《Escaping The Mafia King》


 Chapter 1: 1

    Chapter 1: 1


    Hope


    I put my foot on the elerator to speed up my car through the empty road. ¡®Thunder¡¯ by Imagine


    Dragons was ring through the speakers of my Porche. I had just crossed the borders of Texas and


    was speeding my way inside the city.


    I checked the map on my brand new phone once more to make sure that I was going the right way. It


    showed that I would be reaching my wanted destination in just two more hours.


    I could not help but notice the calmness and rxation that had suddenly covered my heart. This was a


    feeling that I had not experienced in five years. And right now, I felt like I had just aplished the


    biggest task of kindness that had ever been given to me.


    Like I had just saved a life.


    Mine.


    Three days ago, I had left North Carolina and five years of torcher behind. And since then, I was on a


    run, trying to make sure that the army of monsters somehow leave me unharmed.


    Now you would think why would a girl living in North Carolina, moreover driving a Porche would try to


    make herself look like a torcher victim so pathetically.


    So let us clear the story now. My story.


    See, at the age of twenty, where nobody else was even thinking about if they would be getting an


    employment or not, because of my hard work and determination, I was set to score the highest marks


    in the university.


    My parents had gotten killed just a year ago in a car ident, so I was doing my best to live a life that


    my parents would have been proud of.


    They had always said that I was their hope. I was the ray of sunshine that had lit up their lives since the


    day of my arrival in the world. This is why they had named me the feeling that they had gotten after


    seeing me for the first time- Hope.


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    I had a super hot, and rich Italian boyfriend whose family owned a business sorge, it was hard to


    keep the track of their properties.


    I was in love with him. He was the man who made me see stars in broad daylight with the love that he


    showered upon me.


    On the day of graduation, he proposed me for marriage. I was on the top of the world that day.


    I had felt like this was it! This is how the rest of my life is going to look like. This is how much happy I


    am going to be with this man. My Ethan.


    I agreed to marry him. We got married the next month in a beautiful ceremony with his parents and


    some close rtives present there to congratte us.


    The first three months were heaven. As the fourth one started rolling around, I realized how big of the


    puddle of mud it was that I had gotten myself stuck into.


    Slowly, the people associated in business with my husband and his parents starteding around our


    house.


    Strange people.


    People with guns, and bodyguards, and gangs with hockey sticks and knives tied to them.


    And then I realized, I had just fucked up my whole life.

 Chapter 2: 2

    Chapter 2: 2


    And not the nice kind of people with all those things.


    These people were not nice in any way. They did not even look like people. In fact, they looked like the


    incarnation of Satan but with nice clothes and branded watches.


    I got scared.


    And then I decided to be stupid.


    I stayed silent and watched as trade deals of illegal guns were finalized with my husband doing


    everything to please the buyer.


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    One year passed by and I stayed silent. I watched as the attacks on rival gangs were nned and


    blood was spilled from the informers body.


    Three years passed by as I silently acted like a trophy wife beside my husband while he flirted and


    fucked girls behind my back, assuming I was too stupid to notice anything.


    What he did not understand was that I was not stupid.


    I was a love- struck twenty three years old girl who was scared of the people that she had chosen to


    be her family.


    Who was scared of the man that she was sleeping with every fucking night.


    Years passed by and I acted dumb to the things that he did. I became blind and silent and deaf to the


    cries of my own soul while I watched him trample all over the love that I had in my heart for him.


    It was the fifth year of our marriage four days ago. I had invited my best friend since college, Ste, to


    my home so that I could have a bit ofpany while the rest of my family became busy with the people


    that they did business with.


    At first, I was hesitant of inviting her because I had seen the lust in Ethan¡¯s eyes whenever he looked at


    her. I had seen him flirt shamelessly with her while she shrugged him off and gave him warnings of not


    being creepy to her just for my sake.


    I should have gone with my gut. But instead, I chose to believe that my husband would not do


    something bad to my best friend while I was present at home. While I was under the same room as


    him. I thought my husband had more respect for me than that.


    Well, turns out my husband was too petty for humane niceties.


    The party was almost over. I had brought Ste to my room so that we could chat while my family bid


    goodbyes to thest remaining guests.


    I asked her if she needed a drink. She said yes. I left to get her a drink.


    And when I came back, I watched from the door frame of the room as my husband grabbed Ste¡¯s


    hand, pulled her harshly into his arms and said,


    ¡°What the fuck are you so worried about, Ste? I know you want me too. I know you think about how


    hard I can fuck you while you scream out my name.¡±


    Ste was struggling in his arms to get free. Her face was scrunched up in disgust.


    ¡°Get the fuck off me!¡± She snapped angrily.


    ¡°Hope will not know anything. You just have toe to me.¡± Ethan said.


    Then he smashed his lips on hers forcefully.


    And that is when I had had enough.


    I was not angry that he thought he could fool around with my best friend and I would not know. I was


    not angry that he wanted to fuck my best friend while I was under the same roof as him. I was not


    angry that he tried to kiss someone else while I was five feet away from him.


    I was angry because he tried to steal the only precious person that I had left in my life.

 Chapter 3: 3

    Chapter 3: 3


    I crossed the distance between Ethan and me, grabbed his shoulder from behind, and pulled him off


    Ste¡¯s body.


    Ste stumbled back on her feet from the impact but caught herself from falling.


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    ¡°Hope I am¡­¡± she started saying.


    But before she could continue, I lifted my palm to her face to indicate that she should stop talking


    ¡°Hope, I do not want this girl in my house ever again.¡± Ethan said while pulling himself off my hold and


    trying to manage his clothing. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and continued talking,


    ¡°Ste tried to kiss me! She does not have enough shame to even think about you.¡±


    I did not reply to his words. As soon as Ethan had freed himself off from my hold, I walked forward to


    Ste.


    I grabbed her hand, pulled her close to me, looked her in the eyes and whispered,


    ¡°Can you please help me pack?¡±


    And that is when I realized that my voice was trembling. I was not crying but my hands were shaking.


    Ste¡¯s fingers immediately tightened around my hand. Taking that as her approval I pulled her towards


    the closet.


    I grabbed the suitcase that was on the top of it, pulled it down, opened the closet and started throwing


    my things inside without caring about folding them. Ste also got into action and started putting them


    in random folds so that I could have more space.


    I grabbed my purse that had my identification documents, a nice sum of cash and my credit card that I


    had since I was in college and threw it along.


    I did not hear Ethan walking to me. He came and grabbed my elbow while turning me around to face


    me,


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡±


    I looked up at him them. No, actually, really looked up at his face.


    His caramel skin was turning a bit pink, probably because of the drinks that he had in the party and


    probably because he was angry right now. His unusual green eyes stared back at my face. Questioning


    expressions and confused gaze.


    Did he really not realize what he had done to me?


    ¡°What would have you done if you had seen me kissing your best friend?¡± I asked back.


    I saw him gulp visibly. It was not apparent and shy but I saw it clear as day. If anyone else were in


    my ce, they would not have noticed it, but I did.


    My husband was the son of a mafia leader. He was used to not showing his weakness, his


    expressions. Not showing his feelings on his face was an art that was embedded in his soul since he


    had stepped inside the business with his father.


    But I had loved him since I hade to know the meaning of word love. I had given my youth to him. I


    had seen him walk through hell and heaven when he hade to me with a beaten up face without


    any exnation. I had tended to his wounds that were not visible to the eyes.


    How could I not see when he was standing in front of me being so confused about his own feelings?


    I did not wait to hear his response. I turned around again to see Ste pulling the zip close of the


    suitcase. I grabbed her hand and the handle of the suitcase, and started walking out of the room.


    Ethan did not even pretend to stop me. He watched me walk out of the room and down the stairs.


    All the guests were gone and Ethan¡¯s dad, Richard Romano and mom, Lena were also nowhere in the


    sight as I had walked out of the hall. They also had left probably.


    I grabbed the keys of Ethan¡¯s Porche that were on the dining table and continued walking. I heard a


    heavy set of footsteps behind me and did not need to turn around to see who it was.


    ¡°You know that the members of Romano family are not allowed to take part their ways.¡± I heard Ethan¡¯s


    voice from behind me,


    ¡°You will have toe back to me.¡±


    I did not reply to him. I knew of this tradition. I had watched it get embedded into the minds of children


    of our cousins and their children and so on.


    This was about the reputation of family. ¡®If you can not keep the members of your own family in control,


    you are not strong enough to handle a gang that falls under your protection¡¯, I had heard them say the


    quote a thousand times.


    But in that humiliating moment when I was not even sure if I was going to have to spend my nights on


    street or if I was going to be brought back in this house with their hands around my hairs, I wanted to


    get out of this ce that my husband was standing in with no sight of any remorse on his face. Like he


    was daring me to walk out on him.


    I did not turn around or answer back after hearing his words. But while I was crossing the threshold of


    the house, I saw Ste turn back to look at Ethan, lift her hand up in the air, and then flip him the bird


    up high.


    And in that moment I did not know why or how, my mouth curved up in a grin at her


    action.

 Chapter 4: 4

    Chapter 4: 4


    A loud voice of horn pulled my attention back to the present.


    I had just stopped my car outside of the address that the GPS was showing, and although it were eight


    p. m., and the darkness of night had covered the residential area, all the lights were off of the home


    that I was standing outside at.


    I checked my GPS again to see if I had made any mistake but the location was showing the same.


    Then I remembered that my uncle had mentioned about a coffee shop that he ran after retiring from his


    position as a police officer when I had talked to him over phone three days ago.


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    This was actually the second time in my whole life that I was going to see my uncle, Vincent.


    I barely remembered thest time when I had seen him. I was about twelve years old then. I


    remembered running into his arms after seeing him enter the threshold of our house.


    But then one day he stoppeding to our home. He did not evene to my parents¡¯ funeral. My


    mom always said that my uncle was out there if I ever needed him.


    Although I had not met him for almost thirteen long years, but when I decided to leave my life behind,


    he was the only person that came into my mind.


    And to my surprise, when I called him and awkwardly asked if I coulde to stay with him for a


    couple of days, he immediately said yes without any question asked.


    I grabbed my phone from the dashboard and dialed Vincent¡¯s number. Even after trying four times, it


    kept going to an engaged tone. I searched for the second address that Vincent had mentioned. It was


    of his coffee shop.


    The address was about two miles away from my current location. Without waiting, I started driving


    again and did not stop until I was at the mentioned address.


    I parked my car across the street and started walking towards the coffee shop that was right in the


    middle of a busy street of main city.


    Or let¡¯s just call it a coffee shop.


    From what I could see from outside, it looked nothing like a coffee shop.


    The entryway was blocked by a Harley which almost looked like a deliberate mistake of wrong parking.


    Although the gates of the coffee shop were made of see through mirror, half of them were covered by


    heavy curtains.


    And the sign on the door said Wee.


    Umm.. from nowhere it looked like a warm wee.


    I managed to squeeze past the Harley and push open the door of the coffee shop.


    The chiming bells over the doorway started ringing and my eyes went up to look at them in surprise


    while walking forward.


    I had taken just two steps inside when my body collided with something hard and my footing slipped.


    I fell hard on my ass and an ¡®ooof¡¯ sound left my lips.


    My eyes had unknowingly closed with my fall and when I opened them, instead of a wall, my eyes took


    in a set of brown cowboy boots.


    My eyes followed the path of those boots and took in the dark blue jeans d muscr legs, and then


    a wide buckled waist to a white t- shirt covered rock hard chest, and then the most gorgeous fucking


    thing that I had ever seen.


    A set of ck eyes stared down at me. His mouth curved in an amused smile.


    The gorgeous thing standing in front of me had put his hands on the side of his waist over the belt,


    which was over his hips. The white t- shirt that was hugging his body like a second skin was stopping at


    the zip of his jeans.


    ¡°Want to get up?¡± He asked.


    I blinked.


    He extended his one hand down at me with a bit ofughter in his voice.


    I blushed immediately.


    Then without taking his hand I got up from the floor and looked up into his eyes.


    ¡°Are you a barista here?¡± I asked. Although I had just made a fool of myself in front of him, I was not


    going to continue being one by showing him that I waspletely smitten by his beauty.


    He tilted his head to side a little in apletely sexy move, and let me tell you, I had never heard


    anyone call a head tilt sexy, but if a thing like that existed, I had just witnessed one.


    ¡°Something like that.¡± He replied.


    ¡°Can you please make me a coffee?¡±


    Fuck! Now why the hell did I say that?


    His eyes started looking like melting pools of dark ocean.

 Chapter 5: 5

    Chapter 5: 5


    Instead of answering me, he waited for a couple of seconds, making me feel self conscious as hell.


    And then he nodded his head at me and took a step backward, inviting me in.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I mumbled in a low tone and quickly went ahead to stand in front of the coffee counter.


    The mysterious beauty man walked around the counter and started to prepare the coffee.


    Even though I did not want to appear as some desperate, horny, cringing woman, unknowingly my


    gaze kept going back to look at him.


    The way he looked, it was impossible to imagine him as a barista. But anyway, who was I to judge a


    person?


    ¡°Your taste?¡± his voice had me almost fall down on the ground in shock.


    ¡°What?¡± my eyes snapped up to his.


    ¡°In coffee.¡± He replied, humor clear in his voice. ¡°What kind of coffee do you want?¡±


    In that moment, I could not even describe in words how badly I wanted to bury my face in something.


    Like a pillow. Or probably the ground would be good. I will not have to face so much embarrassment


    ever again.


    ¡°Latte.¡± I said, proud of myself to be able to speak without croaking.


    ¡°New here?¡± He asked casually while starting to stir the coffee in a mug.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    How the hell does he know that?


    Probably ent, or probably the shit head condition of my soil covered, exhausted face.


    ¡°So what brings you to Texas?¡±


    ¡°I am here to meet somebody.¡± I replied softly.


    ¡°Boyfriend?¡± his hand that had been stirring coffee stilled for a second.


    ¡°No.¡± I replied.


    Why the fuck did I need to say this?


    Whatever. What the hell does it matter to me anyway.


    His hand continued stirring the coffee mug once again and after a few minutes he extended the cup


    towards me.


    ¡°Who do you want to meet?¡± he asked, ¡°Probably I can be of some help?¡±


    I thought about it for a second. As far as I knew, this was my uncle¡¯s shop. So of course I needed to


    ask where he was.


    ¡°Umm..¡± I hesitated, ¡°Do you know Vincent Argeva?¡±


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    Just as the words left my lips, the air around us changed.


    I literally felt theck of oxygen around me as his demeanor changed in front of my eyes.


    The careless, flirty look was gone and its ce was taken by active, interrogative mood.


    ¡°Why do you want to meet him?¡± he asked.


    All the humor in his voice was gone. It was reced by strict, serious demeanor. It was like the man in


    front of me had changed bodies in mere two seconds of time.


    Before I could answer, a booming voice rang behind me,


    ¡°Hope..?¡±


    And without turning back, I recognized the voice that had been haunting my memories for more than a


    decade.


    I turned back on my slippers to see a heavy, big man with beard hiding half of his face and a ck


    bandana holding the curly locks on his head.


    His mouth was curved up in a smile so big that I could see each one of his teeth. He looked like Hagrid


    from the Harry Potter movies, ept for the bandana and the body without any fat.


    My eyes instantly got filled with tears at the sight of him. After so many years.. God..!


    ¡°Uncle Vincent.¡± I whispered through choked throat.


    He did not give me a chance to say anything else. Before I could blink away the tears, he tookrge,


    fast steps towards me, and then I was engulfed in a tight as hell hug.


    I was tiny in front of his big frame. So he just lifted me up so that I was engulfed in his arms and twirled


    me around with a happy, boomingugh.


    And here I was worried that how awkward my meeting with him was going to be.


    ¡°I missed you, uncle Vincent.¡± I whispered. My eyes closed in happiness while tears dripped down my


    cheeks.


    When I opened them, I was staring straight into the dark pools of ocean eyes. His eyes were crinkling


    at the corners while he stared intensely at me.


    ¡°Me too, darling girl.¡± Vincent boomed lowly in my ear, even though he tried to say the words softly.


    After a few seconds he put me down on the ground but kept me in a side hug, stered against him.


    ¡°Max!¡± Vincent¡¯s voice had returned to his loud, booming echo while he turned me to face the barista


    man, ¡°Meet the most beautiful woman in the world. This is my niece, Hope.¡±


    He gave me that sexy head nod in greeting while the corner of his mouth curved up in a smile.


    ¡°Hope, this is Max. He runs a private investigation agency.¡±


    My head shot up so quick that my neck would have broken. My eyes stared up at Uncle Vincent¡¯s face


    in horror.


    The barista.


    The one I had just ordered to make a coffee.


    Fuck my life.


    And he runs a Private Investigation agency!


    Seems like my stay with my uncle was not going to be as long as I had originally


    nned.

 Chapter 6: 6

    Chapter 6: 6


    I got back home with uncle. He did not know that I was married or I had runaway.


    So when he asked the reason for my visit I told him that I was nning on changing cities for a fresh


    start and was thinking of settling somewhere near Texas.


    No, I was not.


    Not when those ocean eyes were still haunting me till this moment.


    Two days went pass as Vincent helped me roam around the city. It was like he knew every nook and


    corner like it was his home.


    And then we went back to the coffee shop.


    I was afraid of facing ''Ocean eyes''. Because first, he was a PI who could dig up dirt on me like I was


    made of mud. Which I actually was.


    Second, he was scary and hot at the same time. And God knew it was a dangerousbination.


    We walked inside. And as usual, the store was empty but fresh. The chime rang as we went inside.


    There were some couches just in front of the coffee counter against the wall for the customers.


    "You stay here. I will go bring some hotdogs for you and me." Vincent said as soon as we were seated.


    I nodded my head with a smile. He went away and I fell down on the couch like a dead body.


    I was exhausted. And the whole day of roaming the streets had my legs aching like hell.


    I was spread out on the couch vertically. My hips were astride the couch hand rest, my legs were


    dangling down, my middle body was buried deep in the softness of the couch while my head used the


    other hand rest like a pillow.


    I had my arm put over my eyes as I tried to think about what Ethan would be doing right now.


    I knew he was going toe after me. There was no way in hell he was going to let me go so easily. I


    knew he was going to take me back.


    I just needed to keep my shit together and prevent that from happening while making sure to not let


    uncle Vincent get a hint of it.


    A couple of minutes passed and I was almost dozing off when I felt a finger poking my knee.


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    I removed my hand, looked up, and almost fell off the couch.


    Ocean eyes.


    How the fuck did he managed to get inside without ringing the chime bells?


    He put a hand on my left thigh and pushed my legs a bit sideways. He settled himself in the empty


    space on the hand rest, put his hand on the space right beside my head and leaned in dangerously


    close.


    I felt my heartbeat quicken. His head was just above me, half of his body was touching mine intimately


    and his eyes were staring down at me like I was the first female specie that he had ever seen.


    Good god...


    "What are you doing?" He asked in a low tone.


    Freaking out and getting horny?


    Of course I did not tell him that.


    "Resting." I managed to whisper.


    His eyes went down to roam over my body that was ''resting''. His gaze was so hot on every part of my


    body that I could feel it tingling me in ces that were definitely forbidden.


    "Do you have a boyfriend?" He asked straight out, giving me a hear attack and tingle at the same time.


    "N..no." I replied.


    His eyes went soft and his lips fell over my ear, "You have from now on."


    "WHAT?"


    Instead of replying his lips fell over mine.


    At first I was in shock. His lips and kiss were as soft as the touch of a rose petal. And in the next


    second, his lips started ravishing mine like he had been hungry for centuries.


    His mouth devoured mine. His tongue dipped in and I lost my control.


    I could not deny the fact that I was attracted to him. His kiss had just sealed the fact.


    Just one kiss.


    I can have just one kiss before I start nning to run away from Texas.


    His tongue dipped in my mouth, tangling with my tongue and licking deep to pull every vor.


    I moaned and my hand shot up to grab the back of his head. My head tilted sideways to kiss him


    deeply.


    His groan vibrated in my mouth as his hand grabbed my waist, lifted up my shirt and started started to


    caress my soft skin.


    When he pulled back from the kiss, we were both breathing so heavily like we had just run a marathon.


    "You are driving me mad." He said. No hint of smile or humor in his voice. Just hot, burning need.


    My hand stayed in his hairs, caressing and shuffling through the soft locks, my other hand went to his


    chest and over his neck.


    Under my thumb I could feel his pulse pulsating hard. Just like my own heart.


    "Where did youe from?" I softly asked. "It was like you appeared out of no where so suddenly."


    "Mypany is just behind this coffee shop, babe." He replied with his lips moving over mine in a soft


    touch, "and both are connected so me and my boys cane over here from the back door any time


    we want."


    Fuck.

 Chapter 7: 7

    Chapter 7: 7


    The sound of bells chiming snatched my attention. I turned my head to see uncle Vincent walking


    inside with a carry bag in his hands. His eyes on us.


    "What are you both doing?"


    Ocean eyes had not moved even an inch away from me. If it were anybody else on his ce he would


    have stepped away from me so far they would probably had to count the distance with an inch tape.


    But not Ocean eyes.


    Aggghhh! Why is my life like this?


    "Get off!" I snapped at him. ring at him and wishing like hell he does as I ammanding.


    He did not.


    Max''s eyes went to look at Vincent and then he said,


    "You mind if I keep her?"


    "What the hell?" I cried out.


    Uncle Vincent looked like he had just won a lottery.


    Fuck no.


    "You like her?" Uncle Vincent ignored my freak out and came forward to stand in front of us like it was a


    normal, everyday thing for him to see his niece in an intimate position with some man.


    "VINCENT!" I lost my mind under Max. I tried to push him off me but boy, his body felt like it was made


    of cement.


    Max''s eyes came to me and looked at me like I was the cutest thing alive on earth who was bugging


    him. While in reality I was ring at him so hard I wished my re turns into arrows and shoots him in


    the heart.


    And not like love arrows that cupid throws or stupid shit like that. Like real arrows that dig deep into


    your skin and makes you bleed.


    "Yeah, I like her." Max replied while looking at my attempts to get him off me with crinkle on the corner


    of his eyes like he wanted tough but was not.


    "Then you can have her." Uncle Vincent replied with a smile, "I like you boy."


    Only uncle Vincent could call Max ''boy''. From where I could see, with the way Max dressed, his macho


    as hell attitude and the ability to overpower me like I was nothing more than a cute cat in hisp, it


    seemed hard to call him just a ''boy''.


    "YOU CAN NOT GIVE ME AWAY LIKE THIS!" I snapped at Vincent. What the fuck was wrong with the


    male species in Texas?


    I turned my head to Max and said in as sincere tone as possible and hoped like hell he would back off.


    "I am here just a few days then I am getting the hell out of this crazy city. Trust me, you do not want to


    get involved with me."


    "I am already very involved with you darling."


    I shook my head in disbelief and looked away after giving a humph of frustration.


    He tipped his head down and rubbed his nose with mine so sweetly, I seriously started rethinking my


    decision of moving away.


    He chuckled at my expression and finally got off my body. As soon as he was off me, I shot up from the


    couch. I seriously needed to get my head straight.


    "I am going out for a while." I grumbled in a low tone and started stomping out of the room.


    "You do not know the city, kiddo." Uncle Vincent chuckled behind me.


    "I. WILL. FIGURE IT. OUT!" I replied with my teeth clenched shut so tight in anger I thought I was going


    to break one or two of them.


    I stormed out of the coffee shop and started walking the street. It was mid day and sun was shinning so


    brightly over my head that I was getting a whish.


    Geez... what the hell was that I had just witnessed?


    Is the whole male specie nuts or is that just Texas men?


    The day was hot so streets were almost empty. Vincent''s coffee shop was on the main street of the city.


    Vehicles were running down the road swiftly.


    I walked for barely ten minutes, looking at anything that would catch my attention but there was nothing


    at all.


    I came to a roundabout where a restaurant was open. There were chairs and tables set outside for their


    customers.


    I thought about going there to have my lunch but then remembered I had left my purse in the coffee


    shop.


    Why is my fucking life like this, God?


    I turned on my heels and started walking back to the coffee shop. Probably uncle Vincent had left me


    that hotdog he had gone out to buy.


    I was walking with my head down, watching my shadow and the chipped off nail paint on my toes,


    when someone grabbed my arm and pushed me against the wall so hard, I felt like my bones were


    breaking slowly.


    All the breath in my chest came out with a ''ooof'' as my back collided with the wall and a body trapped


    me against it with his arm digging into my throat.


    I could not breath entirely. My eyes had shut close and when I opened them, I was faced with a thin


    and ugly face.


    "You scream, I will break your neck. Got me?" He said.


    Geez, get your fucking mouth out of my face first. You smell gross! That is what I wanted to shout. But


    could not because his hand had stopped my breathing and it felt like I was going to die in the next


    second.


    So I just nodded my head in eptance as much as I could. He loosened his hold on my throat but still


    kept it pressed tightly there so I could not move.


    "That her in the photo, Vix?" He asked out of the blue.


    I got confused then my eyes went back up to look at the burly man standing behind the thin, gross


    man.


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    The burly man looked at the photo in his hand then at me and then spoke, "Ye. Thas ''er."


    Thin man''s cringy eyes stared at my body up and down once. Then he said,


    "Pull out the car. We are taking her."

 Chapter 8: 8

    Chapter 8: 8


    The burly man turned around instantly and went away. My eyes were searching here and there. Trying


    to catch anybody''s eyes that would save me or at least alert the local police.


    I did not know who these men were. Or actually I did.


    I had not expected him to find me this fast. I had left no trace, no clue behind for him to find me. I had


    made sure to be careful.


    But the only usible exnation was clearly this only. Ethan. There was nobody else who would want


    anything to do with me.


    At least not this creepy.


    I did not want to go back. I wanted someone to help me but there was no one. The road was empty


    except for some vehicles running down the main road a bit away from where I was pinned against the


    wall.


    The burly and cringy man had probably parked the car a bit far to avoid public attention as the burly


    man was nowhere in my sight.


    So I decided to be brave. The cringy man looked like someone I could take down.


    Probably I will get hurt or probably I will get overpowered. At least I will go down fighting.


    I adjusted my leg, centred my attention and aim, and with all my power, I mmed my right leg


    between his legs where the sun does not shine.


    Trick worked.


    He immediately doubled over in pain and his hand left my throat. I took that as an opportunity and


    sprinted away from there immediately without taking a breath.


    I had barely take one step forward when Vix, the cringy, thin man shouted,


    "Grab the fucking whore, Rooney!"


    In front of my eyes I saw burly man stopping the car right in front of me with a loud screech.


    I changed direction and started to run in a different direction. I had taken a few steps but the burly man,


    Rooney, caught me.


    He was stronger and faster than he looked and I had expected him to be. Geez, how can I forget. Gang


    people. Obviously he was not in one just forughs and giggles.


    As he grabbed my left arm, I managed to hit his chest with the right.


    That was a wrong move.


    I had probably managed to run past the cringy, I should not have tested my luck with the burly.


    As soon as I hit him, his face reddened in anger. He grabbed me by my hairs and started to drag me


    towards the car.


    "WHAT THE HELL, ASSHOLE!" I shouted. "LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!"


    I kept on shouting while struggling to get out of his arms. I was hoping someone would hear my voice


    ande for my help.


    We were nearly there to his car but worrying about my loud screams catching someone''s attention, he


    put a hand over my mouth.


    My struggles became frantic. If he took me now, all of my hopes and dreams were going to get crushed


    under Ethan''s foot.


    He forced me inside the passenger seat of the car and shouted, "Let''s go, Vix."


    Vix did not answer.


    He turned around. I looked over his shoulder.


    There stood Vix in front of our eyes, staring at us. His neck held in a choking hold by Max.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "FUCKING KNIGHT?" Rooney spat out the words in shock and confusion.


    Max? What the hell was he doing here?


    Then he did not wait for another second. Without caring about his partner, he jumped into the driver


    seat.


    "Wha kind o'' people are ye involved with, bitch?" He screamed angrily while starting the car and pulling


    away from the spot immediately.


    Look who was talking.


    Just as he started to pull away, a hand entered from the window, grabbed his cor and pulled at him


    so hard, his head cracked against the metal surface of the car painfully.


    Even I winced.


    Rooney instantly fell unconscious. My eyes went up to watch Max striding to the opposite side toe


    to me.


    Oh my.


    Was this a seriously hot day, or was it the effect of the maning towards me?


    Chances were heavily falling towards theter.


    He had pulled out his phone and was talking to someone while giving them our location. As soon as he


    was near me he hanged up.


    Max opened my side of the car door, grabbed my hand, and pulled me out of the car.


    As soon as I was out, his eyes scanned my body from top to bottom, and he asked, his voice gravely


    deep, like he was barely controlling himself from doing something,


    "Tell me you are not hurt."


    "I am not hurt." I replied softly.


    Unexpectedly, he pulled me in his chest, hiding my face in his throat. His cologne filled my world. Or


    was it just him?


    "You should not get hurt." He said in my neck.


    I did not know how to respond. Even though it had been barely a week, his voice was so serious and


    full of worry, it felt like we knew each other for years.


    "I was not nning on it." I responded stupidly.


    "Do not try to be a smartass right now." He said while pulling back from the hug.


    "How did you get entangled with these idiots?" He asked.


    "I do not know anything about them." I lied. I was not sure. But I had an idea that seemed ny nine


    percent correct.


    "So you are telling me you do not know these people but they are after you with this fucking photo of


    you in their hands?" He lifted up my picture that Vix had up in the air in front of my eyes,


    "Yes." I replied with full confidence while staring in his eyes. "That is exactly what I am saying."


    He was a PI, and he had definitely showed what he could do in just a couple of minutes. I was not


    going to take a chance.


    He sighed in exasperation while shaking his head.


    "Are you even as innocent as you look?"


    You are never going to get a chance to find that out.

 Chapter 9: 9

    Chapter 9: 9


    Turned out, Max had called cops.


    When he was on the call earlier, he had called the police. When the police had arrived, Max and the


    police had greeted each other like long known best friends.


    It was all weird.


    And scary.


    And impressing.


    Surprisingly, the police did note to ask me any questions. They picked up cringy and burly after


    talking to Max in a low tone for a while, and then drove away.


    "What did you tell them?" I asked as soon as the police vehicle was out of our sight.


    "That they need to wait ''cause I am going to ask you the questions that maye out offensive and


    interrogating."


    "What kind of questions?" I poked.


    "What are you hiding from me, Hope?"


    "Nothing of your concern." I looked away.


    He came forward, grabbed my chin and made me look at him once again,


    "Darling, you are my concern. And not just because you are niece of the man whom I respect very


    much, but also because you are going to take me to your bed and I would like to know more about the


    woman whom I am nning on dating."


    "Then simply you should not get into my bed." I snapped, "And about being Vincent''s niece, that does


    not have anything to do with you."


    I saw his mouth twitch in anger. "You are so stubborn." He muttered.


    "Very."


    He stepped closer. I stepped back. I definitely did not need any distractions. His closeness and body


    being the ''discratiest'' thing in the world.


    "Let me get you home. Then you and I are going to have a long conversation."


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    Ha. Like I was going to listen.


    *****


    Instead of going home, he took me to the coffee shop. As we entered, I could not see Vincent.


    And then instead of staying in the coffee shop, he started dragging me to the backdoor.


    "Where are you taking me?"


    "My office." He replied.


    "I would like to stay here." I pulled at his hold on my hand.


    He turned around to face me, his gaze scorchingly hot,


    "I know you would. But the kind of people that you have got running after you, I do not think I am


    prepared to leave you alone."


    Made sense.


    We walked to the backside of the building and instead ofing to an open area, Vincent''s back door


    was connected with another building.


    We walked forward on the marble floor, turned at the corner, and then I was hit with a stone cold shock.


    You must have seen in movies how PI''s have a very tight space room with no sight of cleanliness and


    hygiene. And trash thrown everywhere near them with piles of files and coffee mugs and energy drinks,


    right?


    I did not see that.


    I was prepared for that.


    But that is not what came into my sight.


    Just as we turned, I was met with the cleanliest office withtest interior walls and marble floor. A


    model like receptionist was sitting by a long dark wood desk typing things in herputer from some


    files.


    When she saw us enter, she nodded at us with a professional smile in greeting.


    I was stunned.


    He took me to his office which was just as professionally modern as the outer space. A table was set


    by the wall size window with a head chair and two guest chairs by it.


    My hand was still clutched in his and while I was so busy in admiring his office, he brought me near his


    desk and I was trapped against it with him caging me in before I had even realized it.


    "Now," he started speaking while making me shiver under his gaze, "are you going to continue being a


    bitch or are you going to spill out everything so that I can take care of you?"


    "I am not being a bitch. There are just some things that I do not want you to know."


    "Are you sure that these things are so minor that you can handle alone and would not need my


    attention?"


    "Of course." I immediately eximed. "I am leaving tomorrow, anyway. You do not need to worry about


    anything about me anymore."


    Even though I am scared as hell.

 Chapter 10: 10

    Chapter 10: 10


    The Next Day


    My things were packed. I was standing near my suitcase, wondering where I should go next.


    I had nned on staying with Vincent for at least fifteen days before finding my new destination.


    But it had barely been a week and I was having to run away once again.


    I could not stay with Vincent any longer. Not when the wrong kind of people had found me so soon.


    They had not attacked Uncle Vincent''s home yet so I was guessing they had not yet found out about


    my whereabouts except for the city I am in.


    I could not put Vincent''s life in danger because of me. I could not see him, or Ocean Eyes, or anybody


    else close to Uncle Vincent getting hurt because of me.


    ''Cause I had seen what these people can do. I had seen the tragedies with my own eyes.


    How could I let it happen to Uncle Vincent just to save my own life?


    So that was it. I have to leave. Pronto!


    I picked up my bag and started pulling the suitcase outside.


    The strange thing was, when I had told uncle Vincent about my departure, he had not said anything.


    He had neither epted nor refused to let me leave. He had just walked away from me while dialling a


    number on his phone.


    It made me sad.


    Did I not matter to him? Did my stay with him had been so bad for him?


    He had not even talked to me after that.


    Probably I had been a burden on him.


    Still, I wanted to bid him good bye. It was almost ten o''clock in the morning now. I needed to leave.


    I put my suitcase in the hall and started searching for uncle Vincent in the house but he was nowhere


    to be seen.


    Suddenly I heard amotion from outside along with uncle Vincent''s booming voice.


    I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and started dragging it outside.


    As I reached the door, the scene in front of my eyes had me shouting,


    "Uncle Vincent!"


    "What?" He snapped back in his booming voice.


    "What the hell are you doing?" I snapped and left the suitcase on the doorway, running outside.


    "Helping you with moving out." He said with a sheepish smile.


    I grabbed my forehead in my hand in exasperation.


    A tow vehicle was dragging away my car in front of my eyes. It had already left, and I could now barely


    see the back of my car.


    "What did you do it for?" I groaned in annoyance and anger. "I needed to leave today!"


    "You said you travelled here from North Carolina in this car." Uncle Vincent said innocently, "it needed


    to be taken care of so I sent it for servicing. It will be back in two weeks. At least that is what the auto


    mechanic said."


    "Let''s go, Max!" He suddenly boomed and that is when my eyes fell upon the second car that was


    standing in our porch.


    Max was leaning against a BMW with aughing smile on his face


    "I am going to kill the both of you." I shouted and stomped inside the house angrily.


    Here goes my n of running away from this city.


    *****


    I walked inside the coffee shop.


    Actually, I stomped inside the coffee shop.


    But it seemed to have be an everyday thing nowadays.


    "Give me a Latte!" I snapped at uncle Vincent.


    Although I was not talking to him anymore. A girl still needed her coffee of the day.


    He chuckled at me but started to make coffee.


    That was a good choice. Otherwise, I was almost ready to bang his head against the counter.


    I went to sit by the coffee counter.


    Uncle Vincent and Max had ruined all my ns for running away from Texas.


    Although I did not actually have any n of where I was going to go. I still needed to get out of here.


    There was no way in hell I was putting their lives in danger.


    Suddenly the chime over the entryway rang. There walked Ocean Eyes, with ck t shirt covering his


    biceps and hard chest, and low jeans so washed out, it started to look cooler than Levi''s. It hung upon


    his waist deliciously with a ck buckled belt keeping it in ce.


    "You." He put his hands on his waist whileing in front of me, "with me. Right now." He motioned


    towards the back where hispany''s entryway was and started striding away.


    And that is when I noticed that there was no humour, no smile in his voice. Just pure seriousness.


    "I will be back." I looked at Vincent in worry before starting to follow Max.


    "Hey!" I tried to catch up to him but his strides were way too long.


    I finally managed to grab his arm right as we started to enter his office through the backdoor of the


    coffee shop.


    I clutched his arm and made him turn around to face me, "What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked.


    Worry and tension eating me from inside.


    Max sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in anger. His mouth was twitching badly.


    "How are you involved with Varys fucking Flint?"


    "Varys fucking who?" I got confused immediately.


    "Varys Flint!" He repeated, "the guys that had tried to kidnap you? Turns out they are Varys'' men."


    "Who the hell is Varys?"


    He stared at my face for a second. Satisfied with whatever he saw on my face, he started looking at his


    shoes.


    A minuteter he lifted up his hand and grabbed the back of my head.


    He pulled me closer to him so that my body was flush against his chest,


    "Honey," Max growled, his voiceing down to a low pitch, "Varys Flint is the man who drives most of


    the underworld on the tips of his finger in most of the cities. The biggest rival of Italian gangster n."


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    My face turned white as chalk as his words entered my mind and I immediately recognised the name.


    "Now," he muttered with his teeth clenched shut, "You are going to tell me how the hell you are involved


    in all this mess. Or I am taking everything in my hands and finding out on my own."

 Chapter 11: 11

    Chapter 11: 11


    Varys Flint


    Strong arms with rippling muscles covering every inch of his body were punching on a heavy weighted


    bag that was hanging from a ceiling.


    His anger was crossing the limits of sanity. The thoughts of her were making him go blind in need.


    And the thought of her getting hurt by his own men was making him see red. His fists mmed against


    the bag harder, punching it with all the power that he had earned throughout the years of practice.


    "Boss..." a voice rang behind him, shivering in fear for disturbing him in his personal time, "She is


    staying in Texas only. With a man named Vincent."


    His punchnded so hard on the bag that the bag broke its grip from the ceiling and fell down on the


    floor with a loud bang.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    The dead body of Rooney, the goon who had dared to hurt her, who had dared to grab her hair and


    drag her despite of getting clear instructions of notying even a finger upon her body, fell out.


    The ground became a bloody mess. He turned around, his green eyes were spitting fire at the person


    standing in front of him,


    "I want his bio on my table in half an hour."


    "Y.. yes... boss." The man replied while stumbling back a few steps.


    Even though Varys'' men were ruthless and fear was beaten out of their heads through years of training,


    there was no man in the gang who could dare to stand in front of Varys without shivering.


    Varys grabbed the white towel from a chair and wiped his blood stained hands with it.


    After he was done, he threw the towel over Rooney''s face.


    "And what has Knight to do with her?"


    "We have yet to find that out, boss."


    His words had Varys snapping his neck towards him in anger.


    "A.. as f.. fa.. far as we know," the man stammered in terror, "she has no connection with him. S.. so it


    is taking a bit of time."


    "Find everything out in this next fucking hour or you are going to take Rooney''s ce in that fucking


    bag." Varys said in a tone as calm as water.


    The man stuttered away from there after mumbling in affirmation.


    As soon as he was out of sight, Varys banged his fist on the nearest wall in anger.


    He had tried to keep her away from this cruel world. He had sacrificed everything just to keep her


    happy and safe.


    He had sacrificed her just so she never gets involved in this mess of a dangerous world.


    But probably it was just her destiny.


    Probably she was never even born to stay safe.


    Ten Years ago


    Varys mmed his fist on the thick bark of a tree that had been ced in his practice room.


    His parents were quite rich so avish life had be his habit.


    He heard a voice and understood that his goody two shoe brother, apple of everybody''s eyes was now


    back from his high school.


    He heard some voices that wereing from downstairs. He got angry. He had clearly told Hector not


    to bring anyone at home.


    His fist mmed harder against the wood. A few minutes passed and that is when suddenly a gasp


    and a shuffling voice entered his ears.


    Sweat was dripping down from his perfect body. His caramel skin was glistening in the faint sunlight


    that wasing through the tiny window.


    The faint gasp instantly made him turn around and look for the source of it.


    Hope had agreed toe at Hector, her high school ssmate and close friend''s house after much


    insisting. She had never expected it to be so massive like a mansion.


    Hector had slipped into the kitchen to bring some snacks for them while she had started admiring the


    ce while walking.


    But while passing by one room, a voiceing from inside had caught her attention. Unable to contain


    her curiosity, she had walked inside the room as quietly as possible.


    When she stepped inside, she saw a nearly naked Varys exercising vigorously.


    His each move was so precise and strong that it had taken her by surprise. She stared at him with her


    mouth hung open as his muscles moved gracefully with his every action.


    For the first time in her life, Hope felt butterflies in her stomach after seeing a boy.


    And just when he mmed his fist on the massive bark of a tree, a small gasp left her mouth.


    She instantly closed her mouth and covered it with her palm. She instantly shuffled and hid behind a


    square pir in the room, afraid of getting caught watching him.


    She was trying to calm her erratic heartbeat. Her eyes had shut closed. Like a kitten that thought that if


    it closed her eyes, nobody will be able to see her.


    "Do not let him see me, God. Please do not let him see me..." she softly wished, mumbling under her


    breath. Her palms were sweating in nervousness.


    Her heart nearly stopped when a strong frame trapped her between himself and the pir. Trapping her


    inside the cage of his strong arms.


    Just as her eyes opened bit by bit, they widened so big like they were going to pop out of sockets


    anytime. Her mouth went dry as his manly scent covered her like a shadow.

 Chapter 12: 12

    Chapter 12: 12


    "Who are you?" His deeply husky and serious voice asked her.


    "H.. Hector''s friend?" She stammered. Intimated by his presence.


    "Why are you in this room?" He questioned while leaning forward. Intimidating her even more than she


    was already feeling.


    Varys stared in amusement at the pretty girl with innocent eyes. Her jean shorts and Croatia top that


    she was wearing wereplimenting her creamy white skin.


    "I.. I... am.." she stammered terribly.


    "Are you going to finish this sentence today, or is it going to take you the whole fucking week?" He


    smirked. Enjoying the tension that had suddenly taken over her in his close proximity.


    She bit on her rosy, plump lips in nervousness as her eyes travelled here and there in search of an


    escape.


    Varys did not know why he was doing this. Why he had gotten so much interested in tormenting the girl


    in front of him.


    But he could not help but lean in more towards her.


    "Hope!" Hector''s voice suddenly echoed from downstairs.


    Hope shivered suddenly and pushed on his hands that were capturing her in.


    "Move." She snapped.


    Varys lips got covered in an amused smile.


    "So cat got a tongue, huh?" He chuckled.


    "And this cat can bite too." She gave him a fake smile, bent down her head, and before he knew it, she


    dug her teeth in his arm.


    Varys instantly winced and snatched his arm back. Taking the opportunity, Hope got out of his hold and


    ran out of the room.


    Varys did not try to stop her but he had just found his muse.


    *****


    Varys'' parents stayed out for business trip most of the time. It was just him and Hector alone in the big


    mansion most of the time of the year.


    Even though they had servants who did the home chores before they could even wake up, the house


    still felt too empty.


    After seeing Hope that day, Varys had been wanting to meet her again, to see her again. But it had


    been over a week and he had not heard Hector mention her name nor had Hector brought her back


    here.


    "Who was the girl that you had brought home a few days ago?" Varys sparked the conversation as


    casually as he could manage to without being obvious.


    He could not let his brother figure out how restless and desperate he was to see Hope once again.


    "Girl?" Hector asked with his mouth full of food. "What girl?"


    Varys felt like punching him in the face.


    Hector was as handsome as any boy with ''hotty next door" looks could get. And his personality was


    just the opposite of Varys.


    While Varys portrayed quick anger issues, selfishness and over possessiveness, Hector was more of


    an easy going guy with a casual, careful and positive attitude towards everything.


    Varys sometimes hated Hector. Because Hector was the one that was loved by everybody. The


    embodiment of charm and love.


    While Varys was the devil that could not walk a foot without snapping in anger.


    Varys did not care about anybody. But he felt like his parents''s love was also divided between them,


    with Hector taking away the most of it.


    "The girl that you had brought home a week ago." Varys responded in as calm voice as he could


    manage while picking on his food, "the girl with brown eyes and brte hair."


    "Hope?" Hector asked in confusion.


    Varys took a sigh of relief upon the mention of her name. He thought he was going to need to m his


    brother''s face down on the table to make him remember.


    "Yeah. That girl." Varys responded. He served himself some red pasta and continued, "how many times


    have I told you that do not bring strangers here. Who is she and why did you bring her here?"


    The most straight question would have been if Hector was Hope''s boyfriend and he had brought her


    here to get down and dirty in the almost empty house.


    Even the thought made Varys upset and angry.


    "Oh.." Hector replied while standing up from the table with the dirty, empty dish in his hand,Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "That is what this is all about. I will not bring her here again if you do not like it. Don''t worry."


    Varys'' fingers clenched around the fork in a painful grip in anger and he seriously started contemting


    the most painful way of hurting between breaking Hector''s nose and splitting open his


    head.

 Chapter 13: 13

    Chapter 13: 13


    Varys did not answer to Hector. He could not. What would he even say?


    That he had suddenly started to crave seeing an unknown girl that he had seen just once and wanted


    Hector to spill everything about her?


    Never going to happen.


    So instead, he mmed his fist hard on the ss table in frustration. The fork that was in his fist


    jumped on the table and fell down on the floor with a loud ttering sound.


    He pushed his chair back angrily and started to walk away.


    "What the hell is your problem, Varys?" Hector fumed at Varys.


    Varys stopped in his tracks, turned around, and looked at his otherwise calm and polite brother who


    barely ever got angry.


    "What is your problem?" Varys said through clenched teeth. He was already feeling frustrated and


    Hector''s anger just added fuel to that frustration.


    Hector also pushed back his chair, stood up and snapped,


    "My problem is that why bringing guests here angers you so much? I just brought one girl here and you


    are bursting in mes at me without any reason like a maniac."


    Varys'' gritted his teeth, "What does it matter to you why I do not like guests? Why did you even bring


    her here if you knew that I would get angry?"


    "Because she is a nice girl and I like her!" Hector shouted, "We needed to discuss about the college


    admissions that are due just next week. And I am allowed to bring my friends here whenever I want.


    This is my home too!"


    Varys instantly calmed down. The word ''friends'' hit him like an arrow made of flowers. So just friends..?


    "Oh alright." He said nonchntly in an as calm tone as he could manage without showing Hector his


    excitement,


    "Then why don''t you bring here anymore? You should have told me."


    Hector''s mouth literally dropped open at Varys'' words. The man who does not like to let even his own


    close friends enter inside the home is allowing Hector to bring Hope back again?


    Hector scrunched up his face in confusion and asked, "What?"


    "No issue from my side, okay?" Varys said and grabbed an apple from the table to avoid Hector''s eyes,


    "You are right. This is your home too. You can bring your friends here."


    Just as he finished the words, he strode out of the dining room swiftly without waiting to hear back


    Hector''s response.


    Missing the sight of Hector falling down in his chair in shock while trying to understand what had just


    happened.


    *****


    One Week Later


    Varys had waited for Hector to bring Hope back once again but it had never happened.


    Varys also decided to avoid the issue and the burning need that kept his heart ame in desperation.


    But his anger towards Hector, obviously increased.


    Now it was the time for him to return to his college. He was doing major in Economics. Being in thest


    year of college, he was getting ready to help his dad with business.


    Varys was striding outside in the chilly morning towards his car when suddenly he heard Hector shout


    from behind,


    "Varys! Drop me too." Hector said whileing running out of the house, panting.


    Varys gave him a dirty look and snapped, "Go away. I am not taking you anywhere in my car."


    "Varys, please." Hector begged,


    "I have not received my license till yet while the agent had promised to deliver it today. I can not bete


    to the first ss of my first day in college."


    "Then take a damn cab!" Varys snapped and started to get inside his BMW.


    Hector pushed his head through the passenger seat window and replied,


    "I would have! But actually, I had promised Hope that I would pick her up in my car since she does not


    have one. And now it is toote to tell her to hire a cab."


    Varys'' hand was on the steering wheel. His eyes were looking at the front but the second Hector


    mentioned Hope''s name, Varys'' heart started to jump in excitement and happiness.


    "Okay what the hell!" He sighed in fake frustration and unlocked the passenger door to let Hector in.


    "Will you pick Hope too?" Hector asked pleadingly.


    "Agghh, you are a nuisance." Varys snapped in fake anger while his face could not manage to hide the


    smile that took over his lips.


    ording to Hector''s directions, they reached outside Hope''s house that was about ten minutes away


    from their own.


    When Varys stopped his BMW outside that small, off the white painted house he started to look at the


    strangely beautiful decor in wonder.


    There was not much to see, but the flower vases put near the doorway of the house and a beautifully


    trimmed and managed garden was giving the otherwise tiny house a fairy tale like view.


    Just as he was thinking about how different it was from their own house, the door opened and Hope


    walked out in a cropped top that showed off her creamy, white skin till the middle to her belly button,


    and ck jeans.


    Varys gulped seeing her after about almost fifteen days. Even though she was dressed as simply as


    anyone could get dressed for college, she was still looking ravishing to him.


    He waited for her to look at him. To meet his eyes and recognize him. He wanted to see her eyes once


    again, beautifully innocent and happy.


    But her gaze never came to him. Her eyes straight went to Hector who had gotten out of the car and


    ran to her.


    She beamed at Hector happily in excitement, making his blood boil and infuriating him even more.


    He waited for her to look at him. His fingers were drumming on the steering wheel lightly, in impatience


    and nervousness of seeing her reaction.


    But she did not.


    And then Hector suddenly grabbed her hand in between the both of his palms, talking to her about


    something in excitement and in a pleading voice, making herugh out loud at his actions.


    Varys'' anger finally crossed the limit.


    He liked the way sheughed. The way she smiled and talked and cribbed.


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    But he did not like that all that she showed, all that sheughed was directed at his brother and not


    him.


    His blood was boiling from seeing them together.


    And that is when her eyes came to collide with his own.


    Her face looked at him in confusion for just a second before recognition filled her eyes and an instant


    blush covered her cheeks like a beautiful curtain of shame.


    But Varys was angry. The sight of her with someone else, even with his brother was making him furious


    to no limits.


    Hope looked at Varys in confusion. She was not understanding why he was so angry upon seeing her.


    She remembered him instantly. And the memory of her first encounter with him had filled her body with


    goosebumps and butterflies.


    Her innocently confused gaze made Varys even more furious. Her hand was still clutched in Hector''s.


    ming her of the crimes that she was unknown to with his eyes, he started the car and drove away


    from there at the speed of eighty.


    He could not bear to see her with anybody else any longer.

 Chapter 14: 14

    Chapter 14: 14


    "Varys!" Hector shouted in frustration when he saw Varys driving away without him and Hope.


    "And here goes our ride." Hope chuckled.


    "This is not funny!" Hector whined which made Hope''s chuckle turn into a full blown giggle,


    "Now how are we going to reach college on time?"


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "That is how." She indicated behind Hector. Hector instantly turned around with confusion on his face to


    see what Hope was pointing at.


    Hope literally saw Hector''s jaw dropping to the ground.


    Ste, in all her beautiful glory, wearing a blue, skin tight, off- shoulder top and white, sexy as hell


    shorts, was walking towards them with the keys to her swift car jiggling in her fingers.


    "Ready baby?" Ste eyed Hector, gave him a once over and suddenly smacked a kiss on Hope''s lips.


    Hope instantly made an ''eww'' face but Ste''s eyes warned her from spilling any word out of her


    mouth.


    Hector''s face suddenly felt like someone had snatched his favourite candy from him.


    "You both are together?" He asked with sadness clear in his voice.


    Hope was dying tough her ass off in that moment because clearly, Hector''s mind had just gotten


    blown away by the beauty.


    "Gettingte." Ste blew out the bubblegum in her mouth and grabbed Hope''s hand,


    Hope was just wondering why Ste would want to pretend to be involved in a rtionship with her in


    front of Hector.


    "Get going, baby boy." Ste arched her left eyebrow at Hector, "Not gettingte now?"


    "I am not a ''baby boy''," Hector fumed instantly, "call me Hector, or nothing at all!"


    A pretty smile covered Ste''s lips. And Hector had literally stopped breathing.


    "Okay ''Nothing At All''," Ste said while walking away to her car with Hope''s hand in her own,


    "Get in the God damn car or fuck off. We have got lots of shit to do."


    Hope clenched her eyes shut while wincing. What was up with Ste today?


    Hope turned her head around and mouthed a sorry to Hector while pleading with her eyes.


    To her relief Hector did not bicker any further and stomped away and ahead of them to the car.


    The car was already on. He opened the passenger door and got inside.


    "That is where Hope sits."


    Ste snapped while bending down to look at Hector through the window while Hope silently went to


    the backdoor and hauled her ass inside before they get anyter.


    Hector smiled like a Cheshire cat and replied,


    "There is no name etched in the seat of your car. So I do not agree with you."


    Ste''s lips pursed in anger while Hector smiled at his victory,


    "This is MY car so I decide who sits where!"


    "Not anymore apparently." Hector grinned.


    "Guys!" Hope finally snapped angrily. "How much time do you think we have got left to reach college?"


    Ste red at Hector for another five seconds before stomping towards the driver seat and getting in.


    "This is thest time I let you sit in my car." Ste squinted her eyes at Hector while starting the car and


    pulling away.


    Hope clutched her head in her head. Here we go again.


    And without disappointing herself, she got to hear their bickering and snapping through rest of the ride


    to the college.


    As soon as the car stopped, Hope grabbed her bag and got the hell out of it like her ass was on fire.


    She bent down to her waist at the window to look at Ste and Hector, and softly said,


    "My head is literally splitting open in pain. I am going to ss. Call me in an hour."


    Then without waiting to hear their response, she ran away from there to save her life.


    *****


    Varys was sitting in ss, ring at the ckboard so hard in anger like it had ruined his reputation


    somehow.


    As soon as he had pulled away from the spot outside Hope''s house, he had regretted his decision. In


    his anger and frustration upon seeing Hope and Hector together, he had probably lost hisst chance


    to meet Hope.


    And his day was not getting any better either.


    As soon as he had entered the ss, turned out they werebined with the neers of college to


    sit and mingle and share knowledge and college experience.


    Freaking shit had fucked up his mind already and then the lecturer entered.


    But he obviously did not give a damn. He was at the top of his ss, in fact, the whole college. The


    golden star in Economics and Football. He obviously could afford missing one god damn, idiotic ss.


    A girl walked to him to sit on the empty seat right next to him. His terrifying re instantly went to her.


    Scared immediately, she strutted away to the only empty seat left inside the ss, away from him.


    There was no way he was going to tolerate this bullshit.


    He collected all of the books in a pile and stood up to get out of the ss while the old, geezer Lecturer


    in front of him lectured about how much important the teamwork was.


    As soon as he got up and the lecturer''s eyes turned to him, a voice interrupted them that came from


    the doorway,


    "I am sorry foringte." Hope rushed inside to find the first empty seat possible in the fully crowded


    ssroom.


    Without looking at anything, with her head continuously focusing on the ground to avoid unnecessary


    attention on herself, she searched for the first empty seat that she could find.


    She climbed up the steps. First, then second, and then to fifth and then to eighth. But all seats seemed


    full.


    Just as she had given up on finding a seat for herself today, assuming she was definitely toote for


    her first ss and now she will need to leave it, her eyes dropped at the empty corner seat in the


    farthest corner of thest row.


    Finally!


    Taking a deep breath in relief, she quickly climbed up the rest of the steps. As soon as she was there,


    without wasting any more time, she dropped her bag in the empty seat and dumped her things on the


    table.


    She quickly adjusted her ass in her seat with a loud sigh and happy smile, and then her eyes went up


    to look at the person beside her who seemed to have gotten stuck in a standing position.


    No sooner had her eyes collided with him, with the only person in the world that had left her in


    goosebumps and shivers in the first meeting only, she shot off from her seat in shock.


    The smile immediately got wiped off of her face.


    Was it a scary dream or was it just a way of God to kill her bit by bit throughout the year?

 Chapter 15: 15

    Chapter 15: 15


    "What the fuck?" She practically sted in front of the whole ssroom.


    But one look from the angry professor was enough to put her back in her seat.


    She immediately removed her gaze from him. Her fingers were shivering, in anticipation and an


    unknown, weird feeling of nervousness. It was not fear from him. It was her scary attraction towards


    him.


    She could not understand why she wanted to look at him, and wished that he was looking at her too.


    But then also she did not want him to catch her looking at him, just to save herself from the


    embarrassment.


    She was utterly distracted and him sitting right beside her was definitely the main reason of that


    distraction.


    It was scary.


    She could literally feel her heart ready to jump out of her chest. It was thudding so freaking hard.


    Varys''s gaze was not moving away from Hope''s face. As she nervously tapped her fingers or pen or


    her feet continuously, it might have be irritating for some people after the first five seconds, but for


    him, it was hell entertaining.


    There was actually a smile on his face right now. He could not believe his luck that she was in front of


    him, by his side.


    In fact, he did not know that she had taken her admission in the same college as his own. The same


    economy major.


    Here he was craving for just one look at her throughout this past month, and now she was here in front


    of him for the whole four years of her college life.


    When the tapping of her fingers became too loud and quick, he grabbed her hand in his own on the


    table, stopping her movements.


    Her gaze instantly snapped up to him, scared and nervous.


    It made him furious. Why was she so scared of him all the time?


    He gritted his teeth in anger. And his angry gaze scared her even more.


    She immediately lowered her eyes and started to look at their intertwined hands.


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    "Let go." she whispered softly.


    His hand on her felt hot. Not as in burning hot. But literally hot enough to leave her heart in a jumbled


    mess of shivers.


    He did not. A second passed. And then a whole minute. But he still would not let go of her hand and


    she did not have enough strength inside her to look up at his face.


    Slowly she lifted up her eyes to look at him, only to see him staring right into her eyes.


    He shuffled closer to her. Breaking the barrier of her personal space and bending his head a bit down


    to look into her eyes.


    "Why?" he asked.


    Her eyes widened to the size of ser balls.


    She looked here and there in search of an escape, but the lecture was still ongoing and the whole ss


    was focusing on it. Everybody was too busy to look at the thing happening in thest seat of the ss


    where she was sitting.


    "Let go." Hope pulled at her hand once again in a vain attempt.


    Varys growled loudly in frustration and gave her hand a hard pull towards himself. Immediately, the top


    of her body was falling into his arms. His hands wrapped around her waist and tightened its hold.


    Hope''s gasp was loud in shock. Her other hand immediately flew up to her mouth to cover up the voice.


    "Did you finish the process of your admission in this college?" He asked her in a low voice calmly.


    Her eyebrows got scrunched in confusion at his bizarre question out of the blue. She even forgot that


    his arms were around her and she was being kept captured.


    "Yes?" She hesitantly said after a few seconds.


    "You chose Economy Major?" He lifted up one of his hand and pushed the tendril that was falling on


    her forehead, behind her ear.


    She unconsciously shivered at his touch and replied in a soft tone,


    "Yes."


    "What about Hector?" He asked casually and shifted her more closer to himself. He could not remove


    his gaze from her face. The continuous questions were just an excuse to keep her in his arms for a


    longer amount of time.


    "You don''t know what Hector has chosen?" Her eyes widened in surprise, "You both live in the same


    house. Are you both brothers or what?"


    As soon as the words slipped out of her lips, she pped her hand on her mouth, surprised at her own


    audacity with the way she had talked to him.


    "I am sorry." She immediately panicked, fearing his anger, "It just slipped out of my mouth."


    Varys stared into her eyes. The way she was looking at him was making him want to drag her in an


    empty room and keep her close to himself until she forgets everyone except him in the world.


    He bent his head down and tapped his nose with hers yfully. She scrunched up her nose cutely and


    immediately a pink blush covered her face.


    A smile touched Varys'' lips. The way she was looking, he literally wanted to eat her up raw.


    His hand that had pushed the tendril on her face behind her ear had not moved even an inch. He could


    not stop touching her.


    This past month was practically a living hell for him. He could not believe that he had craved to see one


    girl in front of himself after just one encounter.


    His infatuation towards her was surprisingly astonishing. Scary even.


    His thumb slipped at the corner of her left eye to touch a ck spot there. It looked pretty on her face.


    And with her beautiful eyes staring right into his own, the beauty spot was just enhancing the colour of


    her eyes.


    "I and Hector are not on good terms." He responded while caressing the side of her left eye softly,


    where the beauty spot was.


    At his whisper soft touch, both of her eyes shut close.


    "He and I have got some personal issues, so we do not talk much with each other." He continued,


    astonished at the sight of her beauty.


    "Oh." She murmured. Her eyes stayed closed.


    Had she even realized that it had been almost an whole hour but she had not moved away from his


    touch, had not tried to run away from him?


    Only he knew how much he had craved to have her like this in his arms.


    It was not lust that he felt towards her.


    It was just pure longing, and need. Like the need for ast breath or a deep thirst for water.

 Chapter 16: 16

    Chapter 16: 16


    Suddenly the bell rang, signaling the end of the ss and breaking the walls of the small world that


    Varys had built around himself and Hope.


    Just as the loud, screaming voice of the bell broke through Hope''s stupor, she snapped out of the spell


    that Varys had suddenly casted on her. Her closed eyes snapped open as she stared in those green,


    captivating eyes.


    The ss had started to get empty. Students were leaving and the loud shuffling and quick, runny


    steps of them collided Hope and Varys with each other.


    "Come with me." Varys extended his open palm towards her.


    "Where?" she asked, confusion wascing her words.


    "Do you have another ss to attend?" he asked.


    "Yeah," she replied, "It is in an hour."


    "Thene with me. I will show you around?"


    He just needed her with himself for as long as he could manage. The restlessness of the past month


    had disappeared once he had seen her. But now just from the thought of parting from her had brought


    back that unsettled feeling.


    Hope hesitated for a second. The ss had gotten empty. There was nothing here for her to do anyway


    except roam around carelessly for the next hour.


    She hesitated, but then put her hand in hisrge one, feeling his grasp tighten around her fragile one.


    An instant smile spread on Varys'' lips, leaving her dazzled for a second.


    She could not deny the fact that he was handsome as hell. Even though he probably was in his early


    twenties, he had a body that could put even a professional model to shame.


    She could not even understand how he had gotten interested in a subject as boring as economics.


    And then there was the look that he gave her. God damn.


    She did not know that if that look was for everybody else or if it was reserved just for her. All that she


    knew was that every time his eyesnded on her, she could not stop herself from keep looking at his


    face.


    "Come on." Varys stood up and pulled her up on her feet. His hold on her hand never loosened.


    She silently followed him. Once they were out of the ss, he started showing her everything that was


    showcased in college. From the trophies to the way to library, he showed her everything in just half an


    hour.


    The excitement on his face when they had passed by a basketball court was a sight to see. It was so


    enchanting and contagious that even she had started to smile while listening to him talk about how


    good the sport was.


    Just as they were walking back, someone called out Varys'' name.


    They turned around to watch a yer jogging towards them.


    Shirtless. Hot six pack abs. Sweat dripping down to the stic of the boxers that he was wearing on his


    abdomen.


    Now Hope''s face was a sight to see.


    She was just seventeen years old. The school boys had never been able to ignite any kind of attraction


    or desire inside her heart.


    This was the first time that she had seen a boy with six freaking abs, almost naked in front of her eyes.


    And now, literally every boy inside the college campus was looking like a character straight out of a


    Hollywood movie.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    "Dean was asking for you to go to him to get the medal you have won this year," the hot yer said as


    soon as he was in the talking distance from them,


    "Why don''t you go and take care of that bloody thing? It has been over two months now."


    Varys'' hold on her hand unexpectedly tightened. He turned his face away and gritted through clenched


    teeth,


    "This is for the fucking millionth time that I am saying to put that medal in the college literally anywhere!


    I will pick it up once I have time."


    He did not wait to hear the hot stranger''s reply and started to walk away.


    Hope, of course, did not have any other option left but to follow him for now. Although she was nning


    on returningter for some ''sightseeing.''


    "What kind of medal?" she spoke up once they had finished the tour of the college and were walking


    down in the corridors.


    "Topper in Economics. From the past two years." he replied without any hesitation or ego.


    "You are a topper in Economics?" She gasped in surprise as well as shock at the indifference on his


    face.


    "Yes." He replied nonchntly, "This is myst year in college, so the Dean is insisting me to taking the


    medal from his hands."


    Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion at his words,


    "Then why are you refusing to take the medal from his hands?"


    Varys stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at her face. He awkwardly, but silently lifted up his


    hand to wipe off the tensed line that had covered her temple.


    "Because I don''t like him." He said as his gaze dropped from her temple to look into her eyes,


    "I have seen how he discourages and pushes back the students who are less ''title holders''."


    "What does that mean?" Hope asked gently.


    "If you don''t be a ''title holder'', you will know." Varys winked and pulled her away from the empty


    ground to the next ss that was due in ten minutes.

 Chapter 17: 17

    Chapter 17: 17


    Two Months Later


    Hope and Varys had starteding close to each other. Unknowingly a pattern, a schedule had been


    set among them. Varys came to pick her up almost every day along with Hector. Hector, for some


    unknown reason had not recieved his license. And because of that he had to tag along with Varys. And


    as Hope did not have a car and Ste''s sses started an hour earlier than her, she only had two


    options left, either ride with Hector and Varys, or take the bus.


    She had insisted on the second option. She did not want to be a burden on them in the name of


    friendship but every time she brought up the topic, both Varys and Hector started bbering things that


    did not make any sense to her but definitely made clear that she was riding with them until she is


    fucking alive.


    The ss had ended and now she was just waiting for Varys and Hector to meet in the parking lot. It


    had been a month she had joined college and not even a day had gone by when she had not seen


    Varys. More than Hector and her, a friendship had been formed between them.


    On Sundays he woulde to pick her up and they both would go to the nearby park to study. He was


    so keen on teaching her and spoiling her when it came to other things too, like her desire to drive a


    car? She did not know how to ride one. And when the conversation hade up one day when they


    were having ice cream in a cafe, he had taken her on an open, empty street and had taught her how to


    drive one.


    By the time they had finished she had beenughing so hard because apparently cars and her were a


    straight suicidal mission. She could not drive one without making a pass at the nearby pole or


    innocently parked other vehicles.


    "If we continued, you are going to have to buy another car." Hope clutched her stomach and heaved in


    laughter upon the expressions on Varys'' face.


    Pure horror. That is what his face screamed.


    "Hope, truth to be told," Varys came forward with his hands up high in the air, "I had thought that


    nobody can be more bad at driving cars than a cartoon character but you have somehow managed to


    surpass them."


    She startedughing even more harder.


    "Come on!" she giggled, "I am sure I will learn one day."


    With a smile on his face Varys came forward and grabbed her hand. With a harsh jerk she was falling


    forward on his chest as his arms slid around her waist.


    Somehow he had managed to make this closeness between him and Hope a normal thing. It took a


    month and surely many of Hope''s resistances, but slowly she had started to ept his touch like it was


    not a big thing between them.


    His n was working. He was getting closer to her slowly. He just wanted her all to himself. Not his


    brother, not her friends, no one but him in her thoughts and her sight. He wanted to be the only one


    who made him happy just like she made him.


    "And I will be there to make sure of it." He smiled and pulled her closer to his chest.


    A blush covered Hope''s cheeks. His touch and his eyes, both held so many emotions that she could


    not distinguish which one she loved the most. The only thing that she knew was he made her happy.


    The memory broke when she heard a loud honk of someone''s car. Jerking in surprise, she turned


    around to look at who it was.


    The handsome guy that she had seen in the grounds a month ago asking Varys to collect the award


    was waving at her whileing out of his Ford Fusion.


    She waved back awkwardly, still unsure of how he had remembered her from just one vague meeting


    and how to greet him.


    "How have you been, pretty fresher?" he gave her an award winning smile and came to stand in front


    of her.


    His rippling muscles were showing underneath the casual sports wear that he was pulling off so


    handsomely and effortlessly. It was hard to believe that a guy like him was interested in talking to her.


    "Umm.. yeah, alright.. I guess." She replied while tucking the hairs that were falling over her face


    behind her ears.


    "Enjoying the new environment? No one bullied you, did they?" he asked with a smile.


    Seeing the genuine interest that he was portraying, she started to be morefortable while


    talking to him, "Yeah. More than I had expected honestly."


    "Want toe to an ears splitting, drag boring party with me tonight?" he extended his hand gently


    caressed her cheek while pushing back a few tendrils of her hair behind her ear with his rough fingers.


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Surprised and taken a back by the offer from him and not having enough courage to refuse someone


    like him, she nodded her head in eptance while hitting herself in her head for being such a coward.


    Suddenly she had started to feel like someone was watching her and her heart started to pound. As the


    handsome guy walked away while saying something about already having her number from Hector, her


    eyes collided with a set of angry ones.


    "Varys." she smiled softly.


    Instead of answering her, he grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the back side of the parking lot


    that stayed empty almost all the time.


    Trapping her between himself and the car, he slid his arm in her waist and asked in a deadly calm


    voice,


    "Why was that asshole touching you, Hope?"


    Clueless to the anger that was simmering underneath his gaze, she replied nonchntly,


    "Nothing. He was just asking for me to apany him to a party tonight."


    His attitude instantly changed. The aura around him turned into something more dangerous. So intense


    and heavy that she could feel it in her bones that she had said something that she should not have.

 Chapter 18: 18

    Chapter 18: 18


    "And what did you say?" Varys asked gently.


    "I.. um. epted it?" Hope flinched a little after saying the words. Even though she was not doing


    anything wrong and definitely was not cheating on anyone, it kind of felt wrong.


    Varys, who most of the time remained chill and calm around her suddenly clenched his jaw tight in


    anger.


    "What exactly do you think we are doing with each other, Hope?" He asked in a soft voice that betrayed


    the hidden anger behind his words.


    Hope stared into his eyes with barely contained emotions. She honestly did not know the answer to


    that. It felt like they were friends, but the closeness behind that friendship screamed more than friends.


    "What do you want me to say?" She whispered. She wanted him to calm down. Although she had seen


    him get angry plenty of times, she did not like it when he got angry on her. It made her feel bad. Like


    she had done something very wrong.


    Varys did not reply to her but the anger did not leave his eyes. He knew he had not given a name to


    their rtionship. Never acknowledged the closeness and given her a reason to refuse the offers


    coming her way but he did not know she did not even realize the depth of emotions that he possessed


    for her.


    "I..." He opened his mouth and almost let out a vile curse, but immediately stopped himself. Throwing a


    fist on the hood of the car that made a loud bang, he walked away from there.


    "Varys!" Hope immediately turned around and called out to him. But her voice fell to deaf ears as


    without turning around he got in his car and drove away from there.


    "Fucking hell!" Hector''s irritated tone pulled her attention towards him, "Not again."


    She looked at him with guilty expressions on her face even though it was not exactly her fault that


    Varys had left them stranded.


    "Now who kicked his ass?" Hector asked.


    Hope blinked at him with feigned innocence.


    "I have to go somewhere." Hector nce backwards while talking to her. Hope''s gaze went to where he


    was looking where she saw Ste walking away with a guy. She was taking some pop music sses


    from the guy who was pretty famous locally. Not even bad in looks to be honest. "Will you please get a


    cab or something?"


    As soon as she nodded her head he turned around and ran away.


    With a smile turned around and started walking home. Truthfully, she had forgotten her wallet at home


    and there was not even a penny in her pocket. Her parents were away to work and she did not have


    keys to home since she was nning on going homete. Varys had made ns of studying and


    hanging out together but that seemed like a lost option now.


    Pulling out the cellphone out of her bag she dialled Varys'' number. The phone kept ringing but he did


    not pick up. She tried again but still no answer. Sighing in defeat she dialled her parents'' number but


    she already knew that they had to leave their cellphones out of the meeting room which could go on for


    hours. The cell rang but no answer came from other side except for the automated voice message to


    callter.


    Kicking a rock with her feet she decided to take the only option left. Walk four miles in strappy sandals


    in under the heating sun.


    One mile forward she was heaving and sweating badly. The sun was even harsher than her


    expectation today. Herck of exercise obviously did not help.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    She managed to walk three more miles with heaving breath and almost broken feet. The straps of


    sandals had left a bleeding wound in the back of her feet, making them hurt badly.


    As her home finally came into view after two hours of walking, she took a deep sigh in relief.


    Walking into the cold grass of the garden in front of her house, she plopped down on the ground in


    fatigue. After her knees stopped hurting a bit, she pulled open the straps of her sandals and threw the


    footwear aside, relishing the coldness that the grass thankfully provided.


    The sun had gone down so the heat had be dull but she still felt hot as hell. She was just d that


    she had finally sat down and her feet were touching some coldness. She was never ever going to leave


    her wallet at home again, she had decided.


    Layingfortably on the ground with her feet sprawled in front of her, she tugged at some grass and


    started rolling it around on her finger.


    Her eyes followed the ring that it made. Honestly, she felt like crying right now. She was so, so angry at


    Varys for leaving her stranded. She actually would not have minded if she had her wallet on her and


    she had taken a cab but the pain in her legs just made her angrier.


    Second note to herself- never take a ride with Varys again.


    "Hope?"


    Name the devil and he appears in front of you.


    Her eyes shot up to find Varys standing in front her with a confused expression on his face, "What are


    you doing out here?"


    She gave him a faint smile, not wanting him to know that she was upset with him, "Nothing." She said


    softly, "Wassup? Why are you here?"


    She did not get up from her ce. She did not have energy. Her head had kind of started to hurt and


    her feet were already almost dead.


    His eyes took her in carefully, trying to find something but unable to quite put a finger on what was


    wrong with her.


    "I came to talk to you." He said gently, "I was a being dick earlier. Do you want to continue our ns?


    Hang out at Dusky''s?"


    She gulped down the feeling that filled her mouth. It was getting harder for her to hide her expressions


    from him, harder to not cry. It hurts when your friend ditches you. But it bloody rips your heart out when


    you get ditched by the person that you consider more than a friend.


    "Don''t worry about." She anchored her attention on the grass ring on the finger and dismissed him in a


    quiet tone as she could manage, "It is all good. I got home okay. I just really don''t feel like going out


    right now. I am sorry."


    A horn of car snatched their attention. Her parents were home. Giving him one more small smile she


    got up on her feet and walked towards her home while trying hard not to limp as her mom waved at her


    and her dad opened the main door of the house.

 Chapter 19: 19

    Chapter 19: 19


    The next day rolled around and Hope found herself bedridden, unable to move with a harsh cough


    gripping her chest and nasty fever burning her whole body. There was obviously no option of going to


    the college since she had caught the flu for walking too long under the sun and because of the fatigue it


    had caused.


    She remembered that at night her phone had kept ringing with calls and messages but without looking


    at the screen she had turned off the phone and avoided everything that bounded her to the outer world.


    Her mood was ruined so badly and she did not think she could talk to anybody without snapping in


    anger.


    She had had dinner with her parents and then aftering back to the room, she had fallen asleep like


    the dead. Her feet had burn marks and cuts from the sandals that she had sessfully hidden from her


    parents by wearing long trousers.


    But as the morning sunshine hit the window she realized that she was sick to death. Bile kept rising her


    throat, making her run to the bathroom every ten minutes.


    When she did not go down to have breakfast, her mom came up to check on her and immediately got


    worried after seeing her red face, runny nose and baggy eyes. She immediately rushed down to get


    medicine and some soup for Hope while Hope went back to the bed to hide under her duvet and avoid


    the sunlight.


    As her mom came back, she made Hope take the medicine with water and some soup. In the middle of


    it suddenly the doorbell rang.


    Hope''s gaze immediately shot to the wall watch seeing the time. Nine am. She knew who was at the


    door this early.


    As her mom stood up to go down, Hope grabbed her arm and said,


    "Mom?"


    Her mom immediately turned to her, "Yeah, honey?"


    "If it is Damon or Hector at the door, please do not let theme up here. I do not think I will be able to


    talk to anyone right now." She requested softly.


    Her mother, obviously taking it as a mood of sickness nodded her head in eptance and ushered her


    to quickly finish the soup and go back to the bed and then went away to check the door.


    Putting the soup on the bedside table she gently moved to the window while taking the duvet over her


    head and dragging it along covering her body.


    Her guess was right. She could see Varys'' car standing outside at main gates of her home. After a


    while, she saw him moving out from her doorstep and walking back towards his car with swift, angry


    strides.


    Suddenly he turned back to look at the window that she was standing close to. she immediately pulled


    back, hiding behind the heavy curtains of the window to avoid him.


    A couple of minutester when she was sure that he had gone away she came out of the curtains to


    look outside and saw his car was gone.


    Despite no reason at all disappointment filled her deeply. Seeing him here was a momentum relief that


    she did not know she needed so desperately. But she did not think it was going tost longer. She had


    decided to distance herself from him. Her attachment to him was bing too unhealthy and deep


    and she was not sure that he felt the same for her. So before she got hurt and humiliated, she was


    going to pull herself out of the trap that Varys had cast upon her.


    Two more days passed by like that. Varys did not miss even one. He woulde to the door, request


    Hope''s mom to let him meet her, but she always refused, not giving her mom even a chance to budge.


    Her days went by watching the TV shows and scrolling through channels aimlessly. She had still not


    turned on her phone in fear of being expected to give back a response. She wanted to enjoy some


    sce away from all the chaos. Ste had called Hope''s mom when she had not answered, and her


    mom had exined her sickness to her. When she had insisted on talking to Hope, Hope told her mom


    to say that she was sleeping and tired from all the vomiting.


    When the fourth day came she was all good as new. The sickness had finally passed and it was time to


    return to the real world.


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    But she was still not ready to face Varys. She knew he will be here at nine to pick her up so she left for


    college at eight-thirty. It gave her time to grab a bus and ride to the college while listening to the music


    all the way for the next half an hour.


    Upon reaching college she met some ssmates and caught up with all the missed sses. She saw


    Ste as well and let her know that she was alright.


    After catching up with everything it was time to do the thing that she was dreading the most.


    She turned on her phone.


    Uncountable rings and chimes of notifications and msgs filled her ears until she turned the vibration on


    to avoid the annoying sounds.


    When the hurricane stopped she started to go through all of them one by one. The most messages and


    missed calls were from the person that she wanted to avoid the most.


    Two hundred and five messages and fifty calls were covering her phone screen from Varys alone.


    "Where are you?"


    "Are you alright?"


    "How are you feeling now?"


    "Why did you tell your mom that you do not want to meet my right now? I would have made you feel


    better. Do not suffer alone. You must be getting pretty bored."


    "Are you too sick? Should I bring you anything?"


    "I wille back tomorrow. Please tell your mom to let me in."


    "Come on, Hope! Where the fuck are you? Why aren''t you replying?"


    "Are you still upset about what happened between us at the college? Please let me know and fucking


    talk to me!"


    "You are driving me crazy! Have you left the fucking country without telling me?"


    And just when the bell for the sses rang, she lifted up her face only toe in front of a seething


    Varys striding towards her.

 Chapter 20: 20

    Chapter 20: 20


    Before Varys could catch up to her she turned around and ran. Not actually run, of course, otherwise


    he would get suspicious. She just wanted to get away from him without letting him get a hint of what


    she was feeling. She was still angry, alright! And she did not know how to express her anger except like


    this. Running away? Heck yeah. She could run from him until he stops chasing her. It is going to hurt


    for some time for sure but whatever. She needed him out of her sight.


    She hurriedly passes between the groups of students, pushed them aside if she had to like a brat and


    immediately started going towards her ss. It had already started and she just wanted to reach there


    before the professor did to avoid awkward confrontation like her first day.


    "Hope!" she heard Varys shout.


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    She ignored.


    He called out a couple more times. She ignored every time.


    "Hope STOP!" Varys shouted but she was hell-bent on running away from him and there was no way in


    hell he was going to get to talk to her after he left her to die in the burning sunlight for three fucking


    hours.


    He was just about to reach her. From hindsight, she saw him closing in as she reached the door of her


    ssroom. He was just a few feet away from her when she dashed inside the ssroom and found an


    empty seat. The professor was already here and this was not Varys'' ss so obviously he was not


    going to enter it.


    Well, she was wrong.


    As soon as she was seated, Varys stormed in.


    Her eyes widened despite trying to control her reactions in front of him. He did one scan of the


    ssroom, found her sitting, and immediately stormed ahead to sit next to her.


    But the seats on her each side were already full. Thankfully.


    She had just started to take a sigh in relief when he came to stand near the corner seat.


    "Do you mind sitting elsewhere?" Varys said to the boy sitting beside her.


    The boy beside her gave one look to Varys, recognition filled his eyes, immediately picked up his things


    and moved to the seat right behind them.


    Fuck.


    And now she was stuck. She could not move away because there was not an empty seat. She could


    not openly ignore him if he talked because then he would definitely get suspicious.


    Varys settled beside her. She held her breath, waiting for him to say anything. She knew he was going


    to say. She was sure as hell. Five minutes passed by, the professor started teaching, the ss was


    going to be one and a half-hour long and she was stuck.


    Her life was officially a hell.


    The silence stretched between both of them. And just when she thought that he will not say anything


    and surprising had missed her attempts of running away from him, he said,


    "Is it enough or there is more?"


    She thought of ignoring him. She really, really did. But as she did not want him to think that she was


    actually ignoring him, she gulped down the nervousness and replied softly,


    "What?" her tone thankfully came out just as innocent as she wanted it to be.


    "Your running." He gritted through clenched teeth, letting her know how angry he actually was, "You


    want to take part in a marathon?"


    "I am not running away." Hope gasped in surprise but did not look in his direction. She kept staring at


    the professor, pretending to be giving him the full focus but in reality, her focus was nowhere near that


    old man''s useless spouting.


    "You are, Hope." Varys mumbled, "I am not an idiot if you have noticed."


    Her lips pursed in a thin line. Yeah, definitely not an idiot for leaving someone stranded.


    "Well, you are mistaken." she snapped in a low tone.


    "Oh, I am?" Varys grabbed her chin and turned her face to himself, making her eyes finally collide with


    his, "Say it now again. Tell me you are not ignoring me."


    His face was set in a deep frown as he red at her. In any other sitiuation, she would not have dared


    toe across him when he was looking like this but right now she was angry too and fuck him if he


    thought he could get his way out of her right now.


    "I. AM NOT. IGNORING YOU!" she snapped through clenched teeth in a low voice as she could


    muster.


    "Then why are you so angry, huh?" He pulled her face closer to his, almost close enough to kiss her as


    he growled, "Why the fuck are you angry if you are not trying to run away from me?"


    "I am not..." she started saying but he interrupted,


    "And stop fucking lying to me!" he gritted.


    "I am not ly..."


    "And ignoring my calls! And messages! And meetings!"


    "I didn''t tr..."


    "Were you even sick? You blocked me out for four fucking days!"


    "I was! I..."


    "You even told your mother to not let me in!"


    "I was sick! I did not..."


    "You keep lying!" he snapped in a louder voice, "You keep ignoring and you keep lying and you ask me


    to believe you? Are you fucking serious right now?"


    And then that was it for her. He kept on stating his point, saying things to her without even listening to


    her and he kept on spouting truth and she could not take it anymore. Wrenching her face out of his


    grasp she let herself free,


    "ALRIGHT!" she shouted, "Yes, I am angry! Yes, I am ignoring you! So WHAT?!"


    She hadpletely forgotten where she was and what she was doing and how much louder she had


    said the words.


    As soon as she stopped speaking the whole ssroom got filled with snickers and whispers. And then


    the booming voice of professor snatched her attention,


    "OUT YOU BOTH! RIGHT NOW!"

 Chapter 21: 21

    Chapter 21: 21


    As soon as the professor''s voice boomed inside the whole ssroom, Hope knew there was no chance


    in hell a sorry was going to make the professor let her stay in the ss. She was not paying attention


    anyway and Varys was not going to stop talking for sure. So it was either one and a half hour''s torture


    in this ssroom or the chance of getting the hell out of here.


    She may be bad at some things, but she was not an idiot.


    Snathing the chance, she immediately collected her stuff and got the hell out of that ssroom with


    long strides.


    She felt Varys following her close behind but she did not wait around for him. She was able to get away


    as far as to the corridors when Varys caught up to her and snatched her to himself by grabbing her


    arm,


    "Where the hell do you think you are going?" he growled angrily.


    "Where you are not!" she feircely tried to snatch her arm out of his grip.


    "You are not going anywhere without clearing this out between us, Hope!"


    "WATCH ME!" Hope growled.


    She had had enough of his crap. There was no way in hell she was staying here and listen to more of


    him shouting and cursing.


    As she snapped the words, Varys'' face contracted and his lips in a thin line,


    "You do not want to talk?" he let her arm go at once as if he had burned her. His own anger was


    burning him from inside. He wanted to talk it out with Hope. Exin things, apologise even. But she


    was not ready to even listen to him. Her this attitude made him lose his mind.


    If his friendship meant so little to her, then so be it.


    "I don''t." Hope snapped, not realizing the depths of his anger.


    "Then fuck off." Varys said calmly while turning away from her, "Get away from me and do not ever


    come to me."


    Saying the words he did not wait around to hear her answer. He just sprinted away from there to


    wherever his legs took him. Just away from her, that is all he needed.


    Hope did not know what she wanted to do. Her heart was in turmoil. One part said to let him go, walk


    away from her. But then the other part of her heart screamed at her to run after Varys.


    Frustrated with her own stupid mind, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction, away from


    him.


    She was just blindly running when trying hard to control her tears when a hand grabbed her arm and


    stopped her midway. The sudden stop made her tumble and fall forward on the person who had


    grabbed her.


    "Careful, pretty." The voice said while straightening her.


    Hope staightened and looked up only to find the boy from yground standing in front of her with a


    small smile on his face. How much stupid she was, she had not even asked his name till now.


    Straightening with a small, awkward smile on her own face she mumbled, "Sorry. Did not watch where I


    was going."


    "It''s okay." the boy said, "I wish for more days like these in my young days." he chuckled with a wink.


    His words brought a real, but small on Hope''s face. Once the moment passed the boy said,


    "You ditched me that day." he gave a small, girly pout, only to make Hope giggle a bit seeing his funny


    face, "I was waiting for you to go with me to the party. You did not even pick up the phone."


    "I am sorry." she breathed once herughter stopped and a serious look came on her face but the


    smile stayed, "I got sick that day. Had a fever and was bedridden for days. I just came to college today


    only."


    The boy in front of her immediately looked at her with concerned eyes, "You okay now?" he asked


    gently while ushering her to walk with him.


    "Yeah, much better." she smiled.


    He was in his sports attire. Which meant a short and a t shirt that hugged his abs perfectly. He was


    handsome, there was no point in denying that. But Varys seemed the king of handsomeness to be


    honest.


    "What is your name?" she finally asked, a little embarrassed at her own queestion since she had not


    considered to ask this when they had met numerous times in the past.


    "I am Shawn." he grinned at the look on her face.


    She was adorable. He wanted to take her out with him at any cost. Hector had said that she did not


    have any boyfriend. He was shocked, but happy shocked after finding it, and there was no way in hell


    he was ready to let the chance to woo her slip out of his hands.


    Once they came in front of the sports court, they came to a standstill.


    "So..." Shawn started while rubbing the back of his head in nervousness, "There is another party today.


    A bit quieter one." she started to say something but he quickly exined, "It is not big one! And I know


    you have just reconvered from the sickness but I would be really embarrassed if I showed up there


    alone since I do not have anybody to take with me."


    "Ummm.." Hope hesitated before saying the words. She had already gotten in this big fight because


    she had agreed to go to a party with Shawn. But the begging look on his face was seriously too hard to


    ignore.


    "Any friends?" she asked to dodge going with him, "I will not be able to drink anyway because I have


    been taking medications. I would be a total buzzkill to be honest."


    "I only have male ones." Shawn shot a look to his pose ying in the ground, "and I hardly believe any


    of them would be ready to wear a dress for me and dance."


    She snickered. The thought and imagination was hell funny.


    "Alright." she gave up, "text me the time. I will text you my address. You will have to pick me


    up."N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.

 Chapter 22: 22

    Chapter 22: 22


    Bidding goodbye to Shawn, Hope headed to home. Fortunately she had now learned to always keep


    her wallet and phone on her. The hard way, that is.


    She hade to stand on the bus stand when her phone chimed with a message. It was from Shawn


    asking her to be ready by six o''clock in a sophisticated dress as he will be wearing a ck tux.


    Tux? Fancy party it seemed.


    Sighing, she quickly typed down her address and sent it to Shawn in case she forgot to do soter. In


    the next five minutes the bus came and climbed in. It were three pm right now. She had three hours to


    get ready.


    *****


    After getting home and gobbling down the lunch she rushed to take a bath. She needed to shave her


    legs, do some girly thingies, and then choose a dress and matching shoes to go with.


    Once she was done showering she came out and started searching for the dress. It took her almost


    two hours in the bathrroom only. Hoping for a quick dressup, she found a pretty, sparkly with


    squinstones dress that had V neck on front and back with two thin straps holding it up on her shouders.


    It hugged her chest and waist and then flowed down to her thighs beautifully.


    She picked a pair of ck strappy heels that had three inches of pencil heel along with straps teing


    around her upper ankles.


    Six o''clock were just about to tick when she heard the doorbell ring. That fucking boy was on time?


    Why in the actual hell. She cried a little in her heart.


    "Hope!" her mom shouted from the edge of stairs, "Shawn is here to pick you."


    God Damn!


    She hurried to tie the sandals on her feet and immediately found a purse to go with her dress. Pushing


    all the necessary things in the pocket of the purse she ran down the stairs.


    Shawn was talking to her mom. She could not hear what they were saying but her mom was happily


    chatting with him.


    "She is here." her mom said, making Shawn to turn around.


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    She literally saw his jaw dropping a little and then instantly shutting after realizing what he was doing.


    His reaction was so funny that she wanted tough out loud. But then it would probably had made


    Shawn run to the hills screaming in embarrassment so she controlled herself.


    "Shall we?" she smiled at Shawn.


    Shawn looked like he would have donated his soul to get the fuck out of there in that moment. His pant


    was doing a very poor job at containing his hardness from Hope''s eyes. She looked so amazing in that


    dress. If her mother were not standing behind them right now, he would probably have smacked a kiss


    on Hope''s lucious, pink lips till now.


    "Definitely." Shawn half groaned, half mumbled and started getting out of there but not before grabbing


    Hope''s hand in his own. This girl was going to be the death of him.


    He ushered Hope to his BMW and opened the door for her. Once she had seated he stopped once to


    adjust his fucking hard as rock dick and climbed in.


    They drove in silence while a pop song that she did not recognize the name of yed on the radio. She


    could feel Shawn''s eyes sliding to her every now and then, sneaking gazes at her naked skin and then


    looking away. His reaction was more funny than offensive and honestly, she was enjoying the attention.


    In less than ten minutes they were at the destination. As soon as they got out of the car, a valet was


    there to get the keys. Hope''s eyes moved up only for her mouth to drop open in awe. The ce was a


    pce. A literal freaking pce with yellow lights adorning it toplete the whole look. The look of


    the ce was somewhere between modern and ancient but mixed so well that it clearly showed it was


    built by some great architect.


    Shawn''s hand slid inside her waist as he straightened his back and started walking forward, ushering


    her in. Oh this party is going to be fancy!


    They were in. The huge hall was lit with yellow glow, champagne shower, beautiful delicacies and


    mouth watering trays of starters in the tes held in the hands of the waiters.


    "I am so hungry!" the words slipped out of her mouth as her eyes followed the tray with some cheesy


    thing in it.


    Shawn startedughing beside her and she came back to her senses. As she turned her head she


    found his face sliding up to the side of her face as he bent down his head and whispered, "This party is


    going to be amazing with you in it. I am hungry too."


    At thest words his eyes dropped to her lips and she could not help but blush furiously.


    "Come." he smiled and pulled her towards the food counter.


    The time she spent with Shawn was not even bad at all. Theyughed at some people''s costumes,


    talked about silly people they found in college and Shawn described that this party was for the heirs


    and owners of the big families in the city. Her parents owned a multi millionairepany of cement in


    the city and since they could note, he had to attend the event.


    People came and greeted them. Well... mostly Shawn, but he was making sure to not leave Hope out


    of the conversation and it was surely very sweet of him.


    "Wanna dance with me?" Shawn asked, extending his hand to her and winking, "I promise not to drop


    you."


    She smiled and put her hand in his. They walked to the floor and immediately mingled with the crowd.


    His hand slid in her waist and it was not long before they were dancing to the rythm of the music.


    Shawn''s gaze was stuck to her face the entire time, the smile unwavering from his face. As the song


    changed to an more intimate one, she felt his arm tightening around her waist as he pulled her closer to


    himself.


    Her eyes slid past him to nce across the room, while Shawn''s head dropped down, unknown to her


    knowledge, and leaned forward to her lips. And just as his lips unexpectedly dropped upon hers, her


    eyes widened, and shed with the angry ones of Varys who was standing down the stage in a tuxedo


    with his fists clenched tight and an thunderous look on his face.

 Chapter 23: 23

    Chapter 23: 23


    Hope could not believe her eyes upon seeing Varys in the party. What was he even doing here? This


    was a party for extremely rich people. And Varys was not supposed to be here!


    Her heart was beating against her chest like a jackhammer, the sweat making its way down to her


    temple despite of being in the fully air conditioned hall.


    When his furious gaze became too harsh for her to bear, and the shock of seeing him here passed,


    making her realize that it was no dream and she was seeing him in front of her eyes for real, she


    averted her gaze. And in that exact moment she realized that Shawn''s lips were still pressed upon


    hers.


    She immediately pulled back, taken aback and surprised. Shawn was smiling down at her as their body


    still moved to the rhythm but she came to a standstill,


    "Why did you do that?!" she asked, feeling a strong urge to run away from there but holding her


    ground.


    "Because I like you!" Shawn was still smiling, his one hand lifted from her waist toe up and cradle


    her face in his grasp, "I want you to date me, Hope."


    "I... I do-" she was about to finish the words when someone grabbed her arm and snatched her away,


    and the next thing she heard was a loud crunch as an fist came flying upon Shawn''s face.


    "Shawn!" she cried out, running towards him on instinct to make sure of his well being.


    But she forgot that the hand was still clutching her arm and she had nowhere to run. As she took


    another step the hand pulled her back, making her m against a rock hard chest.


    "Stay right fucking here!" Varys'' furious voice shook her to the core, "And YOU," his eyes dropped to


    Shawn who was trying to dull the pain and bleeding on the side of his face and nose, "I SEE YOU


    ANYWHERE FUCKING NEAR HER, THIS PUNCH IS GOING TO BE THE ONE BRINGING YOUR


    FUCKING DEATH TO YOU, YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"


    "Varys!" Hope shouted, squirming in his hold to get free, "What the hell do you think you are doing?!"


    Varys'' angry eyes turned to her before he tightened his hold and started to drag her out of there.


    "Where are you taking me!" she seethed, his hold bing too painful for her already.


    "Anywhere where I can fucking talk to you!"


    "This is not talking that you are doing, this is violence!" Hope spat, squirming harder as the pain in her


    arm increased and tears stung the corner of her eyes.


    They had nowe out of the hall and a valet was already handing out the keys to Varys of a very


    fancy looking car.


    He dragged her to the passenger seat, opened the door and spat, "Get inside."


    "I am not going anywhere with you!" Hope shouted.


    "If you do not want me to make anymore scene right now, Hope, get inside the fucking car!" Varys'' eyes


    were shining dangerously, the vein in his jaw ticking as his harsh breaths escaped his lips. Hope could


    literally feel him shaking.


    Giving in to his demand because of the fear of raising anymore drama in a grand party, she slid inside.


    Varys'' hold finally loosened on her and he let her arm go as he rounded the car to get in the driver seat.


    Hope hissed while her hand caressed the bruise, the pain hitting her like sharp, painful needles.


    As soon as he was seated, he started the car, and gave race, ready to take off. But then suddenly he


    stopped as his gaze came to her. Turning towards her he leaned down, invading her personal space.


    "What are you-"


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    Varys grabbed the seat belt and tightened it around her body, clicking it in ce and securing it safely.


    His eyes met hers, the fury still simmering in his gaze and his lips pressed tight in anger.


    Once he was sure that she was secured, he turned around and started driving the car at a fast speed.


    Hope''s fingers were tightened in a fist as she clutched the seat tightly, her breathsing our harsh


    and uneven and she suddenly realized that she was getting scared.


    "Slow down!" she whispered, the pain in her arm forgotten as her eyes tried to adjust to the speed of


    the car. It raced fast despite of the mild traffic covering the open road. Her heart was about to jump out


    of her chest.


    "SLOW DOWN!" she shouted, her head was spinning. She wanted to throw up.


    Her scream finally managed to snatch Varys'' attention. As soon as she shouted the words, the car


    came to a halt on the side of the road with a loud screech.


    With suffocation gripping her throat and her mind having a hard time in staying conscious, she threw


    open the car road and jumped outside, seeking the much needed open air, breathing heavily. Throwing


    her head back she took deep breaths in an attempt to not vomit.


    She felt Varysing to stand beside her. His hand lifted up and slid in her waist but she already had


    enough for the day. Flipping around, she threw his hand aside and shouted,


    "What are you trying to do? Kill Me?!"


    "I am so not in the mood to fight with you right now, Hope." Varys huffed, "I want you to listen to me


    right now and I want you to listen very, very carefully!"


    "Oh... you do not get to say anything to me, you fucking asshole!" Hope seethed, stepping backwards


    trying to put distance between them and not realizing that she was stepping in the open road.


    "Hope,e back here right now!" Varys shouted.


    "You do not get to order me, Varys!" Hope shouted, "Our friendship is fucking over, remember? What


    had you said thest time I had seen you? Fuck off, right? You told me to never show my face to you.


    You told me to nevere to you! What the hell did you do back there? You hit Shawn and you


    brought me here without my consent! What the hell is wrong with you?!"


    In her angry, hysterical rant she did not notice that while stepping back she hade to stand smack


    in the middle of the open road. She only realized where she hade when it was toote. A horn


    screeched in her ear, and the white lights of a car blinded her before loud screeches of tires were the


    only thing that shest heard.

 Chapter 24: 24

    Chapter 24: 24


    Hope woke up to the blinding light and white walls. Everything felt surreal to her. Was she even alive or


    was this heaven?


    Her eyes blinked a couple of times before managing to open fully. Everything around her was white and


    too shiny. There was aplete silence in her ears right before the loud chatter patter of people and


    things started to enter through her brain like a loud crash.


    Groaning, she slipped up the bed and tried to find someone. Well, good thing she figured out that this


    was not heaven that she was lying in, this was a freaking hospital.


    She had barely registered it through her head, trying to figure out how she ended up here and then


    remembering being at the party and things that happened with Varys when the door to her room


    opened and Varys walked in. He was still wearing the same clothes that he was wearing at the party.


    Still looking just as handsome.


    Damnit!


    His eyes came to meet with hers as she sit up straight in the bed, being careful to not be too quick


    about it as she did not want to fall face first into the floor because of the possible virtigo.


    "Still alive?" Varys taunted,ing to sit beside her on the bed.


    "I think so." Hope muttered.


    Only she could be unlucky enough to get into an ident while fighting with someone verbally. Gosh,


    this was humiliating.


    And then the panic set in, "What time is it?" Hope eximed as her eyes met the wall clock, "Oh my


    God. One AM? My parents are going to kill me if they have not died of worry already!"


    As she started scrambling out of the bed in hurry, she felt Varys'' hand shoot out and grab on to her


    arms, stopping her, "Stop! What the hell do you think you are doing?" he shouted angrily.


    "I need to get home!" Hope panicked, "It''s toote. I had told them that I would be back by eleven PM!"


    and then started to slip out of the bed again despite of the sudden pain in her knees.


    "Hope, you are hurt!" Varys growled in frustration, "I had Ste call them and tell you are staying over at


    her ce."


    Hearing his words, her panic started to dim, "Re.. really?"


    "Of course." Varys muttered, "I knew they must be waiting for you. I kept telling you to fucking not go on


    the road! You are an idiot! What if the car had not stopped in time? What if you had gotten seriously


    injured?!" his voice increased with every word until it became a shout of anger.


    Hope gasped aloud in rage, "It was your fault! You dragged me out!"


    Varys clutched his forehead as a frustrated sigh left his lips, "Hope... I really do not want to fight right


    now with you." Hope opened her mouth to reply but snapped it shut as he suddenly slipped up, closer


    to her and engulfed her face in his palm, "This is really not what I wanted us to be. You keep


    fighting with me and I keep fighting with you over stupid things. It has been weeks since we talked


    properly. What has be of our rtionship, are you seeing it?"


    Hope gulped down the feelings that filled her throat. He was right. They were so good together, their


    friendship remaining the best kind that she had every had with anybody. As the words left his mouth


    she realized that she did not like this either at all.


    "I am sorry."


    They both spoke up at the same time.


    A small smile slipped upon their lips, finding relief that they did not know how desperately they needed.


    "Back to us?" Varys asked gently, extending his hand in her direction.


    Hope nced at his hand and then at his face that showed her the same Varys that she wanted to


    spend her time with. She had even forgotten what the stupid fight was about between the both of them.


    She smiled and slipped down towards him, hesitantly opening her arms and wrapping them around


    him, resting her head on his shoulder while closing her eyes and whispered, "Back to us, Varys."


    She felt his armsing to wrap around her body in a tight grip, his face slipping in her neck and


    inhaling deeply. Her heart was racing so fast that she thought it was going to jump out of her chest.


    Gosh, she had not even realized she had missed him this much.


    "Let''s go." she heard Varys whisper in her neck.


    "Go where?" Hope asked, getting out of his arms and looking into his eyes.


    "My ce." Varys grinned, "You are not fond of spending your night at the hospital, are you?"


    "Gosh, no!" she eximed, already feeling good at the thought of getting out the smelly, weird ce.


    Varys stood up on his feet while she started to slip out of the bed. But right before she could put her


    feet on the ground, Varys bent down, picked her up in his arms and started to carry her out of the


    hospital bridal style.


    "Put me down! What are you doing?!" Hope hissed as embarrassment engulfed her cheeks, making


    them be red.


    Varys rolled her eyes at her and replied, "If I put you down, you will be found crying on the ground


    because of pain in your knees because they are bruised!"


    Hope pursed her lips in frustration but could not snap back as honestly, she did not have any response


    to that. Her knees did hurt really bad.


    He carried her out of the hospital and then to his car. In the dark night, his car shined brightly. He


    unlocked the door, and settled her inside gently, making her lie back on the seat before making an


    attempt to pull back.


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    Just as he pulled his hand from under her legs, and tried to pull back, the button on his shirt got stuck


    in the chain in her neck, his feet lost his bnce, and he fell face first onto her body while his lips


    landed upon her soft ones unexpectedly, binding them in a kiss.

 Chapter 25: 25

    Chapter 25: 25


    Hope stayed rooted to her seat, she felt like her soul was getting crushed and mixing in her heart, her


    mindpletely nk while her fingers twitched to slip in the back of Varys'' head, clutch his hair and


    press his mouth against hers even harder.


    A few secondster Varys slowly pulled himself back hesitatingly. His eyes came down to meet hers


    while her tongue slipped out to lick her lower lip, suddenly feeling parched as hell.


    "Varys," she whispered softly, unable to fathom what to say to him.


    A moment of realization passed between them, both knew what they wanted, both knew that they had


    feelings deeper than of friendship between them, but both of them were afraid to voice the words aloud.


    But then instead of saying anything, both of them leaned towards each other at once, like mas


    getting attracted without control. Their hands found their way in the back of heads, their mouthsnding


    upon each others, lips opening and engulfing the other''s in a deep, soul crushing kiss as they poured


    out their feelings,ying all the feelings bare in form of the kiss.


    Their lips moved over each other''s, tongueing out and tangling gently before slipping inside


    Hope''s mouth to lick each drop of nectar that she had to offer. This was their world that they wanted to


    live in, this was the way they both wanted to be with each other, withplete control over other''s


    body, soul and thoughts. This is what they had wanted for so long, fighting with each other for so long


    while having the deepest thrumming slithering inside their bodies, just wanting to be in the embrace of


    the other''s arms and staring upon the world with a smile on their face.


    Nothing in the world would have broken that spell of a moment. Nothing in the entire world would have


    been able to snatch this moment away from them.


    And when they finally pulled back, each of them breathing heavily, their hearts beating wildly and their


    minds in aplete chaos, the innocence of touch, the feelings in their heart was too pure to be


    named. They were both in love with each other, they just were not able to realize how to name what


    they felt.


    Varys'' gaze was stuck on Hope''s face, his eyes hooded and filled with deep emotions. He leaned down


    and left a chaste kiss on her wet lips once more and when he pulled back, this time there was a small


    smile on the lips of both of them.


    "Let''s get home now." Hope murmured softly as a deep blush covered her cheeks. She could not even


    meet his gaze.


    As she was about to turn her head she felt his fingersing down to her cheek and chin and turning


    her face towards him, "Not just friends, right?" he murmured with sincerity in his his eyes. There was a


    deep longing in them that she would have died to see in anyone''s gaze for her.


    "Not just friends." Hope grinned and leaned up, slipping her hand on his cheek and nting a kiss on


    the side of his mouth, right beside his lips.


    Giving onest, happy and excited look, Varys pulled back and came around to climb in the driver seat.


    As they both drove back to Varys'' home, their hands were clutched into each others''.


    That one hour that took them to get to Varys'' home from the hospital was probably the best time of their


    life in months. The feeling that the person sitting next to them was going to be the one they are going to


    be sharing their youth, their time with, the feeling of excitement and love and a strange kind of pain. It


    was all in their veins.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    This was the start of their rtionship. They had not uttered the words but both of them knew that from


    this point forward there was no going back. They had formed a bond that none of them was brave


    enough to break.


    The hour ended and they turned the corner to reach Varys'' home. It was dark at night, everything was


    silent and deathly quiet.


    "Do your parents know that I aming?" Hope asked a bit worriedly.


    "They aren''t home." Varys said with a wink.


    "Don''t get any ideas!" Hope eximed in shock.


    "What kind of idea?!" Varys asked with feign innocence, "I just answered the question you asked,


    Hope. What is even running through your dirty mind."


    Hope''s mouth dropped open but then she snapped it shut and started looking out of the window to hide


    the redness that had covered her whole face.


    There were surprisingly several cars, jeeps and bikes standing outside. There was a parking at Varys''


    home, she could not understand why someone would park outside of her house.


    "Tell me, Hope!" Varysughed as the came to a stop outside of Varys'' house, "Come on, look at me."


    "Shut up!" Hope growled and hid her face in her hands.


    "SHIT!" she heard Varys snap in anger and panic suddenly.


    She lifted her head up, suddenly getting rmed at the tone of his voice.


    "What is wrong?" she asked when she saw Varys m open the door of the car and jump out in hurry.


    "Shhh!" Varys whispered. His eyes were zed with fury, tension, unhappiness, and fear, "Stay down.


    Do note out of the car until Ie back to get you, okay?!"


    "What is wrong?" Hope shuddered at the look in his eyes, "Don''t leave me here like this. Let mee


    with you!"


    "Hope!" Varys snapped, but the calmed down immediately and slid his hand on her cheek, caressing


    softly as he whispered, "Baby, please stay here. Something is... very.. very wrong. I can''t have you in


    this all. You understand?"


    Hope wanted to argue and question, but the way his face was filled with worry, she just nodded her


    head in eptance and gave in.


    Varys bent down his head and kissed her forehead gently before putting his hand on the back of her


    head and leaning her forward, attempting to hide her, "Stay down. Don''te out unless Ie back


    to get you."


    These were hisst words before he got out of the car and dashed inside the


    house.

 Chapter 26: 26

    Chapter 26: 26


    The hours passed by and then there were sounds of gunshots, loud yelling, and screams. Hope started


    shivering. She knew something was wrong, in fact, everything felt wrong in that moment. Her heart was


    in a panic. She could not dare lift up her head and look out from the window of the car. She wanted to


    go and find Varys, she could feel the panic throbbing inside her. But she did not want to get him in


    trouble, she did not want to be a liability and she did not know what the hell was going inside that


    house. All she knew was that there was some really scary shit going on inside the house and Varys


    and his family were in danger.


    Her hands fumbled to find her mobile phone and thankfully, after much struggle of trying to hold it in her


    fumbling fingers, she managed to dial 911.


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    *****


    Before the Police came, the gunshots had stopped and the house had gotten covered in silence.


    Earlier there had been sounds of shouting, growling, footsteps. She had heard people run out of the


    house and get inside the SUV''s and hop on thei bikes. Her body was literally frozen and her eyes were


    burning for some reason. Her heard seemed to thud inside her throat, her tongue feeling heavy. Right


    before she could gather up the courage to go inside the house, the early rays of sun had just hit the


    pavement when the police sirens red, pulling Hope out of her daze. Grabbing the handle of the car


    door, she threw it open and jumped out, ready to dash inside the house before the police cars even


    came to a stop. But then her body tumble forward and she almost fell down hard.


    All she remembered after that was getting grabbed from her arms by some people, and firm, loud foot


    steps of the police officers running inside the house while shouting orders at each other. Everything


    was a loud echo instead of coherent wordsing out of people''s mouth.


    She shrug off the holds of people, not liking anyone holding her in that moment, she was almost frantic


    when she threw their hands off her arms. She could hear them yelling something at her, or probably


    just saying something softly, it was not easy for her to make sense of anything.


    And then when she lifted her eyes up, she saw three stretchers with bloodied bodies getting carried


    towards the ambnce. First, Varys'' dad, then his mom, and then... Hector. And their eyes were open,


    staring right at her while their chests never moved to breathe.


    *****


    Back to Present


    "He is alive?" Hope whispered as her mind went nk.


    Max''s body immediately went in alert mode as he saw the look on her face. Something was definitely


    wrong.


    "You know him?" Max asked softly, extending his arm to slip in her waist.


    "I..." Hope gulped, unable to even breathe properly any longer, "I need some time alone." She said


    before making a dash towards the exit of the coffee shop.


    "Hope!" Max shouted after her but she was already out of the door. "Fucking hell!" Max cursed and ran


    after her.


    He must have been barely a minutete in following her but this was a mistake he had made. As soon


    as he was out, his eyes roamed around the city to find Hope. But there was no sight of her.


    "Hope!" Max shouted and searched for her in the nearby streets.


    As he was about to turn back and run in the opposite direction when he heard someone''s muffled


    screams.


    His head immediately shot in the direction while his hand flew to the gun on his waist. His eyes collided


    with Hope''s frightened ones as she struggled to fight off the arm of a man around her neck as he


    dragged her inside a fancy limo.


    "FUCK!" He shouted and ran to catch Hope but it was toote and the man had already hopped inside


    the car with Hope and drove off.


    Max turned around and ran to his Harley, immediately sending a quick text to his mates to track the


    limo number before climbing up on the vehicle and speeding up to catch the limo.


    *****


    Hope tried to breathe properly as someone removed the blindfold from her eyes. She was scared,


    anxious, nervous, and honestly, freaked the fuck out of her mind.


    When the blindfold was finally removed from her eyes and she opened them to look in front of herself,


    her fear turned to terror.


    "Wifey." Ethan smiled gently while tipping his head up in greeting at her.


    "For fucks sake!" she spat. She had not expected to get caught this early, in this way. She had ran out


    of the coffee shop and it was like those men were waiting for her to make that exact move. As soon as


    she was out, she had gotten handled like a rag doll and thrown inside the Limo to drive here.


    "Told you, you can never run away from me." Ethan grinned victoriously.


    "I am not going to stay with you, Ethan." Hope shook her head at him like talking to a dumb person,


    "Do you really think that keeping me hostage is going to fix everything you have done in the past


    years?"


    She was trying to get out of the ropes that had her hands tied behind her as she sat on the wooden


    chair. Her wrists were hurting very badly. In fact, she was sure it had already formed a bruise.


    Ethan sighed heavily, his hands going around his nape to rub with a frustrated sigh before taking off his


    ck jacket and putting it on the table near them. He was gorgeous as always, there was no denying


    the fact that his handsomeness surpassed the average level and made him stand out among everyone.


    But this was also the fact the he took the most advantage of.


    He could take any girl with just a snap of his finger, despite of being married.


    Ethan stared into her eyes as he threateningly picked the knife up from the table, showing its edges to


    her as he admired its sharpness while keeping it at his eyes level.


    "You know that I can kill you right here, right now?" Ethan smiled innocently, taking steps towards her, "I


    really don''t like you ruining my reputation like this. You are the daughter inw of Romano family,


    honey. Show some respect to the title you are given and silentlye back."


    "I did not know that sluts like you had any kind of reputation, Ethan." Hope grinned, staring into his


    angry gaze, "When you fuck everyone except me, do you think you gain any other title than being a


    male slut in front of my eyes, your majesty?"


    The words had barely left Hope''s lips when she stopped breathing as the edge of knife dug inside the


    skin of her throat. Breaking the surface and making the blood drip.


    "Still in love with me, wifey?" Ethan asked, an innocent smile covering his face, while his evil eyes


    stared down at Hope, promising the ruthless havoc of thunder rumbling beneath them.


    "I am not sure." Hope replied softly and tipped her head forward so that the knife pushed in deeper in


    her throat, challenging him with equal vigor, "But still in hate with you, darling."

 Chapter 27: 27

    Chapter 27: 27


    3 Days Later


    Max had broken through his every contact, every favor to gain ess to the inside barrier of


    undergrounds but there was no trace of Hope. He could not even trace the car number to the end of


    the ground hole. His frustration and anger had shot up to the head, his mind was ready to explode.


    He was afraid for her safety, each day was spent in trying to control himself from losing his shit. But


    there was no trace left behind of Hope. It felt like she had just disappeared into thin air.


    *****


    "How the hell did this happen?" Ethan shouted in a murderous tone, "what the hell went wrong?"


    "We do not know yet, boss." Ethan''s right hand man, Slick, responded immediately, "the only news so


    far is that they have taken over the lower downtown areapletely and the territory has been


    imed."


    "That''s our main business, you fucking moron!" Ethan roared, "how the fuck did that happen and we did


    not even get a hint of it?!"


    "They did it overnight." Slick growled, "they had probably nned for months and then attacked."


    "Only Varys is responsible for it?" Ethan gritted.


    "Yes, boss."


    ****


    "He is getting desperate." Jack said to Varys who was still looking at his reflection in mirror calmly,


    "He knows what I want?"


    "We delivered the message." Jack scratched his chin with a smirk, "Don''t think he is going to refuse the


    demand."


    Varys'' eyes glittered with determination. There was only one thing he wanted right now. And Ethan held


    the string.


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    "He got ready so easily? No remorse or fight?"


    "He seems to be focused on getting his business more than that. His goal was clear and so was ours.


    Even if he had refused, it is not like you were going to back off." Jack smirked.


    Varys turned his gaze away from the mirror, removing the bandage from his hand. What Jack said was


    not false. He was determined on getting what he wanted. Throwing Ethan out of his way was just the


    first step.


    ****


    "Don''t touch me!" Hope hissed in a murderous tone. Her arms were tied behind her back and a


    blindfold was covering her eyes. Her heart was beating loudly. She did not know what was happening.


    Ethan had just kept her captured, not letting her out of his sight until she told him she was going to be a


    good wife and stick to his side only.


    Then suddenly she had woken up only to get dragged somewhere with her hands tied and eyes


    blindfolded. Ethan had note, instead he had sent two of his men who seemed to be adamant on


    not answering any of her questions.


    She was dragged to a car, thrown inside and then taken somewhere. And then before she knew it, they


    had literally thrown her out of the car and drove off!


    "What the hell?!" she whispered, a little bit scared in all honesty. They had not said a word to her all the


    way and Ethan had not evene to her room to threaten her from past twenty four hours.


    There was some shuffling sound and then hands on her arms without any words. They took her


    through some ce and then she almost fell down feeling the stairs against the tip of her feet.


    "Stairs." The man holding her arms growled.. or spoke? His voice was pretty heavy. And was not it too


    late to growl the word now? She gritted her teeth.


    After they had climbed up a spiralled staircase, she was hit with wind whooshing around her, blowing


    her hair away. The man left her arms and then she was left with a chilling silence.


    A moment passed and then two, she heard nothing. But then she felt a pair of hands slither up her


    cheeks, she immediately flinched away as a reflex. The hands stilled, not moving from her cheeks but


    not making any movement either.


    Once she stilled a bit, the hands slid up in her hair, fingers fumbling with something. And then she


    realized that those fingers were trying to untie the blindfold wrapped around her eyes.


    Her breaths quickened in anticipation. A lingering scent slid in her nose as she inhaled deep. A manly


    scent that felt all too familiar but hard to put her finger upon to recognize. She recognized the scent,


    fresh, minty, a bit heavy but mouthwatering, not overwhelming but soothing and then a mix of musk.


    Her mind was racing while her heart tried to calm at an even pace, trying to figure out why she had


    suddenly be so unsteady on her feet and wild in her head. There was something wrong, or was


    everything wrong?


    The person standing was so close to her, almost intimate. It was a man for sure, his hands were rough


    when they had touched her cheeks, and big, almost engulfing her whole face, and the angle of his


    fingers untying the blindfold made it clear that he was a few inches, or a couple of feet taller than her


    for sure.


    Her heart was racing like a wild thunder inside her, her blood rushing hot. The scent engulfed her


    completely and she could not help but lean forward in the arms of the person, her body going soft in


    recognition.


    The Blindfold fell away from her eyes. Sharp light hit her straight, almost blinding her. But then the


    person was immediately in front of her as she clenched her eyes shut in mild pain, the light was too


    harsh. There seemed to be a floor to ceiling window right in front of her eyes.


    "Who the fuck opened these blinds?" She heard a loud angry growl leaving from the chest of the man


    standing against her, terrifying growl.


    She flinched again but his hand slipped down to her neck, sliding up and down soothingly. There was


    some quick shuffling, fast footsteps running inside and then out of the room.


    She slowly opened her eyes then, cautious to not snap them open and go blind again. Her eyes lifted


    up, and her breath left her body,


    "Varys?" she breathed.

 Chapter 28: 28

    Chapter 28: 28


    Hope was awestruck. The erratic beats of her heart increased even more. She did not know how she


    recognized him immediately, but she did. His face had changed a lot, matured with age and his body


    had strengthened with muscles. He stood taller than her, his eyes holding the same look that she was


    so used to seeing for herself. There was a ruthlessness in his gaze, but his eyes were gentle as they


    stared at her.


    "V... Varys?" She breathed.


    "You still remember me?" He asked, a small hint of smile immediately breaking out of the corner of his


    mouth.


    Her eyes were wide open. She was afraid of it all being a dream. And then before the thought about


    what was happening could cross her mind, heavy darkness consumed her mind and she fell into


    unconsciousness.


    As she started falling, Varys rushed forward and engulfed her body into his arms, saving her from


    falling. Lifting her body immediately up in his arms he rushed to put her on the bed which shouting


    loudly,


    "Ren! Call the doctor!"


    His heart almost leaped out of his chest seeing her fall. The worry driving him mad.


    "What the fucking hell damn it!" He bellowed, striding out the doorway to find his men, "where the fuck


    is the doctor?!"


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    "Hey, HeMan! Calm your ass down, will you?" Xander, one of his main men approached him, "let me


    see. What happened?"


    Xander was one man who had studied medicine. Even though he was not a doctor, he had great


    knowledge of it. It was not like he was not sure of Xander''s expertise in the medicine thing. He was just


    not a great fan of watching one of his gang members probing the skin of his woman.


    Varys hesitated a second but then instantly led the way, hearing the footsteps of Xander follow him


    inside the room.


    "She just fainted." He muttered, his hands flying up to ruffle his hair in worry, "she was fine just a


    second ago. What the fuck? Check if she is hurt."


    Xander was moving towards the woman lying in Varys'' bed even before he finished his words. The first


    shock hit him upon seeing the girl on Varys''s bed. Varys never allowed any girl to sleep in his room.


    The only people allowed toe into his room were Xander, and the trusted cleaningdies of the


    mansion. And even so,ying on his bed was apletely out of line thing for Varys. Over the years


    Xander hade to learn that Varys was one of those freaks who did not like people touching his


    things.


    "Who is she?" Xander asked nonchntly while his hand slipped up to feel the artery in the girl''s


    delicate neck.


    "None of your business," Varys replied in the driest voice possible for a human being.


    Xander probed her head and other vital body parts for any injuries, "She has just fainted from fatigue.


    Nothing serious as far as I can see." Xander replied coolly.


    Varys took a deep sigh in relief. He was not sure what he would have done if something serious would


    have happened to her even before she barely took a step inside his mansion.


    "About that man... "


    "We will talkter about it." Varys dismissed Xander before he could finish his words.


    Xander nced down at the mysterious girl one more time who had suddenly robbed Varys of all the


    important work that he never missed even in drastic conditions just with her entry in his life, and walked


    out of the room while closing the door behind himself. He was smart enough to understand he and


    nobody else was wee to disturb his boss until he said otherwise.


    Varys took a seat beside Hope. It had been years since he hadst seen her face to face. The night of


    the murder of his family had forced him to forget everything that had been between him and Hope. The


    reminder was just too painful and always came with the warning of the danger that had consumed his


    own family. He could not bear the thought of losing Hope the same way.


    But then when he saw her with that Italian bastard a year ago and found out that Hope had gotten


    married to him, all the bounds that kept him in check behind an iron cage broke loose. After all, she had


    gotten married into the family of his own family''s murderers and was head over heel in love with the


    bastard who took pride in having contributed to his parents in those murders.


    His hand lifted up to push back the curls falling over her face. He wanted vengeance for that night. And


    even though there was going to be a hell burning him down, there was no other way to quench the


    inferno burning him from within.


    He sat there for hours, staring down at her and watching her sleep peacefully. And then as soon as the


    first ray of sun broke out through the windows, he walked out of the room to do the business that


    needed his attention and prepare for what was toe.


    When Hope woke up, the room was empty and someone was calling out her name loudly. Upon


    opening her eyes, she found two maids, seemingly in theirte twenties or early thirties cleaning up the


    room and impatiently waiting for her to get off the bed.


    "Go down. The master is waiting for you at the breakfast table." one of them said in a strict and


    impatient tone.


    Hope''s head was still fuzzy. As she tried to remember what happened before she fell asleep, the other


    maid pulled the duvet from underneath her sitting form, forcing her to stumble down and stand up from


    the bed,


    "Don''t know when these skanks are going to stop ruining master''s mood." the first one grumbled


    openly, "Now we are going to have to rece this brand new bed again most probably."


    The second maid tried to bump her elbow with the first maid in a faint attempt to stop her from talking,


    "Please go downstairs quickly," she said to Hope, "Master does not like to wait for anyone."


    And then before Hope could ask any question or react to theirments, she was pushed out of the


    room by them.

 Chapter 29: 29- Remember

    Chapter 29: 29- Remember


    There had been times in her life when she had wished everything to be a dream and not the reality that


    she needed to face. Like when she had seen Eric flirting with a girl for the first time, or when she had


    seen him bring a girl home and have sex in the very next room to their bedroom, when she had seen


    the death of Hector and his parents, and when her parents had died.


    But right then, at that moment, she was desperately wishing for everything to be a truth. She did not


    want this to be a dream because she was so desperate to see Varys in front of her eyes again. He had


    disappeared after that day, she did not know where, as there was not even a trace of his body left in his


    home.


    The police had found his blood there, lots of blood, but there was no sight of Varys. There had been an


    investigation, a search party, everything the police do when something like this happens, but there was


    never a result to be found. Eventually, everything had gone back to normal around the neighborhood,


    everyone forgot the family that lived there, but Ste and she had been the ones most affected. Later


    on Ste had confessed that she liked Hector and wanted to date him but he never asked and she was


    too proud to ask a guy out.


    On the other hand, Hope had been in a daze for months because the reality was literally too harsh to


    face. Varys had been the man that she had found her first crush, first kiss, first love in. She was


    devasted, but everything was buried deep inside her.


    She had so many questions to ask Varys, so many years of anger to unleash on him. And then there


    was a tiny part of hidden love that never melted away with time, even after Eric''s arrival in her life.


    She climbed down the stairs holding the golden railing that led the path down. The whole ce was


    white and posh. The interior ck, and the floor made of hardwood. Everything screamed money.


    Her eyes searched for Varys in the grand hall. He was nowhere in her sight but then as she crossed


    thest stair, she found him sitting at the dining table hidden by the half wall that separated the hall


    from a different, smaller sitting area beside the stairs.


    He stood by the dining table that had all kinds of food there, his hand clutching the edge of the table


    from behind as he stared down at his shoes.


    He was muscr than before, more refined, his skin a shade darker. As she looked at him, a blush


    covered her cheek. She might look just as different to him now perhaps, ugly? Heavier than she was


    back in her teenage days, and mature? Aged?


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    The blush turned to shame. She was not ready to face him yet. Her heartbeat raced as she neared


    him.


    He lifted up his head then, his eyes meeting hers in an instant.


    "How are you feeling?" he asked gently, his hands pulling the chair right next to the head chair for her


    to sit, "Are you feeling well now?"


    "I''m... alright." she smiled awkwardly. They had been so close back in the day, so full of life and without


    any worry. But now she found it odd to even look him in the eyes.


    "Are you okay?" she asked.


    "Yeah." he replied and started filling her te with food.


    Now that is when the calmness and awkwardness started to fade. ''Yeah'', a curt fucking ''yeah'' was the


    only thing he said instead of exining his actions. What the hell was going on and why was she here?


    Where had he been all these years?


    All these questions could only be answered by him but he, calm as a duck was sitting in front of her


    with a fork and spoon in his hand, ring at her.


    "Eat." he ordered, sliding the te full of whatever big buffet breakfast it is that he had made or had


    someone make.


    She picked up the fork awkwardly while staring down.


    "Why aren''t you eating?" he snapped.


    She almost jumped at his voice. He was angry for some reason?


    "I..." she gulped, unable to form a word for a few seconds because she suddenly found herself in front


    of a stranger instead of a friend that she knew long ago, "I can''t eat breakfast."


    "What? What is wrong with breakfast? You want to eat something else?"


    She nearly dropped her head on the table. The whole table was filled with all kinds of breakfast food


    that probably did not even exist in the city, and here he was asking if she wanted something else. What


    was he nning to bring now? A donut made of gold from Dubai?


    She cleared her throat awkwardly before saying, "I don''t eat breakfast."


    His gaze was of someone who had seen a person speaking ancient mandarine. He put down the fork


    and spoon, and sighed aloud. Frustration was clear as day on his face.


    She looked at him guiltily then looked away.


    "Why am I here?" she asked gently. Her eyes looking away from him and staring intently at the table


    like it was the most interesting item made in the whole century, "I was blindfolded when people brought


    me here. What is happening?"


    He did not answer. She did not have the courage to lift up her head and look at his face. She did not


    want to.


    "Am I free to get out of here? Or is there something I have to do?" she murmured. Silence once again


    followed her words.


    "Do I have to do... something... to get out of here? I mean is there any debt I have to pay off for Ethan?


    I don''t want to get killed for his actions, so I just want to make sure what kind of situation I am in."


    Once again there was nothing but silence for her. The hall seemed deathly quiet. When he did not


    answer her questions, she stood up from her seat and started striding away from there,"I will take that


    as your answer that I am free to get out of here."


    Hope was walking away blindly in a fit of rage. He did not want to talk, he did not want to even say a


    word to her, then why the heck was she even here? She felt like she was just insulting herself by trying


    to talk in front of him.


    And then as she was striding away, a pair of heavy arms engulfed her body from behind stopping her


    entirely in her tracks as she felt his face fall in the crook of her neck, "You don''t even ask a word about


    me," he whispered gently, "don''t you care at all that I am in front of you right now?"

 Chapter 30: 30- Situations

    Chapter 30: 30- Situations


    Hope stilled in her ce. For years she had an empty space in her heart that made her believe she


    was not going to see Varys again. It had been so long since she had assumed he was dead, because


    the thought of him going through any sort of pain or torture was too cruel to imagine.


    As she felt his racing heartbeat against her back, she realized that he was not as unaffected by her


    presence as he had pretended to be.


    Varys did not know what to say to her or how to express his feelings. He wanted to hug her without any


    hesitation or fear of rejection, but the truth was she had married a man who had murdered hundreds


    without a reason, who had murdered his family in front of his eyes. How could he believe that over the


    years she had not be an aplice in his crimes? After all, she and Ethan had had a love


    marriage.


    Hope put her palm on his arm that encircled her. She was not trying to be a person who holds grudges.


    The only thought that came to her mind upon seeing him was that perhaps she did not matter to him as


    much as he mattered to her. She knew she had fallen in love with him. The heartbreak was too painful


    for her to prove something otherwise. But he had never bothered to contact her, to reach out to her.


    Now as she saw him living such avish life without anyone controlling him, she realized she was the


    delusional one all this time. There was a difference in the way Varys felt about her in those days, and


    perhaps that small crush of his had passed a long time ago.


    "There is nothing to say," Hope said gently, turning her face to him, "if I said that it is good to see you


    after all these years, it would be just half truth,"


    Varys'' gaze immediately clouded with darkness.


    "why are you in front of me right now?" her voice increased with every passing word as she snapped, "I


    never asked you toe. I never expected you toe!"


    She threw his arms off herself and took a step back to clear her head from the cloud of confusion, "I


    don''t recognize you. What am I to you? Who am I to question you for anything at all?! Years have gone


    since Ist saw you, or talked to you."


    Varys clenched his jaw and took a step forward to cover the distance she had made, "I was not in the


    situa..." he started but Hope immediately cut him off,


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    "Exactly! Your situation is so pitiful I am literally seeing you living in rags right now."


    "Do not cut me off when I am talking!" he growled.


    Hope lifted her hand up to push the hair falling on her face aside while she pursed her lips in fury and


    snapped sarcastically, "oh, my apologies, your highness." and started walking away from him with


    stomping feet.


    Varys was wary of showing her his inner battle. He wanted to believe Hope and puts all of his fears and


    doubt aside to just have her in his arms again. But her rtionship with Ethan was enough to have him


    take a step back from her.


    "You don''t have any right over me, you know." he announced loudly as he watched her walk past the


    couches in the hall towards the door to get out, "you never gave a fuck and you still don''t. You were


    happy in your own little golden house with Ethan until I forcefully brought you here."


    He saw her stop suddenly but he continued talking without losing a breath. All of his pent up anger,


    frustration, and jealousy poured out in a moment of lost control, "stop pretending like you were


    heartbroken over my disappearance because I know the truth about what kind of girl you are for


    marrying someone like that bastard."


    Hope clenched her fist as fury filled her. She had never expected to hear such words from him. His


    words only proved that in his eyes she had never been anything but a golddigger.


    Hope turned her head to him and barked, "You are such a big, fucking, dog."


    Varys breathed heavily. His anger had crossed the limits of his control. And as he stopped speaking he


    realized what he had said, feeling guilty immediately, but refusing to apologize or back down.


    "Why the fuck did you marry Ethan? I am sure you know what kind of work he does, how many brothels


    he runs, and how many people he kills every fucking day just to fulfill his greed for money. How can you


    stoop so fucking low?" he red at Hope.


    Hope flinched immediately as the memories of all the bad things she had seen and endured shed in


    front of her eyes. The hurt shed across her face which was too hard to miss even to Varys''s furious


    gaze. But she did not reply to him. He did not deserve an exnation from her after everything he had


    said.


    Hope turned again to face the door and noticed the bodyguards outside. She knew there was no


    escaping a mansion like this. Her every step was under watchful eyes and she no longer trusted Varys


    enough to not shoot her.


    She turned back again and stomped back to the room that she had woken up in. There was nothing


    more to talk. She did not even want to look him in the eyes. Even though his words were harsh, and


    she did not know what she had gotten into while marrying Ethan, there was no denying the fact that


    she was not a silent witness of all his crimes.


    Varys''s mind got clouded with dark thoughts as he watched Hope silently walk away from him without


    answering. He had been in love with her for years. Hell, he still was so pathetically in love with her. But


    he had lost something that was extremely precious to him. Ethan had killed his family ruthlessly in front


    of his eyes. If it had not been for Varys''s father''s right hand man stealing away his critically injured body


    before the police could get to the scene, he would died long ago.


    It was his vow to destroy Ethanpletely. He was not going to give a fuck about who gets ruined


    along the way.


    And Hope had married his fucking enemy! She had a love marriage with Ethan, so she most probably


    will not betray her fucking husband for him. But was he ready to remove her from his path forcefully?


    His heart ached at the mere thought.

 Chapter 31: 31- Questions

    Chapter 31: 31- Questions


    The day went by with Hope trying to find a way to get out of the house, but in her heart, she already


    knew it was useless. The maids were ordered to keep an eye on her inside the mansion and provide


    everything that was needed including clothes and other feminine things. She could not help but ept


    that whatever had happened, Varys had made sure that she was not deprived of everything, except for


    privacy. The guards were standing by every door outside the mansion. She was stuck with no way out


    and did not even know why Ethan had sent her over to Varys so easily.


    Huffing aloud in anger, in the end, she gave up and fell down on the bed. Her eyes fell shut and as the


    hours passed by, all she dreamt about was the past memory of Varys teaching her how to drive the car.


    When her eyes fluttered open, the windows were covered with darkness except for the twinkling stars


    that shined outside. Sliding out of the bed, she stepped on the cold floor barefooted and walked


    outside. Strangely, the ce had fallen silentpletely. When she had been awake, the ce was


    covered with chatter patter of someone walking by, or talking or one thing and other. But now it felt like


    there was no one inside. Not even a maid was seen anywhere. That came off as a bit strange to Hope.


    Climbing down the stairs, she heard some soundsing from the kitchen. Not finding anyone, or


    having anything to do, she decided to go there. She peeked out a bit silently to see who was inside,


    and immediately shot back as her eyes widened in surprise.


    "I already saw you, Hope." Varys'' voice stopped her as soon as she decided to turn on her heels and


    dash.


    Hope immediately gritted her teeth in frustration. Here goes her n to disappear out of his sight down


    the drain.


    Well, she was already caught and trying to run will only make her look like a cowardly moron. And all


    the devils inside the hell knew, this was definitely not the time when she wanted to look like a moron.


    Lifting her chin up high, and appearingpletely nonchnt to him, she straightened and walked


    inside the kitchen. Varys was whipping something up in an oversized bowl wearing a shirt that fit his


    chest, sleeves rolled up to elbows and muscles, and pants. As her eyes sneakily roamed over him,


    trying not to drool, literally, she realized that at that moment, he did not look like a person who handles


    the mafia or does anything bad in the world.


    The mere thought hurt. Bad.


    She was not a moron to get emotional over little things. The thing was, as the years had gone past, so


    many years, the years in which she never found a happy ending for herself. Every person she loved left


    in the end without a goodbye. Varys was first, and then her parents. And when she married Ethan, she


    thought this was the life she was supposed to live. A life with a happy family surrounded by a white


    picket fence, a doting husband, a couple of spoiled children, and love.


    She never wanted luxury, never enjoyed the big parties, never lived the life of the riches because


    perhaps it was not made for her. Having Ethan to herself would have been enough, but then he was


    never made to be tied to her perhaps.


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    "Is there anything special you want to eat?" Varys'' question broke through her thoughts.


    Her gaze immediately snapped up to his eyes and found him chuckling at her. That is when she


    realized that she had been staring a tad bit too long at his body while she had been lost in her


    thoughts.


    As the double meaning behind his words entered her head while staring into his mischievous eyes, she


    suddenly found herself wishing for the earth to swallow her.


    "No!" she snapped immediately, sliding past him to open the fridge and pull out a bottle of chilled water.


    "What did you do today?" Varys asked her calmly.


    Ever since the fight he had been feeling extremely guilty for spitting out the words that he should not


    have. He loved Hope and no matter what she had done or what his heart wanted, in the end she


    belonged to him. He finally had her in front of his eyes after so many years, and like a moron the first


    thing he had done was fight.


    Hope did not respond to him. Silently drinking down the water she put the bottle back and started


    walking away.


    Varys immediately grabbed her arm, pulling her back and forcing her against the kitchen isle and


    himself.


    "I asked you a question, Hope." He muttered calmly, trying to push back the wave of frustration.


    Hope ignored him. After kidnapping her and insulting her in the morning, he was now trying to pretend


    like nothing happened at all? How was it fair? This was hard for her. She needed to be alert and aware


    in any situation involving Varys in order not to snap and dere her undying love for him,


    She tried to slide out but Varys blocked her way by putting his hand on each side of her on the kitchen


    aisle. His scent engulfed her,pletely rendering her defenseless. It had not changed over the years,


    unlike his body.


    "Why have you been avoiding me?"


    Yikes.


    Direct shot.


    He didn''t even try to mask the question.


    Although his eyes and features were still gentle, and he seemed pretty defenseless in the moment but


    she could tell Varys was as alert and aware as you could get. The gentleness was from something


    else.


    Shit, shit, shit.


    What in holy hell was going on?


    Hope decided to y stupid.


    "What?" she asked.


    "You heard me," he answered.


    Then there are those times when honesty was not the best policy.


    "I haven''t been avoiding you," Hope slid her hand to grab a spoon lying next to where her hand was on


    the kitchen aisle.


    "You''re lying. You are not even looking at me."


    Hope''s head snapped up, her eyes ring daggers at him, "I am NOT avoiding you."


    The corner of his mouth twitched but he hid it immediately.


    Her eyes broke free from his gaze, mostly just so I could avoid the piercing scrutiny and find something


    else to focus on except for the hotness of his body.


    And then she noticed, the kitchen was a mess. She could see a sloppy mess of white something, that


    was most probably supposed to be mac and cheese in a frying pan, a mess of unevenly cut vegetables


    in a pot, filled up the sink of burnt and dirty dishes and a mess of flour on the ck marble beside the


    boxed up thingies.


    All in all, it was helle loose.


    "Hope," he said softly, catching her attention. His head dropped down in her nape as he whispered


    near her ear, "in the morning, I said some things I should not have. Can you forgive me for that?"


    "You said what you thought of me." Hope replied, lifting her hand to push him back to create some


    distance between them, "I am not upset. I don''t have any right to be."


    Hope did not want to move away from him. The memories hit hard and she did not need them right


    now. She wanted to clear her mind and put a stop to everything she was feeling.


    "Don''t push me away." he sighed, sliding one of his hands in her waist, touching her finally. His


    emotions were letting out the best of him and instead of controlling them, he had decided to let them


    lose. It had been years and he did not have the power to fight his love for her anymore.


    "You got married to that fucking bastard, Hope." he let out the words through clenched teeth, his face


    was buried in her neck so that he doesn''t scare her off with the look on his face in that moment, "I hate


    the fucking face of that husband of yours. I hate his name, his mention, every fiber of that man''s body


    makes me disgusted. And you fucked him and married him?"


    Hope flinched at the harsh words, but his words angered her as well. She did not want to defend Ethan,


    because in all truth, she hade to gain the same feelings for him, but hearing these words from


    Varys'' mouth was like a brutal insult to her. A p on her face for the choice she had made.


    "I do not want to talk to you anymore," Hope murmured, putting all her strength in her hand to push him


    off but his chest was like a brick wall, unmoving, hard, and strong.


    "You are not going anywhere." Varys ordered, "tell me. What did you find in him? What did you see in


    that fucking criminal to marry him?!"


    ¡°You are the one to talk!¡± Hope''s voice sounded shaky, even on that one word. She took in a big,


    broken breath. ¡°You are a fucking criminal as well, Varys. You ruined love for me.¡± she took another


    breath to control the threatening tears. ¡°Would there be any difference if it was you in his ce? You


    never told me what kind of things you did, what kind of business you were in. You have no right to


    judge me when you are not a saint.¡±

 Chapter 32: 32- Scars of Past

    Chapter 32: 32- Scars of Past


    "I did not have any fucking clue!" Varys mmed his palm down on the hard surface of kitchen, right


    beside where her hand was resting, immediately making her jump in fright. But then almost instantly


    stepping back he put his hands on his waist, flipping away to face away from her, while taking deep


    breaths.


    He turned back around and said in a gruff voice, "I only got to know after that day. I was not aware what


    kind of business my parents were in. By the time I entered the house, no one was left alive, my mom,


    dad, and brother''s body was lying in front of my face while ten men surrounded them with guns in their


    fucking hands."


    Hope straightened, her heart racing a thousand miles a minute. She had not expected him tosh out


    like this. And hearing him say this, confess to what happened the night shest saw him was nothing


    less than a gut wrenching punch. The memory was not any less than agony for both of them.


    "Hope, do you really think I would have been able to flee from a scene where my familyid dead in


    front of my eyes?" his voice dropped low, his piercing gaze staring at her, "Those guys tortured me for


    hours before the police came in. They ran away, leaving me half dead on the floor. Thankfully my uncle,


    who worked as my dad''s right hand man in gang found me, saw me alive, and took me away with him."


    "Why didn''t he let you be found by the police?" Hope asked desperately, "do you know what I went


    through when they said they did not even find your body? I am sure police would have protected you!"


    Varys let out a rough, mockingugh before stepping in, his hand sliding in her waist, "honey, do you


    honestly think there are no corrupt people in this world? Antyhing can be brought with money.


    ANYTHING. Police is no different and my uncle knew that."


    His face descended down, his eyes were clenched shut as he tried hard to block out the memory from


    that day. Being close to Hope gave him peace, strength to fight back all the bad things that happened


    to him, her scent, filled him, pulling him out of the dark ce that he had gotten lost into.


    "Hope," he whispered, his lips almost touching hers, "In that moment, when they were kicking me,


    hitting me, doing the worst thing possible to my body, the only thing that was on my mind was keeping


    you safe. I could not feel the pain. Maybe it was because I had seen my family dead in front of me, and


    it was also because I was worried they were going to find you. I could not let anything to happen to you,


    Hope."


    Hope was silent in his arms, not pushing him away, but not saying anything either. When the moment


    passed, and Hope was capable enough to utter the words, she asked,


    "Why didn''t you contact me all these years, Varys?" her head lifted up to meet his eyes as she


    murmured, her hands shivered as she lifted them up and put them on his chest for to feel his warmth


    and closeness, more than to steady herself, "Ten years. A fucking decade, Varys. Didn''t I even pass by


    in your mind if you were so worried about me?"


    Hope wanted to believe him, but the truth was there, and then not there. There were so many


    unanswered questions that had haunted her for years.


    Varys sighed heavily and pulled himself back. He took a step back, his gaze unwavering from her face.


    Before she could utter a word, he lifted his hand and started to unbutton his shirt.


    Hope was silent for a minute, her gaze turning from confused to horrified in mere second,


    "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Hope cried out, putting her hands on her eyes and flipping around to look


    away.


    Varys immediately chuckled. Her actions reminded him of their first meeting when she had put her


    hands on her eyes just like this.


    "You did not change at all.", he grinned, while unbuttoning all of the buttons of his shirt. He removed the


    shirt from his body and put it on the kitchen counter.


    "STOP STRIPPING!" Hope freaked out, she could hear the rustling of the clothes and could not believe


    that he was stripping right now.


    "I am not stripping," he said, his words containing theughter he was trying to suppress.


    "You are taking your clothes off! That is called stripping, Varys!"


    "Turn around." he ordered.


    She didn''t. She did not even lower her hands.


    Varys started to turn, stopped, dropped his head back and looked at the ceiling and then turned around


    and came back to Hope. Again, he was so close Hope could feel his heat.


    Grabbing her waist, he turned her around, making her face him. Her eyes were clenched shut.


    "Hope." he said, "Look at me."


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    She finally opened her eyes. Her eyes finding his naked chest, but then before she could do anything


    else, she sucked in a shocked breath.


    There was a nasty knife wound on his chest. The caramel skin was marred by the nasty, jagged


    wound, showing the brutality of the scar and pain he must have endured.


    "Oh my God." she whispered, her voiceced with shock, and hurt.


    "They cut me open." Varys exined gently, "I could have died that day, I nearly had. But the knife did


    not cut open any of my ribs. That was because of you."


    "Me?" Hope''s words were a trembling whisper.


    "If you hadn''t called the police that day, they would not have stopped until they killed me. You saved


    me."


    Hope''s eyes stung with tears. The skin was so terribly scarred. She could not even imagine the pain he


    would have gone through because of it.


    All of her insecurities and doubts melted in that moment. Her gaze softened as she took a step forward


    to close the distance between them, drawing closer to him. Her trembling fingers touched the scar,


    tracing the jagged lines.


    Varys melted into her touch and enfolding her in his arms. He did not feel any suffocation, or darkness


    when she touched him. She was so gentle, soft, how could it hurt him?


    Lifting his hand up, he put it on her cheek. The memories they had spent together and the feelings that


    had never really subsideding back to the surface of their hearts like a long forgotten favorite song.


    His head descended down as she lifted hers up. She saw him getting closer, each moment filled with


    anticipation.


    His lips took hers and she gave in to it immediately. There was no hesitation, no holding back.


    His one hand wrapped around her side and the other one went under her hips, lifting her up to ce


    her gently on the clean part of the kitchen counter. She parted her legs a bit, and the distance was


    removed.


    His mouth was open and so was hers, his tongue slipped into her mouth, and then hers was in his.


    Hope''s legs opened further and he got closer. His arms tightened and her breasts ttened against his


    chest. Hope''s arms went around his neck and she pressed against him.


    His hands slipped under her skirt, his mouth slipping down to leave a wet trail of kisses down the side


    of her neck, his tongue not leaving an inch of space to lick the skin that he desired so much. His tongue


    ran from the skin at the hinge of her jaw, down the line of her neck.


    Hope''s toes were curling, her nipples were hard. His hands had gone up under her skirt and were


    sliding up her thighs sides. One of his hands went to cup her ass and pull her closer and she could feel


    his God-given talent pressing against her belly. Tingles shot down the insides of her thighs.


    The hand at her ass came up, slid the thin strap of her dress down along with her ck bra, the cloth


    slipped down easily, leaving her upper body bare to his eyes. His gaze slipped to the naked skin, it


    feasted on the beauty for a few seconds before his hand slipped up and then cupped her breast, the


    rough pad of his thumb sliding across her hardened nipple. Hope bit her lip as electricity shot straight


    from her nipple to herher regions.


    His hand slowly moved from her breast down her belly and then lower,


    "Varys!" Hope''s body jerked in surprise.


    Varys''s mouth slipped back upwards to capture her mouth. Her disheveled state was the most erotic


    thing he had ever seen.


    But then suddenly his lips tore away from hers as his head shot up and twisted around, his entire body


    tensed, coiled, waiting.


    And then a man walked in the room, his gaze immediately finding us.

 Chapter 33: 33- Fighting With A Demon

    Chapter 33: 33- Fighting With A Demon


    Varys'' hand instantly pulled the dress back up, covering her breasts, moved to stand in front of her,


    covering her.


    "What the fuck?!" he said in a low, murderous tone. His eyes shooting daggers at the man who literally


    looked like he was shivering.


    "I... I am so sorry, boss." he stuttered, immediately realizing he had made a big, big mistake, "I did not


    know you had ady with you."


    "Come here." Varys ordered menacingly.


    The man hesitated for a second, but he did not have any other choice. Hope was frozen in her ce.


    The stranger man was still here and her face had be red in shame. As Hope watched the man


    take step towards Varys, she could not decide if she was supposed to leave or stay where she was.


    The man closer to stand in front of Varys, his one hand resting on the back of his head and the other


    one on the kitchen counter.


    And then before Hope could say or do anything, Varys grabbed the knife resting in the stand, and


    stabbed the hand of the man that was on the kitchen counter.


    The man gasped in shock, his eyes widened, and heavy breaths left his lips. He did not scream though.


    And Varys, instead of stopping, or pulling the knife out, twisted it in a round motion.


    Hope was horrified. And then she screamed,


    "What the hell?! Varys!"


    He was indifferent to her horror. Ignoring her, he twisted the knife around ruthlessly, his hand had


    gotten covered in blood of the man,


    "What the fuck... was so fucking important... that you fucking walked in here without asking for


    permission?" he gritted through clenched teeth, his wrath literally freezing the room in cool, deathly


    silence.


    The man was shivering, in pain, and in fear. He looked like he was about to faint but could not dare to


    ask Varys to remove the knife.


    "I am sorry, boss." he begged in a strained voice, "It was a mistake."


    Hope started trembling. How could she even forget that Varys was now the same as other mafia people


    out there? She was horrified. Seeing this dark side of him was like a ssh of cold water on her face.


    The violence bringing back the memories that she had seen from the past five years with Ethan.


    Nothing had changed. She was still where she had tried to escape from, only the face of the boss had


    changed. As the reality dawned on her, she could not watch the cruel violence anymore. She knew her


    words were not going to stop him from doing whatever he wanted.


    She got down from the kitchen counter that he had ced her on merely three minutes ago, gripped


    her body with the same hands that were now cutting the hand of someone else.


    As pain shot through her heart, she started to walk out of there immediately. She was not ready for this.


    She did not want to stay there any longer. She started to walk away but her stride was stopped as a


    hand grabbed her arm and jerked her to himself, pulling her to a hard chest,


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    "Where the fuck do you think you are going?"


    Hope started to struggle in his hold strongly. His hold on her was tight as hell, bruising her arm badly.


    "Let me go." she demanded, her voice stern, despite of the pain that she was feeling.


    He did not listen. He motioned for the man to get out of there and pulled her closer in his embrace.


    "Stop struggling," he ordered angrily.


    "LET ME GO, VARYS!" she cried out, her struggles turning to the point of violence. His hold was


    extremely painful on her.


    "Stop, Hope!" he shouted furiously, "where the fuck are you going to go? Look at me!"


    She did not stop. Her struggles tuned harsher, making his temper re up.


    "I want to go!" she screamed, her terror was almost making her dizzy, the only thing on her mind was of


    getting the fuck out of the house that she was standing in.


    "Hope, listen to one thing carefully." he grabbed her other arm as well in the same punishing grip,


    pulling her into his body, his murderous gaze like of the devil, "if I have to, I will fucking chain you to


    bed so you never run away from me again," Hope''s gaze shot up to his face in shock, and he


    continued, "until you listen to what I am saying! See what I really am, god fucking damn it!"


    "This... this is how you are going to show me the real you?" her voice quivered, "Is this what you really


    are?"


    Varys grabbed the back of her head and pulled her face closer to his harshly, his nose touching hers as


    he breathed down like a menacing dragon with fire in its eyes, "I will do whatever it takes, and however


    I can!"


    "YOU ARE HURTING ME, VARYS!" Hope cried out, "your hands are covered in the blood of that man!


    You are touching me with those same hands! You are hurting me the same way you hurt him, treating


    me the same way you treated him!"


    Hope''s words shocked Varys, his hold instantly softened on her arms, a bruise had already formed on


    the spot where he had clutched her, but he did not let her gopletely.


    "Hope," he said in a bit gentler voice, his guilt taking over him, "I am trying my best here. I just want you


    to stay here, by my side. I am trying to fix things, the things that were left in the middle all those years


    ago but all you are doing is fight with me. You are ruining everything, Hope, don''t do this to me."


    He bent his head lower, closing the distance between them and cing his lips on hers, trying to


    continue where they left off.


    But Hope had already gone beyond the feelings. All she could see in that moment was the blood that


    covered his hands. She was shivering, in pain and fear and everything that was far from love and care


    and anything that fell in between.


    His mouth was pressed against her, trying to make her submit to him. She pushed at his chest, trying to


    get free from his hold and get away. She did not want to feel him in that moment because all that she


    felt was disgust.


    "Mmmmhmmm...." she groaned in helplessness, pushing him with all her might, trying to get away from


    his hold that was on the back of her head, pressing her mouth against him.


    When he did not let her go, no matter how much she struggled and fought, she could not do anything


    as frustration and fear consumed her, and she pped him across the face.

 Chapter 34: 34- Secrets

    Chapter 34: 34- Secrets


    "Got it." Max grumbled, rolling a transparent ss heavyweight ball in his fist, "No sign of Varys at his


    old house?" he waited a moment till the person on the other side of the call finished speaking.


    "Roy, sweep out the downtown area where Varys'' territory is, ask around to the informers. Be smart,


    don''t get in deep until it is absolutely not working out. Take Lucas with you, and send William on a


    stakeout for any man that is closest to Ethan. Send me the information on this Shawn and arrange a


    meeting with him in the next hour." saying, he hung up the call.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    His mind was a mess. Putting the heavyweight ball far away on the table, so that he does not break


    something with it like he had been doing for the past few days, he rested his palms on the ss table


    and took a heavy breath in.


    The whole matter of Hope''s kidnapping had turned out more messed up than he had ever imagined.


    His men were after her info, everything from underneath the ground was pulled out to see what the hell


    was going on.


    If there was anything that his men were good at, it was to pull out shit on people that even those people


    did not know existed. It was easy, it was work, and they were ruthless. Carefulness was Police''s job,


    his was to make sure he got what the client needed by either white hands or by dirty tricks. And right


    now what they had most needed was the past of Hope that was buried so deep, it took them through


    literal hell to bring out.


    A simple girl from North Carolina, that is what Vincent said. Vincent, whose own past had been kept


    hidden from his family was now worried to death about his niece.


    Vincent had been in a team of secret agents before he had gotten caught in the Afganistan, thirteen


    years ago. His years were no less than hell from what he had to endure there. His memories were still


    vivid. Vincent was the kind of man who was ready to take a bullet for anyone who was close to him,


    give up his life for them. That was the reason that he had not contacted his family for ten years


    because of being trapped in Afghanistan. And when he came out free, back to the country, he found


    out that his sister was dead, and Hope had moved somewhere else.


    Thinking that staying away was the only option to make sure his niece will stay safe from his past, he


    had not tried to contact Hope. But when Hope called him, there had never been any moment far


    happier than that.


    Max and Vincent had no idea of what Hope had been doing for the past thirteen years. In records, she


    existed till she passed high school. And then as the first year of college records started, everything


    started fading.


    Through digging, Hope''s past starteding up. She was not buried in mud. She was literally made of


    mud. From being connected to Varys'' family''s death to being married to Varys'' rival; Ethan, everything


    was one shock after anothering out.


    But somewhere the things were not sitting right. She had left North Carolina with all her things, from her


    passport to her cards. Her stuff that was stillying around at Vincent''s house was helpful in the search.


    And her husband was the rival but he was not taking any action to find her, this was clear. Underground


    was a small ce, and people like Ethan and Varys were the ruler of those underground areas. If Varys


    had kidnapped the rival''s wife, there would have been a war break out, but there was not any. Which


    meant there was something that was not quite right, and hidden from the eyes.


    A ping interrupted his thoughts. Snatching his phone from his pocket he nced over at the details.


    Shawn''s details blinked on the screen along with the meeting spot.


    Snatching the keys of his Harley from the table he walked out of the office. He wanted Hope back in


    front of his eyes. And if he has to ride the entire mafia n up the fucking wall through their throats to


    do that, he did not give a fuck about the consequences.


    Driving through the busy roads of Texas city, his Harley came to a stop in front of a ssmercial


    building. Max''s eyes scanned the phone screen again, going over the picture of the guy, and then lifted


    up to roam around the road. There, in a corner, near a Te the man stood, making Max''s eyes light up


    in recognition.


    He crossed the road with quick strides, making sure to avoid bumping into every day working people


    and reaching the man.


    "Shawn?" he inquired.


    The man looked at him from bottom to top, before saying, "you are not Mr. Chavez?" it came out more


    like a question than a statement.


    Max did not blink or exined. Tit or tat was their motto, and Shawn was a businessman running a


    business worth billions. Surely he would not have been the type toe for an immediate meeting if


    asked nicely. Shawn was dressed in the suits that are tailor- made for rich people in Armani stores. No


    stubble, clean appearance, grey suit with a blue color tie suited him very well.


    "He will being an hourter," Max stated and pulled out his ID to show him of his legitimacy and PI


    status, "for now, I need to have a chat with you, Mr. Shawn Peralta."


    *****


    Ethan''s shoes ttered against the floor as he listened to the live recording of everything Max was


    saying. nting a bug in his phone had not been an easy task, but there is nothing impossible if you


    have money in your bank and a gun in your hands.


    "Were Varys and Hope in the same ss?" Max inquired.


    "No, his brother, Hector was. But Varys and Hope were close friends." the other man, Shawn


    responded, "I remember he used to be with Hope literally all the time. I was suspicious that they were


    closer than being just friends. That fucker even punched me once for kissing Hope at a party."


    Max was silent for a couple of seconds before he grumbled in a low tone, "good move."


    "What?!" Shawn spat in anger.


    "Nothing." Max ignored and continued, "What happened after? Were you in contact with Hope after


    that?"


    Shawn huffed out in anger, "I was not. Ste and Hope were best friends so she might know. And now I


    am getting out of here because unlike you, I have a lot more fucking things to do instead of obsessing


    over chicks."


    Ethan clenched the bottle of whiskey around the neck and pulled it up to take a deep swig. His hand


    shook as he put the bottle down, his body barely containing the fury that he felt deep in his chest.


    "Fucking bitch," he spat, "she has got all the fucking men in the country wrapped around her little


    finger. "


    "Ryan!" he shouted, and a man standing outside the door immediately entered inside.


    "Boss?"


    "Find Varys'' hiding spot. I am bringing Hope back." the man nodded his head and immediately headed


    out to follow the orders.


    Ethan grabbed the bottle and drank half of it down before mming it down on the side table,


    "Hope, you wille back to me. Ruining my reputation is not this easy." his voice shook as he pushed


    the hair falling over his forehead and wiped the sweat, "I will kill you myself if you don''t. You are not


    getting touched by any fucking man as long as I am alive."

 Chapter 35: 35- Stalker

    Chapter 35: 35- Stalker


    Max pulled out the keys from the ignition after leaving the Harley outside the office. His hand pulled out


    his phone to check for the calls. His steps were fast, his cowboy boots walking on the white marble


    floor of the building almost silently.


    Shawn had been of more use than he looked like. But the thing was that he did not know what to think


    of Hope getting kidnapped. He did not know what condition she was in with Varys. His fist clenched


    tight at the thought, a vein in his jaw jumping at the mere thought. She was his responsibility. And it had


    been days since he had been unable to find her! Varys had nned out each move very smartly and


    left a clean te behind, with no trace of Hope anywhere to be found.


    He pulled out the phone from the back of his pocket, his fingers flipping it around to straighten the


    screen when suddenly it slipped and fell down on the ground from his hands, crashing against the floor


    and cracking open. Its back fell a bit away from the phone.


    "Damn it." he gritted under his breath and bent down to grab the damn thing.


    Picking up the phone and its back case he turned it up and sideways to see any damage. There was


    none so he put the case back, but then instantly pulled it apart again. His gaze shot to the mini ck


    thing on the top of the camera. His fingers immediately fumbled to pull it out, it seemed stuck with


    super glue. But after a couple of attempts, he was able to pull it out.


    It seemed too small to be a camera, but as he rolled it around in his hand. His fingers clenched around


    the thing and it looked like he was taking a whole lot of effort not to explode right there and then. He


    started storming inside the building towards his office. Passing the receptionist in the office, he passed


    by his own office and went directly to the surveince room.


    "Mark!" he barked out, his eyes scanning around the area of the surveince room.


    There were multipleputer screens with listening devices in the room to make sure that his men


    were in contact with the office at any and all time twenty- four seven. This was the job that his men


    detested the most, but they had to take shifts to watch over surveince. Men in his team preferred


    action, on the field job instead of being cooped up in the room for a whole day.


    His eyes met Mark''s and motioned for him to follow behind. Mark followed Max''s nce and direction,


    his body immediately going into alert mode. Mark was a guy with a buff body and sharp gaze. His long


    hair stick to the back of his neck, his pale skin casting an immediate reflection in the otherwise


    darkened room.


    As they reached the dark holding room, where they kept hostages when needed, Max extended his


    hand to hand over the small thing to Mark to observe. Mark took once look at the device, his body went


    taut, his hand fishing out his phone. He moved his thumb over the screen to type something and


    handed it over to Max.


    ''It is a mic.'' the message read, ''Listening device.''


    Max snatched the tiny thing from Mark''s hand, stormed over to the washroom, and dropped the


    listening device in the toilet, flushing it.


    "Fucking Varys." he sted out in anger. He had been careful in his search but only Varys would have


    known that he was looking for Hope. And since Ethan was not looking for his wife, at least not for now,


    Varys would have been the only one concerned with trying to track Max''s every move.


    He stormed out of the washroom, and went back to the surveince room,


    "Anything on the name I texted you about?"


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Mark''s gaze fleetingly swung from theputer to Max as his fingers quickly typed over the keyboard,


    looking for something,


    "There!" he stopped and motioned at theputer screen to show Max a picture, "This is Ste. She


    left North Carolina the same day as Hope and went to Petersburg, Virginia. She is working as a jewelry


    designer for a localpany."


    "Book my flight that is leaving within the next two hours." Max ordered and snatched the printout of


    Ste''s information before turning around to stride out.


    He heard Mark murmur as he left the room,


    "Will have to hack the system to book you in, no worries."


    ******


    6 Hours Later


    Putting the shades up his nose Max crossed the street to take a seat on the chair of the sideway


    restaurant. The night lights, bright red and blue and green and everything that made Virginia shimmer


    ande alive with happiness blinked against the darkness of the sky.


    His sharp gaze was stuck to a jewelry shop across the street. It was almost ten pm, the people inside


    seemed to be wrapping up everything as a person came out to turn the ''open'' sign to ''closed''.


    A waiter came to take his order and was back with a ss of beer in his hand almost immediately.


    Ten more minutes passed, Max''s shoe clicking against the floor conveyed his impatience. And just as


    he decided to drop waiting and enter inside the shop to meet his target, a woman in a red knee -length


    dress and bellies on her feet came out. Her ck hair and pale skin shined under the yellow glow of


    the glow sign board of the shop. Her face was devoid of any emotions and her eyes focused on


    climbing down the stairs. The woman looked like the epitome of arrogance, her demeanor expressing


    boldness. Max''s eyebrows roused up in surprise. He was shocked that Hope was best friends with


    someone like her. Guess friendships really rise in the wonders.


    As he watched her walk towards the parking with a key to the car in her hand, he stood up, put the


    empty beer ss on the table, and started to follow her. Her ck Swift was not parked too far away


    and as she neared the door to enter the car, he was in front of her, blocking her view and way.


    A second passed by and then two, and then before he could judge what Ste was thinking or doing,


    he found a heavy purse being thrown in his face as she took off like a bullet train, leaving him


    bbergasted.


    "What the fuck?!" the words slipped out of Max''s mouth, his hand rubbing the spot that the heavy purse


    had hit like a brick, and then he ran after her. For a girl in a short dress, she was pretty fast. This girl


    either ran miles in the morning for exercise or was blessed by God and still needed to realize her talent.


    "Wait, Ste!" he shouted, nearing her as she turned into an ally where there were barely any people


    and lights.


    "I will not!" she turned her face and snapped while running at the same pace, "It is not my dying age. I


    still need to live for fifty more years damn it!"


    She had barely finished speaking when Max''s hand reached out, her eyes widened in shock, and then


    he grabbed her arm from behind, almost falling on the ground with her but managing to just get close


    and corner her against the wall forcefully.


    Ste''s arm flew wildly in an attempt to shake him off herself. Her breathing was ragged, uneven, while


    Max looked like he was silently watching a kid throw a tantrum.


    "For fucks sake, STOP!" he snapped, frustrationcing his words, "what the hell is wrong with you?"


    Ste stilled in her spot as a tremor ran down her spine, mostly in anger, but more in disgust, "I am


    never going to sleep with that fucking shitface man!" she forced the words out, "and I sure as hell do


    not know where Hope is, so tell Ethan to throw the fantasy of getting anything out of me out of his pea


    sized brain."


    Max growled in frustration and put his hand over Ste''s mouth to shut her rant up and snapped, "I am


    not working for Ethan! What the hell is wrong with you, woman? Ranting on and on about


    fucking?"

 Chapter 36: 36- The Date

    Chapter 36: 36- The ''Date''


    Ste''s face immediately turned red. It was like a light switch getting turned off. One minute she was


    fighting with all her might like a wild animal and then in the next second she was turning red in shyness.


    Max would have called it funny if she had not driven him up the wall in frustration.


    "mwhha ha mu...," Ste mumbled, but since Max''s hand was still covering her mouth, the voice came


    out all muffled and incoherent.


    Max turned his face upwards to the sky, released a long, heavy, controlled sigh, and then removed his


    hand from Ste''s mouth, while still keeping a firm hold of her arms.


    Once Ste had managed to take deep breaths in, she sted, "Who the hell are you then?" and then


    like she just realized she was still clutched in his hold, she twisted her arm to see if could get free. She


    could not, so the only smart move that appeared to be was to stay still instead of turning up dead in the


    same alley tonight.


    *****


    Two hourster Max put down the napkin on the table after finishing hisst piece of sandwich and


    wiping his mouth. Ste sat across him, her hands folded under her chest, her eyes ring down at


    him like he had flipped her skirt up high in the middle of the street.


    "Tell me where she is staying," she repeated the question for the hundredth time. And for the hundredth


    time, like each previous time, Max replied with a curt, "No."


    "Stop trying to pretend like the god damn protector of my best friend!" Ste leaned forward and


    mmed her hands on the table, "I am not the one you need to worry about to go out spilling Hope''s


    whereabouts to that idiot!"


    Max leaned forward as well, to the point that his nose was almost touching hers, and gritted out, "I will


    notpromise the safety of my target, woman! And what you just said is literally a new turn in all this


    mess."


    Now that Max hade to know that Ethan was looking for Hope as well, the bug found in his phone


    could have been from him. But there was no way of confirming it for sure.


    Ste scoffed out loud and whisper shouted, "IT IS NOT LIKE I AM ASKING YOU TO TELL ME HER


    EXACT ADDRESS! I just need to know in which city she is in to have a bit peace of mind." she then


    tightened her hands that were resting on the table in tight fists, trying to gather a bit of patience and


    then said in a strained tone, "I told you everything that Hope went through, each fucking thing that


    Ethan did to her. I am so worried about her that I think I will go mad. So..." she took a deep breath


    again and whispered, "please, tell me."


    Max looked at the young, twenty plus years old girl in front of his eyes. She looked genuinely worried


    for her friend, her eyes begging him.


    He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. then lifting his head back up to look into her eyes he


    said, "Give me some time to settle things, and then I will take you to Hope. Deal?"


    Ste looked unsatisfied with the words but she did not really have any other option, she knew when


    she saw the determination on his face.


    "Deal." she murmured.


    ******


    Hope had not meant to hurt varys and p him. This was not what she could imagine herself doing to


    anyone. But then in the moment, her feelings had gotten the best of her and she raised his hand on


    him when she could not find any other way to get out of his hold.


    Hope was not aware of what consequences she had brought for herself. She had been foolish, acted


    rashly in the territory of a man who did not resemble the boy she had met almost a decade ago.


    And she had seen what the people of his world did to people like her for insulting them, or for getting in


    their way, and for... raising their hand. None of those things were good. Most of the things were scary,


    the rest of the things downright disgusting with leaving no wish in the person to live anymore. She did


    not know which category she fell into when it came to Varys, but she was desperately wishing it was


    none of both.


    After she had pped Varys she became scared the hell out of her mind. And that scared expression


    turned to terror when she saw the look on his face when he lifted up his head with the red imprint of her


    hand on his cheek.


    "Go to your room, right fucking now."


    Hope flinched at the words that came out of his lips in a low, fierce growl.


    The words shot through her skin and pierced deeply. Her eyes were red and swollen and as she tried


    to understand what he wanted.


    Shivering, her face covered in tears and heart pounding hard, she did not waste any time in following


    hismand. And then as soon as she had reached inside, she locked the door from inside, pulling


    out the key and throwing it at the dressing table. She did not want to be a victim of the things that were


    bad and disgusting. But in all honesty, even though she was in turmoil, she knew Varys was not that


    kind of man who would do such things. But then the things Ethan had done for years kepting back


    to her mind, leaving her restless and in fright.


    The night turned darker and the world went silent. There was nothing but darkness outside and she did


    not hear any sound of footstepsing her way. And then even though she did not want to put her


    guard down, she closed her eyes and drifted to sleep without knowing when it slipped behind her


    swollen eyes.


    *****


    Hope climbed out of not the car, actually, stomped out of it, and started walking away. The freshness of


    the early morning felt like a new wave of life.


    She had taken one step ahead when her hand was pulled and sped in someone else''s.


    "For fucks sake..." she muttered under her breath, "where the hell am I gonna run off to with all these


    people behind me?"


    "I will not give you a chance to find out." Varys said and clutched her hand tighter.


    "OH COME ON!" Hope growled and turned her head to re at the men in casual clothing but killer


    personalities and expressions spreading out in different directions behind them, disappearing like


    shadows even when there was literally no one in the area, "do you really think that I am that stupid that


    I will try to run with your people guarding my every step?"


    Her gaze returned to Varys who looked up at the sky through the dark blue shades resting atop his


    nose, his chiseled features, a few days old stubble and pink lips shining against the sun like a mirror


    made of beauty and gorgeousness and everything that God gave to male species for doing the good


    deeds in the past lives and grumbled in his throat, "Mmmhmm. For sure."


    Hope''s mouth opened and then closed like a fish. There were a lot of wordsing atop her tongue,


    none of them good, by the way, most of them considered extremely vulgar and impolite to scream out


    in public at certain someone.


    Hope gritted her teeth in frustration and tried to wrench her hand out of his hold. She twisted her hand


    and despite of her trying her hardest, his hold did not losen even a bit.


    Giving up she continued to walk while at the same time keep her flower printed, knee length,


    sleeveless pink cotton dress from flying with the gentle wind but since Varys wasrger than her and


    striding forward, she was practically running to match up with his steps. She was already flushed when


    at five in the morning she was practically dragged and lifted up from the bed in Varys'' arms and thrown


    inside the washroom because he had decided they needed to go on a ''date''. Like an idiot, she had


    assumed that the key that she had thrown on the dressing table was the only key avable and will put


    her guard down against all the evil. The instant heart attack and terrifying feeling she had felt in the


    moment as she soon as she had realized that the lock had not stopped Varys froming inside the


    room was enough lesson to protect herself better for her next seven afterlives.


    "HEY!" she cried out as her hand slipped from her dress while running, making the flowy length of the


    bottom fly up to her upper thighs, "slow down!"


    Varys turned his head and found her half heaving for breaths and tried to hide the smile that broke out


    at the corner of his lips. But then he slowed down so she could match his pace.


    "Do notugh at me." Hope red up at Varys. Her eyes squinting to give him the fierce expression but


    then immediately started blinking fast when the sun behind him shined right into her eyes.


    "You are still as cute as you were in college, you know." Varys looked down at her and grinned.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Hope rolled her eyes at him and looked away, her hair slipping over her shoulder and helping her cover


    her flushed face.


    The ''date'' as he had called it was in a private park. As they entered inside Hope found herself


    surrounded by fresh grass and flowers with a couple of trees here and there in distance. In the middle


    of the pond, there was arge pond where the ducks were swimming. The sun shined beautifully above


    them.


    Her eyes widened in surprise because when Varys had said ''date'' she had expected for him to do


    something super fancy that all the rich people to do attract the other person. But as they entered the


    park and a smile tugged at her lips, she realized that Varys perhaps knew about what she likes more


    than she even knows about herself. And as the thought crossed her mind, the memories of their


    teenage days made her heart hurt. After all, the memories she had lived with him had not faded. They


    had been buried down forcefully in one day when it had be too overwhelming to hold them in her


    heart anymore.


    "You are finally smiling."


    The smile wiped off her lips in the very next second. Varys''s strides came to a stop and he crossed the


    distance between both of them,ing to stand right in front of her. There was a slight chill in the


    morning air. His hand left her palm and both of his arms wrapped around her waist immediately,


    "Do you like this ce?"

 Chapter 37: 37- Chances

    Chapter 37: 37- Chances


    Hope stayed quiet and nced away from him. She wanted to say she was enjoying this, but admitting


    anything would be a betrayal. She couldn''t just forget what he was or who he was so easily. The blood


    might be washed off, but it still stained her mind.


    "Hope?" Varys pointed out across the park where a family of ducks paddled through the water. "I


    brought some bread, let''s go feed the ducks. You still like that, right?" the corners of his lip twitched,


    and he bit his lip as he searched her face.


    "You can''t feed them that," Hope scolded as she nced away from him. Damn him for being hopeful.


    She didn''t need to deal with that.


    "Huh?" Vary''s eyebrows furrowed. "Why not?"


    "You''ll hurt the ducks," she replied. She nced around the park again and noticed a tiny shack across


    theke. The feed name was proudly disyed across the side in bold red font. "There, you can get


    food for them there."


    Varys nodded and held out his hand to her. "Let''s go then."


    Go with him? No, she needed to sit down and let her racing minde to grips with everything. "I''ll just


    sit here." she gestured to a bench. "I need to rest. It''s been awhile since I''ve been this active. You''ll be


    able to see me from there, and you''ve got the park guarded. It''s not like I''m going anywhere."


    "You''re not a prisoner, Hope. I''m keeping you safe, damn it."


    Hope''s eyes skittered away from him again. "I want to believe that," she whispered. "Just, get the food.


    I''ll just wait here."


    Varys sighed and rifled through his pockets before pulling out his phone. "Here, I have my men on


    speed-dial. They''re watching you, they''re keeping you safe, but if anything happens, use this, let them


    know. I can''t guard against everything, but I swear if anything happens to you I''ll burn the world to


    make it right."


    His words lit up a fire inside Hope and she stared at the ground so he couldn''t see it climb her cheeks.


    Who talked like that? Still, despite everything, the fact he wanted to be with her so much was touching.


    "I''ll stay right here, I won''t move."


    Varys looked into her eyes. "Do you promise me?" he whispered.


    Hope nodded. "I promise."


    And just like that, a ray of sunshine was revealed as he grinned at her. "Okay, I''ll be back soon." His


    boyish smile took Hope off guard and she found herself melting as she lost all resistance to it.


    Hope watched him jog off, the muscles in his back moving beneath his shirt''s fabric and hypnotizing


    her. She shook herself out of it and dropped her gaze to the phone. Hopefully, Varys would forgive her


    for this, and even more hopefully it wasn''t locked to just emergency numbers. She flicked the screen


    until she got to the home button and pulled up the phone app. While Varys was still jogging to the other


    side, she made her call.


    "What do you want?" Snapped the voice on the other end. Max''s voice. Max''s very pissed voice.


    Hope winced. She could just imagine the man with his hand around a coffee cup and squeezing it to


    the point of breaking. "Max?" she whispered.


    "Hope?" His surprise was evident in his voice. "I''ve been so worried about you, where are you? I''ll


    come get you."


    "Max, I didn''t call for you toe get me. I just need you to do one thing for me."


    "Hope, you''re involved with very dangerous people. I''m not sure if you understand how bad they are,


    but you need to tell me where you are so I can keep you safe. I''m not going to have you fucking die


    because you''re being stubborn."


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    "Just tell Vincent I''m okay, that''s all."


    "Damn it, Hope, I swear if you don''t tell me you''re going to regret it. I''m going to bend you over my knee


    and paddle your ass for this."


    "Thank you for worrying, Max, but I''m safe where I am. Besides, I have someone far worse than you


    think chasing me. I can''t have you get involved. His name is Ethan." She stopped herself from giving


    thest name. She didn''t want Max involved anymore than he already was.


    "I know where you are, Hope," Max interrupted with a chuckle.


    Ice-water flowed through her veins. "What?" she whispered as she watched Varys reach the feed


    shack. She only had a matter of time before he turned and jogged back to her.


    "I might not know what number you called from, but I always run tracing on any numbers thate


    through here to protect Vincent. So I know you''re calling from a park right now. I''m going toe pick


    you up and lock you away so no one can hurt you again. You might think you know the people you''re


    with, but you don''t."


    "I know him better than I know you," Hope replied. "Just tell Vincent where I am, please, Max. I don''t


    want him to worry."


    "Toote for that, Princess," Max replied on the other end of the line with a scoff. "He''s ready to tear the


    city apart to find you too. We both are."


    Hope sighed and looked up to find Varys'' figure again. She frowned as she scanned theke. He was


    gone,pletely gone. "Max, I''ve got to go," she whispered.


    "Wait, Hope!"


    The phone was tugged from Hope''s hands and she whirled to confront the thief and froze as she noted


    Varys'' re. A bag of feed in a crumpled paper bag was held against his chest. "Who is this?" he


    demanded. "If you''re after Hope, I hate to break it to you, but she''s mine. I''ll never let another have her,


    ever."


    "Damn it, Varys, let me talk to Hope! Hope!"


    Hope winced at Max''s scream before Varys turned the phonepletely off. He shoved the bag into


    her chest. "Feed them fast, we are leaving." Gone was the softness from earlier, that boyish charm. No,


    this man was all business.


    Hope hugged the little bag to her chest. "Varys-"


    "No, Hope. Don''t talk to me right now," he snapped. "I won''t be responsible for what happens if you


    push me."


    "It''s not what you think-"


    "Hope," Varys turned on her, his fingers curling around her shoulders as he stared into her eyes. A fire


    surged in him. "I swear to you, I''m never giving you up. I don''t care if you hate me until the day you die.


    I''m done being patient. You''re mine, just like you were always meant to be. And when we get back


    home, you are going to be locked in your room for this stunt."


    Hope turned her attention to the ground. There was no arguing with him. The bag she was clutching


    was yanked away and Varys reached in and grabbed a handful before pelting it towards the ducks.


    Hope winced again and put her hand over his. "Be mad, but don''t take it out on them," she pleaded.


    She guided him in the proper motion and for a moment he gentled beneath her touch. "Like this."


    Together the two of them emptied the bag, and it was crumpled and tossed in the trash. The moment it


    was empty, Varys grabbed her hand and dragged her off again. The time with her had not gentled him


    at all. The man was still furious. He paused as they were about to leave the park and red down at


    her. "Look at me," he ordered. Hope didn''t hesitate and nced up at him.


    Varys leaned down and covered her lips in a bruising, powerful kiss as he pressed his forehead against


    hers. "I''ll never let you go, Hope. Never."

 Chapter 38: 38- Punishment

    Chapter 38: 38- Punishment


    They got back to the mansion and Varys was true to his word. He marched Hope into her room and


    using a pair of shackles, cuffed her to the bed. "I don''t know why you keep pushing me. I hope it was


    worth it, that call you made."


    "For what it''s worth, I wasn''t calling to reach him. I just wanted my uncle to know I was safe," Hope


    replied. She hadn''t objected to his treatment of her at all, she''d epted all of it.


    Could she be telling the truth? The hope of her not trying to run from him red to life inside of him. He


    wanted to believe her. All he wanted to do was find sce in her arms and ignore the rest of the world


    even existed, if only for a while. He could recall how fast her heart had beat when he''d kissed her.


    But she''d lied to him already before. What if this was just another of those? What if his Hope was truly


    lost and gone? "As soon as you got me to leave you used my phone. If you truly were worried about


    that, you''d have asked me."


    Hope sat on the bed hugging her knees as she watched his every move. "Varys, be honest, would you


    have allowed that?"


    He stared down into her challenging gaze. If a man had looked at him like that, he''d have had him beat.


    But he couldn''t imagine treating her like that. Still, her words had merit but the answer was obvious.


    "No."


    "And why wouldn''t you?" she asked. "Answer that and you''ll understand why I had to do what I did.


    Besides, I don''t want them searching for me anymore."


    Everything inside of him froze in ce as if time itself had frozen. Was he jumping to conclusions? No,


    he couldn''t be. But herst words had him stuck. If she didn''t want them searching for her, didn''t that


    mean she was agreeing to be his? Or was there anotheryer that he wasn''t getting?


    "Why wouldn''t you?" Hope demanded again.


    Varys shook himself out of it by force as he focused on her soft voice. His fragile little Hope. "I wouldn''t


    trust you to be honest with me," he replied. "That you''re trying to get hold of that husband of yours, to


    go back to him."


    Hope''s eyes narrowed. "I left him, I''m never going back."


    He wanted to believe that. But belief was too hard for him. "You''re going to have to prove that to me. All


    I can see is that as soon as I gave you one chance to breathe without me, you betrayed my trust."


    "I didn''t know you were going to give me your phone, I was too tired to walk all the way over there. If


    anything, you''re the one that should be med. All I wanted was to let the one family member I have


    left know I was alive and okay."


    "Me?" Rage bubbled to the surface. "Are you seriously telling me that I should be med for giving you


    a phone to make sure you''re okay while I left your side?" He shook his head so hard his hair flopped


    into his eyes. "Hope, you have to listen to yourself. Listen to the sentence you just said. How does any


    of that make sense?"


    "About as much sense as you constantly ming me, Varys," she replied as she turned her back on


    him.


    His fist clenched at his side. Why did she push him like this? No one else ever dared, and yet here was


    his Hope, constantly picking a fight with him. He wanted the calmness back, the quiet admission that


    she would stay with him. "I can''t trust you for a long time because of this, Hope. You brought this on


    yourself."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    He stood up as she continued to stare away from him. Why was she being so childish about this?


    When all he wanted was to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. Was this going to be their


    routine? Those shes of what could be happiness and then back to this prisoner and master routine?


    "Varys?"


    There, at least she wasn''t willing to go through with this and finally act with some sense. "What is it?"


    he grunted. The stubborn mule still hadn''t turned around.


    "Thank you for taking me out, but I need some time to be alone. Please, just go away for awhile."


    His eye twitched. He jerked the door open and mmed it shut behind him. His guard was sitting on


    the other side of it, not the least bit disturbed. "Lock it," he sneered at him.


    "Right away, Sir," the guard slid his key into the room and the lock clicked in ce.


    Fucking Hope.


    Varys strode away from the room and down the halls. Despite the fire inside, he didn''t let any of it show


    on his face. Instead, he kept his fist inside his pocket and continued to tighten it until his nails dug into


    his skin, and still he didn''t care.


    His men had a sense for his moods and they scattered like ants before him.


    Pathetic.


    He needed to let out steam. Needed to release that perfect moment when she''d submitted to him


    before rising up again. If she didn''t give in, he''d have to force her. And forcing her could mean breaking


    her. Varys grunted as he entered his exercise room and locked the door behind him. A fresh new


    punching bag stood at the ready, and he didn''t waste any time as he plowed his fist into it over and


    over.


    He didn''t imagine hitting her, just every man she''d been in contact with since him. Ethan''s face, that


    fucking detective''s face, and his man that had harmed her. Every blow to the bag was another breath of


    air into his lungs.


    If Hope wouldn''t agree to be his, if she continued to try to run away to those other men, he''d end up


    having to kill her. Varys stopped at the thought and his stomach curdled. And if his Hope died,


    especially by his hands, he''d have to follow her.


    But maybe, maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she wasn''t just lying to him now to make him drop


    his guard. Varys drove his fist into the punching bag again. He''d give her the opportunity. He''d put his


    men on the case and he''d know once and for all if she''d been the cause of his family''s death.


    And if so?


    They''d all burn in hell together because even in death, he wasn''t willing to let her go.

 Chapter 39: 39- Attack

    Chapter 39: 39- Attack


    Varys'' voice haunted Max even in his waking moments. So what if he''d been childhood acquaintances


    with Hope? That wasn''t about to stop Max from finding her and getting her away from that madman,


    that killer.


    How could he live himself if he left her there?


    Max nced up as he heard the click of a shoe on his dummy tile. The office was empty except for


    him, so that left only one answer; intruders.


    Max slipped his hand into his desk and pulled out his gun, loading it in one smooth motion as he


    nudged a button to turn on his cameras. His monitor shed before showing him all the security


    footage. Three of the visible cameras had already been taken out, but none of his hidden ones had,


    yet.


    The group of men were armed with a variety of things. Guns of course, but also baseball bats covered


    in wire, and brass knuckles that glinted in the fake light.


    He hadpany, and from the way they were heading, they''d be at his office soon.


    It was a good thing they were going after him rather than Vincent. Better his business get wrecked than


    the coffee shop. Max smirked. These men were going to get the surprise of their life for thinking they


    could just waltz in and take him out so easily. These couldn''t be Varys men, they were too stupid.


    Max nudged open another panel and watched as the group strode down the hallway. As the men with


    guns passed by the dual paintings of wispy women, Max pushed the button. Twin plumes of fire burst


    out of the portraits and the men leading the group were set on fire as the zing heat consumed them.


    The others paused but a moment before pushing forward and leaving theirrades behind. Though


    they moved with a lot more caution this time, and several went back for the fallen men''s weapons.


    Scavengers.


    Max''s hand flew over the remaining buttons and a trio of darts flew through the air beforending in the


    stomach of the one now in charge. The man grunted before copsing to his knees.


    Just two left now.


    Unfortunately, Max was out of his little traps. What he''d already sprung was going to cost the office a


    year of pay, but it''d been worth it. He ducked behind his bullet-proof desk and waited. His door was


    thrown open in moments and the two men barreled in.


    "What the fuck?" one roared. "Where the hell is he?"


    "Calm down, we know he''s here because of the traps. He''s probably hiding beneath the desk. No real


    man would have traps like that if he was worth anything."


    "I don''t know," the first answered. "I heard rumors about this guy."


    "Rumors are always overblown," the second sneered. "Come on, I''m going to shoot that damn desk."


    Max braced himself and held still as the gun went off before the first man cursed and the second


    laughed.


    "Who the fuck has a bulletproof desk? What''s with this guy?"


    Max popped up and, taking aim, shot the man with the gun in-between his eyes in moments. The other


    lifted his bat and red at Max. "I don''t know who you think you are, but this isn''t over."


    "Not for me, but it''s over for you," Max replied as he squeezed the trigger once more. The bullet


    exploded from the gun and yet another of Ethan''s men went down leaving Max alone.


    Still, Max didn''t rx. He didn''t trust that he''d got them all. The security camera feed was clean, but


    he''d stayed alive this long by trusting his instincts. "You cane out now," he called.


    The young man stepped out of the shadows and smirked at Max. "It''s no surprise you''ve lived so long


    and have quite the reputation. But I''m afraid your luck runs out now." He held up two fingers. "Two


    minutes is all I need to be able to finish this job and get back to my employer."


    Max nodded to the dead bodies of the others. "And what about these guys? Why are you hired by the


    same man that hired those buffoons?"


    The stranger chuckled. "You''re trying to buy yourself time? No matter, those buffoons as you call them


    are quite good ad their job. Their sess rate up to this point was very high. Nothingpared to


    mine, but credit where credit is due."


    Max kept his gun trained on the other. "Say you do manage to take me out, what''s your orders then?"


    He has an inkling, but he had to be certain.


    "I''m pretty sure you already know that, Detective."


    "Please, enlighten me, Henchmen," Max returned. He didn''t want to waste a shot in case things went


    wrong. Something warned him against shooting just yet.


    "After we have concluded our business, I have an appointment to find and detain my boss''s wife. And


    get the pleasure of punishing her, since I''m the only one left from this mission."


    A sheen of red clouded Max''s vision, and his finger reflexively squeezed the trigger.


    The man dropped to the ground and his leg kicked out at Max''s entangling it and throwing the other


    man off bnce and to the floor.


    Max was no stranger to martial arts, he flipped himself over before the assassin could drive his heel


    into his prone body.


    "Most would have been shocked when the bullet missed me, and end there. I will give you credit for


    lasting a few moments longer."


    Max snorted. "I don''t need your des." He circled the man as he nced around his office. Was


    there anything of use he could grab? He didn''t want to waste time or risk this man escaping and going


    after Hope. Even if Varys had her now, he doubted he had the manpower to keep her safe if Ethan got


    serious. Or rather he doubted that Varys would care to use enough men to do the job.


    "I told you, two minutes." The other man''s hand shed as he grabbed his own weapon, a series of


    des.


    Fuck, this was going to hurt.


    Still, Max wasn''t about to let an opportunity to win pass. As the knife left the other man''s hands, he fired


    another bullet and took the des all in his arm.


    A ssh of blood exploded from the younger man''s body before he was thrown backward and


    crumpled to the ground. Max pulled the knives out with a wince from each one. He''d have to get this


    stitched up or he could risk serious damage. Fucking Ethan. He''d make the man pay for this botch of a


    hit job.


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    AUTHOR¡¯S NOTE:


    I am doing an upspree of 10 or more chapters of Escaping the Mafia Queen today! Get ready for the


    fun ride

 Chapter 40: 40- Perfect Trap

    Chapter 40: 40- Perfect Trap


    Dead. Ethan growled.


    All of his men, fucking dead, and they didn''t even manage to take out the man he had sent them for.


    Ethan red at the man that stood before him and the little weasel twisted himself in an attempt to not


    meet his eyes. "It''s not my fault." He whimpered, his voiceing in soft little whines.


    "Not your fault?" Ethan replied. "How are you alive, and everyone else is dead? Exin why you


    weren''t inside that building when I ordered all of you to be." He leaned forward as he narrowed his


    eyes. "Exin it nice and slow as if I''m an idiot. Your answer could save your life."


    "Well, you see, I was going to be on the lookout for everyone. Hang out at the back and let them know


    if anyone wereing so they wouldn''t be taken out from a surprise attack."


    "I see that the coward of the group survived. Something I n to rectify when we''re through here. Now,


    speak. How did all of my men die to the hands of just one?" Stayed at the back? Not likely. This piece


    of shit was trying to hide his cowardice, but Ethan would ferret it out.


    "There were traps."


    "Traps?" Ethan''s voice trailed off. "You''re not joking, are you? I despise jokes."


    "No, there were me-throwers and-"


    "And how do you know this?"


    "Sir?" The other swallowed hard. "I don''t know what you mean."


    "No sane person would have traps like that visible unless they were inside the building. For you to tell


    me in detail what happened means you were inside as well and thought you''d lie to escape


    consequences." Ethan continued in a conversational tone, but his eyes were sharp. "Would you care to


    tell the truth yet?"


    "But, Sir, I was-"


    "The truth, now," Ethan stressed.


    The man sighed and stared at the ground. "I followed them in. I stayed at the rear until we hit the first


    trap. Once I realized how deadly it was, I backed out. I wanted to make sure someone survived to be


    able to tell you the story."


    "How noble," Ethan spat and the other winced away. "Don''t think it saves you."


    "Sir, please, I can still help you."


    Ethan snorted. "Help me? You''re worthless. I wouldn''t trust you on another mission, nor are you worth


    keeping around as a servant. Your usefulness is used up."


    "Wait-"


    Ethan pulled out his gun and shot the man between the eyes. He didn''t bother watching as the body


    toppled over. His thoughts were elsewhere. Max was fast bing a thorn in his side. Time to live up


    to the old adage. If you wanted a job done right, you had to do it yourself.


    And he was going to enjoy every minute of taking care of Max himself. He didn''t even care if the man


    didn''t have a bead on Hope yet. He''d get her back and force her to watch as he beat the life out of


    these other men she put herself around.


    He could just see it. Hope tied down a chair with her eyes taped open so she couldn''t look away. And


    he''d take his time with the detective. He''d cover him in knife slices first, all the better for his body to be


    sensitive to every touch.


    Then he''d beat the hell out of him, and wallow in Hope''s horror. It was going to be fun making that


    woman regret ever trying to run off on him and making him aughingstock to his family. He''d managed


    to stop the rumors that would get out beyond them, but he''d have to deal with their shit for a long time,


    or at least until he got her pregnant.


    That would solve a lot. An heir would stop his family in their tracks from any more personal attacks,


    plus it would make sure that Hope had the perfect cor for her.


    Ethan grabbed a phone. "I need someone to clean up a mess. Yes, blood was involved this time, thank


    you." He nced back down at the crumpled form. "Useless to the end."


    His cleaner would be in soon and his usual clean standards would be met. He''d have to rece the


    men he lost today, and he would tear it out of Max''s hide. Maybe cutting him would be too kind of


    torture. Maybe it would be better to tie the detective to a pole andsh him a hundred, no a thousand


    times.


    But if he did that, where would he keep Hope? Would he want her in front so she could watch every


    flinch of agony? Or would he want her ced from behind so she could watch him decorate the other


    man''s skin with cuts? Or even better, he''d make Max''s punishment area rotate. That way she could


    experience all of it, and he could relish all the pain it caused her.


    And once he was done with Max, he''d turn his attention to Varys. Sure the man was protected at the


    minute, but that wouldn''tst. They both ran in the same underworld, it wouldn''t take much to make the


    other man vulnerable and to take over his kingdom. Besides, he had ns for his wife, and that was


    something Ethan would never forgive.


    It didn''t matter who it was. Anyone that touched his property, particrly that one, deserved a slow and


    painful death.Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    His cleaners arrived and Ethan got up as he flexed his knuckles. Before he got to the fun stuff, he was


    going to have to get Max, and then? Then it would be time to enjoy himself to the fullest.


    And moments like this deserved celebration. Time to go find one of his hot bitches and sink himself into


    her. He''d never impregnate one of those, but they made perfect bed warmers, and they would do until


    he got Hope under his control again. He could just lose himself in her frightened and despairing eyes.


    It was going to be perfect.

 Chapter 41: 41- Howd We End Up This Way?

    Chapter 41: 41- How''d We End Up This Way?


    "Speak." Varys sat behind his desk as he watched the man fidget in front of him.


    Whatever the news was, it wasn''t good. His fingers curled into fists. Would he have to kill Hope?


    "It''s about her past, her ex." The man ended with a gulp.


    Varys closed his eyes as the thought of that monster getting to be with his Hope for even a moment.


    "Go on," he said with a growl.


    "I discovered some hidden hospital records. Well, not even hospital. Her doctor. I managed to loosen


    his lips." He chuckled.


    "I don''t care what you had to do to get the information. All I care about is the results. Now, stop


    stringing me along, and talk."


    "She''s had some serious altercations with that piece of shit when he''s drunk. Broken nose,


    concussions, fractured orbital bone."


    "He hit her?" Varys growled the question out. That pig of a man was going to pay.


    That was HIS Hope. His, no one else was allowed to touch her, let alone hurt her. Then again, if that


    was the case, it was unlikely she betrayed him intentionally.


    "Sir?" the squeak of his man grabbed Varys'' attention again.


    "What?" he snapped.


    "You''re about to break that bottle, I would hate to have to clean up that."


    Varys nced down at where he throttled the neck of the bottle. The whiteness of his knuckles stood


    out against the wine bottle. The bottle he''d bought for her in hopes of apologizing and patching things


    up. "Thanks," he grunted as he rxed his hold.


    Varys held the bottle tight to his chest and strode out of the room. There was only one ce he needed


    to be, at her side.


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    "Sir, I wasn''t finished," his man called from behind.


    "We''ll go over the restter. I''ve got a woman to meet," he replied.


    He banged on her door with three thuds before he unlocked it and jerked it open. Hope looked up from


    the bed, in much the same position he''d left her before. "What do you want?" she demanded as she


    dared to re at him.


    "What the hell were you doing with that abusive shit, Hope?"


    "Ethan?" she replied and then sighed. "It''s a long story I don''t want to get into, Varys. It''s over between


    us."


    "You let him beat you." Varys said it softly but his entire body was tensed like a giant spring.


    "I never let him," Hope shot back. "Do you think I wanted that?" she sneered. The rage radiated off of


    her in waves that threatened to consume him. "You think I liked what happened? Oh, yes, please,


    Ethan hit me again! I love concussions!"


    "You let him because you never left him, Hope. You stayed and just let him use you like a punching


    bag." The words were tar in his mouth. He hated them, and he hated her for making him say them.


    "Why?"


    Hope snorted and shook her head as she stared at him. "You''re an idiot and an asshole, Varys."


    God, she was lucky that she was who she was. Anyone else would have had their tongue pulled out for


    talking to him the way she did. He''d lost many a gossiping maid that way. "You''re the god-damn stupid


    one to end up with the fucking mafia. I left you so you could have a normal life, Hope. I wanted you to


    be happy."


    "And I thought you didn''t know about your family''s business," she snapped back. "I''m stupid? You''re


    the one that broke my heart, Varys. Ethan just happened to be there to take advantage of it. But if you


    had trusted me, if you had let me know you were okay, I''d never have ended up in that mess in the first


    ce."


    Varys closed his eyes as the fight drained out of him. "I''m sorry, Hope. I didn''t know until that night, and


    once I found out all I could think about was protecting you. I''m sorry I broke your heart, but don''t you


    think I am hurt too?"


    She opened her mouth to retort and then closed it as she too sighed and the tenseness in her faded


    away. "How did we end up here, Varys?"


    The soft way she said his name sent a jolt through him. How could he ever think about having to kill


    her? Even if it killed him, he''d keep her safe. "We''re both idiots?" he suggested with a soft chuckle.


    She looked up at him then and smiled and he couldn''t help but smile back. "Do I really have to be


    locked up like this?" she asked as she gestured to her cuffs.


    "You tried to run away from me, Hope."


    "No, I tried to let Vincent know I was safe. I just left the message through a man that works there."


    "One that was calling your name with too much familiarity." Varys pointed out. "I can''t let any other man


    around you. No one that calls your name in that way."


    Hope rolled her eyes. "Because you don''t trust me."


    "Because I don''t trust myself to not kill anyone else that cares for you." He chuckled himself. "Not the


    best thing I want to admit, but I''m crazy about you, Hope. Emphasis on the crazy."


    "Sir?"


    Varys nced over prepared to take out another of his men but paused. This one was one of the better


    ones. One who would know better than to just interrupt unless it was important. "What?"


    "There''s been movement on Ethan, Sir. You told us to inform you if anything unusual happened."


    "And?"


    "He''s left his base. Moving on his own, and heading straight for," he paused and nced at Hope.


    "Perhaps we should have this discussion in private?"


    "No, whatever you have to say, I want to hear it," Hope interrupted. "Just spit it out."


    "He''s traveling through our territory."


    "Is he?" Varys smirked. "So he''s ready to settle this like a real man? About time."


    "No, he''s not heading towards us, Sir. He''s heading towards that coffee shop that she was staying at."


    "What?" Hope whispered as her eyes widened. "He''s going for Max and Vincent!" She grabbed onto


    Varys arm as she looked up at him. "Please, Varys, save them," she pleaded.


    And as she gazed at him with those hopeful eyes, he knew there was never another option. "I''ll do my


    best."

 Chapter 42: 42- The War

    Chapter 42: 42- The War


    Varys'' words weren''t enough. Nothing was enough. Hope imagined what would happen to Vincent and


    Max if Ethan got his hands on them and bit her lip so hard blood seeped into her mouth.


    "Hope, calm down."


    Varys'' words were as if they were underwater. She could hear them, but they were dull and couldn''t


    break through the wall of panic.


    She was going to lose her only family. She was going to lose him in the most horrible way possible, and


    Ethan would make sure it hurt her. He would delight in it.


    "Hope!"


    Varys was nose to nose with her now as he folded her in his arms. "Varys?"


    "Hope, I don''t know where you''re going on in your mind, but you need to break out of it, now."


    "I can''t," she whispered as she pushed at him. She had the strength of a kitten. "I have to save them."


    His hold tightened on her. "Them?" it was the dangerous growl of a predator.


    "My uncle Vincent, and Max," she whispered.


    "Max again," Varys spat. "Why are you worried about him?"


    "He helped me," Hope replied. "And he''s all my uncle has. I don''t want anyone dying because of me,


    being tortured because of me." She swallowed. "You''ve looked into Ethan''s past. You know what kind


    of monster he is."


    "If I help you-"N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    "If?" Hope red at him. "You already said you would."


    "That was before I saw your desperation," he replied with his arms crossed over his chest.


    "Fine, what''s your if?" Hope snapped at him.


    "I help you, you belong to me and no one else. I want you as mine, Hope. Promise that, and I''ll put my


    life on the line to keep those two safe and take care of Ethan, personally."


    "Deal, but one condition," Hope held out a finger for emphasis.


    "No conditions, just mine." Varys replied.


    "No, listen to my condition, Varys, now," Hope red at him. After all she was doing, he could at least


    agree to listen to her. "It''s important."


    "I''m not sharing you, Hope. I''m not going to save Ethan''s life either. If your condition is either of those


    things, I''m denying you." Varys replied. His dark eyes swirled as he met her re for re.


    "Can you at least listen before you re at me?" Hope snarled at him. "My condition is that youe


    back safe, Varys! If you die on me, or let Ethan get hold of you I swear I''ll never forgive you and


    be a ghost myself so I can make you suffer forever."


    Varys lip twitched. "That''s your condition? Hope, you need to have more faith in me. Do you really think


    I''m so easily killed?"


    "You don''t know Ethan like I do," she replied. "Please, just promise me, Varys."


    "You promise me first, Hope. I want to hear it from your lips."


    Despite the situation, despite the betrayal of Max, Hope smiled. But an alive Max was far better than a


    dead one. He might pretend to be tough, but she was the only one that knew what Ethan was truly


    capable of. Besides, better for budding feelings to die now than for them to deepen and be pruned


    later. With Varys back, it changed everything.


    "Hope?" Her name was a growl on his lips. If the situation wasn''t as tense as it was, she would have


    laughed.


    "Varys, I promise to be yours and no one else''s, forever."


    The sh of emotion in his eyes took her breath away. The range he went through in just a single


    breath. Had he ever looked so grateful or so happy without the cockiness? It was like that boyish


    moment he''d had at the park but magnified. tenfold.


    "Hope," his voice was thick as he took her hands in his. "I promise I''m going to save those two for you,


    and when this entire debacle is done, we''re going to get married."


    Marriage? "What?" she squeaked.


    "Marriage," he insisted. "If we''re going to belong to each other, it only makes sense that we''re married.


    But first, I''ll take care of Ethan."


    Fear gripped Hope by the throat once more, sinking its ws into her and choking the life from her.


    "Please," she whispered as she grabbed his arm and hugged him tight. "Please, be careful, Varys."


    Varys smiled at her. "Believe it or not, Hope, I''m pretty smart when ites to this." He nced over at


    his awaiting family member. "I''ve got a job for you."


    "Sir?" The man snapped to attention.


    Strange, they obeyed like Ethan''s men, but the respect they showed was on an entirely different level.


    Ethan''s men reacted to fear while Varys appeared to respond to their master. Even though Varys had a


    dark core as well, a darkness she didn''t want to focus on.


    "Send out the first wave of men to greet Ethan. I need him tripped up as I prepare my own ns."


    "You''re leaving already?" Hope questioned as Varys took her hand in his and tugged her off the bed.


    "I am, and; you''re going somece safer. I''ll take care of everything else, but I have to know you''re


    going to be safe." he nodded to the man. "I trust you. I hope that you realize that if anything happens to


    Hope, I''ll be murdering you and your men. That''s my future wife you''ll be escorting, Marco."


    "Got it, Boss," he nodded to Hope. "Come on, I''ll take you to a more secure room."


    Hope nced around the current one. Wasn''t this where Varys slept? Why wasn''t it safe enough?


    "I''m not about to have a fight in my boss''s room. He''ll forgive a lot, but if anything happens to his bed,


    there will be hell to pay and I don''t feel like being the one to pay the bill. Besides, you''ll be farther away


    if the fight breaks out here." He nodded to Varys. "I''ve got her, Boss, good luck."


    Varys chuckled. "I don''t need luck anymore, I''ve got a Goddess to fight for." He leaned forward and


    kissed Hope''s forehead. "I''ll be back soon, you just focus on staying safe, got it?"


    "Why do you have to go?" she demanded. "You just sent men to deal with it right? Stay with me." She


    felt like a traitor for begging him to stay. But as he turned to walk away and she saw his back, dread


    filled her and her stomach clenched. Things would never be the same if he left now.


    "I''m not the type of leader to send my men out to die for me for no reason. Besides, I''m going to force


    Ethan to pay me back for every time heid a hand on you. Believe me, when I''m finished with him,


    He''s going to be begging for death."

 Chapter 43: 43- Alone

    Chapter 43: 43- Alone


    No! There was no way she could let him go. He was turning away from her again, walking away. He


    was going to end up just as she''d assumed he was all this time. She wrenched her arm out of Marco''s


    grip and ran to Varys.


    He must have heard her steps because he turned as she barreled into him and hugged her tight to his


    chest. His heart beat against her ear, and while it wasforting, it didn''t make the fear dissipate.


    "Varys, you can''t die on me."


    "I''m not going to die, Hope. I''m not leaving you after finding you. We''re going to spend the rest of our


    life together, and maybe I''ll share you with a brat or two, we''ll see. But you already agreed to be mine,


    why would I ever risk noting back to you?"


    "But Ethan-"


    "Hope, listen to me." Varys took his forefingers and tilted her chin up so she was staring up at him.


    "Look into my eyes, Hope. Do I look like I''m lying to you?"


    No, he looked beyond capable. But still, how could she forget what she''d lived? What she''d seen with


    her own eyes? "No, but-"


    "No, Hope. There is no buts. When I''m through with him, he''s going to be nothing more than a bad


    nightmare you once had. You don''t need to stay afraid of someone like him. He''s nothing, and will


    always be nothing. I will take care of you, I promise. We''re together, now, you and me, and your battle


    against him is now mine. Let me end this for you."


    "Varys, I won''t be able to go on without you. I believe in you, but be careful. Don''t give him an opening,


    and watch out for his cheap shots. Please,e back to me."


    Varys smiled. "Those are close to the words I want to hear, but I know you can do better, Hope."


    His eyes twinkled and Marco openly stared at him. If Hope hadn''t been so angry, she''d haveughed.


    Even still, her lips twitched as she contained it. "Varys," she growled at him.


    "Say it, Hope, it''ll make you feel better, I promise." He hadn''t let go of her chin this entire time, just


    staring into her eyes and making her insides melt and knot together at the same time.


    "I love you, Varys," she whispered.


    "I love you, Hope," he answered before he grabbed her off bnce and tipped her back. His lips


    covered hers, questing, demanding, and oh so persuasive. The heat that flowed through her was taken


    away a momentter. "See you soon."


    This time as he walked away, Hope didn''t go after him. She just stood in that spot and watched until he


    was out of sight.


    "Ready?" Marco demanded. "You know the Boss is going to skin me alive for you getting away like


    that."


    "I''ll talk to him," Hope assured. But would Varys even listen to her? Was this the right thing to do?


    The question gued her on all sides.


    She could have been happy with Max. If she''d never discovered Varys was alive again, she would have


    fallenpletely under his thrall. Even now, there was a spot soft she couldn''t deny for the man. Even


    if she couldn''t have him, she wanted nothing more than him to be happy.


    "Come on," Marco barked again and grabbed her arm, leading her away.


    Hope thought aboutining, but bit it down. The man was only following orders, and she had just


    made his life worse.


    As they got to her new room she winced. This one looked far closer to a prison, and underground one


    at that. "In there?"


    "Yeah, I''m locking you inside too. You''ll be safest there, that way no one else can get to you either."


    "You aren''t staying inside?"


    Marco shook his head so hard his jowls flopped. "No way. My job is to keep you alive, not risk my life.


    Alone with you in a private space like that? Boss would skin me alive and use me for a punching bag.


    Now get in."


    Hope sighed but entered the room and winced as the metal door mmed behind her. Marco locked


    the door and shut the barrier that allowed her to look out.


    Great, the man didn''t even want to talk to her. At least the room had plenty of nkets so she wouldn''t


    freeze. There was already a chill to the room. She grabbed one of the fluffiestforters and settled


    down on a chair in the corner.


    There was some light down here, but not much. And now she couldn''t even see what was going on.


    Marco wasn''t about to keep her informed so it was just going to be Hope and her worry, her endless


    worry.


    She had to trust Max, if she couldn''t, the worry was going to eat her alive.


    But Ethan.


    If she closed her eyes she could see his mocking face. He would take his time in torturing Varys, even


    more so when he learned of their past. And Max? He''d use Max to punish her for ever leaving him.


    Hope''s fist clenched in the covers. This was a mistake. All a horrible mistake.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    But throwing herself at the door would do no good. Marco wouldn''t let her free, there was no doubt


    about that. He wasn''t willing to upset Varys, even if all she wanted was to run to him.


    Giving up wasn''t even an option. Ethan would never let her have leverage over him. She''d likely be


    beat within an inch of her life if he ever got hold of her. There would be no pity, just revenge.


    Hope sighed again. Nothing was going to get done in here, besides her driving herself insane. She


    crawled onto the bed with the cover clenched tight and pulled it up to her chin. For now she would force


    herself to rest, to count a million sheep if she needed to.


    Whatever was going to happen was out of her reach. She''d only know about it in two ways. When it


    was all over, or when Ethan opened that door to start her nightmare afresh.


    No, if Ethan was the one that came for her she''d never give him that satisfaction, she''d just take herself


    out of the equation, no matter what it took.

 Chapter 44: 44- Face Off

    Chapter 44: 44- Face Off


    "Report," Varys barked at the phone in his car.


    Fuzzy static answered him.


    "Report!" Vary tried again.


    His first wave wouldn''t stay quiet like this. Ethan had managed to take them out. He hadn''t expected


    that. His men weren''t the type to be taken out easily. Maybe he should have given Hope''s worries more


    credence, then again, she hadn''t seen what he was truly capable of yet.


    He hung up the phone as he pulled on the street leading to the coffee shop. Smoke spiraledzily in


    the air as mes lit the night sky a shade of orange.


    Fuck.


    Varys parked the car and edged closer. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe it wasn''t the shop.


    Even he knew that was wishful thinking. As he got closer the smoked coffee beans turned to a burnt


    one and he crinkled his nose. The doors of the shop were thrown open off their hinges, the good


    splintered and the ss smashed. In fact, every pane of ss was smashed and scattered to the


    ground.


    It crackled beneath his foot as he stepped through the doorway. If the outside was bad, the inside was


    worse. The men that came through made sure that they destroyed everything they could get their


    grubby mitts on. Chairs were broken in half, tables broken in pieces. Even the counter had a


    sledgehammer taken to it and the marble that decorated ity inrge patches on the floor.


    Varys paused as he found the entrance to the PI''s business. One of his men was slouched across a


    table, with a sizable hole through his head. Fuck, Ethan was serious. He didn''t care what enemies he


    made as long as he got to hope.


    But Varys would never let that asshole near her again. Where were the rest of his men? He''d sent far


    more than just one. But how many had Ethan sent for this type of chaos?


    As he got through the doorway, he saw more of men, or at least pieces of them. An explosive had to


    have gone off to ount for this level of damage. The question was, was the wielder alive? He moved


    with cautious steps as he scanned every inch.


    Did they even have time to set up traps? He didn''t know, but he wasn''t risking it. He got into the PI''s


    office and froze. He didn''t recognize the woman, but he couldn''t help the surge of pity that welled


    through him. With her curly-red-hair and staring green eyes. She sat propped up against the wall like a


    doll, a doll with bullet holes riddling her body.


    No sign of Max or Vincent yet. It was only a matter of time, he had no doubt he''d find them in this hell-


    hole, or signs of them anyway. He doubted that Ethan would bother taking them away from here. Not


    when it was such a good lure spot.


    The only area untouched was Max''s office, ording to the pristine que beside it. Though


    everything else in the building was burned to charcoal. As he got closer, Varys noted what happened to


    the rest of his men. He was walking through their remains.


    Varys reached out to the door as he prepared himself. At his touch it swung open. On the far side of the


    wall there were two chairs. The two men he assumed to be the ones he was searching for considering


    they were both alive, and imprisoned.


    "Nice of you to join us, Varys," the chair spun and Ethan smiled at him. "We''ve been waiting a very long


    time for you."


    "Boss," grunted a voice from the floor.


    Varys nced down and winced. One of his best was bleeding out, just inches away, and there was


    nothing he could do for him. Based on the amount of blood and the size of the wound? His fight was


    over. "You did good," he nodded to the man.


    A ghost of a smile crossed tired lips before he slumped over.


    "You left him with a lie? He did good? That''s the one that made it so easy for me to get as far as I did."


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    "He gave his life for me, I have to at least acknowledge that. Besides, you would have found another


    way to get this far."


    "If that''s the best you can do, Varys, you won''t be able to stop me. I''ll have Hope back where she


    belongs by the end of the day."


    Max grunted and struggled against his bonds, and the knife that was plunged into his shoulder. "You


    two shit-heads don''t get it."


    Varys and Ethan nced over at this. "You''re not smart," Ethan pointed out. I''ve already nailed you like


    a pig to the wall, and you''re still bleating, and insulting me while you''re at it? You''re going to die, why


    make it faster?" He chuckled, ah maybe you''re trying to save Hope the pain. That''s never going to


    happen. I''m going top at her tears like they''re my salvation."


    "Sick fuck," Max spat. "And I thought Varys was bad. No matter what you do to her, no matter how you


    try to force her, Hope is strong. She''s going to make her own decisions. And neither of you can force


    her to love you if she doesn''t."


    "That''s what you think. I know exactly how to get Hope to do exactly what I want her to do. She''s been


    mypdog for years, and she''s going to go right back to that position. With you both killed in front of


    her, I''ll break herpletely. She''ll never try to defy me again. I suppose I should thank you for that."


    "Like hell you are," Max growled as he struggled even more. His chair''s leg squeaked as it ground


    against the floor.


    "You''re never going to have Hope even have to see your ugly face again," Varys said with a smile. "It''s


    over, Ethan. I''m going to make you pay for every single time you everid a finger on her."


    "This is the fun part, boys. You see, Hope will go to me willingly. Even after I''ve ughtered both of you


    in front of her, even if I force her to bathe in your blood, she''ll be mine, and she''ll always be mine. And


    why is that? Simple." Ethan grinned. "Because I have her best friend in the world, and Ste will suffer


    such glorious pain if she doesn''t give herself up. And you both know Hope''s softness."


    Fuck.


    Varys'' first clenched again. Ethan was right. If he let Ste die, she''d never get over it, and especially if


    it was by Ethan''s hand. "Talk, but you''re not going to win this, Ethan."


    The other man smirked. "We''ll see, Varys, we''ll see."

 Chapter 45: 45- Its Over

    Chapter 45: 45- It''s Over


    "For one, you''re all going to die. But I suppose I could let you suffer less if you''re willing to just give up,"


    Ethan said with a smile.


    "You''re a coward, Ethan. You''re going to stand behind Ste like that?"


    Varys dimly remembered that one. She hadn''t been as important as Hope. No one was important as


    Hope, ever. "Can''t you just fight man to man? Winner gets the women, over and done." Not that Varys


    ever thought he''d lose. Ethan would fall easily by his hand.


    "You think I have to y fair? What kind of family are you in charge of?" Ethan chuckled. "No, you''re a


    damned idiot for thinking I''d ever just give up my advantages. I''m going to have fun slitting your throat


    in front of Hope. I want you to die fast while I take my time with that other one. It''ll prove to her that she


    can never get away from me."


    "You''re never going to get close to Hope," Varys replied. "Even if you cheat your way to a win here,


    you''ll never get her."


    "Yes, to do that, I might need an upper hand of sorts. Maybe even my own guy sent into my enemy''s


    base." Ethan continued.


    "Lies, my men are loyal. They''d never choose to work for a piece of shit like you, Ethan."


    "Money is a far more important factor than loyalty, Varys. Did you wonder why it was so easy for me to


    clear out the men you sent here? Think about it."


    Varys wasn''t about to believe this excuse for a man. No, Hope was perfectly safe. None of his men


    would turn on him. "Shut up, Ethan. There''s no way any of my men took your blood money."


    Ethan shrugged. "Believe what you want. I''m going to enjoy breaking in Hope again. It''s been awhile.


    Oh, I forgot, you both should be congratting us early."


    "Congratting you?" Max demanded as the chair squeaked again. He grunted as more blood flowed


    from his wounds.


    Who was the dumbass in this situation? Varys has a feeling it wasn''t him. "What the fuck are you


    talking about now, Ethan?"


    "We''re going to have a baby," Ethan replied. "Hope and I are going to be parents."


    "You''re lying," Varys scanned the room again. Why was he keeping them here? Ethan was nning


    something, he had to be. "Hope would never have a kid with someone like you."


    Ethan grinned again as he leaned forward. "And who said I was giving her a choice? It''s about time she


    bes useful for me, and an heir? That''s very useful. Imagine, a whole houseful of them. She''ll be


    chained to me, forever."


    "Fuck you," sneered Max.


    Varys wanted to join in on that, but he still couldn''t shake the sensation a trap wasid out. He reached


    into his pocket and caressed the switchde he had stashed. Ethan was distracted, focused on


    beating Max into submission, which was perfect timing.


    He jerked the knife from his pocket, flipped it open, then tossed it straight at Ethan''s chest.


    Ethan used the chair to glide to the side and the de thunked against the wall as it sank in to its hilt.


    "Is that it?" Ethan questioned. "I must admit, I''m getting tired of this game of ours. You didn''t think I


    came here alone, did you?" He snapped his fingers and a wave of men entered the small room.


    "Maybe if you weren''t led by your dick all the time, you would have noticed something was wrong. Men,


    capture him, be as rough as you want, but don''t kill him. I want to see Hope''s fact when I slit his throat


    in front of her."


    "Hey, Ethan, did you really think I was that stupid? That I''d juste in here to confront you without a


    solid n?" Varys smiled. "Max, you might want to brace yourself, you too, Vincent." The other man


    was silent, just staring off into the distance. Not a good sign at all.


    "I know you''re that stupid," Ethan replied as he nodded for his men to attack.


    Varys hand vanished into his pocket and he pulled out a remote and jammed the button down. A shrill


    scream erupted from his pockets and Ethan and his men stopped in ce before mping their hands


    over their ears and howling.


    Vincent and Max weren''t in much better positions. Their bodies were twitching wildly to the side as the


    sound reverberated through the small room. He would have shown mercy, if given the chance. But for


    now, he had a scumbag to handle. He brought his hands to his mouth and whistled and like an ocean


    of ck, his men flooded the building and took out Ethan''s without a scratch.


    The only one left when it was over was Ethan on the ground, twitching as Varys put a heavy shoe


    against his chest. "It looks like your confidence was over wrought. As you can see, Hope is staying with


    me."


    Max grunted from his spot as the screaming rm continued to go off. By this point the man was


    foaming at the mouth. Varys motioned to his men and they slipped protection in both Max''s and


    Vincent''s ears as they undid their restraints.


    Varys pulled Ethan to his feet with his arms bound behind him. "I need a new punching bag, and you


    look perfect, Ethan. I''m looking forward to splitting you open."


    "Sorry," Max groaned as he got closer. He pitched forward, losing his bnce and running into Ethan''s


    back. The other man tried to throw him off before he went still, and fell forward. He hit the ground with a


    thump and Varys didn''t have to look far to see his very own knife plunged into the asshole''s back.


    "That wasn''t enough to kill him, you know."


    "I know," Max replied. "But this is," He stepped on Ethan''s neck as the restrained man squirmed. "This


    is for everything you put that woman through. You''ll never be around to hurt anyone, ever again,


    Ethan."


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Varys watched and smiled. This was a beautiful sight, but there was just one niggling issue. "What


    about Ste?" he pointed out.


    Ethan''s eyes were wide and this point and rolling up. "Yes, Ste," he whimpered as Max moved his


    foot just enough for him to speak.


    Max chuckled. "Lucky for her I''m a private investigator. There''s no reason for me to let you live. You


    wouldn''t tell me the truth anyway. Goodbye, Ethan."


    Varys shrugged. He was losing a punching bag, but watching the life drain from Ethan was worth it.


    That bastard needed to die, and Max was doing a good job, he''d give him that.


    The moments stretched and Ethan''s body stopped twitching. Varys smiled. "I''ll leave Ste''s retrieval to


    you then. I''d suggest you not go near Hope again until you''ve managed that."


    Max snorted. "You think you can stop me? I''m not leaving before I let her know I''m okay," he paused


    and held a hand to his knife wound. "Rtively speaking anyway."


    "You killed Ethan, I''ll grant you that one request," Varys agreed and waved his men away. "Nowe


    on, Hope is waiting for us and she''s going to be excited to hear how our little adventure turned out in


    the end." He smirked. And he''d carried out his end of the deal, so it didn''t matter what either of these


    men said. Hope was his, and he was going to get to marry her.

 Chapter 46: 46- Nightmare

    Chapter 46: 46- Nightmare


    "You really thought you could get away from me, Hope? Your detective is dead, I tore out his insides


    and kept them just for you. And as for your mafia boyfriend? Well, I''m having him drawn and quartered


    as we speak, so very slowly."


    "No!" Hope rushed at Ethan but he waved his hand and she was stuck in the air twisting and turning in


    his grip. "Bastard!"


    "You should be grateful, Hope. I let your uncle have a swift death, just like I gave your parents when


    they got in my way."


    "No!" The word tore from Hope''s throat and she sat up panting as sweat poured down her chest. Her


    entire shirt was sticky with it. She plucked at it and sniffed before wincing. Everything was just as quiet


    as it had been before.


    The iron te on her door''s window opened up and Marco nced in on her. "Heard you scream,


    what''s wrong?"


    "Just a nightmare," she whispered as she hugged herself hard. "Please, can you just let me out for a


    few minutes? I don''t want to be here after a dream like that."


    Marco grunted. "Sorry, no way I''m risking that." He mmed the little metal te back and Hope threw


    herself back on the pillows as tears welled. Being with Varys meant she was just a prisoner to someone


    else, even if she loved him. This was still just a fancy golden birdcage. No matter how gilded, still a


    cage.


    The door rattled and Hope''s eyes widened. Had Marco changed his mind? Had a chance of heart, or


    maybe even a heart transnt would be more likely in that case.


    "Hope."


    "Max!" Hope threw herself at him, knocking him against the wall. His arms folded around her and she


    allowed herself that second, and only that second before she pulled away. "Sorry, I got too excited to


    miss you, but an engaged woman can''t be acting like that." She got a closer look at him. What she''d


    mistaken for blushing red cheeks, was streaks of blood, and he was favoring his shoulder. "What


    happened?"


    "We took care of Ethan, just like I told you was going to happen," Varys replied. He''d been right behind


    Max, he''d seen everything. And best of all, Hope had turned the other man down.


    "Varys, you''re okay!" Hope threw herself at him next and buried her head in his chest, hugging him as


    tight as she could. "I was so worried for you, for all of you." She looked from one to the other. "And


    Uncle Vincent? Where is he?"


    Varys frowned and turned around. "I''m not sure, let me find out. Hope, stay here."


    What? Why did he look so worried? His confidence had developed a crack. "Why?" she questioned. "Is


    it Ethan?"


    "Max, stay here with Hope, guard her with your life. Marco, you''reing with me. We''re going to go


    find uncle Vincent. I''m sure he just wandered off, but I''m taking no chances."


    Hope watched them go and the panic once more wed at her. Besides, he was leaving Max with her.


    This was the same man that insisted over and over that she was to be his no matter what. The door


    clicked. "You''re locking us in?" she whispered.


    "Just a precaution, Hope," his eyes flickered to Max. "I trust you, and I won''t be gone long. If this


    bastard tries anything, let me know and I''ll put him down."


    Hope nodded before turning to Max. He was leaning against the wall, his eyes half-lidded as he took


    shallow breaths. "Max?"


    His eyes cracked open and her breath was taken away by his beautiful eyes. "You''ve made your


    choice, huh?"


    Hope swallowed hard but didn''t look away. She was going to face up to this one. "Yes, I did. I know he


    seems rough, but I''ve known Varys a long time, when we were younger, we were almost together."


    "Yeah," Max replied. "Don''t worry, I''m not going to force myself on you, Hope. I don''t agree with your


    taste in men, but I''m not going to be the dick that takes that choice away when it''s what you want, and


    call me crazy, but Varys isn''t the same with you as he is others."


    "Are you going to tell me what happened?" Hope whispered. "Did Ethan escape? Does he still have


    Uncle Vincent?"


    "I killed Ethan. I stepped on him until all of the life in him was crushed away. You never have to worry


    about him again, Hope."


    The nightmare that was so vivid in her brain broke into a million pieces and faded away. "Really?" she


    whispered. Was it over? Was she allowed to breathe again?


    "Really," Max replied with a wane smile before he winced and slipped down the wall. "This isn''t the best


    idea, but can I use that bed of yours? Ethan got a little knife happy before Varys rescued us."


    "Take off your shirt," Hope said as her mind raced. No, Ethan was an expert with that cruel knife of his.


    "Now, Max!"


    He recoiled away from her bark but shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it to the ground. His beautiful


    skin was marred by ugly gashes deep into his skin. "Am I your bachelorette present?" he questioned


    with a chuckle.


    "Lay down," Hope ordered instead. The wounds were nowhere near his gut. That was good news at


    least. And none of his current were leaking fluid, another good sign. But still. "You''ve lost a lot of blood,


    Max."


    "Still have my life, it''s enough."


    Hope shook her head as she took his old shirt and using her teeth she tore it into a number of strips.


    "This isn''t the cleanest, but unless I strip the sheet from the bed, I don''t think I have a better choice.


    And you''ve already bled over the sheet so it''s about the same."


    She worked around him tying the strips into bandages and slings. When she was done he looked like a


    mummy and shook his head at her. "You do realize it''s not going to be easy to protect you like this,


    right?"


    Hope shrugged but smiled over her shoulder at him. "Guess that means it''s my turn to protect you,


    Max."


    Hisughter echoed through the room as Hope turned her attention to the door. There weren''t a lot of


    weapons avable, but if anyone did break through that wasn''t Varys, they were going to get a taste of


    her wrath, and nothing was going to happen to her friend, nothing.N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.

 Chapter 47: 47- Traitors

    Chapter 47: 47- Traitors


    "You''re really going to leave your woman with that other man, Boss?" Marco nced over at him and


    Varys snorted.


    "I don''t have a choice right now. If I sent him on this mission he wouldn''t be able to tell what''s normal


    behavior and what''s not. They''ll be fine in that room until I get back, only you and I have the keys to it."


    "Not exactly," Marco replied as he turnedpletely away.


    "Excuse me?" Varys demanded as he whirled on the other man. "You''re going to have to exin


    yourself to me right now, Marco. I don''t care how long I''ve known you, if you put Hope in danger, I''m


    gutting you like a pig."


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Marco didn''t even wince at the threat. "One of your other men has a key. I forgot his name, but he''s the


    one that interrupted you the other night. The one you let live."


    "The one with the hole in his hand?" Varys demanded. Would something like that really cause his men


    to turn on him? He''d done worse, far worse.


    "Yeah."


    "And how did he get the key to that room, Marco? It only had two copies, mine and yours."


    Marco expelled a long breath. "Boss, I need to hear you promise you won''t kill the person who''s


    responsible for this mess."


    "I''m not promising anything, Marco. Out with it. You''re not in a ce to strike a deal with me for your


    safety or the safety of your friend."


    "No, it''s not for a friend of mine, just, someone I worry about. Just please, Boss."


    "Fine, but if I feel all of this was pointless or a way to save your skin, I''m skinning you to use for my new


    punching bag, and then stuffing you with the other person that betrayed me."


    "She didn''t do it on purpose. I think she was trying to help you."


    She? Fuck, please don''t let it be her.


    "Who?" he pressed.


    "Your soon to be-wife boss. She felt sorry for him and he had your keys in his hand. They kept falling


    out of his, so she offered to help him duplicate it. She never even asked what it was for."


    Hope had done it? Varys stifled augh. "Marco, are you trying to tell me that you''re worried I''m going


    to punish Hope?"


    "You''ve done worse for less offenses, Boss."


    True, but he''d never hurt Hope, not again. He''d never even trusted himself to touch her while he was


    angry. "Thanks, Marco, but I''m not about to hurt her. But that bastard that took advantage of her like


    that? He''s going to lose more than a hand. I''m going to cut him into little pieces and go feed him to a


    crocodile at the zoo."


    "Can I help?" Marco questioned.


    Varys grinned. "Every step of the way. First, where is that bastard? When''s thest time you saw him?"


    "That day. It''s one of the reasons I moved Hope into that room in the first ce, there were only the two


    sets of keys. I''d forgotten at the time about him."


    Varys'' smile faded. "Yeah, be careful, Marco. If your memory ever causes a dangerous situation for


    Hope, I''m going to have to let you go."


    Marco snorted. "Varys, I''ve been with you since your Uncle ran the family. I''m not going anywhere. If


    you ever need to get rid of me just change my position, I''ll think of it as retirement."


    Varys held up a hand. "We''re close to the quarters. Let''s check his bed first."


    "If the bastard is still here." Marco replied. But despite his grumbling, he still did as Varys ordered and


    searched the bed of not just that guy, but all of his bunkmates as well. "Nothing, boss."


    "What are you guys doing in here?" The chef raised an eyebrow at them. "Because it looks like you''re


    rifling through your men''s possessions."


    "Just one man," Varys nodded. "Have you seen himtely?" He knocked on the post of the bed. "He


    has something I need."


    "Who? Garrett? No, he''s been gone since yesterday. Something about picking some woman up. He


    sounded pissed about it, but looks like he went and did it anyway."


    Garret. It was nice to have a name with the bastard''s face. Shit, the more he heard about him, the more


    it sounded like he was the actual mole Ethan bragged about. "Thanks, that''s enough information for us


    to start our investigation. You didn''t happen to see a rotund man around here either, did you?" Varys


    mimed the body shape of Vincent.


    "You know, I think I have, Boss," he answered with a nod. "He was just here less than ten minutes ago.


    A couple of your men were escorting him to the cars."


    A couple more? Just how many of his men had betrayed him? Varys took a moment, just a moment, to


    dream about dumping them into acid vats. When this was over, he was going to have a reshuffling of


    his business. Apparently too much of it had gonex if he had so many open traitors.


    "Boss?" Marco nodded towards the vehicles. "I can go after them alone. You stay here, enjoy the time


    with your fianc¨¦."


    "No," Varys replied. "I''m going to get my piece of flesh from anyone who dares to double cross me.


    We''ll go after them. All of the cars are bugged," he pitched his words low so the chef couldn''t make


    them out. Last thing he needed was more traitors following behind and either saving the first set, or


    trying to double cross him.


    "And your girl?" Marco nced over his shoulder back to where they''d left Hope and Max. "Is she really


    going to be okay if we leave the property like this? What if there''s more of those bastards?"


    If Varys discovered anymore traitors, he''d just get rid of the entire lot and start from scratch. Enough


    was enough. "I''ve got faith in Hope. She''s not about to betray me." Funny, just the day before and he''d


    never be able to utter those words. But Hope hadn''t been responsible for what had happened to his


    family. Instead she''d just been another victim that Ethan was able to sweep off her feet. And now he


    was trusting her, with a man that had feelings for her.


    "If you say so, Boss."


    "I say so," Varys repeated. "Believe me, when you understand Hope more, you''ll understand why I trust


    her."


    "Well, even if you trust her, what about that asshole with her?"


    "We''ve discussed what will happen to him if heys hands on her. It''s taken care of. At this point, I trust


    them both." Varys swallowed. How long had it been since he''d uttered words like that before? Trusting


    a woman at all would have normally been impossible.


    But Hope was his eternal hope. He just loved her too much to ever doubt her again. "Let''s get going,


    Marco. The faster we track those bastards down, the better."

 Chapter 48: 48- The Drunk Doctor

    Chapter 48: 48- The Drunk Doctor


    "Are those wraps getting bloodier?" Hope questioned as she probed Max''s side.


    The man grit his teeth. "Damn it, Hope, stop prodding me, I''m not a piece of meat here, not for you


    anyway."


    Hope ignored him and put a hand on his forehead as she searched his eyes. "Max, you''re burning up.


    We need to get you out of here."


    Max snorted. "And just give you to whoever the mole is? No way."


    Mole? "Tell me more about the mole to keep your mind off what I''m doing," Hope encouraged as she


    poked at another one of his injuries. It wasn''t just her imagination .He was still bleeding at some points.


    If she didn''t take care of this soon, awful things were going to happen to him.


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    "Ethan was bragging about it before I crushed his fucking windpipe. Some of Varys'' men are bought off.


    Ethan promised that Varys would never get to keep you. My guess is these sleeper agents are going to


    come for you, and since Ethan is dead, they''re just going to try to kill you as well."


    "And these people are the ones that have Uncle Vincent?" Hope continued. Good, at least two of his


    injuries weren''t weeping. Fucking Ethan with wanting to make his targets suffer. Thank God that man


    was off the face of the.


    "Probably," Max groaned as his eyelids fluttered. "I feel like I''ve been hit by a truck, Hope. Did you run


    my heart over when you rejected me? Is that what this is?"


    Hope only winced a little. "No, Max. You''re running a fever, I think. You''re burning up, your injuries are


    red and one is leaking pus. You need a doctor."


    "Not happening, we''re locked in this room, and I''d rather die than put you at risk."


    Hope ran to the door and pulled on it but to no avail. Of course it was locked. She''d heard it lock. And


    she was stuck here, with a possibly dying Max while she waited for Varys to return.


    The window on the door opened and she stared into a pair of friendly green eyes. "Were you trying to


    get out? Did something happen?"


    "Who are you?" Hope demanded as she eyed him with a frown. "I don''t recognize you."


    "It''s fine, you don''t need to. I was left to guard you, but I heard you at the door." He nced past her at


    the figure of Max on the bed. "Hey, is he okay?"


    "No," Hope replied. "Do you have the key to this room?"


    He nodded. "Yeah, Varys wouldn''t have left you without a way to get you out. I''ve got it on me."


    "Good, call me a doctor for him. I won''t have him die because of Ethan getting in my way."


    "Call a doctor?" he replied. "Sure. "Hey, if you need anything, my name is Garret, okay?"


    Hope nodded. "Thanks, Garret. Just call the doctor for me first."


    "Right away, we''ve got one on staff. I''ll go grab him." The little metal te mmed as he left and Hope


    went back to Max''s side once more.


    Sweat beaded up in little pearls not just dotting his face, but his entire body. He grimaced as he stared


    nkly up at the ceiling. I''m fine, Hope. Stop worrying."


    "You''re not, we''ve got to get that fever down. The doctor will be here soon."


    "I don''t need one," Max growled at her as he closed his eyes. "I just need a little rest. I''ll be just fine


    after that. You nag so much, I''m dodging a bullet, really." His words slurred at the end.


    Hope ran to the sink and turned the cold water on full st. There wasn''t much to use in here that


    wasn''t dirty, so she took desperate actions. She took the bottom of her shirt and tore it into one long


    strip stopping only before it reached the bottom of her bra. She thrust the improvised cloth under the


    water and wrung it out before plopping it on Max''s head.


    He rxed beneath the touch and smiled. "That feels great."


    With her hands still cold, Hope stroked them over Max''s cheeks and neck. "When you get better, I''m


    kicking your ass, Max. If you destroy things between me and Varys because I have to take care of you,


    I''ll set you on fire."


    Max chuckled. "You two sound like a match made in hell."


    "Shut up," Hope snapped as she stroked his forehead again. It was helping, but what he needed was


    actual medicine.


    The door swung open and a doctor walked in, followed by the young guard from before. He wore ck


    leather gloves and clenched his fist as if working the leather. "Here you go, one half-asleep doctor."


    "I wasn''t half-asleep, I was drunk off my ass, you idiot." He stumbled into the room. "Now, let''s see,


    who is our lucky patient today?"


    "You brought me a drunk doctor?" Hope demanded. "he''s all but useless!"


    "Hey," the doctor snapped. "Unless you want me to tie you down for nonpliance, I suggest you


    stand back and let me work my magic." He pulled out a bag and shook it. A variety of items shed


    against each other. "We''ll start him on antibiotics right now. They won''t take long to kick in, and he''s


    going to feel like a brand new person when they do."


    The bottle the doctor dug out spun around and around in his hands as he attempted to thwart the child-


    safe technology. "Here, let me help," Hope snapped. She grabbed the bottle from him and popped the


    lid. Odd, these didn''t look like any antibiotics she was aware of. They looked homemade actually.


    "Here, take these," The doctor grabbed them up in a handful and shoved them at Max. "Just swallow


    them dry, Lad, you''re a man, aren''t you?"


    Hope stared at the pills as Max struggled against the doctor. "These don''t look like regr antibiotics,"


    she reached out and pped the pills from the doctor''s hands. "Sorry, I just don''t trust those."


    "Young Lady, do you know what you''ve done?" he snapped. "Guard, hold her down too. I have to take


    care of the patient."


    The guard smirked. "Whatever you say, Doctor."

 Chapter 49: 49- Tricked

    Chapter 49: 49- Tricked


    "Hey, Boss?"


    Varys didn''t have to look over. "I know," he replied as he pushed harder on the thin pedal of the gas.


    "We''ve been tricked."


    "I''ll take responsibility. I never thought we''d have so many traitors in the family."


    Varys shook his head. "It''s my fault. I was over-confident." He frowned as they crossed a hill and a


    restaurant with very familiar cars surrounding it was revealed. "There we go. You''ve got your weapon


    on you, Marco?"


    "Boss, really?" Marco chuckled. "You must be really distracted to ask me something like that."


    Varys nced away. He wasn''t about to let himself blush around anyone. He cleared his throat. "It


    doesn''t matter. Let''s just take care of these fuckers and be done with it. I want to get back to Hope."


    "Because you don''t trust that dick?"


    Varys nced over and red. "No, because I trust Hope, and I haven''t been able to touch her for far


    too long already."


    Marco chuckled again. "You really have fallen, Boss."


    "Shut up, Marco," Varys replied. Five cars. Who knew how many people were in them, and there was


    no chance this was an innocent gathering. "We''re going to have to be careful. Let''s go in through the


    back."


    "Hey, Boss?"


    Varys nced over again. "What now?"


    "I''ve got a couple presents I''ve been saving, they''re in the car." Marco walked to the trunk and popped


    it before leaning over and opening a secretpartment. "Thought they might be useful in case we ran


    into something like this."


    Varys drabbed the two objects as they were tossed and cocked an eyebrow. "Throwing those doesn''t


    seem that smart, Marco."


    "Who said I was smart, Boss?" Marco grinned. "Besides if we''re meant to kick it, well we can''t fight


    that."


    "You can''t, there''s no fucking way I''m cashing in until I''ve had many years with Hope." He opened his


    jacket and slipped the bombs inside the inner pockets. They bulged a little, but it was doubtful the


    traitors would know why. He just looked a bit chubbier than normal.


    The back door wasn''t locked, which clued Varys in on an important fact.


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    They were walking into a trap.


    Varys held up a hand to slow the other man down and Marco obeyed. He slid the door open bit by bit


    until they could peek inside. There were people gathered at the tables, and as Varys entered the room,


    they turned as if one and reached for their weapons.


    Varys smirked.


    Marco was right at his side as the two pulled out their own little surprises. Varys threw himself down to


    the ground as the bullets started to fly. At the same time he lugged the bombs into the big portion of the


    restaurant and Marco followed suit.


    The hail of bullets stopped as the assholes noticed just what he''d thrown in with them and they


    screamed for a total of two seconds before explosions rocked the area.


    Marco held his ears and winced as he shook his head. "Wasn''t that a bit overkill, Boss?"


    Varys snorted. "They betrayed me, they''re lucky I didn''t make them suffer longer. Come on, let''s get


    back. If there''s this many people willing to betray me, that only means there''s more that hasn''te


    out yet, and I left Hope alone." His fist clenched as his side as his arm trembled.


    "Sure, Boss." Marco shook himself again and grabbed Varys'' elbow, propelling him towards the exit.


    "Let''s go this way and get back to our car. People will notice this burning heap soon."


    "We should check the cars," Varys suggested with a frown. "I don''t want to waste the time doing it, but


    we''re supposed to be looking for her uncle, and her best friend. I think she''d be a bit pissed if I killed


    him in a barbeque."


    "You''re getting soft," Marco shook his head. "If your father saw you now-"


    "I''d tell him to fuck off," Varys replied with a grin. "I''d give it all up for Hope, Marco. But fortunately for


    you, I n to make her my Queen. I think we can make her perfect at the role, and someone has to


    keep an eye on those piss ants if they wanna betray me like this."


    Together the two of thembed through the parking lot until all the trunks and cars themselves had


    been searched.


    Twenty minutes and nothing to show for it, fuck.


    "Don''t worry, Boss. I''m sure there''s more of these dickheads. We''ll find them and press them till they


    give us the locations."


    "If they touched Hope-"


    "Boss, if they touched your woman I''ll peel their skin off with a rusty potato peeler and then dip them in


    salt before daring out their fingernails and throwing them in a vat of acid."


    "Not enough," Varys vowed with a shake of his head. "I hope that Max guy was worth more than he


    looked."


    "We''ll get back in time. If any of the others are turncoats, they''re not going to try anything without you


    being there to watch."


    Varys gave him a side-eye. "Are you serious right now?"


    Marco chuckled before his face paled and his eyes widened. He shoved Varys hard to the ground and


    as Varys watched, a bullet tore through the man''s stomach, and then another, and another. Marco


    coughed blood as his eyes met Varys. "Boss, run," he wheezed before falling over to the side in a pile


    of blood.


    Varys rolled to the side as the bullets continued and scanned the area. They wereing from just one


    gun. One person set up in the diner, injured and dying, and trying to take him out.


    Like hell he''d let them do that. Varys reached into his pocket and grabbed his own gun, sighted down


    the barrel, and squeezed the trigger. The other shooter went down in a spray of blood and brains.


    Varys leaned down beside Marco''s cooling body and closed his eyelids. "Thanks, old friend," he


    whispered as he got to his feet. He''d do something about burying the manter. For now, he needed to


    get back to Hope before anything else happened. And whoever was responsible for this whole thing,


    was going to pay.

 Chapter 50: 50- Danger

    Chapter 50: 50- Danger


    Hope was in the strange guard''s hold as the doctor hovered over Max. "Here, take these, you''ll feel


    better in no time."


    Max''s eyes were rolling by this point, but he listened to the words. He opened his mouth and the


    strange pills vanished within. He swallowed and Hope winced. "What did you give him?" she


    demanded as she struggled to break free. The man''s grip was like an iron vice. Nothing she did was


    budging him, and the way he stared at her as if she didn''t exist. It gave her the creeps.


    "Medicine, foolish woman," the doctor spat. "Now, I think we should give you some of the same. You


    look like you could be feverish too. Hold her steady for me."


    Hope didn''t like those words. She struggled more now and shoved her elbow back into the guard''s


    chest. He grunted and loosened his hold for a fraction of a moment.


    It was all she needed. She yanked herself away from him and dove for Max. Even in his state, his arms


    came around her, to protect her. "Max! Max, please you have to spit out what they gave you. Please!"


    Max didn''t answer and his fever had increased even more at this point. All of his skin was burning her.


    "Get away from my patient." the doctor demanded.


    The guard from before grabbed Hope''s hair and she yelped as she was dragged back. She red up


    at him and plowed her fist into his cheek. Snarling like an animal, he grabbed her by the neck and lifted


    her off the ground while she kicked and scratched at him.


    "Let me go!" Hope screamed.


    "There, keep your mouth open, just like that," the doctor encouraged as he held another of the pills


    close to her mouth. "You want to get better too, don''t you?" he smiled at her. "You''ve got to be your


    best health for your husband."Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    The way he said it sent chills through her and Hope howled like an animal before she leaned forward


    and bit the doctor''s hand. He cussed and punched her so hard she saw stars.


    "I got this," the guard spat. His leather-d hands were forced into her mouth with the pills inside and


    bite as she could, Hope couldn''t break free. The strange capsulesnded on her tongue and he held


    her mouth shut with his fingers pinching her nose. "Swallow, bitch," he growled.


    "What did you say?" Hope blinked and looked to the side where the growl came from. Max was sitting


    up his chest heaving and his skin oh so very red. "No one calls her that." He dug through his pockets


    for his gun, aimed it, and fired.


    Hope winced as she waited for the impact, but the bullet went wide. It plowed into the wall beside the


    guard. The man let go of Hope for a moment as he scrambled for his own weapon and she took the


    opportunity to spit the pill straight into the doctor''s face.


    The man screamed as he bit at it.


    That was not a good sign. Just what the hell was in those pills?


    "I didn''t get paid enough for this shit. Just knock them out so we can take them with us."


    "No," the guard replied as he pulled out his own weapon and aimed it at Max. "I think we should just


    take the bitch. That guy can die, right here. We don''t need him. He doesn''t have long anyway."


    Hope broke free again, grabbed the gun, and struggled with the man for it. Unfortunately for her, the


    doctor wasn''t a stranger to fighting and grabbed her and wrenched her arms behind her. She screamed


    and bucked as the guard aimed his gun again. "Stop!" she demanded. "Please, stop, I''ll do anything


    but leave Max alone!"


    His smirk was slow but it overtook his entire face. "Anything, huh? Thene with me, now. I''ve got


    some people you should meet."


    Hope shivered and nced over at Max. His breathing was ragged now. "What about Max? He''s going


    to die?"


    "He can die from the poison, or I can put a bullet in his head. I''ll be nice and let you make the decision."


    "You''re going to kill both of us, aren''t you?" Hope whispered. "Even if I do everything you say, you want


    to kill us."


    The guard''s grin grew. "Yeah, you''re going to die. But hey, it''s up to you on how you get to die. Is it


    going to be fast, or do I get to take my time and get to make you suffer before sending you back to your


    husband?"


    "You''re Ethan''s men?" she whispered. "But, you don''t have to do this! Ethan is dead!"


    His lip twitched. "I know, and that''s why you''re going back to him. He''s paid me already, and I always


    keep my debts. I for one hope you keep fighting. I''ll enjoy killing you slowly."


    "I don''t understand," Hope whispered as she gave in. "Why do you want to kill me? I''ve never done


    anything to you. I don''t even know you!"


    He chuckled. "Don''t know me? Why would I even register to you? But as for never doing anything to


    me? Oh no, I think it''s time we give you a refresher oh just what kind of destructive bitch you are." He


    grabbed one of his leather gloves with his teeth and tugged it off until his skin and thework of angry


    red scars were revealed. "Does this ring any bells?"


    "Oh," Hope whispered. She did recognize him after all. "You joined Ethan after that? But you''re too


    organized for only being with him a few days... You can''t be the ringleader."


    "Did I ever say I was only working with him for a few days?" He chuckled again. "No, I''ve been with


    Ethan for a very long time, turning over his men one by one. It just got far easier when they saw how


    they treated the poor guard that was just trying to inform him. I think the only one still loyal to that


    asshole is Marco, but we''ve got quite the present set for them too."


    Max stopped thrashing. His chest still rose in shallow breaths but it was clear, the man wasn''t even


    conscious anymore. "I give up, just please, don''t hurt Max anymore."


    The guard smirked. "I knew you''d see it our way. Come along, Doctor. We''ve got some more fun


    experiments for you to perform before we''re ready to send her to the other side. You did say your


    poison was fast-acting, right?"


    "This one will never wake up," the Doctor agreed before following the guard out of the room leaving


    Max on the b behind them. Hope vowed that she''d break free ande back to save him,


    somehow.

 Chapter 51: 51- Bring Her Back

    Chapter 51: 51- Bring Her Back


    The mansion was dark when he got back. None of his men remained. Varys'' deep scowl only


    increased. Every step he took the worry inside him just continued to grow. How had things gotten this


    corrupted in his organization? He had more men than Ethan, so why was it full of more traitors?


    "Varys?" whispered a voice up ahead. "Is that you?" he recognized the voice, but he was in


    considerably worse shape than when he''d left him.


    Varys rounded the corner to go down the stairs to where Hope was being kept safe and stared down at


    Max. The man was holding his sides as he panted. His eyes were wild and the sweat trickled from him


    non-stop. "Max, where''s Hope?"


    "Your doctor took her," Max panted. "They left me for dead, I''ve been trying to follow them, but my


    progress has been slow, to say the least." He coughed and his whole body shuddered from the action.


    "I don''t have a doctor," Varys growled. "How many was it?"


    Max peered at him hard. "Are you by yourself?"


    "Ethan bought off my entire family, except for Marco, and he didn''t make it." Varys nced away. He


    didn''t like admitting that part. "Who was with this fake doctor? How many men are we tracking?"


    Max leaned against the wall, his forehead pressed against the cold brick. "I only saw the doctor and


    that guard with the fucked up hands. They forced her to go with them, or they were going to shoot me."


    Varys''s rage started in his toes. They clenched and as it rose through his body his own skin deepened


    in color. "Why are you alive?" he ground out.


    "They left me for dead," Max panted. "But I''m not going to let them take her."


    "Looks like you already did that." Varys pointed out. "We need to hurry. You stay here, you''re in no


    shape toe with me."


    "Go ahead, I''ll limp after. I''m not stopping, not until Hope is safe. Those fucking bastards poisoned me,


    before I die, I''ll get her back to you."


    "Whatever," Varys turned his back on him and looked up and down the hallways. "I came from that way,


    and you came from down there. There are two paths left. You take the left, and I''ll go for the right."


    "Wait." Max stared at the ground before shaking his head and pointing. "Isn''t that Hope''s?"


    Varys leaned down and picked up the strands. Too soft and beautiful to belong to the maids, which he


    assumed to be traitors as well. He''d get rid of everyone that was left in this cesspit, the entire group.


    "Yes." Her hair, but why was it here?


    "She might have pulled it out herself." Max sighed. "She''s got faith in you."


    Those words made the rage inside him die out, instead to be reced with the unmistakable warmth


    she kindled in him by just being near. "I won''t let her down." Letting this friend of hers die would


    probably be part of that. "Here, take my phone, call this number, that''s my personal doctor. I don''t need


    you getting in my way. I''m going to follow this trail and get Hope back."


    Max nced from the phone to Varys. "Are you sure about this?"


    "Positive," Varys took his lock off and dialed the number himself. "There, talk to him, tell him what


    happened, I''m getting Hope."


    He didn''t turn back as he jogged down the hall. He didn''t have time to waste. Who knew what they


    would do to his Hope. He got to another intersection, and just in the way was another small strand of


    hair. She was leaving him a trail.


    They would pay for forcing her to this extreme. And he''d pay too forever leaving her in such danger. As


    he jogged down this tunnel he heard voices at the far end echoing.


    "Where are all the cars?" barked a voice that Varys couldn''t ce.


    "Looks like the others went to celebrate too early. Bunch of dumbasses, I told them to standby. No


    matter, my car isn''t parked with the others, we''ll have to walk a bit but we''ll make it. But don''t worry, we


    have such a cooperative prisoner, don''t we?"


    A whimper echoed and a sheen of red filled Varys vision. He knew that voice better than he knew his


    own. That was his Hope. What were the bastards daring to do to her? He softened his steps as he


    continued to approach step by step. He wouldn''t let them catch him, but he wasn''t about to stop the


    chase yet. If he could hear them, it was only a matter of time until he saw them.


    "Please, I did what you want. Why do you have to do this? Ethan is dead!"


    "As you''ve screamed at me before, and as I''ve told you, I don''t give a damn he''s dead. You''re still his


    wife, and you''re still going to be joining him."


    "Please! NO!" Hope''s scream echoed down the hall before a choked sob and whimpers of pain


    followed it.


    Varys reached for his gun. He wasn''t about to mess around. As soon as he got sight of the assholes,


    he''d disable them, and then the torture woulde. Hell, maybe that would be how he ultimately


    decided who was worthy enough to be in his family. There would be no room for traitors or softness.


    Except for Hope.


    Varys got to the end of the hall but there was no hair for him to find this time. Instead, he saw the backs


    of the men as they opened the door. It was a moment of distraction, and all Varys needed. He aimed


    and his finger curved around the trigger before gently squeezing. Hope was being tortured by the other


    asshole, but at least it would reduce his troubles to one.


    The doctor''s body fell with a thump and Hope was shaken before the monster grabbed her by her hair


    and used her for a shield. "You''re going to let me out of here, or I''m going to fucking shoot her in the


    face. She won''t be so pretty then."


    Varys snorted but held his aim.


    "Drop it," the asshole barked.


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    "I''m not stupid," Varys countered. "You let her go, and I''ll let you live, for two minutes. You try to hurt


    her, I''ll make your entire life agony."

 Chapter 52: 52- Rescued

    Chapter 52: 52- Rescued


    Varys.


    Varys had made it back to her, though her uncle wasn''t with him. She bit back another cry as the man


    tightened his hold on her hair. At least it wasn''t her neck this time. He lifted her by it until her toes


    scraped the floor. "How about it, Varys?" he demanded as he shook her. "Drop your gun, or I''m going to


    bash her brains in."


    Hope had no doubt he''d be true to this word. This man had went off the deep-end. Max was likely


    dead, and she was losing hope that her uncle was okay. "What''d you do to Uncle Vincent?" she


    demanded as she twisted in his arms.


    "Fucking bitch!" he exploded and shoved her hard into the wall. She grunted as her cheek scraped


    against the hard rock, but she didn''t give up. She kicked and wed at him. She was tired of being the


    model little prisoner. Not when Varys could see her.


    "Let my wife go," Varys demanded again. His gun was pointed.


    Hope didn''t care if he hit her by this point. She''d take the blow to get rid of this asshole. "Shoot him!"


    she demanded as she kicked at him again.


    The scarred hand covered her throat and she was dangled by that again as he mmed her over and


    over into the wall. She grunted with each hit and it just served to excite him because he lost all focus on


    Varys as he continued to throw her against one wall and then the other.


    The bullet rang out.


    Varys turned at the same time Hope did. Her attacker fell to the ground with a bullet to the side of his


    head and fell over, dead. Max stood at the far end of the hall, pale as a ghost and the gun in his


    shaking hand. "Bastard," he whispered before he fell forward on the ground in a faint.


    Hope wanted to run to him, but her strength was leaving her fast too. She''d spit out some of the poison,


    but there was enough in her system to weaken her. She copsed to her knees and would have hit the


    ground if Varys hadn''t grabbed her before she fell. "Varys," she whispered.


    He kissed her brows, her cheeks, her chin, and even her eyes before he ced a soft kiss on her lips.


    A kiss unlike the ones of need before. "I thought I was going to lose you," he whispered, his voice


    breaking. "Hope, you''re all I have left."


    "M''ok," Hope mumbled. "But, poisoned," she flopped her arm over to point at Max. "Him too."


    "Max, did you call the doctor?" Varys demanded as he swept Hope into his arms and cradled her next


    to his chest. "We need to get both of you taken care of."


    Hopeid her head on Varys chest as her eyes tried to close. "Varys, what about Uncle Vincent?" she


    whispered. She didn''t want to lose any more of her family, she couldn''t handle it."


    Varys didn''t answer, he just kissed her forehead. "We''ll find him if he''s out there. I promise."


    Hope gave a little choked sob and nodded. She wanted to believe that he could, but all of her own


    hope and faith had been washed away. Her body was shaking from the inside out and her stomach


    clenched in painful knots. Her face had been torn in several ces and blood trickled from the wounds.


    But above all, all she wanted to do was close her eyes and drift into a deep sleep. Just go and submit


    to the darkness.


    "Don''t you fall asleep on me," Varys ordered. "Not until the doctor okays it."


    Hope did her best to keep her eyes open. But at the word sleep her eyes slid closed. The darkness


    hovered at her vision and all of her energy was being sucked away with it.


    "Hope!"


    His voice was as if it came from above as she slipped deep into the water. Down, down sinking away


    from the pain and everything else. Everything was drowned out and despite him saying her name over


    and over, she couldn''t force herself to open her eyes.


    Lips pressed against hers. Desperate lips, Lips that pleaded her name and were covered in salt. She


    tried to turn away from them, but they refused to give her peace. With a whimper, she pushed against


    him in a bid to get away, but instead, she was crushed against a muscled chest.


    "Hope, I''m sorry for this."


    Strange, what was he apologizing for?


    Her answer came sooner than she thought as a biting pain covered her nose. Her eyes flew open and


    she stared up at Varys as he bit her nose as his eyes zed. "Hope," he whispered as he realized she


    was awake and kissed the spot he bit. "You can''t sleep, you have to stay awake. Keep your eyes on


    me, okay? Just keep your eyes on mine. The doctor will be here soon." He nced over her head and


    she turned her head towards who he was asking.


    Max gave her a faint smile and she winced. He looked far worse than her, and probably felt it too. "Stay


    awake," he ordered. "Listen to Varys on this one. I don''t want to be awake anymore than you do, but I


    don''t have a choice, and neither do you."


    Varys chuckled. "Max, if you can help me keep her awake, I might have a job for you when this is all


    over."


    Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Max grinned. "Sounds great, but I''ve got a task of my own to take care of once I don''t feel like vomiting


    my insides all over the ce."


    Varys raised a brow. "And what would that be?" his words came out more in a demand than a question


    and Hope winced.


    Max smiled as he leaned against the wall and his own eyes half-closed. "I''m going to find our missing


    people, I am a private investigator after all. I think I''m a bit more qualified than you for the task, Varys.


    Besides, you have a wedding to n, right?"

 Chapter 53: 53- Surreal Dreams

    Chapter 53: 53- Surreal Dreams


    Varys sat beside the bed as a chorus of beeps drove him insane. But as much as he hated them, those


    beeps meant Hope was alive. She was still fighting. The doctor looked at him and nodded. "She''ll be


    fine, she''s had a tough experience, and I worry about the trauma it might have mentally caused her


    more than her health. The poison has been counteracted."


    The rock that had been crushing his chest slowly dissolved. "And your other patient?"


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    He sighed. "That one is a tougher case. It''s not often I''m grateful for a fever to that degree, but I have


    to say, I think that one saved his life. But, I just don''t know if he''ll ever wake up."


    Varys nodded. "Don''t let her know that part."


    "He has a good chance because the fever helped slow that poison down, but I don''t want to give you


    false hope."


    "He''ll wake up," Varys replied. "He''s got a job to do, and if he wants to work for me, there will be no


    cking."


    "Since her vitals are okay at the moment, I''m moving on. If you need anything, just buzz the nurse''s


    station."


    Varys watched the doctor go before he took Hope''s hand in his and squeezed it gently. "Hey you,


    there''s no more danger to you now. Your nightmares are all over. You can wake up ande back to


    me anytime."


    Varys was exhausted himself and he still wanted to mourn the loss of Marco. However, he wasn''t about


    to do anything without seeing Hope''s beautiful eyes one more time before he allowed sleep to im


    him. The nightmares that usually haunted him were going to be far worse after a day like today.


    Hope''s hand moved in his and a momentter her eyes fluttered open and she stared at him. "Are you


    a dream?" she whispered her words slurred with sleep.


    "Completely real," he assured her.


    She smiled at him, a goofy happy smile. Her medical care was the very best, even down to the pain


    medicine they were pumping through her veins. He''d give up his entire fortune to cure her. Besides,


    he''d get it all back when he picked up Ethan''s empire. He''d go back to where they left him and cut his


    fucking head off to mail to anyone else who tried toy im.


    Hope giggled. "I always dreamed of it, you know."


    He turned his attention back to her and quirked a brow. "Dreamed of what?"


    She grinned. "Our wedding."


    Varys was a little jealous of her and the care she was getting by this point. He wanted to have a chance


    to dream about their wedding, though he was certain his dream would just burn into a nightmare. "Want


    to tell me about it?"


    She nodded. "You were there, and I was there," she giggled again. "And Uncle Vincent, and Max, and


    Ste, even Mom and Dad. And we were all so happy. The cake was huge! You got me a cake in the


    shape of a diamond. Who does that? It was too big to eat but we had fun trying. And we danced until


    my feet hurt."


    "Sounds like it''s going to be a fun time." Varys kissed her fingers. "If you want a cake in the shape of a


    diamond, you''re going to have it."


    "I just want to be happy," Hope answered instead as she snuggled against her pillow. "I just want a


    husband that loves me, and doesn''t try to sleep with my bestest best friend in front of me."


    "Never," Varys agreed. "Hope, you''re the only woman I''ll ever need."


    She tilted her head and studied him with narrowed eyes. "Say, Varys," she mumbled.


    He leaned closer. "What is it?"


    "Yeah, I think that''ll work." She nodded to herself.


    "Don''t let me in suspense, you, what will work?" Varys demanded. He wanted to growl at the woman for


    giving him the run-around. She had the most mischievous smile he''d ever seen on her.


    She cocked her head at him. "Our kids of course!"


    Kids? Varys blinked. That had not been the answer he expected. Kids? It wasn''t that he didn''t want


    them, eventually. But he didn''t want to share Hope anytime soon. Still, she was drugged, maybe it


    wouldn''t hurt to humor her just this once. "What about them?"


    "They''re going to be so pretty," she gushed. "At least the boys will be. Do you know how handsome you


    are?" she scrunched her nose. "I bet you don''t. How many women have you slept with after you


    pretended to die?" she demanded.


    "Uh," Varys stared at her. She didn''t look drugged. She looked serious and the happy smile was gone


    from her lips. She was ring at him now. "I didn''t pretend to die."


    "You did, and you left me all alone and my heart broke and I ended up with that nasty Ethan cause he


    said he could make me forget." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. "And he lied! I never


    forgot. I could never forget. We were supposed to be together, always."


    Varys shook his head at his wife-to-be and kissed her knuckles again. "We''re going to be together


    always now, love. Nothing is going to take me away from you again."


    She beamed. "You better keep that promise, Varys Flint. Flint, flint... Hope Flint?" She screwed up her


    nose again. "Does that sound weird? Hope Flint? Maybe I should keep my maiden name."


    "Get some more rest you little minx," Varys scolded. How long had it been since he''d smiled like this?


    He just loved this woman so much. Even drugged, she made his day.


    "Do I have to?" she whined. "Oh, but wait if I go to sleep I can see our wedding again, and our kids!"


    "Yes, so you need to get to sleep right now," Varys encouraged as he kissed her soft and sweet. She


    was so cute, there was no way he could resist the lure of her lips.


    "Love you," she whispered before she fell back over and started snoring.


    Varys chuckled at her again before shaking his head. She''d messed all her covers up and they were all


    over the bed, and not on her. He pulled them right up to her chin and tucked them around her so she


    couldn''t throw them off in her sleep. "I love you too," he whispered with a kiss to her still bruised nose.


    "Always."

 Chapter 54: 54- Nightmares and Love

    Chapter 54: 54- Nightmares and Love


    Hope woke up to the rays of sunshine warming her face through the blinds. Her head still pounded, but


    at least she didn''t feel like she was fighting to stay alive. Varys was asleep at the foot of her bed, his


    arms used as pillows as he gently snored. With his hair all messed up, he went from the hot mafia boss


    to the cute boyfriend from so long ago. Well, cute soon-to-be-husband now.


    She didn''t want to wake him so she forced her body to calm itself as much as possible as she just


    watched him sleep. The day before''s proceedings was a huge nightmare by this point and she had


    problems figuring out what was real and what wasn''t.


    The door to her room opened a tall, very handsome, doctor stepped in. His salt-and-pepper hair only


    added to his appeal. He smiled at Hope with his oh so perfect teeth. "I''m d to see you are awake,


    and not likely to try to sing to me the periodic table this time."


    She didn''t remember that. "I did that?"


    He chuckled at her. "You did a lot more than that, Ms. Hope. You''ve been in and out of it for three days


    now. I''m d to see you and your partner in crime doing so much better. I was worried for a bit."


    Hope smiled down at Varys again. "He stayed with me with me the whole time?"


    "Oh, yes, he did. But I wasn''t talking about that one. I was talking about the man known just as Max.


    Now that you''re awake, he''ll be requesting to see you. I have to admit, I was a bit surprised to see him


    come out of this sooner than you did. But I''m relieved you''re both going to make a full recovery. You


    can even go home tonight."


    Home.


    Strange how that single word had changed into so many things in such a short course of time. No


    longer was home going to be a prison for her where her tormentor lived. No longer would she fear


    returning to it, or dread spending time in it. Home was going to be a ce of love, even if it was with


    another mafia boss.


    She frowned to herself. Would history just y out the same way again? She knew Varys wasn''t that


    kind of man, didn''t she? But she''d thought she''d known Ethan at the time. Things had started out good


    for them, until one day they were not. Could such a thing happen again?


    "Did you not want to see him yet?"


    "No, it''s okay. Send him in. I''m sure Varys will just sleep through it." Shebed her fingers through


    his hair and smiled at the softness. She could do that all day and never grow tired of the action.


    "As you wish." The doctor turned and left and a momentter Max strode through the door.


    Hope swallowed as she saw all the bandages. She''d done this to him. If she''d never got involved, he


    would have been safe. "Hello," she whispered.


    "Hey, I see what you''re doing. And I''m not going to have that. Stop ming yourself. It was my own


    fault for running after a pretty girl that caught my fancy. I don''t want to hear any meing from


    you. This isn''t your fault, it''s not even Varys fault." He nced over at the sleeping man. "Though I''d


    like to me him. I gotta admit, I was wrong about him."


    "What about?" Hope pulled her covers just a bit tighter around herself.


    "He really loves you, Hope. Not to say I didn''t, I did, I still do, but I want what''s best for you. As much as


    I hate to admit this, that''s him. Besides, I''ve got a top secret mission of my own to go aplish. Can


    you put off your wedding till I return?"


    "You want me to dy my wedding? What for?"


    "I''m going to go get your bridesmaid and the man to give you away. If they''re out there anywhere, leave


    it to me to find them. You just focus on healing up in the meantime."


    Hope looked him up from top to bottom. "You look way worse off than me, Max."


    He grinned. "I was worried you''d forgotten my name, Hope. But I promise you, I''m getting them back,


    and we''re all going to be there at your wedding. Those assholes had to have left evidence of where


    they were taking the others, and I''ll find it." He gestured with a thumb at the sleeping Varys. "And this


    guy is footing the bill. Gotta save up to get my office and your uncle''s coffeeshop back together again,


    going to put fucking insurance on it this time around."


    Varys groaned from his ce and opened one eye. "If you can do what you said within a week, you can


    have the money to rebuild the whole thing. If you''reter than that, you get half of it. I want to be


    married by this time next week."


    Max chuckled. "You''re not giving me a lot of time there, man."


    Varys shrugged as he stretched before smirking at the other man. "You''re the fancy private investigator


    right? This is right up your alley? So, prove it. Find out what happened to them, and get back by our


    wedding. If you don''t, you''re going to miss it, because I''m marrying this woman so the whole world


    knows she''s mine."


    Hope flushed as the heat climbed to her cheeks. It was one thing for Varys to say that kind of thing in


    private to her. But it was an entirely different matter when it was in front of Max. "Good luck," she


    whispered to him. She was not quite able to meet his eyes, but that was okay. She knew he''d


    understand.


    "See you in a week, Hope," Max agreed as he strode out of the room in perfect confidence.


    In fact he was so confident, Hope believed that he really could do what he said.


    "Now," Varys mumbled as he leaned closer to her.


    "Now?" Hope parroted as his eyes settled on her lips.


    "You''re not drugged anymore, right? You will remember all of this?"


    Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Hope nodded. "Clear-headed as I can be, why?"


    Varys grinned and pulled the side rail of her bed down as he peeled back the sheets. "Because now I''m


    going to spend some time with you, woman."


    Hope wasn''t given a chance to respond before the soft heated kisses began.

 Chapter 55: 55- Love and Him

    Chapter 55: 55- Love and Him


    Hope pushed against his chest. "We''re in the hospital," she hissed as she stared at the door.


    Varys smirked and pulled out a key. "And I have enough money to own this ce." He slipped out of


    bed and locked it. "Better?" he challenged.


    Hope blushed again and nodded. He loved how cute she was when she turned red like that. "Better,"


    she admitted.


    Varys stripped slowly. He slipped his jacket off and let it pool to the ground. He didn''t need that kind of


    gun right now. His t-shirt was pulled off next, and then he kicked off his pants until he was just in his


    boxers. "Hope," he whispered.


    Her breathing had sped up as her eyes stayed glued to him. He smirked. At least some things hadn''t


    changed. "Varys," she whispered as she licked her lips. "What are you doing?"


    Silly girl, as if she couldn''t see what was about to happen. "I''m about to make love to you. I can''t wait


    until we''re out of the hospital, I want you now. I want to show you with every inch of my body how much


    I love you."


    She blushed again and looked away, but she still flipped the covers over and scooted to the side of the


    bed so he would have room. He slipped out of his boxers and his already painful erection, got harder


    as he neared her.


    "You''re so beautiful," he whispered as he slid under the covers with her. His kisses were soft, reverent,


    as he covered every inch of her face before settling on her lips. He turned her so she was in his arms


    and his hardness was pressing against her belly before he kissed her harder. His lips devoured her as


    he edged a knee between her thighs. "Open for me," he whispered against her lips.


    Hope obeyed.


    She was still wearing her hospital gown so the panties they had given her was discarded in one easy


    tug. He dragged his hand through her curls before slipping into her already wet folds. She wiggled


    against his touch. "Varys," she gasped his name now. A plea, a beg, it didn''t matter. He wasn''t close to


    done.


    His kisses descended. Down from her lips now, to her throat where he sucked on the skin until he left a


    mark, his mark. Then further south he traveled with soft little nips. He slipped one of her perfect


    rosebud nipples into his mouth and sucked on it as he squeezed her breast.


    Every movement from him was rewarded with a little moan or a little pant from her. The soft whimpers


    of his nameing from her as she fought to not be loud.


    He didn''t care about being loud. He wanted her to moan so loud the hospital heard her and knew they


    were each other¡¯s. It could be a while before Hope was ready for that kind of disy. He teased her


    taut nipple with his teeth and continued to kiss down. His tongue traced around her belly button and


    she giggled and pushed at him as she panted.


    As he got closer her hips started to thrust toward him.


    He knew what she was wanting, what she was begging for, and he wasn''t about to let her down.


    He kneeled on the bed as he parted her legs the rest of the way. He exhaled directly on her and she


    squealed. While she was in the midst of making those wicked sounds, he attacked. He sucked on her


    clit directly as his tongue slidzily inside of her. Her squeals became moans and she grabbed the


    hospital pillow and pushed it against her mouth.


    Varys ravished her lips licking and stroking the folds and inside with his tongue making faster and


    tighter strokes until she was squirming for a different reason. She grabbed onto his shoulders and her


    hips rose to meet his mouth before she gasped and went limp. He licked the sweetness that trickled


    from her and kissed his way back as he nudged her thighs open again. "My turn," he whispered with a


    wink.


    Hope didn''t fight him. She slipped her arms around him as he slid inside of her. He moaned at the tight


    wetness that clung to him. Every time he moved, her body sucked him right back, squeezing him so


    hard he groaned himself.


    Everything about her was perfect.


    Hope''s pants came in hot little bursts as he started to move inside of her. He gripped her hips for slow


    but deep strokes. She moaned in response and moved up and down to match him. "Varys," this time


    his nameing from her lips sounded like a prayer.


    And he was ready to answer all her prayers.


    He buried his face in her shoulder as he pumped his hips faster and faster. Over and over again he


    pulled her all the way down on his throbbing dick. All he wanted was to enjoy this moment for the end


    of time. The way she clung to him, squeezed him, refused to let him go as if she wanted to milk his


    cock of every drop of cum he could give her.


    "Varys," she gasped again. She was moving on her own now. Meeting him thrust for thrust as she lost


    herself in the moment. Her hands were like talons on his shoulders but he didn''t care. Being inside her


    was worth everything. "I''m going to-" she gasped as her body jerked and squeezed him even tighter


    before, sucking him deep inside of her.


    "Damn it," Varys gasped as he lost the battle and he gripped her hips with a new abandon and he


    thrust himself fast and hard inside of her. There was nothing left now but chasing the moment of


    release. "Hope," he moaned, "I can''tst any longer." He wanted to fuck her all night, but just being


    inside her this first time was pushing him over the edge.


    "Give it to me," she ordered as she stared straight into his eyes.


    Varys was ovee and he unleashed all of himself inside. His dick spewed as if it would never stop


    as he shot load after load deep deep inside his woman''s weing pussy. She was his, finally, and


    nothing and no one would ever take her away again. No matter what happened in the future, they had


    just imed each other in the most basic way possible.


    "Varys?" she mumbled as she kissed his shoulders where she''d wed him.


    "Yeah?" he grunted as he leaned down to kiss her.


    Hope wiggled her hips and his dick was squeezed again. "I''m not done yet, we can go another round,


    can''t we?"


    C¨°ntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Varys grinned. It was going to be hard telling this woman of his no, and he wasn''t about to start


    now.

 Chapter 56: Epilogue

    Chapter 56: Epilogue


    "Oh my God," Hope gasped and buried her face in Vary''s shoulder, grimacing, "Ste is drunk. Not a


    good sign."


    Turning her head to the side she peeked a look at apletely drunk, wobbly Ste rolling her finger


    around the tie that Max was wearing mumbling something while winking at him, trying so terribly to be


    flirtatious while Max put a fist over his mouth, clearly trying to stifle hisughter.


    She felt Varys'' shoulder shaking. Narrowing her eyes she put the champagne ss in her hand on the


    nearby table and turned to face him, "Hey! Instead ofughing, get someone to help her!"


    Varys grinned and slipped his hand in her waist pulling her in his embrace. The white dress made her


    look like an angel, he was never going to get over how beautiful she is.


    "I think it is time your ex- lover and your best friend find their own love."


    N?velDrama.Org holds text ? rights.


    Hope''s eyes widened in shock. Turning her head she nced once again at Max and Ste, one in a


    ck tuxedo, while the other in a gorgeous, squinted ck gown, standing closely, making Ste''s


    incoherent mumbling look like a loving couple whispering intimate words to each other.


    "I ship them, dude." she shook her head in a daze, "totally. I did not even realize how good they both


    look together."


    "Don''t call me- dude." Varys growled, grabbing her chin gently in between his forefinger and thumb and


    turning her head to himself, "and stop staring at him. It''s our wedding day!"


    Hope smiled and lifted her hand up to touch the side of his face lovingly.


    "Oh by the way, did you see uncle Vincent?" she perked up her head, looking around, "I have not seen


    him since the ceremony ended."


    "Probably still crying for giving you away to me at the alter." Varys snickered.


    "What?" Hope whispered in horror, "but... but this is literally my second wedding."


    "Well, he could not attend the first one so he is probably making up by crying for both."


    At Varys'' words, they both startedughing.


    *****


    5 Years Later


    "Varys, stop him!" Hope begged.


    "He is having fun, woman." Varys grinned and pulled her in hisp on the couch as they both stared out


    from the balcony of their mansion, "Leave them be."


    Below them in the garden, a four years old toddler ran after Vincent with a toy gun in his hand, shooting


    out spurts of water on him whileughing loudly.


    "Uncle will get tired." she murmured, snuggling in his embrace and kissing his lips lovingly, "that brat of


    yours is going to bother him until he goes back home."


    "Don''t call my devil spawn of a child just a mere brat," Varys narrowed his eyes in mock anger and


    pinched on her waist, making her squeal and hold on tighter to him.


    "Stop it!" she narrowed her eyes at him, fully knowing how fast his moods changed and his intentions


    too.


    "Only if you give me a hundred more of those devils'' spawns." he smirked and slipped his hand inside


    the top she was wearing.


    "Are you mad! Never going to happen!"


    Varysughed and buried his face in her neck, leaving small bites and kisses while murmuring, "Then I


    am not stopping ever in our lifetime either."


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