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My footsteps resonated in the silence of the hallway as the conference room came closer by the moment, my head going through all the scenarios, concisely weighing my options when my eyes stopped at a familiar stilleto standing in the hallway, dressed sleekly while his tattooed hand irregularly came up, helping himself with his cigarette he stared down at the magnificent view of New York City from the floor to ceiling window.

And to make the situation much worse he turned without a single tinge of fear in his eyes, not a single tear just pure resentment glowing in his eyes when he took a deep puff of his cigarette, keeping his gaze intact on me.

His vindictive gaze made me uncomfortable.

And his presence made my skin crawl with fear.

He wasn't supposed to be here, Noah wasn't supposed to be dragged in this mess.

I gazed expressionlessly at Arcadius for answers, answers I knew he had, my body was aching so much that I didn't even try to flinch away when he caressed my bruises, he didn't came across uncomfortable at all with my piling up questions but neither was he fond of answering them for me, his closeness invoked me to core, I was suffocating just by being in the same breathing space as him.

"Please Arcadius, I need to know how you know about all this," his hand stopped like he was pulled out of his trance, his eyes slowly met mine when I pleaded him to give me answers.

"He rape-"

"He assaulted me," I interrupted him before he could complete his sentence, stopping him from repeating the same answer for the thousandth time, stopping from making him thrive at the possibility of successfully engraving the same answer in my mind as well, he could manipulate and he would manipulate, I couldn't dare to think whether I was convincing him or myself with my answer when everything sane to me was slowly becoming blurry, he was attaining his goal and he knew that.

Arcadius glared hard at me, his grey eyes turning almost black as he took my appearance in.

"And I'll kill him for that, I'll kill everyone who dared to hurt you," I shuddered at the thought of him doing anything to Xavier and I felt degraded for it, feeling helpless while still worrying about that bastard when I was stuck with another one.

We were silent for a while, I knew that there was something that Arcadius was keeping from me, something vitally important and I needed to find it but before that I needed to get away from him, he wasn't reliable, at one moment he's taking care of me gently but he can kill me the next moment.

I moved to take support of my elbows and get in a sitting position but failed miserably, hissing at the chilling pain stretching through my body I dropped back on the bed.

"Just tell me where the USB key is, I can't bear to see you like this," his thick voice came from over me and I almost snickered at the irony, he was the one who tortured me in the first place, this all was his doing and now he's telling me that he can't see me like this, his face was twisted with a pained expression when his fingers touched my bruised arms, it almost seemed real, almost.

I trudged away from him, slowly helping myself in a sitting position with difficulty and looking for a way to get the hell away from him for once and for all, he noticed my gaze wandering over his room in precision as his eyes flickered with suspicion of my abilities to get a way out just by looking at his room, and just as I contemplated he did the same thing he was doing from the start, drugging me unconscious, his hand slowly caressed down to my unwounded thigh as I subconsciously pulled my chains in resistance but to no avail he won once again.

Injecting the narcotics and apologising for the thousandth time he did the wrong yet again, and I couldn't do anything to stop it, taking it like his slave with all the pain he put me through I looked at him under my lashes, examining his grey eyes for any type of regret but all I got in return this time was his possession over me, over his Ivory and nothing else, he is a control freak and I'm just a doll who he wants to play a role in his life.

"Why?" I whimpered but before I could as much as hear him whisper the darkness was already draping me in its high and just like that he accomplished to avoid answering any type of question for me.

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Waking up in the grimy basement was getting tiresome and mind altering, he was succeeding in playing with my mind and it was getting harder to keep the track of time after every dose, but even after all this I somehow doubted he can do worse than that cause he couldn't succeed his previous self, no one can. All the scenes that flashed infront of my eyes were enough to prove me right, he couldn't do worse than what he already did, he was a monster in true words, in true self, in true resemblance, no metaphor, he is real devil.

Shaking my head I tried to extricate the haze of drugs as my vision obscured to get into focus, it was obvious I was alone in the basement, nothing other than my slow and lurched breathing could be heard and I was grateful for that, when my mind finally grasped the presence of chains on my hands that were attached to ceiling I wasn't surprised, my eyes slowly wandered upon them only to get stuck on the engravings shining under the tinges of darkness, they were carved with Latin chiseled into them, they were beautiful chains to cage someone with, this was his way to show my worth in his life, he bonded me with carved chains to give me the treatment of a torture worth for Regina, his Regina.

I dropped my head down as my gathered energy slowly withered from looking up for long, my wrists were burning with the tight grip of chains but I couldn't care less when my mind was stuck on getting answers, no matter what price I have to pay for them.

I half expected someone to walk inside and start torturing me again but it didn't happen, on the other hand, I was left alone with all the dreams and memories I was holding in practically flowing out to resurface, and it was killing me, suffocating me to extent that I wished for anyone to enter the basement, even if it was Arcadius, I will have it.

I close my eyes I see her, I open them I see him, I use my mind only to get it stuck atlast at Xavier, keeping my breathing even, I tried my best to stop thinking about anyone other than me, I needed to put myself first for once, I need to get out of here but not before I know Arcadius intentions and I get my answers.

So with that thought as the base I blocked my emotions from flowing and bare for everyone to see, I jerked my hands as the carved chains clanked in resistance of my force, gasping for air, thinking that I would just miraculously get a surge of energy through my body, I was at the brink of giving up when my eyes snapped to the door as the sound of unlocking became prominent, someone was entering, I straightened myself, ready to take whatever he could do, cause there's nothing he could do to get me to speak or tell him about the location of the USB Key.

But to my dismay as the door opened I squinted my eyes to stop the bright light from entering my sensitive eyes, instead of seeing a more masculine bulky stature I saw a slim feminine stiletto, my confusion increased and I blinked to focus on whomever just entered, a female recruit was the last tactic I was expecting from Arcadius but I was wrong, he never ceases to surprise me.

"Are you going to torture me doll?" I asked smugly, but I doubt it sounded smug when I was gasping like a dying b*tch, rattling my chains as she got closer, door closed behind her.

"Yes, you got that right," I stilled, my guts twisting at that voice, that f*cking voice was enough to make me still, as she stepped close my suspicion turned into reality, making my confusion to become sky-high as she stepped closer to me.

F*cking great.

In the span of my whole life the only moment that I could remember which was shocking enough to pull the land from under my feet, was when my general assigned me to bring down the whole f*cking mafia.

I was always ready, and I mean always. but this, the last person I expected and wanted to see was standing in front of me in her full glory.

And I was stormstrucked, what the f*ck? I really did expected a little too much from her, nobody was dumb enough to walk in here without being completely mental. Her blonde hair glowed under the dim light that was coming from the open door unlike my black locks that resembled a haystack at the moment, her blue eyes blazed like a b*tch starving for something with all of her being.

"Angelina?"

"That's me," she announced dragging the metal chair across the room, grating sound making me feel like someone was literally piercing my skull, I groaned as she finally stopped it in the middle of the basement and settled down on it.

I shook my head before settling my confused gaze on her, doing what my first instinct told me to do.

"Look, if you're here to crack a deal, or participate in any type of sexual act with Arcadius I suggest against it, don't get involved with the mafia, it isn't worth it," I started slightly irritated at her presence, the more people knew about Arcadius being free the more complicated its going to settle down the case in secrecy, Angelina obviously wasn't grasping the critical condition we were in but then again I'm not surprised at her another dumb act, she didn't let me complete and I happily obliged with the amount of strain the chains were exerting on my wrists, they were enough to take my resistance away.

"Tsk, tsk.....shut the f*ck up b*tch and chill the f*ck down, I'm here to taste the sweetness of my victory so just let me do that." she leaned forward in her chair, examining my bruised face with absolute satisfaction, contentment written all over her face as she took my chained constraint in, a small smirk reaching her face as she scrutinized my bloody face, I bet I looked like death.

Dressing up in sleek leather pants and black tight top did what she was trying to acquire, I sighed inwardly at the dumb b*tch infront of me who was stupid enough to walk in lion's den just to see me beaten up, that is just total fucked up, I would have ran away as soon as Arcadius's name left someone's mouth.

"What the f*ck did I didn't do to attain to see you like this, someone did say right, revenge is sweet," she stood up, exaggerating her steps as she strolled closer to me, I rolled my eyes at her when she finally stood with her face just centimentres away from me.

I huffed, stopping the wince that was threatening to leave as the cut on my chin stinged in impediment, "so what now doll? Would we make out and forgive each other?" I asked sarcastically, contemplating a snark remark but she shot an atrocious smirk in return as she leaned a little more closer causing me to back away, my lips twisting into a distasteful distortion.

Trust me I'm all for worshipping the body of a woman, but she? she disgusted me.

The grimace was enough to give away my impression to her immediacy causing her to chuckle a little, she upheld her posture, surely surging my urge to punch her f*cking face, but the restraining chains stopped me, "not so confident now, are you?" Her voice was a venomous whisper reaching my ear when she alleged each word significantly on my face, her blue eyes skimming over my face in hatred.

"Gosh, your f*cking face makes me want to puke," she whispered making me release a weak huff out at her.

"Trust me, the feeling's mutual"

She disregarded my comment as she continued scrutinizing me thoughtfully, her lips so often tremoring to form a scowl as I tried to glare at her , unaffected by my gaze she smiled deviously, finally leaning away from me and sighing heavily.

"Ah....this is getting boring, how about I turn it interesting, I should right?"

"Yo-"

"I will.," she tramped back to her chair, completely cutting me mid-sentennce, slumping down she started uninterestingly making me groan in resistance, her face bare of any expression except her eyes that told me a different story.

"I hate you, you and those green eyes of yours, make me want to claw them out-" she whispered after wielding eye contact with me, her "-but men seem to lik-no, they f*cking love them, actually they start to act like a f*cking pussy once you bat your eyelashes at them and gosh! Did it frustrated me to hell? I was furious, you seduced Xavi, got Stephano swaying his tail to your every command-hell, Mickelson was ready to f*ck you right when his eyes settled on you when I was his date!" She growled, her eyes watering a little due to anger swirling inside of her, I subconsciously rolled my eyes at her pathetic self, was it my fault I seem to attract people? not my problem no one wants to bear her.

"Got that Russian gangster at your feet, with an Italian Mafia boss ready to make you his queen, what the hell is that you can give them and I can't?! I'm wealthier, more renowned, sexier, smarter and what are you?! An half Indian b*tch who don't seem to keep her legs closed!!" She snarled once again pushing me further to retort.

"Sounds ironic coming from your mouth when you tried to assault my fiáncee," I whispered, looking at her under my bloody eyelashes, this little venture of hers is temporary anyways, she would be dead the second Arcadius sees her in here, I was sure of it.

She smiled at me, her pearly white teeth in contrast with the darkness that loomed over me like grim reaper, hanging me with a thin strip of life when death prevailed right in front of me, every single breath I took was like going through hell. Her tone sharp like another shard of glass when she responded.

"The same fiáncee who raped you?"

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I glared at everyone sitting inside the conference room, most of them did the same, no one was optimistic to be here when they were ordered and coerced to be in attendance, my weary eyes stung in pain when they gradually settled on Diya who was sitting two seats away with Shana's luggage that she brought with her on Mr Kumar's request, Noah was indifferently sitting right in front of her, his eyes not once staggering away from the table like it was the most intriguing thing in the world.

"What are you going to do with these?" Diya broke the ice, her arms crossed in front of her in defensive manner as she glared at Mr kumar, just like most of us she was blaming him too but she was much subtle with her indictment which somehow didn't make any sense at all. He smiled at her question, swiftly settling the bag on the table, soon it was opened and he was foraging around in it, she frowned after watching the commotion he was causing, retort ready on the tip of her as she fumed in anger.

But before she could as much as utter a syllable Mr Kumar pulled out a very familiar switchblade from the luggage , skillfully slinging it in his hands, making Diya's word to die in her throat, her resentment stricken face deliberately changed into an irritated one as she glared at him, making the later smirk in conceit.

"Let's bring Shana back," he finished making heads to swerve at him, Stephano being one of those, I didn't move my gaze from Noah as his hand abruptly stopped tracing circles on the conference desk.

That's it, he's up to something, and I'll let him anywhere near that bastard over my dead body.

"Very well, Mr Rajput leave," I ordered, anticipating his tantrum but all he did was stand up and turn to leave.

Diya raised her eyebrow towards me in confusion but I wasn't in the mood of sharing my confusion with anyone so I remained neutral, watching Noah walk out, he was turning but stumbled due to Conan's seat, his phone dropped from his hand, he sighed while looking at Conan before slowly bending to pick his phone, I glared at detective Conan who seemed smug as he smirked in my direction, when Noah was finally out of the conference room Mr Kumar stated that we'll get Shana back in not more than 48 hours.

And when we do get her back I'll kill that bastard with my bare hands for her.

Diya seemed content and much more relaxed than usual as Mr Kumar left with his generals, followed by Detective Conan and Italian intelligence, leaving me, stephano and Diya inside, I sat regardlessly as Aiden entered afterwards the secluded meeting, seemingly irritated for being left out, Diya ignored him and before he could say anything to her walked out leaving him behind, but being the whipped bastard he was, he followed her out.

Breathing on the strain of a slight hope I pulled out my phone, messaging Catherine to prepare the car downstairs, but stephano's voice halted me.

"You seem too relaxed for someone whose fiáncee is missing," he mocked from his seat as he turned to glance at me, I sighed tiredly, giving him the same treatment back.

"You seem too overblown for someone who only shared a kiss with an engaged woman," his face twisted while his nose flared in anger as he stood from his seat and marched out of the conference room without sparing me another glance.

I sighed again, running fingers through my hair, staring blankly at the empty conference hall I felt the strange choking sensation again, my heartbeat tried to pace when I thought about the things Arcadius could have been doing to Shana, how broken would he leave her or might not even leave her at all, I shuddered, when my heart rate remained slow and steady even after trying to pace.

It was much better than thrashing around just by thinking about his filthy hands on her.

I closed my eyes, gulping as her cries from that day resonated into my head like a broken tape once again, I tried to control my heavy breathing as I pulled out the medicine from my jacket and took one. My mind slowly turning back to its numb state when I finally stood from my seat, buttoning my jacket I turned around and exited the dreadful place.

Please be safe, there's no me without you.

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"I must admit, it was rather intriguing beholding you hating the man," she continued blabbering around, I just silently listened to her, when I was trying to breath with everything in me it seemed impossible to attain while ignoring the burning pain touring through my wrists due to the carved chains.