"Presenting Leila Lambordi! Isn't she a sight to behold, Lucifer Lambordi?"

With these words, Leila's world collapsed again.

Her eyes connected with a pair of dull looking eyes. They looked so familiar. There was a blankness in that gaze, she was all too familiar with. Her brothers sometimes held this gaze.

"P-papa." She whispered, not trusting the reality in front of her.

She shrieked as she was slammed into the bars. 'He' mockingly pushed her into them and pressed his weight on her.

"Your daughter has grown nicely, won't you agree, Lucifer?" Taunting, he wrapped his hand around her wrist before twisting it back with his weird extraordinary strength and she screamed.

"I broke your wife's hand just like this. Don't tell me, you still don't remember?" He sulked childishly.

"Ah well! I should let you father and daughter spend some quality time together. Oh c'mon! You know I'm not that heartless....I will give you few minutes." He bowed and left but him and Lucifer briefly made eye contact. He smirked in amusement finding the cold fury in the latter's eyes.

Leila cradled her wrist as tears rolled down her face. In pain, she momentarily forgot that her father was watching her each move.

The sound of chains being dragged, gained her attention. She snapped her head up to see Lucifer close to the bars from other side.

"Who are you?!" He sneered hatefully.

Her heart almost dropped in fear till she realized that he did not look angry. Actually, his face displayed no emotions.

He looked at her, carefully assessing her each feature. She took this moment to observe him. He looked thin, a lot thinner from the pictures she had seen of him.

His skin was pale like he had no blood in his veins. She saw small scars and bruises which littered across his face with dried blood splattered on his cheeks. Her eyes fell on his arms. The wounds on his skin had not even healed and at some spots, she could clearly catch the glimpse of his bones protruding out of the open flesh. The sight made her wince. Since how long her father was being tortured? On the other hand, the clothes he was wearing were tattered and in no condition suitable for this cold weather.

She flinched as her name left his lips, almost carefully and cautiously.

"Leila..."

She tried to nod but could not do without spilling few tears out.

For next few minutes, they sat in silence just staring at each other. They did not need to say a word, their eyes did the whole conversation.

His gaze flickered to her wrist and his brows furrowed.

"I-it does not hurt..." She lied.

He did not react. He simply stared.

"Your brothers were incapable of protecting you." He whispered in their home language.

Leila opened her mouth to defend her brothers when all of a sudden, Alexander appeared. He almost seemed startled finding the father-daughter duo. He gawked for a whole minute before his eyes went wide open in shock and realization.

He could not understand if his eyes were playing trick with him.

This person in front of him-

It was Lucifer Lambordi!

As Lucifer's cold gaze met his, he suppressed a shudder. The man's appearance was not at all perfect but the way his eyes explicated the promised brutality and fury, Alexander knew that he was not the one to be considered 'weak'.

But how could Lucifer be alive?

What was 'he' thinking keeping this man alive?

"Leila, let's go." He turned to the girl who was still staring at her father, still somewhere doubting the reality.

The said person flinched.

She did not want to go back. Her father was here. She had just found him, her heart was not ready yet to part with him.

Her eyes watered again. She was ready to be adamant and put up a fight, already knowing the consequences.

"Don't worry." Lucifer spoke.

Leila's lips quivered.

"My sons will keep their promise. No matter what the cost is."

Alexander observed the scene quietly. He could not understand what 'he' had in his mind when he let Leila see Lucifer. The fear which she emitted earlier had vanished with few words.

On the other side, even Leila knew that her father was unable to help her. She was still glad to find her family member and the hope awakened again. Her brothers will have to come.

Without giving them a chance to say proper goodbye, Alexander grabbed Leila's arm and hauled her up before dragging her out of the cold dungeons.

Lucifer watched silently till they disappered from his sight.

Alexander threw Leila in her room.

"Your old man is getting crazy! No one is coming to save you, you should know Leila!" He crouched down in front of her.

She looked up in his eyes as if observing him carefully.

"Are you scared?"

His eyes widened for a moment before he gripped her hair in his fist.

"Bitch!"

She squeezed her eyes shut as he spat at her.

"Do you even have any idea how much vulnerable you are right now? I can do anything I want with you! Do you see your brothers coming and stopping me? Did they come when 'he' assaulted you?!"

She yelped as he managed to tore few strands of her hair out of roots. His rough and relentless grip had her trembling beneath him. She clawed at his wrist but all her struggles seemed to amuse him even more.

"L-let go..!" She cried out but his grip did not cease.

"Stop living in delusion that they will come! They won't! For starters, they do not even care about you and I can assure you that they are extremely happy after your useless burden had lifted off their shoulders!" He smirked, watching her withering in pain as he yanked her hair even harder.

Leila could not breathe..!

The pain was too much. Her scalp was burning.

Black spots started to blind her vision. She gasped to breathe.

Why was it feeling like something was choking her?

With one last struggle, her hands slowly fell down at her sides and she fell limp.

Alexander stared at her tear-stained cheeks. He felt immensely satisfied seeing her state. The small tinge of guilt suddenly hit his heart but he suppressed it instantly.

Leila Lambordi deserved it.

He loved her! He loves her so much! Is she blind to see that? He wants to keep her beside him but she is in the hurry to get away from him.

He felt like this punishment was suitable.

Very suitable.

*******************

Few floors above, he sat on his throne watching the entire thing through surveillance.

"What is your next order, Commander?" His most loyal subordinate asked him while he pretended to ignore what was going on the screen.

"Hmm. Never thought that one of the three 'notorious' families will aid me to reach near my goals."

His subordinate glanced at the screen and frowned in displeasure, seeing Alexander coaxing the unconscious girl by gently laying her down on the bed.

"Commander, do you not wish to eliminate them sooner? Lambordis are getting closer by each day. It won't be long befo-"

He stopped his subordinate mid-sentence by simply glancing in his direction.

"Dante! I would never let them have a painless death. There's no fun in that, you should know already!"

All of a sudden, the alarms started to blare in the room.

Dante froze.

What?

How could they already be here?

He turned back to face his leader who had a wide grin spread across his face.

"They are pretty eager for their death! Aren't they?"

He was going to savor every bit of that moment....!