CHAPTER 5

AXELLE

I had already paid for a new condo and spent time making sure it was furnished exactly to my liking. Before settling in, I headed back to the house I shared with Adan to gather my things. 

It's been three weeks now, and Miles still hasn't issued the divorce papers. When I asked him what was taking so long, he claimed he needed more time to prepare because of the documents I signed.

After everything that's happened, I hate that I have to put my trust in someone else so blindly. But right now, I don't have many options. I just have to trust him and hope it doesn't turn out badly.

When I pulled into the driveway, I walked confidently into the house, making a beeline for the bedroom Adan and I used to share. As I stepped into the closet to start packing my things, I suddenly froze—I hadn't expected to find him at home in the middle of the day.

Adan, clearly not expecting to see me, blinked slowly, as if trying to process my sudden appearance. "Axelle?"

I didn't even bother to acknowledge him. Without so much as a glance in his direction, I brushed past him, making my way to the corner of the closet where my suitcase was stashed. I grabbed it quickly and began yanking my clothes off the rail, stuffing them into the suitcase with sharp, deliberate movements.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, his tone hardening as he reached out and grabbed my forearm, trying to stop me.

I froze, slowly turning my head to glare at the spot where his hand held onto mine. The anger boiling inside me was barely contained as I hissed through clenched teeth, "If you don't let go of me this instant, Adan, I'll be sending you straight to the ER."

To my utter disbelief, the bastard had the audacity to chuckle, as if I had said something amusing. "I didn't even realize I liked your feistiness until you showed it at the dinner," he remarked with a smirk, as if this whole situation was some kind of joke to him.

Is this supposed to be funny to him? my irritation spiked. 

With a sharp shrug, I ripped my arm away from his grasp, refusing to let him get under my skin. I continued packing my clothes, more determined than ever to get out of there. But he didn't seem to take the hint. Once again, he tried to stop me, this time reaching for the suitcase I was so furiously filling.

"Don't tempt me, Adan," I growled, my voice low. With the level of anger and craziness running in me right now, If he pushed me any further, I might actually lose it and do something I'd regret.

"Can you just stop for a moment and let's talk?" he demanded, his voice edging into desperation. "The fact that you haven't filed for a divorce yet means that, deep down, you still have some feelings for me."

I paused, considering his words, and nodded as if in agreement. Letting go of the dress I had been clutching, I straightened up and folded my arms across my chest. "You're right, Adan," I said, my voice calm and composed. "I still have feelings for you, and they're not buried deep down like you think. In fact, they're all over the place."

His face lit up with a grin, as if he had just won some kind of twisted victory. He took a step closer, his arms widening, clearly intending to pull me into an embrace. But before he could get any closer, I jabbed my index finger into his chest, stopping him in his tracks and shoving him backward.

"The feelings I have for you, Adan," I continued, my voice now dripping with cold disdain, "are feelings of pure resentment and absolutely nothing else."

The cocky, smug smile plastered on his face slowly morphed into a deep frown. "For fuck's sake, Axelle! Let's talk about this!" he yelled, frustration dripping from every word as he ran his fingers through his hair in exasperation. "If it's therapy you need to get over this, then I'll assign one to you!"

"Assign a therapist to me?" I scoffed, incredulous. "You cheat, and I'm the one who needs therapy?" I shook my head in disbelief, the absurdity of his suggestion only fueling my anger. Without another word, I resumed packing my clothes, determined to finish and leave this madness behind.

I was almost done with the dresses when Adan completely lost it. In a fit of rage, he grabbed the suitcase I had been so carefully packing and flung it across the room. It slammed into the dresser with a loud crash, sending my clothes flying everywhere, scattering across the floor like fallen leaves in a storm.

I stood there, frozen in disbelief, staring at the mess that had once been my neatly packed belongings. The shock quickly gave way to fury as I whipped around to face him. "What the fuck is your problem?" I spat, my voice trembling with anger.

His jaw clenched tightly, and his fist trembled with barely contained anger as he closed the distance between us. Without warning, he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me forcefully against his body. I struggled against his grip, twisting and writhing, but it was no use—his hold was unyielding.

"You will stop this madness," he growled, his voice low and menacing, "and give me a chance to talk this out with you."

Talk about what exactly? "You made me sign illegal documents that could land me in prison!" I shouted, my voice breaking with emotion. "You can't do that to someone you supposedly love!"

"That won't be a problem if you just keep signing the documents and turn a blind eye to it!" he spat as he shoved his face close to mine. "Have you even considered what your life would be like without me or your family?"

My eyes filled with tears, not from the sting of his words but from the pain of his iron grip on my shoulder. I could already feel the bruises forming, and it hurt more than I wanted to admit. "I'd rather face that life," I said, my voice trembling but firm, "than continue being a part of that family or remain married to you!"

He slapped me hard across the cheek, the impact sending me crashing to the floor. I lay there, stunned, my hand instinctively flying to my face as I struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

"It seems I've been too lenient with you," he spat, his voice seething with anger. "Do you even realize the level of insult you've inflicted on me and my family?"

"What?" I whispered, my voice barely audible as I processed the shock of his actions. I had always known Adan was a fool, but I never imagined he would resort to violence. "Did you just hit me?"

"I'll do more than hit you if you don't get your head on straight!" he roared as he crouched down to my level. He grabbed my face roughly, squeezing my cheeks painfully. "For the first time, my father has given me a responsibility, and that's to make sure you keep signing those documents. I'm not about to let your foolishness ruin that for me!"

"You mean your foolishness?" I retorted, my voice sharp and defiant. "If the responsibility was so important to you, you should have made sure not to get caught!"

He slapped me again, but this time, I wasn't stunned. I just glared at him as his hand made contact with my cheek. My tears seemed to have run out, refusing to fall no matter how much I wanted to cry.

"Clearly, you're not ready to reason," he said, rising to his feet and straightening his shoulders. "When you're ready to talk, you can knock on that door."

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Once they did, I sprang to my feet and bolted out of the closet. Adan lunged after me, reaching for my arm in an attempt to stop me, but I was as fast as he was, if not faster. Knowing that rushing for the front door would only lead to being caught, I veered into the restroom instead, hoping to find some safety from the raging lunatic.

I quickly clicked the lock into place, my hands trembling with fear. Panicked about what might happen next, I considered calling the police, but quickly realized it wasn't a viable option. Given the power my family had and the way they influenced law enforcement, it would be his word against mine, and I couldn't risk that.

I had only one person who could help me, so I decided to send him a call for assistance. However, I noticed that my phone battery was almost dead, and there might not be enough power to make a call.

In a rush, I opted for a text message, hastily typing out a desperate plea for help, not worrying about making perfect sense. I managed to send it just before my phone finally shut off.

The message read: 'Adan lock me up I need you hel'