The Heart of a Monster

Julian slowly let her down, his hand removing her hair from her face. She gasped hard, trying to come to terms with what had just happened.

Why was a vacant room so important? Why had a gentleman so pristine and beautiful just suddenly turned beast in a moment?

She tried hard to look up to him.

”Why did you lie? ” His voice was low, as if coming from a distance.

”It was…I felt like…like…she wanted me to see it. I don know what you are…I don know who you guys are… ”

”But you know who you are. You know the power you wield. ” He said, lightly caressing her face.

She shook her head, her lips quivering. ”I don know anything. I swear, I don know anything. I swear it. I just…I just wanted to please her. ”

Julian smiled, then brought her closer to him. He leaned a little closer so she could see his pitch black eyes, and they carried a little humor.

”Please her? I am the only one you should seek to please, Eliana. I am the one who will give you everything. ”

She sniffed and swallowed hard. ”What do you want me to do? ”

”Continue being oblivious. The world will soon be on your palm anyway. Continue seeing the things that I want you to see…and the things you know other people want you to see. ” He tucked the loose strand of her golden brown hair behind her ear, leaving traces of his fingers in his wake.

She nodded obediently and watched him as he started to walk away, before mustering the courage to ask, ”Am I going to die? Was I wrong to accept this…this deal? ”

”No, sweetie. You are never wrong. Especially when it is with me. ”

She blinked back her tears, trying hard to push away the fear his sweet smile was instilling in her.

”You should come with me. I will get you a room myself. ”

”I am fine here, ” she said.

He simply smiled and walked to her, then held her wrist gently, causing her to walk with him.

Caroline sat up from the bed, the darkness of the room comforting her. She stood up with a sigh, running her hands through her hair.

On days like these, she was used to Julian. Ever since that cage..that fire…at first, just seeing Julian would ease her fear, even though he became her biggest fear. And maybe that was why she felt better with Bastien.

No matter how bad she felt about Julian, she knew, somewhere in this existence, that she would choose Bastien.

She stepped out of the room and closed the door behind her, then started to make her way down the first balcony.

She thought she was dreaming when she saw Julian ascend the first row of stairs.

”Julian? It is so late. ” She said, her eyes fixed on Eliana who was shielding herself behind him.

”I actually wanted to speak with you, Caroline. ”

”Is something wrong? ”

”You let her stay in a vacant room? ”

Eliana looked at him. ”It is not vacant. ”

Caroline smiled gracefully. ”I did not know. I will escort her. ”

”Do not worry about it. I will do it myself. ”

She watched him walk past her, her eyes fized on the way he had held Eliana. Maybe to conquer Julian, something else needed to be done. Something other than stealing the piece.

Julian opened the door to the room next to his, then led the way in. He then turned on the lights of the room.

Eliana let her eyes roam around the room. It was elegant, as if Julian had known she was coming and made it all for her.

”Thank you, ” she said.

He let go of her wrist. ”You will come with me tomorrow. ”

She nodded. ”Where? I mean, can I ask? ”

”Do you think you are a prisoner? ” He laughed. ”We are going to Donovan group of companies. ”

”Dono… ”

”It belongs to me. There is a deal we are yet to finalize. ”

She nodded, even though she didn really understand, and kept her head titled slightly away as he walked past.

Bastiens ears perked up as he heard a small knock on the door.

”Who is… ”

”It is me. Caroline. I have something important to discuss with you. ”

”Why so careless? What if Julian comes? ”

”He won , ” she said. ”He is with the woman that has the piece. ”

”Tell me. ”

”He has not realized that she is not the one. But, still…both of us…we are not a match for Julian. I found a way around having to steal the piece from him when we know he is guarding it with every power he has ever possessed. ”

”What are you driving at? ”

She swallowed. ”Julian may have never been attracted to me…but I believe in the end, Julian is still just a man. ”

”What are you insinuating? ”

”I believe we should let him slowly let the wrong woman…become his weakness. ”

”A weakness? ”

”I believe it is possible. It will distract him, because right now he isn looking for the piece anymore since he believes he already has it. That will give us the chance to look for the real one, without a hitch. ”

Bastien nodded, a smile slowly spreading his lips. ”Do you think Julian will develop and addiction of her without any intervention from us? ”

”I already thought of that. I thought of how to do it. ”

”Your spell will not work on Julian. ”

”But her allure might. ”

”What? ”

”The spell will be targeted on her. She will be the one to try to bring Julians attention to her. He will naturally dump me, and he will have his guards down. That way, I will look for the piece for you. ”

”You have made the right choice, Caroline. I promise you. ”

She nodded. ”The fear… ”

”Shh…don talk about the fear. You are stronger than you were back then. Those scars on your body…it is signs that you used to be weaker. But you are stronger now. Way stronger than you used to be. ”

Caroline nodded. ”Yes. That is why I betrayed the man who…let me out that cage. ”

”For the man who healed you. ”