I dressed up in baby blue shirt and jeans shorts. I styled my hairs in messy bun. I stared at the mirror while my mind was constantly going back to Vaughn's pained expression.

I sighed and stepped outside the room.

I really need to talk to Vaughn. Although what he did to me was still fresh in my mind but then why I am feeling that's there is something more to it. I shook my head and made my way towards his study.

I gently knocked on the door but there was no reply. Strange.

I twist the handle and stepped inside. And as I looked up, I saw Vaughn leaning against his study while drinking a huge bottle of red wine which was already left half. His hairs were too disheveled as if he had constantly run his fingers through them. His oceanic orbs lost their charm. His shirts top buttons were also unbuttoned. He looks so frustrated.

Even though what he did to me was not forgivable but deep down in my heart I still cares about him. I don't know why he is suddenly drinking too much. I mean, I don't think Vaughn as a person who drinks so recklessly. There is definitely something wrong with him and I need to know it.

I slowly made my way towards him. I snatched the bottle from his trembling hands.

"Hey, I am drinking it", he protested and tried to take it away from me but I was fast.

"No Vaughn, you have already drank too much. I don't want you too drink further. It's not good for you. And if you got drunk and pass out then it will be difficult for me to handle you, so no more drinking.", I said sternly and put the bottle at far corner of the table near the couch. While he pouted, like a little kid. I would have laughed at his cute antics but right now I need to know the reason why he is drinking too much.

He tried to move with his shaky legs. But was about to fall when I caught his arm. He composed himself and snatched his arm away from me. I was startled by it and gave a confused expression.

"Don't act like you care. Because I know that there is nothing in your heart but hatred for me", he snapped as his expression turns to angry one.

I was shocked that although what he stated should be true but why can't I hate him like I should do. Why still I care about him? Why his sentence instead of making me angry, hurts?

Before I could speak he beats me to it.

"I am surprised that you are still here. I thought you would have left with that......Jeremy", he said with an annoyed expression while saying Jeremy's name. While I looked at him with confusion.

"Why would I go with him?", I asked and he left out a fake cynical laugh.

"Because he likes you and maybe you also likes him. And he is better than me", he said the last part as a whisper but I heard it and was shocked, why is he comparing himself and most importantly what has happened to him that he saying such thing. Is he drunk?

"I don't like him Vaughn, we are just friends, he has already apologized to me for the kiss."I said while trying to make him understand. While he just stared at the window.

"And why the hell you are comparing yourself to him?", I asked while he still stood silent, increasing my anger.

I went towards him and stood infront, and, I stared at his face which looks so tired. And my expression softened.

"Tell me what is wrong with you?", I said softly as it hurts to see him so frustrated.

He ignored eyecontact and looked here and there. So I cupped his face with my hands, forcing him to look at me. I felt a sudden sensation as my hands touched his perfectly carved face.

The moment when we lock eyes I realize something as I stare in those piercing oceanic orbs in which I could drown.

There was something hidden behind those deep blue eyes.

Cause the eyes which were holding anger before now contains guilt.

"Although I hate it but unfortunately Jeremy was right. I don't deserve you. You should have left with him. He is better for you then me.", he said with a bitter smile. As if controlling his emotions. While I looked at him with pure shock.

He runs his hand through his hairs and let's out a deep sigh. And passed by me and sat on the couch. While I sat next to him.

"You once asked me why I locked my trophies,and those childhood pictures", he said and I nodded while remembering.

"I locked them because it reminisces my past. The past which I tried hard to forget. A past which was dark and painful", he said with a pained expression and I felt my curiosity and worry increased.

"We were not always as I powerful as we are today. My father worked hard while trying to strengthen our gang which was destroyed after your great grandfather's betrayal.", he said with anger and I felt ashamed as that man was a part of my family.

"I was just a little innocent boy who always hopes to get the love from his dad which never happened. I didn't even know that we were connected to mafia until my dad told me on my seventh birthday. An age so young, when a child begins to know about the world and dreams of his future, I was introduced to the darkness, the mafia. The day which was suppose to be full of happiness turns out the opposite. A day when you wished to get a toy car as a present, my dad gifted me a gun, a real gun." He paused and gave a painful smile and my heart sank, no doubt why Vaughn so angry when I asked him about those trophies. I didn't even realize that tears were falling down my cheeks.

"He told me that it was time that I become a made man. A little child was going to turn into a murderer. My father said that we can't entered the mafia until we lost our innocence so he forced me to kill a man. My first kill on my birthday. How more ironic life could be." He said while looking at his hands and gave out a bitter laugh. While I felt my heart breaks at knowing how terrible it is to kill at such young age. I can't even imagine how he had suffer through this terrible thing at such an innocent young age.

"I still remember, I turned thirteen and was selected in our school's football team as a quarterback. I was so happy, football was always my passion. I won so many trophies. But one day when I told my dad that I want to become a footballer, he got angry, very angry, he slapped me and forced me to drop out out from the football team. He said that I am meant to become mafia leader to get the revenge. He also told me about your family's betrayal. At that day I not only lost my choice, my dreams, but even....myself", he said and took a huge sip from the wine bottle that was kept on the table. I could see his eyes were blood shot now.

"What about your mother?", I asked.

He didn't turned to me but I felt his face hardened.

"She was powerless just like me. I usually hate her at the beginning when she didn't stopped father. But she cried infront of me saying that she is not strong. The women in mafia are meant nothing. I pitied her." He said through gritted teeth and suddenly threw the wine bottle on the ground shattering it. While I flinched.

"Love is a odd thing. It makes you do things which you can't even imagine. In my case, it destroyed me. It made me kill. Every thing I have done in my life is because my father told me to do it and because I loved him. I have followed his every single order without hesitation and argument. I have lived to please him, to make my family and empire strong. I never lived to please myself."

"And the time came when love totally dissappeared from my life. I become cruel and sadistic. I took an oath, that I will never love anyone because it destroys ourselves. I started enjoying my life like that until, it comes the time when you entered the story." He said with a soft smile. And I felt my stomach flutters.

"When my father first told me that I have to marry, that also you, a daughter of Lawrence. I was beyond angry. I denied but he forced me. Just like he did in my childhood. At that time I decided to make your life a living hell. I promised myself that I will live my life as I was living before marraige. I will sleep with whoever I want. And will do whatever I want. But-" He paused while I listened to him intently knowing he hasn't finished his story. He sighed deeply and continued.

"-but I was wrong, the moment I saw you I knew there was something in you which made me question my decision. I don't know how but I felt those strange emotions building inside which I never felt and thought have died just like my childhood. I tried, I tried hard but I can't stop thinking about you. I tried to be like the the player I am but, whenever I tried, your face comes in my mind and I stopped myself. It irritates me to know that somehow you become too close to me. I tried hard to hate you but instead you changed it." He stopped and turned towards me and my heart sank to see tears brimming in those beautiful oceanic orbs. This was a total different side of him. A vulnerable one which he had always hidden from every one behind his tough exterior. I left a breath which I was somehow holding.

"You changed my hatred into love", he said and gave a humorless laugh. While I didn't know how to respond to him. His confession is unexpected to me.

"Who would have thought that Vaughn Rodriguez could fall in love and that also with the only person he was meant to hate. But what can I say destiny has its own strange ways. And here I am deeply in love with you, Aveliene. ", he said and holded my hand, while I sat there speechless. On seeing me silent his face falls. And he immediately took his hands away and I frown on losing his warmth.

"I know that I have done things which hurted you. I know I have hidden things from you. I know that I don't deserve you." He rasps, while I shake my head in denial. My heart breaks as he blame himself despite suffering from such a traumatic past at a young age.

He buries his head in his hands.

"I know I have hurted you, and you hate me for that but I want you to know one thing that my feeling for you are true what I said before was all a lie. I have fallen in love with you. The confession I made to you on the meteor shower night was the truth. Damn true." He rasps, my eyes water as I watch him breaking.

I touched his shoulder and his muscles tensed as he slowly turns towards me and my heart sinks at seeing him so devastated, I have never seen him like this before.

"Vaughn, I know what you did last night was not you. It was the hatred and cruelty inside you which you got from this sadistic mafia life and traumatic childhood. I can't explain how bad I feel for you-", I said brokenly as he cut me off by speaking.

"No don't pity me. I just hate it."He said in breaking tone.

"I am not pitying, I just want to tell you that I could feel your pain and that I forgive you.", I said sincerely as tears continued to falls down from my eyes.

On hearing this he smiled to me. A small sad smile.

"I am thankful to you that you forgave me even though I acted like a jerk to you. But not anymore.", he said and brushed off my tears gently. While I gave him a confused expression.

"I am leaving you Aveliene. I am giving you what you always wanted.......your freedom. I will get far away from your life. So that you can live happily with Jeremy. I have seen the care and love for you in his eyes, which unfortunately I never gave you. I know you don't love me that's why you didn't said it when I confessed it on the meteor shower night. But I will not force you, not anymore, I just want you to be happy even though it pains me to leave you. So today, Aveliene I am setting you free from all the debts, from this toxic relationship and from.......me", he said with a sad smile and my heart sank.

Although he finally gave me what I wanted from the beginning but why I am not happy? Why I felt my heart shattering? Why I don't want to leave him?

Then realization dawn upon me.

Gosh! I am in love with him.

A/N:

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know this one was a heartbreaking one. And it pained to see them like this.

Stay tuned to know what decision she will make. And don't forget to vote, and share your positive comments.

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