Love Unspoken

Frustrated, he yanked at his tie, gasping for air, then tossed it onto the sofa.

Kyle, standing awkwardly to the side, ventured, "Quinn might come back on her own soon."

"Nothing on your end?" Alexander asked.

Kyle shook his head, "No, there's no surveillance on the road where she disappeared, but we've narrowed down the search area. The team should find her soon."

"That foolish woman!" Alexander huffed, undoing his shirt buttons and collapsing onto the sofa. "She'll follow anyone."

Kyle glanced at him, privately thinking that now was probably not the best time to point out that Alexander had left her behind the previous night. However, he wisely kept these thoughts to himself, not wanting to risk his job. "I'll go out and look again," Kyle announced before heading out the door.

After finishing her eggs, Quinn left and unexpectedly found Alexander's aide waiting by the bus stop. Recognizing them, she followed and hopped into the car.

Once they arrived back at the Villa, a palpable tension hung in the air. She glanced up to find Alexander slumped on the sofa, his expression grim, his hair disheveled, a few strands hanging limply over his forehead. His piercing gaze was fixed on her.

The air charged with tension, and the others promptly vanished, abandoning the villa with unspoken haste. Quinn bit her lip and walked towards him.

Before she could make another move, Alexander sprang to his feet, startling her into retreat.

"Why are you flinching?" He grabbed her wrist, pulling her close with a force that echoed disdain in his voice, his sneer sharpening as he saw the fear in her eyes. "Afraid? Where was that fear when you wandered off with someone else?" His grip was tight, and despite Quinn's attempts to wriggle free, it was useless. Pain etched across her forehead as Alexander took in her disheveled, dirt-streaked appearance, wondering where she'd been.

She lifted a hand, signaling pain.

"Pain? You feel pain?" he retorted, with no regard for the reddening on her wrist. "It seems any random guy is enough to lure you away these days. Tell me, do you even understand pain?"

Quinn wanted to explain that it wasn't just anyone. It was Juliet, the one who had raised her. But Alexander's grip left no room for words.

"You're becoming more disobedient by the day. I think it's time you learned your lesson."Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Quinn's eyes widened, and at his words, she instinctively began to struggle. Alexander dragged her towards a staircase corner. Quinn realized his intentions and resisted fiercely. Her fingers clawed at the sofa but were effortlessly peeled away. He hauled her in front of a door, kicked it open, and shoved her inside.

"Reflect in here. Once you've come to your senses, you can come out."

Quinn stumbled a few steps, then dashed to the door, clutching the frame. She shook her head desperately. The storage room was her nightmare, the dark shadow that stalked her life. He was the one who had saved her from it. Was he now sending her back in there?

With a pleading look in her eyes, Quinn was met by Alexander's indifferent gaze. He grabbed the doorknob, and despite her frantic tussles, he mercilessly shut the door.

Darkness enveloped her in an instant. The fears buried deep inside her surged like a tide.

She twisted the doorknob, but found that it was already locked from the outside.

Quinn pounded on the door with her fists, but the man outside had left her without a response.

Quinn's voice was too faint to communicate even a fraction of the despair that clenched her heart. She slumped against the door, an urge welling up inside her to tell Alexander of her fear. She was so scared.