I can't read what's going on inside Cooper's mind, but he kept his poker face the whole time we were in the party. I'm still not at ease knowing that Theo is here, and maybe some of his friends are also with him. He's still cocky and proud of all the things he did, even though they're not worth saying out loud in front of other people. He left him speechless with what he said, and I know that Cooper already realized what he was trying to say.
And just to pique Cooper even more, Theo tapped his shoulders after he spoke.
"You should taste it; it's kind of addicting."
Right from the very moment, I just felt a huge humiliation plastered on my face. I know that people around me don't care about what Theo said, but saying it aloud in public just makes me sick.
From what I know, I'm not the only victim he's had before. He's been arrested in different countries before since he has this habit of sexualizing different women around. Of course, he'll get to bail himself out because his late father was the former leader of their group, and he's got a lot of connections too.
I'm furious, terrified, and disgusted at the same time now that we're in the same place at the same exact moment. It's a good thing that Cooper's here with me. We already met Raven and asked him what he's been doing lately. He seemed close with Cooper, and when we entered the private lounge, I already knew what the deal was. He's an ally for him, not for the other party.
But we can't still trust him since we don't know every move he makes inside their organization there.
"What's the update inside?" Cooper asked.
"Some of the officials from different countries who betrayed the whole organization were caught by them, and some are still serving in the government to cover up all their wrongdoings," Raven explained.
"Have you seen the news?" I asked this time.
"Yes, one of the victims is a friend of mine. Those killings are a threat for those officials that are trying to betray them recently," he answered.
"What are you referring to?" Cooper appeared to be disappointed.
"It's not basic killings any longer. The gathering went for the gold; even opened another dare to carry profoundly harmful medications," he said as he showed a sachet of powder. It has areas of strength for a, and the lavender fragrance began to occupy the entire room a short time later.
"These medications are considerably more hazardous however significantly more euphoric to utilize in light of what I saw and heard from individuals inside," he made sense of as he put them on the table. "It is a blend of various kinds of party drugs. Previously, it was just sold in a town in Vladivostok, yet the new pioneer saw a chance to take it to another level, so they sell it all over the planet now."
"It is without a doubt that individuals around here will conceivably take this medication this evening, right?" Cooper inquired.
"The medications will be blended in with the beverages later, when 12 PM comes," Raven said.
"About the news today, do you have any leads with respect to why those individuals were killed? I likewise have a companion of mine who kicked the bucket in that stockroom, and I don't get why she's there," I got some information about the new wrongdoing.
Raven took a gander at the entryway before he really look at the lock on it.
"A large portion of individuals they killed in that stockroom were either informants or observers to their most memorable bombed exchange around here. I realize you're some way or another associated with Mrs. Stevenson since, when she was cross examined by the pioneers, she said your name."
I digit my lip out of disappointment. I realize she had nothing but good intentions, but since of what she expressed, neither of us are protected any longer.
Our mysterious discussion with Raven got hindered when one of his workers let him know that somebody was searching for him. We stay situated in the parlor for somewhat longer while he starts to play with my hand.
"Are you okay?" He unexpectedly inquired.
I don't have the foggiest idea what he's been alluding to when that's what he asked, however I don't think this is the perfect locations to educate him regarding my previous injuries.
"I'm fine," I said in my typical tone.
"You appeared to be frightened before," he expressed, attempting to open the conversation about it. I know where this is going.
"We should not discuss it here," I said, staying away from the point.
"Assuming we move to somewhere else, are you going to clarify it for me?" He inquired.
I stayed quiet. He shouldn't have the foggiest idea about my past, which is presumably the haziest mystery I have. Be that as it may, he will be essential for my life the second we get hitched, and I would try and prefer not to allow him to hear it from another living soul once more.
"I'll clarify it for you assuming you guarantee that you won't ever feel sorry for me after you know about it," I said.
That is the most humiliating thing I can get from individuals: their pity. I don't require them. I've experienced a ton, and in the event that I at any point focus on my sentiments to somebody, I simply need them to listen to me with everything I need to say, however I don't believe they should have like they should sympathy me a short time later. It's nauseating the majority of the times I heard it from my aunties and uncles during get-togethers.
I don't require it; I've been recuperating my injury all through my life, and the least they can accomplish for me is simply watch me develop without anyone else.
"I guarantee," Cooper said.
I murmured and followed my finger to his palm and down to his wrist. I just grimaced when I saw lines that are mended, yet the scars stay on them.
"Did you cut yourself previously?" I inquisitively inquired.
"I'll let you know mine in the event that you tell yours," he said as he got my cap and placed it on me.
He let me know that we ought to go as of now since it's past 12 PM, and I think drugs are now in the beverages at this hour. At the point when we escaped the parlor, I could see from my fringe view how Theo sneered as he advanced towards us.
I fixed my hang on Cooper's arms once more.
"I suppose you're as of now exhausted now," he said when he saw that I was searching for an exit.
I didn't disrespect him and just let him in on that I'm not intrigued by any means. Cooper is as of now scowling at him like he's prepared to let his paws out and kill this bastard.
"Try not to be so snooty at the present time," Theo said as he contacted my elbow, which made me recoil.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back for Cooper, as he snatched Theo's collar. I panted, and my eyes enlarged at what occurred. A many individuals didn't see the entire scene since half of them were at that point inebriated by the medication. I took a look higher up, where the confidential parlors are, and all I could see was their eyes set on the thing planned to occur next between these two.
I halted Cooper when I perceived how he grasped his clench hand when he saw how Theo giggled at him.
"You are so dead," Theo told him.
"Contact her once more, and I will obliterate each ridiculously bone that consistently existed in your fucking body," Cooper said as an advance notice. I realize without a doubt that he will do that thing.
Theo lifted his hands like he's giving over himself, and all at once Cooper pulled his neckline down forcefully, which made a tear in Theo's shirt.
Theo sneered as he understood what simply occurred.
"You left a tear in my shirt."
Cooper went after my hand once more, and as we advanced out, Theo followed us until we arrived at the carport.
"You will lament that we met again this time, Adriana."
His words left a major effect at the forefront of my thoughts, and I was going to get in the vehicle when I heard Cooper express something to him. Presently, I'm beginning to lament that I even drove myself to show up at this party.
"Don't for a moment even attempt to consider it, you piece of crap."
I got in, and that carried me to the acknowledgment that I nearly didn't inhale all through our experience with that man once more. He frightened the shite out of me. I can in any case see him in the side mirror smiling like there's no tomorrow. I realize he's happy with how I responded after seeing him. He believed me should get unnerved from him once more, and that is the main thing I was unable to force myself to deal with.
I don't know what happened next, but the road we are taking right now is not familiar to me. It's not even the road that we got past when we attempted to visit Cooper's parents. I'm completely clueless about what's happening, but I can't seem to bring myself to refrain from asking him a question right now. I'm also curious at the same time since it might be a new place that will be good for unwinding. The roads are a bit rough, but they are not empty at all. There are many restaurants open for the whole day, and it seems like they offer food based on what customers request.
We stopped at the seafood restaurant that offers the same deal too. As we entered the room, I got interested in the live seafood in the big aquarium. The waiter told us that we could pick any kind of seafood that we wanted and just request a dish to be made out of it.
"What's yours?" Cooper asked.
I pointed at the prawns, and he told the staff to get about seven of them. He chose a huge crab for him.
After we ordered the food, Cooper guided me to look for a seat. He purposely went outside, where there were lots of seats that were not occupied. As we finally chose our seat near the terrace, I just realized what was going on.
He remembered what I told him earlier.
I wanted to eat in a restaurant with an overlooking view of the city, and so he made it happen.
I looked at my right side, and I'm just completely mesmerized by how the city looks so shiny from here.
"Do you like it here?" He caught my attention by asking about it.
I nodded my head.
"Are you pleased now?" He asked again.
I nodded again, too.
"We should come here more often," he said before he leaned his back on his seat and just took a look at the view outside.
I don't know what he's thinking, but my mind is still in shock after seeing Theo again after a very long time. I promise myself that I will never see him again, and I'm just on my way to keep all of that shit in the back of my mind, but then he suddenly appeared again.
The wind suddenly blows, and the coldness of the air embraces my whole body after what happened. This is refreshing.
"Would you want to talk right now?" He asked after a long moment of silence.
"What do you want to know then?" I asked back.
"What happened with you and Theo?" He calmly asked, but his fist just automatically clenched after he said his name.
I looked at him, knowing that he was already looking at me too. I want to tell him this story from my past, maybe just to let him understand how it affected me then and now.
"I was sexually abused by him," I said straightforwardly.
I lowered my head and continued to speak again.
"I was thirteen years old at the time when they waited for me in front of my school before. I could smell his strong scent at that time, and I knew that he's an enemy, but he grabbed me by my shoulder and pushed me to the van. I know he was just seventeen or eighteen years old at that moment, but what he did to me caused a scar on every part of my body at that moment. He used his enhanced sense to freeze my body to prevent me from fighting back, and he did what he wanted to me the whole night and dumped me in front of our mansion the very next day, just like what they did to my brother before."
"He did all of that?" Cooper tries to calm himself again and asks once again.
I nodded.
"I'm going to kill him," he said, and as he was about to stand up, I stopped him. I shook my head in front of him and faced him with a smile.
"You don't need to do that," I said to calm him.
"He violated you!" He protested after he sat down again.
"That was a long time ago!" I said it as a matter of fact.
The rage in his eyes is totally visible, and I'm a bit confused about what's going on in his head. Why would he care so much about that? It's not like he likes—
He likes me?
Well, I can't assume that. There's no guarantee on that speculation of mine.
Our food is served, and I just indulge in the food on the table while he remains silent. When he noticed that I was waiting for him to eat, he eventually took a bite from his food. I also ordered a brewed black coffee for me after I finished eating all the prawns he ordered. He'd already finished his food when he looked at me again. This time his poker face got me so intimidated that I don't even have anything to say.
"Let's go home after you finish your coffee," he said before he excused himself to go to the bathroom.
Now that I'm all alone, I can't help but think about what happened earlier and the bad memories I've had for the past few years.
I remembered how my mom was so furious at that time that she could even kill their whole clan just to get revenge for what they did to me. I remembered how she got unstoppable up to the point that she killed about nine vampires and even a werewolf that wasn't even part of that organization that night just to get her revenge. I remember my dad torturing someone in our basement just to extract some information about their group, but in the end they earned nothing. All of the blood that was shed that night was just waste because, in the end, I'm still damaged, and they are still striving to reach the top.
I took a deep breath and drank the remaining coffee I had. It seems like Cooper has been doing something in the bathroom for a while now.
I need to check up on him.
I was about to stand up when I saw him walking towards our table. His expression is still gloomy, but when he asks me if I'm already finished, it is replaced with so much warmth in his voice. I told him that we should go, and he guided me out of the restaurant.
We were on our way back to his building when he stopped his car in front of a van. He looked in my direction and spoke.
"Get in that car, okay? I'm just going to do some tasks for tonight back in my warehouse," he said before he put the cap on my head again.
"Can it wait until tomorrow?" I asked.
"I'll be back," he said before he got out of the car to open the other side for me.
I have this feeling that I don't want to go home tonight, but he insisted that I should stay home after what I saw at the party.
On my way home, one of Cooper's guards was driving the van for me, but as I noticed the man on the front seat, I frowned when I saw a gold pin with an eagle design on it.
"You're not his bodyguard, aren't you?" I curiously asked.
The man already knows that I'm talking to him, and when he looked in my direction, he spoke.
"With that attitude of yours, I'm pretty sure that you can handle yourself very well," he said, sounding so amazed.
"Who are you?" I asked and ignored what he said.
"I'm Simone," he said as he extended his hand for a handshake. "I'm your husband's brother and best buddy."
"So you're also an asshole at some point," I said as I leaned back in the back seat.
"I'm so thrilled," he said before he looked away from me.
"I'm tired; go tell your brother I don't want to babysit someone at this hour," I said before I closed my eyes.
He just laughed at what I said, and I can hear him humming a song. His personality is totally opposite that of his brother's. He's not that uptight like Cooper, and Simone's attitude is much more free-spirited than his brother's. I can tell that they seemed to be close, like the relationship I have with Luke.
"You know what? I'm a bit surprised," he said once again, opening a conversation for us.
"Are you surprised that I didn't get violent with you?" I asked nonchalantly.
"Yes, and besides that, you didn't correct me when I told you that my brother is already your husband."
The tone of his voice sounded like he was teasing, and he eventually laughed about what he said. I rolled my eyes and looked away.
"He's going to be my husband anyway," I said coldly.
"Then thank you for acknowledging my brother as your other half now," he said before he remained silent afterwards.
We had already arrived at the building, and I was about to get out of the van all by myself when a guard from outside opened the door for me. It seems like they have been waiting for my arrival.
"I think you're already special enough for my brother that he even called the whole security team to wait for you in the middle of the night," Simone commented without getting out of the van. He just opened the window on his side.
I looked back at him and asked.
"Are you going to where your brother is right now?"
He nodded right away.
"Can you tell him that I'll be waiting for him tonight?" I asked.
Simone's face looked so amazed, and she just saluted at me before they drove away.
I reached our penthouse and just changed my clothes into comfortable ones. I made myself a coffee and decided to wait for him in the living room. I have a gut feeling where he's going to be tonight, but I'm trying to get it out of my head. I shouldn't have told him about my past trauma because I can clearly see that he was not pleased upon hearing about it earlier.
I waited for him until three o'clock in the morning. I was already on my second coffee when I heard the elevator. I immediately walked towards the door, only to see that half of his shirt was covered in blood. He also looked tired as he massaged the bridge of his nose, but when he noticed that I was standing meters away from him, he sighed.
He walked toward me and hugged me.
"It's done," he whispered.
I frowned in confusion and asked.
"What's done?"
He remained silent for a moment as he tightened his hug on me. I can feel him planting soft kisses on my shoulders too.
I repeated my question.
"What's done?"
He then finally spoke.
"Theo's dead, and so it's done."