Chapter 7 Who Will Believe You?

“I am.”

“W-What?”

A deadly tremble stiff her whole being when he spoke what she never perceived. Eyes widened in total disbelief at his sudden declaration.

“I am the one who protected you that day too,”

His grip tightened, earning a wince from the trepid woman. His hot breaths were in her ears, hastily reminding her the past she was trying to bury.

“ I cherished you, adored you, I am the one you should be latching your heart with, Arabella,”

“Do you realize what you are saying, William?!”

With a whisper-yell, she tried to yank her wrist back but ended up in vain.

A tear pricked in her eyes accompanied by rapid heartbeats. A fervent desire ignited in his eyes, caging her perfectly in his blazing body.

Arabella made failed attempts to leave only to be compressed between his toned body and the wall, numbing her.

“Get away or else-”

“Or else what?”

“I will scream,”

“Try.” He smirked, “Unless you want you ruin your beloved friend’s special day and most importantly,”

Flashing a dark glimpse, he whispered seductively in her ears.

“Who will believe you?”

Shutting her eyes, she shivered violently due to the icy truth.

Truly, who would? Before the kind and charming man?

Smirking at the defeated look, William hovered, placing a kiss on the side of her face, increasing her dread at their proximity.

“What did I say wrong? I believe I am better than Luke in all perspectives. I do anything for you, Bella,”

He chuckled heartlessly, eyes widened hysterically, dragging his lips from her cheek to her exposed neck, feeling her skin, inhaling her scent.

Fulfilling his dark fantasies.

“I never saw you from that perspective, I am in a relationship with your Brother. I think of you as brother-alike.”

“Your thinking as ‘brother-alike’ won’t make me your brother in reality.” He growled, twisting her wrist, forcing a wince from her throat.

“What if I call you my wife? Would it make you my wife? Probably it will.” He suppressed a devilish chuckle.

“Leave my hand.” She whimpered.

Turning her head to the side from repulsion, accidentally giving him further access to capture her neck in an intense kiss, immobilizing her at the passionate contact, sucking to implant his mark on her body.

To mark her as his trophy, as his possession.

“Stop it, stop,”

“Say ‘Please, William’.” The demand was pure dominance, not lust.

“No…”

A tear of defeat rolled down her cheek, horrified to hear this perception of his, on the verge of sobbing, she shook her head in denial.

“Do you like it when I hold your hand?”

“What? No!”

“Then why are you not stopping me? I asked one thing but you are not doing that. Maybe you are enjoying-”

Before he could degrade her and place her in fault, she shut her eyes, gathering her frightened form and forcing out her words heavily with another tear.

“Please… William,”

“There you go.”

Chuckling ruthlessly at her enunciation, he released her but that one moment was enough to terrify her to the point she won’t come near her again.

“You have lost it, William… how could you…? I am your brother’s girlfriend!” She gasped fretfully.

Stumbling with her steps, she wiped the tear in the corner of her eyes and ran away, frightened of the confrontations she just had with him.

With a dangerous smile, William watched her run away from horror, kissing the hand which gripped hers madly as he thought devilishly.

‘Run all you want, my dear, but it won’t be long when you will enter this place as MY bride,’

The divulgence of William’s intentions frightened Arabella inexplicably, the slightest perception of what he could in the absence of Helena and Luke caused her to tremble.

Subsequently, she stayed away from the Grayson household after the wedding.

Luke came to bid her goodbye in her apartment, she was hopelessly following him around, making an almost crying face.

“Why are you not listening to me, Luke?!”

“I have to go home, I have a flight at midnight and I want to spend some quality time with my girlfriend, please,” He sighed, still in his office attire to show he returned from work.

Rolling his sleeves as he took two cups from her cabinets to make coffee for them until their food arrived.

“Luke, why do you have to go? Why can’t William do it?” She whined, pulling his shirt.

“What’s with you, Arabella?! This is about my career!” He snapped, instantly defensive and weary.

She flinched, not just from the noise, but from the realization that he was too tired, too focused on himself, to see her fear. She swallowed the truth.

“All my life William has spoonfed me things. He gave me an already built empire to maintain only, he worked endlessly to provide us all luxury,”

Closing their gap, she flinched. Realizing his action, he cupped her cheeks, praying she would comprehend.

“Why don’t you get it? This is my only chance to show him that I am capable.”

“Don’t go, Luke, please, I don’t want you to leave me. Think about me too,”

“What happened, Baby? Why are you behaving like this? Did something happen?”

He was seriously questioning her state, not that she hadn’t behaved stubbornly before but it was different.

Luke was worried, patiently waiting for her reply.

“I..”

Her lips parted to tell him what happened at the wedding but- ‘Who will believe you?’

‘He was right. When they didn’t back then why will they now…? He has the perfect image after all, the kind-hearted, gallant one,’

Defeated, suppressing her tears, she placed her head on his chest, clutching his shirt between her fingers.

“I am scared. You will go, Helena is not here too… I don’t want to be alone,”

He mentally sighed at her whisper, embracing her and kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back to soothe her.

“You can stay at your parents’ if you want. Plus, your holidays are over, you are going back to work on Monday.”

Pulling away a little, he flashed a beautiful smile, those hazel eyes glimmering to alleviate the vexation in her silver ones.

“You will be so lost in the work that you won’t be able to notice how swiftly time passed,”

“Luke…”

“It’s only a month, My love, it will be over before you know it and then we will plan our wedding, okay?”

"... Okay,"

“And if you need me or something, just let me know. Don’t bother William this time how you used to in the past,” He chuckled nervously.

“You don’t need anything from anyone anymore when I am here after all… right?” He repeated, holding her shoulders in a firm grip, an assertion of control.

He needed reassurance as much as she did.

“Yeah… I know. Um.. Coffee?”

“Maybe next time. Our food is here,” He chuckled, giving her back a pat as they had dinner together and Luke left for home to prepare for his flight.

“Okay then, take care, Baby,”

“You too,”