Chapter II: "And when we go crashing down we come back everytime. "

"Well if it isn't her majesty herself."

That statement rang in my head the same way the noon bell of an execution would a prisoner sentenced to be hung.

I gasped and moved away from the figure behind me, catching my breath. I tighten my face as I gazed at the person who had appeared from behind me.

A ghost of my past.

"Athier," I muttered slowly, biting my inner lip to quail the pain I felt uttering his name. Dramatic? A little bit maybe

"Malia." He said holding on to a smirk.

Two years, I thought

That's how long it had been since he left for college in another state, and, those weren't the worst years of my life.

In these two years, his features had altered a bit.

His dark brown hair seemed to have grown lighter and longer since I last saw him, his jaw had tightened and he had matured a lot more. His eyes however remained the same yet, a tad bit darker.

The smirk he had on was subtle, unlike the way they were before. Not all that cocky, just a lot more disturbing. There was something about his aura that I didn’t recognise. He moved to my front and it clicked. His demeanour had grown calmer… If I were anyone else, I’d say it made him a lot more attractive.

‘The Vampire Curse’ struck again.

According to legend, the curse causes one to be so beautiful on the outside but rotten to the core.

"It's been a while, are you taller." He said despite the fact that he stood 3 inches taller than me… in heels.

"Not long enough," I replied, looking away from him and at the crowd of people gathered in the building.

Where was Ethan anyway?

Why did he have to disappear now?

At the corner of my eye, I saw Athier place his hand in his pocket and smile. "Now is that any way to talk to your fiancé.," he said sarcastically, trying to play it off, but not before I spotted a hint of distaste in his tone.

How could he hold a calm head about this? I on the other hand had been racking my brain, thinking of plans to end it.

From the age of twelve the inkling feeling of not getting to choose who I get to marry dawn on me, Mom had made that very clear. Athier was always mom's first choice since that incident. I had no say.

People who ignore the past are bound to repeat it, mom would say.

For five years she had been hell-bent on fixing my marriage with Athier. She finally got her chance recently with the Quier enterprises' sudden drop in the stock market; it was a business deal; we get married and they get the necessary funds they need to continue their business.

Although it was obvious blackmail, Kaden and Charlotte, Ethan, and Athier's parents loved me and had no qualms with it. I was already like a daughter to them. Hence, the idea of getting me married into their family was not an unpleasant one to them.

"Why are you going along with this… if need be, mom would listen to you." I conveyed monotonously, "Call it off. " I claimed. Unconsciously I played with my fingernails.

He nodded in disbelief and leaned closer to me. "Don’t try and rub off your responsibilities unto me. Grow up and end it," he whispered, touching my fidgeting hands then letting go.

“I’m back home. I’d be bored anyway and watching you run around in circles trying to escape yourself would serve as entertainment to me.” He was making fun of me, just like he always did. Old habits die hard.

The sound of glass being hit by a metal commanded attention from me and of all present in the room.

"Attention, everyone." Kaden Quier announced, placing the silver fork down by the bar and dropping his glass half-filled with champagne.

"I’d like to introduce the couple we are all here for. " He voiced proudly.

"My son's Athier Quier, heir to Quier construction limited and

Malia Ditton heir to Dit Dot architecture firm." With that, the spotlight was on us.

Everyone present in the room had their eyes searching the room for us. They cheered in awe at us like we were some kind of perfect couple. I fought back the puke in my throat.

Athier interlocked my hand in his.

I opened my mouth to express my displeasure, but he beat me to speak.

"Don't complain. We should put up an act, after all, we are to get married." He whispered and tucked some strands of hair behind my ear gently.

I pushed his hand away. "I don't know what I would call anyone that would marry a dog like you," I said mustering up a satisfied smirk.

"A bitch like you, perhaps." My eyes widened as he replied to my rhetorical question.

If looks could kill, I'd probably be dragged out of the house to the police station for murder on the first degree.

I winced painfully at his comment. Who did he think he was?

He let go of my hand, still smirking.

Kaden approached us and pulled us in a strong embrace. He handed the diamond-encrusted, black coated, silver engagement ring to Athier. Mom and Charlotte came up to our side and cheered us on. Athier took the initiative to grab my hand and push the ring to my engagement finger.

My eyes met Athier’s and became fixed on them. It should’ve been Ethan in his place.

I glanced down at the ring but the chance to admire it for some time left as the lights suddenly went off. My surroundings were pitch black.

The dark. I hated the uncertainty in the dark, the figures that would come out in silhouette form but vanished when light was shone on it. Something seemingly beautiful in the lights would appear formless and take shape of the things you feared the most in the dark, so, I wasn't the biggest fan of the dark

But, there was a black-out? that was sketchy.

"Mhmh" a muffled sound came from my enclosed lips as strong hands took hold of me and threw me on the shoulders I suppose where connected to the arms that grabbed me. I struggled to get out of the grip but it was hopeless so, I began hitting the person's back ferociously but that yielded no result either.

All those years of judo lessons for this? really Malia?

Poke his butt, my mind came up with that useless idea. Seriously? what are you helpful for aside from daydreaming about steamy scenes with your celebrity crushes?

Bite him, another idea crossed my mind, it wasn't such a bad idea, just distasteful. There was still no chance in hell I would sully my teeth with my kidnapper's skin. I didn't know where it had been.

You could be taken and killed, that should be the least of your worries, I tried desperately to reason with myself.

I'd rather die, I replied to the voice in my head. I'd rather die.

All the time I had spent conversing with the voice in my head, my captor used judiciously to get me outside the house. Whoever it was shoved me into the getaway vehicle, locked the door, entered the car, and drove away.

He must have been sillier than I putting me in the front passenger seat untied, all I had to do was open the door and jump out of the car that had begun to move about 80 km/h.

I would be easy enough. If Vin Diesel could do it so could I.

I turned to the driver, my eyes still adjusting to the light, hoping to get a good look at him in case I had to inform the police....

"What do you think of my plan babe?"

Ethan?