Serena

Chapter 28

Serena's POV

The man's agonising scream gathers more curious people to join but their expression remains the same with every other one's. Some people start to escape the scene while others are completely frozen in their spot.

The man chokes on his cries and suddenly grabs on to my left boot with his other hand, he starts to curse at me spitting insults about my gender and titling me as 'those in hell'. The crowd abruptly became aggressive as they follow the host's behaviour, beginning a little protest against me like little children.

I sigh, letting out a Russian curse before I swiftly tug my boot back and stomped on the hand that touched me first. The crowd once again dramatically gasp and steps back from me like I was a contagious disease. Unbothered, I walk over the body of the host and pushed against the people who blocks my view of Madeleine.

Madeline still sits on her bike with her helmet off, surrounded with her own entire flock of crowd. She happily sat, smiling and answering at everything thrown her way. Seeing her safe, let's go of the tightness around my chest.

I lift my visor up for Madeleine to recognize me amongst other riders standing around where I was. I gave her a little wave and she comes running towards me, leaving the crowd and her bike.

"I'd say, I won this time." Both her hands swing my right arm, chanting her belief.

"And what do you want so desperately this time?" I slowly ask her after I pull us out of the crowd. We walk towards Vincent's car leaving behind the field of eyes and voices.

She starts to hesitate in answering me once Vincent is in view, but I signal him to turn around. She looks back at him then back to me then back to him.
"If I won, I wanted to ask for a favour this time, not a prize." She slowly opens and I take my helmet off to hear better as she's starting to whisper. "So... recently... there's this old man.... and he keeps trying to.... Ummm pursue me.... but he wouldn't take no as an answer." She fumbles on her words and play with her nails.

Hearing this, felt like a swing to the face, like a knife had plunged itself into the centre of my chest. In no words can describe this rage I feel. "And what does Uncle think of it?" I nearly break my calm self. Now is not the time for me to show Maddy my triggered self.

"Father.... and mother is not happy about it, of course..... and they obviously don't want me involved...."
A long, long fucken pause.
Then she sniffs, blinks, then finally tears. Big droplets of tears streaming down her face.

In that moment, something cracked within me but it doesn't matter because now I only have one thing on my mind.

"But...... Serena. That man .... that man, he's a powerful man..... and my family can't defend me for long. And I... I...-"

"Name."

"W-what?" She uncontrollably wipes her tears with her sleeves, her lips quivering.

"His name, Maddy. I want his fucken name." I say but my tone so dead inside out. My mind blank from any other thoughts besides one. And it will stay until it's down.

"I-it's..... Gabriel West Tumbler." She finally says searching for my eyes that were glued to the ground.

"Vincent." I called and he instantly approaches us.

"Your orders, Lady Serena?" His voice as angered as mine but he too, knew that this will be mine to take. 

"Take her back home and guard her until I call for you."

"Wait, Serena! Listen first- " Madeleine panics and tries to run for my arm but I had already walked away from her. "Serena! You bitch! This isn't the favour I wanted! Nooo! Let me go Vincent, you asshole, let go of me! -Rena..."
Her voice desperately tries to reach me but I'm too far ahead towards my bike to hear any further and I know damn well Vincent will do his job right.