"I was in hell on earth."



16

"Slow down, take your time." I laughed at the adorable group of brown baby cows. I watched them for a minute before deciding to go into the house to see Lydia baking in the kitchen.

"If I recall, you mentioned how much you loved to bake." Lydia held out the spatula for me to take.

"It's a cupcake batch, I'm going down to the basement I'll be right back." She rubbed my shoulder before leaving. I swiped my finger in the batter to taste test and it obviously didn't disappoint.

I kept whisking adding in more ingredients till I got it how I liked. Once I knew it was ready for the oven, I began looking through the cabinets for the cupcake tray, but I couldn't find it.

"Lydia!" I called out.

No answer, I called her name again, still nothing, which is strange she's always near. I walk further down the hall towards the basement, it was like no one was in the house. My brows furrowed at the sudden silence.

"Lydia?" The door to the basement was open, I gulped down my anxiety. I've been afraid of basements my whole life, you couldn't get me to make it down the steps. Instead I went back towards the kitchen, thinking I'll just wait for her return.

I had only taken a few steps when someone suddenly grabbed my face, their leather-gloved hands clamping over my mouth and pinching my nose shut. The fear I'd barely begun to shake off surged back instantly. My screams were muffled and indistinct as I thrashed, trying to free myself. But then, a sharp pinch in my neck—something was injected into me.

A man's voice whispered softly in my ear, "Shh, shh, shhh... you're okay, you're going to sleep now, angel." His words were gentle, but the voice was unfamiliar, sending a shiver down my spine.

•••

My eyes fluttered open, and my blurred vision slowly focused on the ceiling above me. I tried to move, wiggling my fingers, but I quickly realized I was strapped down, bound from head to toe to a cold, hard surface. The four walls of the small room seemed to close in around me, the air growing thick with tension.

I let out a low groan as the ropes began to dig painfully into my skin with every slight movement. Tears welled up, slipping down the sides of my face, falling onto my ears as I struggled to comprehend my surroundings.

"Hel— help! Please someone!" My throat burned as I screamed.

"Ami." I will never get used to his distinct voice, so full of power it almost made me want to always act right.

I instantly froze, as if my brain had lost control of my own body, but the tears didn't stop—they continued to fall, steady and uncontrollable. Then, I felt it. Reign. His presence always carried that darkened cloud, an oppressive weight that filled the room whenever he entered. It was unwanted, yet, somehow, eerily familiar.

"R-Reign I'm sorry." I shakily let out.

He ran his hands through my hair, locking those deep blue eyes on me, visually speaking to my soul. My body grew hot with unknown anticipation. I had to try swallow my terror, because there is no one to help save me from such torment. They wouldn't dare cross a Gusev, but I did, I tried my luck, and here we are.

"Nyet, not yet baby." I shook my head silently begging him, my hands trembling, and the rest of my body shuddered in heavy confusion. "Did you honestly think I would let you go?" He mocked me, anyone could tell he was livid, but it would never display on his chiselled features.

"I-I didn't want to please believe me, Reign i'm so sorry," a lump rose in my throat as tears began to gather.

He only chuckled in psychotic.

Reign took his black suit jacket off, leaving him in a white button up, showing his dark art on his arms from his rolled up sleeves.

"Repeat what you said to me that night."

I knew the exact words he spoke of. At this moment I couldn't help but wish I stayed, I wish I didn't run, I wish I listened, and I wish I told Stassie something different.

I don't blame anyone not even my self. My emotions brightly shine when I don't them to, they take control of my life before I'm even able to push them down. Yet here he stood, unbothered — not a single emotion detected as I broke down in front of him desperate for mercy. Maybe just for him to understand.

"P-Please hear me when I say Re—,"

"We all wish we can change the past, but this here is your doing. Speak with your chest high, da?"

Such a master at being nonchalant. My broken voice called out for his name once more, I don't want this —pathetic I know, but he darkly stood there waiting for the response he wants to hear.

I felt deep ache as more tears began to rise.

"Fuck you, you'll never have me." I whisper in force.

My eyes fill with forgiveness, but the shade in his eyes turned dark. I felt the need to plead my case, but what's the point? There's no going back now. His tension suffocating me, filling the spaces in the room.

Reign smirks, "I want you to say hi to someone."

He walks to open a door, and Lucas was aggressively dragged in drenched in his own blood, and a swollen face, causing my stomach to twist. He was on his knees hands bound to each other, panting with a constipated look on him.

I have become a witness to the darkest parts of hell on earth, fear is the only feeling running through my body. There is no other thing to feel.

I'm overwhelmed with an inescapable sense of disbelief. The smell of blood rapidly took over the room, I held back my puke from my turning stomach.

Reign casually leaned against the wall, hands tucked in his pockets, watching Lucas with an unbothered air, his thoughts fixated on the desire to see him dead.

"You remember Lucas Ami?" I shut my eyes attempting to tune out everything around me, the sight of Lucas is beyond disturbing. This man was pure evil.

I hear steps closer in my direction, until I feel lip touch my forehead, "open those beautiful eyes," Reign whispered.

I carefully opened my eyes, releasing the gates of the rest of my tears.

"I hope you're not crying for this fucking suka." He reached his full height, intimately looking down at me, his thumb trailing over my lips.

I quickly shook my head no.

He glances over at Lucas, "He had big plans for you beautiful. Lucas wanted revenge for his piece of shit father. He wanted to take you from me baby."

Reign took slow strides over to Lucas.

"Mother fucker likes to play Mr nice guy?" He grabbed him by the hair pulling it, Lucas let out a harsh groan.

"You see Princess, I was taught to stay ahead because of fucking loose ends like this one."

Reign continued, "He was planning on cutting you open and stuff you with fucking diamonds, eventually sell you off to the most wealthy bastard.. "

Reign picked up a bat from the corner of room before repeated hitting Lucas excessively in the ribs. His heart wrenching screams bounced of the walls. I could painfully hear every one of those bones crack.

"S-stop Reign, please I can't." Lucas cried helplessly.

"I won't kill you yet, I haven't gutted someone out in forever." He darkly chuckled throwing the bat to the side. "Get him out." He told the guards, they roughly dragged a crying Lucas out by his arms. By the point I was sobbing terribly.

"I know you enjoyed your getaway baby, but I need you now, we have auction to attend, but first... you ran away from me."

I cried out my stomach tightened in fear, "Please, I-I was scared, Reign."

"I'm done speaking." A large rag covered my face.

"Now it's just gonna be the consequences." He lastly whispered in my ear.

Heavy amounts of water poured down my face at once. My lungs quickly filled up they screamed pain as my body would twitch and fight for survival. The rope dug more into my skin the more I moved, but the water kept coming.

I couldn't breathe, pain was the only thing I could comprehend. The water fall finally stopped, I'm hyperventilating selfishly gasping for air. I couldn't stop coughing up, it burned me to do so. I was like a fish out it's natural habitat but the only difference is I'm tied down.

I knew soon my airway will begin to fail me, I didn't even want to know where the water came from. I weakly looked for Reign, displaying my sorrows. He was taking my ability to breathe, I felt dizzy more so lifeless as my coughing up water didn't end.

The water fall started again, then slowly my life slipped away and the last thing my thoughts ran to was my unborn. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.

•••

I sat uncomfortably in the chair, my hair and makeup being done, but my eyes were lost in the tired reflection staring back at me in the mirror. I'd cried enough tears to last a lifetime of hurt. I no longer felt sorry for myself; I just wanted to be free, with nothing but my baby by my side.

When Stassie heard I was back, she rushed over immediately, but I told the maids to turn her away—no guests, not right now. When Lydia went missing, I couldn't shake the feeling that Reign was already after her. I kept beating myself up about it. All she'd done was help me, and she didn't deserve any of this.

I'm better off in my own bubble right now because my heart is practically on my sleeve, exposed and vulnerable. I'd much rather be left alone, kept in solitude. Reign really did a number on me with that whole "scar you for the rest of your life" thing. All I can feel now is pain and fear, and it's too much to bear in front of others. I just can't be around people in this state. Not yet.

"Everyone out." He firmly call out, I glanced up seeing him through the mirror holding a plate of food. The glam team scurried out the room with their heads down.

I felt his presence beside me as he held out the food for me to take.

"I-I'm not hungry." I lowly spoke but my voice cracked and my throat became irritable. Reign just looked down at me giving me the eye. I took the plate no longer hesitant.

"You look beautiful." He reached up to run his hand through my hair, and off instinct I flinched away.

"You want to run da?"

I whispered, "N-no, just don't touch me please." I kept my eyes on the plate of food. He calls me beautiful like it's my name.

He smiled showing those pearly whites taking the plate of my lap, cupping my cheeks in his hands.

"Amina, don't forget nothing has changed since the pathetic plan to escape me didn't execute the way you want. We make decisions forgetting about the consequences, but I want you to know your no prisoner here my love. You can make anywhere your home." A tear fell from my eye.

Time to flip the scrip.

"Do you love me Reign?" I looked up at him using the famous triangle method inspired from Marilyn Monroe herself.

His hands dropped from my face, his features turned back to cold as he used the fork to feed me.

Finally he speaks, "What I have for you is much greater than love. The picture is clear by the pain that flows through your bloodstream." He smirks feeding me a fork twirled with pasta.

"Also you have denied me the taste of you, get on the bed."

•••