***

"Shhh...I'm here Mia. Don't cry." Alizey cooed, lightly patting her head.

Mia wiped her tears and nose and was looking at the wall with immense deep thoughts. "He killed my parents." Mia said with trembling lips.

Alizey looked confused as well as mortified. "He, who?" Mia closed her eyes. "Mike" She spoke with such venom that Alizey couldn't stifle her gasp.

"He killed them when I was 17. He is known in the mafia for his high level of human trafficking business. He also runs a prostitution business, and he had forced me into prostitution, when I refused and fought back. He made his man to rape me in front of him." Her lips trembled and tears poured heavily from her crystal eyes.

Alizey couldn't stop her tears from breaking out. "When the will to fight him back left me. He was glad that he broke me. He sold me in one of his auctions."

Mia's breathing hitched as if she's reliving everything again. Alizey hold her shoulders slightly "You don't have to tell me Mia."

Mia bobbed her head in negative "No! I want to tell you. I want to tell someone, I can't keep this in me anymore. I want to share my grief it's too much Alizey." Alizey nodded and holds Mia closer to her chest as Mia continues.

"T-The one who bought me wasn't human Alizey. He was the demon who haunts me. He rapped me, whipped me and certain times he almost killed me, but unfortunately he made sure that I lived. He also had other girl there with me. She was also bought from certain auction her name was Arya, she was Muslim. We were both kept in the same room, so I got to know so much about her and her religion.She was a fighter Alizey, I told her so many times to give in, but she never listened. One day he came back drunk and when he's drunk he kills. He was about to take me with him but Arya stopped him, and he in rage killed her Alizey. He killed her in front of my eyes and I wasn't able to save her!" She cried hysterically.

Now Alizey knew how Mia knows almost everything about Muslims. She felt heartache for that Arya girl, she never even met.

"I tried committing suicide, but he saved me only to torture me again." Mia sobbed heavily.

Both girls trembling in each other hold. One because of going through the torment again and other because of feeling her friends grief.

"After so many painful days, he died Alizey. He died in a car accident. I was so happy that day. Hope started bubbling in me, I thought I'll be free but it was short-lived." She cried as if reliving the moments. Alizey clutched Mia tightly feeling her heart constricting painfully in her chest.

Alizey spoke soothing nothings and fines while rocking her back and forth.

"Mike took me back with him. I was like a living corpse. He put me on auction again. I knew I couldn't survive anymore but help came from the least way expected." Her teary eyes met Alizey's blue orbs.

"Alexander came that day in auction he not only saved all the captives including me but also killed all the Mike's men. The ones who rapped me, were killed by Alexander. Jack was the one who carried me in his arms." Mia smiled even though she was crying.

"I don't care if Alexander saved all of us for his selfish motives of destroying Mike. But nonetheless because of him so many are alive. I didn't have a place to live, I had nothing but than Jack gave me this job in this mansion and from than I'm living here." Mia closed her eyes heaving heavily.

"I've never told my story to anyone not even Jack but after sharing it with you I felt so much-needed comfort. I'm feeling as if some sort of weight is off my shoulders." Her eyes shining with a relieved emotion "Thank you Alizey."

Alizey sat there speechless. Never in her life she thought that this bright cheerful girl had faced so many hardships in her life. And here she was ungrateful to her lord for her sufferings.

With a tearful gaze Alizey spoke the only words she could muster "I'm sorry Mia."

Mia wiped her tears and smiled sadly at Alizey. "Please Alizey don't! I don't want your sympathy. I'm glad you listened to my story. I'm just tired with my life." Mia smiled a defeated one.

Alizey couldn't take this anymore she wrapped her arms around Mia's frame and hugged her tightly while sobbing. "No Mia, Don't you dare feel defeated. You're the strongest person I've ever met and I'm glad that I met you and we are friends." Alizey wiped Mia's tears. "You're not alone Mia I'm with you, Jack is with you and I can bet the wrestler also adores you." Both girls chuckled at the nickname. "We are your family Mia. Don't ever think of giving up. You've come this far and now when the things are getting better you looked defeated. This is not the bright girl I knew. I want her back." She sniffed and parted away. Both girls holding each other. Mia nodded with tears and hugged Alizey back.

Minutes later Mia dozed off in her embrace and Alizey saw something moving through her peripheral vision. Jack was standing by the door, his fists clenched and a lone tear decamped his eyes. And by the hurtful look on his face Alizey knew he heard everything.

He quietly picked Mia in a bridal style and laid her on the bed, covering her form with a duvet.

He stipulated Alizey to follow behind and she did. When he closed the door behind them. He heaved a sigh. She can tell he was deeply affected by Mia's words and she can definitely tell now why he hates Mike so much, she herself now hates that man to extreme limits.

"Akhi-" she tried to speak but he left from there without a single word.

She went to her room did ablution and started praying Isha. After that she started reading Quran. She reads and reads until her heart's content until she felt at peace.

She ends her recitation with.

"Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace." [ Surah Ra'd : 28 ]

***

Days were passing like a blur. Her life became like a robotic schedule. Everyday same like the other.

She felt enmeshed, her soul felt trapped. She's always a person of freedom, never in her life she thought a day would come when she'll be held captive as a maid.

Even maids get to see the outside world they get to go outside, gets to feel the freedom even tho it's only for a day, but here she is confined in these beautiful walls of a mansion, but for her it is a prison no matter how beautiful it is.

She was crying her heart out in the magnificent garden on the right side of the mansion. She felt so alone.

She felt a presence behind her. It was late hour in night, no one can be up this time, but she fight herself to face the person.

To her relief it was Cane, his forest eyes looked concerned. She sniffed and gave him a sad smile before walking past him. "Why are you crying?"

He asked the obvious. She stopped in her tracks and only replied in a small whisper "I miss my family." She didn't face him but her shoulders slumped in sadness.

Cane stood beside her looking at the beautiful flowers in front of them. "Do you want to talk to them?" He asked still looking at the flowers.

Her eyes widened at his question, and she gaped at him. "Is it possible?" She asked still not sure.

Cane grinned at her. "When I'm here than no fear. I don't like to see you crying and to make you smile I can make small impossibles to possibles."

Alizey was stunned for a moment and when he passed his phone to her after dialing a number. She looked at his phone than at his face. He motioned with his eyes to go on. She hesitatingly took the phone and holds it near her ear, her hands trembling.

"Hello!" She heard the soothing voice of her mother from the other side. Tears started to blur her vision. With shaky voice and a rampant heart she spoke. "M-ma-ma!" A sob escaped her lips.

A deadly silent pause of few seconds was broken by a heart wrenching sob of her mother from the other side. Her own breath hitched by the sorrow full cries of her mother.

"My Alizey!" Her mother sobbed. "My baby! H-How, are you? Are you alright? Alizey talk to me!" She panicked when Alizey was silent.

With deep breaths she controlled herself her voice thick with emotions. Tears flowing like a waterfall. "I-I'm fine M-Mama. N-Nothing happened to me." At the end of her sentence all the things that Alex did, flashed in front of her eyes. "M-Mama, How's papa?"

"He's fine beta, he got discharged from the hospital a few days back, but mentally he is in turmoil. He cried everyday thinking that he failed to protect his daughter!" She cried out in the last part.

Alizey's eyes filled up with new set of tears her lips wobbled as she controlled her sobs. "M-Mama please tell papa that I'm fine. His daughter is strong and old enough to protect herself. As, soon as I'll pay the debt. I'll come back to you." Before her mother could ask which type of work, she continued "I cook here mama and my salary goes to pay the debt." She can hear her mothers sobs.

Alizey didn't have the heart to tell her mother that she's a maid because it will cause her parents more stress and for her being a cook was far better than telling them she's a slave.

"M-Mama how's Ali? How's his treatment is going?" She asked the question of which worried her the most. Her mother replied sadly. "He misses you Alizey. He misses you so much. We all miss you and the money you send us are enough for his treatment."

Alizey's brows furrowed in confusion. She heard a door bell ringing from the other side of the phone. Cane came in front of her indicating her to wrap up her talk.

"Alizey your father and brother just came from market. They will be so happy to talk to you--" Alizey cut her mother in mid sentence "No Mama! I can't-- I just can't talk to them, I'll break down. Please tell them I love you all. Allah Hafiz." With that said she cut the call with heavy heart.

She handed him the phone tears pouring without a pause and mouthed him a silent thank you. He nodded.

Unknowingly he wiped her tears with his thumb. She was too numb to even interpret what was happening. His fingers traced her shoulder and then traveled to her chin, and he made her face him.

Teary crystal orbs met the forest green eyes and gave her head a little pat. "Now stop crying love."

He used that word again. She wanted to say that she didn't like this endearment at all but this time she kept it to herself and all of a sudden she became conscious of their closeness. She abruptly moved back and thanked him politely once again before leaving.

She locked the door behind her and to her astonishment her room was completely dark. She remembered that she left the lights on.

Slowly yet confused she turned on the lights and her eyes met with cold icy gray orbs.

Every nerve impulse in her body sent an alert signal to her neurons.