bChapter /b19

ALINA’S POV.

“WHAT?

“Are you out of your fucking mind!” I whisper–yelled. “I would die from that drop!”

“Oh rx and stop being dramatic.” I could imagine her rolling her eyes. “You

not really going to jump.” She added.

b“/bBut you just said

“I know what I said” She cut me off. “But what I mean on the other hand is entirely different.”

“Fine, what do you mean?”!--

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“You’re going to pretend to jump–God, I bcan’t /bbelieve I’m telling you to do this.” Her tone held disbelief. “Threaten him. bSay /bthat if he doesn’t talk to you, then you’re going to jump. You know he always lets you have your way when you make threats like this.” She reminded me

She was right. In the past, when Lucian wouldn’t let me go see Adrian, I would threaten to go on a hunger strike, or to slit my wrist. I even once tried to drown myself.

How stupid I had been.

But this time, this time, it was for a good reason

“How do I go about it?” I asked Talia.

“Do I have to teach you beverything/b?” She eximed frustrated. “Create a scene and draw a lot of attention–scream, cry–I don’t know, Ally, this isn’t your first rodeo.”

Sheesh “Okay, okay. I got this.”

“bYeah/b, yeah. But if all goes to bshit/b, keep my name out of your mouth. I don’t need your fiancéing for me.” She warned.

“Oh wow, What a great and supportive friend you are.” My tone was heavy with bsarcasm/b.

“I try.” She responded, definitely grinning. “Now goodnight. Some of us have to go to bed.”

She hung up before bI /bcould get another word out

She seriously needs to stop doing that.

I guess I’m on my own then.

I took a deep breath band /b

Here goes nothing.

gol up.

“bLucian/b!” I yelled, hanging on the door harder than ever. “Lucianb, /bbopen /bthis door now!” I demanded.”

My voice was loud enough to get the attention I needed from the staff in the bmansion/b.

I knew they were bsupposed /bto retire for bed–but I’m sorry. Unless Lucjan talks to me, nobody is sleeping tonight.

Was it selfish of me? Yes.

Did I care! Right now! No.

“Lucian, I swear to God, if you do not open this bdoor /bin the next five seconds, I bam /bgoing to hurt myself!” I threatened.

“One!” I yelled.

-Two

“Three.”

6:29 AM P P .

b“/bFour.”

“Five.”

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

That pissed me off.

1 stormed to my room–which was only ba /bfew doors from his–and pushed the door open, heading straight for the bathroom. I turned on the btap /bto the tub,

I made sure to leave the room door openb, /bbut I locked the bathroom door as soon as I entered.

I decided to go with the drowning method. Talia’s suggestion was good, but 1 didn’t want to risk falling to my death.

I’d be damned if I was given ba /bsecond chance only to die by my own foolishness.

Drowning, on the other hand, was different. After Seraphina pushed me into the pool in the past, I not only secretly learned bhow /bto swim, but also practiced how to hold my breath underwater for a long time.

As soon as the tub was full, I took off my clothes–save for my underwear–and got into the tub, lowering myself until I waspletely engulfed

Water rushed into my ears, and I panicked slightly as shes from when I almost drowned came to mind–but the silence that came with being under was enough to calm me

I silently prayed that Lucian woulde in the next five minutes, because that was how long I could hold my breath.

I don’t know how long I’d been under, but I was slowly running out of breath. I instinctively inhaledb, /band water rushed into my nose and mouth. I was pulled out of the tub before 1 could even process the burn that came with it.

I began to violently cough up water, struggling to breathe through my mouth.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind?!” Lucian yelled, pulling my wet body out of the tub and onto his chest.

I was too busy trying to get air into my lungs to notice how angry he looked.

His hand went to my back, gently rubbing it.

“Get me a towel!” He yelled at someone, and soon a towel was wrapped around my shoulders.

He picked me up and carried me out of the bathroom. Only then did I notice that the bathroom door had been kicked down.

“You broke my door” I croaked out, but his re was enough to shut me bup/bb. /b

“Maya, get me a te of bsoup/b.” Lucian ordered, his bvoice /bsharp andposed but I could hear a slight hint of fear in it.

My little stunt had terrified him. I felt horrible.

Maya, who had been staring at us with a look of shock on her face, blinked several times, quickly snapping herself back to the present.

In fact, everyone around us wore a simr expression–wide eyes, open mouth, silent disbelief,

“Yes, Master ckwood” Maya recovered quickly and disappeared down the hall to do bas /bshe was told.

“The rest of you can retire to bbed/b.” He spoke again, stillly. His voice left no room for disagreement.

Not that anyone would dare to disagree.

And with that, everyone dispersed in different directions throughout the mansion, their footsteps fading one by one.

Lupian walked into his room, still carrying bme /bin his arms, and gently ced me on the bed as if I were a porcin doll, something breakable. Without ba /bword, he turned and walked into his closet. He returned a few secondster wearing new clothes- seeing as the ones he had on earlier got drenched–and holding out a ck T–shirt and boxer briefs in one hand.

“Change into this.” He bsaid /bsimply,ying the clothes beside me.

“Lucian, I—”

b2/3 /b

“Don’t talk.” He cut me off, his voice cold. “Just do as you’re told for once, please.”

Then he turned around, giving me privacy to change.

1 peeled off my wet underwear and slipped into the warm, dry clothes he had provided. The fabric bwas /bsoft, and it smelled like him— clean, masculine, familiar,forting.

Quietly, I walked towards him and wrapped my arms around him from behind. His body tensed from the contact, but mine on the other hand rxed almost immediately, bas /ba wave of relief washed.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered, my words quivering with bsincerity/b.

“Why?” He asked, voice low, unreadable.