Red Princess

77. A.K. Forever

Ariel

"What if I told you that your beloved Alice is alive? Would you believe me, Kaidon?"

His words were like a punch to the gut. That one statement of his was enough to crumble my world apart.

Alice is... alive?

No! He is messing with our minds! That's what he does!

But what if she really is alive?

Abruptly, my hands reached out to hold onto Kaidon's. If she were alive, then I'd have no chance against her. He would undoubtedly go to her, and I would be left all alone.

It was my last desperate attempt to keep him. Over the last few weeks, I believed we were gradually making progress. We would talk more and tease each other, but that afternoon he reverted back to his old self. When Sey tried to show him a mirror, he knocked it down to shatter it into pieces. He really did want nothing except Alice's face from me.

Which was why I decided to do precisely that. Get rid of any dissimilarities between us. Alice had an inactive social media account, and I picked up her picture from there. I dressed up exactly like that, dyed my hair the same colour and decided to give up on being Ariel if I could keep him.

It was my moment of insanity. It was my cry for help, and he heard it. He finally opened his heart to me.

But what happens if she comes back?

He returned my touch and tightened his hold on my fingers, reassuring me, and waking me out of my trance. His touch was enough to blow life into me once again.

Kaidon pulled out the gun he had tucked away in his back pocket and pointed the same towards him. "Stop with your bullshit. There's nothing you can say that would make me not want to kill you."

Gilaan only smirked in response. "Even if that means my men kill you in return?"

"Do I look like I care?"

The smile vanished from his face and his dark gaze fixated upon us, rather, on me.

"You know I got to witness something interesting the other day." He snapped his fingers, and the laser pointers moved away from Kaidon's body to linger over mine. Kaidon was quick to respond as he lowered his hand and hid me behind his back.

"What really pushes your buttons is her."

I tried to struggle against his hold to face our enemy head-on together, but he only pushed me back further, his body acting as a shield.

"So, it really was you who tried to target me that day."

He chuckled at that, his sweet, angelic voice reverberating through the silence of the night. The music from inside the house could be heard in the background, but it wasn't loud enough to reach us.

"I merely heard something interesting was about to happen. Thought I would see it for myself. I wasn't disappointed."

The sound of hurried footsteps filled the air, and I turned back to see Sey and Alex headed in our direction. Both had their weapons pulled out and pointed at our enemy. They halted on either side of us, standing guard like concrete pillars.

"Happy Birthday, son. I left you a small present in your room."

"You are delusional if you think I am ever going to accept anything from the likes of you."

"Still sulking over the bullet I put in your body? I was careful to avoid all the vital spots."

"What kind of father does that to his own son!"