn¡¯t know how he felt about Alyssa travelling with him, he had thought that he was going to travel alone, but now that she was there with him, there was nothing that he could do about it.


    Alyssa, on the other hand, was thankful to Liam for allowing her to follow him. She was really eager to see her son, and she wasn¡¯t sure if she had survived without him. She had been thinking about how she would sneak into the vehicle to follow Liam, so when he asked her to follow him, she was really excited.


    Something was still bothering her, though, but she wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to tell Liam about it. She didn¡¯t know how they still got his things from her house, without her knowing.


    She looked at him to gauge his reaction. He didn¡¯t look angry, neither did he look happy, he just looked¡­ normal.


    The fact that they still weren¡¯t really cool with each other, made the surrounding air a bit¡­choking.


    Neither of them knew when to talk and even if they did, they didn¡¯t know what to say to each other.


    The silence in the vehicle was killing Alyssa, but she wanted to avoid saying anything, so she wouldn¡¯t upset Liam.


    She didn¡¯t intend to upset him because she wanted to see her son badly, and she was trying to avoid anything that¡¯d prevent that.


    The vehicle hit a bump and it stopped working. Liam looked at Alyssa, and he saw that she was also surprised.


    Both Liam and Alyssa got down to see what was wrong with it. When Liam inspected it for a while, he saw that the tyre was a bit punctured, and it would require a professional to fix it.


    He instantly became worried and a bit angry because of the way Alyssa was grumbling under her breath.


    She continued doing that for about a minute and half, and it got to a stage that Liam couldn¡¯t just take it any more. He stopped inspecting the tyre, and he stood up to face Alyssa.


    ¡°What is your problem? Why have you been grumbling under your breath?¡± Liam asked angrily, and Alyssa dramatically widened her eyes at his ¡®mean¡¯ments.


    Alyssa didn¡¯t answer him, she backed away from him instead and turned her head to the opposite direction. She had so many things to say to him, but she would rather not insult him.


    Liam waited for a few seconds, waiting for a reply from her because he hates being ignored and Alyssa knew that!


    He wanted to grab her face and push her to a wall and make her talk, but he didn¡¯t do any of those things. Not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because he wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to help the matter that was on the ground.


    Alyssa walked away from Liam, and she didn¡¯t stop walking. She kept on walking far away from him and Liam decided to follow her.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He asked her, while grabbing her shoulders. Alyssa frowned at him because she didn¡¯t understand why he was holding her like she was going to fall any moment.


    It seemed like his eyes were locked onto hers, and he couldn¡¯t stop, more like he would rather not stop.


    When Alyssa was unable to take it, she snapped her fingers, and he snapped out of his thoughts. She used her head to pint at her shoulders, and he let out a little cough before leaving her shoulders.


    ¡°What is wrong with you? Why are you being possessive?¡± Alyssa suddenly said when Liam didn¡¯t say the reason for his weird action.


    ¡°Possessive of whom? Oh, you? Yuck. I didn¡¯t want you to leave because¡­¡± He stopped, while trying to think of a lie.


    He didn¡¯t even know why he acted that way towards Alyssa.


    It seemed like she was right.


    He was really being possessive, but he¡¯s definitely not going to ept that.


    ¡°Because?¡± Alyssa asked, while raising her brows at him.


    ¡°You wanted to see Timothy, right? I didn¡¯t want you to leave because of that.¡± He said and looked away from her. Her eyes were piercing into his soul, and he felt like she could see that he was really lying.


    ¡°Oh, silly! I wasn¡¯t leaving. I was trying to go and find a solution to our issue.¡± She said and pointed to the burst tire.


    On hearing that, Liam mouthed an ¡°oh,¡± and he averted his gaze from her face¡­again.


    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Liam asked a few secondster, and Alyssa shook her head repeatedly. She was also confused, and she didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Liam grabbed her hand like a possessive father and without saying a word, they started walking towards where Alyssa was going to.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked, and he told her that standing at a spot wasn¡¯t going to help.


    Alyssa wanted to inform him that that was what she was trying to do two minutes ago, but he stopped her. She didn¡¯t say that, she just continued walking with him, hand-in-hand, instead.


    While walking, the cool breeze from the trees brushed against their skins and Alyssa shivered in excitement. Liam stole a nce at her, and he saw that she was feeling a bit cold. He drew her to himself and, without Alyssa realising, he sniffed her hair and closed his eyes.


    They were in a position for about fifty-six seconds, when Liam realised what he was doing with Alyssa. He was suddenly angry at himself for being too ¡®soft¡¯ and for that reason, he gave her a slight push away from himself.


    Alyssa looked up to ask him why he did that, but the look on his face already answered her.


    After walking in silence for about ten minutes, they saw a man. He looked like a Liam and Liam walked over to him, fingers crossed, asking him if he could help.


    The man looked at the both of them for a few seconds before he agreed reluctantly.


    While they were going back to the car, the man kept onmenting on how strong their ¡®love¡¯ was, and the both of them kept on feeling really ufortable with that.


    He kept on saying it and out of annoyance, Liam gave him a scornful look and that seemed to shut him up, as he didn¡¯t utter any other word until they got to the car.


    He brought out a bottle from his rusty looking back, and Alyssa found outter that it was a strong type of gum made from nts.


    Furthermore, he helped them patch the tyre up and soon, they were on the road again, with silence reigning in the car.


    A few secondster, Alyssa was unable to take it, and she looked at Liam and said, ¡°where is Timothy? Where did you keep him, exactly?¡±


    Liam¡¯s eyes were fixed on the road and he finally answered Venice.


    Alyssa kept shut after that, and she kept on wondering why she didn¡¯t ask that at the beginning of the journey.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

 CHAPTER FIFTY SIX

    Alyssa was getting on Liam¡¯s nerves so much that he couldn¡¯t afford to stay a minute with her again. He started thinking of ways to make her pay, to make her angry the same way she was making him angry too, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    While they were still on the road, Alyssa asked him to stop the vehicle because she needed to do something in the bushes that were really close to them.


    Without saying any word to object to that, he stopped the car and allowed her to leave because he was tired of staying with her.


    When she left the car, he started thinking of ways to let her off his back. He was touching the steering wheel, when he thought of leaving her in the bushes there alone.


    As the thoughts kept on creeping into his head, he started smiling. He was happy that he at least had something to make her pay. So, he started the vehicle and he started driving off.


    Alyssa was done with what she went to do in the bushes, and she was about to go back and meet Liam, when she heard a sound, like the sound of a car driving off.


    She ran outside, and she saw that Liam had left her there alone, and she had no means of meeting with him. So, she started crying at that same spot because she had nowhere to go to.


    She couldn¡¯t possibly start going back and at the same time, it was impossible to start going forward, expecting to meet with Liam.


    Alyssa was about to give up, when an image of her son popped up in her head, and she knew that she had to do anything possible to make sure that she meets her son. Using that as a motivation, she stood up from the ground that she sat on, and she started walking towards the path Liam passed.


    She was a bit weak and her throat was dry, but she was determined to see her son and she knew that in the end, it would all be worth it.


    Liam was pleased that he actually got Alyssa off his back, but a little part of him was feeling bad that he actually did that. Just a little.


    He knew that she was following him because of Timothy, but still, even with that, he couldn¡¯t use that as an excuse to temperate her. She was starting to make the journey difficult for him.


    He had gone far, when he started thinking about what if someone actually hurt her, or if she dies of thirst or starvation? He stopped the vehicle, and he let out a loud breath. Furthermore, he was feeling frustrated.


    At that point, he didn¡¯t know what to do. He would rather not travel with her, but at the same time, leaving her alone there seemed like a terrible option.


    He was still grumbling to himself when a thought came to his head. Since all he wanted was for her to pay, then he could just go back, pick her up and then, he could make her pay in his own way.


    But how could he make that happen? He thought, and he rested his head against the car seat, while thinking of what to do.


    He suddenly remembered that Alyssa and her step-sister were not close at all, in fact, it was as if they secretly hated each other. Likewise, he smiled to himself because he just knew that the sister was going to be really useful to him.


    The n that he wanted to carry out with the sister was already made in his head and the only thing that was remaining was the sister¡¯s number.


    The only person who could help him with that, was many feet away from him.


    He sighed before turning the car around to pick Alyssa up. He knew that she was going to be angry at her, and he started thinking of lies to exin why he left.


    When he was about to get to her, he thought of an excellent lie that would definitely work on her.


    ¡°Oh. Did you forget anything, Mr Liam?¡± Alyssa asked when he parked beside her. Her voice had a hunt of sarcasm, and Liam just knew that she was hurt by the fact that he left her.


    He got out of the car and went to her side.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t leave you. I left because I was starving, and I thought that I could get something for myself¡­and you too.¡± He said in the most convincing voice that he had ever used, hoping for her to believe him.


    ¡°I thought you packed something for yourself?¡± She asked, with her eyebrows raised at him. He ignored that statement, and he helped her into the vehicle, heaving a sigh of relief that she didn¡¯t ask any more questions.


    When they were in the car, he asked her if she was with her phone and she said yes. He didn¡¯t know who he was going to get the number, so he asked her to get out of the car, to see if she could see something for them to eat.


    She was about to protest against it, but Liam promised her that he was going to be there, waiting for her.


    Fortunately for him, she left her phone and left. He quickly took the number, and he called her, telling her that he needed her a particr n. He told her the ns and the part that she was going to y.


    The stepsister surprisingly agreed, and Liam was happy that a massive part of the n was ready.


    Alyssa went back to the car, saying that she didn¡¯t see anything, and Liam just assured her that there was no need for that again, since they were already close.


    That statement made her a bit suspicious because he was acting really weird and a little sneaky, but she just thought that it was because he didn¡¯t like the way she was in the car with him.


    The rest of the car ride was spent in silence and in a matter of hours, they already got to Venice.


    When they arrived at Venice, Alyssa was happy, and she heaved a sigh of relief.


    Liam told her that they hadn¡¯t got there yet, and they were going to within seven minutes. She nodded enthusiastically at that, and she pinched the hem of her dress to contain her happiness.


    She had really missed her son and the thought of Liam, Timothy and her appeared in her head again, which made her smile like a kid on Christmas Day.


    Six minutester, they got to the ce, and they immediately alighted.


    Alyssa started walking towards the house and she saw her son. She was already smiling at him, when she saw the person who was with him, holding Timothy like he was hers.


    She was really shocked, and she didn¡¯t understand what was happening. Liam walked past her and went to E, her stepsister. When he got to her, he slipped his hand around his waist and he gave her a small peck.


    E held Liam¡¯s hand too and the three of them looked like a family.


    Alyssa rubbed her eyes to be sure that she wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    She wasn¡¯t. Liam¡¯s hand was really wrapped around E.

 CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN

    Alyssa could feel the world tilting beneath her, as she takes in the scene.


    It looked like a terrible dream that she was having, one that she badly wanted to get out of. It was too much for her, too much.


    She didn¡¯t know when tears that had been building up in her eyes streamed down her face. She didn¡¯t attempt to wipe them off, she just allowed them to stream down her face freely.


    Her heart was shattered into so many pieces, and she doubted that she would be able to put every piece together. A voice in her head told her that it might not be what she thought and just when she was about to ask Liam, he looked away from her, and he smiled at E.


    Alyssa didn¡¯t know what was happening in front of her, bow it happened and¡­when.


    God, she had so many questions, questions that she needed immediate answers to.


    She averted her gaze from Liam, when Timothy started reaching out to her. With tears in her eyes, she started reaching out to him too, but he was stopped by Liam.


    Liam turned the boy¡¯s face away from her, and she just couldn¡¯t take it any longer.


    That was her son for God¡¯s sake. It was one thing for him to be with her stepsister, and it was another for him to keep her away from her son.


    She had made up her mind that she was going to be with her son regardless of what, and she was determined to do that.


    She wiped off thest bit of tears on her face and she started walking towards Liam, with a giant frown on her face. Furthermore, she didn¡¯t know who she was frowning at, but she knew who she was going to meet.


    ¡°How dare you do this to me? And my son, give him to me now!¡± She said to Liam, while trying to get Timothy from E¡¯s grip. Her grip was forceful around him like she was the one who gave birth to him.


    Alyssa kept on struggling with them, with Timothy chanting ¡°mummy, mummy, mummy.¡± The view wasn¡¯t a very pleasant one and it was really awkward. They continued fighting for about nine seconds, when Liam suddenly pushed Alyssa to the ground.


    She hit her face against a stick that was on the ground, and she was still trying to stop the blood from gushing out more, when Liam called out to a guard toe to him immediately.


    Alyssa was surprised that he was caring because she thought that the guard was going to her to help with her head. She was a little shocked when she heard Liam telling the guard to lock her inside a room that was far from the house.


    The guard nodded at Liam¡¯s request, and he went to Alyssa, waiting for her to stand up before she spent the whole day there. When Alyssa stood up, the guard grabbed her right hand, and he started dragging her away from Liam, E, and Timothy.


    While she was getting dragged away, she was just apologising to Liam to pardon her, and her confident voice was far gone then.


    She really looked hopeless, shattered, and sad as she was still getting dragged away. Timothy was sad to see his mother in that position, and he also started crying, while stretching his hand forward for her toe back.


    ¡°Mu¡­mmy.¡± he said silently, and Alyssa¡¯s heart broke as she could no longer see her son again. The guard dragged her to a corner of the premises and in that corner, there was a small room that looked like they hadn¡¯t used it in a while.


    ¡°Please, help me.¡± She pleaded with the guard, but he turned deaf ears to whatever she was saying. He wasn¡¯t interested in helping her with anything, he was just following his boss¡¯s orders.


    When the door was finally unlocked, the guard forcefully pushed her in, and he locked the door from outside, but he didn¡¯t use a padlock to lock it because he thought that there were many guards around and that wouldn¡¯t happen at all because if she actually does escape, then she would be dealt with properly, like a normal criminal.


    Alyssa saw that the room was like a normal bedroom, but it was extreme and there were so many unnecessary things that she didn¡¯t even need to see. She tried sitting in the bed, but it was too dirty.


    She started thinking about ways to fix it because she couldn¡¯t just stay in the room. Likewise, she was a little thankful, when she saw how clean it suddenly was.


    There were some things to clean the room, but she was not even ready for that. She hired her face into the pillow, and she started crying again.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    That was when she remembered why Liam was acting really weird when they wereing. That meant that he had been expecting E to Venice together with him. They didn¡¯t look together and even if they did, she wasn¡¯t ready to ept that.


    E just stole everything that belonged to Alyssa, and that was what was breaking her heart so much. The fact that she didn¡¯t even know about their affair was breaking her heart so much.


    The image of Timothy trying to reach out to her popped up in her head again, and she started crying so hard that she thought her eyes were going to start bleeding.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Liam was doing that to her. If he wanted to punish her, then he shouldn¡¯t have gone through her son, knowing fully well that she couldn¡¯t possibly leave without him.


    When Alyssa left, Liam removed his hand around her waist, and he took Timothy from E. When E tried moving too close to him, he eyed her and reminded her that they were just doing everything to hurt Alyssa, and it wasn¡¯t anything deeper than that.


    E was a little hurt by that. She had loved seeing Alyssa cry so hard when she saw her with Liam. That was even why she quickly agreed to make the n with Liam because she loved seeing Alyssa in pain.


    Liam left E with Timothy in his hands. He decided to take Timothy with him to see his mother.


    While they were going, Timothy kept on turning back, hoping that his mother would suddenly appear behind him and take him away from the strange man who was taking him away. Unfortunately for him, she didn¡¯t and the little boy¡¯s heart was shattered.


    When Timothy got to his mother, he knocked and waited for her to open the door. When she opened the door, she was really surprised to see him with a child, and she instantly started asking about the ¡®random¡¯ child.


    Liam ignored her numerous questions and he went inside. When he got inside, he told his mother that Timothy was his child and on hearing that, she opened her mouth in awe because she was shocked to see that he had a child.


    She thought he didn¡¯t have a child and seeing that he actually did, shocked her to her bones.

 CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT

    An hourter, Alyssa was still crying. She couldn¡¯t believe everything that was happening at all. It was as if her whole life turned upside down in a matter of hours.


    Alyssa needed answers to all her questions at that moment.


    She was going crazy.


    She really was.


    When Liam told her that she was going to follow him, she had thought that he actually cares about their son and that was why he wanted to go with her. She didn¡¯t know that he actually lured her to Venice only to lock her up in a room that isn¡¯t even conducive for an animal to stay in.


    Alyssa kicked the bed violently as she was pondering over the issue. She couldn¡¯t possibly survive in that room at all.


    The fact that she was really close to her son, yet so far, was so crazy, and it made her burst into a very painfulughter.


    She wondered how Liam¡¯s brains were working and how he couldn¡¯t see that even with everything that he was doing, the child would stille back to the mother.


    Timothy doesn¡¯t even know Liam as his dad, so for him to agree to stay with him and not his mother, will be really crazy.


    Not even E will be able to keep him away from her with her nonsense attitude¡­and face. She just hated her step sister so much, and she wasn¡¯t sure if that was going to change for a very long time.


    E is bad news and the fact that Liam was staying with her, is even bad. Alyssa thought.


    She wouldn¡¯t have thought in a million years that her own mean stepsister would be in a vile rtionship with someone she has a child for. It was sounding really weird and serious.


    That was something that she would have never done to her, but E was doing to her with excitement.


    Alyssa suddenly heard a knock on the door, and her attention was shifted from her thoughts to the door. The only person that she thought would be the one knocking was Liam, and she started wondering why he wasing to see her.


    Had he realised his mistake? Alyssa thought, and she instantly stood up from the bed to open the door. She cleaned her tears and when she was about to open the door, she remembered that the door had been locked from outside, and she wondered how he didn¡¯t see that.


    It seemed like the person at the other side of the door also realised his mistake, as he started unlocking the door from outside the moment Alyssa thought about it.


    Alyssa waited patiently for Liam to enter inside and when the door was fully opened, she saw that the person wasn¡¯t in any way like Liam.


    It was a guard that brought a tray filled with her meals for her. The young man dropped it on the floor, close to her right leg and when he was about to leave, she called him back, and she asked about Liam.


    He ignored her and he went outside. Alyssa was praying for him to leave the door open mistakenly, so she would be able to escape, but unfortunately for her, he didn¡¯t.


    She was about to kick the tray aside, when her stomach growled loudly, and she started feeling embarrassed, even though she was the only one in the room.


    She hadn¡¯t realised that she was hungry, so she picked up the tray and opened the food. It smelled nice and without overthinking it, she started digging into it.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    It was pleasant¡­for someone who hadn¡¯t eaten since the day before.


    After finishing the meal, she regretted her action immediately. She thought that she shouldn¡¯t have eaten it and eating the food was like epting the fact that she was weak.


    She stood up and threw both the tray and the tes outside the window, while mumbling, ¡°I¡¯m not weak,¡± under her breath.


    It was night already and Alyssa wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy, but she knew that she had to sleep because she had been nning on how she would escape from the ce. And for her to do that, she needs quality sleep.


    Since she spent the rest of the day cleaning the room up, it was a bit manageable and conducive for human beings.


    The next morning, Alyssa woke up really early. She didn¡¯t know what the time was, but when she looked out the window, and she saw that the sky was still slightly dark, she knew that it was really early.


    She started plotting her escape from the ¡®prison in disguise¡¯. Likewise, she had intended to distract the guard, so he would forget to lock the door¡­or put something at the edge of the door, so it wouldn¡¯t be closedpletely¡­


    Either way, she was really determined to leave.


    The breakfast hadn¡¯t yet arrived, and Alyssa was patiently waiting for it. While waiting, she decided to have her bath and change her clothes, since one of the guards had dropped her luggage while she was sleeping.


    She entered the bathroom of the room, and she was surprised to see that it was cleaner than the room itself, and it also had running water.


    After cleaning up and the breakfast still had to arrive, she started feeling really anxious, and she went to the window to get a hint of what was happening.


    It looked like someone, more like some people, just arrived, but Alyssa couldn¡¯t see anyone.


    She left the window, and she went to sit on her bed. She wasn¡¯t interested in whoever was in Liam¡¯s house at that moment. Likewise, she could even guess that it was another woman who may or may not want to take her child away from her.


    Alyssa screamed and hit her head against the bed¡¯s holder. She was going crazy and having really weird and senseless thoughts that she didn¡¯t even know how they were being formed.


    She was still thinking about how she was having odd thoughts, when she heard a knock on the door.


    Alyssa was going to the door, when she realised that something wasn¡¯t right. The guard that came the day before had knocked, but he realised his mistake when he saw that the door was locked from outside.


    That meant that the person who was knocking wasn¡¯t any of the guards, but someone else.


    It could either be Liam or E. She thought and ced her bet on Liam.


    The person continued knocking and Alyssa wanted to answer, but she decided to keep quiet to see if the person was going to leave or get the key.


    After the eight knock, some whispers could be heard from the other end of the door and Alyssa still thought that it could be Liam.


    Everywhere became silent for a few seconds before she could hear the door getting unlocked. She was ready to tell Liam her mind, and she stood up from the bed.


    She turned her head to the side to see him.


    The door opened wide and the person, no, people that she saw at the door didn¡¯t look like Liam at all.


    They looked more like her family members.

 CHAPTER FIFTY NINE

    Seeing her family, in her new room, made Alyssa¡¯s heart skip so many beats. It also made her feel very awkward because she was in a very vulnerable state that she wouldn¡¯t have wanted anyone to see.


    She didn¡¯t even know if she was happy or even sad to see them.


    ¡°Would you stand there, staring at us like we are ghosts, or you¡¯d wee us in?¡± Her stepmother said, interrupting her thoughts.


    She opened the door very well for them toe in, and she went on to lock it after they entered.


    ¡°What¡­what are you doing here?¡± She stuttered, looking at all of them, from her stepmother, to her father, then to her step siblings. They all didn¡¯t look like they were happy to see her, either. So, the feeling was mutual.


    A minuteter, nobody had answered her question. She looked at them again, thinking if she should ask them again.


    ¡°We are not here for you, if that¡¯s what you want to know.¡± Her stepmother said, and her eyes fell a little. She knew that they weren¡¯t there for her, but her stepmother saying it like that, just made the feeling worse.


    ¡°Why are you here, then?¡± Alyssa asked, and she looked at her father, expecting him to speak up.


    Her father was about to speak, but he was stopped by her stepmother.


    ¡°We are here for E and Liam. You know they are together now, eh?¡± Her stepmother said, and she looked away from her. She did that because she knew that Alyssa knew the truth, and she didn¡¯t want her to ept that.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re not, and they are not together!¡± Alyssa screamed at her stepmother, and the woman stretched her hand forward to stop her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shout at me, youngdy! I¡¯m not the cause of your misfortune.¡± Alyssa¡¯s stepmother screamed back at her, and Alyssa backed away from her with tears gathering really fast in her eyes.


    She averted her gaze from them and she looked down. The air around the room was suddenly seized and Alyssa was slowly losing her breath.


    Alyssa ced her hand on her chest, so she would be able to bnce her breathing and speak again.


    Her stepmother looked at her father and she rolled her eyes at him because she felt like Alyssa was just pretending and trying to y the victim card.


    ¡°You lied! You¡¯re lying.¡± Alyssa said, and she pointed her finger at her stepmother.


    Without waiting for an answer, she continued speaking. ¡°I know you¡¯re here because the kingdom has been annexed. Isn¡¯t that true?¡± She asked, and her step siblings left the room at the same time, leaving Alyssa with her dad and stepmother.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Don¡¯t point at your stepmother, Alyssa. Have some shame.¡± Her father said to her, and she gradually brought her finger down, not because she was told to, but because she realised that she was meant to speak to her father directly instead.


    ¡°So now, you¡¯re here, running away from your problems, dad!¡± Alyssa said, and her father frowned at her.


    Alyssa didn¡¯t know what she was saying and why she was talking to her dad that way, but she was too hurt to even think properly.


    ¡°Running from our problems? We are not the cowards here, you are!¡± Her stepmother screamed at her and then, it was her turn to point fingers.


    Alyssa was trying so hard to hold the tears, but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t working because the tears were really threatening to stream down her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a coward, I¡¯m not a coward!¡± Alyssa started saying, while shaking her head, to her stepmother and father. It was more like she was saying it to herself, trying to convince herself that she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°You can see how pathetic she is? Talk to her.¡± Alyssa¡¯s stepmother said and moved away from Alyssa. If she had stayed in front of her for a few more seconds, then she would have pped her because Alyssa was really making her angry with her stupid attitude and naivety.


    ¡°Everything is happening because of you. We gave you just one mission to aplish, but you ran away like a coward and left us to bear the consequences. You should better stop convincing yourself that you¡¯re not a coward because you are. You¡¯re a failure, too.¡± Alyssa¡¯s father said, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t just take it any longer.


    She screamed at them to stop, and she backed away from them.


    Her heart was hurting.


    God, it really was.


    The pain was too much for her to bear. It really was.


    She ran to the window, and she opened it immediately because she was running crazy.


    She was dying.


    Her heart was dying.


    Alyssa tightly closed her eyes and she allowed the tears to flow freely down her face. She could feel them dropping on her skin.


    One after the other.


    She just needed a minute to get herself, or an hour. She wasn¡¯t sure.


    Alyssa wanted to pray.


    She really wanted to, but she couldn¡¯t.


    Her mouth couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°You see what I¡¯m saying, so dramatic.¡± Her stepmother said and pointed towards her. Her father agreed with her, and her heart clenched more.


    Everyone was against her.


    The world was against her.


    She was against herself.


    Alyssa opened her eyes again, and she tried wiping her tears before turning around to see the people who opened her fresh wounds again.


    A few secondster, she turned around to see her stepmother and father whispering to each other. They didn¡¯t notice that she was watching them, and she wasn¡¯t ready to inform them that she was.


    That day was one of the worst days of her life, and she just knew that there were many toe. She wasn¡¯t even trying toy a curse on herself, that¡¯s the natural thing that happens to her.


    Sigh¡­


    She should start thinking of how she was going to leave the room for them.


    Likewise, she also wanted to leave the world for them, all of them, but it wasn¡¯t time. Yet.


    Alyssa wiped thest drops of tears on her face and she started walking towards the door. She walked past them and just when she thought they didn¡¯t notice, her stepmother called her back.


    ¡°There you go. Running away from your problems.¡± Her father said, using her exact words against her.


    She instantly looked down and when she wasn¡¯t saying anything, her stepmother startedparing her to E, saying that E was better than she in every way.


    The father agreed, saying that she couldn¡¯t save her family, and they really expected her to carry out a mission without failing.


    ¡°Just stop. Please. Please.¡± Alyssa said, while looking down. Her voice was barely a whisper. She was tired of speaking, tired of always defending herself, trying to convince people that she just wanted to live. Live!


    ¡°You¡¯re a-¡± Her stepmother started saying, but she was interrupted by Liam¡¯s presence.


    ¡°If youplete that sentence, you wouldn¡¯t love what would happen¡­to you.¡± Liam threatened, and Alyssa looked up to see Liam standing by her side, looking like her hero.


    Maybe he really is her hero.


    Maybe.

 CHAPTER SIXTY

    Timothy had not been making things easy for Liam since the boy saw his mother and he was taken away from her. He was scattering everywhere, while demanding for his mother and Liam kept on ignoring him, until he couldn¡¯t take it any longer.


    He screamed at E to take care of him, and he left immediately, without waiting for her reply.


    E, not knowing what to do, brought out so many toys from his belongings that were taken to the house, and she heaved a little sigh of relief when she saw that the boy immediately became distracted by that, and he allowed a bit of peace to reign¡­for a while.


    Liam was tired and feeling really frustrated, so he went to his room for some silence. He went to his bed and was about to rest his head on the pillow to have a nap, when someone started knocking on his door.


    That made him furious, and he hit his legs on the bed out of annoyance. He looked at the door and decided not to open it.


    By the time the person knocks ny times, he¡­or she will get tired. Liam thought, and he finally seeded in resting on the pillow.


    He hadn¡¯t even seeded in closing his eyes when the person started knocking again. Liam groaned loudly, and he took a deep breath, before he finally stood up to open the door, but not before he cussed the person under his breath.


    The door handle was twisted angrily, and Liam wasn¡¯t surprised to see one of his guards standing right in front of him, with a worried look on his face.


    ¡°What?¡± He asked, and the guards started stuttering. Liam closed his eyes and really prayed that the guard didn¡¯t disturb him, only to stutter in front of him.


    ¡°Sir, I just got to know that Alyssa¡¯s family areing over.¡± The guard said, and immediately, Liam became apprehensive. He didn¡¯t understand why he was worried, but he really was.


    The news wasn¡¯t a pleasant one, and it was a bad one either, but it required a bit of knowledge to handle.


    Liam quickly dismissed the guard, and he suddenly wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy any more. He went to his bed and he crossed his hands against his chest.


    The fact that Alyssa¡¯s family wasing over wasn¡¯t a good thing at all, and he started wondering how she would feel about it when she heard about it.


    She would definitely feel bad about it. He thought and released his hands from his chest.


    At that moment, her family members were happy with her because of the way she ran away from the mission that she was given, so now going over to Liam¡¯s house to see her was a terrible idea.


    He was distressed and scared for her. Alyssa was already heartbroken by Liam, so he just knew that seeing her family at his house wasn¡¯t going to make her feel any better.


    A sigh escaped from his mouth and he looked up, trying to think of what to do. He actually thought of going to her new room to maybe help her out of it for the meantime, but he thought against it.


    He had nned to keep her in that room for as long as possible, so taking her out of it would just spoil his ns.


    After a while, he got the news that they had arrived, and he went over to his window to see them arriving. They came down from the car one by one, and Liam¡¯s heart skipped beats because of that.


    He decided to go to Alyssa to help her out of the mess, but he decided to wait until she actually called him.


    However, he went out of his room and when he was sure that they were all in her room, he went to stand a few feet away from her room.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    E was a bit surprised that the whole family was around, and she followed Liam, with Timothy trailing behind her.


    On a normal day, Liam would have sent E away, but since there was nothing normal about the day, he decided to let her be.


    The three of them started listening to everything the stepmother and father were saying to her, even though Timothy couldn¡¯t understand more than half of what they were saying.


    They were saying a lot of mean and hurtful things to Alyssa, and Liam was holding himself back from barging into the room and shutting them up.


    He decided to allow Alyssa to fight her battles by herself because he knew that she didn¡¯t deserve his help.


    That went on for about one minute and Liam couldn¡¯t take it any more. The stepmother had called Maia a failure more than three times, and Liam swore under his breath that if they insulted her again, then he was going to barge in there and¡­


    They insulted her again.


    Keeping to his words, Liam barged into the room, and he asked them to keep the hell shut.


    E also entered inside, while carrying Timothy. Timothy wanted his mother, but she didn¡¯t have any time for him at that moment.


    ¡°What are you doing, Liam?¡± Alyssa¡¯s father asked him, and Liam threw a mean look at him.


    ¡°What you¡¯re supposed to do.¡± Liam said, and he tightened his grip on her hand and drew her closer.


    Alyssa was feeling all types of things for Liam, and hatred wasn¡¯t one of them.


    She was pleased that he was around to save her and defend her.


    The stepmother was about to say something when Liam ordered them out. They surprisingly obeyed that, and Alyssa let out the breath that she didn¡¯t know that she was holding.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She said, as soon as they were gone, and Liam left her hand immediately.


    Liam started pacing around the room with an angry look on his face. He kept on reminiscing about what they said to Alyssa, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he became.


    E tried to stop him, while making Alyssa think that he could only listen to her. She dropped Timothy, and she went to Liam to calm him down.


    Liam screamed at E to leave him. He didn¡¯t pretend to even care about her again. E tried to apologise, but he sent her out too.


    Alyssa had never seen Liam that angry, and she started getting so scared, especially for her son. She started thinking that Liam had changed so much ¨C he was now so angry and scared. She didn¡¯t want him anywhere near her son because she feared him hurting Timothy even though he was his father.


    Furthermore, she knew that she had to stop him and tell him. So, she did. She told Liam that he wasn¡¯t being a good father by being angry every time as Tim would emte that attitude.


    That statement made Liam stop in his tracks, and he threw a deadly look at Alyssa.


    What she said triggered something in him, and he started getting angrier than he already was.


    Alyssa started getting scared, but she didn¡¯t show it. She just stood there, while looking at him straight in his eyes, daring him to do something.

 CHAPTER SIXTY ONE

    Alyssa watched him as he frowned at her after what she said about her not being happy with the way he was with Timothy, their son. Liam was still in awe, and he couldn¡¯t believe that she would say such a thing. In as much as he would rather not ept, he was pretty hurt by that. He didn¡¯t know that that was how she felt about how he treated Timothy because he was really trying his best.


    Liam wasn¡¯t used to being a caring dad, so hearing that Alyssa felt that way¡­was a bit true. As he was walking away from her, he already knew what was going to happen, so there was no need to argue with her.     Because he was really hurt by her statement, he already knew that he was going to do his revenge because the hatred he had for Alyssa was so deep.


    At night, he couldn¡¯t even sleep properly. He kept on thinking about what he could do, but he couldn¡¯t even think of any solution. When he was about to sleep, a thought just popped up in his head and instantly knew what was going to do. He went to bed that night, smiling to himself because he knew that Alyssa was about to get a taste of her medicine.


    The next morning, he got up really early to prove Alyssa wrong. He called out to Celia to bring Timothy to him. When he saw Timothy running to him that morning and chanting ¡°uncle, uncle.¡± Something inside him because the fact that the poor boy doesn¡¯t even know that he¡¯s his dad is so sad.


    ¡°Guess what we are doing today?¡± Liam asked Timothy, who was smiling at the dining table. The little boy did not look as if he were listening to his dad at all. Liam called out to him again and instead of answering him, he pointed to the dining table, and Liam just knew that the boy wanted to eat.


    Breakfast went by really fast because Timothy kept on hitting his cutlery against the tes, so Liam just cancelled breakfast instead.


    ¡°Guess what we are doing today?¡± He asked Timothy again, when he saw that the boy was calmer.


    ¡°What?¡±Timothy asked, and he watched his face for a while before he replied.


    ¡°We are going to have a lot of fun today, Timothy.¡± Liam said with so much enthusiasm. Immediately he mentioned the word fun, Timothy¡¯s face lit up with a lot of excitement.


    Liam grabbed his small hands, and they went to the field with a ball under Liam¡¯s right arm. He threw the ball to Timothy expecting him to throw it back, but the boy ced it on the floor and tried jumping on it which made him fall on his face. Liam went over to the boy immediately, and he tried carrying him, but he refused saying that he wanted to see his mother at all cost, hearing that from Timothy Liam grumbled inwardly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get up.¡± Liam said to Timothy, and without waiting for an answer he carried the boy up with only one hand. He tried cleaning his body up, but the boy Timothy brushed his hand aside and insisted on seeing his mother.


    ¡°Your mum isn¡¯t here.¡± Liam whispered to the boy and dropped him to the floor. He walked past him to pick the ball up, and he threw it to Timothy, who was now running away from him.


    Timothy was acting really weird and Liam wasn¡¯t liking that at all. He started thinking of ways to make the boy happy without his mother. Just like what happened the night before, an idea suddenly popped in his head and he went straight to Celia to see if she could help.


    He turned around to go inside when he saw the Celia that he was going to meet,ing towards him. He tried smiling at her, but it didn¡¯t work. His face wasn¡¯t even ready to pretend like he liked Celia.


    ¡°I saw Timothy running inside, that¡¯s why I came outside to ask what was wrong.¡± She said all at once when she got to Liam. He didn¡¯t say anything, he was just looking at her, trying to figure out how he was going to tell her what he needed from her.


    ¡°Yeah. About that, I need your help.¡± He started talking, and he continued when she didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Timothy doesn¡¯t want to y with me, so I just think we should have a small ice cream date. That¡¯s nice, right?¡± Liampleted and Celia started grinning from ear to ear. Not only did she like the idea, she also loved it.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s nice. I¡¯ll go tell the servants to make so many pastries and ice cream too. It¡¯s going to be fun, just the three of us.¡± She said, and she was about to hug Liam, when he stopped her with a small frown on his face.


    ¡°No, not the three of us. Just Timothy and I.¡± Liam said, and the bright smile that was on Celia¡¯s face wiped away immediately. She wanted to protest against that, but she thought against it.


    That probably isn¡¯t a good idea. She thought.


    She gave Liam a small nod, and she left without saying a word. Liam didn¡¯t feel bad about it at all, he loved treating her that way.


    Liam went inside the house to try to y with Timothy, but he was ying with his cars and ¡®stic characters¡¯. So, he didn¡¯t intend to disturb him or anything.


    He patiently waited for the pastries to be made and when he saw that the ice cream was going to take a lot of time, he asked them to just make it and keep it for anyone who¡¯s interested.


    The hot pastries were neatly served on the dining table, and Liam went over to Timothy to call him to ¡®have fun¡¯ with the food.


    Timothy was about to decline, when Liam carried him to the table without a word. He dropped him on a chair directly facing him, and he squinted his eyes at him. He could tell that the boy was a little scared of him and with the way he was shifting in his chair, he seemed like he was also ufortable around Liam.


    ¡°Where is mother?¡± Timothy suddenly asks, breaking unnned seconds of awkward silence.


    A small sigh escaped Liam¡¯s mouth, and he wanted to tell Timothy how he didn¡¯t feel like Alyssa was a good mother and how he was a better parent than her, but the innocent look on the boy¡¯s face stopped him from doing that.


    Timothy was still wary around him, and Liam realises that he should¡¯ve let Alyssa introduce him to Tim as his father a few more times before he took the boy away from her.


    For Timothy to know and recognize him as his father, Liam thought that Alyssa needed to introduce him to Timothy as his father before it¡¯s toote.


    The boy asks after his mother again, and Liam angrily leaves the boy with E on his way to a state meeting, telling his guard to watch over them.This is from N?velDrama.Org.

 CHAPTER SIXTY TWO

    E went to sit at the table and simr to the way he asked Liam about Alyssa, he also started asking E about his mother. E didn¡¯t know what to do, and she tried touching his hand, but he reverted.


    ¡°Mother¡­¡± He quietly said, and E blinked at him. She decided to take the boy to his mother because she knew that if she didn¡¯t do that, then he would continue asking about her until God knows when.


    She stood up from the chair, and she helped the boy off the chair too. He looked up at her, and he asked her where they were going. Before bending over to be on the same height with Timothy, she gave him a small smile.


    ¡°We are going to see your mother.¡± She whispered in the boy¡¯s ears, and that made her earn a wide grin from the cute, little boy.


    E told the guard what she wanted to do and where she was going and to obey what Liam said, the guard said that he was going to follow them to watch over them and protect them.


    Timothy was jumping like a happy child who was just given choctes because he was going to see his mother. The sight was so beautiful to watch, but E was a little sad about it. She wished someone were that excited to see her and by someone, she meant Liam and her child.


    She heaved a deep sigh, hoping that that little dream of hers was going toe to pass really soon.


    When they got to where Alyssa was, Timothy screamed out her name and Alyssa, who seemed like she was in deep thoughts, started crying and running towards her son.


    The guard patiently waited for her to run to them, but when she was about to touch Timothy, she was stopped and pushed back. E carried the boy, and she threw a scornful look at Alyssa.


    ¡°Why are you keeping him away from me?¡± Alyssa asked and E scoffed at her. The fact that she really thought that she was going to be able to touch him that easily, seemed hrious and a bit amusing to E.


    ¡°Why not?¡± E answered, but not before she rolled her eyes at her.


    Alyssa tried touching Timothy again, but this time, she was really pushed that she fell to the ground. Timothy started crying, saying that he wanted to see his mother, but E kept on ignoring his cries. Even when the boy started pushing her, she still didn¡¯t allow him to go to his mother.


    She loved seeing Alyssa in pain, it was so nice to watch for her.


    ¡°I want to touch him, please. Please.¡± Alyssa pleaded, and the pain in her voice could be clearly heard.


    Even with the heartfelt pleas from Alyssa, E wasn¡¯t still ready to let her touch her son. Alyssa started trying to push past the guard, and it was very embarrassing to watch. When the guard was finally able to push Alyssa away, E asked him to take Timothy away.


    Timothy was crying so hard, screaming at his mother to run to him and hold him, but he was ignored. Alyssa already knew that regardless of what she did at that moment, she still wouldn¡¯t be able to touch him. So, she turned her head away from him and looked at the ground. The boy¡¯s stretched hands were slowly folded, and he continued watching her with teary eyes until Alyssa could no longer see him or the guard.


    ¡°Why?¡± Alyssa screamed at E and she answered the question with a malicious smile.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Oh, please. Stop making my ears bleed with your noise, Alyssa.¡± E said to Alyssa, and she let out hystericalughter. She was happy with the way things were going.


    ¡°He was crying so much, stretching his hands towards me for me tofort him, but you took that away from him. You took that away from a child.¡± Alyssa said to E, while pointing her index finger at her in usation.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be pathetic. Liam is also his parent too, and he can give him thefort that he wants¡­. thefort that he deserves from Liam.¡± E pointed a finger at Alyssa too, and that action made her back away a little.


    ¡°What are you saying? We both know that Liam is a bad man, and so are you! So, don¡¯t even try to paint him like a good man.¡± Alyssa said and cleaned the tears that were about to dry off, off her face.


    E started walking around Alyssa, while pping dramatically. She was alsoughing maliciously, and Alyssa just stood still at the spot, while waiting for what she wanted to say.


    ¡°Oh, sweet little Maria. You don¡¯t even know what¡¯sing for you, you don¡¯t know at all and mind you, Liam is a great man. He loves me so much, and I know that he is wonderful. So, don¡¯t you ever and ever say anything against him.¡± She took a small pause before she continued. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t me you. You¡¯re saying that because he doesn¡¯t love you and he loves me. That¡¯s unfortunate. You look pathetic, go get a life and leave Liam alone and leave me too alone.¡±


    E continued telling Alyssa how good he was like he was a saint, and Alyssa could only listen to everything with malice in her heart.


    ¡°We fell in love some time ago and since then, we¡¯ve been so deep in love. We both saw each other, and we instantly fell in love.¡± E continued boasting, making the fake story that she was telling Alyssa sound real.


    ¡°When he told me that I was his first love, I just couldn¡¯t believe it at all, but what can I say? I think it¡¯s actually true because¡­¡± E was saying, but she was interrupted by Alyssa.


    ¡°Just stop, stop, please! I am not interested in your pathetic love story.¡± Alyssa screamed at E and E gave her a mocking smile.


    ¡°Are you sure you would rather not listen? Because I could go on and on until whenever. Or do you want me to continue? Oh, I would dly¡­¡± E started saying, but she was interrupted by Alyssa¡¯s screams. The pain that Alyssa was feeling was so evident on her face, and E couldn¡¯t help but to wonder about how she was handling it so calmly. She didn¡¯t show it on her face though because she doesn¡¯t want Alyssa to know that she actually envies her so much.


    It wasn¡¯t clear to her why she actually felt like Liam loves Alyssa.


    It¡¯s weird, but it might actually be true. She thought.


    E was snapped out of her thoughts when Alyssa pushed her backwards. Maria started telling her to leave her alone and nevere back to spite her, only if she¡¯s actually around to see her to give her son back to her.


    Before leaving, E gave Alyssa a scornful look.


    E had not taken up to three steps, when she was called back by Alyssa. She gave her a fake smile and said, ¡°Oh and yes, don¡¯t tell lies about Liam again. We both know that he didn¡¯t say anything about you being his first love.¡± And with that, Alyssa turned around, walking away from her.

 CHAPTER SIXTY THREE

    Liam returned to the house after an hour, and he was weed by Timothy¡¯s gloomy face. He looked around before he went on to sit beside the sad-looking boy.


    When he sat down beside the boy, the boy looked sideways at him, and he instantly continued facing forward. He looked like he was angry at Liam¡­. at everyone. Liam sighed before he put his hand around him.


    Timothy didn¡¯t need any hand around him at that moment, but he seemed like he couldn¡¯t care less about Liam putting his hand around him.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Liam asked, and he felt the boy¡¯s mood lighten up a little. That meant that the boy probably required someone to talk to, but no one was avable for that.


    ¡°Mo¡­mother.¡± Timothy stuttered and Liam wanted to ignore him, but he didn¡¯t. He removed his hand from his shoulder and he bent down in front of the boy. He ced two fingers under his chin to raise his head up.


    Not only that, but he really looked sad. Liam observed.


    ¡°Okay, big boy. Let¡¯s do this. You are going to cheer up now, and we¡¯ll go and meet your mum.¡± Liam and Timothy¡¯s lips instantly stretched into a big grin. He hugged Liam tightly, and Liam hugged him back and kissed his neck.


    He really wanted Timothy to know him as his father and not just a random man who¡¯s trying so hard to make him love him.


    Timothy got off the chair, and he ced his hand into Liam¡¯s. Liam shook his head and he carried the boy instead. He looked thrilled to see his mother, but Liam? He didn¡¯t know if he was also happy to see¡­ Alyssa.


    The both of them walked to Alyssa¡¯s room and when he knocked, he could almost hear Alyssaining about the person who was disturbing her.


    She ignored the first knock.


    Liam was about to knock again, but instead, he took Timothy back to the house. Ignoring the cries from the boy, he dropped him on a chair and told a guard to watch over him.


    Alyssa hissed, and she reluctantly went to the door to open the door. She knew that E was the one at the door, and she started making mental notes of the insults that she was going to rain on her.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    When she started twisting the lock on her door, she was already frowning. She really hated seeing E and Liam together. It just makes her feel¡­.


    She opened the door, and she saw Liam standing at the doorstep with a considerable frown. She saw Timothy in her hands and when Timothy saw Alyssa, he started jumping on Liam, and he struggled with his hands to go to his mother.


    Seeing how happy Alyssa was to see Timothy, Liam released his grip on the boy¡¯s legs, and he allowed him to go to her.


    ¡°Oh my God, Timothy! I missed you so much.¡± Alyssa said while kissing every open part of his body.


    She rubbed her eyes again to see Liam standing there alone, and then she realised that she had been hallucinating.


    Liam started imagining the grin that would have been on Timothy¡¯s face, and Liam regretted keeping the poor boy from his mother, but he just couldn¡¯t help himself. He knew that because of what Alyssa did, he shouldn¡¯t have punished his son for it, but she deserved it.


    He had brought Timothy earlier to Alyssa on purpose because he knew how desperate she was to see Timothy, to hold him in her hands like she loved doing, and to make himugh so hard.


    Likewise, he was also that desperate. Yes, he was.


    He was really desperate to see her and hold her the way she loved holding Timothy when she went missing. He was devastated and sad because he was petrified for her safety, for her¡­for them and when he saw her true colours, he felt like he shouldn¡¯t have cared at all.


    Liam had felt like he was idiotic and dumb forever trusting her, and since that day, he had vowed to never trust her again. He couldn¡¯t afford to be deceived and betrayed that way again. Never again.


    ¡°Where is Timothy?¡± Alyssa snapped him out of his thoughts. Liam red at her, and she red back. She was exhausted from staying away from her son. She really needed him before going crazy.


    Just when Liam thought the staring contest was going tost forever, unlike their rtionship, she invited him in and Liam hesitated for a while before he went into the room after her.


    She kept on staring at the door, and Liam turned back to see what was wrong. When he saw that the reason she was staring at the door was because it was open, he wanted to insult her, but he stole a nce at Timothy before he walked away from her to lock the door.


    When he went back to him, she tried offering him a spot on the bed to sit on, but he turned the offer down, saying that he had no time for ¡®rubbish¡¯.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She whispered, and she tried smiling at Liam. Liam groaned inwardly because of that. The way she was acting, so innocent, was irking him.


    ¡°I didn¡¯te here for you, I came here to make myself feel better and to clear up some things. I couldn¡¯t continue denying the truth and ignoring my gut feelings about everything. I need some answers.¡± Liam said and looked away from Alyssa, he settled his gaze on the bed instead.


    ¡°Um, okay.¡± She said, and she blinked at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ever going to give him back to you.¡± Liam returned his gaze to her face. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want you to keep him away from me, just the way you did before.¡± Liam finished, answering her silent question.


    ¡°What-?¡± She started saying, but the intense re that she got from Liam shut her up.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m angry at you, because of your deception and the fact that you hid Timothy, MY son, from me.¡± He made sure that he stressed the word ¡®my¡¯, so it would sink into her head that Timothy was his son too.


    When she didn¡¯t say anything, Liam hissed and said, ¡°why? Why did you do that? I am actually giving you a chance to exin yourself.¡± At that point, Alyssa couldn¡¯t keep up with the intense res from him. So, she turned away from him and wiped the invisible years from the sides of her eyes.


    She hesitated before she turned around again. Liam didn¡¯t even intend to get angry, but her silence was really annoying him. He really hoped he wouldn¡¯t do what he didn¡¯t want to do. He really hoped.


    The fact that she wasn¡¯t saying anything in her defence was¡­so annoying, and Liam just wanted to¡­


    ¡°I wanted to avoid getting involved in the drama.¡± She said, just when Liam was nning to make her talk with force.


    Drama? Could Alyssa just stop being pathetic? Liam thought, and he looked at her, hoping that he didn¡¯t say that out loud.


    He didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Alyssa answered his silent question and looked away from him. He didn¡¯t know if he was feeling bad about what she did or not. It was really hard to tell with the wall that she was trying to build around herself.


    Liam told her that she¡¯d be tried at court for trying to sabotage the kingdom¡¯s peace. Hearing that, Alyssa started pleading with Liam and when he¡¯s satisfied that Alyssa had begged enough, he left her.


    No, he didn¡¯t lock the door after he left the room.

 CHAPTER SIXTY FOUR

    After Liam left her room, she went to the bed and copsed on it. She didn¡¯t know that the things that Liam said were the reasons why he had been acting really weird to her.


    Well, if she had known, it wouldn¡¯t have changed anything, but she would have still apologised when she wanted to.


    Now? She just wants to see her son and give him a big hug, telling him how much she had missed him.


    He seemed a lot nicer to her than he had ever been for a few weeks now. She was at least happy about that, but she had a feeling that the happiness would be short-lived. Liam is a really unpredictable person. She thought.


    She didn¡¯t know what to do or how to even spend her day, so she decided to take a colossal risk by going into the main house.


    Alyssa had been warned to never step her foot into the house unless she was told to, but she didn¡¯t know the evil spirit that was pushing her to do that.


    However, It seemed like she was up for it.


    She got dressed quickly and before leaving the room, she looked everywhere for guards around. Thankfully for her, nobody was outside, so she knew it was the perfect time to go inside the house. While she was walking towards the house, her heart kept beating against her chest and her gut feeling was telling her that what she was doing was something that she was going to regret, but she was willing to take the risk because she was tired of staying in her room all the time. She wanted to disobey and be shouted at. That was a weird type of feeling, but she liked it.


    Apart from the fact that she was bored, she was also going into the house to see her son. She was tired of being away from him, and she was willing to do anything for her to see him, even if it meant Liam killing her for trespassing.


    She was a few steps away from the door, when she started hearing screams from inside the house, and she had to hide, so she wouldn¡¯t be seen.


    E and her stepmother were having a massive fight because of something E did. E was rude and harsh to the woman, and she just couldn¡¯t take it any longer.


    The woman threatened to leave the house if E didn¡¯t change, and E wasn¡¯t even ready to listen to her at all. She kept on arguing with the woman and not listening to everything that she was saying.


    Alyssa, on the other hand, was listening to the fight that was happening between her stepmother and E. She didn¡¯t like the way E was speaking to her stepmother like that, so she decided to intervene. She was about to open the door, when E¡¯s stepmother announced that she was leaving the house. Because of the way E was trailing behind the woman, Alyssa went back into hiding, and she started feeling guilty for not fighting for her mother.


    When her stepmother was gone, Alyssa angrily went back into the house to shout at E.


    ¡°The fact that I put up with your nonsense, doesn¡¯t mean that other people will do the same thing. Do you even know that?¡± Alyssa asked her at once, and E turned around dramatically, with her eyes zing with anger.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± E ignored the fact that Alyssa just insulted her, and she focused on the fact that she was in the house, trying to act like she¡¯s meant to be there.


    Alyssa didn¡¯t say anything, she just kept on staring at her face like she wasn¡¯t the one that E was talking to.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for this.¡± E said, and she started walking towards Alyssa. When she got to Alyssa, her heart started beating really fast against her chest and she thought that E was going to do something to her, but instead of hurting her, she moved past her and locked the door.


    That action alone scared Alyssa more than getting hurt by her sister.


    ¡°You. Are. Going. To. Pay.¡± E said again, stressing the words slowly.


    Alyssa¡¯s heart started beating really fast, and she knew what the look on E¡¯s face meant and what she went through thest time she saw the look on her face.


    ¡°Leave.¡± E said to the guard that was standing two feet away from the living room. She closed the windows and when she was sure that nobody could see what they were doing in the house, she asked Alyssa to strip.


    At first, Alyssa thought she was just joking, but the re that she got from her, told her otherwise.


    Alyssa started removing what she was wearing one after the other, while maintaining a very weird and awkward eye contact with her step-sister.


    When it was time for her to remove thest piece of clothing, E left and when she went back to the living room, she went back with a bucket filled with water.


    ¡°What¡­what¡­wh- do you want¡­to use that for?¡± Alyssa stuttered and watched her lips break into a malicious smile.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°You¡¯ll find that out, won¡¯t you?¡± E said and pointed to the floor. Alyssa knew what that meant, so sheid her bare body on the dry ground.


    She could still remember thest time what E was about to do to her, happened. After that time, she had thought that she wasn¡¯t going to hit her again, but she was drastically mistaken.


    E asked her to raise her head up, and Alyssa silently obeyed. When her head was up, E moved closer to her and dipped her head into the full bucket of water.


    Alyssa started hitting the floor in frustration, and E raised her head from the water. When her head was raised from the water, she started gasping for breath and trying to bnce her breathing.


    She started smiling maliciously at Alyssa and Alyssa couldn¡¯t do anything, but to watch her do whatever she wanted to do.


    E brought out a long whip, it was like the one that she used on her before, but this one was longer. She slowly rubbed the body while smiling at it.


    Alyssa¡¯s heart clenched against her chest at the thought of thatnding on her bare skin. E was done with rubbing the whip, and she raised it up to hit Alyssa, and she instantly closed her eyes.


    E started crackling like a witch, and Alyssa slowly opened her eyes to see why she wasughing. She saw that the whip was still in the air, and she eyed it suspiciously.


    ¡°Aw, poor little Alyssa. You looked so scared. You don¡¯t enjoy me hitting you?¡± E asked, and when Alyssa didn¡¯t answer, she got a deadly re from her evil stepsister.


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Alyssa said carefully, and she bowed her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. Do you know why? Because I already have Liam.¡± E said, and sheughed again.


    She left the room with the bucket and the whip. Alyssa didn¡¯t know if she were to stand up from where sheid down, but when the guard announced that Liam was entering the gate, she stood up and wore her dress.


    When E came back, she was about to shout at Alyssa for putting her clothes back on, when she saw Liam entering the house. He seemed shocked to see Alyssa standing there, but he didn¡¯t acknowledge her presence.


    Instead, he went to E and started hugging and kissing her. Alyssa couldn¡¯t take it, so she left the room.

 CHAPTER SIXTY FIVE

    Alyssa was feeling deplorable and at that moment, she didn¡¯t know the one that was hurting her the most; The fact that she hadn¡¯t seen her son for a week or the fact that Liam moved on from her really fast.


    Either way, she was hurting terribly, and the only way she could get rid of it was by crying her eyes out. She had been crying for days, but the way she was crying that day was a lot¡­painful and deeper. She couldn¡¯t just continue nursing the pain at all. Furthermore, she was tired¡­tired of everything¡­tired of Liam.


    He can just forgive me and allow us to start all over. Alyssa thought.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She increased the intensity of her tears and she started hitting her legs against the bed when she knew that what she thought about could nevere to pass. Liam hated her so much, and he had made that known so many times, and she couldn¡¯t even deceive herself by saying that he might just forgive her one day.


    Alyssa continued crying for the next two hours, and she was finally tired of crying. Finally tired of being so vulnerable about Liam when he¡¯s out there enjoying himself. She cleaned her tears from her face and sniffed noisily before she buried her face into the pink pillow that was resting on herps.


    She wanted to continue crying, but the tears weren¡¯ting out. Just the way her life was, her tears were suddenly dried up too, with no hope of getting back to the normal happy position. She groaned and buried her face deeper into the pillow because she knew that she was going crazy and overthinking everything. Her rting her dried up tears to the situation of her life, was a sign of her going crazy. She wondered what the second sign was going to be.


    Alyssa stopped fighting inwardly with herself, and she finally closed her eyes to sleep. She wasn¡¯t sure if she was going to ever open her eyes again or¡­or¡­if that was the end of her story. Of her life. Of her love life. Of her journey of motherhood.


    While she was sleeping, she started having a dream that had Timothy and, of course, Liam. In the dream, she wore a very white dress while carrying Timothy that was also wearing white all through.


    Liam suddenly called her name, and she started looking around, trying to figure out where his voice wasing from. She knew that Liam was the one calling her, but she couldn¡¯t see him.


    The whole ce suddenly became stuffy and there was smoke everywhere. She and Timothy started coughing uncontrobly. Timothy suddenly called her attention to someone, and the person was Liam, who was standing beside her. When she saw that he was also wearing white, she smiled at him.


    He helped her stop coughing and she instantly stopped. They looked like one big, happy family when someone appeared from the smoke.


    Just like Alyssa suspected, the person was E who was wearing a ck dress. She had something in her hand, it was ced in a bucket and Alyssa was trying to see what it was, when E poured the dirty water that was in the bucket on Timothy and Alyssa.


    Alyssa¡¯s face instantly turned red with anger, while Liam was just standing there, watching them like he couldn¡¯t see anything. E dragged Liam away from her, but not before she threw a malicious smile at Alyssa.


    With several gasps escaping from her mouth, Alyssa jolted from the bed, and she opened her eyes to see that it was all a dream.


    God, it was.


    She didn¡¯t know if she was happy about the fact that it was all a dream, or if she was sad about it. The image of the three of them looking like a one, big and happy family was so satisfying to watch.


    Her head suddenly started banging, and she held onto her head, hoping that that would reduce the pain. It didn¡¯t.


    She sniffed noisily, and it felt like that was an enormous mistake because her headache increased instantly.


    The image of Timothy, Liam, and her wearing white and standing together shed in her head and she rested her head against the wall. The dream was so confusing, and she didn¡¯t know what it meant.


    She remembered E¡¯s face and how she poured the dirty water on their pure white attires. She started wondering what that meant, and the part where she took Liam and left with him.


    Did that mean that they were going to end up together? Alyssa thought, and she shivered inwardly.


    The dream was bad, and she hoped that it wasn¡¯t a sign of what was going to happen in real life.


    She stood up from the bed and went outside. The sun shone brightly on her face and she had to shield her face from the heat with her hand. She looked forward, and she saw Liam going towards her with someone beside him.


    Timothy!


    All of a sudden, Alyssa wasn¡¯t feeling sleepy again, and she rubbed her eyes to be sure that she wasn¡¯t hallucinating or dreaming again.


    She wasn¡¯t.


    She ran to him and just when she was about to get to him, she waited for him to walk to her. The boy didn¡¯t look thrilled to see her, but she didn¡¯t even realise because she was too happy to even notice.


    Liam left Timothy¡¯s hand, and he watched him as he walked slowly to his mother. Alyssa bent down and stretched out her hands to wee him.


    Even though she hadn¡¯t seen him for just a week, she was delighted to see him. She wiped the tears that were threatening to stream down her face away, and she hugged Timothy.


    She carried the boy to her room and she enthusiastically carried him to the bed. Likewise, she stood up from the bed, and she saw Liam standing at the door, watching the both of them intently.


    Furthermore, she couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling about everything, but he didn¡¯t look happy. Alyssa wasn¡¯t expecting him to be, so she just ignored him and went back to Timothy.


    Alyssa started talking to him while hugging him, but he didn¡¯t give any reaction to that. He just stood still and scanned her face quietly. Alyssa didn¡¯t want to think that Timothy wasn¡¯t happy to see her, so she ignored his weird attitude towards her, and she tried bringing him out of his mood. She just thought that it was a random mood swing issue, so she told him jokes and asked him if he missed her. Timothy didn¡¯t answer.


    She started feeling really down, and could literally feel her soul leaving her body. He was really acting distant from her.


    Liam notices the boy¡¯s attitude and is also confused. Timothy doesn¡¯t even speak to his mother well, and he watches as thispletely wrecks Alyssa. Liam felt like Timothy would speak better if he talked to him alone in private, so he took Timothy aside to speak to him. It was really ironic that Liam was now the one Timothy prefers talking to.


    Timothy told him that E had asked him to not speak to her if he wanted his mother toe back.

 CHAPTER SIXTY SIX

    As the words left Timothy¡¯s mouth to Liam¡¯s ears, his anger started increasing. He couldn¡¯t believe that E could say such a thing, not to a child at least. He thought that what she did was so bad and insensitive, so he decided to confront her and ask her about it.


    After having that small talk with Timothy, Liam went back to Alyssa. He was weed by a massive frown on her face. He didn¡¯t know what to tell her at all, he couldn¡¯t tell her that E said that at all.


    So, he gave her a small nod and left the room instantly. The look on her face was haunting him and if he had stayed in the room for a few more minutes, he was sure that he would have said what he didn¡¯t want to, and that included telling her that he still had a soft spot for her.


    While they were walking back to the house, Timothy kept on asking Liam if his mother was in trouble and if she was a bad woman. Liam had to stop in his tracks and make the little boy understand that his mother was a great mother, and she will always be. He also told the boy to stop listening to whatever E tells him to do.


    Timothy wanted to go back to his mother and give her a big hug, but Liam told him that they could do that some other time and together, they both walked into the house.


    Liam made him feelfortable on a chair in the living room, and he informed him that he was going back to meet him really soon.


    Timothy started feeling distressed for acting the way he did to his mother, and he wanted to make her feel better by giving her a hug. He looked up to see the guard standing right in front of him with a considerable frown on his face. It felt like the guard heard what he was thinking about and to avoid issues, he sat down quietly on the chair and started scanning the whole room with his eyes.


    With his heart pumping really fast and a massive frown on his face, Liam started calling out to E. She wasn¡¯t answering him, and he wondered where she could be and what she was probably doing at that time of the day.


    After searching the entire house, a guard walked up to him to tell him that E was outside the house, waiting for him. Liam started wondering why she didn¡¯t go inside to meet him first, but knowing how much he actually needed an answer from her, he went to her instantly.


    She had a gigantic smile on her face and out of their normal pretence, she started walking towards him with her hands stretched apart. She wanted to hug.


    When she got to him, Liam angrily brushed her aside, and she stumbled sideways from the gravity of the push.


    She turned around to question him, but she was stopped by a deadly re from Liam.


    E started smiling at him, thinking that that would actually make him feel better, not knowing that it was actually making the situation worse.


    She moved closer to the angry man and just as expected, Liam brushed her hands aside, and he gripped her hand tightly. It was so tight that E thought her wrists were going to bleed from the effect.


    ¡°What¡­what are you doing, Liam?¡± She asked a furious Liam, while trying to free herself from his strong grip.


    After a few seconds of enjoying the view of E trying to free herself from his grip, he finally let her go.


    He waited for her to gain her bnce before he started questioning her.


    ¡°Why?¡± That was his first question to her, and the poor, not-so-innocent E stared at him confused. She really didn¡¯t understand what he was trying to say, and she wished he were able to shed more light on it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Liam.¡± She whispered and tried moving really close to Liam. She really doesn¡¯t listen to what people say, does she? Liam clearly told her that he didn¡¯t want her to go closer to him, but she stubbornly did, but this time, he didn¡¯t do anything to her.


    He just gave her the look that said ¡®I asked a question¡¯ and fortunately for her, she understood that and backed away from him.


    The both of them started observing an unnned eye contact and even though itsted for only four minutes, it passed so many messages and Liam just knew that E knew what she was used of doing.


    When Timothy said that about her, he still had a bit of hope that it wasn¡¯t E that said that, but seeing the way guilty looks shed through her face when she finally understood the whole situation, made him know that she was guilty.


    He grabbed a part of her shirt, and he started dragging her to the nearest wall. Surprisingly, E didn¡¯t even protest with the way he was dragging her around to talk to her.


    When the both of them got to a wall, Liam pinned her to a wall, and he grabbed her face, asking her to speak the truth. E, who looked like she was perplexed, didn¡¯t know what to do, and she ced her hands on his chest to stop him from hurting her more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time, youngdy.¡± Liam screamed at E, and he watched her as she shivered. She seemed like she could cry anytime soon, but Liam didn¡¯t care. He just wanted an answer to his question, and he wanted it immediately.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Just get to the point.¡± E screamed back at Liam. Liam released his hard grip on her face, and he grabbed her two hands, pinning them to the wall so hard that E thought her bones were going to break.


    ¡°What did you say to Timothy about his mother?¡± Liam growled at E, and he waited for an answer while watching every reaction on her face. She looked terrified, but Liam knew better than to believe that she was actually scared. She was always faking everything that Liam found it hard to believe anything she did or said.


    E actually told Liam the truth about everything, she told him about how she tried poisoning the mind of the little boy, to turn him against his mother.


    Hearing the disgusting wordsing out of her mouth, Liam grabbed her face and warned her to never say something like that to the little boy. Out of fear, E nodded her head and told him that she would never do something like that again.


    Her voice was not convincing enough, but Liam was already tired of talking to her for that long, so he just left alone, hoping she would listen to him and if she doesn¡¯t, he already has a solution for that¡­


    He went back to see Alyssa to apologise for how Tim had behaved, but she¡¯s curious with him and med him for Timothy¡¯s actions. She called him a terrible father and told him to leave her room. Angry, he left her alone.

 CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN

    While Liam was walking back to the house, his mind kept on ringing about one thing; what Alyssa used him of doing. He couldn¡¯t believe that he was actually ready to forgive her and forget everything she did to him, every bad thing. He thought that he was actually being mean to her, but now he figured out that she probably deserved it all. The fact that she even had the effrontery to say such a thing to him, was so bad, and he wanted to make a revenge n quickly.


    He went back to the house and mmed the door after he entered the room. He started pacing around the room in frustration, trying to think about what he wanted to do to Alyssa. Furthermore, he couldn¡¯t think of anything¡­painful because that was what she deserved. Likewise, he already took Timothy away from her, what more could he do? He thought.


    The little pity that he started having for her, just dissolved and that made him happy because he knew that at that point, he could hurt her as much as he wanted¡­as much as she hurt him. Things were going in his favour, he had E even though he didn¡¯t like her, and he also had a revenge n for her. Things were looking up for him.


    The decision to make her suffer the way she made him suffer was final, and Liam was really ready to go all in for that to happen.


    The next day, he woke up really early, and he started going to Alyssa¡¯s room. He already knew what he was going to ask her to do, but he was so sure if she was going to refuse. Even at that, he was ready to try his luck, knowing that she would have to obey him because of her son. He wanted to use Timothy as bait, but he thought against it. He wasn¡¯t interested in making the poor boy suffer for his mum¡¯s issues, he was too small for that.


    While he was walking to Alyssa¡¯s room, her reaction to what he was going to say, started ying in his head. He had thought about her reaction overnight, that he already knew how she¡¯s going to react.


    Before leaving the house, Liam made E promise him that she was going to take care of Timothy, and he said that she could do that by giving him breakfast and getting him ready for the day because for the next time, Liam already knew the person who was going to be responsible for that.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam carefully ced small knocks on the door leading to Alyssa¡¯s room, and he didn¡¯t expect her to open the door immediately, so he already nned to knock several times before she actually opened the door. He was surprised when she opened the door after the second knock, she looked a bit scared to see him, but the reaction that flickered through her face disappeared before he was even able to identify the look.


    Alyssa didn¡¯t invite him in, she just stood in front of him at the door that morning, while staring at him. She didn¡¯t know if she was happy or sad to see him, but when she remembered that he was still keeping Timothy away from her, she finally agreed that she was sad to see him.


    Liam continued staring at her while waiting for her to invite him in. When Liam saw that she wasn¡¯t ready to do that, to invite him in, he brushed his shoulder against hers while pushing past her into the room.


    ¡°No you can¡¯t just enter my room like that without asking me, at least. You don¡¯t see me barging into your room at 7 in the morning with a giant frown on my face, do you?¡± Maria screamed at Liam, who only turned around to face her. He looked like he wasn¡¯t ready to fight and as much as Alyssa didn¡¯t want to think about it, she couldn¡¯t help, but to ask him what was wrong. With the reaction on his face, Alyssa was a bit relieved that it wasn¡¯t something serious. In fact, it seemed like he only came to her room for the fun of it, that is, to make a jest of her.


    She made a mental note of the things that she was going to say to him if that turned out to be true. She wasn¡¯t ready for a drama that morning.


    Liam just wanted to tell her why he was there in the first ce. He was sure that when she saw him, she had thought that he brought her son back to her, but Liam was furious to break the news to her. While watching the reaction on Maria¡¯s face, he decided to tell her the n.


    ¡°I have a n for you to be with your son almost every time.¡± Liam said to Alyssa, and that seemed to grab her attention because her widened eyes were instantly fixed on Liam.


    ¡°Tell me ¨C now! I want to know.¡± Alyssa screamed at him, while urging him to speak really fast.


    Liam red at her for her to stop hitting him to talk, and she surprisingly did. He took a breath before opening his mouth again.


    ¡°You¡¯d be Timothy¡¯s new maid.¡± Liam announced and waited for a reaction from her.


    A few secondster, it seemed like what he said just really sank into her head at that time because when she heard that, she started staring at him with wide eyes. He didn¡¯t know whether she was okay with it or not, but when she asked if she was going to see him every time if she took the job, then Liam just knew that she was fully in on the n.


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ll be like a personal maid to him, so you¡¯ll be with him almost every time.¡± He added, and before he even had the chance to ask her if she wanted to take the job, she already nodded her head severally, telling him that she was genuinely interested.


    Thereafter, Liam left her room with a smirk on her face. She was really oblivious to Liam¡¯s n, and he liked that.


    He got ready with a smile on his face because he knew that the next few days in this house were going to be a bit fun to watch. He went to Timothy to tell him that E hadn¡¯t exined properly to him. The confused look on the boy¡¯s face made him decide to exin more. He told Timothy how E was telling the truth and that it was a game they were ying.


    When that got his full attention, Liam smiled to himself and continued talking. He told Timothy that he¡¯d surprise him with whatever he wanted, if he can go days without speaking to Alyssa.


    Liam said that because he was sure that Alyssa would surely want to talk to him at all times. The boy pondered over it for a few seconds and when he agreed to it, Liam smiled at him instantly, and he promised him that he was going to fulfil his promise only if Timothy fulfils his too. The boy also agreed to that. Liam left him and decided to go to E to have a talk with her too.

 CHAPTER SIXTY EIGHT

    Liam called out to E, and he wasn¡¯t surprised when she didn¡¯t answer immediately. She was always fond of doing that. After calling her the fourth time, she finally answered and started running towards Liam. When she didn¡¯t answer him, he had decided not to tell her anything at all because what he wanted to tell her, wasn¡¯t really that important. He wanted to ask her to start being really mean and spiteful towards Alyssa, to make the whole house a living hell for her to live in.


    After thinking about it for a few seconds, Liam just figured that E would be mean to her step-sister, Alyssa, without even being asked. She does that almost all the time.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± E said enthusiastically, and Liam just looked at her like she was going crazy. The fact that she was greeting him with that much enthusiasm was a little bit¡­. suspicious, and he had to ask her what was wrong.


    She didn¡¯t give a reasonable reply, she just said that she was so happy to see Liam. Liam knew that what she said was a lie, but he didn¡¯t even have the time to prove her wrong. So, he just went on with what she was saying.


    E was acting weird. Well, odder than she usually acts. He didn¡¯t want to go with her reason for acting unusual, at the same time, he would rather not ask her any more questions. So, he just decided to tell her why he called her immediately.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I asked Alyssa to be Timothy¡¯s personal maid.¡± Liam said and as he said that, he watched as her reaction went from normal to shocked, then it went to surprise and anger. It was a very funny five seconds moment, Liam couldn¡¯t even hold theughter in.


    He let it out and E watched him like he was a crazy man. Well, Liam wasn¡¯t sure if he was really going crazy, too.


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± E said, after seconds of showing odd reactions to what he said. He gave her a small nod, showing that he was earnest and almost immediately, E¡¯s hand flew to her mouth.


    It was almost as if he could hear what she was thinking about with the way her face was twisted in disgust. Liam knew that part of the reason why she wasn¡¯t supporting the n was because she had been telling Alyssa so many lies about their rtionship. Now that Alyssa was about to start staying with them, she just knew that that was going to destroy her n of showing her rtionship off to her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for your opinion or a suggestion. I was just telling you because when shees here to start working, I want you to start acting really mean and spiteful to her. I want you to do it the way you usually do, but this time, it should be more painful and annoying.¡± Liam said to her, and without waiting for a reply, he left her to her thoughts. He could have sworn that he heard her mumbling something about ¡®strangling her¡¯ under her breath, and Liam inwardly hoped she wouldn¡¯t do that.


    Alyssa, on the other hand, was thrilled. She was still pacing around her room, while jubting. The fact that she was going to see her son was so exciting for her. At the same time, it was a bit confusing. She didn¡¯t understand why he wanted her to start working as a maid for her son to see him. It was confusing, but Alyssa didn¡¯t want to overthink it, so she won¡¯t be suddenly sad about it.


    She got ready really fast, faster than she usually does, and she excitedly skipped out of her room. She started walking towards Liam¡¯s house and stopped when she was about to get to the door. Furthermore, she was getting a little emotional because she couldn¡¯t remember thest time that she actually did that. When she was about to enter, her mind casually wandered to the day her son came to see her. He had been acting really weird and distant, and Alyssa instantly made a mental note to ask him why he did that, since she would be spending most of her time with him anyway.


    When she got into the house, she saw that the house was empty, nobody was in the living room. When she was about to start going into the rooms one after the other, a guard stopped her in her tracks and told her that she needed to go to the field which was at the back of the house.


    He quickly added that Timothy was there, ying with E.


    Alyssa was a bit annoyed by the fact that her mean step-sister was ying with her son. She hoped she wouldn¡¯t influence him in some type of way or even turn the innocent boy against her.


    She reluctantly changed the directions of her legs and she started walking to the field. The field was a bit far from the house, but she could hear E¡¯s loud voice, screaming at Timothy to ¡®throw the ball¡¯.


    The walk took about three minutes and thereafter, Alyssa was already tired of her new job. Things seemed like they were really weird in the house, and she didn¡¯t know if she wanted to face that at all. Currently, she was still overwhelmed by everything that was happening with Liam and E and Timothy too, that she had no time for anything else, not something that would make her angry and sad at least.


    When she got to the field, she really saw Timothyughing and hugging E the way he usually does to her. Walking in on that, made her heart break a little bit and even though she was sure that E couldn¡¯t see it, she still went on to eye her.


    ¡°Timothy! Mama is here!¡± Alyssa said at the top of her voice. When Timothy saw his mother, he was delighted, and he was about to start running to her, when he remembered what Liam said to him hours ago. Hence, he ignored his mother¡¯s open arms and continued ying with E.


    Seeing that happen right in front of her eyes made her heart break into so many pieces. Her son, her only happiness, didn¡¯t want her any more. At first, it was Liam and now? It¡¯s her son? Wow.


    It felt like her legs were rooted to the ground because she couldn¡¯t leave the ce. She continued watching them with pain in her heart. When E smiled at Timothy and hugged him, the dream that she had some nights back shed before her eyes and she silently hoped that it wasn¡¯t her dream, no, nightmare, that wasing to reality right in front of her eyes.


    She tried calling Timothy again, but just like the first time, he ignored her. She spent the day watching her son being chummy with her step-sister who went to so many lengths to rub her gloating in her face.


    Hourster, E walked up to Alyssa and told her that she was going to marry Liam and be the official mother of Timothy. Alyssa couldn¡¯t stand being in the same space as her, so she ran back to her room, voluntarily locking herself, so she¡¯d be alone. She was unable to get the thought of how casually Tim looked and smiled at her, and it broke her heart.

 CHAPTER SIXTY NINE

    Alyssa rested her head against the door of her room and the tears that she had been holding back since morning, just started streaming down her face. She was used to hearing hatefulments from people, but thement that E made about taking over her position as Timothy¡¯s mother, made her so sad and the hole in her heart deepened.


    She can¡¯t just watch that happen, if it does actually happen, then she¡¯s going to run to her second n. When she thought of that n, she didn¡¯t know that she would actually want to use it, but with the way things were going, that seemed to be the only solution for her.


    Alyssa thought that the second n was going to hurt Liam and Timothy, but seeing the way the boy was acting towards her, just told her that they were going to be satisfied with killing herself. Yes, killing herself.


    She had thought of killing herself when Liam started acting really weird towards her, but she instantly thought against the n because of Timothy. She would rather not leave him without a mother and not just that, leave him with someone who doesn¡¯t even care so much about him.


    The fact that Timothy was acting that way towards her was a bit odd. Barely a week ago, Timothy couldn¡¯t even stand Liam at all, talk more of E, E that doesn¡¯t have any good intentions in her. It¡¯s really peculiar.


    She just hoped that they hadn¡¯t done anything to the poor boy to turn him against her because if it¡¯s that way, then Alyssa is going to make them pay for that. She kept on brooding over it, it was all confusing to her.


    Alyssa¡¯s mind started wandering around what E said about her getting married to Liam. When she said that, her heart clenched against her chest and she couldn¡¯t breathe for a second. She was unable to imagine anyone taking Liam away from her. She had thought that they were soulmates for life and nobody could separate them. If what E said was true, then things will be horrible.


    With the way she was feeling about the news, it seemed like she was still very much in love with Liam, even though she wanted to avoid epting it.


    She closed her eyes tightly against her skull, and she allowed the fresh set of tears to stream down her face. She would rather not be in love with Liam again because if she did, then she knew that she would be so vulnerable with him, and she didn¡¯t want that. Likewise, she wanted to be strong for herself¡­for Timothy and for her bond with Liam, but¡­she just couldn¡¯t.


    The pain was just too much for her to handle alone, especially when nobody in your life actually cares if you live or die.


    She opened her red, teary eyes and scanned the room before going to bed. She involuntarily fell on the bed, and she instantly closed her eyes, praying for them to be shut¡­forever.


    Liam got back from where he went to and when he got home, he saw both E and Timothy ying. Well, it was more like Timothy watching her trying to y with him. The little boy was tired of putting up with the act, and it was just the first day.


    He asked E to leave because he wanted to talk to Timothy alone, and she reluctantly stood up to leave. He made sure that she hadpletely left the room before he turned his attention back to the boy.


    The boy¡¯s face was gloomy and he looked deplorable. That was a concern to Liam because before he left in the morning, the boy was looking so happy and excited to start the day.


    ¡°Did you see your mother?¡± Liam asked him, and that made him turn his attention back from the floor to Liam. He scanned Liam¡¯s face before he nodded severally.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    That was when he knew where the problem was from. The boy had seen his mother, and pretending to dislike her was really hard for him. He genuinely understood.


    He turned his head to face him, and he drew him closer, enclosing him in a warm embrace.


    A few secondster, Liam broke the hug off, and he asked Timothy what he wanted. He wasn¡¯t surprised at all when the boy mentioned his mother.


    It felt like Alyssa¡¯s dream of sleeping and not waking up wasing to pass because she had been sleeping for several minutes without moving a muscle. It got to a pint that her father started bing worried because he thought she had died.


    While sleeping, Alyssa felt like someone was watching her. She wanted to stand up, but she just¡­couldn¡¯t. It felt like her whole body was glued together because she couldn¡¯t even move at all.


    A few secondster and it was bing more terrible. It was as if she were having sleep paralysis because she wanted to stand up, but she couldn¡¯t. It was as if someone were pinning her to the bed and trying to suffocate her. She wanted to scream and break free from that torture, but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t possible.


    It was getting worse.


    She was losing her breath.


    She¡­was.


    Alyssa started fighting for her life, but every action of hers, seemed to be going to waste.


    She was really trying to break free, but¡­but¡­


    She lost her breath. Forever?


    That was it ¨C her greatest wishing to pass.


    Closing her eyes and never opening then again.


    Her father saw that she was truly struggling in her sleep, her eyes were trying to open, and he could see that she was endeavouring to stand up, but¡­it wasn¡¯t working?


    Was she having sleep paralysis? He thought and he went over to her. He started shaking her, waiting for her to stand up, but, but¡­she didn¡¯t.


    Furthermore, he tried it again two more times, and she still didn¡¯t. Likewise, he moved his hand to her chest, and he saw that her heart was slowing down.


    There was only one solution to snap her out of it.


    He moved back and the next thing that he did shocked him too.


    He ced a very hot p on Alyssa¡¯s face, and she instantly jolted from the spot that she was lying on. She looked like she was trying to catch her breath.


    Her eyes started scanning the room and when her eyes were fixed on her dad, a frown appeared on her face. She wondered if she was dreaming, and she rubbed her eyes to confirm. She wasn¡¯t. He was really there.


    They exchanged pleasantries, and she was about to ask him how he entered her room. After a second of thinking about it, she thought that she wasn¡¯t interested in knowing, and she got off the bed.


    Her father started asking her about Tim, and she wanted to tell him everything, but they didn¡¯t. Subsequently, he made mention of the mission that she fled from, and they started arguing about that. Her father called her a coward and said that she was too weak anyway to take the mission on, and that really hurt her. He really didn¡¯t understand what she was going through.


    He started saying how E was better than her and even with that, she was still treating her in a bad way. Alyssa watched in awe as her father continued saying so many cruel things to her.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY

    Alyssa couldn¡¯t just take it any more and she begged her father to leave her alone because she was already passing through so much already.


    After she said that, he called her ungrateful, talking about how he literally just saved her life by pping her out of the sleep paralysis that she was having. She shook her head in shock, and she gave him a rushed and small thanks, telling him that he was a ¡®lifesaver¡¯ with sarcasm very evident in her voice.


    She was starting to feel very ufortable around her father and she just begged him to leave her alone because she wanted to be left alone with her thoughts. Likewise, she had so many things to think about and arguing about how E was better than her, is not something that she wanted to talk about, not then, not ever.


    The man reluctantly left her room, and she was pleased about that. Lately, so many weird things have been happening to her.


    At first, it was her very odd dream and thereafter, it was sleep paralysis? Something was definitely wrong somewhere.


    Or maybe everything was happening to her because of how much pain that she had been experiencing for many days. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like that was going to end anytime soon.


    She went to the window, and she looked outside it. It looked like everything was going on normally, but the opposite was happening to her. She wondered why she was that unlucky. She had even started doing things that she used to hate, like sleeping in the afternoon.


    For someone who was so active, she was really beingzy. If she hadn¡¯t slept earlier, then she was sure that she wouldn¡¯t have had sleep paralysis.


    She raised her head to look at the sky. The day was still pretty bright, but if she were to guess the time, she guessed that it was going to be around five or six in the evening. At the beginning of the day, she felt like it was going too slow, but when it was already evening, she suddenly started feeling like the day was going much too fast.


    Alyssa stopped brooding over unimportant things and decided to leave her room. She knew that Liam would have been back from where he went, and she just wanted to tell him her mind. She was tired of hiding her feelings about things that were going on in the house. Not only that, but she knew that it was time to let him know that he couldn¡¯t just take over her child like that and get away with it.


    And for E, she knew how to take care of ¡®wannabes¡¯ like her.


    When she got out of her room and started walking back to the house, she remembered how happy she was to go back into the house in the morning, and that made herugh out loud. She had thought that her going to the house was going to make Timothy happy and maybe, just potentially, make Liam fall in love with her again, but after seeing everything that happened in the morning, she already knew that it was impossible for any of them to happen again.


    She entered the living room and, just like what happened in the morning, she didn¡¯t see anyone there.


    Nobody in this house actually uses the living room. She thought inwardly and looked over to the guard that was just standing at the corner of the room. It seemed like he was the only one who lived in the living room so much, and that made Alyssaugh loudly.


    When the guard turned his head to look at her, she stoppedughing and looked as serious as she could. She looked away from the man who was looking at her like she was crazy, and she was about to start going to Liam¡¯s room, when she was stopped by E¡¯s loud and annoying voice.


    ¡°Where are you going to, miss?¡± She asked Alyssa, and Alyssa reluctantly turned around to face the witch that had her son in her hands.


    For a moment, Timothy and Alyssa exchanged looks, and she could see that the boy wasn¡¯t delighted as he tried acting like he was. His lips curved into a sorrowful smile and Alyssa was about to hug him when E stopped her.


    She eyed her suspiciously before she continued speaking. ¡°I asked a question.¡± She said and red at Alyssa.


    Alyssa didn¡¯t want to say anything to her, but she knew that if she didn¡¯t, then E would probably stop her from going to see Liam.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell you, but I will because you¡¯re so mean.¡± She started saying and she stopped. ¡°I¡¯m going to see Liam.¡± Shepleted, and E feigned a look of surprise before hissing at Alyssa.


    ¡°Oh, really? He isn¡¯t in at the moment. You should go back to your room and cry again, don¡¯t you think?¡± E said, and she gave her a mocking smile.


    God, Alyssa wanted to strangle her at the spot.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you whether he was around or not, I only told you that I was going to see him.¡± Alyssa said, and she started leaving again.


    ¡°You¡¯re Timothy¡¯s maid, right? You have some clothes of his to them, I¡¯m guessing you don¡¯t want to lose your job. You should get to that.¡± E screamed at Alyssa and left the living room. Without turning around, Alyssa left the living room and started walking towards Liam¡¯s room.


    When she got to the room, she didn¡¯t know if she were to knock or if she could just barge in like that. She settled for thetter.


    Liam watched with wide eyes as Alyssa barged into his room without even feeling apologetic about it.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Was the first question that Liam asked Alyssa when she was already in his room. Alyssa¡¯s eyes scanned Liam¡¯s body, and her gaze was finally fixed on his six packs.


    Seeing him shirtless like that, made her feel some type of way, and she could feel the heat. down there. She just wanted to touch him and rub her hands around his body.


    She also wanted to kiss it and¡­


    Alyssa noticed what she was doing, and she inwardly scolded herself for getting so carried away.


    Noticing her lingering stares, Liam put on a shirt and turned to her to ask her why she was in his room.


    She told him that she was there because of her son. That grabbed his attention and he sat down, waiting for her to continue speaking.


    Alyssa talked about how she didn¡¯t like being away from her son and how sick it made her feel. When Liam was about to speak and object to that, she stopped him and told him that she didn¡¯t want her right to her child to be given out to E. Liam was surprised to hear that and wondered why E had to go that far.


    Even with that, He didn¡¯t say anything to Alyssa, he just acted aloof and uncaring.


    Seeing him reacting to everything she said like that, Alyssa was sure that she had lost Liam.


    Liam rified it for her that he¡¯d never give up his son, as Tim was still his and the heir to Venice.


    She gave up trying to convince him any more and she left his room. When she was about to leave the living room, her eyes settled on the hemming that she had to do, and she spent the rest of the day doing just that.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY ONE

    Alyssa went to bed, thinking about what happened the whole day and, particrly, what E said about her getting married to Liam and taking over her child. She knew that she was brooding over the issue so much, but she couldn¡¯t just help it.


    She wanted to stop thinking about it, but she couldn¡¯t. Her heart was really stubborn.


    The second n, to kill herself if things don¡¯t work out, was finally dismissed. She decided to fight for what¡¯s hers and hers alone, without anyone taking that away from her. She was even ready to fight for her Liam, but she didn¡¯t know how she was going to do that, though.


    Before she closed her eyes to sleep¡­no, not to die¡­that night, she silently prayed for everything to work out in her favour.


    The next morning, she got up from bedter than she did the day before, but it was still early enough. She got everything ready and even though she wasn¡¯t happy with her job, she was feeling really positive about the day.


    It wasn¡¯t clear to her why she was feeling that way, but she just felt like the day was going to be different from the previous ones. That was a nice feeling because she hadn¡¯t felt that way in a long time or that positive.


    Even though Timothy was acting weird, she was still enthusiastic to see him because at that moment, he was the only one making her happy. She started walking to the house a minuteter, and she couldn¡¯t help but to notice that the day was really bright and pleasant.


    When the cold breeze brushed against her skin, she closed her eyes to enjoy it. Close to three weeks now, that was the most soothing moment that she had experienced in a long while, and she was happy about it.


    She opened her eyes and she went to the house. She was expecting to not see anyone but the guard that was always standing there, but she surprisingly saw someone in the living room, apart from the guard, of course.


    Timothy was sitting on the chair quietly and when he saw Alyssa walking through the door and walking towards him, he stood up instantly, and he went to hug her.


    That was when Alyssa finally knew why the day surprisingly seemed fantastic. Her son didn¡¯t hate her after all. She hugged him back and carried him to the chair. When they got to the chair, he hugged her again and she nted a small kiss on his forehead.


    ¡°Oh, my baby!¡± Alyssa cooed and kissed him again. She was thrilled to see him act the way he usually acts towards her, and it seemed like Timothy was also happy to be squeezed in between his mother¡¯s hands.


    When they broke off the hug, the boy suddenly started looking sad and worried. Alyssa noticed that she raised his head up for his eyes to meet hers.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alyssa asked him, the worry that she was suddenly feeling, could be clearly heard in her voice.


    She could see that the little boy was trying to tell her something, but she was not getting it. She knew that Timothy was a boy who never kept his honest words to himself, so for him to want to say something to her, that means it was significant.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Uncle¡­and aunty¡­¡± he started saying, and Alyssa just knew that he was trying to talk about E and Liam.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Continue, baby.¡± Alyssa urged him to continue, and he gave her a small nod.


    ¡°They asked me to do¡­¡± He stopped talking when he heard E¡¯s voice. It seemed like she was really close, and Timothy quickly moved away from her, with his eyes telling her sorry for doing that. She got the message, and she stood up from the chair too, not looking at Timothy.


    When E entered the living room, she stopped in her tracks and she looked at Alyssa, then her gaze instantly shifted to Timothy. She did that gesture again three more times and when she was finally sure that morning was happening behind her back, she told Timothy that it was time to eat.


    When E grabbed his hands to drag him to the dining table to feed him, Alyssa spoke up, interrupting what she was about to do.


    ¡°Do you mind if I feed him just this time?¡± Alyssa asked, and E instantly squinted her eyes at her. She was being really suspicious and feeling uneasy about it all.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± E said after watching her for a few seconds. She was about to take Timothy again when Alyssa stopped her again.


    ¡°I¡¯m his maid, don¡¯t you think I should be the one to feed him?¡± Alyssa asked again, silently praying that she agrees to it.


    E looked like she was pondering over it for a second, gauging her options, and Alyssa really hoped that she was going to say yes because she really wanted to continue speaking to Timothy. He had something essential to say to her.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll do it.¡± E finally replied and without waiting for a reply, she went away with Timothy getting dragged behind her. The boy continued looking at her until he could no longer see her.


    Alyssa was furious about that. She really wanted to talk to Timothy, and she didn¡¯t even know what she wanted to do to get him to talk to her again. She was happy about one thing though, the fact that her son didn¡¯t hate her at all.


    Furthermore, she thought that Timothy hated her so much, but after seeing how he hugged her tightly with so much passion, she was finally convinced that the boy still loved her so much.


    If the boy didn¡¯t hate her, then why was he acting so distant and weird towards her days ago? She thought. She knew that there was a story behind that, and she couldn¡¯t help but think that Timothy actually wanted to tell her that story.


    Alyssa continued sitting on the chair because she had nothing to do. She was hired as her son¡¯s maid, but they weren¡¯t giving her any jobs to do at all. A sigh escaped from her mouth and she rested her back on the chair. She was in deep thoughts about everything that was happening, when E walked into the living room with Timothy trailing behind her. She told Alyssa that she was going for a walk with him, and she asked her to clean up after them.


    Alyssa watched as she left the living room, and she sighed before she went on to clean where they had their breakfast. She was just cleaning up when she saw Liam strolling into the living room casually. She went to him and asked him if she could go to the garden. At first, he refused and after a lot of coaxing and back and forth with him, he finally agreed to her walking to the gardens, but he said that he was only going to allow it on one condition-if he apanied her himself as well.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO

    They started walking towards the garden, and Alyssa¡¯s heart was flipping in her chest. She couldn¡¯t believe that it was truly happening.


    At first, when he said that he had to apany her to the garden, she didn¡¯t know what to say to that, because for many days, they had been at each other¡¯s throats and now, they were having a walk together? It seemed unreal.


    She looked up at him to see if he had a scornful look on his face.


    He didn¡¯t.


    She started wondering what his n was and why he wanted to apany her. She started thinking about what to say to him and a few secondster, she knew what to say.


    ¡°Why?¡± Alyssa said, and she mentally pped herself. She had nned to ask him why he was following her to the garden, but she ended up embarrassing herself with her one word question.


    ¡°Hm?¡± He asked, and he stole a nce at her. He badly wanted to know what she was thinking about and why she wanted to even go to the garden, but he didn¡¯t know how to ask her that.


    Furthermore, he didn¡¯t even know how to start a conversation between the both of them. So, he was a bit happy when she spoke up first, even though it was just a word.


    ¡°Why¡­did you say that you wanted to follow me¡­to the garden?¡± She stuttered, and she was thankful when she finallypleted her sentence.


    ¡°Well, I was bored, and I decided to.¡± He simply answered, but they both knew that that wasn¡¯t true. Liam decided to follow her out because he knew that she had a motive with the way she was looking at E and Timothy when they left the room.


    He thought that she might want to kidnap her son and maybe do something to E. He wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± She asked, and she quickly added, ¡°how are you certain that I¡¯m interesting enough to change that?¡± She asked, and could feel a smileing on.


    Likewise, she loved the way she was feeling so far about the walk, and she hoped nothing would spoil that.


    Liam thought the same, too.


    He didn¡¯t think the walk was going to be that¡­peaceful, considering the way they had been with each other.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not hoping for too much. So, if you don¡¯t help with that, I won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Liam said, and he threw a small smile at Alyssa.


    Surprisingly, Alyssa smiled at him back, and it seemed like time stopped because the way their eyes were locked on to one another, it was overwhelming.


    ¡°Okay.¡± She said, while smiling, and Liam smiled back.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Liam replied and he looked away from her.


    Silence suddenly started reigning between them, but they were enjoying it. It was peaceful¡­nice and just¡­ amazing.


    They both needed it.


    They really did with the issues that they had been facingtely.


    ¡°How are you?¡± Alyssa suddenly stopped and faced him, and she crossed her hands against her chest. She was interested in speaking with him very well and if asking a very awkward question was the way to do that, she was ready to take it.


    ¡°Well, it depends. I¡¯m okay now because I¡¯m¡­here, but whenever I¡¯m not¡­here, I don¡¯t know.¡± Liam said, and it didn¡¯t make sense to him with the way he was stuttering.


    He wanted to tell her that he felt at peace now that he was with her, but he didn¡¯t know how to tell her, so she wouldn¡¯t get the wrong impression of that.


    ¡°I understand. I feel¡­the same way too.¡± Alyssa said, and she smiled at him.


    Their ¡®moment¡¯ was interrupted by E¡¯s screams, as both Liam and Alyssa turned their heads to face her.


    They saw that E was at the pond with Timothy, and Liam instantly looked at Alyssa.


    He saw that the smile was no longer on her face and she was looking a bit angry.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I came out. Ugh.¡± Alyssa mumbled under her breath, and she was surprised when Liam called her out on it.


    He knew that she wanted to go to the garden for a reason, but he didn¡¯t know that it was because he wanted to spy on E and Timothy.


    ¡°What?¡± Alyssa asked Liam when she saw that he was looking a bit angry.


    ¡°You didn¡¯te out because you wanted to enjoy the air? So, you came out to spy on E?¡± Liam asked, and his frown deepened. He couldn¡¯t believe that he was starting to feel good about her, and she did that.


    ¡°No, no!¡± Alyssa said, but Liam wasn¡¯t interested in listening to her any more. He walked away from her and went to touch a bunch of flowers that were growing against a wall. She didn¡¯t know what types of flowers they were, but they were gorgeous.


    She started trailing behind him, not knowing what to say again. Likewise, she was feeling bad about how angry he was at her, but she couldn¡¯t help it!


    The real truth was that she actually went out to see E and try to steal Timothy from her. She really wanted to hear what he was trying to say. She had a feeling it was about Liam and E, but she would rather not overthink it and find out that she was mistaken about itter.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She whispered behind him and when he didn¡¯t turn back, she ran to him, and she hugged him from behind.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± She said again, and Liam pushed her hands away from him. Alyssa went to stand in front of him, and she crossed her hands on her chest, just before she pouted like a big baby.


    Liam touched her shoulder, and he called her out in her deception. He started telling her how hurt he was about it, and Alyssa started thinking about it, wondering if it was more than what actually just happened.


    It seemed like he was overreacting, but she wasn¡¯t interested in calling him out on that.


    ¡°I really came out to enjoy the fresh air and to just¡­be okay.¡± She told him and blinked him, hoping he would believe her.


    She counteracts what he was saying and told him that she truly wanted to spend time outside to clear her head.


    Alyssa told him how she felt about how they were walking together and how it made her feel at peace.


    Liam rolled his eyes because it wasn¡¯t clear to him why he wasn¡¯t believing her.


    Ignoring the eye rolls, she mentioned to him that she was d about the way he decided to go on the walk with her, and she was about to hug him again when he stopped her.


    He squeezed his face at her because he knew that something was wrong. The nice time that she was using to speak to him was too good to be true, and Liam didn¡¯t want to believe it that easily.


    The mean words, insults, tears, and everything bad that he did to her, were on his mind and with all that, Alyssa was still talking to him that way? He would rather not ept that.


    He felt like she was up to something, but he couldn¡¯t just figure it out.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Alyssa suddenly started talking about how she still misses him and out of surprise, Liam asked her if she¡¯s still in love with him.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY THREE

    ¡°Do you still love me?¡± The words kept on ringing in Alyssa¡¯s head and the more she thought about it, the more she felt nervous.


    She knew what she wanted to say, but she wasn¡¯t sure if it was going to be what Liam really wanted to hear.


    Liam was looking at her straight in her eyes, while waiting for an answer. He had already seen the answer on her face, but he still wanted her to say it with her mouth. He could be wrong.


    He doesn¡¯t even know where the question came from, all he knows is that he¡¯s very interested in hearing her answer.


    Alyssa looked away from him and her gaze fell on E and Timothy. She wondered why E was trying so hard to make her jealous, when she obviously wasn¡¯t.


    Okay, maybe she was.


    Just a little.


    The fact that her son wasn¡¯t even with her, was enough to hurt her and make her so jealous.


    Liam snapped his hands in front of her, and she realized that she hadn¡¯t answered his question.


    ¡°Yes?¡± She asked with wide eyes, trying to act like she doesn¡¯t know what he is talking about.


    ¡°I asked a question.¡± Liam said, and he crossed his hands against his chest. He raised an eyebrow, and she tried looking away from him to avoid his question, but he was really persistent with it.


    Alyssa was stalling, because she felt like telling Liam that she actually loved him, might just change the way things were between them.


    The both of them were already getting along, and hating each other less. So, telling him might change that, and Alyssa didn¡¯t want that.


    She looked into his eyes, to try and read what he was thinking about. She kept on doing that, but it wasn¡¯t working, at least not for her.


    Liam was bing impatient. He frowned, and a loud hiss escaped his mouth. Alyssa knew that her silence was annoying him, but she just couldn¡¯t help it.


    Alyssa looked at him one more time, before she turned around, and ran away from him. The way his eyes were piercing her eyes, like they could see everything that she was thinking about, was a bit too overwhelming for her.


    She didn¡¯t know how to tell the man that she was madly in love with, that she still loved him like crazy even with the way he treated her.


    Saying that she¡¯s never fallen out of love for him, would just be too much for her, because she didn¡¯t even know if he felt the same way about her at all.


    Alyssa kept on walking really fast towards her room, and even though she could hear Liam¡¯s footsteps behind her, she still didn¡¯t want to stop.


    She believed that day wasn¡¯t the day for her to profess her love to him, at least not when she wasn¡¯t sure about the rtionship between them.


    Alyssa was about to get to her room, when she suddenly felt someone¡¯s strong hand on her shoulder.


    She didn¡¯t need a magician to know who the person was, she already knew that Liam was going to call her back.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Tell me now. Are. You. Still. In. Love. With. Me?¡± He said, while stressing each word, so it would sink into Alyssa¡¯s head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I already told you that.¡± Alyssa said, and she tried removing his hand from her arm, but it wasn¡¯t working.


    Liam red at her with so many emotions in his eyes. Alyssa could tell three of the emotions that she could see and feel in his eyes, but love wasn¡¯t part of the emotions.


    She was in love with him, but she feels like with the way things were between them, they would never end up together.


    ¡°You do know. Spill it.¡± Liam said, moving her closer to him. He looked into her eyes, and brushed away the strands of her that were sticking out.


    Anyone that saw them at that moment, would have thought that they were a couple in their honeymoon phase.


    ¡°I-¡± Alyssa started saying, but Liam ced his index fingers on her lips to stop her from saying any other thing.


    ¡°Please.¡± He pleaded, and he bent his head downwards, and Alyssa just felt like he was going to kiss her. So, she pushed herself from his embrace, and she stood at least two feet away from him.


    ¡°Okay, Liam.¡± She said, and wanted to gauge his reaction. For some weird reason, he actually looked anxious to hear her reply, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t just deny that that made her feel¡­ good and¡­ wanted?, she wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°I am still in love with you.¡± Alyssa said, and she looked away immediately. She wasn¡¯t seeing his face, but she could guess the look on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if we could¡­ get back together. I don¡¯t know.¡± She said, and she shrugged casually, knowing that he didn¡¯t care about that anyway.


    She didn¡¯t know if she should just leave immediately, or wait for him to send her in.


    After a few seconds of silence, she settled for the former, and turned around to go to her room.


    He didn¡¯t follow her.


    She couldn¡¯t deny that she actually wanted her to go after her, so they would spend more time together, but at the same time, she wasn¡¯t surprised that he didn¡¯t.


    Liam was a bit shocked that Alyssa still loved him even after¡­ everything. That¡¯s something that he wasn¡¯t expecting, he had expected her to say no, so he would get over it.


    Alyssa is still in love with me? Wow. He thought, and he scratched his head in frustration.


    Liam kept on pacing around, not knowing how to react to what she said.


    Hell, he didn¡¯t even know if he was in love with her either.


    Was he? He wasn¡¯t sure.


    Alyssa went back to her room, and the moment she closed the door behind her, she jumped on the bed, and buried her face into the pillows.


    She couldn¡¯t just believe that she finally said that to Liam, after thinking she wouldn¡¯t ever know that she was still in love with him.


    She was low-key happy about it though, because nature MIGHT just consider that, and being the both of them together again.


    It would be so nice for the both of us, and Timothy, to end up as a family. Oh God. Alyssa thought, and she started daydreaming about the three of them as a one, nice family.


    Alyssa¡¯s daydreaming was interrupted, when a guard told her that E needed her attention with Timothy. Since it was about her son, she hurried out of the room, and she went to the main pce.


    She was sent to watch E bathe Tim, and while E was doing that, Timothy kept on looking at her.


    Alyssa could see that the boy wanted to go to her, but that was impossible because of E.


    She felt hope that her son had notpletely left her, because of that, and she just wished that she could spend more time with the boy.


    E on noticing that, was angry and sent Alyssa away, because her n to make Alyssa miserable had backfired.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR

    E instantly took Timothy out of the bath, and she pushed him into the room, because she wasn¡¯t happy with what he did.


    She started feeling like Timothy was going to betray her, and Liam too.


    For that to happen, she just knew that the solution was to be really mean to the kid, until he hates his motherpletely.


    With everything that was going on, Liam was just concerned about what Alyssa told him about her still in love with him.


    He couldn¡¯t deny that he actually felt good about that, because he had a soft spot for her, but at the same time, he could just shrug the weird feeling that he was having about that, away.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    After several minutes of pacing around while thinking about what Alyssa said, Liam finally decided to go inside.


    When he got in, he saw E whispering some words to Timothy, but he didn¡¯t care about that. He had more important things to worry about, so he just walked past them without saying a word to them.


    He went straight to his room, to think about everything that Alyssa said.


    After pondering over it, he finally came to a conclusion in his head. He figured that Alyssa said that she was still in love with him, because she wanted to take Timothy from him without him realizing.


    He knew that she said everything, so she would get really close to him, and gain ess to Timothy without disturbance.


    Liam was really surprised, he wondered why he didn¡¯t realize that when she said it. He should¡¯ve known that that was her n. It had always been, he just didn¡¯t pay any attention to it.


    ¡°Hmm, so that¡¯s her n?¡± He murmured to himself, and stopped by the window to ponder over it.


    He just knew that Alyssa thought she was smart enough to deceive him, but he was so interested in bursting her bubble, and let her know that he¡¯s so much smarter than him.


    Since he wasn¡¯t ready to give up Timothy¡¯s custody, he was ready to do everything within his capacity to keep Timothy to himself.


    Liam left the window, and he went to sit on his bed.


    He needed a n, a good one to destroy Alyssa¡¯s n. He started thinking about what he could do, and when he couldn¡¯t think of any, he decided to go for a walk¡­ again.


    Liam went out of his room, and when he got to the living room, he saw that Timothy was already asleep.


    He didn¡¯t even ask E questions about how the boy slept that fast, he just walked past her, and started heading towards the garden.


    In the garden, he sat down in front of the long chair that was facing the flowers surrounding the house, and he started thinking.


    If only he could make a n that would make Alyssa feel jealous of something¡­ better.


    He kept on thinking, when he got tired of staying in the garden, he stood up and he started walking back to the house.


    Liam was walking when his feet brushed against some grass, he looked down and he hissed before he started walking again.


    He hadn¡¯t taken up to three steps, when the grass that he saw made me get an idea.


    The idea was going on a pic with Timothy, Alyssa and E.


    ¡°Yes!¡± He eximed to himself, because he knew that it was such a good n, and it would definitely make Alyssa feel really bad.


    Liam went back inside, and he was happy to see that E was still sitting in the living room.


    ¡°Start getting ready, we are going for a pic tomorrow.¡± He said, while walking past her. He said that without even waiting for a reply from her, but he counted the cheer he heard from her as a reply.


    Liam knew that the pic would definitely show her true colors, because he would know if she still loved him after him torturing her, or if she would make her true intentions known ¨C getting Timothy back.


    The next morning, E woke up really early because of how excited she was about the pic.


    On a normal day, she would have asked Alyssa to help her with getting Timothy ready for the day, but that day, she was interested in doing that herself because of how happy she was.


    She got the bags ready, Timothy was ready too, and she was also ready.


    She wanted to go and wake Liam up, to tell him that everything was ready, but she didn¡¯t want to annoy him at all.


    E decided to go and meet Alyssa instead, and show off to her, telling her that Liam wanted to go for the pic because he was in love with her.


    She left Timothy in the living room, and she ran to Alyssa¡¯s room.


    ¡°Wake up, loser!¡± She said in a really sweet voice, and waited for Alyssa to open the door.


    After knocking thrice, Alyssa finally decided to stop ignoring her and open the door.


    She reluctantly went to the door, and she opened the door to see E smiling at her like a weird fairy. Alyssa was worried.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Alyssa said sternly, and E jokingly pouted.


    Without Alyssa asking her to go in, she went inside the room, and sat on Alyssa¡¯s bed almost immediately.


    Alyssa locked the door, and she went over to E to drag her up.


    ¡°Ugh. Angry much?¡± She asked, and she rolled her eyes at Alyssa.


    ¡°Just tell me why you¡¯re here, and leave.¡± Alyssa said, and crossed her hands against her chest.


    E started telling her about the pic, and how Liam had nned it because he loved her so much.


    Alyssa couldn¡¯t believe her ears, because she didn¡¯t expect Liam to react that way, just hours after she told him that she was in love with him.


    She sighed, and told E to leave her room immediately. On seeing the way Alyssa acted, E mentally patted her back, and she left her room with a huge smile on her face.


    Alyssa was sad and angry that Liam could do that to her, so she just decided that she was going with them, whether Liam was cool with it or not.


    Liam got out of his room, and he went to the living room. He didn¡¯t see anyone but Timothy, who was silently ying with his toys.


    He was about to go out and call E, when he saw her walking in.


    ¡°Is everything ready?¡± He asked her, and she nodded enthusiastically.


    Liam gave her a quick nod, before walking out of the door.


    He was going to Alyssa¡¯s room, to tell her to get ready for the pic.


    Because of how angry Alyssa was, she forgot to lock the door and she just went to have her bath like that.


    Liam was a bit surprised when he saw that Alyssa¡¯s door was opened. She had never left it like that.


    When he entered, and he didn¡¯t see anyone, he decided to go outside.


    He was about to leave, when Alyssa was walking out of the bathroom with a towel wrapping her perfect, slender body.


    ¡°Um.¡± Alyssa said, when she saw Liam, and he turned immediately. When he turned, his eyes were instantly fixed on her, and they were lingering on the parts that were exposed, and the ones that weren¡¯t¡­


    Liam gulped down, not knowing what to do next.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll just leave.¡± Liam said, reluctantly averting his gaze from her face.


    Mali didn¡¯t know what to say to him, so she just nodded her head in agreement.


    Liam already walked out of the door, when he remembered why he went to see her in the first ce.


    He turned his back against her, and he told her that they were arranging a pic in the garden, and she was invited, but only as a maid.


    Immediately he said that, he left her to her thoughts¡­ her naked thoughts. Heughed at his silly joke in his head, and went to the house.


    When he got to the house, he saw that E was patiently waiting for him, and he told her not to wait, that she could start the preparation.


    E reluctantly agreed, and she went to the garden. She found a nice, and conducive ce for them. She ced two big nkets on the soft grass, and sheid out all the snacks and games on them.


    In five minutes, Alyssa was already ready and she went to the house, but she didn¡¯t see anyone there. So, she just assumed that they were already in the garden.


    ¡°Oh, Alyssa! You¡¯re here, you could sweep around. Thank you.¡± E said, with a fake smile.


    Alyssa didn¡¯t want to go against Liam¡¯s orders, since he already told her that she was staying with them as a maid. So, she started clearing the invisible dirt around the nkets.


    After that, Liam, E and Timothy all sat down to start eating the snacks and having talks, while Alyssa just stood there, watching them.


    Alyssa started wondering why they invited her to the pic, if they knew that they were going to have a ¡®cute¡¯ family time. She grimaced at E, who was trying to act like she was Liam¡¯s legal wife.


    She continued standing, until Timothy started pulling her legs downwards, telling her to sit with them.


    When Timothy said that, E almost pped him, asking him why he said that, but Liam stopped her and warned her to never try that again.


    ¡°Mummy¡­¡± Timothy started saying, and he patted the space before him.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Liam looked at her, waiting to see what she was going to do about that.


    He was a little bit shocked, when she went to sit on the other nket instead of sitting with them.


    The n of making her jealous had already kicked into action, but there was no sign of her being jealous at all.


    Seeing that, Liam just knew that he had to up his game n. So, he moved closer to E and he started whispering love words to her, which made Eugh out loud.


    Liam didn¡¯t say anything funny, E justughed that way because she wanted Alyssa to be jealous of her.


    Timothy tried reaching out to Alyssa, but his hand was pped away from her direction.


    E told the boy that he had nothing to do with his mom, and that was it.


    Timothy looked really sad, and even though all his good toys were right in front of him, his full attention was just on his mother.


    E said that she wanted to go back inside to get some snacks, and she asked Liam to follow her, since he was already being sweet to her.


    She didn¡¯t know that Liam was just using her to make Malo jealous, and it was nothing deeper than that.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay here, and wait for you, baby.¡± Liam said, and he winked at E. That made her smile, and she left to get more snacks.


    When she left, Liam instantly faced forward, and he started acting like Alyssa wasn¡¯t even there at all.


    Seeing that nobody was paying attention to him, and E wasn¡¯t even around to scold him, Timothy stood up from the nket, and he went to meet Alyssa.


    Alyssa smiled at him, and she bent down to hug him properly. When she bent down and hugged him, she suddenly felt him dragged away from her by someone. Liam.


    He gave her a really deadly re, and hemanded Timothy to go and meet his ¡®mom¡¯ inside the house.


    Alyssa waited for the boy to leave, before she stood straight.


    ¡°Tell me you didn¡¯t just tell my son to go and meet his ¡®mom¡¯ ¡± She said, and frowned at Liam. Him calling E Timothy¡¯s mum tingled something inside her, and she feared that it wasn¡¯t something good at all.


    ¡°I did. What are you going to do about it? It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a good mom anyway.¡± Liam said, and he started walking towards her.


    He continued walking until the distance between them waspletely closed. Any movement from the both of them, would definitely make their lips touch.


    ¡°What are you going to do about it, Alyssa?¡± Liam asked again, but this time, his voice had a flirtatious ir to it.


    Alyssa wanted to push him away from her, she really wanted to, but she just couldn¡¯t.


    When Liam ced his fingers under her jaw to raise her head to face him, she just couldn¡¯t take it.


    She stood on her toes, and she kissed him.


    Yes, Alyssa kissed Liam!


    She was expecting him to push her away, but he didn¡¯t. His hands rested against her waist, pushing her closer to him instead.


    Alyssa saw that as a sign that he wanted her too, and she cupped his face.


    The both of them continued kissing each other with so much hunger.


    Alyssa was about to tell him how much she missed him, when someone snapped his fingers in front of her. Liam.


    ¡°I asked a question.¡± He said, and Alyssa looked around in shock. She realized that she had been imagining the kiss with Liam, and he was still even frowning at her.


    She touched her lips, and she felt how dry they were. She was about to say something, when E walked back to them.


    Liam knew that Alyssa was angry at him, and he wanted to make her angrier. So, he called E to move closer to him, and he gave her a big hug.


    E was really happy about that, and she just decided to do what she¡¯s been dreaming of doing.


    Yes, she stood on her toes and kissed him.


    Alyssa watches on in shock at the scene before her. She had finally gotten confirmation that Liam truly didn¡¯t care about her anymore, and even though he¡¯d pulled away and given E an awkward look, she could see the joy written on his face.


    He truly was in love with E. She thought.


    Alyssa left the pic on time and went to her room, her heart truly broken.


    Timothy on the other hand,ined to Liam of being tired and cried that he wanted Alyssa as he¡¯s tired of the game. Liam tried to pacify him, but he¡¯s inconsble.


    Eventually, he fell asleep from fatigue and Liam carried him to his room, leaving E outside to head back alone.


    Even though the moment Alyssa went inside, Liam started acting really mean to her, E was still happy that she was able to kiss him.


    She just knew that Liam loved her, but he was just pretending to hate her because of Alyssa.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get my man back.¡± She said to herself, before she started packing the things back inside.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY SIX

    The next day, E woke up feeling really enthusiastic and happy about life. She was feeling really excited because of the moment that she shared with Liam.


    She didn¡¯t think that he was going to spend that much time with her, but he actually did. He really did.


    With a smile on her face, she stood up from the bed, and decided to prepare for the day ahead, including making Liam hers, and of course, making Alyssa jealous with her newly found bond with Liam.


    She went to the kitchen, and started preparing breakfast for everyone. She wanted to wake Timothy up, but she knew that he was still going to be asleep, so she just left him.


    An hourter, she was done with breakfast, and she was really happy about that. She hurriedly ced Liam¡¯s meal in a tray, and she walked out of the kitchen to give him.


    When she was about to get to his room, she drew the singlet that she was wearing down, so the curves of her boobs would be so visible.


    She ced a soft knock on the door, and waited for a reply.


    When she didn¡¯t receive an answer, she knocked again, and she still didn¡¯t get any answer.


    E was about to knock again for the third time, when she saw Liam standing right in front of her, with his body upying half of the door space.


    His morning face is so cute, oh God. E thought, and she grinned brightly at him, expecting him to return the gesture.


    He didn¡¯t.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± Liam asked, and he eyed E suspiciously when she bent her head to the side.


    She thought he was joking, not knowing that he was so serious, he¡¯s never been that serious in his life.


    ¡°What. Do. You. Want?¡± He asked again, but this time, he stressed every word properly, so it will sink into her head.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m here for you. You can eat before you EAT,¡± she started saying, while pushing her chest forward. She licked her lips, and pushed the tray towards him, with her exposed breasts upying most of the space on the tray.


    ¡°Or you can EAT before you eat.¡± She quickly added, before she ¡®mistakenly¡¯ fell on him with the tray in her hands.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing? You should think before you do things.¡± Liam ranted to her, and she just watched in awe. She shrugged off the fact that he just yelled at her, and she asked him if she could go inside the room, to help him with the tray.


    ¡°Make it fast.¡± He simply said, and he made a way for her to go inside the room.


    E gave him a very weird smile that¡¯s weirdly meant to be¡­ seductive? And she went inside the room, while catwalking.


    When she got inside, she slowly ced the tray on the small table beside his bed and she started unbuttoning her shorts, when Liam stopped her.


    ¡°If you want to do that, you should leave.¡± He said, and he pushed her towards the door. She tried dragging him towards her, and he pushed her even more.


    She looked really confused because she had thought that he actually wanted her, but she was seeing a different vibe, a different person now.


    ¡°I know you want me, I¡¯m all yours.¡± She said again, trying her luck, but Liam wasn¡¯t having it.


    ¡°Just leave. Now!¡± He opened the slightly closed door, and he pushed her out. She was about to object to that, when he mmed the door in her face.


    ¡°What?¡± She asked herself, and she looked at the door again in confusion before leaving.


    She stormed into her room, and she banged the door after her. She had thought that Liam wanted her, so what was that about?


    After thinking about it for a few seconds, she finally realized that he did everything to just make Alyssa jealous, and it was nothing more than that.


    She was really furious with herself for falling for that, and allowing Liam to only use her to make Alyssa jealous. She was also furious with Alyssa, and she promised herself to make her pay for hurting her so much.


    Liam was still pretty angry with what E did minutes ago, but he wasn¡¯t interested in staying on that for a long time.


    He got ready, and he walked out of his room to meet Alyssa, leaving the already-cold breakfast on the small table.


    When he got to Alyssa¡¯s room, he took a deep breath before knocking the door.


    Alyssa opened the door really fast like she¡¯s been waiting for him toe to her.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Before saying a word to her, he scanned her face for a while.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Alyssa said, snapping him out of his little thoughts.


    Liam quietly walked inside, and he started checking the room out, like he hadn¡¯t been there for numerous times.


    ¡°I came to-¡± Liam started saying, but he stopped when Alyssa suddenly hugged him.


    He was really surprised, but his surprise was short-lived, as he started pushing her away.


    After a few failed attempts to push her body away from his, he finally left her because he knew that she was going to pull out when she was done.


    ¡°That felt right.¡± She said, and stared into his eyes for a reply.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t.¡± Liam simply said, and Alyssa just continued staring at him.


    She started telling him how invested she was because of the way he moved on quickly without even thinking about her, and how she would feel about that.


    Alyssa tried telling him about how evil E actually is, but Liam put on a show again, and he started saying how good she actually is. He stopped her from saying mean words about E, and Alyssa was surprised about that.


    She stared at him for a while, not knowing what to say or even do.


    After a few seconds of thinking, she finally knew what to do.


    She was nning on seducing him because she was sure that he wouldn¡¯t even think of rejecting her.


    ¡°I love you.¡± Alyssa said, and she turned Liam around. She forcefully pushed him to the bed, and she was about to climb on him, when he stopped her from doing that.


    ¡°I know that you want me, no need to pretend, baby. I know.¡± She whispered to him, and Liam tightened his grip on her waist to move her away from him.


    Alyssa misread that, and she pushed his hands downwards, making him grab her butt.


    For a moment, Liam couldn¡¯t move, but when he realized what he was doing, he pushed her aside, and he straightened his shirt, while looking at her scornfully.


    When Liam was about to leave, she held his hand to stop him. ¡°I want you. Please. Don¡¯t get married to E, because I want you¡­ so much.¡± Alyssa said to him with the hopes of him listening to her.


    She didn¡¯t want him to get married to E because she wanted him to herself, but also because Tim would belong to E and she didn¡¯t trust E with her baby.


    On hearing this, Liam storms out of her room in rage after assuring her that he¡¯d get married to E, despite her shallow seduction.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY SEVEN

    Liam couldn¡¯t say that he meant everything that he said to Alyssa, but he was pretty angry about the fact that she thought that he actually wants to get married to E.


    He didn¡¯t mean the part that he said that he was going to marry E, and he silently hoped and prayed that that nightmare wouldn¡¯te to reality.


    When he got to the house, he saw E standing in the living room. She looked like she was waiting for him toe and see her.


    Unfortunately for her, Liam wasn¡¯t in a very good mood, so he just stormed past her, and went to his room.


    The way she felt under his touch kept on reying in his head, and he just wanted to relive that moment again. She felt so soft, silky and¡­ nice under his touch, and he just wanted to feel that again.


    He started regretting pushing her away from him. He did that, so she wouldn¡¯t get a wrong impression of everything.


    Being vulnerable around her, won¡¯t make things easier at all, at least not for him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to work ording to his n, and that¡¯d be so bad.


    He kept on turning around the bed, with a small smile ying on his lips. He knew that he was being really weak and.. stupid, but he couldn¡¯t just help it.


    He hadn¡¯t felt that way since the time they¡­


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Liam said, and he hit his left palm on his forehead, hoping that¡¯d clear the image of Alyssa that was ying in his head.


    He continued hitting his forehead until he was sure that he wasn¡¯t thinking about her anymore.


    She looked so good. He thought, and rubbed his forehead slowly.


    The only thing that calms his body is taking a hot shower, but how could he do that when he literally just had his bath a few minutes ago?


    After thinking about everything, he finally decided to go to bed when he just woke up 2 hours ago.


    What could he do? That¡¯s the only thing that seemed good enough to take his mind off Alyssa¡¯s soft, silky¡­ oh God, he was still thinking about it.


    Alyssa was feeling really good about what she did, even though she was sure that Liam was feeling the opposite. She didn¡¯t think that she could pull off seducing him just the way she did, she was really proud of herself.


    She fell on the bed, and tried sniffing Liam¡¯s scent. It wasn¡¯t as thick as it was, but it was still there. She could still smell his natural, nice scent, and she just wanted to rub that part of the sheet all over her body.


    After fantasizing about the both of them, and pushing aside the thoughts of him getting married to E, she went to bed with a small smile on her face, hoping for what the future holds for the both of them toe a little bit faster.


    The next day, Alyssa woke up really early because she was so anxious to see Liam. She opened the door, and when she was about to go out, she was stopped by a guard.


    She tried arguing with the guard, telling him that she wanted to see Liam, but the guard wasn¡¯t having it. He pushed her back to the house, and locked the house from the back.


    Alyssa was surprised, and she kept on hitting the door, while asking him why he did what he did. After a few minutes of shouting at the top of her lungs, a guard opened the door, and told her that she isn¡¯t allowed toe out of the house until further notice.


    She was confused, and she thought he was still joking until she spent the whole day in the room without going out, or even seeing Liam.


    At night, she was really sad about everything because she actually thought that Liam was going toe and see her at least, but he didn¡¯t, and she didn¡¯t even get to see Timothy either.


    She slept with a heavy heart, with a determination to see Liam and Timothy the next day.


    The next morning, she woke up to see her breakfast on the bed. She let out a loud hiss before running to the door to open it. It was locked.


    Out of anger, she threw the breakfast across the room, and she buried her face into her bed. She badly wanted to see Timothy and Liam, but she didn¡¯t think that that was going to be possible.


    She tried banging the door the way she did the previous day, but she was totally ignored.


    Alyssa was sick and tired of everything. She just wanted to leave the world for them ¨C Liam and his future bride, E.


    She had even been saying that for a while. She was tired of suffering, and she already knew that the only possible solution at that point was to just kill herself, and get it over with.


    Everywhere was so quiet and peaceful, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but to wonder if that¡¯s how everywhere would be peaceful, with no-one crying about her demise when she finally kills herself.


    She was really depressed, and she cried herself to sleep again, even when she just woke up. She had nothing to do, and nobody to even talk to.


    Timothy, that¡¯s meant to keep her happy at least, is being kept away from her, and now, it¡¯s just as if she has no one to talk to.


    Alyssa stopped overthinking, and she closed her eyes, hoping the pain would go away, and that won¡¯t be thest time she would close her eyes again.


    Liam, on the other hand, was having a very good time with Timothy. The boy had woken up, crying for his mother, and Liam just knew that there was only one solution to that.


    He brought out a bug toy that he found deep inside one of his bags. The boy was really happy, and just like Liam guessed, he instantly forgot about his mother.


    Liam¡¯s mind started wandering around, and it settled on Alyssa. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was doing the right thing by not going to see her, or not allowing her to go outside, but he knew that it was for the best.


    She was getting way toofortable for him, and he knew that keeping her kicked in for a few days would make her know her ce in his house¡­ and his life.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Alyssa slept for two hours, and she woke up with a splitting headache. She knew why she had the headache, but she didn¡¯t understand why it was hurting so bad.


    She started crying again, while holding her head. Her suicidal thoughts came back, and she started considering them so much. After all, The only person she¡¯d truly be leaving behind would be Tim, and she didn¡¯t believe that Liam wouldn¡¯t be a loving father.


    No matter how much he treated her with cruelty, she still believed that he was good at heart and knew that he would take care of their child. Mind made up and resigned, she decided to take her life. She tied her sash tightly around her neck and dropped down from her window.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY EIGHT

    Liam was deep in his emotions, and he couldn¡¯t just snap out of it, even though he really wanted to.


    His life wasn¡¯t interesting at that moment, and he just felt like it was going to just get worse from that. The first mistake he made was inviting E to help him out with Alyssa, because now he¡¯s more or less stuck with her, and there¡¯s nothing he can do about it.


    A huge sigh escaped from his mouth, and he stood up from his seat. He wanted to stay away from Timothy for now, so the boy wouldn¡¯t feel somehow around him.


    He needed something to clear his head because it felt like a whole war was happening in his head. So, he started walking towards the garden, so he would feel better.


    He hadn¡¯t taken up to three steps, when he saw E standing in the garden, with her eyes closed tightly against her head.


    On a normal day, he would have just turned back and gone back inside, but he wasn¡¯t even feeling normal at all, so he started walking towards her, with his fingers in his pockets.


    ¡°Oh my gosh, hey.¡± E said, enthusiastically, and Liam rolled his eyes. Her voice always annoys him.


    He backed away from her, and he turned around to leave. He had thoughting to the garden was going to help him, but apparently, it did not.


    ¡°Wait, wait.¡± She screamed after him, while trying to catch up with him.


    She kept on trying to talk to him, but he wasn¡¯t interested in whatever she had to say, so he just kept on ignoring her.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you.¡± E suddenly said, and she stood in front of him, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to walk away from her.


    ¡°I know, that¡¯s why I¡¯m walking away.¡± Liam said, and he pushed her aside. E staggered backwards, but she didn¡¯t fall down.


    She growled at him, and she went back to him, really determined to make life hard for him.


    ¡°If you¡¯re trying to make my life even worse, you¡¯re on point.¡± He said, and when he tried pushing her again, she held onto him.


    When he was finally ready to listen to her, she told him that she was disturbing him because she wanted to ask him when he¡¯s going to propose to her.


    That dumbment made Liamugh because he thought she was joking at first, but when he saw the serious look on her face, he knew that she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°E, you and I can never, and I mean, never be a couple. So, leave me alone.¡± Liam said, and he moved around her to pass.


    E watched him as he walked away from her, not even turning around once to look at her.


    She knew that Liam was refusing to marry her because of Alyssa, so she started making a n to make Alyssa¡¯s life a living hell, so she would willingly leave Liam for her.


    When Liam got to the house, he went straight to his room, and he sat down on his bed. He started thinking about Alyssa¡­. again.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if he still loved her, but the real question was if she still loved him.


    On one hand, he¡¯s convinced that Alyssa is just ying him the way she did years ago, and all she wanted was to hurt me and get away with it, and on the other, he can clearly see that she really loves him.


    She had begged him to not marry E because he was sure that she was hurt that he got over her so easily, but did he actually get over her?


    Liam didn¡¯t know what to do about the whole issue. He was really confused, and he just needed advice from someone that is really experienced with things like this.


    At the same time, he wasn¡¯t interested in telling anybody his issues, especially not one that has to do with the woman he¡¯s iming not to love.


    He sighed, and he decided to take a nap, since he had nothing to do, or even anything to think about but Alyssa.


    He slowly closed his eyes, and his longshes restedfortably on his face. He heaved a sigh of relief, and he prepared to go into a deep sleep.


    Unfortunately, the napsted for about two minutes, as Liam jolted from where he was lying down. He suddenly remembered something ¨C he hadn¡¯t gone to see Alyssa for two days now, and he just knew that she would be up to no good.


    Her staying alone will just make her think of more ns to hurt him more, and ns to take Timothy away from him.


    He wasn¡¯t interested in letting that happen, so he stood up from the bed, and he went out of his room to meet her.


    When he was about to leave the house, his mother called him from a distance, which made him stop in his tracks. He slowly turned around to find her staring at him.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± He asked, and the woman signaled for him to move closer. He scanned her face for a while before going to her.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    She didn¡¯t look like anything was wrong, so he couldn¡¯t help but to wonder why she needed his attention.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked when he got to her again, waiting for her to say something to him.


    ¡°Are YOU okay?¡± She asked him, while raising an eyebrow at him. He was confused because he didn¡¯t know where the sudden worry wasing from.


    ¡°Yes, I am. Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been looking extra stressedtely.¡± She said, and Liam looked away from her.


    She was right, he was really stressed, but he didn¡¯t want to tell her why, even though she already looked like she knew why.


    ¡°What about her?¡± His mother asked, and he just knew that she was talking about Alyssa. He couldn¡¯t provide an answer to that, and the woman just gave him a crooked smile and left.


    While Liam was going to Alyssa¡¯s room, he kept on pondering over what she said, and why she even said it.


    Was it a sign or something? He thought, and doubled his pace. When he got to her room, he saw that it was locked, and he dipped his hand into his pocket to have the extra key.


    He knew that she was going to be surprised to see him in her room, after storming out of it two days ago.


    Liam slowly opened the door, and he was about to start frowning at her, when he didn¡¯t even see anyone in the room. He was a little bit surprised , because the guards didn¡¯t tell him anything about taking her somewhere else.


    He called all the guards, and started asking them about where she was. They all denied opening the door for her, and Liam was even more confused.


    The guards started searching everywhere for her, trying to see where she was.


    Liam¡¯s eyes moved to the open window, and almost immediately, he started hearing choking soundsing from the window.


    He ran to it, and he¡¯s shocked by what he saw.


    Alyssa was dangling from a noose around her neck, her feet suspended in empty space.

 CHAPTER SEVENTY NINE

    Liam was shaken, and confused. He was running mad, and he feared for her life¡­ for their lives.


    He quickly ordered his men to pull her up, and help her to the bed.


    The guards hurriedly cut the cloth around her neck, and he watched in horror, as they lifted a barely breathing Alyssa into her room.


    He wasn¡¯t satisfied with what she said in her room, so he told them to take her to his room.


    Liam ran after the guards that were carrying Alyssa to the main house.


    When they got inside, he rushed after them to his room. His heart was beating fast, that he thought it was going toe out of his chest. He had never been that scared before.


    The thoughts of losing her just seemed¡­ a little bit too much for him. He knew that if she ever leaves him, he¡¯s definitely going to follow her, without even thinking about Timothy.


    Yes, he was ready to be that selfish for Alyssa.


    As Alyssa was dropped on the bed, then it finally hit him. He was the cause of her current situation. He really pushed her up to the point of her wanting to kill herself.


    He frustrated her, made life difficult for her, insulted her, and he did all sorts of bad things to her, and she just kept on taking everything in without saying anything.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Now, he was sure that she tried killing herself because she was tired of everything.


    He made her tired of everything.


    Liam hit his fist against the wall, and he rested his head on the wall. He tried holding the tears that were threatening to stream down his face, but it was really hard to do that.


    When he saw that he was about to cry, he sent the guards outside to call the doctor that¡¯d check her, and see if her situation isn¡¯t worse.


    He was alone with Alyssa, and he went to sit on the bed with her. He took her hands into his, and he started crying like a baby.


    Liam was feeling sad, guilty and conflicted that the girl he still loves, who was so against him killing himself back then, had been pushed by his hand to the point that her only solution was to end her life.


    God, he hated himself so much.


    He should have been the one, he really should.


    He moved closer to her, and he rested his head on her shoulder, praying for her toe around and insult him again.


    Liam badly wanted her to just say something, a word or anything. He just wanted to hear her voice, so he would be rest assured that his Alyssa was still with him..


    A few minutester, the guards arrived with the doctor.


    He felt relieved when he saw the doctor, and his grip on Alyssa¡¯s hand was tightened.


    The doctor moved closer to them, and he told Liam that he had to leave her hand alone, so he would be able to do his job properly.


    At first, he felt reluctant to do that, but when the doctor told him that if he didn¡¯t leave the spot, then he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything, he just knew that he had to obey the doctor.


    While the doctor was inspecting Alyssa¡¯s body, Liam kept on telling him not to touch her, that he was the only one that had the right to do that.


    The doctor threw a weird look at me, and Liam just knew that he made a mistake.


    He promised the doctor that he wasn¡¯t going to disturb him anymore, so he would be able to take care of Alyssa properly.


    Everything was going smoothly, but the doctor wasn¡¯t saying anything about Alyssa¡¯s health.


    Liam was feeling anxious by the minute, and the doctor not saying anything was just making it worse.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is she fine? What about her breathing?¡± Liam asked all at once, and the doctor shouted at him to just calm down.


    ¡°I understand you¡¯re feeling really frustrated, just calm down. I believe she¡¯ll be fine, you should believe that too.¡± The doctor said, and Liam gave a quick nod to that.


    The doctor is right, I should be calm. He thought, and took in a sharp breath. He released it a secondter.


    He felt a bit better after the doctor¡¯s reassurance, even though he was still anxious.


    A minute after the reassurance, Liam really wanted to interrupt what the doctor was doing, because he believed the doctor was wasting time.


    Alyssa hasn¡¯t even moved or stirred a little since she got to his room, and her breathing looked really shallow. He was starting to be really worried.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t breathing, is she?¡± He suddenly asked the doctor, but the doctor didn¡¯t reply.


    Liam didn¡¯t need the doctor¡¯s fake reassurance, he already knew the answer already.


    He silently walked out of the room, and he started walking outside, when someone¡¯s annoying voice stopped him.


    E¡¯s.


    Liam ignored her, and she continued calling after him.


    A few secondster, he felt her hand on his shoulder, and he suddenly turned around to shout at her.


    He gave her a really deadly re, and he pinned her to the nearest wall around him.


    ¡°What do you want? Tell me, what do you want?¡± Liam screamed at E, and she tightly shut her eyes because she was afraid that he was going to hit her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hit me, please.¡± She pleaded, and Liam subconsciously left her alone.


    Her action took him by surprise, she really took him to be a monster.


    Well, maybe she is right.


    He really is a monster. He hurt the only woman he was in love with.


    A monster is what he is, and misters don¡¯t deserve someone that¡¯s as innocent as Alyssa.


    If only he could just say sorry to her onest time¡­


    He wiped off the tears on his wet face, and he ran back to his room to meet Alyssa.


    When he got to the room, he started shaking the doctor to tell him if she was fine or not!


    ¡°I need to know now.¡± He said, and he dragged the doctor up to answer him.


    The doctor was shocked, and he didn¡¯t know what to say to Liam.


    Well, it was more like he didn¡¯t know how to tell him what he wanted to tell him.


    ¡°You have to calm down¡­ please.¡± The doctor said, and Liam left his cor.


    He was angry, but he realized that beating the doctor up wouldn¡¯t solve anything at all.


    When the doctor was about to speak, Timothy walked into the room when he heard themotion.


    Liam was shocked, and he just knew that the boy didn¡¯t deserve to see his mother in that state, it¡¯s way too traumatizing for a child.


    ¡°Come on.¡± Liam grabbed his hand, and he started leading him outside, but the boy didn¡¯t want to go.


    ¡°You need toe with me.¡± Liam said, and without saying anything else, the boy quietly went after him.


    When they got outside, he asked about his mother again, and Liam hugged him, promising that Alyssa would be alright.


    Even if he didn¡¯t believe it himself.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY

    Liam pulled out of the hug, and he saw that Timothy¡¯s eyes were a bit teary. He wiped his tears away, and assured him that his mother was really alright.


    After that heartfelt father-and-son moment, Liam told E to take Timothy inside the house, and he went back inside the room to meet the doctor.


    ¡°Doctor¡­¡± Liam started saying, but the doctor¡¯s sigh stopped him. The doctor turned around, and he adjusted his shirt before opening his mouth to speak.


    ¡°She is in aa right now.¡± The doctor said casually, and Liam watched the doctor with wide eyes.


    He couldn¡¯t believe his ears.


    Alyssa is in aa? He asked himself, and the look on the doctor¡¯s face just confirmed his question, his worst fear.


    That was the worst news that he had heard in a while, and he was afraid that he probably wasn¡¯t ready for it. He wasn¡¯t ready to lose Alyssa, and face the reality of killing her with his bad behavior.


    Liam knew that Alyssa being in aa was as good as her being dead, that¡¯s why he was worried, scared, and¡­ feeling really guilty.


    He was feeling really annoyed, irritated, disgusted and unhappy with himself.


    ¡°I caused that, I fucking did.¡± He screamed, when he was finally alone with his Alyssa. He moved to the wall behind his bed, and he hit his fist on it.


    He continued doing that, until his knuckles started bleeding. Even with that, he still wanted to continue.


    Liam hated himself at that moment, because he knew that Alyssa was in that state because of him, and his cruel words.


    Only if he had listened to her, then she wouldn¡¯t have been in that position.


    The situation is actually really ironic, because it¡¯s Alyssa that convinced him not tomit suicide, that actually made a huge attempt to do that.


    Before he left the room, he sat down on the bed with Alyssa, and he gave her a very light kiss, apologizing to her for everything that he did to her.


    He spent the rest of the day ignoring everyone, and walking around the house. He didn¡¯t even have a drop of water, talk more of having a morsel of meal.


    The thoughts of how to wake Alyssa, and bring her back to him flooded his mind, and even with that, he still didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Hourster, Liam was tired of walking around aimlessly without achieving anything. So, because of that, he decided that it was time to resign to bed, even though he was sure that his eyes wouldn¡¯t even blink at all.


    He went back to the house, and he went straight to his room, without saying a word to anyone.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Alyssa was still on the bed, with her eyes tightly shut against her skull. It had been only a day, and she already looked pale¡­ and not alive.


    Liam sat on the bed, and he took her hands into his and kissed the fingers one after the other.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alyssa. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Liam whispered to her, and he gave her a tender kiss on her dry forehead.


    After that little moment with Alyssa, he got out of the room, and he went to his study to pass the night, since Alyssa was in his room, and he didn¡¯t want to inconvenience her by staying there too.


    He went to the sturdy, and he passed the night there. The next morning, he ignored all E¡¯s knocks because he nned to stay in his study until whenever he was ready to talk to anyone.


    When he saw that the things that he needed to clean up, and get ready for the day were not in the study, and couldn¡¯t even be done there, he moved to another room that was meant for the guests.


    He didn¡¯t do anything in the room, except over thinking everything. The things in his head were too much to just keep in, so he was about to go crazy.


    His mouth didn¡¯t touch any food for several hours, and even that day, he wasn¡¯t interested in eating anything.


    The rest of his day went by really fast, and before he knew it, he was going to bed on an empty stomach again.


    He repeated that same routine for the next five days, and on the sixth day, he was already tired of staying away from the world, but at the same time, he had no interest in going out.


    In the one week that he isted himself from everyone, he didn¡¯t take up to seven meals, and even with that, he wasn¡¯t hungry.


    When he was sure that nobody was around the room that he was in, he got out of it, and he started walking to his room, to see Alyssa.


    He silently opened the door, and he wasn¡¯t surprised to see her in the same position that he had left her thest time he saw her.


    Liam was relieved to see that the workers had been helping her to change, and clean up, just like he ordered them to.


    He spoke to her for a while before he went back to his new room, to continue isting himself from everyone.


    A dayter, Liam woke up to some knocks on his door. He wondered who the person could be, and just like he predicted, it was E.


    She told him that she just wanted to tell him that Ryan and Tiffany were back from their honeymoon, and they wanted to see him immediately.


    On hearing that, A loud hiss escaped from his mouth, and he settled his back on the pillow to think about his life.


    Hourster, Ryan went to Liam¡¯s new room, and he also knocked on the door, thinking that Liam was going to listen to him.


    He didn¡¯t.


    Ryan and Tiffany decided to wait till dinner time because they were sure that by that time, he might just have their time.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you feel like something is wrong?¡± Tiffany suddenly asked Ryan, when they were unpacking their luggage.


    Ryan stopped what he was doing, and a huge sigh escaped his mouth. He told Tiffany that he had been noticing too, but he just decided to keep it to himself.


    He was even thinking about why Liam was in another room, but nobody told him why.


    Together, they made the decision to ask Liam during dinner, because they were so worried about everything.


    When it was time for dinner, Liam finally decided to go outside his room, after isting himself from everyone for a week. He went to see Alyssa first, before he started going downstairs.


    He went down and Ryan was really happy to see that he really came to meet them. They sat down at the table, and Ryan and Tiffany asked for what¡¯s troubling him, and what exactly is wrong in the pce.


    Liam sighed, and he continued staring at them without saying anything.


    Just when he was about to answer, E brought Timothy in for dinner.


    Ryan and Tiffany were so shocked to see Timothy, and when they noticed that he wasn¡¯t with Alyssa, his mother, they immediately asked Liam where Alyssa was.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY ONE

    ¡°Where is Alyssa?¡± Tiffany asked Liam for the second time, and he didn¡¯t give any answer. He kept on staring at the flower that was awkwardly positioned at the center of the table.


    It wasn¡¯t like Liam didn¡¯t know what to do, it was more like he didn¡¯t want to tell Tiffany the real truth, because he already knew what her verdict was going to be.


    ¡°I¡¯m not speaking to the table, Liam.¡± Tiffany said to Liam again, and he raised his head to look at her.


    She looked really angry, but Liam couldn¡¯t even me her. She¡¯s Alyssa¡¯s best friend, so her acting out that way was really understandable for Liam.


    Liam was surprisingly scared to look at her, because he knew that if he tells her the person that put her in that state, then she¡¯ll surely skin him alive.


    He kept on trying to move her attention from Alyssa, but it didn¡¯t work at all. Tiffany was insisting on seeing her best friend before she actually allowed him to be at peace.


    When he couldn¡¯t take it, he stood up from the table, and he started walking towards the garden.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised when he heard Tiffany¡¯s voice trailing behind him. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t give up easily, but he wasn¡¯t ready to keep up with her problems.


    Liam kept on walking, until he reached a dead end, and by dead end, it wasn¡¯t that he got to the end of the garden, it was that Tiffany caught up with him, and she dragged him back.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? Are you trying to y with me? I asked you a question, and you just walked out like that. Who does that?¡± Tiffany asked all at once, while ring at LiamOwned by N?velDrama.Org.


    She was so angry, and Liam¡¯s actions were just asking things worse.


    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re trying to say. I¡¯m just telling you that I have no answer to all your questions.¡± Liam said, and he shrugged. He was tired of going back and forth with her, and he just wanted to be alone.


    Ryan didn¡¯t say anything to Tiffany, he just patiently allowed her to vent out all her anger, because in that case, they were justified.


    ¡°Where is my best friend?! Where is Alyssa?¡± She asked, and she moved closer to Liam like she was ready to attack him.


    Liam red back at her, and Tiffany was forced to back away from him.


    Tears were already welling up in her eyes, and she didn¡¯t look like she was interested in wiping them off if they ever streamed down her face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Tiff.¡± Liam whispered, and he stole a nce at Ryan, who was watching the both of them Intently.


    ¡°You could find out for yourself.¡± Liam quickly added, and he started walking back to the house.


    Without thinking, Tiffany went against what she nned to do, and she wiped her tears off her face. She started walking towards the house with Liam in front of her, and Ryan silently trailing behind her.


    Liam went back to the dining room, and he sat down at his normal spot.


    Tiffany exchanged weird looks with Ryan, because they were both confused.


    They had thought that he was taking them to Alyssa, but instead, he led them back to the house to finish up his dinner? Wow.


    Tiffany was about to let him know her mind, when she turned her head, and saw E walking in with Timothy on her left hand.


    Timothy looked¡­. different, like he wasn¡¯t happy. Tiffany noticed, and she looked over at Ryan to see if he also agreed to that. Yes, Ryan agreed.


    She waited for E to get to them, and when they did, E didn¡¯t say anything to her. She wasn¡¯t expecting her to, she just wanted to know where Alyssa was.


    Tiffany suddenly realized that if Timothy was with Liam, that meant that Alyssa was somewhere around, in fact she was sure that she was in the same house they were also in.


    ¡°Timothy¡­¡± Tiffany called out to him, and the small boy turned his attention to her.


    When Tiffany saw that she had the boy¡¯s full attention, she moved closer to him and sat down opposite him.


    ¡°Where is your mother?¡± Tiffany asked Timothy, and when he was about to answer, E covered his mouth, and she told him not to say anything.


    Tiffany gave E a deadly re before asking the boy again.


    Again, Timothy wanted to answer, but a deadly re from E was enough to shut him up.


    Tiffany suddenly stood up from her seat, and she faced Liam.


    ¡°Oh, wow. I already understand everything, Liam. You left Alyssa in Alexandria, and you stole Liam from her. Isn¡¯t that it?¡± She asked, but Liam didn¡¯t say anything.


    Liam¡¯s silence was pissing her off, and she just feared that she would do something that she really doesn¡¯t like. Liam¡¯s silence was the most annoying thing that she was witnessing.


    She just knew that for him not to answer her, that meant that something was wrong, something big.


    ¡°Okay, since I¡¯m the crazy one here, let me be fully crazy. I want to see Timothy¡¯s mother, my friend, right now!¡± Tiffanymanded, and for the first three seconds after that, there was silence, but it was broken by Timothy.


    ¡°I.. I know. My mum is¡­ is.. sleeping there.¡± The boy said, and pointed towards the staircase.


    Sleeping? Tiffany thought she heard him wrong, but the way he was still pointing towards the staircase, made her know that she heard him right.


    She looked at Liam again, before she grabbed the boy¡¯s hand, and started running up the staircase.


    Liam heaved a huge sigh, and he rested his head on his palm. He honestly didn¡¯t know what to do, he was sad, angry, frustrated and confused.


    He wondered why everything was happening to him at the same time. He just couldn¡¯t take it, and Tiffany finding out about Alyssa¡¯s condition would only make things worse. He was so sure of that.


    When Tiffany got to the hallway, she looked over at the boy, and he pointed towards Liam¡¯s room.


    Tiffany frowned, thinking about why Alyssa could be sleeping for that long in Liam¡¯s room.


    She started walking slowly towards the door, and when she got to the door, she ced her hand on the door knob and she was about to turn it.


    She had started turning it, and when she got to thest turn, someone¡¯s handnded on hers, and she looked up to see who it was.


    It was Liam.


    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t want to see her right now.¡± Liam said, and blinked at her.


    Tiffany looked away from him, and she moved her hand from his. He was still annoying her, and she had no time for that.


    She opened the door, and when she saw Alyssa on the bed, with an oxygen mask on her face, she broke down.


    Seeing her best friend in that position was not something she expected, and it shook her to her bones.


    With tears in her eyes, she looked at Liam and asked him what happened to her.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY TWO

    Liam couldn¡¯t provide her with any answer, he just kept on staring at her like she wasn¡¯t talking to him.


    After waiting for a response for a few seconds, Tiffany left him alone, and she sat on the bed with Alyssa.


    Tiffany moved closer to Alyssa, and she took her slim and frail looking hand into her¡¯s.


    Alyssa looked ten years older than her age. Tiffany noticed, and she sniffed. She really hated watching her loved ones in pain.


    She looked around, and saw that Timothy was the only one that would provide her with the answers that she needed, so she called him to move closer to her.


    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s wrong with mummy?¡± She said in a babyish voice, and Timothy looked at his mother before shaking his head.


    The boy didn¡¯t think anything was wrong with his mother, because Liam had told him that the mother was sleeping.


    ¡°She has been sleeping since¡­ since.¡± Timothy managed to say, and Tiffany stared at him with wide eyes. She couldn¡¯t believe that Alyssa had been in that position for a while, and she didn¡¯t know about it.


    She started feeling really guilty, because she felt like she should have been there for her best friend.


    ¡°When did she go into aa?¡± She asked, and without directing the question to anyone, even though Liam knew that Tiffany wanted him to reply.


    Liam released his hands from his chest, and he cleared his throat before speaking.


    ¡°Last week. She went into aast week.¡± Liam quietly said, and Tiffany swallowed.


    Alyssa had been in aa for a week already? Wow. She thought, and sighed loudly.


    When she wasing back from her honeymoon, she felt really anxious to get home and see her best friend. She didn¡¯t know that so many things were already happening at home.


    ¡°Oh God.¡± Tiffany whispered to herself, and she started blinking really fast, so the tears that were threatening to stream down her face, would go back. She really didn¡¯t like crying in front of anyone that wasn¡¯t Alyssa¡­ or Ryan.


    Tiffany continued holding on to Alyssa¡¯s hand, it got to a point, and she raised Alyssa¡¯s hand to her lips. She nted a soft kiss on it, and closed her eyes.


    She was in pain. God, she really was. She also knew that Alyssa was also in pain, that even made her feel more pain.


    She really hated watching her best friend lying in bed without disturbing her ears with unnecessary gossip.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    At that moment, she would do anything to hear Alyssa speak to her again. She would kill to hear herugh again.


    God, she wouldy her life for her if she could. That was how much Tiffany loved Alyssa, it really was.


    Tiffany left Alyssa¡¯s hand, and she held onto her chest. The way her heart was clenching against her chest, was making breathing hard for her, and she feared that she wouldn¡¯t be in the same position as Alyssa.


    ¡°No, no. No!¡± Tiffany started saying, while shaking her head repeatedly. The tears that were welling up in her eyes won, and they started streaming down her face without control.


    Tiffany didn¡¯t make an effort to wipe them off again, she was tired of holding them in. Alyssa needed to know how much pain seeing her in that position caused her.


    Ryan wanted to go to her andfort her, to tell her that Alyssa was going to be fine, but he didn¡¯t even believe his own words.


    He didn¡¯t know if¡­ if Alyssa was ever going to be okay, if she was ever going to be the same Alyssa ¨C the one everyone loved, except the person she loved the most in the world of course, Liam.


    He looked away from Tiffany, and his gaze fell on Timothy. His eyes were void of emotions, but Ryan knew that the boy was dying inside.


    At that age, seeing his mother in that state, would do so much damage to him, damage that only one¡¯s mother could solve.


    ¡°Come.¡± Ryan said to Timothy, and the boy slowly walked to him. Immediately he got to Ryan, he carried him, and the boy buried his face into Ryan¡¯s back.


    Ryan didn¡¯t know if the wetness that he was feeling at the back of his shirt was from his sweat¡­ or from the boy¡¯s silent tears.


    Tiffany continued crying silently, and she suddenly stood up from the bed. She just couldn¡¯t take it any longer.


    If she had stayed with Alyssa for a few more seconds, she would have passed out on the spot.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed.¡± Tiffany said to no one in particr, and she instantly left the room after that.


    Liam watched her as she left the room in sadness and¡­ anger? He wasn¡¯t sure at all.


    A minuteter, Ryan also left without saying anything to Liam. He also left with Timothy, leaving him to his thoughts, and Alyssa.


    He sighed, and he walked over to the bed.


    When he got to the bed, he didn¡¯t know if he wanted to sit and tell her how much pain he was in, or if he just wanted to stare at her innocent face until it was morning.


    Liam settled for the one that would make him sleep properly, and he sat on the bed.


    He took her hand into his, and he had a sad smile on his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like the way people are now treating you like you¡¯re dead, because¡­ I¡­ I know you¡¯re not. My Alyssa isn¡¯t dead, no.¡± Liam said, and when his voice was breaking, he stopped talking and he started staring out the window.


    ¡°You can¡¯t die, you¡¯re still here.¡± He whispered subconsciously, and he looked back at Alyssa.


    For the first time in a very long time, he badly wanted to hear her cocky replies, and awkward smiles. He wanted to hear her shout at him again, and call him a loser.


    Hell, he wanted her. HER!


    ¡°I am such a monster, am I not?¡± He started saying, but he stopped to let out a sarcasticughter to mock himself even more.


    ¡°I am. I killed you way before now, I killed you with my words, my actions and¡­ everything. I should¡¯ve known that I was in love with you, and you were in love with me too.¡± He said, and he looked at her face.


    ¡°You know what, now that I think about it, I think I actually knew that we were in love with each other, I just didn¡¯t want to ept it, because¡­ do you know why?¡± He asked, and took a pause.


    ¡°Yes, because I¡¯m a monster. You¡¯re right.¡± He answered his own question.


    Venting out to Alyssa, was the only way he knew that would prevent him from doing something that he had wanted to do for a long time ¨C take his own life.


    ¡°Oh, Alyssa. I¡¯m so sorry, my love. I really am.¡± He said, and he allowed the tears to flow freely down his face.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that he was crying at all, he was just happy that nobody was around to see that.


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± He started saying, but he stopped to wipe his tears.


    ¡°Let me make a promise to you now. If you die, I will kill myself and go with you the next minute.¡± He said, and he smiled at her.


    ¡°Do you know why? Because you¡¯re my forever.¡±


    His forever.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY THREE

    Tiffany told everyone that she was going to sleep, and five hourster, she was still on her bed, thinking about her best friend.


    She just couldn¡¯t sleep, knowing that her best friend was in pain.


    After staying awake, and turning around the bed, she finally decided that she just couldn¡¯t sleep without checking Alyssa again.


    Tiffany quietly got up from her bed, and she went outside her room. The whole house was really quiet, like nobody was around.


    She was about toin about the house being too silent, when she remembered that it was three in the morning and nobody was expected to still be awake.


    When she was about to get to Liam¡¯s room, she decided to listen to her inner voice and just steal a nce at the study.


    She went to the study, and she wasn¡¯t surprised to see Liam staring out the window.


    She wanted to ask him what he was doing at three in the morning, when she remembered that she was also doing almost the same thing.


    Tiffany silently backed away from the study, and she went to Liam¡¯s room.


    Alyssa was still in the same position that she left her many hours ago. Tiffany hurried to her, and she hugged her the moment she got to her.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± She whispered, and she backed away to see her face properly.


    The moonlight shone on her face, and Tiffany could see her face very well.


    ¡°I miss you, Alyssa. I miss us.¡± Tiffany said, even though she just arrived a day ago. She really missed her best friend so much.


    She grabbed her hand again, but this time not to cry, but to try and connect with her in order tomunicate.


    She tried it, but it didn¡¯t work.


    Tiffany was a little bit disappointed, but she assured herself that she was going to do it when the day was bright enough.


    ¡°I have to leave now. Good morning, I love you.¡± Tiffany said, and she smiled at her.


    Before she stood up from the bed, she could have sworn that she saw Alyssa return the smile.


    She was still smiling when she went to bed, and slept peacefully for the next three hours.


    Five hourster, the house was no longer quiet, as everyone in the house was already awake.


    Liam called the nurse toe over and check Alyssa, to see if she¡¯s okay.


    While the nurse was checking Alyssa, Tiffany was sitting on the bed with Alyssa, while holding her hands too.


    Tiffany still continued sitting with Alyssa for a while after speaking with the stay-in nurse who had updated her on Alyssa¡¯s case. The nurse had said that she was okay, even though her case was still at the critical stage.


    The moment the words left the nurse¡¯s mouth, Tiffany¡¯s heart started hurting¡­ again.


    She started praying for her best friend to be okay again in her heart, and she was so sure that her prayers were going to be answered.


    Tiffany kept on staying with Alyssa, alongside Liam, Ryan and Timothy.


    While she was sitting, her mind suddenly drifted to the question that she asked Liam the day before, which was how Alyssa went into aa.


    Immediately she remembered that, she turned towards Liam and she started frowning at him.


    ¡°I asked you a question yesterday, and I¡¯m yet to receive a reply.¡± She said, and Liam stared back at her with questions in his eyes.


    ¡°I asked you how this..¡± She pointed towards the oxygen mask and everything.


    ¡°¡­ happened to Alyssa.¡± She finished, and folded her hands on herp, while waiting for a reply.


    Liam averted his gaze from her, and he looked elsewhere.


    ¡°Yeah. Let us know, Liam.¡± Ryan added, and he also looked like he also needed an answer.


    Liam was about to leave the room, when Tiffany went to stand in front of him. She was tired of him Ignoring all her questions.


    ¡°I. Asked. A. Question.¡± She said, and folded her hands against her chest.


    He pondered over what she said for a while, before looking back at her. He decided to tell her that he was the cause of it all.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He said, and he went back to his spot.


    Liam started telling them how he didn¡¯t see her throughout that day, and he decided to look for her. He took a pause before telling them how he saw her trying to kill herself.


    ¡°What?¡± Tiffany said, after her right hand flew to her mouth in surprise.


    ¡°I found out that she tried to kill herself because of¡­ me. I¡¯ve been really mean to her.¡± He said, and not his lips because he knew that Tiff was going to be really angry with what he said.


    ¡°What?!¡± Tiffany said again, but this time, her voice was really stern.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the cause of her situation.¡± Liam rified, and he moved back.


    ¡°Are you fucking serious right now?¡± Tiffany screamed at Liam. She couldn¡¯t believe her ears at all.


    No wonder he had been ignoring me. She thought, and clenched her fist.


    When Ryan saw how angry Tiffany was, he took Timothy out of the room. The boy had seen enough already.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam really couldn¡¯t me Tiffany. He was responsible for everything and he was ready to take the me for it.


    He hated himself so much that he just wished he could disappear from the face of earth.


    He didn¡¯t even know how he kept on hitting her without realizing it.


    Alyssa should¡¯ve spoken up at least. He thought, and he hated the words and the money he thought about them.


    How could Alyssa speak up when he literally made life difficult for her?


    He hurt her so many times, thinking he was doing it for revenge, but he didn¡¯t even get any pleasure from it. All he got from hurting Alyssa was pain, nothing but pure pain.


    ¡°You¡¯re a monster. How could you do that to her? She¡¯s the mother of your child, you fucking bastard.¡± Tiffany screamed at him, and Ryan shivered in fear on Liam¡¯s behalf.


    ¡°I know that what I did was really wrong, I just wanted to take revenge on her.¡± Liam said, and he looked away from her.


    ¡°Revenge?!¡± Tiffany couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing. She scanned him for a while, to see if he was mentally okay.


    ¡°You are the devil , Liam! You really are.¡± Tiffany yelled, and she was about to charge towards him, when Ryan interfered.


    Ryan tried to hold her back, but she wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Let me go, Ryan.¡± Tiffany said, and Ryan instantly obeyed.


    Tiff knew that she had promised Alyssa not to say anything, but she couldn¡¯t keep it in now.


    The way Liam was making her really angry, just made her irritated, and she just knew that she had to tell him everything that he wasn¡¯t aware of.


    Tiffany took a deep breath in, and she started telling Liam and Ryan everything that had happened with Alyssa, and how she ended up in their kingdom.


    She was already calm, and she told them everything.


    Liam¡¯s eyes were so fixed on her, and he was just too stunned to speak.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY FOUR

    The moment the words left Tiffany¡¯s mouth, Liam¡¯s heart started hurting so much.


    He just couldn¡¯t believe his ears at all.


    Does that mean that..? Oh no! Liam¡¯s heart leaped at the thought of it.


    If what Tiffany was saying was true, then he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.


    ¡°That was why she did what she had to do.¡± Tiffany said, and she turned her head to look at Liam. Her eyes were fixed on him, and he could tell that she was insulting him in her mind.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t betray you, Liam. With what I¡¯ve seen so far since I arrived, it¡¯s the other way around.¡± Tiffany said, and she stopped looking at Liam.


    What Tiffany said, just raised the guilt level that he was feeling from ten to hundred.


    He scratched his head in frustration, and he looked at Ryan, who was standing at the far corner of the room. He looked as confused as Liam looked.


    With everything Tiffany said, that means that Alyssa isn¡¯t guilty of everything he used her of, she never was! Liam thought, and he left the room angrily.


    He couldn¡¯t just deal with himself at that moment.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    When Liam got outside the room, he started looking around in frustration. He really needed to vent out his anger in something, but he just didn¡¯t know what to use ¨C or who.


    He started pacing around the hallway in anger, and when he was about to go out, he caught a glimpse of E, walking around like she was the queen of the pce.


    When he was looking at her, a thought ran through his head, but he decided to let go of the thought the moment he thought about it.


    He stopped looking at her, and he turned around to go back to his new room. He hadn¡¯t even taken up to two steps, when he turned back to look at her again.


    The fact that she was evenughing was making him angry, and he muttered a ¡°oh, fuck it,¡± under his breath, before he started walking towards her.


    When E saw him walking towards her, she started smiling at him, because she thought he had been looking for her everywhere.


    With everything that was going on in the house, Liam hadn¡¯t even looked at her once, and she had tried to forget about it, but she just couldn¡¯t. That was how much she actually wanted him.


    She quickly nced at what she was wearing, to see if she looked good for him at least.


    She started thinking of ways to seduce him, and ¡®ease him of his stress¡¯.


    A few secondster, he finally got to her, and E ced her right hand on his chest.


    ¡°Hmm, I see you¡¯re ba-¡± she started saying, but Liam removed her hand from his chest, and he started dragging her with the same hand down the hallway.


    E was really confused, and she started wondering what he was trying to do.


    When he started grunting, she finally understood what he wanted to do with her, and she started smiling to herself.


    She had seen that Liam was stressed, and ording to her lucky guess, he was dragging her away to use her to ease his stress off his body.


    Even though it felt like she was being used, she still loved it, so far it meant spending time with him.


    ¡°Oh my, I finally understand.¡± E squealed, when Liam pushed her into one of the empty rooms that no one uses in the house.


    E quickly removed her heels, so Liam wouldn¡¯t stress himself to do that.


    She wanted to start removing what she was wearing to make things easier, but she thought about it and she didn¡¯t do it, because she felt Liam removing them himself would be¡­ sexier.


    ¡°I¡¯m really happy, and I¡¯m ready for you.¡± E said, and she blew a kiss to him. Liam grimaced at that, and he stood over her, while removing his belt from his trousers.


    Oh my God, it¡¯s really happening. E thought, and she started grinning from ear to ear.


    She really couldn¡¯t believe that it was happening, that she had to pinch herself, so she would be sure that she wasn¡¯t dreaming.


    Yes, I was correct. Liam had always loved me, he just couldn¡¯t express it because of that filthy Alyssa, but now that she¡¯s gone, hunger is finally showing his love towards me.


    Yes! I won, Alyssa. E thought at once, and she smiled while nodding her head.


    She was really proud of herself, for waiting that long to have her Liam to herself. She really hoped Alyssa wouldn¡¯t wake up again.


    When the belt was finally off, something tingled in between E¡¯s legs, and she just couldn¡¯t wait to open them for Liam.


    ¡°Go on your knees.¡± Liammanded, and a huge frown was already on his face.


    At first, E started thinking about why he wanted her to kneel, but when her eyes traveled to his member, she finally understood.


    She knelt down in front of him, and she opened her mouth to take his length in. Because she wanted to be surprised by the size, she tightly closed her eyes.


    Liam backed away from her, and he raised the hand that had the folded belt. He scanned her face for a while, before he raised his hand higher andnded the belt on her exposed skin.


    E instantly opened her eyes, while crying in pain. She raised her eyes to look at Liam, and she saw that he was still growing, while squeezing his belt in his hand..


    ¡°Liam! What¡¯s happening?¡± She asked, with her eyes living from his face to the belt.


    Without saying a word, Liamnded the belt on her skin again and she let out a cry of pain.


    The way Liam was hitting her was really painful, and he didn¡¯t look like he was stopping any moment.


    After the fourth hit, she realized that she had been way off with what she thought Liam wanted to do with her.


    Liam was feeling hurt that because of what he thought of her ¨C which turned out to be wrong, he used the filthy woman in front of him to spite Alyssa at every chance that he got. He even pushed her to the extent of her wanting to kill herself.


    He thought of it again, and hended the belt on E¡¯s body again.


    He had used E to hurt Alyssa every time, and still, she kept on taking the pain in without saying anything bad to him.


    ¡°You. Are. Wicked. And. I. Hate. You.¡± Liam said, hitting E after saying each word.


    She had also joined her mother to hurt Alyssa again, and she thought that she was going to get away with it? No!


    Liam continued hitting her, I told he was sure that all his anger was vented out on her.


    He knew that he would never be happy with himself, knowing that he hurt Alyssa so many times, but at least, he made E feel just a quarter of the pain that Alyssa had to suffer on a daily basis.


    ¡°Leave.¡± Liammanded, and he wiped his face, before leaving the room himself.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY FIVE

    When Liam left, E sat on the ground, crying because she didn¡¯t even know why Liam hit her like that.


    She had thought that a part of him loved her at least. So, what was the whole beating process about?


    The sad part about it all, was that she couldn¡¯t even do anything about it.


    If she said anything about what he did to her to anybody, he would definitely send her out of the house, and she didn¡¯t want that.


    She still wanted to stay in the house, and get Liam back.


    Yes, she was still very much interested in Liam, even after what he did to her.


    She finally stood up, and she wiped the sweats off her face.


    She knew that if she just went out immediately, people would definitely know that something was wrong with her. So, she just sat on the empty bed, and cried her eyes out.


    Liam was really angry, and it felt like he was angry at everyone around him, E especially.


    The way he let out his anger on E, helped a little bit, but he was still very much angry.


    The thoughts of him hurting Alyssa, just wanted him to just continue hurting himself.


    He looked at the room Alyssa was in, and he saw Tiffany sitting there, watching her like Alyssa was her child.


    He backed away from the door, and let out a little sigh. He really needed to do something.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    After taking a few steps away from the room, he decided to go back, and ask Tiffany if there was anything he could do to make Alyssa forgive him.


    He entered the room, and the moment Tiffany saw him, she continued telling him how Alyssa suffered in the hands of her stepmother and her sister, E.


    Liam was tired of hearing the same thing, so he started shouting at Tiffany.


    Tiffany wanted to argue with him, but Liam stopped her and he told her that he wanted her to leave with Ryan.


    ¡°What?!¡± Tiffany asked, while staring at him like he was going crazy. She couldn¡¯t believe that Liam was really asking her to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m not joking, you have to leave with Ryan. I need to be alone.¡± Liam said, and he ced his hands into his pockets.


    That pose alone made Tiffany know that he was serious as hell.


    ¡°Are you serious about tha-¡± Ryan started asking, but Liam cut him off with a deadly stare.


    Ryan nodded, and he signaled to Tiffany to leave. He looked like he was really disappointed in Liam, but he didn¡¯t look like he gave two fucks about that.


    He just wanted to be alone.


    Before Tiffany left, she turned and she frowned at Liam.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to regret this.¡± She muttered, and she left, but not after she rolled her eyes at him.


    She thought he wouldn¡¯t send her that way because she was taking care of Alyssa, but he didn¡¯t even consider that at all.


    Liam looked at Alyssa for a while before leaving the room.


    The next day¡­ he woke up really early, feeling angry again. For someone that was supposed to feel remorseful about what Tiffany told him, he was really getting angry quickly.


    The next thing that he wanted to do, was to send for Alyssa¡¯s family, so he would tell them what he had in store for them.


    He felt like he was going crazy, and the only way he thought he would feel good is if he actually sent everyone around him away, especially those he cared about.


    He continued pacing around the living room, while waiting for Alyssa¡¯s family to arrive, so he¡¯d tell them that they can¡¯t even stay with him, not on hisnd, not anywhere near him!


    He wasn¡¯t interested in having them with him, because of how angry he was, and he was just sick and tired of everything.


    Liam didn¡¯t even think about how they¡¯d react to that, he just wanted them to not serve in hisnd, and that was final by him.


    Alyssa¡¯s family arrived an hourter, and they just knew that so many things were wrong the moment they entered the house.


    The house just felt so weird and¡­ dead. They thought that it was that way because of Alyssa¡¯s condition, so they didn¡¯t even make an attempt to ask. They just wanted to know why Liam sent for them.


    ¡°I am going to send all of you off, because I don¡¯t want you to serve on mynd, or anywhere close.¡± He told them straight away, and the money he said that, they all started talking at the same time.


    He knew that they weren¡¯t going to be happy about it, but he didn¡¯t know that they were going to be that angry.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? We don¡¯t want that!¡± Alyssa¡¯s stepmother said, and Liam just smiled at her maliciously. The fact that she actually thought that she would be able to change his mind was funny to him.


    ¡°My decision¡¯s final.¡± Liam said, and he scanned their faces carefully. He was about to tell them to leave, when E suddenly entered the living room.


    ¡°What do you mean by that? You¡¯re really mean, do you even know that?¡± E started screaming at him, and he watched her in awe.


    She continued walking towards him, while frowning at him. He could still tell that what happened between them the day before was still hurting her, but he didn¡¯t even care about that.


    ¡°You¡¯re so mean, and you don¡¯t deserve anything good in life.¡± E screamed at him, and she pointed her index finger at him.


    The whole family just continued watching the little show that was happening between them in surprise, because they didn¡¯t understand what was happening.


    ¡°That¡¯s why that filthy Alyssa didn¡¯t want to be with you, you know why?¡± E continued screaming at him, and Liam couldn¡¯t just take it any longer.


    He pushed her to a wall, and he pinned her to it. Her uneven breathing could be heard, and Liam backed away from her.


    He ordered the guards to take her away, and when the family members were about to start defending her, he also ordered for them to be locked up.


    While E was being taken away, she kept on screaming at the top of her voice, insulting him with everything in her.


    He spent the rest of that day checking in on Alyssa, and thinking about how he wanted to get rid of Alyssa¡¯s family.


    The next day, he¡¯se up with a solution, how he was going to get rid of the whole family, with E too.


    He called over the elder handling all foreign trades and told him to sell off the three of them to the cruelest task masters he knew.


    After that deal was finalized, he told the guards to bring all of them to him. A few minutester, they were all brought to him, and his eyes settled on the stubborn looking E.


    He told the three of them that they were getting sold to some foreign masters, and the money they heard that, they started weeping.


    The father and mother started begging, but E didn¡¯t. She was convinced that Liam was making a mistake and told him that she¡¯d wait for him to seek her out when he realized what he¡¯d done.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY SIX

    Since Liam said that Alyssa¡¯s family were going to get sold, the house had been so¡­ awkward and void of any emotions. It felt as if someone died, and that wasn¡¯t even close to the reason why the house was like that.


    E continued trying to convince Liam, but he didn¡¯t burge, because he said that his mind was already made up.


    When the family members were asked to be taken to an empty room to pass the night before they got taken away by the people that wanted to buy them, E walked forward with tears in her eyes, and she pointed her index finger at Liam, like she was using him of something.


    ¡°Listen to me, Liam. You might be crazy, no- you ARE crazy, but don¡¯t expect everyone here to act crazy too. We are not spending the night in that room.¡± She screamed at him, and her mother, Alyssa¡¯s stepmother, tried stopping her, but she brushed her hand aside.


    ¡°No, let her speak. Since you¡¯re so bold, why don¡¯t you stay in the room¡­ alone?¡± Liam asked, and he folded his hands against his chest with pride.


    E instantly had a shocked look on her face, but it left as fast as it came.


    ¡°What?! I¡¯m not staying there, we have all suffered enough. We are going to stay here until we get taken away.¡± She screamed, and Liam watched her with satisfaction in his eyes. Seeing her that way ¨C angry, vulnerable, and crazy, was giving him so much pleasure.


    ¡°Hmm. Sure.¡± Liam said to E, just before he called a guard from outside, and he ordered the guard to lock E in a cold, dark room until the next morning.


    ¡°What? No, you can¡¯t do that, Liam. You can¡¯t! Are you crazy?¡± E said at once, while she was getting carried away by the guards.


    ¡°Why are you asking? You already said that I was crazy.¡± Liam said, and he let out a chuckle.


    Alyssa¡¯s father tried talking to Liam, but he wasn¡¯t interested in whatever he had to say, so he just left before the man had the chance to finish saying his second word.


    Even with the way E tried fighting the guards off, it still didn¡¯t work. She was thrown into the room, which was more or less a dungeon.


    Immediately E¡¯s feet touched the floor, she realized that it was wet, and she was expected to pass the night there.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She started crying uncontrobly, and she was sure that people could hear her, but she didn¡¯t care at all.


    Hourster, the whole house was really quiet because she was sure that it was already midnight or a few minutes before.


    She started looking around the room, and she saw that the room was slightly open because a guard was standing outside the door.


    She peeped through the key hole and she saw that the guard was even trying so hard to stay awake.


    E decided to wait for a few minutes, because she knew that the guard was just going to give in to nature and sleep.


    A few minutester, E checked again, and she wasn¡¯t surprised to find the guard¡¯s head resting against a wall, with his eyes closed.


    She tried opening the door quietly, but it was really hard, mostly because the whole house was silent, and she knew that even a pin drop would be heard.


    She tried again, and this time, she sessfully pushed it a little bit. She repeated that five more times, until there was finally enough space for her to pass through.


    Before she decided to pass through the door, she checked the guard, and she saw that he was still sleeping. So, she bent down, and she started crawling out of the space.


    After doing that for about a minute, she finally seeded, and she started walking slowly, avoiding ces that she knew the guards would be.


    When she got inside, she went straight to Liam¡¯s room, but not before she grabbed a knife from the kitchen.


    She started tiptoeing to Liam¡¯s room, and she wasn¡¯t surprised to find it open. He believes that he doesn¡¯t need protection from other people to be safe.


    Hmm, pathetic. She thought, as she entered his room quietly.


    She frowned at him for a while, before she moved closer to his bed with a knife in her hands.


    E ignored the small voice in her head that was warning her against what she wanted to do, and she actually raised the knife up, directly facing Liam¡¯s chest.


    She was about to bring it down, when Liam suddenly opened his eyes, and he grabbed her hands in his.


    E knew that she was dead with that money, and she just dropped the knife. She started apologizing to Liam, but she knew that it was toote already.


    Without saying a word to her, Liam tied her up in his room, and he went back to sleep.


    E was a little bit shocked, because she thought the angry, sleepy man was going to kill her on the spot.


    The next morning, the people that were interested in buying the family ¨C and E, off arrived, and E was dragged down the stairs.


    When she got downstairs, and she saw everything, she went into her crazy mode and she started telling Liam not to do that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do it, Liam. Don¡¯t! You¡¯re mine, don¡¯t destroy our love with your hands.¡± She screamed, and one of the men that was ready to take them away, pointed to the rope tied around her body, but Liam shook his head.


    ¡°You wanted to kill mest night?¡± Liam asked E with a smirk on his face.


    ¡°Yes. Because if I can¡¯t have you, then no one can. You hear that, Liam? Yes!¡± E screamed, and Liam let out a chuckle.


    She was acting really crazy, but she didn¡¯t care at all.


    ¡°You don¡¯t belong to that filthy Alyssa, you¡¯re mine. You belong to me, me!¡± E screamed at Liam, she started biting off the rope around her body, but Liam ordered two guards to forcefully carry her out of his house.


    ¡°Liam! Liam! Liam!¡± She screamed, as she was being carried away.


    Alyssa¡¯s family didn¡¯t even say anything to Liam, they just quietly followed their buyers, and a few minutester, E¡¯s screams couldn¡¯t be heard anymore.


    After they left, Liam let out a sigh, and he turned around to walk back into his room, when he saw Tiffany frowning at him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Tiffany asked Liam, and he raised his brows at her.


    When he saw that she wasn¡¯t in a good mood, he sighed and he told her that he wanted to check on Alyssa for a few minutes.


    ¡°No.¡± Tiffany said, and she turned around to leave.


    ¡°No¡­ what?¡± Liam asked, and he started walking towards her, but Tiffany stopped him.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to see her. I¡¯ve moved her to my room anyway, so you wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± Tiffany said, and this time, she seeded in leaving.


    Tiffany left Liam to his thoughts, and she went to her room to speak to her best friend.


    When she got to her room, she locked the door after her, and went straight to the bed.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY SEVEN

    Alyssa took in a deep breath as she tried to calm the rage of her beating heart. She had to take fate into her hands and let go of the past. She couldn¡¯t deny the fact that everything had been chaotic and heartbreaking. However, her greatest joyid in the fact that Liam finally got a grip of himself and even asked for forgiveness.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the best person, neither am I the worst. I¡¯m just that girl who got trampled on¡±, Alyssa said calmly as she wiped off the tears that welled up in her eyes.


    ¡°And who am I not to forgive?¡± She asked rhetorically and startedughing aloud.


    Liam only stared at her, silently hoping that she would ept his request and start all over with him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve forgiven you! And yes! Let¡¯s do this again¡±, Alyssa said as she tried to hold the excitement that brewed within her.


    Liam couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He was stunned that for the next minutes, all he did was peer into her eyes softly, sending a thousand words across to her, and majorly feeling grateful that she forgave him.


    ¡°I love you¡±, he mouthed and pulled her into and a soft and warm hug. For minutes, they didn¡¯t move and inch away from each other¡¯s arms.


    And when they finally did, they got lost in their stares. It was the most beautiful moment for Alyssa. She had the man she loved back in her life, and everything feltplete.


    Liam had been the man who had cared for her after her countless torments in the ce she called home. He had been the man who she shared sweet moments with, moments she never wanted to go down the drain.


    He beamed lovingly and leaned closer to her, taking in all of her lips and savoring its taste hungrily. His finger touched her face and tucked her hair away, sending cold shivers down Alyssa¡¯s spine. His hands proceeded to the sides of her head and down to her neck, out to her shoulders and down to her hands.


    Liam grabbed her hands gently, yet firmly, and wrapped them around his waist. After this, he took a pause and peered into her eyes calmly.


    Alyssa took in a deep breath and closed her eyes in ecstasy, raging desires washing through her soul. She missed his hands, his scent, and she missed how good it felt to have his breath right on her skin.


    He kissed her shoulders and ran his lips into her bare skin. Alyssa let out a soft moan that caused Liam to chuckle and want her more.


    He took a hold of her left hand and ced her open arm right there on his heart. All she saw in his eyes was love, protection, safety, patience, and security.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me, again¡±, Liam whispered, and he bit his lips and took hold of her lips ferociously.


    Alyssa mumbled some response, but he cared less about that. The heat was intense, and he was going to do anything to quench the wild desire.


    He pushed her towards the wall and made to pull her clothes apart. However, the sounds of chuckles followed by ascension steps made them stop abruptly.


    They quickly adjusted their clothes and stood upright, hoping that their appearance wouldn¡¯t hold any suspicious.


    Tim ran into the room, followed by the queen, who was clearly having a y moment with him.


    The queen stopped the moment she stood at their front. Her expression was straight and spoke of pure pretense because even if she tried to hide it, Alyssa could pick out a look in her eyes.


    ¡°Ohh! You both are here¡±, The queen said as she nced at Liam and back at Alyssa.


    Alyssaughed slightly, to reduce the awkwardness that surmounted the room at the moment.


    ¡°We should head out and give Liam some space with his mother!¡± Alyssa dered and held Tim, who didn¡¯t want to hear of it at first.


    Liam chuckled and winked at Alyssa, even though Alyssa tried to give him some signals to wear a straight face.


    ¡°I would catch up with you some other time¡±, she said with a stutter, hurriedly moving out of the room and pulling Tim with her.


    Once she left the room, a wide smile spread across her face. This was like a dreame true and at intervals, she pinched herself to be sure that she wasn¡¯t in a dream.


    However, with each pain she felt from the pinch, it became clearer that she was in no dream.


    ¡°This is reality!¡± She squealed in excitement as she grabbed Tim and swirled him around in circles.


    The little boy¡¯sughter only ddened her heart because that was all she ever wished for; for her son to know his father and be close to him.


    Just as they walked, she couldn¡¯t help but think of the different things they both went through. She thought of how she had run away because she couldn¡¯t handle the guilt of hiding a big secret from Liam.


    She thought of how she found herself in another kingdom, where she discovered that she was pregnant with Liam¡¯s child. She also thought of the different days when she thought that she would never set eyes on Liam again.


    As though it were yesterday, she could remember how her heart broke at each thought of it. And then, Liam had returned as a changed person; cold and utterly different from whom he used to be.


    That was another test on her part because she was certain that she might have lost him. But then, here they were, still in love and willing to shove everything that had happened aside.


    She needed to celebrate this, and that was going to be after she had put Tim to bed.


    With a smile on her face, she read a bedtime story to him while he listened with rapt attention. He closed his eyes in no time and drifted away to sleep.


    Alyssa walked out of the room and headed towards the kitchen, where she grabbed a wine. She took it back to her room and decided to have a feast.


    Her joy knew no bounds, and each time she thought of the moment shared with Liam, she felt a warm feeling in her stomach.


    She screamed at intervals, jumped around the room and finally,id back on the bed in ecstasy.


    She felt d that Liam was finally getting what he deserved; a woman who loved him and his son.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    A wave of jealousy flushed through her when she imagined Liam being with another woman. It was a rough phase with E and inwardly, she wished and hoped that something of such would never happen again.


    She took in a deep breath as she finally started feeling tipsy. She had taken a lot of wine that all she did wasugh in excitement.


    Everything felt so good at this point. She hadn¡¯t felt so fulfilled all her life, and she was d that everything finally yed out in the way and manner it was supposed to.


    With different thoughts and imaginations of Liam swirling around her head, Alyssa finally retired to bed. It was a smooth night for her, the greatest she had so far.


    At this, she slept peacefully and with a smile on her face, not tilting at all, until it was daybreak.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY EIGHT

    Alyssa wasn¡¯t surprised when she woke up with a banging headache. She had taken a lot of alcohol because of how much she needed to celebrate the asion of Liam and her putting aside their differences and willing to start again.


    She smiled widely as she got off her bed to start her day. Inasmuch as she tried to reduce how much she smiled, she failed woefully.


    She decided to go for a walk around the pce, with the hope and intentions of bumping into Liam in the process.


    The first ce that struck her mind was the garden. She had missed theke and the moments they shared there. She felt a gush of excitement wash through her as she took slow steps towards there.


    Just as she walked towards theke, she found Liam standing there, throwing small stones into it and smiling calmly.


    Alyssa could feel her heart flush in excitement as she stared at him for a moment.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You cane closer! I know you¡¯re standing there¡±, Liam¡¯s sudden voice caused her to jerk up in surprise.


    She cleared her throat and walked closer to him, trying to hold her feet that turned out to be wobbly.


    ¡°How did you know I stood there¡±, Alyssa asked the moment she reached where he stood.


    Liamughed aloud, after which he pulled her closer to his chest and ced a kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°I got your scent. It¡¯s difficult to ignore¡±, he winked at her while she blushed and chuckled.


    ¡°Good morning¡±, he finally said, cing quick kisses on her cheeks and down to her neck.


    Alyssaughed aloud, especially when she felt a tingly feeling at each part of her body his lips touched.


    ¡°Good morning, handsome!¡± She greeted back as her eyes beamed.


    They shared a moment together; gazing into their eyes and passing numerous messages which they couldn¡¯t utter with their mouth.


    ¡°I checked for you earlier¡­you were still asleep¡±, Liam finally said as he turned her until she was now facing theke too.


    Alyssa nodded in approval to what he said. She was unable to spew how she had gone to drinkst night, just because she needed to celebrate their reunion.


    ¡°I¡¯m d that we are finally here¡­together¡±, Liam noted as he peered piercingly into her soft eyes.


    Alyssa nodded and stared at the reflection thatid on top of theke. It was a beautiful sight which she missed dearly.


    Silence erupted in the atmosphere as the two lovers stared at theke, with her minds wandering off in thoughts.


    ¡°I epted you because that was the best thing to do. I mean, Timothy was the only reason¡±, Alyssa spewed and for a minute, Liam thought that he had heard wrongly.


    ¡°Just Timothy?¡± Liam stuttered, hoping that she would make things clearer in no time.


    Alyssa nodded, still with her gaze fixated on theke.


    Liam was devastated that his face which wore a smile quickly transited into a frown. His only thoughts were that Alyssa holds no feelings for him anymore. Thoughts like this made his heart break into tiny bits.


    Alyssa looked up at him and observed the change in his expression. She could decipher the look Liam wore on his face because, like a book, she knew every detail about him.


    ¡°I understand how you feel¡±, she stated, but he chimed out almost immediately.


    ¡°No! You don¡¯t. I¡¯m uncertain if you understand how it feels to love someone who holds no feelings for you anymore¡±, Liam spewed as he gulped down hard.


    ¡°I still have feelings for you!¡± Alyssa dered as everywhere turned dead silent.


    Liam red at her, with shock written on his face. Alyssa stared back at him, meaning every single word she had just uttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s just that what you did to me¡­taking Timothy away from me. That would have changed the feelings I had for you, forever, even if I had loved you¡±, Alyssa said as flickers of pains shed past her eyes.


    Liam made to talk, but no words were ready to leave his lips.


    ¡°I had to think of Timothy, and that was when I realized that he would need a father in his life. That propelled me to open my heart to you once again¡±, Alyssa exined, after which she took in a deep breath.


    Liam was stunned that, for some minutes, he only gaped at her as though she were an alien.


    He understood every single word in her utterance, and that was what heightened his fear. He was scared that he would hurt her again, that he would do something more terrible than what he had done before.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that I would destroy things again¡±, Liam confessed, but was shocked when he saw Alyssaughing aloud.


    He meant every single word he had just uttered, and it surprised him to see her shoving it aside with mereughter.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious about this. You are too precious to get hurt again, and you¡¯ve had a rough life. I¡¯m scared that I may put you through worse situations¡±, Liam said and again, Alyssa broke into another round ofughter.


    ¡°I messed things up in the beginning. I was the one who got mad at you for disguising as the prince, while I held a bigger secret!¡± Alyssa exined, but Liam wasn¡¯t ready to hear any of that.


    ¡°I should have known that you wouldn¡¯t do that by your will. You have a good heart, and thest thing you would ever think of is hurting the man you love. I should have thought of that before turning my back against you!¡± Liam exined while Alyssa chuckled and walked into theke.


    The water felt so good on her feet that for a minute, she closed her eyes to take in the pleasure that came from it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s avoid the past. The future is brighter and that should be our focus!¡± Alyssa said as she gestured for him toe closer to the water.


    Liam smiled at her as he obliged to her request. He approached her but flinched when he felt some water sshing right to his face.


    Alyssa startedughing as she went on with pouring some water from theke on him with her hands. Liam threw a fierce gaze at her, after which he rushed into theke and pinned her down until every part of her cloth got soaked in it.


    ¡°Stop!¡± Alyssa finally pleaded when it was clear that she was the one losing out.


    Liam gave a wicked smirk and dipped her into the water again, ignoring her yells and pleas for mercy.


    Liam finally stopped when he caught sight of how beautiful she looked, with water dripping from her hair.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful!¡± Liammented, staring into her eyes piercingly and licking his lips in delight.


    He cupped her cheeks into his hands and ced a soft kiss on her lips. They smiled at each other as their heart beat went on the rise.


    Just then, someone pping from a distance interrupted them and abruptly, they turned to face the side the noise hade from.


    It was Nat. He had a wide grin on his face that made Liam and Alyssa flush in embarrassment.


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt such a sweet moment. But breakfast is ready and you both need to eat to gather some strength¡±, Nat said with his head bowed in respect.


    Liam threw a dead re at him, after which he held Alyssa and led her out of theke and towards the breakfast hall.

 CHAPTER EIGHTY NINE

    Breakfast was soft pancakes and berries, as warm as they would be in the sun. Maple syrup threaded on the top, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but smile in satisfaction.


    That was her favorite breakfast. Or maybe, she was feeling excited that Liam and Timothy were seated right beside her.


    She waited patiently, hoping to dig into the food immediately, but not willing to appear impatient and wild.


    They waited patiently for the arrival of Ryan and Tiffany, who were already on their way to the breakfast hall.


    Just then, Alyssa caught sight of Tiffany, who suddenly stopped walking the moment she got into the room. She had seen Alyssa and Liam acting so cozy and loving towards each other, and this caused a massive frown to spread round her face.


    Tiffany ignored them, even if it ached her heart to the core.


    ¡°Hey, Tiffany¡±, Alyssa waved at her, with her other arms clinging to that of Liam.


    Tiffany only forced a smile to her face, after which she proceeded to focus her attention on Tim who was giggling and smiling at her.


    Tiffany looked up at Alyssa who was now digging into the pancakes, and with an eye signal, she asked if she was now together with Liam.


    Alyssa nodded her head calmly and returned her gaze to the meal before her. She observed the sour look on Tiffany¡¯s face, since it countered the excited one the current atmosphere at the breakfast table carried.


    She was bent on discovering what was wrong, and that caused her to head out of the breakfast hall once she was done.


    ¡°Tiffany, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Alyssa asked Tiffany, who was still fuming in rage.


    Tiffany shrugged, trying to ascertain the best way to open up her heart to her best friend.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lie¡­ I¡¯m not Liam¡¯s biggest fan¡±, Tiffany said as she took in a deep breath and lowered her eyes to the ground.


    She had thought that it would be effortless to shove everything aside as though it never happened, but she couldn¡¯t live with the fact that Liam hurt her best friend in such a manner.


    ¡°He hurt you! He did that in a way and manner I never believed. I mean, Liam had been a nice and soft-hearted guy from the beginning. Witnessing how he suddenly switched up on you made me scared and I haven¡¯t recovered from that¡­until this day¡±, Tiffany exined.


    Alyssa took in a deep breath as she nodded her head in understanding. With a small smile, she pulled Tiffany into a warm hug.


    ¡°Thank you so much for being that friend and sister I wished to have all my life¡±, Alyssa said as she swallowed hard and pulled out of the hug.


    ¡°But Liam is not to be med. I caused everything and if you want to get mad, you should get mad at me¡±, Alyssa said, but Tiffany nodded her head in disagreement.


    ¡°He had no right to treat the mother of his child in such manner!¡± Tiffany replied bluntly and quickly lowered her head to the ground.


    ¡°He was only angry because I lied to him. I made the rtionship sour from the very beginning, and you should try to understand¡±, Alyssa protested, but Tiffany shook her head negatively.


    ¡°Listen to me. I¡¯m happy that you are in love with the father of your child. That is one thing you have wanted, and I¡¯m truly excited that you are happy again, after everything you went through. You deserve it¡±, Tiffany caressed Alyssa¡¯s cheeks lovingly, wiping off the little tears that scattered all over her cheeks.


    ¡°I love you so much because you¡¯re my best friend and a sister. But Liam would never get into my good book. At least, it would take a while!¡± Tiffany said and Alyssa chuckled in amusement.


    She had known Tiffany to be true to her word, but she had no idea that she would be so insistent and headstrong with matters concerning Liam.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Time would solve everything, I guess¡±, Alyssa said, and Tiffany nodded her head in approval.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Just as they talked, Liam came out and caught sight of the both of them talking. He needed no one to tell him that Tiffany hated him to the core, because of the dead re she sent across to him the moment he walked closer to Alyssa.


    ¡°Hi Tiffany!¡± Liam greeted, but all he got was a cold stare that made his heart skip a beat.


    ¡°I only wish and hope that you wouldn¡¯t make her go through what she did earlier¡±, Tiffany said with a cold voice, with her head lowered to the ground in respect.


    Liam made to talk, but the words got stuck in his throat. Tiffany left almost immediately, causing Liam to sigh in defeat.


    ¡°He would never forgive me¡±, Liam said to Alyssa, who pursed her lips and shrugged lightly.


    ¡°I would catch up with you soon. I need to escort Tiffany to the town. We have a few things to pick up¡±, Alyssa said as she ced a quick kiss on his lips and ran off.


    Liam stared at her for a while, smiling calmly and walking back to his chambers.


    ***


    Alyssa smiled as she walked out of the pce gates, with Timothy in her hands, and Tiffany beside her. A guard walked behind them, since Liam had assigned him to take care of Alyssa and her son. Although Alyssa resisted and insisted that he left, he ignored her and trailed them.


    Most people turned their head when they observed them walking into the town. Some admired Alyssa and her son, while others wondered who they were.


    Alyssa cared less about any of that. She was out of the pce for a moment and the feeling was wonderful.


    ¡°You should taste this. It¡¯s made of ginseng and other herbal elements that help the body¡±, an old woman said to Alyssa, stretching out something that was ced on a stick.


    ¡°Some people say it makes a home happy too¡±, the old woman added and winked at Alyssa, who blushed in embarrassment.


    She nced at Tiffany, who smiled at her and nudged her to proceed with it.


    ¡°This is delicious!¡± Alyssa noted as she ced some coins into the woman¡¯s palms.


    She loved going into the town, to witness the ordinary lives of individuals who had no idea of what it was to be of the high ss in the society.


    ¡°Mummy, let¡¯s give him some money!¡± Alyssa heard Timothy¡¯s small voice, and before she could talk, he ran off to meet a little boy of about his age.


    Alyssa was amused as she gazed at her son, who was now offering him some sweets she had given him earlier.


    She admired him for a moment and her heart got ted. Back then, Liam had saved fruits for her and that really ddened her heart.


    ¡°He takes after his father, I mean, a good heart¡±, Tiffany said as they watched Timothy.


    Alyssa smiled and nodded her head in affirmation. She had not just the man of her dreams, but the child of her dreams too.


    The day went on smoothly. Back at the pce, Liam was engrossed with various meetings with the elders. They borated on the kingdoms and ns to keep the strength intact. At intervals, he smiled and most of them wondered what was wrong. He didn¡¯t care though, he was a happy man and that was that mattered at the moment.

 CHAPTER NINETY

    ¡°The queen would love to see you¡±, Nathaniel informed Liam, whoid on the bed without moving an inch.


    Nathaniel sighed deeply and walked closer to him. Most times, it was extremely difficult to wake Liam because he valued his sleep time.


    Nat tapped his shoulder lightly, hoping that he would stir and listen to what he had to say.


    ¡°Your mother has demanded to see you¡­immediately¡±, Nathaniel stressed on thest word, hoping that it would throw in some sense of urgency.


    Still, Liam remained on the bed, not willing to stir.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s about Alyssa¡±, Nathaniel finally divulged and as though he had been hit by a lightning, Liam jerked up and red at him with a questioning gaze.


    ¡°Alyssa?¡± He asked as his heart skipped a beat.


    Nathaniel nodded his head in affirmation, feeling d that something was able to get him off the bed.


    Liam quickly stood up and took a quick bath. All through the bath, his heart wandered off with thoughts of why his mother had called for him. He still had some uncertainties lying around and somehow, he questioned what his mother¡¯s decision might be at the end.


    His heart skipped every moment he thought of how he would feel if his mother turned out to be an antagonist to their love story. He would be greatly shattered, no doubt.


    He walked into the dining room, where his mother awaited him. Whenever she called him to have breakfast or dinner with him, it meant that she had something urgent to talk about.


    ¡°Have a seat¡±, his mother said with a smile and unknowingly, Liam¡¯s heart rxed a bit.


    It only meant that the situation may not be as serious as he had thought.


    ¡°You called for me¡±, Liam noted as he picked up a toasted bread and munched on it.


    He peered into his mother¡¯s eyes and saw the unrest thatid in it.


    ¡°You are worried about something¡±, Liam noted while she took in a deep breath and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you¡±, she divulged and shifted on the chair.


    ¡°Me?¡±


    Liam wasn¡¯t entirely surprised by her statement. Right from when he started things with Alyssa, she had always called him to tell him that she was worried about him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you making ns to settle down soon?¡± Her mother asked the one question that she always asked him.


    ¡°You should understand that the eyes of the public are on you and any slightest mistake would be used against you¡±, The queen said with a look of displeasure in her eyes.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve said this since the past four years¡±, Liam said with a bored tone as he gulped down the contents of the mug of coffee.


    ¡°That was when Alyssa and your son were not in the picture!¡± The queen said defiantly, with a look of dissatisfaction in her eyes.


    She had expected him to be much more thoughtful than he was, but seeing how he talked enraged her.


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡±, Liam mumbled and picked up another slice of toast bread.


    He munched on it slowly, reying his mother¡¯s words and wondering what it would look like to make Alyssa his wife.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early?¡± Liam asked, but kept mute the moment his mother threw a dead re at him.


    ¡°Make Alyssa your queen and Timothy, your official heir. You have to do this to take the eyes of the elders away from you because at this point, they see you as ipetent,pared to what your father was¡±, the queen said and for a minute, Liam pondered over what she had just said.


    She was right. The meetings of the past few days had been encircled on the need to have a queen and heir for the kingdom.


    They had thrown instances where Kings failed to take queens and have heirs, how they ended up falling prey to the other kingdoms around who shoved them aside as weak.


    ¡°I understand mother¡±, Liam replied as he took in a deep breath and nodded his head calmly.


    ¡°Are you promising me that you would make her your queen?¡± The queen asked, hoping that he would give her some form of assurance.


    Liam didn¡¯t utter a word. He stood to his feet, bowed his head in respect, and quietly walked out of the room.


    The thoughts of making Alyssa his queen engulfed his heart as he walked into the courtroom for the court hearings.


    Different people came in with their different pleas, andints about their fellow people.


    He was extremely distracted that one of the elders had to pull him aside for a minute.


    ¡°You seem distracted. Your opinions and verdicts are not in line with their crimes¡±, the elderined, while Liam swallowed hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Kindly ask everyone to leave and return the next time¡±, Liam ordered, while the elder stared at him in shock.


    ¡°I have to go!¡± Liam said and hurriedly left the courtroom.


    He needed to talk to Alyssa abruptly. His head was raging with several thoughts that he thought it would burst open in no time.


    However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to walk up to her and tell her the thoughts he had in mind. He only lived in his imaginations, frequently seeing how she would sit on the throne and smile at him whenever he was taking decisions that concerned the kingdom.


    He walked over to theke where he and Alyssa had shared most of their first memories with. His heart was certain that Alyssa was his and nothing was going to stop that.


    Just then, he felt warm hands on his shoulders. He turned abruptly and met the soft eyes of Alyssa.


    ¡°I was just thinking about you¡±, he said, with a soft smile that sent cold shivers down her spine.


    ¡°What were you thinking about¡±, Alyssa inquired as she peered piercingly into his eyes.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Liam gulped down hard, clearing, searching through his mind for the perfect way to give her a reply.


    ¡°I mean, I can¡¯t help but think of how strong you are to birth such a cute son like Timothy¡±, Liam said with a wide smile on his face.


    That was entirely different from the thoughts he had in his head. He had wanted to ask Alyssa to be his queen and make him the happiest man on earth, but the words didn¡¯t seem toe off his throat.


    ¡°Are you certain?¡± Alyssa asked, not fully convinced that something like that would make him wear such a serious look on his face.


    He nodded his head in affirmation and rather than arguing with him, she decided to y along.


    ¡°You are his perfect father and there¡¯s no one anyone can tell me about that¡±, Alyssamented as she yed with his cheeks, watching how he blushed and narrowed his eyes immediately.


    ¡°I hope you know that you are mine, right?¡± Liam asked, while Alyssa nodded and gave him a curious stare.


    She could sense that he was pointing at something, but she couldn¡¯t say why he dragged the conversation.


    ¡°Why?¡± Alyssa asked with a soft smile that didn¡¯t get to her eyes.


    It was clear that Liam wanted to tell her something, but knowing that he didn¡¯t hit it directly on the head made her nervous. At some point, she starts wondering if he was at the verge of breaking up with her.


    ¡°Dinner is served! ¡± A servant announced, disrupting their conversation and making Liam sigh in relief.

 CHAPTER 91

    Many weekster, Alyssa was in a mood of utmost excitement and tion. All she thought of was how free their life has been ever since each secret was made known. It made her realize that keeping secrets was only a deprivation to real happiness.


    The respect she got from each of the workers and servants in the house surprised her. She couldn¡¯t believe that she had been a maid in the pce a while ago.


    ¡°We are good to go!¡± Alyssa announced as she yed with Tim¡¯s cheeks.


    He chuckled calmly, after which he turned to her, with a serious gaze on his face.


    ¡°Is he really ours now? Would he be my father forever?¡± Tim asked Alyssa as they walked out of the room and towards the gate where Liam would be meeting with them.


    ¡°Of course! What makes you think he won¡¯t be ours forever?¡± Alyssa asked her little son, who shrugged lightly, obviously not having an answer to her question.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that he would leave us someday¡±, he said calmly, while Alyssa crouched low until she was the same height with him.


    ¡°Your mother is here, and your father is here too. We would both ensure that you are happy, okay?¡± She asked as she yed with his cheeks again.


    Tim nodded his head and smiled. Almost immediately, they caught sight of Liam, who was strolling towards them with massive smiles on his face.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Tim called out and ran to catch up with him.


    Liam caught him in his arms and swirled him around in excitement. They had some father and son conversation, after which Liam stroked his head lovingly and walked closer to Alyssa.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°And just like the sun, you shine so bright¡±, Liamplimented Alyssa, who blushed almost immediately.


    He still had that effect in her. With every word that came off his lips, she felt a tingle in her stomach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tter me this morning!¡± Alyssa rolled her eyes at him as they hugged each other warmly.


    ¡°I would never tter my queen¡±, Liam said and ced a soft kiss to her lips.


    The word, ¡°queen¡±, sounded quite strange in Alyssa¡¯s ears. She couldn¡¯t ce her hands on the exact reason, but she was certain that it was because she had been thinking of ittely.


    Most nights, she thought of how sweet it would be to be Liam¡¯s queen, sitting beside him and ruling the kingdom together with him.


    But then, almost immediately, she gets distracted by thoughts of not achieving that. She was certain that Liam would never be truly hers. This was because she doubted that she would stand in as the kind of queen the kingdom wanted. She had tried to steal their most valued artifact, and she had almost killed herself.


    ¡°You are away in thoughts¡±, Liam noted as he pped his hands directly to her face.


    She rolled her eyes at him, but quickly reced it with a smile.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Alyssa said happily as they got into the car that was parked beside them.


    They had a date and this was the third in a roll, in that week.


    ***


    The next day came quickly. Alyssa had promised Tim that she would be taking him to the town where he would meet with his new-found friend. Timothy has disturbed her continuously until she finally agreed to take him there. He was a sweet soul, and Alyssa wasn¡¯t surprised when he picked up some of his biscuits with the intentions of giving them to his friend.


    Liam, on the other hand, was in his chambers, staring into the mirror and feeling totally disorganized. He couldn¡¯t decipher why it was so difficult to propose to Alyssa when he had known her for quite some time now.


    A knock on his door startled him and immediately, he walked towards it. He opened the door and met the curious stares of Alyssa.


    ¡°You called for me¡­again?¡± Alyssa asked, silently wondering why Liam kept calling for her, even if he never uttered something new and different.


    ¡°Ohh!¡± Liam mouthed and trailed off again. He was lost in thoughts that for a minute, he left his mouth opened slightly.


    ¡°Timothy and I were on our way to the town. Nat said that you needed to see us urgently, right before we left¡±, Alyssa informed Liam, who gaped at her as though he had no idea of what she was uttering.


    ¡°I wanted to see you too¡­¡±, he tried toy out the words on his head, but the more he tried, the more he failed.


    He resigned and finally took in a deep breath.


    ¡°I only wanted to tell you both to be careful and very observant. People out there are not all good ones¡±, Liam stated and wiped the sweats that had formed on his forehead.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Are you okay?¡± Alyssa asked as she ced her hands on his forehead.


    She was beginning to get suspicious, and the first thing that struck her mind was that he might be sick.


    ¡°Are you sick or something?¡± Alyssa asked and led him towards the bed. Sheid him on the bed while he gaped at her with an indifferent look.


    He wanted to break into a loud round ofughter because being sick was thest thing on his mind. He was only nervous because he couldn¡¯t ask Alyssa to be his wife.


    ¡°I would take care of him from here. You should head out before you arete¡±, Nathaniel said to Alyssa, who stood up and nodded her head in understanding.


    She ced a quick kiss on his forehead, after which she reminded Nat to take a good care of him.


    The moment Alyssa left the room, Nat threw a dead re across to Liam, who now sat up on the bed.


    ¡°How long are you going to keep up with this?¡± Nat asked, with great concern in his eyes.


    He couldn¡¯t say why Liam found it difficult to behave like a man and put his request across to a woman who he wanted in his life.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as it looks. What if she rejects me?¡± Liam asked and sighed deeply while Nat startedughing aloud.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Liam was making such a statement, especially after iming to be bold and direct.


    ¡°Alyssa, from the onset, you have been a light in my life. A light which I want to witness every day of my life. I wish to hold you, every single day, to whisper sweet words into your ears and to assure you, with each day that passes, that you made the right choice by choosing me. I want you and only you. Would you ept this request and be my wife and future queen?¡± Liam read through the lines he had grabbed on his head. Again, Natughed aloud.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Liam already had what to say in his head, but the courage to approach her was missing.


    ¡°I think you should just propose to her straight up, rather than making it look like a big deal and acting weird¡±, Nat advised, after which he patted his shoulders and walked out of the room.


    Liam sighed deeply as he made up his mind to take the bull by the horn. He resolved that there was no need to be scared because either ways, he would still be in her life as Tim¡¯s father.

 CHAPTER 92

    Liam paced around his room as each word of his mother reyed in his head. His mother was right, and he needed no one to tell him that everyone in his kingdom was looking up to him and waiting for him to do what was right.


    The earlier he took a queen, the better for the kingdom and the best for his reputation. Perhaps, he loved Alyssa and making her his queen would be a dreame true.


    ¡°Any sight of Alyssa?¡± Liam asked Nat, who drifted off in thought.


    ¡°I would go search and ask around¡±, Nat replied and dashed out to ask for Alyssa.


    He came back some minutester and nodded his head negatively.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    ¡°She is not yet back from town¡±, Nat divulged, and Liam¡¯s face transited into a small frown.


    He was dying to meet with her, to tell her how much he wanted her in his life and how he would be the most fulfilled man on earth if she epted his request.


    He could feel his heart beating out of anxiety. First, he thought of how he wouldy the request across to her and next, he thought of how dejected he would feel if she rejects it.


    With each of those thoughts swirling around his head, he walked into the dining hall, where his dinner was served. He waited patiently for a couple of minutes, and when he didn¡¯t catch sight of her, he proceeded to eat dinner alone.


    Once he was done with dinner, he proceeded to his library. He picked up some historical books, which he got bored with in no time. He needed to speak to Alyssa, and despite what he did, he didn¡¯t get distracted.


    After a while, he looked out of the window and caught sight of Alyssa walking into the pce, with Tim and Tiffany.


    A wide smile spread across his face, even though it turned to a frown the moment he saw Tiffany. Tiffany still hated him, but he cared less about that.


    He jerked up and straightened his clothes, clearing his throat and cing his heart on his chest to rx his nerves.


    Afterward, he sauntered out of the library and headed towards Alyssa¡¯s room.


    He met them just at the door of the room, but before he could utter a word, Alyssa pulled him in for a tight hug.


    ¡°I missed you¡±, Alyssa mouthed, caressing his cheeks and ying with his beards lovingly.


    ¡°Alyssa¡­ I need to talk to you¡±, Liam suddenly said, but Alyssa quickly shoved it aside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t anything you want to say is more important than putting your son to bed. Would you help get Timothy ready for bed? I¡¯m so exhausted that all I want to do is have a nice bath and sleep¡±,¡¯Alyssa said as she searched his eyes for an answer.


    Liam gulped down hard and wiped off the sweats that had formed on his forehead. He couldn¡¯t say why he was nervous to ask her the question.


    ¡°Sure! I would¡±, he replied and walked into the room with her, smiling at Tim, who was truly exhausted from the day¡¯s event.


    Timothy was d and humbled because Alyssa had invited him to put their son to bed. Even though he was his father, he had not known him for long and this made him d that Alyssa was trusting him with the little boy.


    Liam gave his son a pleasant bath and as he dressed him up, the little boy couldn¡¯t help but talk about the activities of the day.


    ¡°I have a friend in town¡±, Timothy said, and Liam widened his eyes in shock and surprise. He never thought that his son would be able to mingle withmoners, even if he was being treated specially, like a prince.


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. Tell me about this friend¡±, ¡®Liam replied excited while Timothy started narrating his day at the town, how he had given his friend some biscuits and how he had fun with Alyssa and Tiffany.


    Liam was d that he smiled all through. His little boy was growing up so fast, and he was entirely grateful that he was in the right hands.


    Alyssa took a fast bath just as she listened to the ongoing conversation between Liam and Timothy. This was everything she hoped for, everything that made her feelplete.


    ¡°Time for bedtime stories¡±, Alyssa announced as she walked into the room and picked out a robe from her closet.


    She wrapped the robe around her body, ignoring the wild look on Liam¡¯s face.


    Timothy jumped around in excitement and finallyid on his bed. Alyssa sat right beside Liam while she read the story to him.


    All through the moment, Liam smiled while watching them both. He observed how enthusiastic and excited the little boy had been at the beginning and then, how he finally started drifting off to sleep.


    They waited for some minutes after he had fallen asleep. Once they were sure that he was peacefully asleep, Alyssa stood up and let out a yawn. She was truly exhausted and couldn¡¯t wait to crash into her bed.


    She walked over to her room, with Liam trailing behind her. At intervals, he made to talk, but the moment she turned to him, he kept mute.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting weird. Are you still sick?¡± Alyssa asked with concern written all over her face.


    She had gone out earlier after putting him in bed because she thought that he was sick and that was why he behaved strangely. However, he appeared strong while putting Tim to bed, and that made Alyssa conclude that he was fully okay. Seeing him behave unusual again was a great cause of concern for her.


    ¡°I was never sick¡±, Liam divulged, while Alyssa gaped at him as though he were only bbing.


    ¡°Then what is the problem? Look, everything would be okay? You can tell me any single thing you want to, no matter how bad it may look¡±, Alyssa said, taking short breaths and trying to calm her raging heart.


    Moments after she got back with Liam, she had trained her heart to ept whatever mighte off the rtionship. She had odd feelings that he might wake up one day and decide to choose someone apart from her. This got her scared, but she always concealed it with wide smiles stered on her lips.


    She loved Liam, and she was certain that he loved her too, but she also knew that the worst coulde¡­


    ¡°If you don¡¯t love me anymore, you can tell¡­¡±, her voice trailed off the moment Liam dropped on his knees and stretched out a beautiful golden rings towards her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have so many words to say. All I know is that we belong to each other and I can¡¯t wait to explore life, together with you¡±, Liam said and swallowed hard, with his heart racing in anxiety.


    Alyssa was taken aback that for the next minutes, she only gaped at him, with her mouth parted slightly.


    She did not just expect him to drop to the floor while she was in the middle of her weird thoughts.


    How could she have thought that Liam had someone else apart from her? Or how could she have thought that Liam and her were not destined to be together?


    She gasped again as different thoughts swirled around her head, causing her to wear an indifferent expression.

 CHAPTER 93

    Alyssa gaped at Liam, who remained on the ground while awaiting a response from her. She had a puzzled look on her face that would easily be interpreted as someone in the midst of a confusing situation.


    Liam peered into her eyes and his heart dropped. She still stared at him, not making any efforts to provide an answer.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After what seemed like ages, he resolved to standing up when he felt that he wouldn¡¯t get a positive answer from her. He was already beginning to regret every single thing he did to her from the onset.


    Just as he made to stand up, he heard Alyssa¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    He was shocked that, for a minute, he thought that he had only heard wrongly.


    Slowly, he lifted his head, and that was when he saw the smiles that filled her face.


    ¡°Yes! I would be your queen!¡± Alyssa said again as Liam finally stood to his feet and pulled her into a warm hug.


    He pulled back almost immediately and cupped her cheeks into her hands, peering into her eyes and finally digging his lips into her mouth.


    Alyssa was extremely emotional that tears trickled out of her eyes and dropped to her cheeks. She had thought that Liam would never ask her to be his queen.


    She suddenly pulled out of his grip the moment she recalled something, and with a worried look on her face, she asked Liam if he was certain that he was making the right decision.


    ¡°Why would you ask that?¡± Liam couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He couldn¡¯t decipher if he shouldugh at the question, or if he should tackle it with every bit of seriousness.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that we might just be the only ones in all of this¡±, Alyssa sighed deeply and lowered her eyes to the ground.


    ¡°How?¡± Liam asked, searching through her eyes and meeting more confusion.


    ¡°What if the elders don¡¯t like me? What if they use everything that had happened to fight me? To fight us? You know I came to steal your artifact and I almostmitted suicide. All of that can be¡­¡±, Alyssa was cut off by the soft feeling that took hold of her lips.


    Liam kissed her fiercely until she let out a light moan. Afterward, he pulled back and stared at her.


    ¡°We have my Mum¡¯s support. None of the elders can go contrary to that¡±, Liam said with every conviction.


    Alyssa nodded and let out a small smile.


    ¡°Now, can we do something different?¡± He asked and winked at her seductively.


    ¡°Of course!¡± Alyssa replied abruptly and pulled him into her room, shutting the door behind her and dragging him as though her life depended on him.


    She tore off her robe and watched how his mouth dropped in delight. Almost immediately, she proceeded to tear off his clothes, pulling him closer to her and kissing him ferociously.


    Liam hands caressed her bare back first, after which he travelled down and pulled her closer to himself forcefully. He took control of their lips, roaming through the nook and cranny of her mouth and taking in the sweet scent that emanated from it.


    ¡°I crave to eat you every single day¡±, Liam¡¯s voice said with every urgency, making Alyssa¡¯s panties pull tight against her moistening flesh.


    Alyssa bit her lips and wriggled her body in response to his words. Liam pushed Alyssa¡¯s hips into his, causing Alyssa to whimper at the press of his stiffening dick within them.


    She quickly reached for Liam¡¯s mouth and slotted hers in it, moaning ferociously and biting her lower lips as she did.


    Liam¡¯s hands roamed over Alyssa¡¯s back and low on her lips, pressing them together and smacking them as he did.


    ¡°Aah!¡± Alyssa moaned slowly and smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Fuck me¡±, Alyssa mumbled, while Liam¡¯s heart ddened. He likes it when his woman was so pure with how she felt.


    He took a step backwards to admire her.


    ¡°I almost forgot how beautiful you are¡±, he said, and grabbed her closer to him.


    Alyssa was soaking wet and desperate to have Liam inside of her. She yanked down her bra and panties, after which she jumped on the bed, wriggling her body and parting her legs for him to gain full ess.


    Liam moved closer, with wild desires in his eyes and his body almost shuddering in ecstasy. He climbed on top of her, pressed her down into the bed, and started nting kisses around every inch of her body he could reach.


    Liam licked and bit her all over, making up for the days he¡¯s been without her. He inhaled her, pressed her nose into the small creases, sucked her fingers and drank the sweats from her skin.


    When Alyssa couldn¡¯t take it anymore, she lifted her head and said.


    ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t tease me anymore¡±, Alyssa pleaded and gasped the moment Liam fondled with her breasts.


    Liam made his way down the wriggling body, pausing to kiss and stroke the curve of her belly, her sharp hip bones and the soft skin in between her thighs.


    She felt so good¡­ wonderful¡­


    Liam moaned this time. His body was burning with the need to satisfy, her pussy was slick and moist that he wanted to go in already. And his dick¡­ strong enough that it could pound through steel.


    Liam led his dick into her moist pussy, and with the first stroke, they both felt a deep and shuddering connection clicking through them.


    ¡°I think you want to¡­kill me¡±, Alyssa gasped as she let out a louder moan, squeezing to the bed spread and biting her lips to avoid bringing down the whole pce with her moans.


    Her slick pussy was meaty and hot on Liam¡¯s dick, sliding wet and humid, tasting of sex and everything good Liam could think of.


    He pressed Alyssa¡¯s thighs open, even wider, reached up to stroke and twist her nipples while his dick thrusted harder.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Alyssa propped herself up on her elbow, staring piercingly into Liam¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°More!¡± She begged.


    ¡°Harder¡­¡±.


    Liam added more intensity to his thrusts, stroking deep into her hot pussy, the slick sound of the fuck washing over their ears. Alyssa wriggled her body on the sheets, moaning and groaning when it felt as though she couldn¡¯t contain the pleasure anymore.


    Sweats dripped down Liam¡¯s face and dropped on Alyssa¡¯s bare chest, but he cared less about that. He loved how her face twisted, her look bing desperate with each thrust, and her mouth asking for more.


    The muscles of Alyssa¡¯s pussy jerked tight.


    ¡°Ooh!¡± She grunted as a fierce orgasm burned through her body.


    Liam¡¯s eyes closed as he went even harder. He was cumming already and he knew it.


    Alyssa stiffened and cried out, followed by Liam, who was now thrusting even faster.


    They shuddered together, pleasure rippling between their bodies and their heartbeat trying to return to normal. They stayed still, moaning in delight and mumbling some inaudible words, until Liam fell back to the bed and copsed into the sheets.


    Theyughed through thest part of their orgasm, panting heavily and wrapping their sweaty body around each other.


    Alyssa draped her body on top of Liam, kissing him and breathing hard against his parted lips.


    Her eyes were still bright with a mixture of lust and satiation, while Liam dly swallowed her kisses.


    That was the best night they¡¯ve had in a while, they both knew it was¡­

 CHAPTER 94

    The next morning came with a new scent in the air. Alyssa was going to be queen soon, and this was something huge that even the atmosphere agreed to.


    She woke the moment the first rays of sunshine flickered into her room and once she opened her eyes, a wide smile spread across her face.


    She nced at her ring and chuckled again in delight. Likewise, she proceeded to take a bath and prepare Tim for the day as well.


    Just as she did, a knock on the door distracted her. She opened the door to meet the questioning res of Tiffany.


    ¡°A rumor is currently circting around the pce¡±, Tiffany said to Alyssa the moment she walked into the room.


    Alyssa coughed lightly and wore an indifferent look, intentionally hiding her fingers to stop Tiffany from catching sight of the rings on them.


    ¡°They said that there is someone who is about to be queen¡±, Tiffany said, peering piercingly into her eyes and searching for answers.


    Alyssa remained unmoved and only gazed at Tiffany as though she had no idea of what she was uttering.


    ¡°And, who is this person?¡± Alyssa asked, hiding her smile and currently enjoying the taunts she was pulling on Alyssa.


    ¡°You!¡± Tiffany said and Alyssa startedughing aloud.


    Almost immediately, she pulled out her hands and swayed the fingers at her face.


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s me¡±, Alyssa squealed in excitement, ring at Tiffany, who couldn¡¯t believe her eyes.


    ¡°Oh my God!¡± Tiffany screamed in surprise as she quickly pulled Alyssa in for a tight hug.


    ¡°You are really getting married to the man of your dreams¡±, Tiffanymented, and Alyssa nodded in affirmation.


    Liam was the man of her dreams and there was nothing that was going to tell her otherwise.


    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Tiffany squealed again as they danced around the room in circles.


    Alyssa finally walked out of the room with Tiffany and as though the news had spread on its ord, they met the presence of other maids in the pce who hade to congratte her.


    ¡°Your highness!¡± One of the maids said, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t help butugh aloud.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    She couldn¡¯t believe her ears, neither did she believe that she was going to be referred to in such manner soon.


    It was all like a dream, a new dream that sang of hope and excitement.


    ¡°We can¡¯t wait of the big day! You both are really a perfect match¡±, another maid aroundmented, while the others nodded their head in agreement.


    Alyssa couldn¡¯t contain her joy. Who would have believed that the rejected princess would one day be the queen of a fierce and powerful kingdom?


    ¡°I owe you all a treat muchter¡±, Alyssa promised, and they all broke into a loud uproar. Many of them danced with her, while others teased her with stories of how to satisfy a man and make him crave for her always.


    They all retreated after Tiffany and Alyssa were informed that their presence was needed in the queen¡¯s quarters.


    The moment the news came, Alyssa had shivered in fright because she wondered what would be of her or the queen is against her marriage with Liam.


    ¡°Rx! It¡¯s only a mere meeting¡±, Tiffany tried to lighten up the atmosphere, even if she also felt a little scared.


    ¡°She knows I attemptedmitting suicide. She would never see me as a good figure that would stand in for the queen¡±, Alyssa frowned as she fondled with her hair.


    Tiffany patted her on the shoulders calmly, assuring her that everything was okay and that the queen may have just called to hear from them.


    With a divided and inconclusive heart, Alyssa made her way into the queen¡¯s quarters.


    The queen was sitting on a couch and sipping from a mug of tea. Her face widened in delight the minute Alyssa walked in together with Tiffany.


    She quickly dropped the tea cup and stood to wee them with a hug.


    Alyssa was shocked to her bones. It was entirely new to see the queen standing to her feet to greet someone. It only meant that the person is acknowledged with high regards in her heart.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you¡­future queen¡±, the queenmented, grinning from ear to ear.


    Alyssa turned her eyes to Tiffany who gave her a gaze that said, ¡°I told you to rx!¡±.


    Alyssa finally let out a massive sigh of relief, after which she smiled at the queen.


    ¡°Have a seat. We have a lot to talk about!¡± The queen said, and Alyssa quickly took a seat.


    Tea was served and as the three of them sipped from their mug of tea, a conversation ensued.


    ¡°We need to kick start the wedding ns. You know, a royal wedding is not a mere wedding. Many things have to be put in ce¡±, The queen said, and Tiffany nodded her head in affirmation.


    Alyssa was still shocked that she barely spoke. It still looked like a dream, though with every minute, it dawned on her that she was really going to be the new queen.


    ¡°You have no idea of who your mother is, right?¡±


    The queen asked Alyssa, who lowered her head to the ground and nodded.


    ¡°I always thought that I would meet my mother. I always wished that my mother would show up someday and save me from the hands of the wicked stepmother. But that never happened¡±, Alyssa started, with the queen and Tiffany listening with rapt attention.


    ¡°You know, living with my stepmother was not the easiest thing. Each day on earth was presumed to be myst. I had no idea of what she prepared against me for each day. I was already prepared to die¡±, Alyssa said as tears started trickling out of her eyelids.


    ¡°She can never step in as your mother¡±, Tiffany suggested, and the queen nodded her head abruptly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t even allow that!¡± The queen said defiantly, and Alyssa let out a sad smile.


    ¡°My stepmother would never be happy for me. She may try to pretend, but that is never close to her heart. She would always derive means to hurt me¡­simr to the day she threw hot coals at me¡±, Alyssa narrated and broke down in tears.


    The queen was moved that she stood to her feet and walked closer to Alyssa. She hugged her tightly and ced a soft kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°I would stand in as your mother. You don¡¯t have to worry about that¡±, the queen informed Alyssa, who couldn¡¯t believe her ears.


    Alyssa leapt to her feet in joy. She never thought or imagine that the queen would be so kindhearted.


    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Alyssa said to the queen, who hugged her calmly.


    ¡°You deserve every good thing. Trust me¡±? The queen said to Alyssa, who now had tears welling up in her eyes.


    Who would have believed that she deserved every good thing? Her step-sister and stepmother had always told her that she doesn¡¯t deserve anything good. She had lived with that thoughts, until this moment.


    ¡°What are the ns for her wedding dress? I need it to be a special one¡±, the queen said to Tiffany, who also couldn¡¯t contain her joy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made arrangements for the best seamstress in town. She would be arriving in two days¡±, Tiffany exined, and the queen nodded in understanding.


    ¡°You have to trust me on this one. You would look nothing less than stunning.¡± Tiffany said as she hugged Alyssa, who couldn¡¯t help smiling.

 CHAPTER 95

    Alyssa yawned tiredly as she listened to the countless description the person in charge of their wedding exined. They had been sitting in the garden for over an hour, listening to the way and manner the wedding was going to take ce.


    ¡°We would be using the second garden. There would be flowers at ends of the entrance, balloons at different corners and then the magnificent area for bride and groom. I intend to invest quality time in creating something unique because I would want this wedding to be one in history¡±, the man said and for the hundredth time, Alyssa yawned in exhaustion.


    ¡°Thank you. Kindly take your leave¡±, Liam said to the man, who bowed his head and walked out of the garden.


    He had observed the expression on Alyssa¡¯s face, and he needed no one to tell him that the wedding was taking a toll on her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±, he apologized, as he walked closer and caressed her hands softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m enjoying every bit of this¡±, Alyssa replied as she caressed his cheeks in return.


    Liam chuckled in delight. Alyssa was definitely the most supportive woman ever.


    The past few days had been crazy for them, and it seemed to heighten with each day that passed. The wedding was fast approaching and inasmuch as they¡¯ve prepared a lot in that regard, it still looked as though they were missing out different things.


    ¡°It would be over soon¡±, Liam noted with another smile, while Alyssa nodded weakly.


    ¡°I honestly can¡¯t wait. I just want to be your wife already!¡± She said and ced a quick kiss on his lips.


    The door opened almost immediately and Nathaniel walked inside.


    ¡°The seamstress has arrived¡±, he said to Alyssa, who jerked up in excitement.


    She had been so busy with other things rting to the wedding, but her wedding dress was one particr part that stirred up excitement in her soul.


    ¡°Your suit and that of the little prince have arrived too¡±, Nathaniel said to Liam, after which he bowed his head and walked out of the room.


    Alyssa couldn¡¯t contain her joy, and this was seen in how she keptughing and chuckling, even if Liam still stood before her.


    ¡°You should escort me, and I will too once I¡¯m done with mine¡±, Liam pleaded with Alyssa, who rolled her eyes and kissed her teeth thoughtfully.


    Liam needed her by his side as he tested his suit, and Alyssa could swear that it would be exciting to see him watch her while she tried out hers too.


    At this, they both walked into Liam¡¯s chambers, where his suit and that of their sonid.


    Alyssa stood at the far end of the room as she gazed at Liam and Tim, who couldn¡¯t have enough of themselves. They were now dressed in the suit, which fitted perfectly.


    Alyssa was grateful that she didn¡¯t know when tears started dropping out of her eyes. Watching Liam having a strong bond with his son was the sweetest thing to witness.


    She left them after a while, not wanting to interrupt the sweet moment they shared together. The queen had called for her too, and she was certain that it was time to try out her dress too.


    ¡°Look at what we have here!¡± Alyssa heard Tiffany¡¯s voice the moment she walked into her room.


    Hanging at a corner was her beautiful and glittery wedding dress that made her stop right in her tracks.


    ¡°No way!¡± Alyssa mouthed as she gasped and closed her lips to avoid screaming out of surprise.


    That didn¡¯t seem to work out because almost immediately, she started screaming aloud and jumping around the room in tion.


    Tiffany wasn¡¯t left out. She giggled and squealed when she saw that Alyssa was thankful for the wedding dress.


    ¡°I knew that she would be the best seamstress! I told you to trust me¡±, Tiffany said and winked at Alyssa, who pulled her into a tight hug.


    Just then, the door clicked open, and the queen walked into the room, with majestic strides and a massive smile on her face.


    ¡°This is the most beautiful gown I¡¯ve set my eyes on in a long time¡±, the queenmented with sparkles in her eyes.


    ¡°I never imagined being in a dress like this¡±, Alyssa said as she closed her mouth and walked closer to it.


    It seemed to be a treasure and for a minute, she wondered if she was worthy to be d in it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how it fits you¡±, The queen said and sat down on the bed, grinning from ear to ear.


    Alyssa was out of words to utter. Even in her dreams and imaginations, she never thought that the gown she would wear for her wedding would be so unique and exquisite.


    She picked up the gown and got into it, sniffing hard and wiping off the tears that clouded her eyes.


    The gown was perfect on her body, and the queen couldn¡¯t help butmend the seamstress for her work.


    They spent more time chatting and talking about random things that concerned the wedding. And when each of them was exhausted, they left the room after wishing Alyssa a good night of rest.


    ***


    Liam was almost asleep when he heard a creaking sounding from his window. He made to shove it aside, but couldn¡¯t because he heard the sound of someone breathes and pants.


    He quickly stood to his feet and strolled towards the window. There, he met a struggling Alyssa, who was trying so hard to hold on to the rope in her grip.


    Liam studied her for a while, with a smirk on his face and in hands on his waist.


    Alyssa looked up at him just then and quickly wore a frown. She couldn¡¯t understand why Liam stayed still when he was meant to help her out.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    She further struggled until she reached the top of the window. Liam finally leaned closer and pulled her up, ignoring the scowl on her face.


    ¡°You were supposed to help me up!¡± Alyssa said and yfully hit him on the chest.


    Liam broke into loudughter after which he grabbed her and swirled her around the room.


    ¡°I thought my queen didn¡¯t need any helping hand. You appeared so fierce that for a minute, all I wanted to do was fold my hands and watch you¡±, Liam said and winked at her while she blushed.


    ¡°I came in through the window¡­because I didn¡¯t want anyone to see meing in at such hour¡±, Alyssa said as she fondled with her hair while looking at the ground.


    Liam pulled her closer to his chest and dug his lips into hers and almost immediately, they got engrossed in an intimate romance session.


    Theynded on the bed after a while, caressing each other¡¯s body and gasping in delight.


    Liam pulled away after a while and peered piercingly into her eyes.


    ¡°You are mine¡±, he murmured, with desires burning in his eyes.


    He grabbed her shoulder and sniffed her neck, moaning in delight and closing his eyes just as he did. It was time to im her as his mate forever, to mark her.


    Without any more thoughts, he bit her in the area between her neck and shoulder.


    She winced in pain, but that onlysted for a while because he wrapped her lips in his.


    ¡°It¡¯s done¡±, Liam murmured, caressing her cheeks softly and lovingly.


    ¡°We should go to bed. Tomorrow would be a big day¡±, he whispered and ced another kiss on her forehead.

 CHAPTER 96

    Alyssa nced at the mirror for the hundredth time, tucking her hairs beside her ears and feeling ted that she looked just as she desired.


    ¡°This is beautiful!¡± She said to Tiffany, who nodded her head in approval.


    She was d in a red long gown, with glitters around the neck and a small opening in the bust area.


    On her face was a light makeup that popped her face and made her face radiate.


    ¡°I told you to trust me with your looks for today¡±, Tiffany said, with a glint of pride shing in her eyes.


    It was the pre wedding dinner night. In the ce, it was a tradition that took ce some days before the royal wedding.


    It¡¯s usually hosted by the groom¡¯s parents, and that was the case this time. The queen had taken it upon herself to treat her son and the iing queen to dinner.


    A few guests around the kingdom and out of the kingdom were sent the invitation card, and it was clear that it would be a big dinner celebration.


    ¡°I¡¯m a little bit nervous¡±, Alyssa confessed and took in a deep breath.


    She could feel her heart beating in anxiety, and she wondered how she would feel to be graced with the presence of guests from far and near.


    She was a princess, but never got to receive attention in that regard. At such, it seemed new and different.


    ¡°You would be fine. It¡¯s only the pre wedding dinner. Think about your big day instead¡±, Tiffany suggested and patted Alyssa on her shoulders.


    Alyssa forced a smile to her face, taking in deep breaths to feel better.


    After a moment, Tiffany led her out of the room and towards the dinner hall where the dinner was taking ce.


    Everywhere turned quiet the moment she walked into the room, she could see hears turning and smiles on peoples faces. All of these made her anxious, but she remained d that Tiffany was standing right beside her.


    She walked directly towards Liam, who was now standing to receive her. He took hold of her hands and ced a kiss on it, after which cheers and apuse rented the air.


    They had their seat, and almost immediately, the event started. Soft music yed in the background, some couples were on the dance floor, others were busy with their meals while the rest got engrossed with conversations that seemed unending.


    ¡°Would you like to have anything else before we have our dance?¡± Liam asked Alyssa, who was clearly ufortable where she sat.


    It was hard to get used to the fact that she was the center of attention. That was something she never knew what it felt like.


    ¡°A drink would be fine¡±, Alyssa whispered back and smiled at him, feeling d that he was beside her to relieve how tensed she felt.


    Liam nodded and gestured at one of the servants present. Almost immediately, a tray of drink was passed across to them.


    Alyssa made to start sipping from her drink, but someone standing directly opposite where she sat caught her attention.


    At first, she thought that it was only a hallucination, but she blinked her eyes again and the person remained there.


    It was E¡­


    ¡°What are you staring at? Is everything okay?¡± Liam asked Alyssa, who was clearly distracted by something she was looking at.


    Alyssa was scared to her bones that her eyes remained fixated to that spot, even if the image she had seen was nowhere in sight again.


    ¡°My love!¡± Liam said again, tapping Alyssa lightly and watching how she jerked up in shock.


    ¡°Yea¡±, Alyssa replied and turned to Liam, who had a questioning look on his face.


    ¡°You were staring at something¡±, he observed, while Alyssa narrowed her gaze back to where she had seen E standing earlier.


    E wasn¡¯t there, no one was there either¡­


    ¡°I just drifted away in thoughts¡±, Alyssa lied as she wiped off the beads of sweats that had formed on her forehead.


    Many things could go wrong if E had ess into the pce. Thinking of the many things that could happen scared her to the bones that for a minute, she couldn¡¯t make an utterance.


    ¡°We should have a dance. It would make you feel better¡±, Liam suggested, while Alyssa nodded her head in approval.


    She was hallucinating now, and the best way to get sound would be having a dance.


    She got to her feet immediately and walked into the dance floor, with Liam holding her firmly as though someone would take her away from him.


    The hall turned quiet as they gave them some moment to themselves. Many guests couldn¡¯t help gushing out in excitement, while others wished them a happy home.


    Indeed, Alyssa felt better the moment she started to dance with Liam. He was so cool and gentle that she felt safe in his arms.


    ¡°You look stunning!¡± Liam whispered into her ears while she chuckled and bit her lower lips.


    ¡°You look handsome too¡±, Alyssa replied, smiling widely and swirling around in ordance to the dance rhythm.


    The dance ended almost immediately and as they walked back to the chairs, there was a loud round of apuse in the hall.


    Everyone went on with congratting them on their new-found happiness, just as the party continued.


    ***Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany was heading over towards a segment of the guest table when she bumped into someone. The person quickly darted her eyes away the moment she realized that Tiffany was the one standing before.


    Tiffany was surprised at how the person behaved, and this prompted her to go after the strange person until she confirmed who she was.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Tiffany said, but E walked as fast as her legs could carry her.


    She bumped into another person, and this time, stumbled until shended on the ground with a thud.


    Her face came to view, making Tiffany to gasp in shock and horror.


    ¡°E?¡± She yelped in shock, wondering how she was able to get into the pce premises.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you warned never toe into the pce premises?¡± Tiffany asked, her voice loud like a foghorn.


    E quickly jerked up to her feet, fearing that she would be discovered by Liam, Alyssa, or the queen.


    ¡°Please¡­don¡¯t raise your voice¡±, E begged Tiffany, who was ready to scream until she brings the pre wedding dinner to an end.


    On a second thought, Tiffany decided to keep quiet, not because E had asked her to, but because she wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the lovely moment the atmosphere was engulfed in.


    ¡°I ask again¡­ what are you doing here? You better say it aloud before I alert the queen and Liam¡±, Tiffany said and again, E¡¯s heart missed a beat.


    ¡°I promise to leave. I was only dying of curiosity and for another time, I wanted to set my eyes on my sister. I actually wanted to plead for her forgiveness¡±, E lied and started sniffing pretentiously.


    She knew that she would never stoop too low to ask Alyssa for forgiveness, but she only said that to make Tiffany think of her in another manner.


    ¡°I would leave once I ask for forgiveness and apologize. I promise¡±, E pushed further, feeling pleased that Tiffany was beginning to believe her.


    Tiffany walked out after warning her to leave the pce premises. E finally leaves the premises, while Tiffany battled with her inner self. She thought of telling her best friend about E, but kicked against it when she saw how happy Alyssa was at the moment.

 CHAPTER 97

    ¡°You have a message¡±, A servant said as he knocked on the door and poked into Lucas¡¯s room.


    ¡°If it¡¯s from my father, I would rather not hear of it!¡± Lucas replied bluntly and started walking into the bathroom.


    His father had been a thorn in his flesh for the past few months, and they never seemed to be on the same side since today.


    Ever since Alyssa disappeared into thin air, Lucas had remained adamant to his father¡¯s plea to take another wife or go searching for her.


    She had searched every part of the world he could think of, but never got lucky with sight of Alyssa.


    ¡°But she¡¯s my mate!¡± Lucas would always say to his father whenever he provided a suggestion rting to taking another person as wife.


    ¡°A mate who is nowhere in sight. We don¡¯t even have an idea if she is still alive¡±, His father protested, but Lucas wasn¡¯t willing to hear any of it.


    He had made up his mind to find Alyssa and see her because taking another wife was not an option for him.


    Just yesterday, his father had called him to give him an ultimatum of a month to find his mate or ept whosoever he brings as a wife for him.


    That had torn Lucas apart, especially because of the serious gaze on his father¡¯s face. His father meant every single word in his utterance.


    He was not ready to meet any other woman apart from Alyssa. The mate bond was something he would rather not shove aside. He was going to find his mate, he was sure of that¡­T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Get me some mixture for my headache!¡± He said to the servant who still stood by the door, with the letter in his hands.


    Lucas swirled around to see the servant still standing by the door. He was at the verge of screaming when he caught sight of what he held in his hands.


    ¡°Is that a letter? Is that from my father?¡± Lucas asked as he approached the servant, whose head was bowed to the ground in respect.


    ¡°Not from your father¡±, the servant mumbled and for the first time in a long time, Lucas heaved a massive sigh of relief.


    It was an invitation lettering from Venice. The king of Venice was getting married, and he had been invited to attend.


    ¡°The letter came in for my father!¡± Lucas finally said when he realized that it was addressed to the King and not him¡­


    A frown stered on his face, but almost immediately, got reced with a wide grin.


    ¡°You know what? This letter never arrived, do you understand?¡± He asked the servant, who was confused but nodded his head in understanding.


    The letter hade for his father, but the servant had brought it for him after thinking that it came in for him.


    He had wanted to shove it aside when he remembered that the heat from the father is so much, and he needed to ease off some of the tension.


    Lucas looked at the invitation card as he paced around the room. He needed to clear up the steam, and he was going to do that by attending the wedding.


    He was still convinced that he would find Alyssa, right before the ultimatum his father had given him expires. However, he had to be in a calm environment, to strategize and think of means to search for her.


    Almost immediately, he called on the servants which would be going on the journey with him. He informed them about the wedding and concluded that they would be leaving at dusk.


    He was quite excited, even if he had no reason to be. Staying away from his father¡¯s pce for a couple of days was worth being excited about because he won¡¯t be bugged with the constant talks about marriage and the kingdom.


    The drive to Venice was smooth, except for the fact that it was quite long.


    They arrived some moments before 10pm. The city was still buzzing with activities that for a moment, he wondered if they had enough time to rest from the day¡¯s activities.


    He brought out the invitation card just as they approached the pce. It was inly written that peopleing from far would be well attended to as long as they had their invitation cards.


    The car parked right at the front of the pce and Lucas came down immediately. He made to walk towards the Pce gates, but a figure d in a cloak bumped into him, causing the invitation card to fall off his hands.


    He was enraged, but rather than showing off his cruel side in a new kingdom, he decided to let it go. He crouched low and picked up the card, but also observed that whosoever it was in the cloak, was not making any attempt to move aside.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± He muttered as he clenched his fist in fury.


    ¡°Get off the way!¡± He ordered, trying so hard to avoid raising his voice.


    He moved towards the left, but the figure followed him as well. Now, he was convinced that whosoever it was called for trouble.


    He gestured for his guards who quickly walked close to them and just as they made to grab the person, the part of the cloak covering the head came off and Lucas was shocked to his bones.


    ¡°E?¡± He called out and gestured for his men to halt.


    E nodded her head in affirmation, sighing deeply and smiling just as she did.


    ¡°You came at the right time!¡± She noted in relief while Lucas red at her in surprise.


    ¡°How did you know that I would be here?¡± He asked E, who startedughing aloud.


    ¡°I only hoped that you would be here because that would make things a lot easier for me. Thank goddess, you came just as I wished!¡± E said again, causing Lucas to get more confused that he was already.


    ¡°What exactly are you talking about and why are you excited that I am here?¡± Lucas was beginning to lose his patience and for a minute, he wondered why he had allowed them to stop from beating her up.


    ¡°Do you have an idea of who is getting married?¡± E asked him.


    He paused to think about the question.


    ¡°It¡¯s the king, of course!¡± Lucas replied when it dawned on him that it was the royal wedding of Venice.


    ¡°Good! And do you know who he is getting married to?¡± E asked, enjoying the way and manner she yed with his emotions and thoughts.


    ¡°And why does that concern me?¡± Lucas asked with a voice like that of a foghorn.


    He was exhausted from her interview that all he wished to do was push her aside until shended on the ground. He hade all the way to Venice to stay away from his kingdom for a while, and not to be tossed around by the step-sister of his mate.


    ¡°Well, the king is getting married to my sister¡±, E said and startedughing hysterically.


    Lucas was taken aback, but shoved aside the first thought that creeped into his head.


    ¡°Which of your sister?¡± He stuttered, hoping that it was not who it thought about.


    ¡°Alyssa¡­of course!¡± E said, andughed again when she saw how cold he turned.


    ¡°Your mate!¡± She added, to trigger the intensity of the information.

 CHAPTER 98

    Lucas couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He stared at E who went on exining why he needed to take back Alyssa.


    ¡°She is only a maniptive bitch and trust me when I say that she deceived Liam into getting married to her¡±, E said with a scoff, hoping that Lucas would fall for her words.


    He did and in no time, they were on their way out of the pce gates since Lucas would not want Alyssa or anyone else to catch sight of him.


    ¡°We can go to an inn and discuss in detail¡±, he said to E who smiled in fulfillment.


    She was d that there was a like mate who would stop at nothing to ensure that Alyssa and Liam are pulled apart.


    She was not going to allow Alyssa get married. It pained her heart to realize that she would be in a happy home before her.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine!¡± E replied almost immediately and together, they walked to a nearby inn to stay.


    Just as they walked into the inn, Lucas¡¯s mind was clouded with different thoughts. He thought of why Liam decided to marry Alyssa, and he concluded that it was only a mistake. He was the only one meant to get married to her and nothing was going to stop that.


    He clenched his fists in anger when he recalled that Alyssa had been gone for years and might have turned away from him. Still, with that realization, he was determined to win her back for himself.


    Lucas ordered more drinks after taking more than two jugs. He was pissed and enraged and all he could think of was having a lot of drink to drain his sorrows.


    E kept mute and watched him, trying so hard to hide the excitement she felt in her heart.


    ¡°So, what now? You informed me about it and you should have some solutions too¡±, Lucas said after taking another gulp from the wine.


    E shrugged as she sat up and red at Lucas. Of course, she had a n.


    ¡°I always have a n!¡± E said with a glint of pride in her voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m all ears!¡± Lucas replied aloud, mming his fist on the table and causing E to shiver in fright.


    ¡°If you want me to help you, you need to listen and avoid making me look like the culprit! I wasn¡¯t the one who took your mate from you¡±, E rolled her eyes at him while he clenched his fists and let out a deep breath.


    ¡°Go ahead with the details of your ns¡±, Lucas said to E who nodded and smiled.


    ¡°We would ruin their wedding!¡± She dropped.


    ¡°Of course! I know that we would ruin that. You don¡¯t think I¡¯m sitting here and looking at you because I have no idea that we would ruin the wedding, do you? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡± He noted and startedughing aloud while E rolled her eyes at him again.


    Lucas was a very annoying figure and dealing or working with him required a great deal of patience. At this, E shrugged and cleared her throat for the hundredth time.


    ¡°You would need me, just as I would need you. We all want the same thing; to stop the wedding. So you would help from your end and I would help from my end¡±, she exined to Lucas who nodded his head.


    He was still confused and wondered why E was bent on stopping the wedding. He had a vivid reason since Alyssa was his mate. But he couldn¡¯t point any vivid reason for E¡­


    He shoved thoughts of that aside and decided to focus on what he wanted from his own end.


    ¡°Fine!¡± He replied, waiting to hear how she ns to achieve all of that.


    ¡°So, I would be the inside person. I already have my means of getting disguised as a maid. I mean, I had to use my life savings to pay up the person who gave me her servant¡¯s tunic¡­¡±, E exined, even if that was of no importance to Lucas.


    ¡°And?¡± Lucas said almost immediately. He was running out of patience and what was worse was the fact that the wedding was scheduled to take ce the next day. They were running out of time and the earlier they had a reasonable and valid n, the better for the both of them.


    ¡°So, I would be inside. I would handle the security and give you ess toe inside. I mean, we would have to keep outmunication intact because we would strike the moment everyone is busy with one thing or the other¡±, E exined and Lucas nodded his head in understanding.


    He was beginning to see sense in her ns and it excited him.


    ¡°We need something that would make her sleep¡±, E said .


    ¡°I can take care of that¡±, Lucas replied almost immediately.


    ¡°We have to be swift and fast with everything. She needs to be taken out of the pce right before the wedding starts. That would be our only best bet¡±, E said and Lucas nodded his head in understanding.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about you. What is your cut in all of this? You appear to be more interested in all of this, even more than I am¡­it isn¡¯t just mere hate, is it?¡± Lucas asked and searched her eyes calmly.


    He didn¡¯t find an answer, because E was quick to throw off whatever emotions she had brewing inside of her.


    ¡°That is not our business!¡± She said defiantly.


    ¡°We are talking of my mate here. Whatever it is that concerns her, concerns me as well. So, I ask again, what is your take in all of these?¡± Lucas asked, clenching his fist as though he was ready to throw a punch across to her.


    E shrugged and swallowed hard when she observed that he was taking the situation to be a lot more serious than it was.


    ¡°One thing you can be sure of is that I would never hurt your mate. I¡¯m doing this for you¡±, she lied and lowered her eyes to the ground.


    Lucas was not ready to take any of her lies. This caused him to stand up and descend towards her furiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t dare lie to me! You aren¡¯t doing this for me and you know it. Now tell me why are you making such n against your sister!¡± Lucas said, pinning E to the wall and ignoring how hard she coughed from the impact it created on her neck.


    ¡°Fine! I will tell you¡±, E said as he finally released her and threw her to the wall.


    She coughed until she caught her breath.


    ¡°I¡¯m owned by a master¡±, she narrated, with Lucas nodding his head impatiently.


    ¡°I¡¯m helping you because I need you to buy me from my master who would be attending the wedding¡±, E said to Lucas who then nodded his head in understanding.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    He sent her away after they concluded on the time and location to meet the next day.


    The night was a tough one for Lucas. He screamed at intervals, scattered things in the room and finally gulped down different shots of alcohol.


    He was enraged that he thought of strangling the King who seeded in taking his mate away from him.


    His heart told him to let go, but no, he wasn¡¯t willing to. He was going to fight till the end until he gets back his mate who is meant to be his wife.

 CHAPTER 99

    It was the wedding day. Alyssa was lost in thoughts as she stared at her beautiful figure in the mirror. She was d in her white, flowing beautiful dress and she could swear that she was the most beautiful bride she had seen in a long time.


    ¡°You look beautiful!¡± Tiffanymented as she blinked off the tears that made her eyes bleary.


    It was such an emotional moment for the both of them. At intervals, Alyssa made to break into tears, but she only got reminded of the fact that she would ruin the makeup.


    Her mind travelled down memoryne just as they did some final touches on her face.


    She thought of Liam and how he was the best choice for her. He was a man of deep insight who made her understand life from different angles and sides.


    He helped her value who she was and the way he stared at her gave her confidence and the urge to be better.


    ¡°You are finally doing this!¡± Tiffany announced the moment they were done with her face. Alyssa jerked out of her thoughts and mouthed a ¡°thank you¡±.


    She looked beautiful, but a deeper look into her eyes showed a bride who was scared and nervous.


    Tiffany had told her severally that it was a normal feeling that engulfed brides on the day of their wedding. However, something was off with that of Alyssa. With each second that passed, she was more convinced that trouble was lurking nearby.


    ¡°How exactly are you feeling?¡± Tiffany asked as she sent a worried stare across to Alyssa.


    ¡°Nervous ! The number of people would make me want to puke¡±, Alyssa said and forced aughter out of her lips.


    She was only trying to be fine and shove aside every weird thoughts that creeped into her head.


    ¡°You met most of them at the dinner yesterday. There is no way you would be entirely nervous or scared¡±, Tiffany said in a reminding tone and Alyssa opened her eyes in realization.


    Tiffany was right. The majority of the people who would grace the wedding and alreadye for the dinner. That means, she had nothing to be scared of¡­


    But still, something bothered her heart and she couldn¡¯t ce hands on it.


    Tiffany felt guilty on the other hand. She had seen E in the pce but she hid it from her best friend. She had her best reasons for doing that, because she wouldn¡¯t want to add up to the tension she felt already.


    ¡°Everything would be okay!¡± Tiffany said, hoping that she was right with her statement. She had warned E to stay away from the pce, even though therger part of her heart told her that it wasn¡¯t going to be possible. She only had to remain positive¡­


    They got done with the finishing touches of the makeup on Alyssa¡¯s face. She looked stunning and she knew it.


    Her anxiety was getting heightened by the second and she needed no one to tell her that she would love a moment alone.


    And so, she turned to them and smiled calmly.


    ¡°I would love to be alone. Just for a moment¡­.¡±, Alyssa said with a wide smile.


    Tiffany asked her if she would be fine alone and she nodded her head in affirmation.


    They all left the room while Alyssa gazed at the mirror and smiled. She ced her hands on her chest and took in a deep breath to relieve her nerves.


    ¡°It¡¯s just for a few hours. Before you know it, you are done!¡± She said to herself and smiled.


    This was going to be the longest day of her life and she only prayed that things would go as nned. She couldn¡¯t decipher why she had strange feelings or why she felt that danger was lurking nearby. She concluded that it was normal fear that came with a wedding day. Perhaps, the pce was greatly secured and no one woulde in to harm her or anyone present.


    Just then, a knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She sighed deeply, especially when she recalled that she had told them that she wanted a moment to herself.


    ¡°I told you all that I want a moment for myself. Don¡¯t you listen?¡± She sighed tiredly.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s your son!¡± The maid from the other side of the door said and immediately, Alyssa jerked to her feet.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± She asked, with her heart beating out of her chest and her feet almost giving her away to the ground.


    ¡°He was ying around and somehow, hurt himself¡±, the maid exined and for a minute, Alyssa sighed in relief.


    She had thought that something bad had happened. Or that he was missing.


    ¡°I¡¯ming right away!¡± Alyssa said and started pulling up her gown.


    The queen has advised her to remain in her room until it was time for her toe out. But thoughts of the pain her little boy would be going through made her forget the queen¡¯s words.


    ¡°Where¡¯s he?¡± She asked the maid who pointed at his room.


    She walked into the room, looking around and wondering where the little boy must have gone to. He wasn¡¯t anywhere in sight like the maid had said.


    ¡°Timothy!¡± She called out, with her heart beating out of her chest.


    The maid had sounded with so much urgency that she feared for what might have happened to her son.


    The queen¡¯s words came to her ears again and she sighed deeply. She felt sorry that she disobeyed the queen by leaving her room when she was told not to. But she was most concerned about the safety of her son.


    She checked around the room again and it dawned on her that he was not in the room at the moment. She turned around and made to walk out when he felt a cold hand on her back.


    Alyssa remained frozen to the spot. There was possibly no way the hands on her back would be that of her son, because Tim was only a little boy.


    She swirled around almost immediately and that was when her eyesnded on him¡­Lucas.


    ¡°What?¡± She gasped in horror as she took fearful steps backwards.


    ¡°Hello¡­queen¡±, Lucas said sarcastically as he walked closer to her.


    ¡°I would prefer if you stay mute and avoid uttering a single word. That would save both of us the stress of being in trouble¡±, Lucas added, still taking slow strides towards her.


    Alyssa knew that the best thing to do at the moment was to let out a loud scream.


    She made to scream, but couldn¡¯t because a white cloth was ced across her lips. She struggled for a moment, but stopped when she started drifting off into the world of unconsciousness.


    Lucas let out a smirk after which he removed the cloth that was dampened in chloroform.


    ¡°That would keep you quiet for a while¡±, he hissed and held her firmly.


    E came into the room almost immediately. She was satisfied that Lucas had done his part. Now, it was time to do hers.


    ¡°Wait!¡± She called out to him right before he made to carry Alyssa.


    ¡°You should change her to this¡±, she said and threw a robe across to him.


    Lucas threw a questioning look at her while E smiled pretentiously.


    ¡°I¡¯m only saving your ass. That wedding dress is too big and it would reduce your speed¡±, she exined and Lucas nodded in understanding.

 CHAPTER 100

    Alyssa blinked her eyes for the third time, trying to take in the light that came into the room from a single opening.


    She jerked up the moment she realized that it wasn¡¯t her room. Her back was on a solid ground as against her soft andfortable bed, and the sun rays that struck her face was nothing like her room.


    She yelped in shock after looking around and discovering that she was in an underground cer of some sort. Her wedding gown had been taken off and reced by a robe that barely covered her skin.


    Whimpering silently, she wrapped her arms around her chest, trying to recall what happened thatnded her at the spot she was currently in.


    Almost immediately, she became hysterical and started screaming for help. She tried to take off the chains on her wrists, but the more she tried, the more it hurt her.


    Again, she strained her memory to discover who might have abducted her. Nothing seemed to being out of her head since the chloroform hadn¡¯tpletely worn out of her system.


    She kept mute when her whimpers and yells didn¡¯t seem to be of no use. Her heart was racing out of her chest and she was trying to imagine what would be of her.


    That was when it struck her head! Lucas¡­


    It was Lucas. He had made her inhale something that prompted her to get unconscious immediately. He had taken her to an underground cer which she had no idea of, and now, he was about to do what she had no idea of.


    ¡°Lucas!¡± Alyssa screamed out of her lungs the moment the realization hit in.


    ¡°Lucas!¡±


    The door creaked open and she turned her head abruptly, expecting to catch sight of Lucas walking into the room. Her expectations fell right at her front when she saw a servant with the crest of the Sylvia kingdom walking in. It gave her a little information; they were not in Liam¡¯s kingdom, or maybe, they were¡­


    She was confused that for a minute, she had no idea of what to say.


    The servant dropped the food tray right beside her. He made to stand up, but she grabbed him on his legs.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please, you can¡¯t leave me here!¡± She pleaded as more tears dropped out of her eyes.


    The man struggled to get his feet away from her grip, but it was so fierce.


    ¡°Please! I¡¯m a mother and my son is hurt. I was just on my way to see him when Lucas picked me! Please¡­¡±, she pleaded to the servant who rolled his eyes and finally pushed her until she fell back to the ground.


    ¡°You should eat your food if you want to remain alive¡±, the servant advised, but Alyssa cared less about that.


    She rather starve than eat a food given to her by someone who drugged and kidnapped her.


    ¡°Please, I just need to see my son! He is hurt and would definitely need to see his mother¡±, she cried bitterly, but the servant only looked at her as though she was mentally derailed. He walked out almost immediately, without uttering another word.


    Alyssa sobbed quietly until she finally stopped. It dawned on her that she was set up by the maid herself. The maid was certainly aware that Tim was not in the room, but she had watched her entering the room. The maid was also aware that Lucas was in the pce premises and she didn¡¯t utter a word about it. She suddenly realized that Tim was not hurt and unknowingly, she let out a massive sigh of relief.


    She was scared for herself too. Deep down, she tried to think of what Lucas might be up to and what he wanted to do with her. He wondered if he would kill her for nning to get married to someone else. Each of these thoughts swirled around her mind and made her scared to the bones.


    Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden clicking of the door knob. She looked up abruptly and saw Lucas, walking in with a wide smile on his face.


    ¡°Oh my Alyssa! Such a pleasure to meet you¡±, he said as he walked closer to her and pulled her into a warm hug which she resisted.


    Alyssa was distraught when she saw the look on his face. He appeared so cool and excited, as though he wasn¡¯t the one who drugged and kidnapped her.


    ¡°You have no idea of how much I¡¯ve missed you. How long have it been again? Five years? Six years?¡± He asked Alyssa who red at him and clenched her fists.


    Lucas broke into another round ofughter. He was currently enjoying how he frightened Alyssa with his taunts, and seeing how she cried for mercy ddened his heart.


    ¡°Just let me go. Everyone would be worried about me!¡± Alyssa pleaded as more stream of tears flowed out of her eyes.


    This enraged Lucas to the core that he suddenly jerked up and screamed.


    ¡°They don¡¯t have a right to be worried about you! I¡¯m your mate and should be the one worried about you! Don¡¯t you dare think of any person in that pce!¡± Lucas ordered and pointed his fingers at Alyssa who shivered in fright.


    Alyssa nodded her head abruptly, whimpering and wiping the tears off her eyes.


    ¡°Good girl! Now, we would eat dinner together and have our fun day here¡±, Lucas said as a smirk spread across his lips.


    ¡°What? But this is supposed to be my wedding day! Please¡­¡±, Alyssa was saying when she felt a tightening around her neck.


    Lucas was strangling her and he was doing it with so much force and rage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare mention your wedding! You should be married to me and not him! I¡¯m your mate¡±, Lucas exined after which he pushed her until she slightly hit her head on the wall at her back.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me!¡± Alyssa pleaded while he broke into a loud and hystericalughter.


    ¡°You know that I won¡¯t kill you. I can¡¯t kill you because you belong to me and me alone. I only saved you because I want us to have some moments with ourselves, free from those external forces¡­¡±, Lucas said while Alyssa sobbed.


    She thought of Liam and what he might be going through at the moment.


    ¡°What if he thinks I ran away?¡± Alyssa asked herself as random thoughts started tripping into her head.


    She was scared that Liam might think of many things which would make him conclude that she wasn¡¯t kidnapped.


    The way Lucas made it look would appear as a personal escape n. He had taken off her wedding dress and now, it would look as though she ran away on her wedding day.


    This was the major thoughts that encircled Alyssa¡¯s mind and she couldn¡¯t help but cry in misery.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry or think of the King of Venice anymore. You were never meant for him from the beginning. The moon goddess destined us to be each other and that was why I found you in a ce I never thought you would be. Isn¡¯t that fate?¡± Lucas said and caressed her cheeks calmly.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s eat¡±, he said and picked out a piece of chicken from the tray. He tore it apart and ced a bit of it into his mouth, totally ignoring the deadly res on Alyssa¡¯s face.

 CHAPTER 101

    E huffed in satisfaction once she was certain that Alyssa was out of her way. She had watched as Alyssa got dragged into a car that drove away almost immediately. Lucas had taken her and this was the most exciting period of her life.


    She quickly pulled Alyssa¡¯s wedding gown into the room, discreetly looking around to be sure that no one caught sight of her game.


    Once she was in Alyssa¡¯s room, she applied some makeup on her face after which she slipped into the gown.


    She picked up the veil and swiftly threw it over her head, concealing her face and hoping that they don¡¯t discover her on time. She was going to get married to Liam and nothing was going to stop that.


    ¡°It¡¯s the maid! I was sent to check on you¡±, a maid called out from the door, but E quickly dismissed her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine! Just leave¡± She said in a low voice, trying to disguise her voice to sound like that of Alyssa.


    The maid didn¡¯t suspect anything, because who would have thought that the bride wasn¡¯t the one in her room?


    The maid nodded her head in understanding and left the room.


    E heaved a massive sigh of relief. She knew that it was going to be a long day, but she was ready to hide her disguise until she is proimed to be Liam¡¯s wife and the new queen.


    She couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. The wedding gown looked so beautiful, even a lot more beautiful than the one she had dreamed of wearing on her wedding day.


    ¡°And I can¡¯t wait to be addressed as the queen of Venice!¡± E danced around the room in excitement.


    Her excitement was cut short by the sudden knock on the door. She made to tell the person to leave, but the door already opened before she could utter any word.


    ¡°The guests are waiting. It¡¯s time for you to walk down the aisle¡±, the queen said with a wide smile that made E¡¯s heart skip a beat.


    She took in a deep breath and nodded her head. She had to reduce number of times she made utterances or else, they would discover her before her mission is achieved.


    ¡°This bouquet has been there right from time. It¡¯s the tradition for every iing queen to hold this in her hands while walking down the aisle¡±, the queen exined and again, E nodded her head in understanding.


    She only hoped that the sermon woulde to an end before she would start looking suspicious.


    Tiffany walked into the room almost immediately and E¡¯s heart skipped again.


    ¡°Are you feeling better now? It¡¯s time¡±, Tiffany said as she patted her on the shoulder.


    E flinched at her touch and that was greatly strange. Alyssa would never flinch when Tiffany touches her.


    Tiffany made to talk about it, but she shoved it aside as being irrelevant. It was probably because of how tensed she was about the wedding.


    ¡°Do you feel better now?¡± Tiffany asked, staring at E who had her head lowered to the ground.


    E nodded. She needed no one to tell her that the moment Tiffany hears her voice, that would be all.


    ¡°Do you remember what I told you about going into the crowd?¡± The queen asked and E¡¯s heart dropped.


    ¡°You remember, don¡¯t you? We just talked about it a moment ago¡­¡±, the queen said with a small smile.


    E made to talk, but no words came out of her mouth. Her head was nk because they had told Alyssa, not her¡­


    Tiffany stared at Alyssa again, wondering what was wrong with her. Alyssa was never this quiet, no matter how tensed and nervous she might be.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t remember. I would tell you. The tensioning from the crowd would get better with time. Once you enter and walk down the aisle, you wouldn¡¯t even have an idea of when you be rxed¡±, the queen said and chuckled.


    Again, E nodded her head.


    That was strange. Alyssa would have chuckled as well, or she would have muttered a ¡°thank you¡±, to the queen who was only trying to make her feel better.


    The queen exchanged nces with Tiffany who had a strange look on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s time for her to go. She would get rxed before you know it¡±, the queen said and gestured for E to start walking out of the room.


    E jerked up and nodded again, after which she took slow steps out of the room. Her walking steps were different from that of Alyssa, but she tried so hard to replicate how Alyssa would have walked on her wedding day.


    Tiffany could sense many different things about her. She made to tell her to call off the wedding until she was ready, since the wedding was making her to act in a way different from the norm. However, she caught sight of how excited the queen was. She also recalled how Alyssa had patiently awaited for the big day, and so, she decided to keep mute and swallow back her words.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    They got out of the room and that was where E got stuck.


    ¡°Why did you stop walking?¡± Tiffany asked and red at the queen who was also surprised by her current action.


    E had no idea of the road to take. There were two roads and she wasn¡¯t so familiar with each of the routes. It was clear though that one of the roads led to the second garden where the wedding was currently taking ce.


    ¡°It¡¯s the road by the left. Have you forgotten?¡± Tiffany asked and E chuckled calmly. Still, she didn¡¯t utter a word.


    Tiffany concluded that her anxiety must have heightened because she was barely saying anymore words at this point.


    Again, she made to tell Alyssa to stop if this was not the best time to take such an important decision. But then, she kicked against it. Alyssa had been so happy about everything, so there was no way that she wasn¡¯t ready for her wedding. Tiffany just couldn¡¯t ce her hands on what had gone wrong.


    E smiled the moment the stood at the entrance of the aisle. This was the moment she had been waiting for and it was even more beautiful that she had thought or imagined.


    Many people hade to grace the wedding and that was the highlight of everything. She couldn¡¯t believe that Alyssa would have been the person witnessing all of these as the bride.


    ¡°I would always be E! You can¡¯t be happy, Alyssa! I always told you that¡±, she muttered inwardly as she took in deep breaths to calm her nerves.


    She recalled the moments where Liam had pleaded with her to help him get back at Alyssa. She had epted that immediately, because she was certain that they would eventually turn out to be partners in future.


    She knew that it was only a pretense, but it was something more for her. All she saw was an awakening and the need to take the position of Alyssa in Liam¡¯s life.


    It was a difficult decision, especially because it appeared to be a lot more difficult than she thought. But then, just as always, she had her ns and her ns never failed her¡­


    E was happy with herself, happy with how smart she was and happy for the next phase of her life.

 CHAPTER 102

    Everywhere turned dead silent the moment E stepped out and into the face of the crowd. Most of the people gushed out in excitement, even if they couldn¡¯t catch a glimpse of whosoever it was that hid inside the veil. They concluded that she must be so beautiful, because her beauty radiated with her presence.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be nervous. I felt like this the day I got married to the queen too. It would get better in no time, and before you know it, you would loosen up and be free¡±, the queen said to the supposed Alyssa who nodded her head in understanding.


    E was bored and tired of how everyone around was acting so nice and peaceful. It ached her heart to think of how Alyssa would have been the one receiving such treatment. She was d that her intelligence pushed Alyssa out of the picture, because now, she was on the way to bing wife to the King¡­


    ¡°You can go now. It¡¯s time¡±, Tiffany whispered into E ears while she flinched a bit. She was notfortable with how Tiffany stood beside her, because a part of her heart was scared that she would be the one to discover her games.


    Soft music started ying in the background and it only indicated that it was time to for the bride to walk down the aisle.


    E looked at the far end of the aisle to see Liam who was waiting patiently for his bride.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    This was like a dreame through for him. He couldn¡¯t wait for everything to get done with so that he would proceed to live a happy life with his wife.


    His stomach grumbled silently and that was when he recalled that he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the morning. He had been so excited that he failed to eat anything that was brought to him.


    E struggled to keep up with her steps as she walked. Her legs were wobbly and she was scared that it would give her away. It was even worse because she was trying so hard to walk in the way and manner that Alyssa would.


    Her head was lowered to the ground, looking up at intervals and breathing hard to rx her scared soul.


    She was finally some feets away from where Liam stood. Deep down in her heart, she was d that she was almost at the end of the tunnel. Sooner orter, they would be proimed husband and wife.


    However, Liam observed something right before she reached where he stood. Her walking steps were different from how it used to be.


    He shoved it aside immediately, with thoughts of it being as a result of wedding anxiety.


    A wide smile spread across his face the moment she finally reached where he stood.


    Something was odd again- her scent.


    Her major scent was of strawberry and orange. But this time, the scent he perceived was different and weird.


    He took in a deep sniff, withholding himself from going closer and sniffing her. That was exactly what he felt like doing. He craved to move closer and sniff her, to be sure that it was really his Alyssa.


    Liam finally shook his head and decided to allow it slide. Perhaps, she had changed her scent to something else because it was her wedding. He didn¡¯t see how it sounded logical though, but he resolved to shoving it aside to focus on the wedding.


    ¡°We are gathered here, to join the both of them as man and wife. If there¡¯s anyone around who would want to stand against this union, let they speak up now, or forever remain silent!¡± The elder in charge of the ceremony said and for a moment, everyone remained silent.


    Liam heaved a massive sigh of relief, not because he was expecting anyone to stand against his wedding, but because he was d that they were making progress.


    ¡°You may now read your vows¡±, the elder said and gestured for them to kick start.


    E heart skipped a beat. Her head was still lowered to the ground while her heart was racing every single second.


    ¡°Dear Alyssa¡­¡±, Liam started, but stopped when he observed that she wasn¡¯t looking towards his direction.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be looking at him while they exchanged their vows?¡± He thought silently and again, shoved it aside as a disturbing and irreverent thought.


    ¡°You came into my light and became my light. You unlocked a type of happiness I never witnessed in my life and you broughtplete peace to my soul¡±, Liam said.


    He was hoping that she would be peering into his eyes now, but she remained as she was; staring at the ground.


    ¡°You are there every single moment and I want you to be there forever. This peace you brought to me, I want to witness it every single day of my life. Your smile, your tears, your joy, your sorrow, I want to be with you through all of it¡±, Liam said as the crowd turned emotional.


    ¡°You remember the first day we met? That singr event that happened between us?¡± Hunger asked while E gulped.


    She couldn¡¯t ascertain if he was asking a question which he expected an answer.


    Liam stared at her intently, waiting for her to nod or smile or do something to show that she was following the words of his mouth. But, she wasn¡¯t doing any of those.


    ¡°The way you rushed to me to stop me from jumping into theke¡­¡±, Liam said and chuckled calmly.


    ¡°You thought I was about tomit suicide and that was the sweetest thing I had ever seen. You cared for me¡­even if I was a stranger¡±, Liam said while E sighed inwardly.


    It ached her heart to hear Liam directing such sweet words to Alyssa and she couldn¡¯t wait to see and end to the long sermon he called a vow.


    Liam was bing restless at this point. He still had a long way to go with his vow, but he had no idea if he was ready to proceed because of the reaction he was getting from Alyssa.


    Something was wrong and he knew it. This was supposed to be the sweetest moment of the wedding; where they get to stare into their different eyeballs.


    The crowd was sniffing now. Liam¡¯s vow had to be the sweetest thing they¡¯ve heard in a while. Tiffany was amused at how cold Alyssa was. Inasmuch as she was nervous, she never expected her to behave so calm and cold in a situation that required a bit of vibrancy.


    ¡°But¡­who are you?¡± Liam suddenly asked.


    E skipped a beat, but she thought that it was only another line from the long sermon like vow.


    ¡°I ask again, who are you?¡± Liam asked in more deafening voice, starling E and causing her to lift her head in shock.


    He was staring at her fiercely.


    ¡°You are not Alyssa, are you?¡± Liam asked and moved forward.


    He yanked the veil away from her face and gasped when he saw someone who didn¡¯t look a little bit like his bride.


    He knew it! Something was off and he could tell. Alyssa he knew was never so off the way E was.


    ¡°Wait! We can continue with the wedding. You would be making a mistake by marrying Alyssa¡±, E said.


    Liam was shocked and that was when he had a feeling in his stomach- Alyssa was in danger.

 CHAPTER 103

    Liam ignored the chaos he was beginning to create. He would rather not care about that because thedy at his front was not his bride. And the worst was that his bride was no where in view.


    ¡°Where is Alyssa?¡± Liam asked again, taking slow and dangerous strides towards E who gulped down in shock.


    E shrugged and kept mute. Inasmuch as she was frightened and scared of what Liam might do to her, she was not ready to reveal Alyssa¡¯s whereabouts to him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± E replied bluntly, clearly not willing to give a clue on where she was.


    ¡°E!¡± Liam barked angrily as he clenched his fists in rage. His eyes turned red immediately and he could feel veinsing out on his forehead.


    He hardly got angry. But then, his rage was capable of pulling down strong holds and causing extreme chaos.


    ¡°Where is Alyssa?¡± He asked again as the thought of what they might be doing to her.


    He pictured Alyssa in a room, hurt in chains and unknowingly, he lost his temper.


    He grabbed E on her neck until she was at the verge of choking. He pressed on her neck continuously, threatening her and willing to kill her on the spot if she refused to reveal the information she concealed. u


    ¡°Please, people are still watching¡±, Ryan pleaded with him and he finally let her go. Some of the wedding guests were still around while others had left after concluding that the wedding was only a waste of time and resources.


    Tiffany took slow steps to the front until she was now facing E. Her blood burned in rage that she felt the urge to strangle her right there on the spot.


    It pierced her heart more when she remembered that she didn¡¯t tell Alyssa about E¡¯s presence. Perhaps, if she did, they would have added extra measures to their security.


    ¡°Where is Alyssa?¡± Tiffany asked, clenching her fists in rage and peering piercingly into E¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°No idea!¡± She replied bluntly and almost immediately, a pnded across her face.


    E was shocked to her bones and as she held her lips, she stared at Tiffany furiously.


    ¡°Where is Alyssa?¡± Tiffany asked again as she held her neck and started strangling her ferociously.


    E remained adamant and unwilling to talk and this surprised both Ryan and Liam.


    ¡°Let her be¡±, Ryan said and gently pulled Tiffany away from her.


    He looked at E and studied her calmly.


    ¡°What do you want? What would it take you to show us where Alyssa is?¡± Ryan asked E who broke into a loud and hystericalughter.


    ¡°What I want is simple¡±, E noted.


    ¡°For Liam to marry me!¡± She divulged and for a minute, Liam thought that he had heard wrongly.


    Tiffany exchanged nces with Ryan who was also shocked to his bones. How could shee out of nowhere and think that Liam would make her his wife?


    It was ridiculous and definitely hrious.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane, aren¡¯t you?¡± Liam asked, feeling hot blood pumping into his veins.


    He ignored Ryan¡¯s earlier orders and proceeded to shake E fervently until she cried out in pain.


    ¡°Tell me where she is!¡± Liam yelled out of his lungs, digging his fingers into E¡¯s skin and watching how it started to bleed.


    Still, she didn¡¯t budge. She was bent on making Liam her husband and nothing was going to change that for her.


    ¡°Look¡­¡±, she finally said and turned to Liam, caressing the fresh injury that was hurting her severely.


    ¡°Alyssa is trouble and wherever she is, trouble and chaos looms. This pce was not an exception, and neither was ours¡±, E said and Liam clenched his fists in fury.


    The queen was at the other end, trying to disperse the crowd and stop them from prying into matters that concerned the pce. It was rowdy, noisy and extremely chaotic.


    ¡°She came into this pce to steal an artifact, deceived everyone of you and finally eloped. She returned and the first thing she did was to attempt killing herself In the pce. Do you have an idea of how that singr act would have ruined the reputation of this pce?¡± E defended fiercely, while Tiffany stared at her unbelievably.


    Liam couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Alyssa had told him stories of how her step sister detested her, but he had no idea that it was to this extent.


    ¡°Did you dare mention the artifact? The artifact that was used to punish Alyssa? The one your father had to send her here for as a means to punish and send her away?¡± Liam was burning in rage now that Tiffany and Ryan feared of what might befall E.


    ¡°You witch!¡± Liam roared and started strangling E who stillughed and scoffed in her present pain.


    She was willing to go further with the game, because she wouldn¡¯t afford being the loser.


    ¡°If you kill me, you would never find her¡±, E startedughing, choking and struggling for air.


    Ryan patted Liam calmly. Cec was right afterall and if they kill their only source of information, it would be of no good.


    ¡°We can¡¯t kill her. She needs to tell us where she is keeping Alyssa¡±, Tiffany said to Liam who groaned and finally pushed her to the ground.


    ¡°Just marry me and avoid making a mistake that would cost your life. Alyssa is bad luck and would always be. If you get married to her, you would suffer forever!¡± E bbed while Liam dug his hands into his head, trying so hard to think of what to do.


    ¡°Fate brought us together. Do you remember? You had asked me to y a game with you in hurting Alyssa. You had made it look as if we both had something going on, even if it was only a game. But you don¡¯t know something about me, I don¡¯t give up on games, even if it¡¯s fake or real¡­¡±, E continued while Liam opened his mouth in shock.


    ¡°I want to see the end of this game. I want to see myself win and be your wife¡­please¡±, E said desperately.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany walked closer to her and spat on her face.


    ¡°You would know no peace!¡± She said aloud after which she kicked her so hard until she winced in pain.


    ¡°Where is Alyssa?¡± Liam asked again as an idea finally struck into his head.


    He would torture her until she finally divulged where Alyssa was been held.


    He quickly called on his guards who rushed to him in a jiffy.


    ¡°Take her to the dungeon. Torture her until she is ready to speak!¡± He ordered without a glimpse of remorse in his voice.


    E was shocked to her bones. She had expected every form of punishment, none of which getting thrown into the dungeon was a part of.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this, please¡±, she said as the guards grabbed her and started taking her away.


    ¡°Fine! I will tell you¡±, E said as she started panting heavily.


    She was not going to live while watching Alyssa attain happiness. She wasn¡¯t going to tell them the truth either¡­The embarrassment was too much that she couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°You can talk. Where is she?¡± Liam said to E while gesturing for his guards to let go of their grip on her.


    E took hold of this opportunity and ran straight into the wall at the opposite end. She banged her head on the wall for three consecutive times and before they could intervene, she had fallen t on the ground¡­dead, as blood pooled around her body.

 CHAPTER 104

    Alyssa yawned tiredly as she stretched on the ground and winced in pain. Her back was aching terribly and her eyes were bleary that she hardly saw clearly.


    She had cried her eyes out that no tears seemed toe off again. Lucas paid no heed to her cries, because to him, she was only being punished for running off to another man while leaving him in his misery.


    Alyssa was hungry but wasn¡¯t willing to eat from the food they had brought for her. She still hoped that something would happen and she would return to have her wedding with Liam.


    However, as the night drew closer, she became convinced that it may never happen since it was already getting dark.


    Lucas came in for another time. He stood at the door and stared at her intently. He had beening into the room almost every five minutes, because somehow, he found it difficult to believe that she was sitting there, so close to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me in that manner! I can¡¯t get enough of you and it still feels like a dream¡±, he startedughing aloud as he walked closer to her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you. You¡¯re my mate, afterall¡±, he kissed his teeth and caressed her cheeks lovingly.


    Alyssa flinched and spat right on his face. This enraged him to the core and without having future thoughts, he grabbed Alyssa on her jaws until it started hurting.


    ¡°I would kill you if you do that again!¡± He fiercely while she whimpered in pain.


    After some seconds, he pushed her face away while she nursed it with her hands.


    Alyssa studied him silently. It was clear that he wasn¡¯t in his sane mind because all what he was currently doing was unusual.


    ¡°Do you know how much you made me suffer?¡± Lucas asked Alyssa who only gaped at him silently.


    ¡°I had to suffer severe humiliation from my father who thought that I was a weakling! He told me that I wasn¡¯t a man because I couldn¡¯t get over you¡±, Lucas said bitterly while Alyssa sniffed from her end.


    She could understand his pain. She also knew that the mate bond was something that wasn¡¯t easily broken. However, she had thought that they were doing each other a favour. They weren¡¯t in love with each other and it would have been chaos if they eventually got married like that had nned.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t even in love with each other. We did each other a favour and you need to realize that. Look, you would find someone who you would love¡­¡±, Alyssa was saying when he held her hair and pulled it until she winced in pain.


    ¡°I would love my mate! My mate alone¡±, Lucas said defiantly after which he pushed her backwards.


    Alyssa started sobbing again. She had no idea that Lucas would emerge and start behaving like he was doing.


    Lucas suddenly started pacing around the room, huffing at intervals and ring at Alyssa as though she was a criminal.


    ¡°Do you even know the series of things that happened to me, because of you?¡± Lucas used, pointing his index finger at her.


    Alyssa shook her head negatively and innocently. She truly had no idea that she had put him in a situation as severe as he noted.


    ¡°I searched for you with everything I had. For days, months and years, I never stopped searching for you. My father even tried to marry me off to someone who I had no idea of¡±, Lucas said and clicked his teeth in disdain.


    ¡°But you see, it¡¯s the moon goddess¡¯s will for us to be together, because just like at you; showing up a week before I met the intended prospective!¡± He startedughing hysterically while Alyssa gazed at him with visible surprise on her face.


    Alyssa sighed deeply and broke into more tears. With his utterances, it was clear that he wasn¡¯t thinking properly. How could he have gotten so obsessed with her that he isn¡¯t willing to let go of her and move on with his life.


    ¡°Lucas, you don¡¯t understand¡­I have moved on with my life¡±, Alyssa stuttered, hoping that he would rx and listen to what she had to utter.


    ¡°I think we have to talk¡­please¡±, she said again.


    He stared at her for a while, after which he sat down on the ground right beside her.


    ¡°Are we about to talk about our wedding n? I would suggest that we schedule it for a month¡¯s time¡±, Lucas stated while Alyssa¡¯s eyes popped out in shock.


    She wasn¡¯t expecting him to make such an utterance, especially with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°We would go back to my kingdom and I would show you to my father. He would be so excited to see that I¡¯m finally a man and he would hail me and call me good names¡±, Lucas noted as a wide smile spread across his face.


    Alyssa shook her head in pity. It was obvious that his father¡¯s words struck the most sensitive part of his heart and now, everything he nned was encircled around it.


    ¡°We would have the biggest wedding of all time and you would be my mate¡­and my queen, just as destiny nned¡±, Lucas said in conclusion while Alyssa gaped at him with shock written on her face.


    Alyssa sniffed hard again and wiped the tears away from her eyes.


    ¡°All those would never happen¡±, Alyssa stated the obvious reality, even if Lucas charged up immediately.


    ¡°We have gone too far¡­more than you break¡±, She continued and this time, Lucas let out a scream that shook the entire basement.


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Lucas asked fiercely, throwing dead res at Alyssa.


    ¡°I have a son!¡± Alyssa dropped and for a minute, Lucas thought that he had heard wrongly.


    ¡°What son?¡± He asked and startedughing aloud, obviously thinking that Alyssa was only joking to escape his ns.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious! His name is Timothy, my son and Liam¡¯s child. The heir to the throne¡±, Alyssa said, hoping that he would believe her.


    Lucas staggered until he leaned into the wall in shock.


    ¡°What?¡± Lucas asked, with veins building up on his forehead and his eyes bloodshot in rage.


    ¡°I have started a new life and trust me when I say that this new life is everything I¡¯ve wished for. My son is my world and his father is just the perfect man on earth¡±, Alyssa said with a wide smile on her face.


    ¡°No! His father is a rapist¡±, Lucas yelled aloud and mmed his fist on the wall.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.


    Alyssa jerked up in shock, surprised that he would go ahead to injure himself and throw tantrums like a child.


    ¡°His father is not a rapist! It was consensual and I did it because I wanted to!¡± Alyssa blurted out, ready to fight Lucas if that would make him keep shut.


    ¡°I would kill him forying his hands on my mate! I would kill him with my bare hands. I promise you that¡±, Lucas said and yelled again, mming his fist continuously until his hands started bleeding.


    ¡°Stop that! Stop hurting yourself and being ridiculous¡±, Alyssa cried out when she couldn¡¯t contain the current madness going on in the room.


    ¡°You are mine, Alyssa. You belong to me and I would ensure I take off anyone that would want to stand against that¡±, Lucas said after which he stomped out of the room.

 CHAPTER 105

    Liam and his search party prepared to leave the pce. He still couldn¡¯t believe that such tragedy was currently happening, but he was determined to find whosoever it was that held Alyssa hostage.


    ¡°I would be back before you know it¡±, Liam told Timothy who was currently in tears.


    ¡°I miss mum. Would you bring her back?¡± Tim asked Liam who blinked back the tears that welled up in his eyes.


    He had no answers to his little boy questions because there was no clue leading to where Alyssa was at the moment.


    ¡°Mummy would be back before you know it¡±, Liam said and kissed him on his forehead. He left Timothy in the care of Ryan and his mother, after which he marched out of the pce premises and into the town.


    E was dead and that made information rting to Alyssa worse. The only option he had was going into the town to ask questions, even if he was the King.


    He stopped at a store by the roadside, with his disguise ced over his head and his head lowered to the ground. He wasn¡¯t ready to show himself to the people around because that would stir up a lot ofments and gossips.


    ¡°I think I caught sight of her.¡­¡±, a man said once he realized that the description was in line with that of a youngdy he had met some days ago.


    Liam stared at him in a hurry, gesturing for him to proceed with details of the information.


    ¡°She was with a man, who looked like he hade from another kingdom, for the wedding. They were at the inn¡±, the man exined to Liam who paid rapt attention to what he was saying.


    ¡°A man?¡± Liam mumbled as rage started flowing through his vein.


    He couldn¡¯t ascertain why Alyssa would be with a man, neither did he understand what a man would want from his fianc¨¦e.


    Liam gave the man some coins after which he gestured on the men for them to proceed with the search.


    His blood was boiling and his heart was skipping beats every second. It ached his heart to know that his Alyssa was with another man who had no idea of. A man who might be a danger to her.


    They got to the inn and they directed them to sit and wait at a corner. Liam had disguised himself, so none of the people around knew that he was the king.


    He used this opportunity to listen to their conversations, hoping that he would get something that would lead him to Alyssa. Instead, he got news concerning his chaotic wedding ceremony.


    ¡°I think the woman is bad luck. I mean, nothing of such have happened in this kingdom before!¡± One of the people said at a table close to where Liam sat.


    Liam was enraged by his statement that he made to descend towards him and pounce on him in fury.


    However, Nathaniel held him calmly.


    ¡°Rx! They would know it¡¯s you if you do something rash!¡± Nat whispered into his ears and he nodded in understanding.


    ¡°I think he is only a bad luck. I mean, the King must have been cursed because nothing seems to be working out for him. How could he have almost gotten married to a different person?¡± Another man on that same table said and they all broke intoughter.


    Liam clenched his fist in fury and gulped down hard. This was not the best ce to wait, but he was willing to do it if that would get him the information he wanted.


    ¡°You can talk to me¡±, the owner of the inn said as he walked closer to Liam who was now relieved that he had arrived.


    ¡°I¡¯m in search of a young woman. They said that she was with a man and they were here today¡±, Liam said to the man who drifted off in thoughts.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°A young man who looked like a prince was here indeed and with a woman¡±, the man exined.


    Liam didn¡¯t care if the man looked like a prince. He only wanted to know where he was at the moment.


    ¡°I would and check for him in any of the rooms¡±, Liam said and stood to his feet.


    He gestured for his men to go on with the search, but the owner of the inn stopped him.


    ¡°He left in the morning and haven¡¯t returned since then¡±, he divulged while Liam sighed deeply.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t ready to take any chances. He gestured for his men to go on with the search and just as the man had said, he had really left¡­


    Liam was frustrated as he dropped another set of coins into the man¡¯s hands and walked out of the inn. He couldn¡¯t ascertain why things had to be this difficult. E who was the mastermind of the whole kidnap was dead, without leaving a clue and this triggered his fear.


    They got out of the inn and he grunted in frustration.


    His heart was in great unrest because he wondered what they would do to Alyssa if they eventually got to know that the leader of the kidnap was dead.


    ¡°We should head back to the pce and have some rest. You haven¡¯t eating anything since morning¡±, Nathaniel reminded Liam who sighed again in frustration.


    He had already forgotten that it was his wedding day. He was yet to put anything into his mouth and his stomach was already rumbling. But still, he wasn¡¯t ready to eat until he had set his eyes on Alyssa.


    Nathaniel brought out some fruits that he had carried with him, and together, they went to sit under a tree.


    Everyone was exhausted and tired from the day¡¯s activity. They had round in search of Alyssa, but haven¡¯t even caught a clue of where she might be.


    ¡°Have some of these¡±, Nathaniel said to Liam who rejected his kind gesture.


    ¡°I¡¯m nothing close to being hungry¡±, Liam said, even if his stomach said otherwise.


    After much persuasion, he finally picked up the apple and munched on it.


    However, some little children dragged his attention and for a second, he remained mute to observe them. First, they took turns in bing different things. The first boy behaved like a car and drove around with his body. The second boy ran the moment the first boy chased him.


    Liam monitored for a while, after which he called on them. Nat wondered what he was to, but he didn¡¯t give him an ear.


    ¡°They are only children. They would never provide a valid information!¡± Nathaniel said as he yawned and munched on his apple tiredly.


    Liam was certain that he was right. But his instincts told him to have a conversation with the kids.


    They four of them walked towards them and he made them feel rxed by handing some apples over to them.


    ¡°What were you all demonstrating¡±, Liam asked as he smiled at them, to make them answer in the most exnatory way they could.


    ¡°The man who passed here some hours ago!¡± The first boy said and startedughing aloud.


    ¡°There was ady at the back of the car, but she was covered with a nket.. like a baby!¡± The second child said and they started running around yfully.


    Liam jerked to his feet and stared at Nat who followed suit.


    He red at the children again and before he could utter another word, they ran off.

 CHAPTER 106

    Liam looked at the young children who had just given him some information which he had no idea of what to make of it. He searched himself deeply and realized that it might only be a stupid n to work in line with what the children has said.


    After a while, he concluded that he wasn¡¯t going to take any chances. The children had said that they had seen him driving by and that only meant that he was somewhere around where they are.


    He called his men and after making a unified conclusion, they decided to storm into the first building that was only some feet away.


    ¡°We would start from there, after which we would search every other building in this premises!¡± Liam nodded and his men nodded in understanding.


    They made to approach the first building when Nat suddenly stopped him.


    ¡°I think we are not strategic about this. If we do it this way, news would spread and if the culprits are anywhere around, they would make a quick change of location¡±, Nathaniel exined while Liam listened with rapt attention.


    He took a pause and gestured on the men to remain still. Inasmuch as he was in dire need to find Alyssa, he wasn¡¯t going to be stupid about it.


    ¡°What do you suggest we do?¡± Liam asked Nathaniel who stared at him nkly.


    Just then, a man approached them, staring at them intently as though trying to ascertain who they were and what they were up to.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± The man asked, staring at Liam who had his head lowered to the ground.


    ¡°We are in search of someone¡±, Nathaniel replied when he observed that Liam was not making any efforts towards replying the stranger.


    ¡°This is her¡±, Nathaniel continued as he stretched out a quick sketch of Alyssa.


    The man¡¯s eyes opened in surprise after which they softened with emotions.


    ¡°I know her¡±, he replied and that was when Liam raised his head to stare at the man.


    Liam moved closer to him and peered into his eyes.


    ¡°You know the person in this picture?¡± He asked as his heart raced in anxiety.


    The man nodded and wiped the tears off his eyes. Liam was surprised that the man was crying while talking of Alyssa. The first thought that came to his mind was that something bad might have happened to Alyssa. This caused his heart to drop in shock and fear.


    ¡°Why are you shedding tears? Speak up! We don¡¯t have time on our side¡±, Liam said aloud, running out patience and ignoring Nat who tried to nudge on him to remain calm.


    ¡°She was such a sweet soul!¡± The manmented and yet again, Liam¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    He could feel his heart racing that for a moment, it felt as though he was unable to breath.


    ¡°I met her one time at the market in Alexandria¡±, The man started narrating while Liam nodded his head in understanding.


    ¡°My parent¡¯s had just died and I needed toe stay with my grandparents. I¡¯m so grateful to her. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve thanked her enough for how much she helped me then. She footed my transport expenses, even if I knew that she didn¡¯t have much in her end¡±, the man noted and Liam nodded his head.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Alyssa was a young woman with a good heart and that was one trait that kept her to him. She had tried to save him that day at theke, even if he was only a stranger. She was a good person, but the question remained; where is she?


    ¡°I¡¯m so grateful and at the same time scared of what they might have done to her¡±, the man went further with his tale, causing Liam to jerk up attentively.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± He asked in a hurry.


    ¡°I saw some men dragging her towards a warehouse. I knew this because i drove past them and saw when the nket on her face lifted up a bit. It was her¡±, the man said in finality.


    Liam heaved a massive sigh of relief and dropped some coins into the man¡¯s hands. He was relieved that someone gave a perfect description of where they had taken her to, and he only hoped that she was really there.


    ¡°Where is this warehouse?¡± Liam asked the man who pointed at the far end of the road.


    ¡°It¡¯s a lonely path. But just keep moving till the very tail end¡±, the man said and thanked Liam for the money he had given to him.


    Liam and his men marched into the warehouse. They were about to break in and search through it, but Nathaniel stopped him.


    ¡°This is broad daylight. They could catch sight of us at this point and elope before we even get to them. We should hide and wait until it¡¯s dark after which we can then strike!¡± Nathaniel advised and everybody there supported him.


    Liam was quite stubborn with the suggestion, although he saw some sense in it. After minutes of battling with his heart, he finally resolved to waiting until it was nightfall, just as Nat had suggested.


    They hid behind the bushes at a corner, paying close attention to the building and waiting to get the slightest signal of someone¡¯s movement.


    Everywhere was quiet that for a moment, they wondered if they were only wasting their time by waiting there.


    ¡°What if they aren¡¯t there? This would be a great waste of time! We should head inside now¡±, Liam said and made to stand up, but Nat held him down.


    ¡°What if they are there and sees us before we get to them? It would be a waste of clue¡±, Nat said and again, Liam sighed in defeat.


    It was finally night time. One by one, they trooped out of the hideout and headed towards the warehouse. They had their torches with them and so, it wasn¡¯t difficult for them to navigate their way even in the darkness.


    ¡°This looks empty!¡± Liam observed as he swirled around and searched the warehouse.


    There was no sight of a human, neither was there a sign that someone was there.


    ¡°Just a waste of time like I said!¡± Liam said and sighed in frustration.


    ¡°Not actually¡­¡±, Nathaniel said as he crouched low and stared at a footprint that was on the ground.


    ¡°This is a foot print. It was today¡±, he said to Liam who quickly rushed there.


    Liam stared at the footprint carefully. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, then it meant that Alyssa was here because that was her foot print.


    ¡°This is Alyssa¡¯s. I know it¡¯s hers. We¡¯ve been to theke severally and walked on the sand on barefoot. I can tell when I see her footprint¡±, Liam said to his men who were gazing at him as though he had no idea of what he was saying.


    ¡°Wait!¡± He suddenly said as he walked towards another side of the warehouse, just father away from where they had seen the footprint.


    It was a golden bracelet which he gifted Alyssa. She must have dropped it here to show him that she was really there.


    ¡°Alyssa is here!¡± Liam said with every conviction as he looked around the warehouse again.


    ¡°Maybe she was here¡±, Nathaniel countered when they didn¡¯t catch sight of any other door.


    ¡°No¡­she¡¯s here¡±, Liam said and ran towards a staircase that was at the far end of the warehouse. No one would have spotted out the staircase unless they looked carefully.

 CHAPTER 107

    Liam rushed towards the warehouse, almost stumbling in the process since there were stones along the way which stood as an obstacle.


    He got to the staircase and stopped. There was no door of any sort, but looking below, he caught sight of a passage that seemed to lead into a room, through the staircase.


    ¡°You are not nning to go down there, are you?¡± Nathaniel asked Liam, with a scoff and big scowl on his face.


    Liam smirked as he stared at the staircase intently. There was no way the clues he had been getting led to a dead end. He had seen something that belonged to Alyssa and he could swear that he felt her close.


    ¡°I feel her so close to me now. She is not far¡±,


    Liam said as he closed his eyes tightly. He felt goosebumps on his skin and that heightened how he felt.


    Without uttering any more words, he started taking the staircase that led to the underground tunnel or room.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Nathaniel called out and ran to stand before him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let you go. You are king and I would be solely held responsible if any harme to you!¡± Nathaniel said and lowered his head in respect.


    He was a friend to Liam, but his major responsibility was ensuring his safety at all times.


    ¡°There won¡¯t be any harm. Now, move aside!¡± Liam ordered, but Nathaniel didn¡¯t move an inch. He stayed still and swallowed hard, hoping that Liam would listen to his advice for once and shove aside his wild thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m not moving an inch until I¡¯m sure that Alyssa is not here¡±, Liam said defiantly and pushed Nathaniel aside.


    His blood was boiling in fury and he was already beginning to have fierce imaginations of what he would do to the person who had taken Alyssa.


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap for the King? What is there¡¯s some sort of explosion waiting for us here? This doesn¡¯t look safe and I would suggest that we go back and get reinforcements¡±, Nathaniel said, but Liam paid no heed to his words.


    He walked in slowly and carefully, taking sharp turns around and staying at alert.


    ¡°If you want to help me, keep mute and keep watch!¡± He finally said to Nathaniel who had no option other than to keep quiet and follow him.


    The warehouse was quiet and for a minute, Liam was beginning to think that there was no one in it.


    He was at the verge of turning around when he saw a door, just by the end of hall way.


    There were other doors in the underground tunnel, each of which were empty. But then, there was something amusing that the door at the far end. It looked nearer than the rest.


    ¡°I think she is in there¡±, Liam said, with his eyes fixed on the door.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He started walking towards the door, with his heart beating fiercely and his fists clenched in rage.


    ***


    Back at the room Alyssa was held hostage. Alyssa stared at Nathaniel, with boredom dancing in her eyes. She was truly exhausted, but he wouldn¡¯t stoping into the room. She would have preferred if she stayed in the room without the frequent visits of Lucas who couldn¡¯t have enough of her.


    To Alyssa, he was only saying things that didn¡¯t make sense. He had refused to believe that Alyssa didn¡¯t love him, and so, he kept on bugging her with his thoughts of their wedding and life together.


    ¡°I have a son! That¡¯s the truth. His name is Timothy¡±, Alyssa said for the hundredth time, hoping that it would be a valid reason for him to let her go.


    ¡°Timothy¡­¡±, Lucas mumbled and startedughing again.


    Despite how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t get himself to believe such story. It sounded odd and highly impossible.


    ¡°I can show you some stretch marks I got from his birth¡±, Alyssa suggested since that seemed to be the only way to make him believe.


    Her n was to make him know that she was indebted to someone else, so that he would leave her alone.


    Lucas looked at her intently, after which he nodded his head and gestured on her to go forward.


    Alyssa took in a deep breath and lifted her shirt, showing a pair of fine straight line that stood as a vivid evidence of motherhood.


    ¡°I had these marks at the ninth month of the pregnancy¡±, Alyssa said quietly, feels ufortable with how he gazed at her stomach area.


    Lucas was shocked to his bones and finally, he believed her. He was not a fool and so, he realized that she was saying the truth.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t stop you from being my mate!¡± Lucas finally said after a while and Alyssa¡¯s heart dropped again.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡­I have a¡±, Alyssa was saying when Lucas ced his hands over her lips to stop her from saying what she was about to utter.


    ¡°You have a son! That is totally fine! That wouldn¡¯t stop you from being my wife and queen. I would bring Timothy and together we would live as a family¡±, he said and deeply peered into her eyes.


    ¡°We would be happy, only if you give me another son who is not Timothy!¡± Lucas said as a wicked smile shed past his face.


    ¡°You would carry my babies and make me a father. Nothing would stop that¡±, Lucas added and Alyssa continued with her soft whimpers.


    She was certain that he had lost his mind. If not, why would he be insistent on iming someone who does not love him? Someone who has a child with another man? And someone who was just about to get married?


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Alyssa interjected, but he only licked his lips in delight.


    ¡°You lifted you shirt and I couldn¡¯t help but observe how beautiful you look! So, I was thinking, what if I get you pregnant now, before we proceed for our wedding?¡± Lucas asked and Alyssa¡¯s jaws dropped in shock.


    Her heart beat increased when she saw the look of desire that flushed past his eyes. It showed intense want and cravings.


    ¡°I want you now, Alyssa. And you know that I always get what I want, whenever I want it!¡± Lucas said and leaned closer to caress Alyssa¡¯s cheeks.


    He grabbed Alyssa¡¯s breasts and squeezed it roughly, moaning in a manner that made Alyssa yelp in disgust.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, Lucas!¡± Alyssa warned as she pushed him off and crawled backwards.


    ¡°Your mate is the only one with the right to touch you!¡± Lucas said as his breath fell on her bare skin, causing her to shudder in fright.


    He grabbed her again while she screamed and fought him off incessantly. She screamed and yelled, pleaded and begged, but Lucas was not ready to hear any of those.


    Once he pinned her to the ground, he yanked off her shirt, grinning in delight the moment his eyes caught sight of her bare chest.


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Alyssa cried as she kicked so hard, even if her efforts weren¡¯t doing so much to him.


    He was stronger and her weak kicks only made him chuckle in amazement.


    He pressed her neck to the ground, almost choking her in the process.


    His hands finally made to rip off the remaining part of her clothes, but as he did, Liam barged into the room in fury.

 CHAPTER 108

    Liam heard Alyssa¡¯s screams and immediately, his blood boiled in rage. He barged into the room and what his eyes met caused his heart to drop.


    Liam was furious that he could feel the rage burning through his body. Another manid on top of his bride, seemingly trying to take advantage of her. That angered the hell in him and the only way out he could think of was killing him right there on the spot.


    ¡°You fool!¡± Liam said aloud as he rushed towards Lucas and picked him up from his back. He threw him across the room with every strength he had, panting heavily and descending towards him again.


    Alyssa quickly stood to her feet as she tried to cover up herself. Hot tears poured out of her eyes, but she was d that her savior showed up right on time. She would never have been herself if Lucas had eventually had his way with her.


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Liam shouted furiously as he gazed at Lucas who was shocked and at the same time surprised.


    He had cleared up his trails and ensured that he brought Alyssa to a ce that would be difficult to find. How was it then possible that someone hade to look for her?


    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Lucas asked as he looked at Nathaniel who stood by the door.


    The other men had been instructed to remain at the warehouse and keep watch, just incase trouble arises.


    This way, it was only Liam and Nathaniel, together with Alyssa and Lucas in the room.


    ¡°How dare youy your dirty hands on her? Do you know who I am?¡± Liam asked with a voice like a foghorn, still taking quick steps towards Lucas who didn¡¯t look surprise.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about who you are! Why would you barge into this room as though you own it?¡± Lucas was saying when he felt a great sting on his lips. Apparently, Liam had just thrown a fierce punch at him.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± Lucas muttered and spat out the blood that had started oozing out of the lips. His eyes was red with fury now and he was bent on teaching whosoever the stranger was a lesson.


    He threw a punch at Liam who swiftly dodged it and held his hands. He kicked Lucas fiercely until he fell to the ground and held his nose in horror.


    Alyssa was panicked where she was. At intervals, she made to talk, but when she realized that she had nothing to say, she decided to keep mute and watch them.


    Liam turned to look at Alyssa who quickly looked away. She was not in her best state as her clothes had been torn off by Lucas. She was only shielding herself with the small piece of cloth that was spread on the bed. Liam felt rage boiling within him again the more he looked at her. It was supposed to be their wedding day, but he was here, saving his bride who was almost raped by another man¡­


    ¡°You fool!¡± Liam charged towards Lucas again. This time though, Lucas quickly stood up and threw a quick kick at the lower part of his abdomen. Liam groaned and staggered lightly. This gave Lucas the time to throw several punches at Liam who groaned in pain.


    Nathaniel made toe into the situation, but Liam stretched out his hands to stop him.


    ¡°I would handled him myself! I want to rip his head off his neck, with my bare hands!¡± Liam said and threw out the bloody spit from his mouth.


    Lucas suddenly startedughing and that surprised Liam for a moment.


    ¡°Do you know how much beautiful Alyssa looks? Her stomach was the sweetest part of a body I have ever seen¡±, Lucas teased, causing Liam¡¯s rage to abruptly intensify.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Liam screamed as he pulled him close to himself and started throwing endless punches across his face.


    ¡°Alyssa is my wife! We were supposed to be married today!¡± Liam tried to exin, but Lucas wasn¡¯t ready to hear any of it.


    ¡°Well. You aren¡¯t married and that is it! She is mine now, my mate and my life partner!¡± Lucas said.


    For a minute, Liam was taken aback. He never thought that Alyssa had a mate somewhere who would suddenly show up on the day they were meant to get married.


    Liam was distracted with his thoughts and that gave Lucas the opportunity to strike a punch across to him. He struck Liam so hard that his nose started bleeding profusely.


    He was enraged that this was the man Alyssa talked so great about. It pained him to the core to see that Liam was the father to Alyssa¡¯s child and she had imed to love him alone.


    The more he thought of it, the more engaged he became and the more he threw punches and kicks across to him.


    Liam groaned in pain and fell to the ground with a thud, while Alyssa jerked up from where she sat, with tears pouring out of her eyes.


    ¡°Alyssa, tell him that I¡¯m your mate! Tell him that it¡¯s me you want¡±, Lucas said as he pinned Liam to the ground.


    Alyssa gazed at him as though he was only bbing. Her attention was focused on Liam who was currently in pain.


    ¡°Tell him that!¡± Lucas yelled again as he felt more fury building up within him. Alyssa¡¯s silence was only making him feel worse and the only thing on his mind was to kill Liam.


    Lucas finally grabbed Liam to his feet, ignoring how bruised he looked.


    ¡°Would you tell him that it¡¯s me you love?¡± Lucas asked Alyssa and again, she remained mute.


    She only looked at Liam pitifully and that was when Lucas realized that she truly loved him.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt him¡±, Alyssa pleaded with Lucas who was even getting more raged to see that Alyssa truly loved Liam.


    ¡°Hurt me instead¡±, Alyssa added and that seemed to break thest straw.


    Lucas gaped at her in shock while Liam wondered why she would make such a statement.


    ¡°Watch me hurt him!¡± Lucas said with a furious gaze, just as he grabbed him and threw a quick punch across his face again.


    Liam¡¯s nose was bleeding profusely now, although he remained firm and tried so hard to fight off Lucas.


    ¡°You can give up and ask for mercy!¡± Lucas chimed out with a grin of victory.


    He loved how helpless Liam looked and that made him to hurt him even harder.


    He grabbed Liam by the neck and lifted him with all his strength. After which he let out a loud scream and threw him across the room.


    Alyssa gasped again. Lucas was a strong werewolf and she knew about that. She had heard stories of how he killed people with just a lift of his fingers.


    ¡°Liam!¡± Alyssa gasped and made to walk closer to him, but Lucas was faster than her.


    He grabbed Liam again and threw him to the opposite part of the room.


    Liam spat out some blood in his mouth, crouching to his stomach and wincing in pain. He turned to look at Alyssa who had tears on her face, and that seemed to give him some strength.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    However, it didn¡¯tst long, because just as he made to stand up, Lucas attacked again with a fierce punch.

 CHAPTER 109

    Alyssa closed her eyes the moment Lucas threw another punch across Liam¡¯s face. His face was now bruised beyond recognition and this shattered her heart. It felt as though she was feeling every bit of pain he felt, and this hurt her to the core.


    She finally ran across to Lucas and stood across him, stretching out her hands as though she was going to protect Liam with all her might.


    Alyssa cried as she screamed and pleaded with them to stop. None of them budged. Somehow, she felt that they weren¡¯t even hearing her. Her head was aching terribly, and with every minute that passed, she was beginning to get convinced of the fact that Liam might lose in the fight.


    The both parties had their own share of the fight. Lucas¡¯s nose seemed to have swollen, his mouth was bleeding and he was limping. But Liam looked worse; his nose was bleeding profusely, and she was sure that he had broken a leg.


    She was certain that Liam would be in trouble if they didn¡¯t stop the fight abruptly.


    When she couldn¡¯t yell anymore, she walked into the fight and tried to separate them. That was a bad decision, because immediately she was close to Lucas, he picked her up and threw her across the room, as though she were a piece of cloth.


    Alyssa¡¯s head collided with a stone on the ground and immediately, she winced in pain. Blood started pouring out furiously and this caught the attention of Liam who quickly darted his attention to her.This is from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What have you done?¡± He asked Lucas who only smirked and smiled in victory.


    ¡°It¡¯s not yet over! I would kill you¡±, he threatened Lucas and made to move when Alyssa whimpered again.


    He hastily rushed over to her to tend to her injury.


    ¡°Where else are you hurt?¡± Liam asked as he tore off a part of his cloth which he made to wrap around her forehead that continued bleeding.


    Lucas watched them from where he stood. With each step ofpassion Liam showcased, the urge to kill him grew.


    He moved his eyes to a nk thatid at a corner and without thinking twice, he picked it up and rushed towards Liam.


    ¡°Your back!¡± Alyssa called out immediately she observed Lucas who was now in motion to terminate Liam.


    Liam stood up abruptly and kicked him on the stomach, right until the nk fell from his hands. Lucas groaned and made to throw a punch at Liam, but he was swift to dodge it. Liam held his neck and made to choke him to death. However, he recalled the state Alyssa was in and quickly rushed back to her.


    ¡°We need to get out of here¡±, Alyssa said with every strength she had.


    ¡°I have to kill that fool! I just need you to stop the bleeding. And please, stay away from the fight¡±, Liam said and started wrapping the clothes around her head.


    They were too engrossed in the moment that they forget the enemy behind them. Just when Liam made to stand back to his feet, Lucas cranked him on the head with the nk. He staggered slightly, trying to keep to his feet. But the pain was excruciating and in a moment, he saw himself falling to the ground.


    Alyssa let out a scream and made to run to Liam. Just then, she saw more of Lucas¡¯s men walking towards her.


    She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes, because she had earlier thought that Lucas just had one man with him.


    And then, that was when she realized that Nathaniel wasn¡¯t even at the door again. He must have been hurt or injured by the men who trooped into the room.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alyssa asked as she took fearful steps backwards, still staring at the men who held no glimpse of pity in their eyes.


    Lucas let out a smirk and nursed the wound on his nose.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed to get to this. You made me waste my precious energy. It was worth it, I just say¡­as long as you¡¯re still by my side¡±, he said with a smirk and gestured for the men to take her away.


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± Alyssa screamed as her eyes darted to Liam who stillid helplessly on the ground.


    She returned her gaze to the men who had now approached her.


    ¡°You may not like it if you try to resist. We would advise you to y along¡±, one of the men who seemed to be the leader whispered into her ears, sending cold shivers down her spine.


    The more she thought of leaving Liam in that state, the more frantic she became. She tried to push them with all her resistible their grip and pleading that the let her tend to him.


    She turned to stare at Liam again, and the more she looked, the more she became convinced that he was fading from her. Her heart was heavy and hot tears poured out of her eyes.


    ¡°No! No!¡± She mumbled, still resisting their grip and focusing her attention on Liam who was slowly slipping into the world of unconsciousness.


    And then it happened. In a snap of a finger, she had a sudden rush of every memory she ever made with Liam. She closed her eyes as she allowed her body feel every of the memory just as it passed.


    She couldn¡¯t decipher what was happening to her, but she freed herself to let it consume her.


    The men dragging her were taken aback when they realized that she suddenly turned mute. They shifted their eyes to Lucas, who was also shocked and surprised.


    At first, they had thought that she passed out or went unconscious, and so, this caused a great panic.


    Meanwhile, Emily remained still, focused on the memories and drowning herself in them.


    With each sh of the memory, she seemed to feel a gush of energy which was different from anything she had felt before. It was uncontroble, but something within her didn¡¯t make any efforts to fight it off.


    The memory started off from when they first met, their blissful moments together, when they went apart, when they met each other again and when they nned for their wedding. And then, it transited to the present day and time; when he was at the verge of getting killed by Lucas.


    That made her feel the greatest surge of energy and in a snap, she gasped and opened her eyes widely.


    She let out a scream of agony and in a split second, there was a burst of a sudden light from within her, heading straight for Liam and surrounding him.


    It seemed like a form of protection or barrier, a type which neither Lucas or any of his man had witnessed before.


    They were shocked to their bones and sort of frightened. Liam on his part was surprised to see something like a light suddenly surrounding him.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Lucas asked with a shaky voice while Alyssa groaned again.


    She was sweating profusely and breathing heavily, but none of them thought that whatsoever happened hade from her.


    Lucas¡¯s men were so scared that they quickly left Alyssa alone. This was something new and the more they tried to think of it, the more they realized that it was definitely going to be a threat to their lives.

 CHAPTER 110

    Alyssa finally lifted her head the moment she observed that the light still engulfed Liam whoid on the ground. She wondered what could have happened and the only exnation she could get was that someone might havee to help her.


    ¡°Did Nathaniel go get some help?¡± She asked herself silently, especially because she haven¡¯t seen Nathaniel for a while now.


    She lifted her head slowly again and that was when she observed something that replicated a light in her hands.


    At first, she thought she had not seen clearly, but a closer look at herself indicated that it was her the light came from.


    The aura emanated from both her hands and her chest and they flowed directly towards Liam who was now stirring slightly.


    Liam was very weak and exhausted, but was not ignorant of what was currently going on. His thought of magic, because that was what it looked like.


    It was strange to see a sudden burst of light that would encircle him and stand as a barrier¡­


    He looked up and that was when he realized that the light wasing from Alyssa. He was shocked to his bones, but no one coulde off his lips.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Liam observed the bizarre look on Alyssa¡¯s face and he needed no one to tell him that she also had no idea of what had just happened.


    Lucas was not left out in the shock and surprise. At some point, he thought that he was only hallucinating, but after flickering his eyes for countless times, he still caught sight of the aura of light that came from Alyssa.


    He turned his gaze to his men who were now trying to turn the door knob. For some unknown reasons, the door knob couldn¡¯t open.


    There was a break of panic from his men who cried and pleaded for mercy. This angered Lucas who felt that they should be trying to grab Alyssa, rather than nning to escape.


    ¡°Are you all dumb? Get her!¡± Lucas screamed out of his lungs, but his men didn¡¯t budge.


    They were scared for their lives that their only wish at the moment was for them to find a means to leave the room.


    Liam stood after he had gathered some strength. He staggered a bit, but he swiftly regained his bnce. Alyssa took note of him and returned her gaze to the light emitting from her. She couldn¡¯t say what it was or how she did it, but somehow, she directed the light to Lucas¡¯s men.


    ¡°I want them blind for a moment¡±, she said and immediately, it was as though the light obeyed her.


    One of Lucas¡¯s men screamed and fell to the ground, yelping in pain and clinging to his eyes.


    The next one followed and it went on like that till thest of his men who rolling on the ground and screaming.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± Lucas asked as he wiped the sweats that had formed on his forehead.


    He was trying so hard to remain fearless, but the current state of his men was giving him away.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see!¡± The head of his men shouted and for a minute, Lucas¡¯s heart skipped.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m blind. All I see is darkness!¡± Another men said and abruptly, Lucas started breathing heavily.


    At first, he had made to think that it was only some tactics the men were pulling off to save themselves, but on a closer look, he needed no one to tell him that it was real.


    ¡°Alyssa! What are you doing?¡± Lucas asked with a shaky voice as he started taking some steps backwards.


    He had thought that Alyssa was only a young girl who was naive and had no idea of how to fight or lift a finger. Seeing how swift she was with using a strange power to blind his men was a great cause of worry for Lucas.


    Liam used Lucas¡¯s fear as a weakness to strike. The only thing that was going to pacify him at the moment was ensuring that he killed Lucas. He had done a lot to Alyssa and nothing else was going to pacify him.


    Not only did he ruin their wedding day by kidnapping Alyssa, he had also tried to have his way with her. Thoughts of that enraged Liam and like a sh of light, he picked up a knife and descended towards Lucas.


    Lucas made to fight back. But then, he wasn¡¯t fast enough since he got the first stab that moment. He groaned lightly and fell to the ground, looking at Liam who held no pity in his eyes.


    Liam crouched low and stabbed him again, harder this time. And then, he did it over and over again until he was sure that Lucas had taken hisst breath.


    He let out a loud scream as blood dropped from the knife and down to the ground.


    After a while, he threw the knife to the ground and looked at Alyssa who was gazing at him with clear shock in her eyes. She stared as though she have never witnessed something as cruel and blunt as that.


    Liam couldn¡¯t find words to utter, neither did he figure out how to feel about the situation. One thing he knew though was that he did what was best, because if he hadn¡¯t done it, Lucas would have harmed any or both of them.


    ¡°Alyssa, I did what was best!¡± Liam exined as he tried to calm his raging heart. He still felt entirely weak, but he could swear that he felt a relieve in his heart.


    Lucas was an enemy, and taking out an enemy was no crime.


    Alyssa wanted to tell him that he did nothing bad. Lucas had also attempted to take Liam¡¯s life and if he hadn¡¯t killed him, he would have been the one to die instead.


    She couldn¡¯t hide her surprise though. She had emotions after all, and most times, they failed to hide themselves.


    ¡°Liam¡­I¡±, she was saying when she felt the first wave of dizziness.


    She groaned and staggered lightly, holding her head that was beginning to throb.


    She couldn¡¯t tell if how she felt was as a result of the kidnap or what she had done some minutes ago, but one thing she was certain of was that she didn¡¯t feel good.


    She suddenly felt dizzy as she held her forehead and moved backwards, wondering why she was feeling strange and suddenly, utterly weak.


    Her head was swirling terribly and she was beginning to feel as though life was slipping away from her. Despite how hard she tried, she couldn¡¯t help it.


    She made to open her eyes the moment she realized that if she leaves them shut, she may not open ever again. Her heart ached at that thought, but she didn¡¯t know what to do about. She smiled calmly, to make Liam a lot more rxed. He had just killed Lucas and she could tell that he was a bit shaken from the situation.


    But then, the more she smiled, the more she saw herself sleeping away. It seemed as though the world was tilting and she had no control of it. Again, she tried to resist it but it doesn¡¯t work out and rather than fighting it, she submitted to it¡¯s will. Slowly, she closed her eyes as darkness covered her¡­

 CHAPTER 111

    Alyssa stared at Liam and smiled calmly, but almost immediately, the smile faded as shended on the ground with a thud.


    Liam was swift to run across to her, even if he barely had enough strength for himself.


    ¡°Alyssa! Stay with me¡­¡±, Liam said as he patted her on the cheeks, hoping that she would open up her eyes and look at him.


    She didn¡¯t move, neither did she raise an eyelid. His eyes dropped as he started thinking of what could have gone wrong with her. Beads of sweats formed on his forehead when he realized that he was at fault for failing to protect her from Lucas.


    Just then, his men stormed in and disbanded Lucas¡¯s men who stillid on the ground in disarray. They took all of their weapons after which they took them in as prisoners.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Nathaniel asked as he quickly ran over to Liam who was still trying to wake Alyssa.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but she¡¯s not¡±, Liam replied and sighed in exasperation.


    ¡°We should take her back to the pce, immediately! I need the best physician to be summoned with immediate effect¡±, Liam ordered as he grabbed Alyssa into his arms and stormed out of the room.


    His men were still busy with Lucas¡¯s men, but he didn¡¯t seem to be interested with that. All he cared about was Alyssa and as he rushed back to the pce, all he could hope was that she would be eventually okay.


    He returned to the pce and the first person he met was Tiffany.


    She rushed over to him, with great relief in her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you found her¡±, she said, but quickly wore a frown the moment she observed that Alyssa wasying in an unconscious state.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°What must have happened to her?¡± She asked Liam who was quickly making way to her room.


    He couldn¡¯t ascertain how he was going to exin all what happened to Tiffany. It still looked like a dream or hallucination, but the more he thought of it, the more he realized that whatever it was that happened to Alyssa was the reason why she fainted.


    ¡°Did anything happen?¡± Tiffany asked again as she sauntered behind Liam who wasn¡¯t uttering a word.


    ¡°She just fainted¡±, Liam said and avoided staring into Tiffany¡¯s eyes.


    Tiffany observed that there was something more to it, but rather than bugging him with questions, she decided to remain mute and pray that her friend would be okay.


    Everyone in the pce was greatly relieved to see that she was okay. The pce has been in a state of chaos ever since she went missing during the wedding. At some point, they concluded that she might have been killed by some enemy kingdoms who never wanted Liam to have a queen.


    However, seeing that she returned, they couldn¡¯t help feeling d and ted.


    For the rest of the day, Liam stayed with Alyssa, even after the physician had administered some treatment and left.


    The queen came in around the evening time. She had heard that Alyssa was back with Liam.


    She quickly rushed in and met Liam whose head was lowered to the side of Alyssa¡¯s bed. It was already night and wasn¡¯t surprising to see how exhausted he looked. He was yet to have enough rest, because of how hectic his wedding day turned out to be.


    ¡°I¡¯m so d you found her¡±, the queen beamed in tion as she gazed at Alyssa who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.


    ¡°Would she be fine?¡± She asked Liam who barely said a word since he returned.


    The queen stayed with him for a moment, after which she left when she realized that he wasn¡¯t making any efforts towards telling her what happened where they found her.


    Liam had a quick shback again and this caused his head to ache slightly. Thinking of what might have happened over there and noting up with an exnation made him feel worse. He needed answers, he wanted answers and the only way he could get them was through Alyssa.


    He nced at Alyssa again and stared at her intently.


    ¡°Does she even know and understand what she did back there?¡± He asked himself and after a careful thought, he realized that there was no way she would have an idea.


    Just then, Tiffany walked into the room again, with questioning res and a tray of food.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten all through the day¡±, Tiffany said to Liam who nodded in affirmation.


    That was thest thing on his mind though. At first, finding Alyssa was the major thing he fought for. And right after finding her, he was now fighting for answers that weren¡¯t anywhere in sight.


    ¡°You should eat. Alyssa is here now and you have to be strong when she wakes up¡± Tiffany suggested and passed the tray of food across to Liam.


    Liam collected it, even if he didn¡¯t want to eat from it. His stomach rumbled that minute and that gave him no option other than to eat the meal that had been brought to him.


    ¡°This is delicious!¡± Liammented as he ced a chunk of chicken wings into his mouth.


    Tiffany nodded her head and took a seat beside him. They were now sitting and facing Alyssa.


    Tiffany turned to look at him again and that was when she observed that he wasn¡¯t looking at her. It was as though she was avoiding his gaze.


    ¡°You¡¯re not looking at me¡±, Tiffany noted with a slight scoff.


    She was right. Liam was trying so hard to avoid her gaze. He didn¡¯t want to spew what he had witnessed, because that was the major thing that bothered his heart.


    ¡°So, tell me, is there a problem?¡± Tiffany asked with curiosity dancing in her eyes.


    She was always known to be curious and observant. Liam was not surprised by her question.


    He took in a deep breath and turned to her. Maybe in a quest for find answers, he needed to start from within.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been Alyssa¡¯s friend for a long time¡±, Liam started while Tiffany nodded in affirmation.


    ¡°Have you ever observed somehow weird or strange about her? Any day at all?¡± Liam asked, hoping that he didn¡¯t sound so blunt and direct.


    Tiffany drifted off in thoughts after which she nodded her head negatively.


    She could see a bothered look on Liam¡¯s face and that heightened her fear. Just then, the queen walked into the room and observed the tension in the atmosphere.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±she asked while Tiffany walked over to Alyssa and gazed at her in a frenzy.


    The queen suddenly panicked too as she walked over to Alyssa.


    ¡°Is she going to be okay?¡± She asked and Liam nodded.


    He knew that the questions he had asked Tiffany made her think that Alyssa wasn¡¯t doing fine. But he had no strength to exin further. And so, he stood to his feet and walked out of the room, leaving Tiffany and his mother.


    Timothy who was sitting quietly at a corner quickly followed him out of the room, crying profusely as though he knew that his mother was in a critical state.


    ¡°I want mummy!¡± Timothy said while Liam carried him and rocked him on his chest.


    ¡°She woulde to you soon, okay?¡± He tried to assure him, even if he had a great fear of the unknown in his heart.


    He finally took Timothy into his room and after moments of consoling him, he slept right there, on his chest.

 CHAPTER 112

    The physician returned in the morning. He hade to check on Alyssa as soon as they summoned him and he had administered some treatments to her. But he was yet to talk to Liam who was in dire need of information. He made to talk to himst night, but after observing how exhausted he was, he decided to let him sleep and have some rest.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡± Liam asked the doctor the moment he walked into the room.


    He still looked disheveled and unkept and a closer look at him would show that he didn¡¯t sleep so wellst night.


    Liam barely slept all through the night. He jerked up at any slight noise he heard, since he wasn¡¯t sure that his enemy wouldn¡¯t attack again. He recalled that he had killed Lucas, but that didn¡¯t seem to appease his soul.


    He swore never to let any harme close to Alyssa again and he was going to achieve it, no matter how difficult it looked.


    ¡°She over exerted herself and is entirely worn out. Her body couldn¡¯t take the level of stress it got introduced to. That got her in this state¡±, The doctor exined while Liam nodded his head calmly.


    He wasn¡¯t surprised by what the doctor had said, because he caught a glimpse of Alyssa¡¯s face the moment she did the light trick. Her face seemed as though it were in pains and she groaned aloud as it happened. That only meant that her body took most of the stress that came with the process.


    ¡°So, what should we do?¡± Liam asked the doctor who took in a deep breath and sighed deeply.


    ¡°Just give her some time to herself. Her body would respond in no time and she woulde around¡±, the doctor replied with a smile, to help lighten the tensed atmosphere.


    Liam breath out in relief the moment he caught sight of the smile on the doctor¡¯s face. He had been scared that her situation was so bad and deep down his heart, he frightened when he thought of what would happen if she dies.


    ¡°So, nothing bad would happen to her, right?¡± Liam asked the doctor who nodded his head in affirmation.


    ¡°She would be so fine when she wakes up¡±, he exined and finally picked up his bag.


    With a slight bow, he walked out of the room, leaving Liam with Alyssa who was barely aware of her surrounding.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t really spoken to me since yesterday¡±, Tiffany said to Liam as she walked into the room the moment the doctor walked out.


    Liam looked at her and nodded his head in affirmation. He was so weak that he barely talked, even to his mother.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m yet to recover from the shock¡±, Liam said with a sincere gaze while Tiffany stared at him intently.


    ¡°Shock? Did anything happen?¡± She asked Liam who shifted ufortably where he sat.


    ¡°A man showed up and from what I heard, his name is Lucas. He imed to be Alyssa¡¯s mate¡±, Lucas exined, while Tiffany opened her lips in shock.


    She never knew that part of Alyssa, neither did she believe it.


    ¡°I guess he heard that she was getting married to me. And so, he decided to strike. He kidnapped her and took her to a warehouse, where he tried to take advantage of her¡±, Liam exined and clenched his fist the moment the memories from the previous day went past his head.


    He was still furious that someone had tried to have his way with Alyssa and if he had his way, he would kill Lucas over and over again.


    ¡°Was that all what happened?¡± Tiffany asked while Liam nodded his head calmly.


    ¡°Well, the fight was a tough one!¡± He said and chuckled calmly. He was trying so hard to prevent spilling the major events that happened that day.


    ¡°Lucas and his men are quiet strong. I must say¡±, he added and took in a deep breath.


    Tiffany stared at him again and kept mute. She was certain that he wasn¡¯t saying something, but rather than bugging him with questions, she resolved to remaining mute and silent.


    ¡°I would catch up with youter¡±, she said to Liam who nodded his head in relief.


    ***T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Tiffany walked out of the room and headed straight to Ryan¡¯s quarters. The moment she got it, she broke into quiet sobs that shocked Ryan.


    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± He asked with great surprise as he walked over to her and wrapped his hands around her.


    Tiffany sniffed hard. Whatsoever stood as a reason behind her tears must have hurt her deeply.


    ¡°I think I¡¯m at fault for all of these!¡± Tiffany spewed and increased the intensity of her sobs.


    ¡°I can¡¯t just bear all of these. Seeing Alyssa in that state makes my heart break to tiny pieces. Especially when I know that it¡¯s my fault!¡± Tiffany said as she sniffed hard again and wiped the tears off her eyes.


    Ryan was taken aback for a moment as he tried to process everything she said to him.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kidnap her. None of it was your fault¡±, he said persuasively, but she wasn¡¯t ready to hear any of it.


    ¡°I could have prevented the kidnap. None of these would have happened. I had the opportunity to stop all of that, but I didn¡¯t¡±.


    Now, Ryan was confused. He sat up calmly and cupped her cheeks into his hands, peering piercingly into her eyes.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He asked calmly.


    ¡°E was at the pce during the pre wedding dinner. I saw her myself and sent her away. I should have informed Alyssa and Liam about that. They would have tightened the security and that would have averted all of these¡±, Tiffany sobbed again while Ryan took in a deep breath and hugged him passionately.


    ¡°My love¡­none of these is your fault. You did what you thought was the best¡±, he said softly as he ced quick kisses on her forehead.


    ¡°I just wished I had known better¡±, Tiffany said in regret while Ryan tightened his grip on her.


    ¡°You were thinking of your friends happiness at that moment. That makes you a great friend!¡± He said and smiled at her.


    After moments of pacifying her, she finally got better and decided to pay Alyssa a visit. She walked over to the room and found Liam there.


    He was sitting and ring at her, with worry in his eyes and wild desires burning in them.


    ¡°She would be fine¡±, Tiffany said as she sat down beside him.


    ¡°I would have informed you both of E¡¯s presence in the pce¡±, Tiffany said and Liam opened his eyes in shock.


    ¡°What? She was here?¡± Liam asked and Tiffany nodded.


    ¡°She talked about wanting to apologize, but I should have known better¡±, Tiffany added and Liam clenched his fist in rage.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m d that we have Alyssa here and E is done with. You shouldn¡¯t feel bad about that¡±, Liam said when he realized the solemn look on Tiffany¡¯s face.


    ¡°I just felt that i had a chance to stop all of these¡±, she said with a deep sigh.


    Liam kept mute and gazed at Alyssa. He couldn¡¯t wait for her to stir and wake up. He missed everything about her and felt a piece of his heart missing.


    They slept beside Alyssa for the night, since none of them had the nerve to leave her side.

 CHAPTER 113

    Slowly, Alyssa took in the noises that seemed to being from around wherever she was at the moment. First, she heard a scream and then aughter. After a moment, it transited to hushed sounds, whispers and then,ughter again.


    It was Tiffany, Liam and Tim. They seemed to be ying with Tim who wouldn¡¯t stop ying around them. He had asked them why Alyssa was still asleep for a long time and they had told him that she would be awake soon, since she was under the influence of something that would make her sleep so well.


    The little boy didn¡¯t seem to understand all what they said, but since they said that she would be awake soon, he was fine with it.


    ¡°Come here, big boy!¡± Liam said as he grabbed Tim who squealed and started giggling excitedly.


    Liam on his part could not hold the joy in his heart. The presence of his son ddened his heart greatly, and he no longer dwelt in solemnity that came as a result of Alyssa¡¯s present state.


    ¡°He looks so much like his mother!¡± Tiffanymented while Liam wore a quick scowl.


    He was not ready to ept suchment from her and so, he dropped Tim down and faced Tiffany.


    ¡°Prove it!¡± He said defiantly, cing his hands across his chest and staring at Tiffany who giggled when she caught sight of jealousy in his eyes.


    ¡°His nose, his eyes¡±, Tiffany started saying in a hushed tone as she turned her eyes to Alyssa who was sleepingfortably.


    ¡°Look at her lips too¡±, she said while Liam shifted his eyes to her.


    He missed her greatly and couldn¡¯t wait for her to wake up and peer into his eyes.


    Alyssa stirred slightly and immediately, they rushed closer to her.


    The noise seemed to be disturbing Alyssa because she could feel a terrible migraine and some sort of bump at the right side of her head. She groaned calmly as she made to turn her eyes open.


    Liam exchanged nces with Tiffany who stared back at him. He walked closer and grabbed Alyssa¡¯s hands, cing quick kisses on it while hoping that she would wake up this time.


    She groaned again, louder this time, after which she struggled to sit up on the bed.


    Liam¡¯s heart raced in excitement as it abruptly dawned on him that Alyssa was finally waking up.


    He helped her sit up on the bed, cing quick kisses on her neck and caressing her cheeks calmly.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine, my love. I¡¯m here¡­¡±, Liam muttered as he blinked back the tears of appreciation that were beginning to well up in his eyes.


    He was thankful that Alyssa hade back to theme


    ¡°We are here. Tiffany is here and Tim is here too¡±, Tiffany said with an emotional voice as she wiped off tears that had trickled out of her eyes.


    Alyssa could hear what they said vividly and that ddened her heart. Her heart shot opened instantly and she grimaced the moment the light rays struck her eyes.


    She closed them back and this time, slowly opened it up.


    She caught sight of Liam first, then Tiffany and Tim.


    After that, she returned her gaze to Liam and her eyes glimmered with delight.


    ¡°You are here!¡± Alyssa squealed in excitement as she pulled Liam into a warm hug.


    Tim ran to her immediately and hopped on the bed while she picked him up and ced several kisses on his cheeks.


    ¡°My boy!¡± She said lovingly as tears finally started streaming down her eyes.


    ¡°We waited for so long¡±, Liam said as he ced quick kisses on her hands.


    Tiffany walked closer and pulled her into a tight hug again. She was d that her friend was finally back


    Some other people around the pce came in and in a split second, the room was filled with shouts and screams that for a moment, Alyssa felt the migraine again.


    She tried so hard to smile as she received each of their goodwill messages. She was d that everyone cared about her and prayed for her to get better.


    After a moment, the noise lessened and it was only her and Liam, with Tim who was now sleeping peacefully beside her on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m excited that you are doing okay. I was scared that something bad would happen to you,¡± Liam said as he caressed her hands lovingly.


    Alyssa smiled deeply and hit him yfully.


    ¡°I would never leave you here alone! I can¡¯t punish you in such manner¡±, she said with a giggle while he licked his lower lips in delight.


    ¡°Do you recall anything at all?¡± Liam finally asked as he sat up and searched her eyes thorough.


    All through the days Alyssa had remained unconsciously, he had patiently waited for her to wake up so that they would figure out what might have happened together.


    ¡°I recall what I did back there. It was amazing!¡± She said and looked at Liam who was giving her a suspicious re.


    ¡°Ohh! Trust me, I had no idea that I could do that. I didn¡¯t even know how I did something like that¡±, she said calmly and drifted away in thoughts.


    ¡°I think you might be a witch. We both know that¡±, Liam said and for a moment, Alyssa kept mute to ponder over what he had said.


    Inasmuch as it was hard to believe, there was every probability that it was the truth. That means, there was something she was yet to know about her history and origin.


    ¡°I think there is something I¡¯m missing out. Perhaps, a secret or something like that about me. I need to know who I am¡±, Alyssa suddenly said as a wave of interest flushed through her.


    She was now eager to know what exactly she was, how she had gotten those powers and why she didn¡¯t know of it all these years.T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You should rest for tonight. You have just recovered and I wouldn¡¯t want you to strain yourself another time¡±, Liam said and gave her a quick kiss on her lips.


    Alyssa nodded in affirmation and smiled widely. She gestured for him toe over and sleep beside her as she wouldn¡¯t want to sleep alone.


    ¡°Stay with me¡±, Alyssa said as she moved aside to create space for him.


    They stayed in each other¡¯s arms, gazing at their son who was at the other end of the bed.


    ¡°Did you tell anyone about what happened that day?¡± Alyssa asked the one question she had in her heart.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone about it. Neither did I tell anyone that you might be a witch¡±, Liam added and Alyssa smiled in satisfaction.


    She was d that he respected her and didn¡¯t go about telling people, even if there was every need to since it was very strange.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried about who I am now?¡± Alyssa asked as she gazed into his eyes.


    Her greatest fear was that he would change after discovering who she was. But he wasn¡¯t moved at all and that got her concerned.


    ¡°Not at all. It didn¡¯t change who you are, did it?¡± Hunger asked and Alyssa shook her head negatively.


    ¡°If you want to know, I love you even more¡±, Liam chimed out and Alyssa stared at him with a bewildered gaze.


    ¡°I love you¡±, she whispered and hugged him passionately.


    He ced a soft kiss on her lips after which they retreated to get some sleep.

 CHAPTER 114

    Alyssa stood at edge of theke as she transfixed her eyes on the water. One would easily think that she was only having fun or watching nature, but that was far from what she was doing.


    She was trying so hard to make her powerse back, but none of what she tried worked.


    She stretched out her hands to the water again and yelled out of her lungs, but she only stopped when she realized that nothing happened.


    Tiffany watched her from a distance, wondering what she might be up to and why she stretched out her hands in such manner.


    For weeks after her return, Tiffany didn¡¯t fail to observe something strange and different about her friend. Alyssa was now a lot more reserved and most times, she caught her engrossed in deep thoughts.


    And now, she was at theke, yelling and stretching out her hand in a strange and awkward manner.


    Alyssa sighed tiredly and strolled over to the sand near theke. She fell to it andid down, while looking up and getting lost in thoughts again.


    Tiffany made to leave her to herself, but after several thoughts, she shoved it aside. Alyssa had been strange after the kidnapping and with each day, it became worse.


    Tiffany finally walked across to Alyssa who jerked up in surprise.


    Her friend never came to look for her at theke since it was a spot for her and Liam alone.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Alyssa asked in shock as she tried to conceal how uneasy she felt at the moment.


    ¡°I followed you¡±, Tiffany said sincerely.


    Ever since she observed how strange Alyssa had been, she resolved to keep an eye on her, so that she wouldn¡¯t indulge in something that would hurt her.


    ¡°But I¡¯m fine! You shouldn¡¯t keep an eye on me¡±, Alyssa chuckled to cover up her anxiety.Exclusive content ? by N?(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.


    Despite how hard she tried, Tiffany picked it out already.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look fine, Alyssa! You don¡¯t even need to lie to me¡±, Tiffany said with a bored look that made Alyssa to mute for a second.


    Tiffany was right, she could lie to her¡­


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not fine. I haven¡¯t been since that kidnap¡±, Alyssa confessed and Tiffany nodded in affirmation. She observed that too¡­


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Tiffany inquired, searching through her eyes for answers which she didn¡¯t seem to find.


    Alyssa looked at Tiffany thoughtfully. She felt bad that she kept such a big story away from her and without having any more thoughts, she decided to open up to her.


    ¡°Something happened that day, at the warehouse¡±, she started telling Tiffany who was listening attentively.


    Tiffany recalled that Liam had mentioned the warehouse where a heated fight urred between his men and his.


    ¡°Liam told me about the fight that happened there. He said that it was bloody¡±, Tiffany replied, wondering if Alyssa was about to start telling her about the fight.


    ¡°Well, it was. But then, I saved us¡±, Alyssa dropped and for a minute, Tiffany thought that she had heard wrongly.


    She chuckled and folded her hands to her chest, gesturing for Alyssa to proceed with the tale.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t fight. I mean, you can¡¯t even lift a finger. How then is it possible that you saved yourself and Liam, even if Lucas¡¯s men were more in number?¡± Tiffany asked Alyssa who took in a deep breath and shook her head in a serious manner.


    ¡°Something happened and I suddenly had rays of light that i used to make Lucas¡¯s men blind. There were two types; one was used to inflict temporary blindness and the other was used as a barrier to protect Liam¡±, Alyssa exined Tiffany startedughing aloud.


    She stopped when she realized that Alyssa was wearing a serious gaze.


    ¡°Something happened before that. It seemed as though I had a rush of memory and when it got to the present one, I felt a wave of agony and rage. That was when I saw the light that surrounded Liam¡±, Alyssa exined, clearly confused and unable to decipher what really happened that day.


    ¡°I¡¯m confused¡±, Alyssamented bitterly.


    Tiffany took in a deep breath and patted her shoulder calmly.


    ¡°Have you experienced it since then?¡± Tiffany asked and Alyssa nodded her head negatively.


    ¡°I¡¯ve tried to make it happen again, but nothing is happening¡±, Alyssa cried out in frustration.


    Tiffany was finally understanding things now. The way Liam was reacting when she kept asking what the problem was, how Alyssa was demonstrating with her hands at the gardenke thest time. It all made sense now¡­


    ¡°I believe you!¡± Tiffany said as she hugged Alyssa calmly.


    Alyssa disentangled from the hug and stood to her feet. She wanted to show Tiffany what she meant, the exact way it had happened that day at the warehouse.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Tiffany asked Alyssa who ignored her and went on with what she was doing.


    Alyssa stretched out her hands and closed her eyes calmly. She tried to focus on the good memories she had with Tiffany and Liam. And then, she moved to the bad memories that consisted of their various fights and quarrels. She took in deep breaths at intervals, still with her eyes closed in seriousness.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡± Tiffany said as she tried to hold Alyssa, but Alyssa didn¡¯t move an inch. She pushed her aside and returned her focus to what she was doing.


    ¡°Alyssa! Don¡¯t force it. It won¡¯t take time. It woulde back¡±, Tiffany tried to encourage Alyssa, even if she had no idea of how that was going to happen.


    ¡°No! It has toe back today¡±, Alyssa cried out in frustration as she tried to add more intensity to the memories she had.


    Nothing seemed to happen and that pushed her to the edge of frustration.


    ¡°I want to show you that I¡¯m not crazy! I did it that day¡±, Alyssa said as she finally opened her eyes and started sobbing.


    ¡°I know. I know that you¡¯re not crazy. I know you, Alyssa¡±, Tiffany said and hugged her fiercely.


    ¡°Everything would be fine. Together, we would figure out where you came from¡±, Tiffany said with a tone of assurance.


    Alyssa took in the words of encouragement from Tiffany, who assured her that they would get to the bottom of the whole situation. It was difficult to think of how that would happen, especially because she had no idea of who her mother was or where she came from.


    After what seemed like ages, Alyssa made her way to the library. She hardly went in there since she came into the pce, but she currently saw the need to do so since she needed answers.


    She went through different books that talked about witches and how their operations were. She looked intently to observe if any had to do with the powers she portrayed at the warehouse, but nothing seemed to be there in that regard.


    Her head was swirling as her confusion worsened. She wasn¡¯t really getting details of what she wanted.


    After hours of going through different books, she finally drifted off to sleep, with books littered around the table.


    Liam walked into the room momentster and found her sleeping in the middle of books that talked about witches.


    He ced a soft kiss on her forehead and carried her into her room, silently hoping that she figures out everything in no time.

 CHAPTER 115

    Alyssa was in her room when she heard a knock. She stared at the door intently, trying to ascertain if she was expecting any visitor at this time of the day. Just as she thought, a note slipped into the room from the opening below the door.


    This heightened her interest and immediately, she jerked to her feet and walked towards the door.


    She picked up the note and made to read it when she decided to catch a glimpse of who might have dropped it.


    She quickly opened the door, but just as she had thought, the person was nowhere in sight.


    Alyssa rolled her eyes and walked back to her bed with the note, with her heart beating in anticipation.


    ¡°From that one person you love¡±, Alyssa saw the heading and a bright smile formed on her lips.


    It was from Liam¡­


    ¡°Meet me at the garden by 4pm. I have something for you¡±, the note said and unknowingly, Alyssa¡¯s heart raced.


    She couldn¡¯t decipher why she felt anxious or nervous, especially because this wasn¡¯t the first time she would be meeting Liam at the garden.


    She sighed deeply and dropped the note aside, waiting patiently for the time toe. The past few weeks had been stressful for her, and not knowing how to bring back her powers even made her feel worse. She needed no one to tell her that all she wanted at this point was Liam¡¯spany.


    The moment it was some minutes to the time, Alyssa rushed out of her bedroom and ran towards the garden, almost bumping into a servant who wasing towards her direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Alyssa apologized with a smile, after which she decided to walk responsibly in order to avoid unnecessary attention from the people around.


    She got to the garden and found Liam standing by theke, with his hands folded behind his back.


    She walked slowly, trying to avoid getting noticed by him. Once she got to him, she wrapped her hands around his waist and ced her head on his back.


    Liam chuckled and caressed her hands lovingly, taking in the sweet scent that engulfed the atmosphere the moment she arrived.


    He finally swirled her around and pulled her into a tight, inhaling every part of her body and closing his eyes in delight.


    ¡°I missed you!¡± Liam said calmly as he swirled Alyssa around and finally grabbed her on the waist.


    ¡°How are you doing today?¡± He asked when he observed how tired and worn out she looked.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing great!¡± Alyssa replied as she recalled how she had found herself on thefort of her bed the moment she woke from sleep.


    ¡°You were so worn out at the library. I think you¡¯re greatly punishing yourself for not knowing who you are or how to get back your powers¡±, Liam noted and for a minute, Alyssa pondered over what he had said.


    He was right to some extent. She was in dire need to know her origins that she over exerted herself in the library all night and day. She had even forgotten that she was engaged to the King and would soon be a queen.


    Liam has decided to give her some space to herself. He understood how overwhelmed she became the moment she knew of her existing powers.


    For weeks, they didn¡¯t talk about the kidnap anymore, neither did they talk about ns for their next wedding.


    ¡°I think we should make ns for another wedding¡± Liam suggested and Alyssa nodded her head immediately.


    She needed a distraction after all, something fierce enough to take her heart away from the series of heartaches that came from wanting to know who she was.


    ¡°You should pick a date¡±, Liam noted and Alyssa drifted off in thoughts.


    The earlier she picked out a date, the better for her and her rtionship with King. Perhaps, the kingdom needed a queen who would rule together with their King.


    ¡°A week from now would be fine¡±, Alyssa said as her heart skipped a beat.


    Memories from thest wedding day crossed through her mind and unknowingly, she wore a solemn gaze.


    ¡°Everything would be fine, I promise. No harm woulde to you,¡± Liam promised with a soft smile.


    ***


    The wedding ns kickstarted with full force. Alyssa was in charge of most of the preparations this time, basically because of how much she tried to shove aside the thoughts of her powers.


    It still disturbed her greatly, because no matter how she tried, it was devastating to realize that she couldn¡¯t figure out the one thing that connected her to her mother.


    It wasn¡¯t as though the power had been with her for a long time, or as though she mastered it for a long time. But then, she felt bad since it was a huge part of her life.


    ¡°How many cakes would you want that day?¡± Tiffany asked Alyssa as she walked into her room, with the queen sauntering behind her.


    ¡°I suggested about ten giant step cake, mixed with different vors and ingredients¡±, The queen said, causing Alyssa to smile calmly.


    ¡°That would be prefect!¡± Alyssa said with a wide grin after which Tiffany noted down something on her book.


    ¡°The previous wedding dress would be fine, isn¡¯t it?¡± Tiffany asked and Alyssa¡¯s face turned into a scowl.


    Inasmuch as the wedding dress had been recovered from E during the wedding, Alyssa did not feel the need to put it on.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wear that gown anymore¡±, she said as a cold glint shed past her eyes.


    It was the most beautiful wedding dress they would find anywhere, but she rather wear something less exquisite, rather than one that had been worn by E.


    ¡°Noted! That means, you would be trying out the new gowns tomorrow¡±, Tiffany asked and Alyssa nodded with a smile.


    It was strange that they were going over the wedding ns over again. But she was d that the major enemy they had was already out of the picture.


    She followed them out of her room and they went over to the second garden where the wedding was scheduled to take ce.


    Alyssa felt nauseous again and suddenly stopped walking. She couldn¡¯t help feeling awkward whenever she recalled how E had ruined her wedding day.


    ¡°Can we use the other garden?¡± She asked as she pointed over to the garden that had ake, the favorite spot of her and Liam.


    The queen looked at her intently and so did Alyssa, but they didn¡¯t argue about it since Alyssa had said that she wanted to be in charge of most of the wedding ns.


    They strolled over to the garden with ake, and just as Alyssa had thought, Liam was standing there.


    The queen and Tiffany stopped in their tracks after telling Alyssa that they would continue with the ns the next day. They retreated afterwards while Alyssa sauntered towards Liam who was now looking at her.Content from N?velDr(a)ma.Org.


    They talked about the wedding ns, after which Liam asked her how she was feeling about her powers that were get to return.


    ¡°I feel disconnected. I mean, I feel lost and confused. That should be the only thing connecting me to my mother and I feel sad that I can¡¯t even figure it out!¡± Alyssa cried out in frustration, but Liam hugged her passionately and assured her that it woulde back in no time.

 CHAPTER 116

    It was a perfect day for a wedding. The sun peeked brightly as though it were also excited for what was about to happen.


    Alyssa walked down the aisle, with the bouquet in her hands and a wide smile on her lips. Her hair was arranged in an borate style on top of her head, and her white glittery ball room dress swished almost silently on the carpet aisle.


    A song rang through her mind rting to love and the aisle. If you go down the aisle when you¡¯re in love, you would be happy forever!


    She caught sight of Liam¡¯s cousins daughter who was the little bride of the day. The little girl sprinkled pink petals on the aisle just as she walked on it.


    It was a big wedding and since Liam was the King, it wasn¡¯t surprising that many guests hade for the event.


    The aisle suddenly looked long and Alyssa only prayed that her feet would not give her away. Her legs were shaking fervently and her eyes were lowered to the ground.


    She was nervous, anxious and excited. She looked up after a while and caught sight of Liam who was waiting with the elder. She smiled in relief when she realized that it was almost the end of the aisle walk.


    Finally, she stood before Liam who couldn¡¯t help smiling.


    The elder started with the different wedding sermon, none of which Alyssa or Liam paid attention to. They were mostly concerned with getting him to announce them as husband and wife.


    It was now time for them to read their vows. This was the most anticipated part for Alyssa and Liam .


    Liam cleared his throat as he braced up to go first.


    ¡°When I saw you first , I knew that something great was happening in my life. And when you finally came into my life, I knew that it was a miracle. You brought peace and made me realize that life was worth living. Your voice was the sweetest I¡¯ve ever heard and there¡¯s this calmness it brings to my soul each time I hear it. Your patience is out of this world and the pureness of your heart is the sweetest. I want life with you, today and forever. You are the goddess of my life and the one I want to call my own, now and forever. I promise to protect you, no matter how hard the case may be. I would be there to make you smile and never would I hurt you again or make you cry¡±, Liam said and blinked off the tears that welled up in his eyes.


    ¡°You are the greatest gift I¡¯ve had in my life and I would protect it by all cost!¡± Liam said and stared at Alyssa calmly.


    ¡°I promise!¡± He whispered emotionally.


    Alyssa wiped off the tears that had trickled from the side of her eyes.


    It was now her turn to say her vows.


    ¡°I came into your life as a mere servant . But then, you never treated me like a servant that I was. You ensured that you protected me with every of your strength, even if there was no need to. The truth is that I¡¯m proud I fell in love with you. We all have our weak sides as humans, but no matter what, I still love you. I promise to stand by you, no matter how things turn out to be. You would be my husband and partner!¡± Alyssa said and finally broke into tears. She had nned to read a very long message to him, but her emotions were getting the better part of her.


    The guests wiped the tears off their eyes. This had to be the sweetest couple they¡¯ve set their eyes on in a while.


    ¡°I now pronounce them husband and wife!¡± The Elder said and different sounds rented the air. The sounds of trumpets, music and apuse came through and Alyssa dropped the breath that was hung on her chest.


    ¡°Finally!¡± Emily whispered as she caught sight of the crown that was being bright towards them, in a gold palette.


    Her heart raced in excitement as it dawned on her that it was finally happening. She was about to be queen.


    ¡°With the power vested on me, I now pronounce you the queen of Venice¡±, the elder said as he lifted a staff across Alyssa¡¯s face.


    He gestured for Liam to take the crown to his bride.


    Liam picked up the crown thatid on the gold palette and just as he did, a wide smile spread across his face. Alyssa was finally going to be his wife and queen.Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    He walked closer to Alyssa who was already shivering inwardly. She nced to the side of the aisle and found Tiffany who was her maid of honor. She was smiling widely and nodding her head to encourage her.


    ¡°You may now kiss your bride and queen ¡°, the elder announced and Liam winked at Alyssa who blushed.


    They kissed passionately. There was something different about this one¡­it was their first kiss since they became man and wife. It felt really good!


    Alyssa had nned the menu herself. There was turkey, roast beef, steak, mashed potatoes, and an assortment of sauces. For drinks there was champagne, soda, and water. There was an ice cream bar with numerous vors since the wedding nner had suggested it. And of course there was the giant wedding cake. Alyssa spotted a bowl of jelly beans and discreetly dipped her hands into the bowl and pulled out a handful. She picked up a brown one that looked like toffee and nearly spit it out. s, Earwax, She thought.


    ¡°Having fun?¡± Alyssa asked her as he leaned closer to her ear.


    Alyssa chuckled and wrapped her hands around his neck.


    ¡°Everything is fun now! I mean, for the first time, nothing disrupted a happy day¡±, Alyssa said and startedughing aloud.


    That was the truth. Most times, she thought that she was cursed, never to be happy.


    ¡°Well, you would be happy forever now!¡± Liam said and picked up two sses of wine.


    He handed one over to Alyssa who collected it with a bright smile.


    ¡°To a happy life together¡±, he lifted the ss up with a grin.


    ¡°Cheers!¡± Alyssa responded and hit the ss across his.


    Timothy ran over to them in a jiffy. They had been so busy all through the day that they hardly caught sight of him. He was d in a small suit that gave him a cute look.


    ¡°Look at my boy!¡± Liam said excitedly as he lifted him up and swirled him around while he giggled.


    Alyssa chuckled too as she gazed around and took in a deep breath. Everything looked great and for the first time in her life, she was having a chance at happiness.


    She touched her crown and chuckled as Liam led her to the podium where the people were waiting to behold her.


    ¡°Behold the new queen of Venice, queen Alyssa!¡± Liam announced to the people as he raised Alyssa¡¯s hand in excitement.


    Cheers rented the air as people started showering their different voices of prayers across to her.


    ¡°You will live long¡±, they said while she nodded her head and waved at them.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t just a start for me as the queen of Venice. It¡¯s the start of finding out who I am. I¡¯m nowhere close to figuring that out, but until I do, I would have no rest¡±, Alyssa thought silently as she smiled at Liam who caressed her hands lovingly.


    THE END


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