Off Limits

"No! Let me go!" She pleaded.

Aciel smirked. "You like me, right?"

Xylia was surprised. She didn't expect Aciel knew about her feelings.

"Since you like me, I will let you be my girlfriend if you serve me in bed. Be honored. Most women beg me to sleep with them."

'Slap.'

The sound of her palm that landed on his face echoed inside the penthouse. How could she treat a woman like this? She thought inwardly.

"You're an asshole! My feelings are not that shallow. I am not like those girls you could easily toy with."

Xylia yelled, and then she mustered her strength to kick Aciel between his thighs. He fell to the floor, flinching from pain.

She didn't think twice and ran towards the elevator. Her tears started to fall. She was so foolish to believe that Aciel was not really a bad person. Chelsea warned her, but she didn't listen. Now, she realized how deeply she fell for Aciel. Her heart felt like it was being torn apart.

Aciel sat on the couch, licking his lower lip. The taste of his blood made him fuming with anger towards Xylia. She was the first woman who rejected him, and the first to slap him on the face.

"I swear someday you will beg for me. And I will make you my woman, princess." Aciel said with gritted teeth.

When the elevator reached the ground floor, Xylia was surprised to see her bodyguards in the lobby. She bit her lips, and her heart couldn't stop pounding when she recognized the woman who was seating in the waiting area.

"Miss Xylia, your mother is waiting for you." One of her bodyguards said.

She nodded and didn't say a word. Her mom was quietly sitting on the couch while champagne was being served on the table. It was the lobby and not the restaurant but the hotel served complimentary drinks to VIP clients, and her mom was one of them.

Walking toward her mother was like walking into quicksand. The more you get closer to her, the more you felt like sinking, and you couldn't escape from it.

"M-Mother! You're here." She stuttered.

Before her mother said anything, Xylia heard the elevator door open. She was hoping that it wasn't Aciel but hearing the footsteps behind made her sure that he was the one walking toward them.

Her mother glanced at the man behind her. Xylia's heart felt like flaring. She didn't expect Aciel would follow immediately. She was about to reason with her mother when she was surprised to receive a slap from her.

It was so hard that she heard some ringing in her ear, and her cheek felt a prickling pain. That's what it feels to be slapped on the face. She wondered if her slap to Aciel earlier felt the same.

"M-Mom, I-I can explain!" She said.

"Enough, Xylia. I don't want to hear anything from you. Tomorrow, Ivan will be transferred to your class and I want you to entertain him. Remember, what we talked about. Today's incident never happened. Do you understand?" Her mom said it calmly, but she knew it was a warning.

Xylia's lips tremble, and her knees weakened by the tone of her mother's voice. She nodded in agreement and didn't say a word.

Her mother glanced at Aciel again, giving him a warning stare before turning her back from him. Xylia followed without looking at Aciel.

Aciel frowned. What the hell just happened? The other day, he had a weird feeling toward Xylia's mother when he overheard their conversation. He ignored it, but witnessing the scene just now, his curiosity and suspicions grew. Something was going on in the Antonov Clan, and he wanted to find out what it was.

He was mad at Xylia for rejecting him, but for some reason, seeing her tremble in front of her mother made him furious. What was she afraid of? And why would the Antonov matriarch hurt their only daughter?

Aciel returned to the penthouse and didn't bother to go back to school. He lay flat on his bed and then took his phone to search for someone on the internet.

"Ivan Harlow. Let's see who's this asshole."

He found a lot of news and articles about the guy who would marry the Antonov princess in the future. Aciel frowned when he read the news about the sexual harassment issue. His guess was right. That Ivan was in a scandal involving two junior high school girls. The evidence was overwhelming but the families of the girls were nothing compared to the Harlow's so in the end, the case was dismissed.

Aciel's expression went dark. In some articles, Ivan was said to be a sadist, and in one interview, he proudly admitted it and announced that he was looking for a girl who was willing to be his partner and join him in the act of BDSM. He even mentioned paying for that girl.

Why did the Antonov's choose that sadistic guy? There were a lot of families in the city wealthier and more powerful than the Harlow's. There was definitely something wrong with Xylia's family.

Aciel dropped his phone on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He should not care about what happened to Xylia. He hated her after all. But when he closed his eyes, she saw Xylia's disappointed face.

That was her reaction when he tried to force himself on her. He didn't have the right to get mad at Ivan. He was the same. He sat on the bed and tweaked his hair.

"Ugh! Fuck!" He exclaimed.

He tried not to think about Xylia, but every time he closed his eyes, her face occupied his mind. He could hear her voice whispering in his ears. He picked up his phone and dialled Colt's number.

"Get me, Martin! Now!" He said in a rough voice.

After half an hour, Martin arrived. Without saying a word, Aciel threw some pictures on the table in front of Martin.

"That girl! I want her." He started.

Martin frowned. "The Antonov princess? But she's not included on the list of candidates."

"And what was the reason?" He asked.

"She's off limits. She could never be yours, Aciel. Forget her." Martin said in a firm tone.