The Unmatched Beauty

Chapter 1

Adira Costello

It's dark. She could only hear but cannot move any of her limbs nor talk or even see anything. For that moment, it was as if all her senses were shut forcedfully— leaving her only with her hearing. She could feel the bobbing motion of the car moving to some place.

However, the situation did not faze her. She'd been calm althroughout that the people that took her wondered if she was even awake.

Why? Well, she's used to situations like this. Blindfolded. Transported somewhere. Threatened to be killed if they—and I mean her family—does nothing. And all those useless shit.

It was the fate of someone—moreover a woman—who belonged to a family such as hers.

Adira Costello, a name which meant power, was the only true heir of the family Costello. A mafia family that didn't exactly live in the light of the society. They were the most prominent family of the East, such that no one dared to go up against them after every family, gang or group that dared to almost ended up filling every room and ward of every hospital.

Adira was born within the confines of the House Costello. A castle that kept her in and never once let her take a single step out beyond the grounds of its tall fences. Growing up within them, she thought the castle was all of the world. She was pampered and taken care of properly so she really didn't have any thoughts of even going past the fences.

Her father, the current head of the family, was a loving and doting father. He often went out late at night and would not return till early dawn when Adira's already sound asleep. She once asked her mother, the woman once hailed as the most coveted woman of the land, just where he'd been going and why so late, but she would always choose not to tell her and instead tuck her in to sleep or talk about something else.

The first time Adira saw another side to her loving and doting Father was on Christmas eve. She'd been staying up late, in the high hopes of meeting that old man known by the name of Claus. The adults would always tell her that if she didn't obey them and sleep early then the old man won't visit her and give her gifts—presumably since he only visit good girls and boys.

Yet, Adira chose to fake her sleeping and wait for this old man they were all talking about. The sound of the soft rumble of a car's engine reached her ears and she thought that maybe the old man everyone told her about had arrived to give her the gifts but what she saw was not the old man. It was her father—soaked to the bone with that deep crimson sticky liquid. He was drenched with blood.

Of course she knew the blood wasn't her father's since he was walking perfectly fine before he snapped his fingers and one of his men went and dragged a half-alive body out from the trunk of the car and dumped it before her father's feet.

The very kind man she always saw smiling at her every morning showed the most bone-chilling cold eyes as he stepped on the head of the body. This shook Adira very much that she could feel her body tremble uncontrollably. It was the catalyst to Adira's understanding to what their family really was.

Since then, at the tender age of six, she'd already been subjected to the cruel fate of being dragged, kidnapped and almost killed—all out of desire for revenge towards her father that continued to conquer and subdue them forcedfully.

Since Adira was the weakest spot in the Costello, she was always targeted and honestly, every accident doesn't end very well for the other party. Either her family would beat them all just an inch to death or break a couple of their bones to remind them that there were some things they were not allowed to ever lay their hands on.

Throughout the repeated cycle of being targeted, Adira got used to it and learned how to keep calm and even maybe successfully escape by herself. Though chances of those miracles were not always too favorable all the time.

Adira was snapped out of her thoughts when her 'kidnappers' grabbed her arm and harshly pulled her up.

"Ah! Hey! I can walk properly! You don't have to be that forceful!" She complained with a hiss. She didn't mind being kidnapped again but she minded how harshly they treated her.

"Boss, this is the girl of the Costellos." The gruffy voice of her abductor filtered in her ears before she was pushed to the ground that forced her to kneel.

"What the fuck's wrong with this guy? Handling a lady like this." She mumbled under her breath and scoffed.

Before Adira could speak out about their poor treatment of guest, a hand cupped her cheeks that forced her to look up before a voice—smooth, deep and alluring—spoke to her a brief "Your rumors do you no justice, indeed."

"Rumors?"

"Ah, the beautiful caged princess of the Costellos, with soft wavy chocolate locks and the infamous deep cerulean blue eyes. The so-called Goddess of the East."

Well that's cringey and most of those rumors are just exaggerated. Wait. Does this mean I was abducted not out of revenge? What for then?!

"Unfortunately, I am not able to see this beautiful orbs of yours, but no rush. Now that I've laid eyes on you, you far exceeded my expectations. You look so fragile, like a porcelain doll," he paused as he traced lines across Adira's face and body as if sculpting and memorizing her figure before continuing with a spine-chilling cold voice "so how'd you survive in the Costellos?"

Swallowing the lump of fear that gathered at her throat, Adira opened her mouth in the most calm and strong voice she could muster. "Why did your men take me?"

"Ho? Ignoring me? It's a bit of a surprise how you can still keep your calm right now. Despite being alone in an enemy base."

Enemy base. So I am in their base. This man must not belong in the East if he dared to take me. Who the fuck is this man?

"Panicking. Crying. Begging. None of those would change my situation right now, so why bother?"

Hearing the man chuckle lowly, Adira wondered how this man looked. He sounded wonderful and sexy which led her to imagine how handsome he must be.

"Oh, but there's a way to change your situation now, though?"

Doubtful at the words this mysterious man just spoke to her, she raised an eyebrow. What is this person talking about? Was he going to propose to her to die then? That was the only way out right? Not exactly a very pretty idea but she couldn't think of any else.

Before she could ask anything, the man placed a finger under her chin, tilted her head slightly to the side before she could feel his hot breath fan her ears as he whispered "Become my woman, oh princess of Costellos."

Say what?!

In all honesty, if she wasn't tied up then, she'd long punched the lights out of this man who dared speak to her that way. What did he think she was? A girl he could take down too easily?! To hell with him!

Adira fumed and spat in whichever direction her head was tilted to before answering him with a firm and loud "In your dreams!"

"Yes, this is what I love about you. Feisty." She heard him chuckle joyfully before a pair of strong arms grabbed both of her arms and she was forced to stand up again.

"I'll be seeing you again real soon, princess. See you." He bid his farewell but not before claiming Adira's small pink lips there.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!