Chapter 98 - [Bonus ]He Broke Her First

Music recommendation: Freya _Ridings - lost without you

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It all now made sense to Arianna what Marcel meant when he said he was setting a trap for Elijah. 

She had thought he would try to take him out during the exchange deal, but her premonition was wrong - because there was no trade happening at all.

Marcel was handing her over to her enemies and the moment Elijah tried to rescue her, he would apprehend him. 

So while she had been cozy with Marcel, the young asshole had been busy planning her value and Elijah's capture. He manipulated and fooled her! 

Arianna felt dirty. 

No wonder Marcel couldn't come down and look her in the eyes while handing her over to Big Joe. He knew what he did.

But at the same time, Arianna wished to see him so she could plead for her life. She can't return to Big Joe. The man would not only kill her, but he would also crush her spirit. She can't go back there.

So even while the guards tried to stop her, Arianna shouted and pleaded for Marcel with urgency. He had to save her; he was her only source of hope right now.

"Marcel!" She screamed with all of her might, tears freely running down her cheeks, "Please, Marcel! Don't do this to me!" She begged.

"Get her!" Kenith ordered the men beside him seeing that Arianna was causing a ruckus that had attracted everyone's attention.

"No, don't touch me!" Arianna screamed when the guards let go of her only for Kenith's people to grab onto her.

She turned and headbutted into the one by her right with all of her strength before punching in the other one in the guts. 

As petite as Arianna was, the adrenaline rush has given her great strength and bravery. She had to fight for her survival!

Thanks to her unexpected attack, Arianna managed to slip through them. However, instead of going straight at the guards that were ready to capture her, she broke into a sprint in the other direction. Thus, it became a chase.

They all knew her intention and it was to see Marcel. And from the way they guarded the staircase, it became clear to Arianna that Marcel was upstairs. She just had to bypass them and go up, but that was easier said than done.

For once Arianna was thankful that the foyer was spacious and she was able to spread out and easily slip through the men that wanted to catch her. Arianna knew the moment they closed in on her, she was finished because she couldn't fight them off.

So far her plans of dodging them seem to be succeeding until Arianna heard a familiar voice that shouldn't be here, called her and she looked up.

"Mimi?"

That moment of distraction cost her because one of the men lunged at her from behind, tackling her to the floor.

"Arianna!" She could hear her best friend's shock as she was pressed to the ground and a pair of handcuffs slammed down on her wrists while another pair of hands helped to hoist her to her feet.

"Mimi!" Arianna called out, their eyes connecting with the same look of confusion and despair in there.

"Arianna!" Mimi tried to come to her rescue but Victor grabbed onto her.

Arianna was more than scared now, she was terrified. What was Mimi doing here? How did she get here? What was going on here, she couldn't understand anymore? 

She had intentionally kept Mimi in the dark to avoid this kind of scenario yet all of her precautions were for nothing.

Did Marcel bring her here? If that was the case then he was a bigger monster than she thought! To think that she ever felt pity for him.

Arianna knew if anything happened to Mimi, she would never forgive Marcel, not in this life or the next to come! The fact that she had been attracted to that devil made her skin crawl.

"Marcel?!" Arianna went back to calling his name when one of  Kenith's men carried her over his shoulder. 

What's with them picking her up like a sack of potatoes? She has dignity, you know! Not to mention that the position hurt like hell.

"I hate you, Marcel!" Arianna cursed at the top of her voice as they took her away. She cursed ever meeting him and prayed he died a slow, painful death. She hated him! She hated every bit of him! How could he betray her like this?

"Arianna!" She heard her friends calling her once again and her attention shifted to her.

"Mimi," Arianna cried out, stretching her hand as if she could reach her that way when it was clearly impossible.

The sight of Victor holding back Mimi was the last thing she saw before they walked through the door. 

Outside, she took one last look at the mansion, and by chance, her eyes caught a familiar figure by the window.

Her eyes widened and hope flared inside of her, "Marcel," She whispered. She had to get to him.

When Kenith's men dumped her in the backseat of their car, Arianna was swift enough to kick the man away, giving her an opening to escape. 

"Marcel!" Arianna called him, running with all of her might that her lungs hurt while her arms were cuffed to her back like some criminal. 

But the men were much faster than her this time that they caught up to her. Arianna fought back fiercely and that got her a slap in the face that made her so dizzy she fell to the ground. 

Even on the floor, Arianna didn't take her eyes off the window, calling his name desperately to come to her rescue. Only he could save her now. 

But he didn't come. 

Marcel didn't save her even when they pressed that drugged rag against her nose, trying to render her unconscious. He stood watching as she prayed for an angel to save her. 

That was when Arianna knew she had been wrong all this time. Marcel was not an angel, but the devil that came to steal, kill and destroy. 

And he broke her first. 

No, all of them were just the same, Arianna thought as darkness took over.