Chained To The Devil novel Chapter 32

FLASHBACK

A few years earlier

MAIN VILLA

I walk into my father’s office with Maria. He’s sitting in his big chair, signing documents at his desk that towers over me.

He doesn’t even bother to lift his head to look at me. He just gives a wave of his hand to let me know I can speak.

“Do you think Maria could take me to visit her family, who lives in the countryside?”

“What the hell would you want to do there?”

“Her brothers have a big farm with chickens and cows! I could see the animals and help take care of them!”

He lifts his head and looks at us both before bursting out laughing.

Maria squeezes my hand tightly to show she supports me. Innocently, I continue:

“Did I say something funny?”

“You already look like a street rat. If you set foot in a place like that, you might turn into a real animal.”

I’m used to his cruel remarks. He leaves his chair and stands in front of Maria, whose body I can feel trembling. She’s terrified by the physical proximity he’s imposing.

“You are an employee, Maria. Not a friend or second mother to my daughter. I forbid you from encouraging her to do such things or to integrate her into your family. Even if it’s hard to believe, that little thing is my blood. And even if having a daughter like her is a disappointment, she must follow the rules and act according to the blood that runs through her veins.”

Maria lowers her head and nods.

“I’m sorry. I thought it would make her happy to discover new things.”

I bite my lip to stop myself from pouring all my hatred onto this man.

“You’re not paid to think, but to clean and take care of the brat! Now go clean all the villa’s toilets. I assume my men must have dirtied them well.”

He flashes a mocking smile. Maria nods, lets go of my hand, and heads for the door. I whisper:

“All the filth in those toilets will always be cleaner than you.”

I know he heard me because he looks at me with a severe glare.

“What did you just say, Inara?”

I’m terrified, but I can’t let him treat Maria like a dog.

“I said all the filth in those toilets will always be cleaner than you.”

He looks shocked by my boldness and grabs a metal ruler from his desk.

“You’re feeling chatty, aren’t you?”

As soon as he starts walking toward me, Maria steps in to protect me while I stare him down:

“You want to hit me? Do it!”

It’s the first time I’ve dared to defy him.

“Get out of my way right now before I slap you instead of that spoiled brat!”

“She’s just a child, she’s only twelve! She doesn’t know what she’s saying! Please, don’t hit her!”

“She needs to learn to shut her mouth and respect the man who feeds her!”

“You spend your time beating this poor girl!”

“Now you’re going to teach me how to raise my daughter?”

He says it with a challenging tone, testing if Maria will speak up. She’s about to reply, but I step in, standing in front of him despite my small size.

“Hit me, but leave Maria alone!”

“Hold out your hand.”

I obey. He hits each of my hands forty times with the ruler until they’re completely red and about to bleed.

Maria screams, but she knows she can’t intervene. He hits me violently, but won’t kill me, though he wouldn’t hesitate if it were her.

“Get out of my office, both of you, right now! Your training won’t last three hours tonight, but five. Make sure you’re up to it.”

END OF FLASHBACK

My father destroyed both my hands. I couldn’t feel my fingers or my palms anymore.

I didn’t act to defend my honor, but to defend Maria’s, which is worth a hundred times more than mine.

“As long as I work for my father, I’ll be miserable. I have nowhere else to go.”

“I always knew the intense training he made you go through was to turn you into his successor in the gang.”

“I’m not his successor. I’m just a member of the gang.”

I’ve always wondered why Maria never reported my father to the police. She knows so much about him—more than anyone else. She’s the only one who’s served him long enough to know a good part of his secrets.

He must terrify her. She knows very well that he’s a monster without a soul. She saw him abuse and hit me before I even knew how to read or write.

“I really wish I could’ve stayed with you these past two years,” Maria tells me.

“I needed to get away from the gang. I couldn’t stand being around all those men anymore.”

“All they want is to sleep with you.”

“I know, Maria. They’ll never get anything from me, and even if I have to kill one of them to set an example, I won’t hesitate.”

She taps my head lightly, smiles, then looks at my face, specifically my forehead. She immediately frowns.

“Who did that to you? Your father?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The bump on your forehead.”

I had completely forgotten.

How can I explain that I hid Alexander in my bathroom, that Hakim came into my room to find out who was there, pushed me so hard I fell and hit my head, and then tried to sexually assault me?

I know he’s planning something. For now, he’s making me believe he just wants me to keep an eye on Alexander.

“But what’s so special about this Alexander that your father wants to uncover his secrets?”

“I tried asking him, but Khalid is always just as secretive.”

“You really didn’t find anything on him?”

“He figured out my cover really fast. Khalid doesn’t know. If he finds out, he’ll kill me.”

“I’d rather you stayed out of trouble by staying as far away as possible from that young man.”

Tomorrow, I’m spending a full day with him. Better if she doesn’t know, or she might have a heart attack.

“I want to find out what Khalid is hiding, and also what Alexander was doing in that prison.”

She gently caresses my cheek.

“I’d really like to see what this man who’s driving you crazy looks like.”

I get up from my bed under Maria’s curious gaze.

“What are you doing?”

I walk over to my underwear drawer to take out the photo of Alexander that I had taken from his prison file. I stood and handed her the picture. Maria takes it and looks at it for a few seconds. She starts smiling like she just saw a marvel.

“This young man is gorgeous. Did you see his curly hair? They’re lovely.”

“Maria! You’re not supposed to compliment him—you’re supposed to hate him! Just like I hate him!”

She starts laughing.

“He hasn’t done anything to me! From this picture, he looks quite charming. There’s a unique beauty about him.”

I look at the photo. A small smile slips.

It’s true—he really is handsome in that shot. His facial features are relaxed, and he looks much calmer than he does in real life. His piercing gaze gives off something inexplicable, his beautiful mid-length hair is wavy.

“For someone who hates this man, I find you spend a lot of time staring at his photo.”

She just pulled me back to reality.

“What are you talking about? I’m looking at it because he’s actually uglier in person!”

“Why are you so nervous?”

“I’m not nervous! I’m going to get ready before my father starts throwing a fit!”

I rush into the bathroom and slam the door. With a sigh, I open it again and walk toward Maria, who’s watching me strangely. I take the photo from her hands to put it away.

“Why are you keeping a photo of a man you hate hidden under your underwear?”

“I keep that photo to remind myself how much I hate him.”

She gives a genuine laugh and lets me head to the bathroom, sparing me another awkward question.

I used to be better at lying, Inara! Then again, I can’t hide anything from her!