CHAPTER 45

A pain spread across his head and arms that were tied about his head, as Raven gained consciousness but his eyes remained close. He groaned. There were some faint voices talking somewhere far away but he could not make out what they were speaking or where they were.

He slowly twisted his wrist, and winced as his hands hurt from the rope fastened around them. He tried to move but his knees were sore from kneeling.

Cold wind was gushing across him, making his limbs tremble. He raised his head and leaned his head back into the cool air, as he squinted his eyes and blinked them open. There was nothing but the night sky spread far across in his view. Weakly, he glanced at the lady who was with her back towards him and immediately knew who it was.

"Christine.." Raven hissed at the name and she turned around. A disgusting smirk playing on her lips as she lazily strolled towards him.

"Oh, baby are you awake. How are you feeling?" She crouched down to where Raven was kneeling before her fingers came to his neck.

"Tsk. You lost a little blood I see," her knuckles grazed his bloody skin and Raven yanked his head away. He could not be more disgusted. Christine chuckled when she saw his scrunched face and clenched jaws.

"Someone is boiling in rage. Why Raven, do you wanna fight?" She now kneeled in front of him, her hands coming up to cup his face desperately as her breath fanned over his lips.

"Let's have a fight, tonight, in my bed. Hmm?" Raven's nostrils flared as he vigorously shook his head, yanking her hands away from his face.

"Is that a 'No'?" She pouted.

"Untie me and see what I shall do," Raven gritted his teeth and saw a hint of fear in her eyes before she let out a fake laugh and stood up.

"You never change, do you? And you never learn either. I tried to keep you safe but you just don't listen. Now see where you ended up,"

What the fuck is she saying?

Raven avoided her rantings and looked around. They were at the terrace of his mansion. He didn't know how but he had to get out of there. The bitch wad crazy and he had no idea why she brought him there.

"Oh, no no. Don't try to escape, you don't wanna miss the special guest or do you?"

Christine shook her head, as if she was fed up trying to make him understand.

Special guest?

She was getting on his already throbbing nerves as Raven tugged  at the ropes that was tightly wound at the iron grills above. The last thing he remembered was seeing Miss. Jones passed out and then someone hit him. Raven bit the insides of his cheek.

Christine was definitely someone to stoop so low, just to sleep with him. His fingers tightened around the rope at the thought.

"Oh, the guest is here," Christine announced, excitedly looking up from her phone. Raven kept his head hung low, as she turned to him, grinning like an idiot.

"Oh comm'on, don't you wanna see your girl?" Her eyes travelled to the door and Raven's head snapped up, eyes following Christine's before it widened in pure horror.

"Anna," The name was hardly audible as he saw her coming, stumbling, tripping and bleeding.

"Fuck, No. Anna!" He gave a sharp tug at the rope, calling for her name at the top of his lungs. But the ropes just tightened around his wrist as he fell back on his knees.

"Anna," he cried.

She weakly looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot red as silent tears trickled down her face. She wobbled towards him, hardly able to keep her eyes open. Her droopy eyes were fixed on him, and so were his wife ones. A few steps away from him, and she collapsed.

"Anna, No," Raven leaned forward, helplessly trying to cover the few steps that separated him from her. She looked up again and her lips moved. He couldn't hear her voice but he read his name on her lips. He had never felt so helpless in his life, not even when Areum died in his arms.

No, I won't let that happen again.

"Anna, baby get up. Come to me," Raven said softly, trying to stable his own voice.

Anna breathed hard and tried to straighten up from the floor, pressing her palms against it. That's when Raven saw the blood oozing out from her shoulder. Raven cursed internally, hands flexing around the rope and veins popping along his neck.  He needed to get to her, by any means.

"Come to me, Anna." Raven said again and sat back on his knees, unable to move himself.

Anna tried to stand up when she stumbled down and fell down to her knees. Raven hissed when he saw her knees bleeding. He had no idea what happened to her and that infuriated him further. She tried to stand a few times, every time falling down, and every time she fell, Raven's grip tightened around the rope that was binding his wrists.

Finally giving up on trying, she got on all fours and crawled to him, leaving behind a trail of her blood across the floor. Raven leaned forward, ready to receive her and she crashed over his chest, her hands going around hid waist before she slid down to his lap.

"Anna. Talk to me," She whimpered before she grabbed onto his shirt and came up, kneeling before him, face to face. Her blood smudged all over his shirt as she reached up to his chest. The look on her face terrified him more than the state she was in. She was looking at him with a look he'd never seen before. She looked defeated, few steps away from giving up. But he didn't want to think about that. Raven leaned into her. Her hands were still fisted around his shirt as he pressed his lips onto hers.

"It's okay. I'm here. It's okay," he whispered against her lips that did not respond to his kiss. He pecked her lips several times but all he could feel was her ragged breathing against his mouth.

"Raven," She breathed his name like it was the only thing which could keep her alive, save her. Save then.

"Raven, ev-everything was a l-lie." She stuttered out and he ceased his brows.

Frustration was gushing through his body, not because he couldn't understand what she was saying but because he couldn't hold her. She was so close and yet he couldn't take her in his arms.

Anna clutched tightly onto his shirt, panting she leaned into his ear. Raven instantly buried his face into her neck, trying to hold her by any means possible.

"Areum.." The name rang in his ear as his full attention was now drawn to her words.

"What?" Raven asked softly and she leaned in more until her lips brushed his ears. "She..She was killed,"

His heart stopped and my body went numb as he processed her words. What did she say? Areum was...

"Tsk tsk tsk, love birds on the verge of dying. What a view," Christine darkly chuckled and the venom in her voice was very clear. Raven glared up at her and her chuckles died down.

"What? Didn't you know? Oops, did I give a spoiler?" This time she broke out into a fits of laughter and Raven's jaws clenched. But his mind was crushed between what Anna said and in the state she was.

"What happened, Anna? How did this happen to you?" Anna pulled back and grabbed hus collar bringing him close to her. Her nose brushed against his as she tried to calm her ragged breathing.

"Everyone l-lied to you. She was k-killed." She repeated and Raven gritted his teeth.

"Shit Anna. Just tell me what the fuck happened?" He begged her and her eyes met his, after all this while.

"Richard." She said.

Father?

"He did t-this. He did everything." Raven frowned.

No, it can't be.

"Anna, wake up. What are you saying?" He tried to find a hint of dizziness in her eyes but they were wide open, staring him dead in the eyes.

"It can't be." He was telling it more to himself than to her.

"What if it is?" A voice startled both of them as Raven glanced ahead, over Anna's shoulders to find the owner of the voice.

Dad?