The Billionaire's Mask (Book #1) - Unedited Version

Chapter 32

ALAYNA

"It's me! Have you forgotten about me?" I knew I was screaming on the top of my lungs, but there's no sound coming from my voice, and that there's seemed to be a wall diving us as I tried to ram my fist on the invisible surface.

"No! Please, come back! It's me! Brandon, it's Alayna," I cried so hard, but it was no use. He could see me from the other side but remained still. A few moments later, a woman stepped close to him, and she slid her arms around my man's waist. My heart just dropped and shattered into a thousand pieces.

"Who is she, Brandon?" She was looking at me with blank soulless eyes.

"No one."

"Noooo! It's me. It's Alayna!" I tried to shout, but there was still no sound coming from my throat. I banged the wall once more, but it was no use.

His mouth curved a sneer at me, and I watched him as he wrapped his arm on the woman's waist and kissed her cheek.

"No!" My eyes widened in utter anguish, and air just abandoned my lungs, I couldn't breathe. I knocked on the walls once more with all my remaining strength, but I was too late.

Brandon and the woman turned back and walked away.

"Come back, please!" I sobbed. "Oh, please don't leave me-"

"Alayna!"

Stilling abruptly, I shuddered to my bed and found Oliver's concerned face on top of me. He was holding my face.

"Ollie?"

His shoulders relaxed as he sighed in relief. "Thank God."

I felt my breathing began to slow, and I sat. I ran my fingers through my scalp harshly. "I'm dreaming again, aren't I?"

He massaged his back and nodded. "Are you alright?" he whispered.

I looked up at him, and whenever he was here like this, I couldn't help but pour my emotions. He didn't have to say it, but I knew he had moved in the room next door ever since I had been having episodes. I had become like this almost every day in two months. I never had proper sleep and I wasn't even aware I was being like this again.

It was this very reason why I'd became afraid of sleeping at night. I had tendencies to had panic attacks during sleep-some of it, I wasn't aware. I first found out that had these episodes when Mom was waking me in the middle of the night screaming as if I was in pain. It was first triggered when the person I referred to as a demon abused me. Second, it was my father's death. Lastly, it was this. But unlike every occurrence, this was clearer than before. I knew what I was dreaming about and I had the same dream every time it's happening. It was Brandon and the woman I saw in Athens.

There's no one else in the world who knew about my condition but Mom and Brandon-and telling him weren't easy. It was my very vulnerable state that was I keeping at myself for a long time, and right now, Oliver was beginning to see through me.

"Is there something you're not telling me, Alayna? You see, I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me what's going on," he said softly.

"I know, and I'm sorry about this. I'd been a burden to you. You can just ignore me, and go back to your old room, so I won't disturb you again."

"I don't see this as a burden. Come on, Alayna!" He shook his head. "I'm worried about you, and this is happening so often that this isn't normal anymore. Brandon had these attacks in the early stage of his condition."

"But it's different. I don't have his illness!" I couldn't help but snap. "Are you saying I'm not normal?"

"That's not what I meant. I know Brandon's illness very well, and it was certainly not like this, but I was saying I'd seen something like this before." He exhaled a sigh and took my hand. "You are unusually sweating, you are shaking and panting, and for god sakes, your skin feels cold. You are hyperventilating, Alayna. It is one obvious result of having a panic attack. It can lead to paralysis when it happens at night. This is serious. I may not be a doctor, but being Cassius' brother is enough for me to know about this. Am I wrong?"

I pulled my hand away and stepped out of the bed and stood by the window. He figured out my secret. "Leave me alone, please."

Silence.

"Alright," I went on, crossing my arms on my chest. "Let's say you're right, but I'd been like this before. If you think that it's because of Brandon, I'm telling you that it's not.

"I didn't say it's because of him, Alayna," he whispered softly.

"It just happens that because of him... I'm... I'm being like this again." I spun around and faced him. I shrugged as I wept. "I wasn't always like this."

Oliver stood and held my shoulders. "I'm sure you can't tell me what's going on with you, but at least tell Casey. She'll help you."

"I don't know."

He rubbed my shoulders gently. "You need to get some sleep. It's hard to work exhausted in the morning. Why don't you go back to bed and I'll stay here with you? Is that alright?"

I sobbed under my breath. Eventually, I nodded.

"Yes, please."