Chapter twelve

I just paid attention to everything she said. I started frowning from one point.

"You are going to the wedding. You have to act like you are good to go for the wedding when you are out there."

"You don't need to frown or anything that will make anyone suspect that you are being forced to marry Jeremy," Malie said while demonstrating as she was talking.

Max was keeping a watch at the food and making sure that no one was coming or close by. No one had to hear what we had in store for Jeremy.

Oh well. I was eagerly waiting for that moment cause I could not wait anymore.

When it was time for the wedding, I started smiling. The blockade was tighter than ever. I wondered what was going to happen, but I played along.

"The maids are coming. They are coming." Maz said while Malie ran away into a place of the hideout.

I just adjusted myself and acted like I was waiting for them.

They all had their focus on me, like…I don't know.

Only one thing got me here. While they were focusing on me and adjusting my dress, Max went out silently. It was a little bit creepy. I did not know how to feel, because my eyes were fixed on the door all along. None of them paid attention to that. Let's say that was so unwise and robots are better.

Max got to see Jeremy before the wedding. I was just waiting for him. I was anxious at the same time.

What if he doesn't carry out the plan well. The plan I didn't even know…

I started overthinking everything. I could not help it. The maids left me a while ago and they returned to check up on me.

I knew that was the last time for me the next check up will be when the wedding will actually start.

The doorknob turned again. I thought it was the maids, and they came to tell me it was time for the wedding. To my greatest surprise, it was Max. The first thing that sounded in me was my heart. It felt like it fell into my stomach. I had a lot of questions but one was very important.

"Max, what is going on? I am lost." I said to Max. He looked at me like he had failed. I just interpreted that immediately.

"C'mon! We gotta get out of here!" Max shouted.

He looked at me while I stood dumbfounded. dragged me out of the room. It was so hard to run with the gown—it was too heavy.

We said nothing to each other till I saw we were out of the wedding venue, and we were far from it. We stopped. I was panting so heavily that it was the only thing left for me to survive.

I also had a lot of questions, I could not ask Max because he was panting too. It felt like I was going to choke with the questions I had.

A few minutes later after taking deep breaths.

"Max, Ma.Max! Where is Malie? What the heck is going on here? I'm so confused."

Max looked at me exhausted. He dragged me again.

"Max, no! I don't want to run again. I don't want to die, c'mon."

"You ain't even answering my questions, what if you are Jeremy and you are masked." I said while letting go of my hand from his.

I absolutely don't know how that idea came about but, it did.

"Malie left the room immediately after I left. You weren't looking at the door again." Max said straightforwardly. I could not bear that. I mean they would have informed me about the plan. They should have told me about it.

"Y'all just treat me badly in this world." I paused.

"Hey! What of Jeremy? Where, and how did you do that?" I asked.

" I drugged him. That young man is tough to handle in a normal state. Malie added sleeping pills to the drinks of the people at the door and gates."

"Alysa, we have made it to this point. We don't need to slack, slow down or reconsider what we did." Max said and suddenly the strength to run returned like adrenaline flowing quickly through my veins.

We took a cab to the airport. It turned out that the tickets were already booked for Paris.

I started feeling bad after I realized I was not going to see Malie again. I needed to appreciate her for helping me out. I wish I could.

It was almost evening. We waited for the departure time.

Max was feeling bad throughout our wait. He added more powder to his drink. It could cause harm if something wasn't done. I felt bad too, but there's always a consequence of being an evil person without any form of mercy. I was feeling happy inside and sad inside again. I just told myself it was okay to be confused. I did want to remember the bad things he did to me in the closed room every night, so I changed the topic.

***

We arrived in Paris and I quickly entered a boutique to change my clothes. At some point, I was worried I might be traced. I could have changed when I was asking questions. That bothered me so much that I was messing up things at the boutique.

I took a breath of relief. Nothing could be better than this. I just wanted to be safe.

"Thank you Max. Thank you for the clothes and for bringing me back to Paris."

"I will never forget this favor." I said while looking into his eyes

"Will you want to go back home?" Max asked. My face changed like I was fed with the sight of something disgusting. The only family I had was no more. I refused to dish out my family problems to him, but my actions won against my words—as usual.

Actions speak louder than words.

I did not give any answer.

"Oh, let's go to my place then." Max added. I quickly replied.

"Sounds great to me. You are gonna make dinner right?" I asked.

" No." He said blunty.

I kept my mysterious baby face while looking at him.

"The funny face ain't gonna work on me." He added.

Damn.

Yes, that was my favourite word. It was always ringing in my head.

Damn.

Damn.

Damn.

" You are joking, why won't you wanna make dinner?" I asked.

"I don't want to stress because you don't want to male dinner either." I said while walking a little bit slower than hewaa walking.

" Pur!!! I'm tired. I left another city to go on a run. I don't have such strength." I said without looking at his face.

He didn't know I did not eat any reasonable food in that room. I only ate insults and assaults.

"Well…" Max paused. He stopped a cab at his apartment. He turned and looked at me. I could fix his head on mine because he was way taller than I was. I was looking up at him patiently waiting for a sweet reply.

"I'm tired too." He said and got into the cab.

I just had to give up. I did not say anything in the can until we arrived home. Home? I mean, his apartment.

When I got this apartment my mouth could not keep shut. The decorations in the house were very beautiful.

"Oh damn! Max. These are very gorgeous." I told Max.

"Oh, thanks. They are minimalist ones. I'm glad you love them.

"I was fostered by Jessica and she taught me to value a lot of things. She taught me how to see beauty in the smallest things." I didn't have to give a reason but I did.

"Aww! That's just beautiful." Max complimented.

"Yeah, I miss her a lot," I added.

He ordered food. He ordered lots of food. I ate till I was full. I was hungry and I did not want to waste his money—He had done more than enough already. I did not want to be a problem to him.

I was starting to think a lot about him, I just started. I don't know how it started. I imagined how an editor-in-chief could have such a beautiful place. I loved the place a lot.

The next day, I remembered I was arguing with Max. I felt like arguing about who was going to make dinner. I got up early and washed my face. I arranged every nook and cranny of the house. I went out and I got some orders to prepare breakfast. The fridge was empty. I visited the store and got some things to make it look a little better.

"Thank you. That is really nice of you." He startled me. I was so lost about how my life has turned out. How bad things were becoming on my end. I decided to be optimistic about the whole matter.

I served breakfast.

"Max?"

"Come along with my shawl, please. I left it in the passage while leaning up earlier in the morning."

I said while finishing up the last things on the dining table.

"On it. I'll be there."

"Go on with breakfast…" He said.

I made a toast with his favorite tea for breakfast and I had a salad. It's been a while since I made toast. My life has been like a rollercoaster recently. I haven't eaten homemade food in such a long time.

I wondered how it was going to be. I just decided to stop worrying but there was no use.

"I'm here," Max said while settling for breakfast.

"Oh, I made toast. I hope you'll like it." I said reluctantly.

He smiled and I knew the toast was not bad at all. The breakfast was so quiet. I did not say much neither did he. We obviously observed good table manners.

He finished breakfast first and he put on the television. I wish he didn't. I was shocked to see the news.

"Jeremy is dead?" I screamed after dropping my salad bowl back on the dining table.

"Damn." Max said.

He said my favorite word. It was the only word I said when I felt bad in any situation.

The bride-to-be of Tribe of Anastia to the Alpha is missing.The bride-to-be escaped from the wedding ceremony.

That news teased me a little.

I got behind him to look at the news too.

I wish I did not see.

"You mentioned that you added something in his drink."

"Was it poisoned by you?"

"No, no. I'm thinking too far, Max. Cause I know you can't do that." I was frustrated. It felt like I planted revenge for Jeremy and I was not about to execute it because he is now dead.

"I can't do that. You know it. I'm really wondering how all of this…I am speechless."

Max said while he was fiddling with his phone.

I saw that he was reacting to what he saw on his phone. I was wondering what it was.

I walked quickly towards him. I grabbed his phone from him.

"What the hell!!" I screamed.

It was news on a gossip website. The fear I had when I was watched by maids in the room started coming back.

Max convinced me that it was the same drugs that were given to the men at the doors and the gate. I believed him. I had no choice.

We started thinking after some time…We deliberated on who could have killed Jeremy.

After much deliberation, none of us could crack the nut. Max did not reach out to Malie since we reached Paris.

I advised Max to reach out to Malie. We could have some hints from there. After trying the number a lot of times, we reached her.

We got to know that Jeremy's brother killed him. I did not know he had a brother. It made me as confused as Max was.

We stayed at home all day. On other days, Max had to go to work as his services were really needed.

I had a lot of alone time with myself. I tried getting a job sometimes and I got rejected too.

It made me feel bad.

I saw my life was crumbling and it was like I was being chased.

It was sad but I had no choice but to live on. It was not life and I had to face these problems that were coming.

The door was jammed. I was startled by it.

"Hello?" Max greeted me.

"Am I a burden to you?" I asked immediately. I turn to look at him and his reaction. I was not expecting anything either.